The doctrine of the Λόγος grew up between the close of the Old Testament era and the opening of the New. It was an important period of preparation, the value of which cannot be overrated. The seething of all the diverse elements, the fusion of opposites in the order of thoughts, it was when the ‘fullness of time’ (τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου— Gal. iv.4) had come, that God sent into the world his Son, born of woman.’ The more one studies history, the more one feels the force and significance of St. Paul’s expression. Whether considered morally, or socially, or politically, or philosophically, or religiously, it was essentially the fullness of time. Even an unbeliever must allow, the Christian era has been the turning point of world history. This is not a matter of theory, but of fact. Whether we consider the actions of Rome, or the intellect of Greece, or the religious aspirations of Judaea, the expression ‘fullness of time’ is apt.
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