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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." For these things, then, we glorify not the Son only, but the Father. Here let us argue with the heretics. Speaking of the Father, he says, "To the only God." Is the Son then not God? "The only immortal." Is the Son then not immortal? Or does He not possess that Himself, which hereafter He will give to us? Yes, they say, He is God and immortal, but not such as the Father. What then? …
Gregory of Nyssa
We know that of all the names by which Deity is indicated some are expressive of the Divine majesty, employed and understood absolutely, and some are assigned with reference to the operations over us and all creation. For when the Apostle says "Now to the immortal, invisible, only wise God," and the like, by these titles he suggests conceptions which represent to us the transcendent power, but when God is spoken of in the Scriptures as gracious, merciful, full of pity, true, good, Lord, Physician, Shepherd, Way, Bread, Fountain, …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Since the apostle said something very great about the Son, namely, that He saves the despairing, lest anyone think that the Father is deprived of His glory, he also sends up glory to Him. All this is common to the Son as well. For He too is the King of the ages. If He is the Creator of the ages, then how is He not the King, incorruptible, invisible in His Divinity, and the only wise One? He Himself is the wisdom of the Father. The same must be said also of the Spirit. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
So this faith is also a rule for salvation, to "believe in God the Father almighty," creator of all things, "king of the ages, immortal and invisible." He is indeed the almighty God who at the origin of the world made all things out of nothing. He is before the ages and made and governs the ages. He doesn't, after all, grow with time, or stretch out in space, nor is he shut in or bounded by any material. He abides with and in himself as full and perfect eternity, which neither human thought can comprehend nor tongue describe.
Jerome
But if you think that God is seen by those who are pure in heart in this world, why did Moses, who had previously said, "I have seen the Lord face to face, and my life is preserved," afterwards plead that he might see him distinctly? And because he said that he had seen God, the Lord told him, "You cannot not see my face. For no one shall see my face and live." For this reason also the apostle calls him the only invisible God, who dwells in light unapproachable, whom no man has seen nor can see.
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, he expresses his gratitude: In regard to the first he does two things: first, he commends the one to whom he gives thanks; second, he expresses the thanks, at honor and glory. First, he commends him because of his power; second, because of his unique nature. In regard to the first he says, to the King. …
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