BOOK ONE

...were established. Presenting the Father and Creator as the all-ruling King, who governs by His mere nod; but the Word of God, whom we preach as Christ, as the second after Him, Eusebius uses "second" (Armenian: երկրորդ/erkrord) to describe the Son’s relationship to the Father, following the Subordinationist theology common in the early 4th century, which viewed the Son as the agent of the Father. bringing the fatherly commands of creation into effect. Him, from the very root of all humanity—those who were ever recorded with praise for their righteousness and piety—such as that great minister of God, Moses, and before him Abraham and his sons, and the righteous men and prophets who came after; they saw Him with the pure eyes of the mind and recognized Him. They offered Him the worship and service due to the Son of God. And He, in the manner of a teacher, continually handed down to all the service of His Father’s divinity and the knowledge of the Father.

And it is said: "The Lord God appeared as an ordinary man to Abraham" while he sat by the Oak of Mamre. original: "կաղնեաւն Մամբրէի" (kaghneavn Mambrēi). This refers to the famous theophany in Genesis 18 where three men visit Abraham. Although he saw only a man with his eyes, he immediately fell down and prostrated himself before Him as God, and offered supplications and prayers to Him as Lord. He confessed that it was not hidden from him who He was, speaking these words: "Lord, you who judge all the earth, will you not do justice?" Genesis 18:25. Eusebius argues that since the Father is invisible and unchangeable, the "Lord" appearing in human form must be the pre-existent Christ. For if it were entirely unfitting and impossible to take the uncreated and unchangeable nature of the Godhead and transform it into a man...

The following section appears to be a variant reading or a summary of the passage above, commonly found in Armenian manuscripts of Eusebius.

...before him, Abraham and his sons, and those righteous men and prophets who appeared later, saw and recognized Him with the enlightened eyes of their thoughts. They offered Him the worthy worship due to the Son of God. And He became the teacher of them all concerning the knowledge of the Father; for it was said: "The Lord God appeared as an ordinary man to Abraham" at the time when he sat in the heat of the day by the Oak of Mamre. And he fell and prostrated himself before Him; though he saw Him as a man with his eyes, he worshipped Him as God and offered prayers to Him as Lord. And he confessed that it was not hidden from him who He was, saying these words: "Lord God, judge of all the earth, let not these be your judgments." But God and the Lord, who judges all the earth...