Socrates (c. 440), when discussing Arius’ Christology, taught that
the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of
existence; hence it is clear that there was [a time] when the Son was not . . .
(Documents of the Christian Church, ed. Henry Bettenson [2d ed.; Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1963], 40)
As Bettenson noted, explaining why “a time” is in brackets:
ην οτε ουκ ην—Arius was careful to
avoid saying ‘There was a time when the Son was not,’ since he was
begotten ‘before time’. English idiom cannot render his phrase literally.
(Ibid., 40 n. 1)
