Here are some thoughts of mine on Athanasius' work "On the Incarnation", which I am reading for advent 2025, along with some other fellow ministers with connections to Bury.
Chapter 8 of "On the Incarnation" (which corresponds to paragraphs 41 to 55) continues the theme of Gentile/Greek objections to the gospel.
The main point that Athanasius makes in this chapter is the impact of the Christian faith leading to the decline of pagan practices and knowledge of various kinds. Athanasius is arguing that these constitute proof and vindication of the Incarnation of the Word.
"When did people begin to abandon the worship of idols, unless it were since the very Word of God came among men?"
"Again, in former times every place was full of the fraud of the oracles, and the utterances of those at Delphi and Dordona and in Boeotia and Lycia and Libya and Egypt and those of the Kabiri and the Pythoness were considered marvellous by the minds of men. But now, since Christ has been proclaimed everywhere, their madness too has ceased, and there is no one left among them to give oracles at all."
"These things which we have said are no mere words: they are attested by actual experience."
"If He is a man, how is it that one man has proved stronger than all those whom they themselves regard as gods, and by His own power has shown them to be nothing?"
"If, then, the Saviour is neither a mere man nor a magician, nor one of the demons, but has by His Godhead confounded and overshadowed the opinions of the poets and the delusion of the demons and the wisdom of the Greeks, it must be manifest and will be owned by all that He is in truth Son of God, Existent Word and Wisdom and Power of the Father."
"But the Word of God, by strangest paradox, teaching in meaner language, has put the choicest sophists in the shade, and by confounding their teachings and drawing all men to Himself He has filled His own assemblies."
"But, strange to relate, since they came over to the school of Christ, as men moved with real compunction they have laid aside their murderous cruelty and are war-minded no more."
This chapter contains the famous dictum, "He, indeed, assumed humanity that we might become God." This is the doctrine of theosis or deification. Possibly, the following phrases cast some light on how it should and should not be understood, "He manifested Himself by means of a body in order that we might perceive the Mind of the unseen Father. He endured shame from men that we might inherit immortality. He Himself was unhurt by this, for He is impassable and incorruptible; but by His own impassability He kept and healed the suffering men on whose account He thus endured."
Athanasius compares the appearance of Christ at his first coming as the appearance of the sun: "When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer; any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away. So also, now that the Divine epiphany of the Word of God has taken place, the darkness of idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are enlightened by His teaching.
And likewise he compares the incarnation to a king emerging and making himself known: "Similarly, if a king be reigning somewhere, but stays in his own house and does not let himself be seen, it often happens that some insubordinate fellows, taking advantage of his retirement, will have themselves proclaimed in his stead; and each of them, being invested with the semblance of kingship, misleads the simple who, because they cannot enter the palace and see the real king, are led astray by just hearing a king named. When the real king emerges, however, and appears to view, things stand differently. The insubordinate impostors are shown up by his presence, and men, seeing the real king, forsake those who previously misled them."
"Now this is proof that Christ is God, the Word and Power of God. For whereas human things cease and the fact of Christ remains, it is clear to all that the things which cease are temporary, but that He Who remains is God and very Son of God, the sole-begotten Word."
Chapter 8 of "On the Incarnation" (which corresponds to paragraphs 41 to 55) continues the theme of Gentile/Greek objections to the gospel.
The main point that Athanasius makes in this chapter is the impact of the Christian faith leading to the decline of pagan practices and knowledge of various kinds. Athanasius is arguing that these constitute proof and vindication of the Incarnation of the Word.
"When did people begin to abandon the worship of idols, unless it were since the very Word of God came among men?"
"Again, in former times every place was full of the fraud of the oracles, and the utterances of those at Delphi and Dordona and in Boeotia and Lycia and Libya and Egypt and those of the Kabiri and the Pythoness were considered marvellous by the minds of men. But now, since Christ has been proclaimed everywhere, their madness too has ceased, and there is no one left among them to give oracles at all."
"These things which we have said are no mere words: they are attested by actual experience."
"If He is a man, how is it that one man has proved stronger than all those whom they themselves regard as gods, and by His own power has shown them to be nothing?"
"If, then, the Saviour is neither a mere man nor a magician, nor one of the demons, but has by His Godhead confounded and overshadowed the opinions of the poets and the delusion of the demons and the wisdom of the Greeks, it must be manifest and will be owned by all that He is in truth Son of God, Existent Word and Wisdom and Power of the Father."
"But the Word of God, by strangest paradox, teaching in meaner language, has put the choicest sophists in the shade, and by confounding their teachings and drawing all men to Himself He has filled His own assemblies."
This chapter contains the famous dictum, "He, indeed, assumed humanity that we might become God." This is the doctrine of theosis or deification. Possibly, the following phrases cast some light on how it should and should not be understood, "He manifested Himself by means of a body in order that we might perceive the Mind of the unseen Father. He endured shame from men that we might inherit immortality. He Himself was unhurt by this, for He is impassable and incorruptible; but by His own impassability He kept and healed the suffering men on whose account He thus endured."
Athanasius compares the appearance of Christ at his first coming as the appearance of the sun: "When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer; any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away. So also, now that the Divine epiphany of the Word of God has taken place, the darkness of idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are enlightened by His teaching.
And likewise he compares the incarnation to a king emerging and making himself known: "Similarly, if a king be reigning somewhere, but stays in his own house and does not let himself be seen, it often happens that some insubordinate fellows, taking advantage of his retirement, will have themselves proclaimed in his stead; and each of them, being invested with the semblance of kingship, misleads the simple who, because they cannot enter the palace and see the real king, are led astray by just hearing a king named. When the real king emerges, however, and appears to view, things stand differently. The insubordinate impostors are shown up by his presence, and men, seeing the real king, forsake those who previously misled them."
"Now this is proof that Christ is God, the Word and Power of God. For whereas human things cease and the fact of Christ remains, it is clear to all that the things which cease are temporary, but that He Who remains is God and very Son of God, the sole-begotten Word."
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