On the Incarnation, Athanasius, SVS Press, 1998
Chapter I - Creation and the Fall
§1 - Athanasius begins his treatise with the creation of the World, arguing that the Word made flesh is also the Word at creation, through whom creation was made. To fully address the Word who “assumed a body,” he must first address what occurred at Creation. In this way, Athanasius sets up a continuity between Creation and Salvation. The Word was made manifest in body, assumed a body, for the purpose of salvation.
§2 - Athanasius uses reason and Scripture to argue against the Epicureans, Plato, and the Gnostics that a) the preexistent God created the world and everything in it, and that b) this God is the same one who is the Father of Christ. He continues the argument for continuity between creation and salvation.
§3 - God made humans like God, with reason and the ability to “express the Mind of God” - what Athanasius calls a grace - as long as they obey God in paradise. Failing that, they will be cast out of paradise and face “death and corruption.” Obviously, humans failed and now face death, as evidenced by the fact that all nature dies.
§4 - Humans were created which, as they turn from God, leads to death. However, “preserving” the Likeness of God bestowed on us would keep us from death (corruption, non-being, non-xistence) by overcoming our nature. Because humans can’t do that, we are the cause of the Word taking on human form.
§5 - Athanasius attempts to explain why that which is created by God should end up needing to be saved. He attempts to understand how evil and death make their way into creation (through humans.) He exposes the tension between God having created the world and humans through sin making it non-existent: how is God to preserve Creation?
Chapter II - The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation
§6 - Athanasius lays out the dilemma that God established death for disobedience, but also established life in Creation, which then disobeys. Since God cannot contravene what God has established, yet cannot allow humankind to cease to exist (which would deny God’s goodness), there is a dilemma.
§7 - He attempts to resolve the dilemma by proposing that only someone who was at Creation - the Word - can restore incorruption and accomplish the proper recreation (through suffering).
§8 - Athanasius explains how the Word planned to accomplish the above restoration: by becoming/taking on a human body which dies, though this particular body was born from someone virgin. Athanasius emphasizes that the chief characteristic of a human body is that it dies. He implies that because this human body is that of the Word, its death will overcome the death of all and abolish it.
§9 - Athanasius now explains how the death of the body of the Word overturns the death of all: by exchange - the Word’s body = all bodies, and through solidarity with all human bodies, the resurrection of the Word’s body = (leads to) the resurrection of all. He also explains that the body of the Word accomplished both exchange and resurrection because it is the body of the incorruptible Word. [It would seem, then, that for Athanasius, the particulars of the Word’s body (ie. that it was Jewish) are irrelevant. The only important things are that a) it was sinless and thus not corruptible and b) the body died.]
§10 - Athanasius cites Scripture to prove that only the Word could accomplish both the “ending” of the law that requires death for transgression and the recreation of new life. [Athanasius jumps from Creation to the Incarnation with no mention of anything in between. On the one hand, he erases the OT from his Christology. On the other hand, his interpretation of the law leading to death is taken entirely from the Creation story and not from Leviticus. To this extent, he cannot be considered anti-Jewish in his understanding of the Law.]
Chapter III - The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation - continued
§11 - Athanasius continues his explanation of why the Word needed to become incarnate, laying out the dilemma between people needing to know who God is, being shown, but rejecting that display. He frames it epistemologically, but does show some temporal confusion: people needed knowledge, God sent the Word, people rejected the knowledge, God sent Jesus. [Note that Athanasius starts with the subject - the Word is incarnated because of the people, not because of God.]
§12 - Athanasius clarifies that God attempted several times to show people who God is so they might turn from wickedness (which was a further act of grace). He is still attempting to explain how God’s creatures nevertheless turn away from God.
§13 - Athanasius reiterates that humans, made in the image of God, turn away from God, resulting in punishment: subsequent corruption (death, decay, etc.) God resolves to re-create humans (without destroying them) and sends Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God’s own image to do away with corruption, in order to recreate humans in the image of God.
§14 - The role of the Incarnate Word is to teach humankind about God by becoming a body, modeling the image of God that humans should be.
§15 - Athanasius states that the purpose of the Incarnation (born, died, and rose [the agent is Christ, who rose - active, not passive verb]) is to prove Christ’s unique superiority over all, thereby recalling humans from wrong ways and pointing them to the Father. There is an emphasis on the two-fold action of gathering in from error and sending out in the right direction (deconstruction and reconstruction).
§16 - Athanasius gives a two-fold goal to the Incarnation: 1) to destroy death and remake humans and 2) to become sensorily concrete so people can know God in the Word.
§17 - Athanasius explains the nature of the Incarnation, arguing that becoming embodied did not lessen the transcendence of the Word outside of materiality. The Incarnation is a one-way transformation, the Word becomes human, transforming humankind, but the act is not reciprocal, transforming the Word. In this way, Athanasius avoids the implication that the Word would become corrupt by taking on human nature, and also avoids any strict division between the Word and the Father. He also establishes a distinction, but not a separation, between the body of the Word and the Word itself.
§18 - Athanasius points to the different behaviours of the incarnate Word to prove that humanity and divinity are present. He also supports his claim that the Word is also the Creator by presenting Jesus’ conception in the virgin’s womb as one of self- creation.
Chapter IV - The Death of Christ
§19 - Having considered what the life of the Word entailed, Athanasius now turns to consideration of the cross and Christ’s death. He also states that “Christ is revealed as God and Son of God” and that “Christ on the cross was God.”
§20 - Athanasius lays out the mechanics of how Christ’s death overcame the death of humanity by explaining that the voluntary death of the un-die-able body of the Word was (more than) sufficient payment for the death owed by the transgressions of humankind. However, Athanasius does not explain exactly how the death of the body of the Word is enough to abolish death.
§21 - Athanasius presents the divinity of Christ in opposition to human nature, through a via negativa, as a way of evaluating the divinity of Christ. He does this in order to argue that although Christ died, it was not like our death because Christ’s body was not corrupted.
§22 - Answering the implicit question of why the Lord’s body died if it is a divine body, Athanasius says that christ died in order to bring an end to the corruptibility-which-leads-to-death of the human body (through the resurrection). Thus, it is appropriate that Christ’s body died in a publicly humiliating manner.
§23 - Athanasius emphasizes two points: 1) That the Saviour really did die and that 2) it was public so that witnesses might attest to it.
§24 - He reiterates that Christ’s submission to death, regardless of how humiliating, is proof that He is the Lord of all life.
§25 - Athanasius now answers the concerns of Christians who ask why Christ had to die on a cross by exploring Bible, imagery, and folktale to show that in death, Christ gathered in all people, and countered the devil on his own turf (the air).
Chapter V - The Resurrection
§26 - Athanasius turns to the nature of the resurrection, explaining that it took three days so that people understood His body was really dead. He also implies that Christ is the agent of his own resurrection.
§27 - Athanasius proves the destruction of death by the resurrection by lifting up the child/men/women followers of Christ who are fearless of death, a sign that death has lost its power.
§28 - Martyrs, who are fearless of death, are important witnesses to Christ’s power over death.
§29 - Athanasius repeats that those who believe in Christ and follow him unflinchingly to death are proof of His power over death.
§30 - Athanasius offers a separate proof for the Saviour’s resurrection: His ongoing action in the lives of people today (converting them, vanquishing evil, etc.), which only the living can do (act in time/reality.)
§31 - Athanasius builds on his argument that ongoing activity is a sign of life and proves Christ’s (resurrected) life by citing that things asked or demanded in Christ’s name happen. He elaborates on Christ’s death, arguing that because His body is the Body of the Word, it could not stay dead, but came to life again, which is described as “resurrection.”
§32 - Athanasius reiterates that proof of Christ’s ongoing activity (ie. life) is seen in the casting out of demons in Christ’s name. [What does it mean that Name=presence? How does Athanasius connect the power of Christ’s name as representative of his presence? What is the power of a name?]
Chapter VI - The Refutation of the Jews
§33 - Using a retrospective view of the Old Testament prophets, Athanasius argues that they demonstrate the coming of Jesus Christ, thereby “refuting” the disbelief of the Jews in the Messiah.
§34 - Athanasius quotes more Scripture to prove they predicted the death of the Lord and “the plotting of the Jews.”
§35 - Athanasius cites more Scripture to prove that they prophesied death on the cross, the (unique) virgin birth, and the public proclamation of Christ’s birth, all of which the Jews (except for Moses) continue to disbelieve.
§36 - Athanasius argues that the prophecies could not have been referring to any of the Israelite kings because none of them conquered their enemies, let alone from their birth. He also argues that no one else died on a cross, or defeated the idol worship of other countries.
§37 - Athanasius argues that Scripture could not have been referring to any of the OT greats and then segues into an argument about the superiority of Life itself (ie. Christ). This Life itself share our human nature, but has no lineage. [Is Athanasius ignoring or ignorant of Matthew?] He makes his first reference to his contemporary surroundings/audience: Egyptian Christians.
§38 - Athanasius quotes more prophets to prove that Christ was the one prophecied, based on his miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead, in order to prove that the Jews are wrong to disbelieve. [Is this an in-house document? Does A expect the witness of the Gospels to be read or known by the Jews? He seems to conflate his contemporary Jews with the Jews of Jesus’ time. Riots in 115-116 CE that resulted in the deaths of many Jews and Jewish Christians may have driven a wedge between Jews and Christians in Alexandria.]
§39 - Athanasius dismisses (his version) of the Jews’ argument that they are waiting for the real Messiah by pointing out that Christ is the Holy One of Holies. He also reads Daniel 9:24, 25 (Septuagint) as predicting that the destruction of Jerusalem would occur after that coming of the Messiah and that, after that, God would no longer send visions or prophecies to Israel.
§40 - The section ends with Athanasius proving the Jews wrong about their disbelief by arguing that their central signifiers (Temple, Jerusalem, prophets and prophecies, Kingdom of Israel) pointed to Christ and that their destruction proves that Christ has fulfilled them. Their “refusal” to believe “dishonours” God and proves they are “demented.”
Chapter VIII - Refutation of the Gentiles
§41 - Athanasius uses the arguments of the Gentiles, via the Greek philosophers, to support the appropriateness of the Word entering a human body by arguing that the human body is a part of the universe and the Greeks argue that there is nothing inappropriate in the Word entering the universe.
§42 - Athanasius continues to press his previous point by extending the analogy of the human body to argue that as the mind of man is in each and every part of the body, including the toe, so is the Word in each and every part of the universe, including humanity.
§43 - He lays out a few more reasons why the Word took on a human body: 1) to use his body (as a human) to help others, 2) to constrain his Divine presence within a human body so that other humans could recognize the Divine and not be overwhelmed by it.
§44 - Athanasius explains in two steps how the Word becoming incarnate in the body defeats death and brings new life. 1) Since it is human bodies that are corrupted, it is only the taking on of that body that will address corruption. 2) Death is integral to the human body (through corruption) and can only be overcome by being replaced with life. Having taken on a human body, Life itself (ie. Christ) now replaces death in the body with new life, therefore casting out death and corruption whenever that new life is put on.
§45 - Athanasius concludes this section with the reminder that the Word being in a body gives everyone the opportunity to know Him, and through Him the Father.
Chapter VIII - Refutation of the Gentiles continued
§46 - The fact that the Greeks now worship only the Lord and no longer their idols proves that Christ’s reach extends universally to the whole world, and not just to the Jews.
§47 - Christ’s power is demonstrated in the multicultural appeal of the Word, as opposed to the narrow base of each pagan religion.
§48 - Athanasius compares the power of Christ to the fraudulence of the Greek idols, arguing that the power of Christ to destroy demons/death is universal. He also describes Christ’s power as “superhuman.”
§49 - Athanasius argues for Christ’s superiority over the Greek gods by pointing out the ways He surpasses them, in both acts and death, as well as the quick spread and acceptance of the following of and worship of Christ.
§50 - The rapid and wide spread of the conversion of Greeks and others is proof of Christ’s power, as well as the moral strength given to previously immoral “barbarians and heathen folk.” He also references the uniqueness of Christ’s bodily resurrection.
§51 - Because Christ’s appeal has been universal and his emphasis has been on peace, Christians put aside ethnic hostilities and now act with peace towards one another. Plus, they’re virgins.
§52 - Athanasius reiterates once again that proof of Christ’s Godhead comes from the peace of the pagans-turned-Christian who follow Christ. This peace was unattainable when they followed their pagan gods. Instead, they join forces together to fight the devil, getting their strength and endurance from Christ.
§53 - Athanasius argues that the ascendancy of Christ’s power is the cause of the fracturing and dissolving of the worship of Greek gods, thus proving the divine nature of Christ’s power.
§54 - Athanasius, having argued that Christ is not mere man, presents the reason why Christ was incarnated: to show people the Mind of God, and to heal the suffering by the shameful death of His body. He notes that the Word was not hurt by dying, since He is “impassible and incorruptible.”
§55 - “Now this is proof that Christ is God, the Word and the Power of God. For whereas human things case 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 IX - Conclusion
§56 - Athanasius moves to looking at the Second Coming of Christ, having now established for Macarius the incarnation and Godhead of Christ.
§57 - Athanasius concludes by advocating that a "pure" mind is necessary to understand the truth of the Incarnation, which will save that person from judgment.
Appendix - Letter to Marcellinus on the Interpretation of the Psalms
- Christ died not because his body gave up and died, but because he took on the penalty of sin for us, which was death.
- Athanasius introduces a new argument for the Incarnation: that Christ’s bodily living might inspire us/model for us that living that God commands in the Psalms. Thus, Christ is the embodiment of the Scriptures (the written Word becomes the living Word.)
