Scripture

As we immerse ourselves within an understanding of the Incarnation, don’t lose sight of ultimately what Athanasius is saying – that God’s very wisdom from which time itself was created and which is incomprehensible, immutable, impassible, and incorruptible inserted itself within its creation and became subject to change, suffered, and died for us out its essential nature of love and compassion. 

In Chapter 3, Athanasius sets forth a second reason for the Incarnation and that was so that we may fully know God and thus become fully human. 

Athanasius says the Son became Incarnate so that he “might become in dying a sufficient exchange for all.” What is the “exchange” of which he speaks? Who are the parties to the transaction and what is being exchanged? Does this exchange require that Jesus is fully God?

Throughout this chapter, however, Athanasius continuously goes back to the cause of the Incarnation, which is that God is Good (s.6) and is moved with compassion towards us, pitying our race for our limitations, and condescending to our corruption (s.8).