Definition of Terms:
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The Incarnation in the Early Church
In the early Church, the Incarnation was understood as the pivotal event in salvation history, where the second person of the Trinity assumed human nature without compromising his divine nature. This doctrine was formalized in the face of heresies like Docetism (denying Christ’s humanity)1 and Arianism (denying his divinity)2, culminating in the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), which affirmed Christ as fully God and fully human, with two natures united in one person (hypostatic union)3. The early Church viewed the Incarnation as essential for atonement because only a divine-human mediator could reconcile sinful humanity with a holy God.
The Incarnation made atonement possible by:
Bridging the Divide: Sin created an infinite separation between God and humanity. Only a person who was both fully God (possessing divine authority) and fully human (representing humanity) could mediate reconciliation (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5)4.
Enabling Sacrifice: Christ’s human nature allowed him to suffer and die, offering a perfect sacrifice to atone for sin, while his divine nature ensured its infinite efficacy (cf. Hebrews 2:17)5.
Restoring Humanity: By assuming human nature, Christ sanctified it, making it possible for humanity to share in divine life through grace (cf. 2 Peter 1:4)6.
The New Testament on the Incarnation and Atonement
The New Testament presents the Incarnation as the foundation for Christ’s redemptive work, emphasizing that his entire life, not just his death, was integral to atonement. Key passages include:
John 1:1–14: The prologue of John’s Gospel declares, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” establishing the Incarnation as God’s entry into human history7. This act enables Christ to reveal God’s glory and offer salvation through his life and death.
Philippians 2:5–11: Paul describes Christ’s kenosis (self-emptying), where he “humbled himself” by taking human form and becoming “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”8. This portrays the Incarnation as initiating a lifelong act of obedience culminating in the cross.
Hebrews 2:14–18: The author emphasizes that Christ “partook of the same [human] nature” to destroy death through his own death, making him a “merciful and faithful high priest” who atones for humanity’s sins9.
Romans 5:18–19: Paul contrasts Adam’s disobedience with Christ’s obedience, suggesting that Christ’s entire life of righteousness, made possible by the Incarnation, reverses the effects of sin10.
The Church Fathers on the Incarnation and Atonement
The Church Fathers elaborated on the New Testament’s teaching, emphasizing the Incarnation’s role in atonement as a lifelong act of obedience and love, not solely dependent on Christ’s death. They also highlighted how the Incarnation elevates humanity by uniting it to divinity.
Irenaeus of Lyons (Against Heresies, c. 180 AD): Irenaeus developed the concept of recapitulation, arguing that Christ, as the New Adam, assumed human nature to restore what was lost through Adam’s sin11. “The Word of God became man… so that man, by entering into communion with the Word, might receive adoption” (Against Heresies 3.18.7)12.
Athanasius of Alexandria (On the Incarnation, c. 318 AD): Athanasius famously stated, “The Word became man so that we might become divine”13. He argued that the Incarnation was necessary for atonement because only God could overcome death, and only a human could die14.
Gregory of Nazianzus (Orations, c. 380 AD): Gregory emphasized, “What has not been assumed has not been healed” (Epistle 101)15, meaning every element of human nature redeemed by Christ had to be truly assumed by him.
Augustine of Hippo (City of God, c. 413–426 AD): Augustine described Christ’s “whole life on earth… as a teaching in humility” (Sermon 188)16, viewing the Incarnation as the beginning of atonement through perfect obedience to the Father.
The Incarnation as a Lifelong Commitment to Obedience and Love
The early Church understood the Incarnation as initiating a lifelong commitment to obedience to the Father and the embodiment of divine love, which culminated in but was not limited to Christ’s death. The Fathers emphasized:
Obedience to the Father: Christ’s life was marked by perfect submission to God’s will (Philippians 2:7–8; Luke 22:42)17. Irenaeus highlighted this obedience as reversing Adam’s rebellion (Against Heresies 5.16.3)18.
Teaching Love: Christ’s teachings, like the command to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40) and his example of servanthood (John 13:1–17), were seen as redemptive19.
Servitude and Culmination in Death: Athanasius noted Christ “took on the form of a servant” to serve humanity (On the Incarnation 44)20; Augustine called the cross the “consummation” of a life spent in love and obedience (Tractates on John 55.2)21.
Elevation of the Human Race through the Incarnation
The Church Fathers taught that the Incarnation elevated the human race by uniting humanity to divinity, enabling participation in divine life (theosis or divinization).
Restoration of the Divine Image: Irenaeus claimed Christ restored the image of God in humanity (Against Heresies 5.16.2)22.
Divinization: Athanasius’ dictum, “God became man so that man might become divine,” reflected this participation in divine life23.
Universal Dignity: Gregory of Nazianzus taught that by assuming human nature, Christ elevated all people, making divine grace universally accessible (Epistle 101)24.
Moral and Spiritual Renewal: Augustine said the Incarnation inspired imitation of Christ’s virtues, renewing humanity through humility and love (City of God 10.29)25.
Conclusion
In the early Church, the Incarnation was understood as the foundation of atonement, enabling Christ to bridge the divine-human divide, offer a perfect sacrifice, and restore humanity’s divine image. The New Testament portrays Christ’s entire life—his obedience, teachings, and death—as redemptive, a view echoed by the Church Fathers. Figures like Irenaeus, Athanasius, Gregory, and Augustine saw the Incarnation as initiating a lifelong commitment to obedience and love, culminating in the cross but encompassing every moment of Christ’s existence. This holistic understanding emphasized that the Incarnation elevated the human race by uniting it to divinity, enabling theosis and restoring human dignity. From a Roman Catholic perspective, this theology remains foundational, highlighting the Incarnation’s transformative power in salvation history, far beyond the act of the cross alone.
Footnotes
On the Incarnation 54 – Athanasius Text ↩
Against Heresies 5.16.3 – New Advent ↩
Against Heresies 5.16.2 – New Advent ↩
On the Incarnation 54 – Athanasius ↩
Bible Verses:
Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Matthew 1:23 (NIV):
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
John 1:14:
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
John 10:30:
“I and the Father are one.”
Philippians 2:6-8:
“Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Colossians 1:16-17:
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth… All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Hebrews 2:17 (NIV)
“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”
1 John 4:2-3:
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”
Church Father Quotes:
Ignatius of Antioch
“For He suffered all these things for our sake, that we might be saved; and He truly suffered, as He also truly raised up Himself, not, as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer.’ (Epistle to the Smyrnaeans 2)
Irenaeus of Lyons
“He [Christ] has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things, both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who at the beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head.” (Against Heresies, Book V,
Chapter 2, Section 1)
“The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.” (Against Heresies, Book V)
Athanasius of Alexandria
“By surrendering to death the body which He had taken, as an offering and sacrifice free from every stain, He forthwith abolished death for His human brethren by the offering of the equivalent.” (On the Incarnation
9)
“If the Word were a creature, He would not have said, ‘All things were made through Him; but only, ‘He Himself was made.’ But in saying ‘all things were made through Him, He shows that He is other than all things made, and that He is not a creature, but the Creator of creatures.” (On the Incarnation 4.4)
Gaius Marius Victorinus (300-355 A.D.)
“The followers of Marcellus and Photinus proclaim Father, Son, and Spirit, but create a fourth person by saying the Son assumed the man born of Mary. They say the Logos rules as an administrator within this man, who was prepared as a dwelling for Him. Thus do they destroy the Trinity. For if He Himself was not the man born of Mary, why did He empty Himself? What does receiving the form of a servant mean? What does the Logos was made flesh mean?” –Against Arius 1:45 by Marius Victorinus (Written in 355 A.D.)
Gregory of Nazianzus
“For that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved.” (Epistle 101, To Cledonius the Priest Against Apollinarius)
Gregory of Nyssa
“That is what it means to be God: to bring life where there is death, to offer light where there is darkness, to restore what is lost, to assume our humanity in order to give us a share in divinity.” (On the Making of Man 16.9
Rufinus of Aquileia (344-411 A.D.)
“I also confess that the Son of God has in these last days been born of the Virgin and the Holy Spirit: that he has taken upon him our natural human flesh and soul; that in this he suffered and was buried and rose again from the dead; that the flesh in which he rose was that same flesh which had been laid in the sepulchre; and that in this same flesh, together with the soul, he ascended into heaven after his resurrection: from whence we look for his coming to judge the quick and the dead.” -Apology of Rufinus to Anastasius, Bishop of Rome, chap 3 (Written 400 A.D.)
Augustine of Hippo
“Christ’s obedience unto death is the price by which we were redeemed. But what is Christ’s obedience? His obedience is His humility, by which He took flesh and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 14.2)
John Cassian (360-435 A.D.)
“For that flesh which was born of the flesh of the Virgin had not always existed: but God who always was, came in the flesh of man of the flesh of the Virgin. For the Word was made flesh, and did not manifest flesh together with Himself: but in the glory of Divinity joined Himself to human flesh. For tell me when or where the Word was made flesh, or where He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant: . . . Where but in the holy womb of the Virgin, where at His Incarnation, the Word of God is said to have been made flesh. . .” -On the Incarnation of Christ Book VI: Chapter 20 (Written in 429 A.D.)
Theodoret of Cyr (393-458 A.D.)
“But Apollinaris, who values drivel more than truth, and who sets his homely prattle before the pious dogmas, says God the Word put on (1) flesh and used it rather like a veil (2); and that, having no need of a soul (3), He takes the place of a soul (4) in the body. But, my dear, someone may say to Apollinaris that God the Word had no need of a body either, for He had no lack at all. He was able even to carry out our salvation by a simple command; but He wanted also to have some properly arranged communion with us. To that end He assumed sinful nature (5) and justified that nature by His own deeds. He set it free from the bitter tyrants, Sin and Devil and Death, and deemed it worthy of heavenly thrones, and through that which He assumed He gave to all the race a share in liberty.” –The Theology of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation 18: 1-5 [A. D. 430]