Who Am I?

On the Incarnation of the Word 12 – The Law and the Prophets

Posted: September 4th, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Incarnation of the Word | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on On the Incarnation of the Word 12 – The Law and the Prophets

Athanasius continues to look at the efforts by God to make the Word known to man. Earlier we saw how he had placed the divine image in man, but that had not sufficed as man turned and worshiped that which was no God.

But since men’s carelessness, by little and little, descends to lower things, God made provision, once more, even for this weakness of theirs, by sending a law, and prophets, men such as they knew, so that even if they were not ready to look up to heaven and know their Creator, they might have their instruction from those near at hand. For men are able to learn from men more directly about higher things.

So God sent law and sent prophets so that we might learn of God from other men. But we would have none of it.

God’s goodness then and loving-kindness being so great—men nevertheless, overcome by the pleasures of the moment and by the illusions and deceits sent by demons, did not raise their heads toward the truth, but loaded themselves the more with evils and sins, so as no longer to seem rational, but from their ways to be reckoned void of reason.