Chapter 42 — That it was most becoming to the Word of God that he should take human nature

From what has been said it is clear that it was most becoming that the person of the Word should assume human nature. Since the assumption of human nature was directed to the salvation of mankind, and since the ultimate salvation of man is that man should be perfected in his intellectual faculty by the contemplation of the first truth, it was fitting that human nature should be assumed by the Word who proceeds from the Father by an intellectual emanation.

Again. There would seem to be a certain affinity between the Word and human nature, since man derives his species from his being rational. Now the Word is akin to reason; hence the Greek ‘logos’ stands for word or reason. Therefore, the Word was most fittingly united to the rational nature, since it is also on account of this affinity that Sacred Scripture ascribes the expression ‘image’ both to the Word and to man. Thus the Apostle says that the Word is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and that man is the image and glory of God (1 Cor 11:7).

Moreover. The Word bears a certain affinity not only to rational nature, but also to all creatures in general, because the Word contains the types of all things created by God, just as the craftsman has in his mind the types of all his handiwork. Accordingly, all creatures are just the real expression and reproduction of the types contained in the concept of the divine Word, for which reason all things are said to have been made by him. It was fitting, therefore, that the Word should be united to a creature, namely human nature.