Chapter 54 — That it was fitting for God to be incarnate

Nevertheless, if we consider the mystery of the Incarnation carefully and reverently, we shall discover such a depth of Divine Wisdom as will surpass all human knowledge. According to the saying of the Apostle: The foolishness of God is wiser than men (1 Cor 1:25). Hence it is that those who study this mystery with reverence discover more and more its marvellous secrets.

In the first place, we must note that the Incarnation of God was a most effective assistance to man in his road to heaven. For we have proved (Bk. 3, cc. 37. seqq.) that man’s perfect happiness consists in seeing God face to face. Now, on account of the immeasurable distance between his nature and God’s, a man might deem it impossible for him to reach a state in which the human intellect is immediately united to the divine essence, as the intellect is united to its idea. Consequently, he would be discouraged in his search after happiness, and would hold back in despair. But when he knows that God consented to personal union with human nature, he is convinced that he can be united to God by his intellect, so as to see him face to face. Therefore, it was most fitting for God to assume human nature, in order to raise in man the hope of finding happiness; and hence it is that after Christ’s Incarnation men began to have greater hopes of obtaining the happiness of heaven, according to his own words: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

At the same time, man is freed of the obstacles that hinder him from gaining happiness. For, since his perfect beatitude consists solely in the enjoyment of God, as we have proved, it follows that whosoever seeks his end in things beneath God places an obstacle to his obtaining a share in true beatitude. Now, if man remained in ignorance of his own worth, he would easily be led to place his end in things beneath God. For it is through considering themselves in their corporeal and sensitive nature, which they have in common with other animals, that some seek a kind of animal happiness in things pertaining to the body and carnal pleasures. Others, considering the superiority in some respects of certain creatures over man, made such things the object of their religion by worshipping either the world and its parts (on account of their great size and duration), or spiritual substances, angels and demons (by reason of their surpassing man both in immortality and intellectual acumen). And so man deemed that his happiness is to be found in such things insofar as they are above him.

Now, though in certain respects man is indeed below some creatures, and in some ways like the very lowest, nevertheless nothing is above man in the order of the end, save only God, in whom alone man’s perfect happiness consists. Accordingly, man’s worth, in that he is destined to be blessed with the immediate vision of God, is most fittingly indicated by God by his taking human nature immediately to himself. Hence we find that as a result of the Incarnation of God a great number of people gave up the worship of angels, demons, and all manner of creatures, renounced even the pleasures of the flesh and all bodily goods, and gave themselves to the worship of God alone. To him alone they look for perfect happiness, in accordance with what the Apostle says: Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Col 3:1–2).

Again. Because man’s perfect happiness consists in a knowledge of God surpassing the faculty of every created intellect, as proved above, (Bk. 3, cc. 37. seqq.) it was necessary that man should have a foretaste of this knowledge, so that he might be directed towards that same knowledge in its fullness. We have shown that this is provided by faith. (Bk. 3, ch. 40.) Now the knowledge whereby man is directed to his last end ought to be most certain, since it is the principle on which all things are directed to the last end; so, too, those principles that we know naturally are most certain. Now we cannot have absolutely certain knowledge about a thing, unless it is either evident in itself, like the first principles of demonstration, or is resolved into self-evident premises, like the conclusion of a demonstration. Since, then, faith teaches us to believe things concerning God which cannot be self-evident to us, because they surpass the faculty of the human intellect, it was necessary for these things to be revealed to man by one to whom they are self-evident. And though they are to a certain extent self-evident to all those who see the divine essence, nevertheless, in order that man’s knowledge might be absolutely certain, it was necessary that it should be derived from its first principle—namely, God—to whom it is naturally self-evident, and by whom it is manifested to all. Even so, scientific certainty is not attained without recourse to the first indemonstrable principles. Therefore, that man might obtain perfect certitude about the truth of faith, it was fitting that he should be instructed by God made man, so as to receive divine instruction in a human way. Hence it is said: No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known (John 1:18); and our Lord himself says: For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). And for this reason we find that, after Christ’s Incarnation, men had greater evidence and more certain knowledge of divine things: The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isa 11:9).

Again. Since man’s perfect happiness consists in the enjoyment of God, it was necessary for man’s affections to be disposed to desire it, since he has a natural desire for happiness. Now the desire for the enjoyment of a thing is caused by love of it. Hence it was necessary for man, who seeks perfect happiness, to be urged to the love of God. But nothing is a greater incentive to love someone than the experience of his love for us. And God’s love for man could not be proved more effectively than by his consenting to personal union with man, since it is peculiar to love that it unites lover and beloved, as far as this is possible. Therefore, since man seeks perfect happiness, it was necessary for God to become man.

Moreover. Friendship is based on a certain equality, and consequently it would seem that those who are very unequal cannot be united in friendship. And so, that friendship between man and God might be more intimate, it was well for man that God should become man—since friendship between man and man is natural—in order that by knowing a God made visible to us, we might be drawn to the love of things invisible.

It is also evident that heaven is the reward of virtue. Consequently, those who are on their way to heaven should be disposed by virtue. Now we are incited to virtue by word and example; and a man’s example and word incite us to virtue so much the more efficaciously as we are firmly convinced of his goodness. But it was not possible to be infallibly certain of a mere man’s goodness, since even the most holy men have at times been found wanting. Therefore, that man might be strengthened in virtue, it was necessary for him to be taught virtue by the word and example of God incarnate. For which reason our Lord said: I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you (John 13:15).

Again. Just as virtue prepares man for heaven, so sin debars him therefrom. Now sin, which is opposed to virtue, debars man from heaven not only because it brings disorder into the soul by leading it away from its due end, but also because it offends God, to whom, as the director of human actions, man looks for this heavenly reward. Moreover, sin is contrary to divine charity, as we have fully proved. (Bk. 3, ch. 155.) Again, when a man is conscious of sin, he loses hope, which he needs in order to go to heaven.

Therefore, as sin abounds in the human race, man needs a remedy for it. But none can provide this remedy save God alone, who is able not only to move man’s will to good, so as to bring him back to the right order, but also to condone the offense committed against himself; for an offense is not forgiven save by the person offended. In order that man’s conscience may be eased of his past sin, he must be certified of God’s forgiveness. But he cannot be certified of this except by God himself. Therefore, it was fitting to the human race, and expedient for the obtainment of heavenly bliss, that God should become man, so that man would both receive from God forgiveness of his sins, and be certified of that forgiveness by God made man. Hence our Lord said: That you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins (Matt 9:6); and the Apostle says that the blood of Christ . . . will purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Heb 9:14).

Again. We are taught by the tradition of the Church that the whole human race is infected with sin. Now it has been proved (Bk. 3, ch. 158.) that the order of divine justice requires that sin be not forgiven by God without atonement. But no mere man was able to atone for the sin of the whole human race, because any single mere man is something less than the whole assembly of the human race. Therefore, in order that the human race might be delivered from the common sin, it was necessary for atonement to be made by one who was both man, from whom atonement was due, and something more than man, so that his merit would suffice to atone for the sin of the whole human race. Now, in the order of heavenly bliss nothing is greater than man, save God alone. Although they are above man as regards their natural condition, the angels are not above him in the order of the end, since their heaven is the same as his. Consequently, for man to obtain heaven, it was necessary that God should become man, in order to take away the sin of the human race. This is expressed in the words of John the Baptist concerning Christ: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Again, the Apostle says: As one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men (Rom 5:18).

From these and like arguments we may conclude that far from being inconsistent with the divine goodness, it was most expedient for man’s salvation that God should become man.