“God became Man so that Man may become God”

If we examine the phraseology of this unusual quote by St Athanasius, we might be able to understand it in the way that it is actually meant to be understood.

“God became Man…” Although we know that God became one very specific person, Jesus Christ, Athanasius does not say, “God became A Man…”

By saying instead, “God became Man…”, he is speaking here to the fact that God, in becoming that one specific man, at the same time, took on that which is common to all Men, all of our pains, our suffering, our sorrows; so that through His sympathetic mercy, He might save each one of us.

He goes on to say, “…so that Man may become God.”

Again, he does not say that Man will in any way become The One specific God who Created us, but implies by the similarity to the phrasing in the first part of his statement, that Man, because God has taken on what is common to all men, makes it possible for all men to take on that which is common to God.

(Now, it should go without saying, but in our day and age, has to be clearly stated, that when Athanasius says, ‘Man’, he means the entire race of Man, which includes both men and women; and each one who has ever or ever will be born.)

The Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is the means of our Salvation.

By His Divine Condescension and His Saving Dispensation towards us, He makes it possible for each one of us to become like He is.

If we so desire…