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The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 43

About this work

A condensed presentation of Lactantius’s apologetic project, summarizing his case against pagan worship and his account of divine providence, true religion, justice, and Christian hope.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: Nicomedia or Gaul
Genre: Apology

Chap. XLIII.—Of the Name of Jesus Christ, and His Twofold Nativity.

But lest by any chance there should be

‹ Chapter 42 Chapter 44 ›

any

doubt

in

your

mind

why

we

call

Him

Jesus

Christ

,

who

was

born

of

God

before

the

world

,

and

who

was

born

of

man

three

hundred

years

ago

,

I

will

briefly

explain

to

you

the

reason

.

The

same

person

is

the

son

of

God

and

of

man

.

For

He

was

twice

born

:

first

of

God

,

in

the

spirit

,

before

the

origin

of

the

world

;

afterwards

in

the

flesh

of

man

,

in

the

reign

of

Augustus

;

and

in

connection

with

this

fact

is

an

illustrious

and

great

mystery

,

in

which

is

contained

both

the

salvation

of

men

and

the

religion

of

the

Supreme

God

,

and

all

truth

.

For

when

first

the

accursed

and

impious

worship

of

gods

crept

in

through

the

treachery

of

the

demons

,

then

the

religion

of

God

remained

with

the

Hebrews

alone

,

who

,

not

by

any

law

,

but

after

the

manner

of

their

fathers

,

observed

the

worship

handed

down

to

them

by

successive

generations

,

even

until

the

time

when

they

went

forth

out

of

Egypt

under

the

leadership

of

Moses

,

the

first

of

all

the

prophets

,

through

whom

the

law

was

given

to

them

from

God

;

and

they

were

afterwards

called

Jews

.

Therefore

they

served

God

,

being

bound

by

the

chains

of

the

law

.

But

they

also

,

by

degrees

going

astray

to

profane

rites

,

undertook

the

worship

of

strange

gods

,

and

,

leaving

the

worship

of

their

father

,

sacrificed

to

senseless

images

.

Therefore

God

sent

to

them

prophets

filled

with

the

Divine

Spirit

,

to

upbraid

them

with

their

sins

and

proclaim

repentance

,

to

threaten

them

with

the

vengeance

which

would

follow

,

and

announce

that

it

would

come

to

pass

,

if

they

persisted

in

the

same

faults

,

that

He

would

send

another

as

the

bearer

of

a

new

law

;

and

having

removed

the

ungrateful

people

from

their

inheritance

,

He

would

assemble

to

Himself

a

more

faithful

people

from

foreign

nations

.

But

they

not

only

persisted

in

their

course

,

but

even

slew

the

messengers

themselves

.

Therefore

He

condemned

them

on

account

of

these

deeds

:

nor

did

He

any

longer

send

messengers

to

a

stubborn

people

;

but

He

sent

His

own

Son

,

to

call

all

nations

to

the

favour

of

God

.

Nor

,

however

,

did

He

shut

them

out

,

impious

and

ungrateful

as

they

were

,

from

the

hope

of

salvation

:

but

He

sent

Him

to

them

before

all

others

,

that

if

they

should

by

chance

obey

,

they

might

not

lose

that

which

they

had

received

;

but

if

they

should

refuse

to

receive

their

God

,

then

,

the

heirs

being

removed

,

the

Gentiles

would

come

into

possession

.

Therefore

the

supreme

Father

ordered

Him

to

descend

to

the

earth

,

and

to

put

on

a

human

body

,

that

,

being

subject

to

the

sufferings

of

the

flesh

,

He

might

teach

virtue

and

patience

not

only

by

words

,

but

also

by

deeds

.

Therefore

He

was

born

a

second

time

as

man

,

of

a

virgin

,

without

a

father

,

that

,

as

in

His

first

spiritual

birth

,

being

born

of

God

alone

,

He

was

made

a

sacred

spirit

,

so

in

His

second

and

fleshly

birth

,

being

born

of

a

mother

only

,

He

might

become

holy

flesh

,

that

through

Him

the

flesh

,

which

had

become

subject

to

sin

,

might

be

freed

from

destruction

.

Notes

1
Per successiones.
2
Potissimum.
3
Hæredibus abdicatis.