Athanasius of Alexandria Quotes

What, then, was God to do? What else could He possibly do, being God, but renew His Image in mankind, so that through it men might once more come to know Him? And how could this be done save by the coming of the very Image Himself, our Savior Jesus Christ? Men could not have done it, for they are only made after the Image; nor could angels have done it, for they are not the images of God. The Word of God came in His own Person, because it was He alone, the Image of the Father Who could recreate man made after the Image.

Wherefore, in their craft, as children of this world, after feeding their so-called lamp from the wild olive, and fearing lest it should soon be quenched (for it is said, 'the light of the wicked shall be put out Job 18:5,') they hide it under the bushel of their hypocrisy, and make a different profession, and boast of patronage of friends and authority of Constantius, that what with their hypocrisy and their professions, those who come to them may be kept from seeing how foul their heresy is.

ولأنه صالحٌ[109]، بل وصلاحه فائق، فقد خَلَق بكلمته الذاتي[110]- مخلِّصِنا يسوع المسيح- الجنسَ البشريَّ على حسب صورته الذاتية، خلقه كشبهه حتى يستطيع أن يُدرك ويعرف الموجودات، وأعطاه الإمكانية أن يُدرك ويعرف معنى أزليَّة الله حتى أنه إن احتفظ بهبة أنه مخلوق كشبه الله[111] لا يبتعد بالمرَّة عن تصوُّره الصحيح عن الله أو أن يهجر شركة الحياة مع القديسين. بل إذ لديه النعمة الموهوبة له، وعنده القوَّة الذَّاتية لكلمة الله يستطيع أن يبتهج ويكون له حوار مع الله ويحيا حياةَ الخلود بغير ألم في سعادة [112]حقيقية. وإذ لا يوجد ما يعوق[113] معرفته عن ما هو إلهي فإنه يرى باستمرار- من خلال نقاوة قلبه[114] - صورة الآب أي كلمة الله الذي خُلِق هو نفسه على صورته[115]، ويدهش عندما يتأمل في عناية كلمة الله بالعالم[116]

The Self-revealing of the Word is in every dimension — above, in creation; below, in the Incarnation; in the depth, in Hades; in the breadth, throughout the world. All things have been filled with the knowledge of God.

At one and the same time — this is the wonder — as Man He was living a human life, and as Word He was sustaining the life of the universe, and as Son He was in constant union with the Father.

For what more is there for him whom they expect to do, when he has come? To call the heathen? But they are called already. To make prophecy, and king, and vision to cease? This too has already come to pass. To expose the godlessness of idolatry? It is already exposed and condemned. Or to destroy death? He is already destroyed. 7. What then has not come to pass, that the Christ must do? What is left unfulfilled, that the Jews should now disbelieve with impunity? For if, I say — which is just what we actually see — there is no longer king nor prophet nor Jerusalem nor sacrifice nor vision among them, but even the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of God, and Gentiles, leaving their godlessness, are now taking refuge with the God of Abraham, through the Word, even our Lord Jesus

The Lord did not come to make a display. He came to heal and to teach suffering men. For one who wanted to make a display the thing would have been just to appear and dazzle the beholders. But for Him Who came to heal and to teach the way was not merely to dwell here, but to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him, and to be manifested according as they could bear it, not vitiating the value of the Divine appearing by exceeding their capacity to receive it.

Thus, the more violently they try to occupy the places of worship, the more they separate themselves from the Church. They claim that they represent the Church; but in reality, they are the ones who are expelling themselves from it and going astray. Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ.

At the same time - this is the wonder - as a Man, He lived a human life, and as the Word, He sustained the life of the universe, and as the Son, He was in constant union with the Father.

He gives them a share in His own Image, our Lord Jesus Christ, and makes them after His own Image and after His likeness: so that by such grace perceiving the Image, that is, the Word of the Father, they may be able through Him to get an idea of the Father, and knowing their Maker, live the happy and truly blessed life.

Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes.

the first fact that you must grasp is this: the renewal of creation has been wrought by the Self-same Word Who made it in the beginning.

Idolatry, especially that of the body, is for Athanasius a kind of barometer, measuring the perversity into which humans have fallen, the degree to which their knowledge of God has been lost, and the extent to which the image of God in them obscured, the consequence of which is corruption and death.

As, then, he who desires to see God Who by nature is invisible and not to be beheld, may yet perceive and know Him through His works, so too let him who does not see Christ with his understanding at least consider Him in His bodily works and test whether they be of man or God.

There was also a maiden from Busiris Tripolitana, who had a terrible and very hideous disorder. For the runnings of her eyes, nose, and ears fell to the ground and immediately became worms.