Through the Church Fathers: December 24

In today’s Christmas Eve reading from On the Incarnation (Sections 46–52), Athanasius draws the final lines of his argument by pointing not merely to Scripture, but to the visible collapse of the old world and the undeniable rise of the new. Since the coming of Christ, idolatry has withered, oracles have fallen silent, demons have been driven out, magic has been exposed, and the proud claims of Greek philosophy have been eclipsed. What was once local, divided, and powerless has given way to a single, universal worship of Christ across every nation. Athanasius presses the point with force: no mere man, magician, or spirit could have accomplished this. The Cross itself—mocked by the world—has proven stronger than demons, stronger than death, and stronger than every false god. He contrasts Christ with Asclepius, Heracles, and Dionysus, showing that none healed human nature, none destroyed death, none transformed the passions of mankind, and none conquered the world through suffering. Even Christ’s death stands alone, marked by cosmic signs, followed by a resurrection unparalleled in any pagan myth. For Athanasius, the conclusion is unavoidable and fitting for Christmas: the One born of the Virgin, who sanctified a body, silenced the powers, and filled the earth with His teaching, is no other than the eternal Word, the Son of God, who became man for our salvation.Explore the Project:Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.comPatreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpattonCredo Courses – https://www.credocourses.comCredo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org