He Came and Was Born of the Virgin

But let us look at what follows. When the creed has said, “The Lord Jesus Christ, true God from true God, of one substance with the Father, through whom the ages were framed and all things were made,” it immediately adds, in the closest connection: “Who for us came and was born of the Virgin Mary.” He, then, who is true God, who is of one substance with the Father, who is the Maker of all things, he, I repeat, came into the world and was born of the Virgin Mary. As the apostle Paul says: “But when the fullness of the times had come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” [a]

You see how the mysteries of the creed match the Holy Scriptures. The apostle declares that the Son of God was “sent” from the Father; the creed affirms that he “came.” For it certainly follows that our faith should confess that he has “come” whom the apostle had taught us was sent. Then the apostle says, “made of a woman”; the creed, “born of Mary.” So you see that through the creed Scripture itself is speaking, the Scripture from which the creed acknowledges that it is drawn. But when the apostle says “made of a woman,” he rightly uses “made” for “born,” after the manner of Holy Scripture, in which “made” stands for “born,” as in this passage: “Instead of your fathers, sons are made to you”; or this: “Before Abraham was made, I am.” There we certainly see plainly that he meant, “Before he was born, I am.” He refers to the fact of his birth by the words “was made,” because whatever has no need to be made has the very reality of creation.

“Who,” it then says, “for us came and was born of the Virgin Mary.” If a mere man was born of Mary, how can it be said that he “came”? For no one “comes” except one who has it in him to be able to come. But how could one who had not yet received his existence have it in him to come? You see, then, that the word “coming” shows that he who came already existed. For only he had the power to come who could have the opportunity of coming, from the fact that he already existed. But a mere man certainly did not exist before he was conceived, and so did not have in himself the power to come. It is clear, then, that it was God who came, to whom it belongs in each case both to be and to come. For certainly he came because he was, and he always was, because he could always come.