Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. II:
On Christian Doctrine: Chapter 12

Chapter 12.—In What Sense the Wisdom of God Came to Us.

And though He is everywhere present to the inner eye when it is sound and clear, He condescended to make Himself manifest to the outward eye of those whose inward sight is weak and dim.  “For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1725

12.  Not then in the sense of traversing space, but because He appeared to mortal men in the form of mortal flesh, He is said to have come to us.  For He came to a place where He had always been, seeing that “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him.”  But, because men, who in their eagerness to enjoy the creature instead of the Creator had grown into the likeness of this world, and are therefore most appropriately named “the world,” did not recognize Him, therefore the evangelist says, “and the world knew Him not.” 1726   Thus, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.  Why then did He come, seeing that He was already here, except that it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe?

Footnotes

1 Cor. 1.21.

John 1.10.