A doctrine which evoked much argument among the theologians of the early centuries of Christianity was that of incarnation. There were various sects in those days of emerging Christianity which recognized the erroneousness of matter, its delusive nature, and its basis for sin. They saw God as supersensible, but became confused when it came to explaining how the supersensible God could reach sensible humanity. Because of their attitude toward matter, some sects became either extremely ascetic, radically denying the flesh, or libertines, going to sensual excesses.
Denying the incarnation of Jesus, these misled theologians failed to see the purpose of our Master's great example: to show mankind how to extricate itself from mortality and its woes, how to approach God through Christliness until matter and mortality disappear.
Numerous corrections of the false doctrines concerning the incarnation are found in the Bible, among them John's statements (I John 4:3): "Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God," and (John 1:14), "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
