The flesh of the Lord is worshiped because the Word wore it
Athanasius is arguing from apostolic tradition and the old temple that the Lord in the flesh is to be worshiped, not rejected as a creature.
And what is this but that God has come to be in flesh? The apostolic tradition teaches it: the blessed Peter says, “Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh” (1 Peter 3:18); and Paul writes, “Awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all sin and purify for himself a people of his own possession, eager for good works” (Titus 2:13-14). How then did he give himself for us, unless he was wearing flesh? For by offering this flesh, he gave himself for us, so that, having taken up death in it, he might abolish the devil, the one having the power of death. Therefore we always give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ, and we do not reject the grace that has come to us through him. For the incarnate presence of the Savior has become the ransom from death and the salvation of all creation.
So then, beloved and most longed-for, let those who love the Lord be reminded by these things. But those who have imitated the manner of Judas and abandoned the Lord, so that they might be with Caiaphas, let them be corrected by these things, if perhaps they are willing, if perhaps they are ashamed. And let them know that when we worship the Lord in the flesh, we do not worship a creature, but the Creator who put on the created body, as we said before.
I would like your reverence to ask them this: when Israel was commanded to go up to Jerusalem to worship in the temple of the Lord, where the ark was and above it the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, did they do well or the opposite? If they acted wrongly, why were those who neglected this law placed under punishment? For it is written: “Whoever despises it and does not go up shall be cut off from the people.” But if they acted rightly and in this were pleasing to God, how are the defiled and most shameful of all heresies, the Arians, not often worthy of destruction, because they accepted the ancient people for their honor toward the temple, yet refuse to worship the Lord in the flesh, as being in a temple?
And yet the ancient temple was built of stones and gold, as a shadow. But when the truth came, the type ceased and did not remain, according to the Lord’s voice: not one stone was left upon another in it that was not thrown down (Matthew 24:2). And neither, when they saw the temple made of stones, did they think that the Lord speaking in that temple was a creature; nor did they, despising the temple, depart far off and worship. But coming to it lawfully, they served the God who gave oracles from the temple.
Since this was so, how is the body of the Lord—the all-holy and truly all-revered body, announced by the archangel Gabriel, formed by the Holy Spirit, and made the garment of the Word—not to be worshiped? For the Word stretched out a bodily hand and raised the fevered woman; and with a human voice he raised Lazarus from the dead; and again, stretching out his hands on the cross, he cast down the ruler of the power of the air, the one now at work in the sons of disobedience, and made for us a clear road into the heavens.
Greek
Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἢ Θεὸν ἐν σαρκὶ γεγενῆσθαι; Ἡ δὲ ἀποστολικὴ παράδοσις διδάσκει, τοῦ μὲν μακαρίου Πέτρου λέγοντος· Χριστοῦ οὖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθόντος σαρκί· τοῦ δὲ Παύλου γρά φοντος· Προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, καὶ ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων. Πῶς οὖν δέδωκεν αὐ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, εἰ μὴ σάρκα φορέσας ἦν; ταύτην γὰρ προσενέγκας, ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν δέδωκεν, ἵν', ἐν ἐκείνῃ τὸν θάνατον ἀναδεξάμενος, καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου διάβολον. Διὸ καὶ πάντοτε εὐχαριστοῦμεν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἀθετοῦμεν τὴν δι' αὐτοῦ γενομένην χάριν εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἡ γὰρ ἔνσαρκος παρουσία τοῦ Σωτῆρος θανάτου λύτρον καὶ κτίσεως πάσης σωτηρία γέγονεν. Ὥστε, ἀγαπητὲ καὶ ποθεινότατε, οἱ μὲν ἀγαπῶν τες τὸν Κύριον ὑπομιμνησκέσθωσαν ἐκ τούτων· οἱ δὲ τὸν Ἰούδα τρόπον μιμησάμενοι, καὶ καταλιπόντες τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα μετὰ τοῦ Καϊάφα γένωνται, μεταπαιδευέσθωσαν ἐν τούτοις, ἐὰν ἄρα θελήσωσιν, ἐὰν ἄρα αἰσχυνθῶσι. Καὶ γινωσκέτωσαν, ὅτι, τὸν Κύριον ἐν σαρκὶ προσκυνοῦντες, οὐ κτίσματι προσκυνοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κτίστην ἐνδυσάμενον τὸ κτιστὸν σῶμα, καθὰ προείπομεν. Ἐβουλόμεθα δὲ τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν πυθέσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν τοῦτο· ἡνίκα ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐκελεύετο ἀνέρχεσθαι εἰς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ προσκυνεῖν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Κυρίου, ἔνθα ἡ κιβωτὸς καὶ ὑπεράνω ταύτης τὰ χερουβὶμ τῆς δόξης κατασκιάζοντα τὸ ἱλαστήριον, καλῶς ἐποίουν ἢ τοὐναντίον; Εἰ μὲν οὖν φαύλως ἔπραττον, πῶς οἱ τοῦ νόμου τούτου κατολιγωροῦντες ὑπὸ ἐπιτιμίαν ἐγίνοντο; Γέγραπται γάρ· Ὃς ἐὰν ἐξουθενήσῃ καὶ μὴ ἀναβῇ, ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς ἔπραττον, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ εὐάρεστοι τῷ Θεῷ ἐγίνοντο· πῶς οὐκ ἀπολωλέναι πολλάκις εἰσὶν ἄξιοι οἱ μιαροὶ καὶ πάσης αἱρέσεως αἴσχιστοι Ἀρειανοὶ, ὅτι, τὸν πάλαι λαὸν ἀποδεχόμενοι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ναὸν τιμὴν, οὐ βούλονται τὸν Κύριον ἐν σαρκὶ, ὡς ἐν ναῷ ὄντα, προσκυνεῖν; Καίτοι ὁ πάλαι ναὸς ἐκλίθων ἦν καὶ χρυσοῦ κατασκευασθεὶς, ὡς σκιά· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας, πέπαυται λοιπὸν ὁ τύπος, καὶ οὐκ ἔμεινε, κατὰ τὴν Κυριακὴν φωνὴν, λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ἐν αὐτῷ, ὃς οὐ κατελύθη. Καὶ οὔτε, τὸν ναὸν βλέποντες ἐκ λίθων, ἐνόμιζον καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ ναῷ λαλοῦντα Κύριον εἶναι κτίσμα, οὔτε, τὸν ναὸν ἐξουθενοῦντες, ἀπερχόμενοι μακρὰν προσεκύνουν· ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸν ἐρχόμενοι νομίμως ἐλάτρευον τῷ Θεῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ναοῦ χρηματίζοντι. Τούτου δὲ οὕτως γενομένου, πῶς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου, τὸ πανάγιον καὶ πάνσεπτον ἀληθῶς, ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου Γαβριὴλ εὐαγγελισθὲν, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος πλασθὲν, καὶ τοῦ Λόγου γεγονὸς ἔνδυμα, οὐ προσκυνητόν; Χεῖρα γοῦν σωματικὴν ἐκτείνας ὁ Λόγος, ἤγειρε τὴν πυρέσσουσαν· καὶ φωνὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀφεὶς, ἤγειρε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐκ νεκρῶν· καὶ πάλιν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνας ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, τὸν μὲν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξου σίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας, κατέβαλε, τὴν δὲ ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καθαρὰν ἐποίει.