The Word made flesh as the humble way back to God
Augustine is explaining how the eternal Word, though uncreated as God's only Son, was also created as a human being to give us a humble path back to God.
But since the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), that same wisdom begotten from God deigned also to be created among human beings. This is what the text means: “The Lord created me in the beginning of his ways” (Proverbs 8:22). For the beginning of his ways is the head of the church, which is Christ clothed with humanity, through whom an example of living was given to us—that is, the sure way by which we might reach God. We could not return except through humility, since we fell through pride, as was said to our first creation: “Taste, and you will be like gods” (Genesis 3:5).
Therefore our restorer himself deigned to show in his own person the example of this humility—that is, of the way by which we had to return. He did not consider it robbery to be equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7), so that he might be created as a human being in the beginning of his ways—the Word through whom all things were made.
For this reason, according to what he is as the only Son, he has no brothers; but according to what he is as the firstborn, he deigned to call all brothers who, after his primacy and through his primacy, are reborn into God’s grace through the adoption of sons, as the apostolic teaching commends. The natural Son, then, was born unique from the very substance of the Father, being what the Father is—God from God, light from light. But we are not light by nature; we are illuminated by that light so that we can shine with wisdom. For it says, “He was the true light, which illuminates every person coming into this world” (John 1:9).
We therefore add to our faith in eternal realities the earthly mission of our Lord, which he deigned to carry out and administer for us for our salvation. For according to what he is as the only Son of God, it cannot be said of him: he was and he will be, but only: he is. Because what was no longer is, and what will be is not yet. He therefore is unchangeable, without any condition of times or variation.
And I do not think that the name he revealed to his servant Moses comes from any other source. For when Moses asked him—if the people to whom he was being sent should despise him—by whom he should say he had been sent, he received this answer from the one speaking: “I am who I am.” Then he added: “This you shall say to the children of Israel: He who is has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
Latin
Sed quoniam uerbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis, eadem sapientia, quae de deo genita est, dignata est etiam in hominibus creari. quo pertinet illud: dominus creauit me in principio uiarum suarum; uiarum enim eius principium caput est ecclesiae, quod est Christus hominem indutus, per quem uiuendi exemplum nobis daretur, hoc est uia certa, qua perueniremus ad deum. non enim redire potuimus nisi humilitate, qui superbia lapsi sumus, sicut dictum est primae nostrae creaturae: gustate, et eritis tamquam dii. huius igitur humilitatis exemplum, id est uiae, qua redeundum fuit, ipse reparator noster in se ipso demonstrare dignatus est, qui non rapinam arbitratus est esse aequalis deo, sed semet ipsum euacuauit, formam serui accipiens, ut crearetur homo principio uiarum eius, uerbum, per quod facta sunt omnia. quapropter secundum id, quod unigenitus est, non habet fratres, secundum id autem, quod primogenitus est, fratres uocare dignatus est omnes, qui post eius et per eius primatum in dei gratiam renascuntur per adoptionem filiorum, sicut apostolica disciplina commendat. naturalis ergo filius de ipsa patris substantia unicus natus est, id existens, quod pater est, deus de deo, lumen de lumine; nos autem non lumen naturaliter sumus, sed ab illo lumine inluminamur, ut sapientia lucere possimus; erat enim, inquit, lumen uerum, quod inluminat omnem hominem uenientem in hunc mundum. addimus itaque fidei rerum aeternarum etiam temporalem dispensationem domini nostri, quam gerere et ministrare nobis pro nostra salute dignatus est. nam secundum id, quod unigenitus est dei filius, non potest dici: fuit et erit, sed tantum: est, quia et quod fuit, iam non est, et quod erit, nondum est. ille ergo est incommutabilis sine condicione temporum et uarietate. nec aliunde arbitror manare illud, quod famulo suo Moysi tale nomen suum insinuauit. nam cum ab eo quaereret, si se populus, ad quem mittebatur, contemneret, a quo se diceret esse missum, responsum dicentis accepit: ego sum, qui sum. deinde subiunxit: haec dices filiis Israhel: qui est, misit me ad uos.