The Son of Man as the Archetypal Human

And goodness. He hides the abundance of the wealth of his kindness because of those who fear, because of the small ones, because of those who refrain from evil through the fear of punishment. 'How much indeed is the abundance of your kindness, Lord' (Ps 52:10). He hid it; for the knowledge of it was making them stumble into evils. If anyone should bring forth words of indignation even unto the point of causing amazement, and hide the kindness as if he were about to punish, if the son had known that the threat is only in form, he would have despised his kindness and would have been lost and become responsible for wrath. In truth, much kindness is his, a great abundance.

For the apostle also says to some: 'Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?' (Rom 2:4). And the one not knowing this thinks that he is not being unyielding to evils, and therefore does not come forward. And Peter, the foremost of the apostles, writes the epistle and has said such words: 'The Lord is not slow concerning the promise, which some count as slowness, but is patient, not wishing anyone to perish but all to come to repentance' (2 Pet 3:9). Behold the kindness. It was not necessary for it to be made known to the many; for they would have despised it even more. You have therefore hidden from those who fear you the abundance of your kindness. 'I have worked for those who hope in you, against the sons of men' (Ps 146:9). Those who hope are those who are watching for the divine rewards and the promises which God promised to those living well. 'I have worked' therefore this, 'for those who hope in you.' I have worked this, to hide the abundance of your kindness, so that even those who hope in you might not see this, that for a certain reason you do not bring forth wrath. He says therefore, 'against men.' The abundance of your kindness is not hidden forever, but only as long as those men are, concerning whom it is said: 'But you, indeed, as men, are dying.' And: 'For where there is strife and jealousy among you, are you not acting as men?' (1 Cor 3:3). Therefore, against these sons of men, I have worked this hiding according to the abundance of your kindness; for to them also he opens this. The God of all things is called many times human...

It is not that he has become a man or is a man, but because he descends with men, he governs their affairs in such a way, and as their judge, he becomes like a man who sympathizes. 'He shall nurture him as a man nurtures his son' (Deut 32:6). He observed your ways by nourishing and governing you. This is confirmed by this: 'If he observes iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand?' (Ps 139:24), and: 'His eyes examine the sons of men' (Ps 17:24). With eyes alone he sees what is being done.

Just as the one who sent the Son, having approved of his coming, governs men as a man provides benefits, so also this one is a 'son of man'; he is the son of a man who is thus led. And another thing: the particulars are in a certain way the offspring of the general. And the general human has become 'in image and likeness' (Gen 1:26) of God; for this was not said only concerning Adam, but the human nature, the general species, became 'in image and likeness' of God. He who preserves the prototype, the almost-general, is therefore the son of man.

Since, therefore, the soul of Jesus preserved the image—for he neither knew sin nor did it—because of this, he is called the son of that man who became 'in image and likeness' of God. It is also said otherwise: although Jesus did not have a father according to the man, he had a mother. And the woman is a human. To refute the opinion, he is called son of man. Even if he does not have the status from a father, he is from a mother. Thus indeed it is said, 'born of a woman' (Gen 3:15). All are born from men; for Paul also writes: man comes 'from a man,' but 'through a woman'; for from the man the casting of the seed happens, but through the woman the formation and the birth. Since therefore this one does not have the part from a man and through a woman, but from a woman—for he took the whole matter from the woman, not according to other men—'And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Christ was born' (Matt 1:16). He did not say 'through whom'—and because of this, therefore, he is designated 'son of man'; for if he were simply called a man, the doubters would have assumed that he had fallen, a man not having origin from a man or...