Johannes Oecolampadius on John 1:14

 

768px-Johanne_Okolampad_suisse_032In these words—“The Son of God became flesh”—we see in a certain way the sum of our faith. What is coarser than flesh? Flesh will be turned into earth, and this is its curse. But Christ’s flesh experiences no corruption. That is to say, the Son of God truly became a human being. By “flesh” we understand not just skin, bones and things related to span the body, but the entire human being. “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.” It is customary in Scripture for the entire human being to be designated by the word flesh. But for good reason the Holy Spirit wanted to make use of this word. In order to show us how great God’s kindness is, he wanted to make use of a humble term by which he did not indicate the excellence of our nature but its baseness; by using the term he commends more the kindness of God.

 

~ from John 1-12, ed. Craig S. Farmer, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT Vol. IV, p. 30