On Christ's Manner of Life

Extract

Whether Christ, should have lived alone or in company with others. It would seem that he should not have liyed with others but should have adopted a solitary life.

For it behoved Christ by his manner of life to declare himself not merely true man but also true God. It does not behove God to associate with men, as witness Daniel 2, 11: ‘For the thing that thou askest, 0 King, is difficult; nor can anyone be found that can show it before the King, except the gods who live apart from men'. Aristotle, too, states (I Polit. 2): ‘Who lives alone is either a beast’ that is to say, he is ostracised on account of his savage character, ‘or he is a god', that is, if he seeks solitude as being most conducive to contemplating the truth. Therefore does it seem unfitting for Christ to have associated with his fellow men.