Athanasius takes aim

[Athanasius] 1. Only God can save. If the Father has sent the Son to save humanity through his death and resurrection, God has come to save. A mere creature can save no one. While Arius worked hard to preserve an exalted status for the Son, picturing him as elevated above all other creatures, his understanding of Christ faltered at this strategic juncture. The Arian Christ, Athanasius insisted, could save no one. No creature possessed the ability or prerogative to save from sin. Salvation was the prerogative, privilege and potential act of God alone. “The maker must be greater than what he makes . . . and the giver has to bestow what is in his possession.”—Christopher Hall, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, 61