Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin

When God created man at the beginning, He made the things of nature depend on man's will and tested him with a single commandment. He decreed that if man obeyed this commandment, he would enjoy eternal life; but if he disobeyed, the opposite would be his fate. Man, having been created in this way, and immediately leaning towards disobedience, naturally became subject to corruption. With corruption becoming inherent in nature, it was necessary for Him who wanted to save to be one who would destroy the root cause of corruption. This could only be achieved by uniting the life according to nature with that which had received corruption, thereby destroying the corruption while preserving as immortal for the future that which had received it. Therefore, it was necessary that the Word should inhabit a body to free us from the death that comes with natural corruption. For if, as you say, He had simply warded off death from us by His will, death indeed would not have come to us because of His will; but nevertheless, we would have become corruptible again, since we carried within ourselves that natural corruption.