"above he dealt with the incarnation of the Word, but . . . now he is treating the manner of life [(conversatione)] of the incarnate Word, saying, he dwelt among us, i.e., he lived on familiar terms with us apostles [(idest inter nos apostolos conversatus est familiariter)]. Peter alludes to this when he says, during all the time that the Lord Jesus came and went among us (Acts 1:21). Afterwards, he was seen on earth (Bar 3:38)."The Evangelist added this for two reasons. First, to show the marvelous likeness of the Word to men, among whom he lived in such a way as to seem one of them [(mirabilem conformitatem Verbi ad homines, inter quos sic conversatus est, ut videretur quasi unus ex eis)]. For he not only willed to be like men in nature, but also in living with them on close terms without sin [(sed etiam in convictu et familiari conversatione absque peccato)], in order to draw to himself men won over by the charm of his way of life [(suae conversationis dulcedine)].
"Second, to show the truthfulness of the Evangelist’s statements. For the Evangelist had already said many great things about the Word, and was yet to mention more wonderful things about him; and so that his testimony would be more credible he took as a proof of his truthfulness the fact that he had lived with Christ [(se cum Christo conversatum fuisse)], saying, he dwelt among us. As if to say: I can well bear witness to him, because I lived on close terms with him."
St. Thomas Aquinas, Super Io. 1.14 (chap. 1, lec. 7, nos. 177-178), trans. [Aquinas Institute]. I was put onto this by Emmanuel Durand, "L'incarnation comme conversation selon saint Thomas d'Aquin: pertinence sémantique, antécédents patristiques, déploiement théologique," Revue sciences philosophiques et théologiques 102, no. 4 (2018): 595-596 (561-610).
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