Systematic Theology

1. Systematic Theology September, 13 – Windsor Locks Congregational Church – Tony Arsenal

2. Christology

3. Titles and Roles

4. The Second Adam • In the Garden, Adam was being tested • During this probation period, Adam was to obey God’s mandate to faithfully work the garden, expanding it to the ends of the earth • Had Adam faithfully succeeded, he would have been given permanent access to the Tree of Life for him and those he represented • As the second Adam, Christ passes the test, and will complete Adam’s task of ordering God’s world • Therefore, as a human, Christ has been given permanent access to the Tree of Life for him and those he represents (those who place their faith in him)

5. Son of David • As the Son of David, Jesus fulfills the promise given to David that a descendant will sit on the throne forever • This role points to Christ’s role as the King over all of creation, and specifically as the King over the restored Israel (composed of believing Jews and Gentiles) in the new Earth • Also points to Christ’s munus triplex (Triple Office) of Prophet, Priest, and King

6. Son of MAn • The Son of Man in Daniel 7 is the human representative who comes into Yahewh’s throne room and is given dominion over the whole earth • This role speaks more of the divinity of Christ than it does of the humanity of Christ • Although the four beasts, one who is destroyed, are angelic in nature, they still are not sufficient to be given dominion • Only one who is God himself can bear this dominion, but only one who is human can exercise it on God’s behalf

7. Servant of the Lord • This title emphasizes the faithfulness of Christ as a human • It refers to his sinlessness, and his perfect obedience • Especially prominent in Isaiah 53 and following • Also connected to the bringing about of the restored heaven and earth in the eschatological re-creation • Is appropriated by Christ to demonstrate that his earthly ministry was the beginning of this re-creation

8. Son of God • Does not refer exclusively to Christ’s divine nature • Primarily refers to Christ as the inheritor of God’s kingdom • Highlights Christ’s special relationship with the Father

9. Munus Triplex • Prophet – As Prophet, Christ speaks on behalf of God and reveals God’s will to God’s people • Priest – As Priest, Christ serves as a mediator for God’s people, interceding on their behalf. He also represents God to the people. • King – As King, Christ rules over God’s people as the rightful heir to God’s kingdom.

10. The Incarnation

11. Overview • The development of the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union follows very similar lines as the development of the doctrine of the Trinity • Like the Trinity, it is a conceptual framework which is only implied in Scripture, but must be held in order to uphold the consistency of Scripture • Formal Definition: Christ is a single hypostasis bearing the entirety of the divine ousia/physis, who added to himself a complete and particular human ousia/physis • Important things to remember: • Whatever “comes from” the hypostasis (specific individual characteristics/relations) Christ has one • Whatever “comes from” the ousia/physis (universal attributes) Christ has two • Christ is only ever one subject. We must never think of the divine nature or the human nature as acting independent of the person who is Christ.

12. Christological Heresies • Docetism – Christ only “seemed” human • Subordinationism – The Son is ontologically subordinate to the Father • Adoptionism – Christ was a normal human who became God • Gnosticism – A docetic view that incorporates polytheistic subordinationism • Arianism – A subordinationist view that sees the Son as a created being • Semi-Arianism – A subordinationist view that sees the Son as uncreated, but of a different (yet similar) substance as the Father • Apollinarianism – Christ is a hybrid who is not fully divine and also not fully human • Monophysitism/ Eutychianism– Christ is human, but his humanity is overwhelmed by his divinity and takes on divine attributes • Nestorianism – Christ is two persons who are eternally united

13. The Hypostatic Union • The Son existed from all eternity past as a fully hypostasis who shares in and possesses the fullness of the divine nature • When a nature exists as possessed by a hypostasis, it is said to be hypostatic. That is, it is a personalized hypostasis • When referring to a nature that is not possessed by a hypostasis, it is said to be anhypostatic. It is important to note that anhypostatic natures do not exist. Anhypostatic natures are only theoretical constructs • The Son’s divine nature is an eternally hypostatic nature, that is to say that the Son existed eternally as a divine person • In the Incarnation, the Son added to himself a human nature • This human nature never existed apart from its existence as possessed by the Son • His human nature is said to be enhypostatic. This means that the human nature of the Son is only personal because it was added to a person, but is not personal in and of itself • Thus, we say that the Son is a divine person, not a human person. Rather, than calling him a human person, we should say that the Son is a divine person who is also human

14. The Theotokos • A Greek term which means “God-bearer” • Although a term for Mary, was controversial because of the implications for the nature of the Son • Ultimately affirmed that the same person who existed eternally, was also born of Mary, and was therefore genuinely the son of Mary • If we affirm that the same person who died on the cross was the eternally existing Son, then we must also affirm that the person who was born of Mary was the eternally existing Son • Does not mean that the Son came into being in Mary’s womb • Ought not be used to elevate Mary as Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians do

15. The Interaction Between Natures • The Chalcedonian Definition contains four negations which explain and define the orthodox position on the interaction between natures in the single hypostasis of Christ • Unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably • The first two refer to the fact that the natures do not blend together or share attributes • The second two refer to the fact that the natures cannot be divided from each other • However, the single person possesses all of the attributes and faculties of each nature • This was (and is) a source of dispute between the Reformed and the Lutherans • Lutherans assert that Christ’s human body gained the attribute of omnipresence since the person of Christ can never be separated from his body, and the person is omnipresent. This leans toward Eutychianism, although explicitly rejects it • The Reformed assert that Christ’s person is not limited to his human body or nature, and thus while the “part” of Christ’s person that is divine is omnipresent, the “part” of Christ’s person that is human is not. This leans toward Nestorianism, although explicitly rejects it.

16. One Subject • Christ is a single subject (grammatically) • Just as we said that the Trinity must and can only ever be three subjects, Christ must and can only ever be a single subject • Natures do not act, persons act • Therefore we must affirm that it was the person who lived, died, hungered, etc. • When we speak about things that Christ does or experiences AS a human, we must not do so in ways that imply that the human nature is an actor • The same is true of the divine nature

17. The Tricky Stuff • Growing in Wisdom and Stature? • Christ didn’t know who touched him, or the day and hour of his return? • Suffering?Hungering? Dying? • Could Christ have sinned? • How many wills, minds, souls?

18. The Work of Christ

19. Active Obedience • Active obedience refers to the obedience Christ showed by fulfilling all the requirements of the Law • As a human, fulfilling these requirements earned him immortality (access to the Tree of Life) and a positive relationship with the Father • He already possessed the positive relationship with the Father and immortality in light of his unique relationship and shared nature with the Father • This positive relationship and immortality is what is given to us in salvation

20. Passive Obedience • The passive obedience is Christ’s submission to the punishment of the cross, which we earned through our sin • In his passive obedience, Christ takes upon himself the sin of his people • Since the sins of his people are punished in Christ on the cross, the Father is free to welcome his people into his kingdom without being required to punish them for their sins • The imputation of the passive obedience of Christ (taking our sin) and the active obedience of Christ (giving us his righteousness) is referred to as double imputation

21. Atonement Theories • Substitution – Christ substitutes in our place, receiving our punishment so we don’t have to • Recapitulation – All of human history (or individual history) is “rewritten” in Christ’s obedience, so those who are in him are seen as obedient since Christ was obedient • Ransom – Christ’s sacrifice was a payment paid to the devil in order to free us from his grasp • Christus Victor – Christ’s death on the cross dealt a fatal blow to the devil which freed us from his grasp • Satisfaction – Christ’s death satisfied the wrath and honor of God on behalf of humans and allows God to forgive us without violating his honor • Moral Influence – Christ’s death on the cross gives us a pattern by which we can follow God and obtain salvation • Moral Governance – Christ’s death on the cross allows the Father to relax the requirements of the law, allowing us to obtain salvation by exerting our best effort

22. The Extent of the Atonement • If Christ’s death is intended for all people, and actually effects salvation, then all persons are saved (Unlimted in extent and effect) • If Christ’s death is intended for all people, but only makes salvation possible (but not actual), then Christ’s death alone is not sufficient to save a person (Unlimited in extent, but limited in effect) • If Christ’s death is intended only for the elect, and actually effects salvation, then the elect are definitely saved (Limited in extent, but not in effect) • There is no coherent way to say that Christ’s death is unlimited in extent and unlimited in effect, but affirm anything less than universalism • Substitutionary Atonement simply does not work on the middle view (Arminianism)

23. Discussion and Questions

24. Bibliography • Horton, Michael. Pilgrim Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. • ———. The Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

25. For Further Reading • Anatolios, Khaled. Retrieving Nicaea. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011. • Crisp, Oliver, and Fred Sanders, eds. Christology, Ancient And Modern. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. • Horton, Michael. Pilgrim Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. • ———. The Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010. • Karkkainen, Veli-Matti, and Kc$rkkc$inen. Christology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003. • Owen, John. The Death Of Death In The Death Of Christ • Sproul, R C. What Is Reformed Theology?. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007. • Young, Frances, and Andrew Teal. From Nicaea To Chalcedon. Second. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010.

26. Reading for Next Week • Chapter 9 (pp 229-243) • Chapter 13 (pp 303-324) – Optional, will need to be read for later on, but it comes on a particularly heavy reading week.