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The Church ’ s Lord: Christology

The Church ’ s Lord: Christology. Full Deity Full Humanity History of the Doctrine. Divinity or Humanity?. Divinity or Humanity?. The Deity of Christ. The Importance of This Doctrine :. Only because He is God is His sacrifice for sin sufficient.

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The Church ’ s Lord: Christology

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  1. The Church’s Lord:Christology Full Deity Full Humanity History of the Doctrine

  2. Divinity or Humanity?

  3. Divinity or Humanity?

  4. The Deity of Christ The Importance of This Doctrine: Only because He is God is His sacrifice for sin sufficient. “For He alone, being Word of the Father … was worthy to suffer on behalf of all, and to be an ambassador for all with the Father.”– Athanasius of Alexandria, early church theologian Acceptable to God

  5. The Deity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 1. The Self-consciousness of Jesus John 8:58 God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14

  6. The Deity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 2. The Apostolic Witness In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:1-3 Heb 1:1-2

  7. The Deity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 2. The Apostolic Witness Col. 1:15-20 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped… Phil. 2:5-7

  8. “These things (in Is. 6) Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him (Jesus).” John 12:41 “My eyes have seen the King, the LORD (YHWH) Almighty!” Is. 6:5 The Deity of Christ 3. Divine Titles The Bible’s Teaching “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” John 20:28 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:1, 14

  9. The Deity of Christ 4. Divine Attributes Immutable: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Eternal: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 Omnipresent: “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 Omnipotent: “They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” Mk 4:41 The Bible’s Teaching

  10. Forgiveness .. Luke 5:20-25 Creation & Preservation Colossians 1:16-17 Revelation . . . John 1:18 The Deity of Christ 5. Divine Works The Bible’s Teaching

  11. 2. Only as a man can he truly identify with us. Jesus suffered great anguish in Gethsemane. The Humanity of Christ The Importance of This Doctrine: 1. Only as a man can He die for humanity. Sufficient for Humans Acceptable to God

  12. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 1. He had a human birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. Galatians 4:4

  13. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 2. He had normal human growth. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52

  14. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 3. He had the essentials of a human nature. A Body: “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.” Mt 26:12 A Soul/Spirit: “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit!” Luke 23:46

  15. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 4. He experienced normal human frailties. Hunger: “And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” Matthew 4:2; cf. Mt 21:18 Weariness: “So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” John 4:6 Thirst: “I am thirsty.” John 19:28

  16. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching Grief: “Jesus wept.” John 11:35 5. He had human emotions. Compassion: “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 Sorrow/Longing: “Approaching Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it.” Luke 19:41; cf. Mt. 23:37 Anger: “After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…” Mark 3:5; cf. 10:14

  17. The Humanity of Christ The Bible’s Teaching 6. He was referred to in a human way. “Jesus” is a normal name. He was referred to as “Son of David” and “Son of Man.” “He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son?’”Mt 13:53-58

  18. Cyril of Alexandria Council of Chalcedon Early Tendencies in Christology A Mere Man Divine, not fully Man

  19. In the ancient church, Cyril of Alexandria taught the doctrine of hypostatic union. Cyril of Alexandria The Hypostatic Union • Cyril’s opponents said Jesus was only a man, or only God – not both. • The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD produced the definitive statement of Christology.

  20. The Definition of Chalcedon

  21. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. The Hypostatic Union • Hypostasis means “person.” • Christ is only one person. • In Him there is a union of full humanity and full divinity. • The two natures of Christ are not mixed to produce a third thing. He is fully God and fully Man.

  22. Key Concepts Christ is: one person in two natures without confusion without change without division without separation

  23. Christological Controversies A.D. 100-325 Gnosticism – what is it? 1. Cerinthianism – Jesus distinct from Christ; became the Christ at baptism. 1 John 4:2-3! Had to be divine, or He would not have been able to withstand the temptations and the Cross. 2. Docetism (to seem) – Jesus only ‘appeared’ to be human. Didn’t believe that a divine being could suffer. Had to be human in order to identify with humans; Heb. 4:15.

  24. Controversies A.D. 100-325 Adoptionism – what is it? God created Jesus as human, and then adopted him as divine, at the baptism. Ebonites – can’t be two eternal divinities. Modalism – what is it? Jesus couldn’t be God, because then there would be two gods. Therefore, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were simply different modes of the one person.

  25. Controversies A.D. 100-325 TERTULLIAN! Two natures! One person. Three persons in the Godhead.

  26. Controversies A.D. 325-451 Constantine! 1. Council of Nicea, 315. Arias and Athanasius (advisor to Alexander). Constantine – same substance: ‘homoousion’ Arians wanted ‘of LIKE substance’: homoIousion’ Arians lost the day.

  27. Controversies A.D. 325-451 2. Council of Constantinople, 381. Apollianarius, friend of Athanasius. Went too far and denied the humanity of Jesus. Jesus had no human spirit. Athanasius – “The Word became human that we might become divine.” Bishop of Alexandria; five exiles, but never relented.

  28. Controversies A.D. 325-451 3. Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431. Nestorians – two natures and two persons: human and divine. Nestorius was charged with ‘adoptionism’, although he had probably been misunderstood. Nestorius – ‘Mother of God’ (God-bearer) meant that Jesus was not entirely divine. ‘Mother of Christ’ was okay. Monophysitism (one nature) = two natures mixed together. Cyril opposed Nestorius.

  29. Controversies A.D. 325-451 End results: two natures in one person. Nestorians evangelized all the way into China. Monophysites kept fighting. Eutyches (Eutychianism) – Christ had only one nature, divine. Christ’s humanity was assimilated into the divine logos so that Christ’s body was not like ours.

  30. Controversies A.D. 325-451 Politics: Overturned the decision in Ephesus. Leo I, bishop of Rome, was kicked out. Marcian became Emperor.

  31. Controversies A.D. 325-451 Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451. Largest council ever. Hypostatic Union – truly God, truly man. Two natures, One person.

  32. Later Christological Developments a. Communion of Attributes b. Kenosis Christology – Phil. 2:6-7. Emptying = getting rid of divine attributes. True interpretation is found in the text directly: emptying = taking on humanity, which was humbling. c. Sinlessness of Christ Able not to sin = had the power to overcome temptation Not able to sin = divine nature prevented the possibility of sinning.

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