Condensed Theology Lecture 23

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 23

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


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Christology:

The Doctrine of ChristWhat does the Bible teach about

Jesus Christ?


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The Person of Christ: Defined

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man inone person, and will be so forever.

Today we will address the last twophrases of our definition In one person And will be so forever


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God and Man in One Person

The Hypostatic Union


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In One Person: Heresies

One of the best ways to explain the singleperson of Jesus Christ is to see the waysin which his nature as fully God and fullyman have been erroneously definedthroughout the ages


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Apollinarianism rejected Redemption of our minds and spirits is

necessary; therefore, Christ had to be fully

man (mind and spirit, too) in order to redeemus. Heb 2:17: Therefore, He had to be made like

His brethren in all things, so that He might

become a merciful and faithful high priest inthings pertaining to God, to make propitiationfor the sins of the people.


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Apollinarianism rejected Council of Alexandria (362) Council of Constantinople (381)


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Nestorianism Nestorius was a preacher in Antioch and from

428 was the Bishop of Constantinople Christ was made up of two separate persons,

divine and human


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Nestorianism rejected No biblical indication that the natures were

independent persons No disagreement between natures No speech or communication between natures


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Nestorianism rejected Jesus always refers to himself in the singular

whether he is emphasizing his divine natureor his human nature

John 8:58: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I sayto you, before Abraham was born, I am.

John 19:28: After this, Jesus, knowing that allthings had already been accomplished, to fulfill theScripture, said, "I am thirsty.


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Nestorianism rejected Jesus is always referred to in the singular

either he or him or Jesus, but never they. Even though we can distinguish actions

associated with each nature to understandJesus better, the Bible never says that Jesus

divine nature did this or that, or that hishuman nature did this or that.


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Monophysitism (Eutychianism) Eutyches (378-454), leader of a monastery at

Constantinople Christ had one nature only Christs divine nature took up and absorbed

the human nature such that Christs nature

became a tertium quid , a third thing. Jesus was thus neither fully human nor fully

divine, but some mixture of natures


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Monophysitism (Eutychianism) rejected Since according to this scheme, since Christ

is not fully God or fully man, he incapable ofsaving us (salvation is from the Lord) and heis incapable of representing us (through onemans obedience the many are maderighteous).


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Docetism 1 st through 4 th centuries No prominent teacher in the church ever held

to this view Christ only appeared to be or seemed to be

human because matter is inherently evil


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Docetism rejected 1 John 4:2: By this you know the Spirit of

God: every spirit that confesses that JesusChrist has come in the flesh is from God.


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The Churchs Response to the

Christological HeresiesThe Council of Chalcedon


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The Chalcedonian Definition:451 AD

Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching allmen to confess the one and only Son, our Lord JesusChrist. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and inhumanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and

actually man, with a rational soul [i.e., human soul] and abody. He is of the same reality as God as far as his deityis concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves asfar as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in allrespects, sin only excepted. Before time began he was

begotten of the Father, in respect of his deity, and now inthese last days, for us and behalf of our salvation, thisselfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of his humanness.


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We also teach that we apprehend this one and onlyChrist-Son, Lord, only-begotten in two natures; andwe do this without confusing the two natures, withouttransmuting one nature into the other, without dividingthem into two separate categories, without contrastingthem according to area or function. The distinctivenessof each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, theproperties of each nature are conserved and bothnatures concur in one person and in one reality[hypostasis]. They are not divided or cut into two

persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word [Logos] of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the LordJesus Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol ofFathers [the Nicene Creed] has handed down to us.


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This is considered the standard, orthodoxdefinition of the biblical teaching by Catholic,Protestant, and Orthodox.

Christs divine and human natures retain their own properties and remain distinct, yet they areeternally and inseparably united together in oneperson.

Remaining what he was, he became what he

was not. [T]he Incarnation was an act of addition rather than subtraction.


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The Virgin Birth


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The Virgin Birth

Jesus was conceived in Marys womb by amiraculous work of the Holy Spirit Luke 1:35: The angel answered and said to her, "The

Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of theMost High will overshadow you; and for that reasonthe holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

Luke 3:23: When He began His ministry, JesusHimself was about thirty years of age, being, as wassupposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli


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The Virgin Birth

Jesus opponents appeared to havequestioned the legitimacy of his birth John 8:41: "You are doing the deeds of your

father." They said to Him, "We were not bornof fornication; we have one Father: God."

John 9:29: "We know that God has spoken to

Moses, but as for this man, we do not knowwhere He is from."


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The Virgin Birth: Alternatives

Create Jesus as a complete human beingin heaven and then deliver him to earth This would make it impossible for Jesus to

empathize with us This would make it impossible for Jesus to be

part of the human race that physically

descended from Adam


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The Virgin Birth: Alternatives

Unite a divine nature to Jesus of Nazarethafter having been born to a natural motherand father This would make it impossible for Jesus to be

fully God, as his origin would have beenidentical with ours


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The Virgin Birth

The virgin birth demonstrates the wisdomof God in that it makes Jesus fullhumanity evident from the fact of hisordinary birth, and his full deity evidentfrom his conception in Marys womb by theHoly Spirit


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The Communication of Attributes

The communication of attributes refers to theattributes of one nature being given to (andreceived by) the other nature.

In other words, if Jesus is fully God and fullyman, than what is true of the humanity of Jesusis true of the divinity of Jesus and what is true ofthe divinity of Jesus is true of his humanity.

But to conceive of the communication ofattributes in this way is problematic


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The Communication of Attributes

For example, Jesus Christ is God Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ

Therefore Mary is the mother of God Or

Jesus Christ is God

Jesus Christ suffered on the cross Therefore God suffered on the cross(patripassianism)


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In One Person Forever


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The Permanent God-Man

Jesus did not give up his humanity after theresurrection Luke 24:39: "See My hands and My feet, that it is I

Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not haveflesh and bones as you see that I have. Luke 24:41-43: While they still could not believe it

because of their joy and amazement, He said tothem, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gaveHim a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate itbefore them.


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Jesus is presently human Acts 7:56: and he said, "Behold, I see the

heavens opened up and the Son of Man

standing at the right hand of God." Acts 9:5: And he said, "Who are You, Lord?"

And He said, "I am Jesus whom you arepersecuting.


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Jesus will exist after his return as a humanbeing Matt 26:29: "But I say to you, I will not drink of

this fruit of the vine from now on until that daywhen I drink it new with you in My Father'skingdom."

Condensed Theology Lecture 23

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