Who is Jesus Christ?Rite of Christian Initiation

Who is God?

• False Images of God

• Revelation – General & Specific

• Characteristics of God

• A Relational God

• God and Suffering

• How do we speak of God?

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son … Heb 1:1ff

JESUS CHRIST

• What is the single most important thing that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions?

• It is not a thing. It is a Person. It is JESUS CHRIST, or rather our understanding and belief of who Jesus Christ is to us and to the world.

Significance of Jesus in Human History

• Modern Calendar begins with his birth

• 2.5 Billion Christians (1.2 Billion Catholics)

• Values of Civilisation – Freedom, Equality, Human Rights

• Bible – most read book

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

• Born in Bethlehem – 7-2 BC• Grew up in Nazareth• Began public life – 30 years

(Luke 3:23)• 3 years ministry (Gospel of

John)• Died in Jerusalem –

Crucifixion – 30 – 31 AD • After 3 days rose from dead• After 40 days – ascended to

heaven

JESUS OF HISTORY

CHRIST OF FAITH

What are the titles of Jesus Christ?

Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say I am?' And they told him, 'John the Baptist, others Elijah, others again, one of the prophets.' 'But you,' he asked them, 'who do you say I am?' Peter spoke up and said to him, 'You are the Christ.' And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8:27-30

The Great Christological Question

Who do you say I am?

Mk 8:27-30; Mt 16:13-20; Lk 9:18-21 (Jn 6:68-69)

The Answer• “You are the Messiah” (Mk 8:29)

• “Christ of God” (Lk 9:20)

• “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16)

• “You are the Holy One of God” (Jn 6:69)

Tension between Polarities

Jesus of History Christ of Faith

Christology from Below

Christology from Above

Jesus Fully Human

Jesus Fully Divine

Jesus ַע�� �ׁש�ּו ֵי

Christ Χριστός

Son of Man υἱὸς τοὺ ἀνθρώπου

Son of God υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ

Lord Κυριός

Reasons for development in Post-biblical Christology

• Inquisitive mind

• Challenge of dissident opinions

• Inculturation – communicating across cultural

Christological Spectrum

Jesus is man not God

Jesus is God not man

Adoptionist, Arians

Gnosticism, Docetism

Christological Heresies

Docetism

Arianism

Nestorianism

Ebionitism

Appollinarism

Euthycism

The 4 Ecumenical Councils• Council of Nicea 325

AD

• 1st Council of Constantinople 381 AD

• Council of Ephesus 431 AD

• Council of Chalcedon 451 AD

3 Dogmatic Components of Chalcedon

• Jesus is Divine

• Jesus is Human

• The Divine and the Human are United in One Person

Christological Criteria

• Jesus is fully divine, fully human and the divine and human are united in one person, Jesus Christ.

• There is no radical separation between the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith. Jesus Christ is “for us” is who Jesus Christ “is”

• Jesus’ Life, death and resurrection are redemptive. He is the unique & universal Saviour of the World!

Theology of Salvation

Some Modern Christological controversies

• Old Heresies in new garb, e.g. Jehovah Witnesses, LDS, Gnosticism, Unitarians

• Syncretism – Unification, Baha’i, ISKCON

• Relativism – New age spirituality, ideological pluralism