2014 Peter D. Anders. Course Instructor: Peter D. Anders

Transcription

1 Course Instructor: Peter D. Anders

2 Important Christological Affirmations of the Early Church Only God can save. St. Athanasius (ca ) On the Incarnation

3 Important Christological Affirmations of the Early Church What has not been assumed has remained unhealed; what has not been assumed cannot be saved. St. Gregory Nazianzen ( ) Letter 101, to Cledonious.

4 Important Christological Affirmations of the Early Church This expression, however, the Word was made flesh [John 1:14], can mean nothing else but that he partook of flesh and blood like to us; he made our body his own, and came forth man from a woman, not casting off his existence as God, or his generation of God the Father, but even in taking to himself flesh remaining what he was. This the declaration of the correct faith proclaims everywhere. This was the sentiment of the holy Fathers; therefore they ventured to call the holy Virgin, the Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word or his divinity had its beginning from the holy Virgin, but because of her was born that holy body with a rational soul, to which the Lord, being personally united, is said to be born according to the flesh. St. Cyril of Alexandria, c First Letter to Nestorius

5 Monophysite ( Docetic) Chalcedonian Orthodoxy (Incarnational) Nestorian (Adoptionist ) Extreme Alexandrian Alexandrian School (Focus on Unity) Antiochine School (Focus on Distinction) Extreme Antiochine Monophysitism: Jesus Christ has only a single nature that is either divine or a fusion of divine and human. Monothelitism: Jesus Christ has only a single will. Apollinarianism: the Logos takes the place of Jesus Christ s human rational soul. Eutychianism: Jesus Christ s human nature is absorbed into his divine nature. The Subject of Jesus Christ is the Logos who becomes human. The Logos suffers impassibly in the flesh of Jesus Christ. Focus is on the divine gifts of salvation. Affirms Theotokos (Mary is God-bearer ) Interpretive focus on preserving uniqueness of the incarnation. The divine and human are united in Jesus Christ as the Logos dwelling in a human. Only the human nature in Jesus Christ suffers. Focus is on the human response in salvation. The human Jesus is worshipped because of the indwelling Logos. Interpretive focus on preserving full humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ s divine and human natures possess their own concrete realities and persons united morally or psychologically. Emphasizes the impassibility of the Logos. Denies Theotokos (Affirms Christotokos) Denies that there is one and only one personal subject in Jesus Christ (the Logos).

6 Arianism compromises the integrity and completeness of Jesus Christ s Deity Apollinarianism compromises the integrity and completeness of Jesus Christ s humanity D H Biblical Christianity Doctrine of the Incarnation D H Condemned by the Councils of Condemned by the Council of Nicea (325) and Constantinople I Constantinople I (381), (381), affirming: affirming: Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ is Fully God Fully Human Eutychianism argues that the two natures are fused into one nature in their unity Jesus Christ is undiminished Deity and perfect humanity united in one Person forever Nestorianism argues that each nature possesses its own concrete reality and person D H Affirmed by the Council of Chalcedon (451) D H Condemned by the Council of Chalcedon (451), affirming: Jesus Christ s Divine and Human Natures Retain their Full Integrity Condemned by the Councils of Ephesus I (431) and Chalcedon (451), affirming: Jesus Christ is One Person

7 The Definition of Chalcedon, AD 451 Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as far as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin only excepted. [Before time began he was begotten of the Father, in respect of his deity, and now in these last days, for us and our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of his humanness.] We also teach that we apprehend this one and only Christ-Son, Lord, only-begotten in two natures; and we do this [without confusing the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other,] without dividing them into two separate categories, without contrasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the properties of each nature are conserved and both natures concur in one person and in one reality. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol of Fathers has handed down to us.

8 The Hypostatic Union Model DIVINE HUMAN INCARNATION Divine and human properties concur and co-inhere (perichoresis) HYPOSTASIS (Logos) Divine Distinction Human Distinction THE ONE PERSON (SUBJECT) OF JESUS CHRIST

9 Christological Union Models Monophysist Union Hypostatic Union Prosopic Union DIVINE HUMAN DIVINE HUMAN DIVINE HUMAN FUSION INCARNATION JOINING Properties confused or confounded PHYSIS Divine/Human Distinction Nullified Properties concur and co-inhere (perichoresis) HYPOSTASIS (Logos) Divine Distinction Human Distinction Properties divided and separate PROSOPON Divine Person Human Person JESUS CHRIST JESUS CHRIST JESUS CHRIST Unity without proper distinction Proper unity and distinction Distinction without proper unity

10 JESUS CHRIST FULFILLS THE WORK OF PROPHET The Prophet is God s representative to his people. Jesus Christ is the definitive representative of God, the self-revelation of God. When Jesus speaks and acts it is God speaking and acting toward us, not merely an intermediary. IN HIS DIVINITY IN HIS HUMANITY In Jesus Christ s divinity we can be sure that his words and actions are truly God s self-revelation; because Jesus is deity we can know with certainty that it is truly God s grace he reveals to us. In all that he says and does throughout his whole life and ministry, Jesus points us to God by pointing to himself. God has graciously accommodated his self-revelation to humanity in the Word that actually became flesh and lived among us. It is a revelation that can be understood by our minds and discussed in our language; it has been made comprehensible to us only because Jesus Christ is truly human.

11 JESUS CHRIST FULFILLS THE WORK OF PRIEST The Priest is the people s representative before God Jesus Christ gave himself as an atonement for our sins, making possible a loving communion between a holy God and sinful humanity. IN HIS DIVINITY Since the guilt that had to be removed was the sin of humanity against an infinite God, who else but the Infinite himself could provide satisfaction for this infinite wrong. Only one who was the Infinite could bear the infinite weight of the divine judgment. God himself in Jesus Christ, provided the satisfaction for our sin. The Judge was himself judged in our place. IN HIS HUMANITY Freedom was given to humanity, it was humanity that sinned, and it is humanity that needs to be healed. The holy justice of God will not overlook sin, but will judge sin in the very nature that sinned. Jesus Christ is our true representative because he is human like us in every way, yet without sin: God s chosen perfect substitute that takes away the sins of the world.

12 JESUS CHRIST FULFILLS THE WORK OF KING The King secures the authority of God and the obedience of his people Jesus Christ defeated the principalities and powers opposed to God s authority, and he made possible the righteousness needed for creation to be truly obedient to God. Jesus is Lord and King over all creation. IN HIS DIVINITY IN HIS HUMANITY The evil that had to be defeated included the power of Satan and death. By whose power could Satan and all the powers of darkness and death be vanquished, except the one who is more powerful than all evil. We are certain of our future hope only because in Jesus Christ the Reconciler of all things is also the Creator of all things. The righteousness and obedience Jesus Christ attained through his own human life and the things that he suffered makes righteousness, sanctification and glorification possible for us through our justification, regeneration, discipleship and conformity to him, our Lord and King.