Valley Bible Church Life f Christ A THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF CHRIST! Read Jhn 1:1-18 OUTLINE OF JOHN 1:1-18: THE PRE-EXISTENCE & INCARNATION OF CHRIST: A. His Eternality: 1 :1-2 emphasis is n eternality emphasis is n persnality emphasis is n deity B. His Pre-existent Wrk: 1:3-5 C. His Frerunner: 1:6-8 vs. 6 fcuses n the sender vs. 7 fcuses n the purpse vs. 8 fcuses n the identity D. His Receptin: 1:9-13 vs. 9 upn entering the wrld vs. 10-11 Rejected by the wrld vs. 19-13 Accepted by sme E. His Incarnatin: 1:14-18 Frm this passage we will mve n t examine sme f the key elements f a Thelgy f Christ. THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST: A. The Cncept Articulated: 1. Psitively stated: In His essential being Jesus Christ never began t be; He existed frm-eternity as the Secnd Persn f the Triune Gdhead. 2. Negatively stated: In His essential being, Jesus Christ did nt begin t exist when He was cnceived in the wmb by His mther, Mary. 3. Practically stated: The Secnd Persn f the Triune Gdhead made a cnscius and gracius decisin t lay aside the glries and reputatin f deity and t take upn Himself the nature f man and the frm f a servant (Phil 2:5-1 1). B. The Testimny f the New Testament Regarding Christ's Pre-existence: 1. Christ's affirmatin f Himself:
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ -Jhn 8:58 -Jhn 17:5 -Revelatin 1:8 -Jhn 1:15&30 2. Witness f the New Testament Writers: -Apstle Jhn: Jhn 1-3, 14 -Apstle Paul: Cl:16 & Phil. 2:6 THE DEITY OF CHRIST: 1. Intrductin A central test f Christian rthdxy is the affirmatin that Jesus Christ is truly Gd. Christ's deity is affirmed by Jesus Himself and the New Testament writers. 2. Called by the titles and names f Gd Intrductin: Jhn 1:1-9 (NASB) In the beginning was the Wrd, and the Wrd was with Gd, and the Wrd was Gd. He was in the beginning with Gd. All things came int being by Him, and apart frm Him nthing carne int being that has cme int being. In Him was life, and the life was the light f men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did nt cmprehend it. There came a man, sent frm Gd, whse name was Jhn. He came fr a witness, that he might bear witness f the light, that all might believe thrugh him. He was nt the light, but carne that he might bear witness f the light. There was the true light which, cming int the wrld, enlightens every man. Jhn 8:12 (NASB) Again therefre Jesus spke t them, saying, "I am the light f the wrld; he wh fllws Me shall nt walk in the darkness, but shall have the light f life." Cmpare t I Jhn 1.5 1 Jhn 1:5 (NASB) And this is the message we have heard frm Him and annunce t yu, that Gd is light, and in Him there is n darkness at all. Jhn 17:3 (NASB) "And this is eternal life, that they may knw Thee, the nly true Gd, and Jesus Christ whm Thu hast sent." Hebrews 1:8 (NASB) But f the Sn He says, "THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM." Jhn 20:28 (NASB) Thmas answered and said t Him, "My Lrd and my Gd!"
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ Rmans 9:5 (NASB) whse are the fathers, and frm whm is the Christ accrding t the f1esh, wh is ver all, Gd blessed frever. Amen Titus 2:10,13 (NASB) nt pilfering, but shwing all gd faith that they may adrn the dctrine f Cd ur Savir in every respect... lking fr the blessed hpe and the appearing f the glry f ur great Gd and Savir, Christ Jesus; Titus 3:4 (NASB) But when the kindness f Gd ur Savir and His lve fr mankind appeared, Cncept f the Sn f Gd demands equality with Gd. Jhn 10:33 (NASB) The Jews answered Him, "Fr a gd wrk we d nt stne Yu, but fr blasphemy; and because Yu, being a man, make Yurself ut t he Gd." Jhn 19:7 (NASB) The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ught t die because He made Himself ut t be the Sn f Gd." The terms LORD/YHWH related t Christ Jhn 8:58 (NASB) Jesus said t them, "Truly, truly, I say t yu, befre Abraham was brn, I am." (nte Jewish reactin) Rmans 10:13 (nte Jel 2:32) Rmans 10:13 (NASB) fr "WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Jel 2:32 (NASB) "And it will cme abut that whever culls n the name f the LORD Will be delivered; Fr n Munt Zin and in Jerusalem There will be thse wh escape, As the LORD has said, Even amng the survivrs whm the LORD culls. Philippians 2:10 (nte Is. 45:21) Philippians 2:10-11 (NASB) that at the name f Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, f thse wh are in heaven, and n earth, and under the earth, and that every tngue shuld cnfess that Jesus Christ is Lrd, t the glry f Gd the Father. Isaiah 45:21-23 (NASB) ''Declare and set frth yur case; Indeed, let them cnsult tgether. Wh has annunced this frm f ld? Wh has lng since declared it? Is it nt I, the LORD? And there is n ther Gd besides Me, A righteus Gd and a Savir; There is nne except Me. "Turn t Me, and be saved, all the ends f the earth; Fr I am Gd, and there is n ther. "I have swrn by Myself, The wrd has gne frth frm My muth in righteusness And will nt turn back, That t Me every knee will bw, every tngue will swear allegiance. (nte speaker) Isaiah 44:6 (NASB) "Thus says the LORD, the King f Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD f hsts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is n Gd besides Me. The term Lrd f Glry Psalm 24:8-10 cmpared with 1 Crinthians 2:8 where it is applied t Christ
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ Psalm 24:8-10 (NASB) Wh is the King f glry? The LORD strng and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up yur heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient drs, That the King f glry may cme in! Wh is this King f glry? The LORD f hsts, He is the King f glry. Selah. I Crinthians 2:8 (NASB) the wisdm which nne f the rulers f this age has understd; fr if they had understd it, they wuld nt have crucified the Lrd f glry; The term The Hly One Hsea 11:9 cmpared with Acts 3:14 Hsea 11:9 (NASB) I will nt execute My fierce anger; I will nt destry Ephraim again. Fr I am Gd and nt man, the Hly One in yur midst, And I Will nt cme in wrath. Acts 3:14 (NASB) "But yu diswned the Hly and Righteus One, and asked fr a murderer t be granted t yu" The term First and Last Isaiah 44:6 cmpared with Rev 1:17-18 Isaiah 44:6 (NASB) "Thus says the LORD, the King f Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD f hsts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is n Gd besides Me. Rev 1:17,18 (NASB) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upn me, saying, "D nt be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behld, I am alive frevermre, and I have the keys f death and f Hades. 3. Christ demnstrates/claims the incmmunicable attributes f deity Surce f life Jhn 1:4 (NASB) In Him was life, and the life was the light f men. Jhn 5:21 (NASB) "Fr just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even s the Sn als gives life t whm He wishes. (nte parallel reference t divine wrks) Jhn 14:6 (NASB) Jesus said t him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; n ne cmes t the Father, but thrugh Me. Immutability Hebrews 13:8 (NASB) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and tday, yes and frever. Hebrews 1:11-12 (NASB) THEY WILL PERISH, BUT THOU REMADVEST; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD AS A GARMENT, AND AS A MANTLE THOU WILT ROLL THEM UP; AS A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT THOU ART THE SAME, AND THY YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END." Eternality
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ Jhn 8:58 (NASB) Jesus said t them, "Truly, truly, I say t yu, befre Abraham was brn, I AM. " Jhn 17:5 (NASB) "And nw, glrify Thu Me tgether with Thyself, Father with the glry which I had with Thee befre the wrld was. Perfect Righteusness Jhn 6:69 (NASB) "And we have believed and have cme t knw that Yu are the Hly One f Cd." Hebrews 7:26 (NASB) Fr it was fitting that we shuld have such a high priest, hly, inncent, undefiled, separated frm sinner and exalted abve the heavens; I Pet 2:22 (NASB) WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS M0UTH; Omniscience Jhn 6:64 (NASB) "But there are sme f yu wh d nt believe." Fr Jesus knew frm the beginning wh they were wh did nt believe, and wh it was that wuld betray Him. Jhn 16:30 (NASB) "Nw we knw that Yu knw all things, and have n need fr anyne t questin Yu; by this we believe that Yu came frm Gd." Jhn 18:4 (NASB) Jesus therefre, knwing all the things that were cming upn Him, went frth, and said t them, "Whm d yu seek?" Matthew 9:4 (NASB) And Jesus knwing their thughts said, "Why are yu thinking evil in yur hearts? Omniptence Rev 1:8 (NASB) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lrd Gd, "wh is and wh was and wh is t cme, the Almighty." Matthew 28:18 (NASB) And Jesus came up and spke t them, saying, "All authrity has been given t Me in heaven and n earth. 4. Christ demnstrates the wrks f deity He created all things. Clssians 1:16-17 (NASB) Fr by Him all things were created, bth in the heavens and n earth, visible and invisible, whether thrnes r dminins r rulers r authrities-- all things have been created by Him and fr Him. And He is befre all things, and in Him all things hld tgether. Hebrews 1:10 (NASB) And, "THOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINN1NG DIDST LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; Jhn 1:3 (NASB) All things came int being by Him, and apart frm Him nthing came int being that has cme int being.
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ He uphlds all things. Hebrews 1:3 (NASB) And He is the radiance f His glry and the exact representatin f His nature, and uphlds all things by the wrd f His pwer. When He had made purificatin f sins, He sat dwn at the right hand f the Majesty n high; He judges. 1 Peter 4:5 (NASB) but they shall give accunt t Him wh is ready t judge the living and the dead. 2 Crinthians 5:10 (NASB) Fr we must all appear befre the judgment seat f Christ, that each ne may he recmpensed fr his deeds in the bdy, accrding t what he has dne, whether gd r had. He frgave sin Mark 2:7 (NASB) Why des this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; wh can frgive sins but Gd alne?" Matthew 9:2 (NASB) And behld, they were bringing t Him a paralytic, lying n a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith said t the paralytic, "Take curage, My sn, yur sins are frgiven." He gave life Jhn 6:54 (NASB) "He wh eats My flesh and drinks My bld has eternal life, and I will raise him up n the last day. Jhn 11:25 (NASB) Jesus said t her, "I am the resurrectin and the life; he wh believes in Me shall live even if he dies, 5. Christ receives wrship as deity Only Gd receives wrship Exdus 20:5 (NASB) "Yu shall nt wrship them r serve them; fr I, the LORD yur Gd, am a jealus Gd, visiting the iniquity f the fathers n the children, n the third and the furth generatin f thse wh hate Me, Exdus 34:14 (NASB) fr yu shall nt wrship any ther gd, fr the LORD, whse name is Jealus, is a jealus Gd Matthew 4:10 (NASB) Then Jesus said t him, "Begne, Satan! Fr it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY."' Men are t refuse wrship Acts 10:25,26 (NASB) And when it came abut that Peter entered, Crnelius met him, and fell at his feet and wrshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I t am just a man.'
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ Angels, wh are higher than men, refuse wrship Rev 19:10 (NASB) And I fell at his feet t wrship him. And he said t me, "D nt d that; I am a fellw servant f yurs and yur brethren wh hld the testimny f Jesus; wrship Gd. Fr the testimny f Jesus is the spirit f prphecy." Rev 22:9-10 (NASB) And he said t me, "D nt d that; I am a fellw servant f yurs and f yur brethren the prphets and f thse wh heed the wrds f this bk; wrship Gd." And he said t me, "D nt seal up the wrds f the prphecy f this bk, fr the time is near. Jesus receives wrship as Gd Matthew 15:25 (NASB) But she came and began t bw dwn befre Him, saying, "Lrd, help me!" Matthew 28:9-10 (NASB) And behld, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and tk hld f His feet and wrshiped Him. Then Jesus said t them, "D nt be afraid; g and take wrd t hly brethren t leave fr Galilee, and there they shall see Me." Hebrews 1:6-9 (NASB) And when He again brings the first-brn int the wrld, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANCELS OF COD WORSHIP HIM." And f the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE." But f the Sn He says, "THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. "THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS." Jhn 5:23 (NASB) in rder that all may hnr the Sn, even as they hnr the Father. He wh des nt hnr the Sn des nt hnr the Father wh sent Him. Jhn 9:38 (NASB) And he said, "Lrd, I believe." And he wrshiped Him. 6. Christ explicitly called Gd Jhn 1:1,18 (NASB) In the beginning was the Wrd, and the Wrd was with Gd, and the Wrd was Gd... N man has seen Gd at any time; the nly begtten in the bsm f the Father, He has explained Him. Jhn 20:28 (NASB) Thmas answered and said t Him, "My Lrd and my Gd!" Titus 2:13 (NASB) lking fr the blessed hpe and the appearing f the glry f ur Great Gd and Savir, Christ Jesus Hebrews 1:8 (NASB) But f the Sn He says, "THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM." 2 Peter 1:1 (NASB) Simn Peter, a bnd-servant and apstle f Jesus Christ, t thse wh have received a faith f the same kind as urs, by the righteusness f ur Gd and Savir, Jesus Christ:
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ 1 Jhn 5:20 (NASB) And we knw that the Sn f Gd has cme, and has given us understanding, in rder that we might knw Him wh is true, and we are in Him wh is true, in His Sn Jesus Christ. This is the true Gd and eternal life. 7. Christ claimed t be the Sn f Gd At the age f twelve Luke 2:49 (NASB) And He said t them, "Why is it that yu were lking fr Me? Did yu nt knw that I had t be in My Father's huse?" At His baptism Matthew 3:17 (NASB) and behld, u vice ut f the heavens, saying, "This is My belved Sn, in whm I um well-pleased." By setting His teaching n par with the Old Testament Matthew 5:21-29 (NASB) "Yu have heard that the ancients were tld, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whever cmmits murder shall be liable t the curt.' "But I say t yu that everyne wh is angry with his brther shall be guilty befre the curt; and whever shall say t his brther, 'Raca,' shall be guilty befre the supreme curt; and whever shall say, 'Yu tl,' shall he guilty enugh t g int the fiery hell. In sending ut the disciples Matthew 10:1,8 (NASB) And having summned His twelve disciples, He gave them authrity ver unclean spirits, t cast them ut, and t heal every kind f disease and every kind f sickness... "Heal the sick' raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast ut demns; freely yu received, freely give. In His direct statements 1-Claimed pre-existence Jhn 8:58 (NASB) Jesus said t them, "Truly, truly, I say t yu, befre Abraham was brn, I am." Jhn 17:5 (NASB) "And nw, glrify Thu Me tgether with Thyself, Father, with the glry which I had with Thee befre the wrld was. 2-Claimed neness with the Father Jhn 10:30 (NASB) "I and the Father are ne." Jhn 17:11 (NASB) "And I am n mre in the wrld; and yet they themselves are in the wrld, and I cme t Thee. Hly Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thu has given Me, that they may be ne, even as We are.
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ 3-Claimed the title Sn f Gd Jhn 10:36 (NASB) d yu say f Him, whm the Father sanctified and sent int the wrld, 'Yu are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Sn f Gd'? 4-Claimed future demnstratins f glry Matthew 25:31 (NASB) "But when the Sn f Man cmes in His glry, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit n His glrius thrne. THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST: A. Definitin: -The act f the secnd persn f the Trinity whereby He tk upn Himself the frm f man and became flesh, the Gd-Man B. The Texts: -Phil. 2:5-1 1 -Jhn 1:14 * Many thelgians will use the term Theanthrpic t describe Christ as having bth a perfect and cmplete human nature as well as a perfect and cmplete devine nature. C. Purpse f the Incarnatin: 1-T fulfill the Prmises f Gd. -Genesis 3:15 -Rmans 15:8 2-T reveal Gd directly t mankind. -Jhn 1:13 3-T take away sin. -I Jhn 3:5 4-T be the ultimate High Priest. -Hebrews 2:17-18 -Hebrews 10:21 5-T be the secnd Adam and mdel true-humanity. -Rmans 5:14-15
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ 6-T subjugate a11 t Himself. -1 Crinthians l5:25 D. Predictin f the Incarnatin in the Old Testament: 1 -The Prmise: Genesis 3:15 (The seed f wman) 2-The Place: Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem Ephrathah) 3-The Manner: Isaiah 7:14 (Brn f a virgin) 4-The Lineage: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 (Line f David) 5-The Date: Daniel 9:24-25 THE HUMANITY CHRIST: A. The Imprtance f this dctrine: 1. Why is a prper and Biblical understanding f the dctrine f the humanity f Christ imprtant t us tday? a) The apstle Jhn makes this dctrine a test f rthdxy ( 1 Jhn 4:2). b) It is because Jesus tk upn Himself the nature f man that He can functin as the Redeemer f man (Hebrews 2:14). c) It is because Jesus lived His earthly life within the limitatins and restrictins f (un-fallen) humanity that He can be tuched with the feeling f ur infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). B. Scriptural Prfs f this dctrine: 1. Regarding Christ's human develpment: -Jhn 7:27 -Jhn 9:29 -Mark 2:7 a. He was called a man: b) He had a human bdy: -Jhn 19 38 -Hebrews 1 0:5 35 c) He pssessed immaterial aspects f humanity: -Matthew- 26-35
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ -Acts 2:27 -Mark'4:34 d) He was subjected t human limitatins: 1-He gt tired: Jhn 4:6 2-He gt thirsty: Jhn 4:7 3-He gt hungry: Matthew 4:2 4-He experienced emtin: Jhn 11:33-35 5-He gt angry: Matthew 21:12-13 6-He grew and matured: Luke 2:52 7-He was tempted: Matthew 4 8-He vluntarily experienced restricted knwledge: Phil. 2:5-11 THE KENOSIS: A. A prevailing thelgical persuasin cncerning the relatinship between the divine and human natures f Jesus: the Kentic frmula 1 -The term Kensis is taken frm Philippians 2:7, where Paul states that Christ emptied himself. (KJV: made himself f n reputatin) when He tk upn Himself the frm f a bnd servant. The Greek wrd translated emptied himself, frm which we take the English wrd Kensis (a reference t the self-emptying f Jesus in His incarnatin). Nte: There is much discussin as t precisely what that expressin means; it is an issue, which must be addressed bth exegetically and thelgically. The basic issue is this: in what sense did Jesus "empty Himself" f deity when He tk upn himself humanity. Fr ur purpses here, it is sufficient t simply articulate the thelgical cncept at stake. 2-The thelgical expressin f the kentic frmula: During the perid between His physical cnceptin and His ascensin t the Father, Jesus vluntarily surrendered the independent exercise f-his divine attributes. "The humiliatin [f Christ], as the Scriptures seem t shw cnsisted in the act f preexistent Lgs by which he gave up his divine glry with the Father, in rder t take a servant frm. In this act, he resigned nt the pssessin; nr yet entirely the use, but rather the independent exercise f the divine attributes." A.H. Strng, Systematic Thelgy, p 703:
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ B. There is prfund and inscrutable mystery in this, and there is n suggestin here that this frmula slves that mystery. Hwever, this frmula des seem t hnr what the Scriptures teach regarding the Persn f Jesus. Ntice specifically with reference t this suggested frmula: 1-The frmula des nt suggest that Jesus surrendered deity; indeed, Jesus did nt surrender any attributes f deity f any time. 2-The self-emptying f Jesus, hwever it is understd, was vluntary (Philippians 2:7). 3-Jesus maintained His divine self-cnsciusness ~ this self-emptying (Jhn 8:14; 19:97) 4-The teaching f Scripture is that when Jesus surrendered the independent exercise f His divine attributes, He surrendered them t the Hly Spirit (Mt 19:98; Ezekiel 4:14-18). (a) That is, in His incarnatin and cnsequent humiliatin, Jesus became ttally subservient t the will f the Father; He became a perfect Servant, living t d the Father's will (Jhn 8:28,29; 12:49). In thus submitting Himself t the Father, Jesus in His incarnatin acquiesced entirely t the guidance, cntrl and empwerment f the Hly Spirit (Ac 1:2; Luke 3:21,22; Ac 10:38; Jhn 3:34) (b) This is nt t suggest that Jesus was withut the resident attributes f deity (the pwer t d miracles, fr instance). He did nt surrender the divine attributes themselves; He surrendered the independent exercise f thse attributes (Isaiah 11:2; 61:1). In fact, this cnstruct des nt slve the enigma f the relatinship between the divine and human natures in the Theanthrpic Persn, Jesus Christ. (Indeed, that enigma cannt be slved.) It des, hwever, express the Biblical teaching cncerning the self-emptying f Jesus Christ. The Hypstatic Unin f Christ 1. Definitin: The unique cmbinatin f true humanity and undiminished deity that has existed since the incarnatin. These tw natures (divine and human) existed withut cnfusin r lss f separate identity and they were inseparably united withut transfer r attributes. 2. Elements f the Hypstatic Unin: Christ had a human and divine nature united in ne persnal subsistence. In Christ, the ne persn, the tw natures are inseparably united withut cnfusin. This unity f tw natures is permanent 3. Histrical Perspectives (false) Arianism - Arse in the third century
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ - Fllwers f Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria - Belief that Jesus pre-existed as the first creature which came frm the hand f Gd - Cntemprary example--jehvah Witnesses Gnsticism - Arse during the first century (c.f. I Jhn and Clssians) - An integratin f Hellenistic idealism and/r Zrastrian dualism with Christianity - Belief that matter was evil, thereby denying the true humanity f Christ -Scripture Refutatins Clssians 2:9 (NASB) Fr in Him all the fullness f Deity dwells in bdily frm, I Jhn 1:1 (NASB) What was frm the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with ur eyes, what we beheld and ur hands handled, cncerning the Wrd f Life-- (nte- yu cannt handle a ghst!) Apllinarianism - Arse during the furth century - Fllwers f Apllinaris, a distinguished bishp f Ladicea - Belief that (Christ had nly a human bdy and sul, but did nt have a human spirit. He therefre denied the integrity f the human nature f Christ. Apllinaris was cndemned at the Cuncil f Cnstantinple in AD 381. Nestrianisrn - Arse during the furth century - Fllwers f Nestrius, a Patriarch f Cnstantinple - Denied the real unin f the divine and human natures in Christ, thus tw natures and tw persns, He separated the human and the divine in Christ t the pint f denying that what culd be said f the human and divine in Christ culd be said f the ne persn. Nestrius was cndemned fr his views by the Synd f Ephusus in AD 431. Eutychianism - Arse during the furth century - Fllwers f Eutyches a presbyter f Cnstantinple
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ - Belief that there was but ne nature in Christ because by incarnatin r hypstatical unin, the human was changed int divine. Eutychianism was cndemned at the Cuncil f Chalcedn in AD 451. Ebinism - Arse in the early secnd century - A Jewish sect - Belief in Christ's deity incmpatible with strict mntheism Mdern Liberalism, Ne-Orthdxy, and Ne-Evangelicalism - Ritschl, Schleiermacher, Barth, Niebuhr, Bultmann - An Errancy view f the Bible, which leads t discrediting factual histricity f Jesus Christ Orthdx Psitin In ne persn Jesus Christ there are tw natures, a human nature and a divine nature each in its cmpleteness and integrity, and these tw natures are rganically and indisslubly united yet s that n third nature is frmatted thereby. Orthdx psitin frbids us t either divide the persn r t cnfuse the natures. The classic creedal statement f the rthdx dctrine The definitive creedal statement with reference t the relatinship f the human and divine natures in the ne Persn f Jesus Christ is the Creed (r Definitin) f Chalcedn. Prduced by the furth ecumenical Cuncil in AD 451, the Creed is a deliberate attempt t maintain an rthdx psitin in the face f a number f Christlgical heresies which had infected the Christian wrld by that time. Specifically at stake were tw issues: 1. The unity f Christ's persn; and 2. The distinctiveness and integrity f Christ's tw natures (divine & human) The Creed f Chalcedn The Creed f Chalcedn, which "became and cntinues t be, the standard fr Christlgical rthdxy, is as fllws:
Valley Bible Church Life f Christ Fllwing, then, the hly fathers, we unite in teaching all men t cnfess the ne and nly Sn, ur Lrd Jesus Christ. This selfsame ne is perfect bth in deity and in humanness; this selfsame ne is als actually Gd and actually man, with a ratinal sul and a bdy. He is f the same reality as Gd as far as his deity is cncerned and f the same reality as we urselves as far as his humanness is cncerned; thus like us in all respects, sin nly excepted. Befre time began he was begtten f the Father, in respect f his deity, and nw in these "last days," fr us and behalf f ur salvatin, this selfsame ne was brn f Mary the virgin, wh is Gd-bearer in respect f his humanness. We als teach that we apprehend this ne and nly Christ-Sn, Lrd, nly-begtten -- in tw natures; and we d this withut cnfusing the tw natures, withut transmuting ne nature int the ther, withut dividing them int tw separate categries, withut cntrasting them accrding t area r functin. The distinctiveness f each nature is nt nullified by the unin. Instead, the "prperties" f each nature are cnserved and bth natures cncur in ne "persn" and in ne reality (hypstasis). They are nt divided r cut int tw persns, but are tgether the ne and nly and nly-begtten Wrd (Lgs) f Gd, the Lrd Jesus Christ. Thus have the prphets f ld testified; thus the Lrd Jesus Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbl f Fathers (the Nicene Creed) has handed dwn t us.