Christology Dr. Canham
January 6, 2009________________________________________________________________________
Broken down into two parts
1. Person of Christ
2. Work of Christ
Person of Christ
A. Humanity of Christ
B. Deity of Christ
C. Christ as the God-Man
Humanity- The importance (john 1:14) “word became flesh”
Gospel AD 85 > Deity (1 john 4) (2 john 7-11) (Hebrews 2:14)
Epistles AD 90’s > Humanity
Revelation AD 95
Incarnation important for his works
Six indications of Christ’s humanity (Luke 2:52) (Romans 1:3) (Phil 2:6-8) (1tim 2:5, 3:16) (Heb 2:9-16)
1. Human parentage (Gal 4:4) (matt 1:18) (gen 3:18)
2. Human names (son of man, Jesus of Nazareth) (son of David) ( a man)
3. Human appearance (Samarian woman recognized him as a Jew)
4. Possessed elements of human nature (intellect, emotion, will) (Luke 2:46, 52)
5. Sinless human infirmities (hunger, thirst, tired, slept) He had the ability to be tempted, and could die
6. Had a human development (Luke 2:40) (Heb 5:7) Does not suggest imperfection
Two things that Christ did not posses that we associate with our humanity
1. Sin- not an essential part of humanity; an intrusion into humanity. Christ showed us how to be truly human by living the most human life. Jesus passed test that Adam and Eve failed (temptation, gen 3, Matt 4)
The more human you are, the less sin you have.
2. Jesus did not posses human beauty (Isa :2) In his incarnation, NOT his glorified state.
Jesus’ commitment to prayer shows his more perfect humanity than that of ours.
Means of his incarnation
1. Conception of the virgin birth.
Supernatural part of the Holy Spirit (deity)
Natural part of Mary (humanity) (God-Man)
Three main verses for virgin birth argument (Gen 3:15) (Isa 7:14) (matt 1:18-25)
Gen 3:15- “her seed” unusual because women not only do not have seeds, but it is the only mention of a woman’s seed in the bible
Isa 7:14- Hebrew language has no word for virgin but for young woman “Lord himself will give you a Sign” 1. Ahaz’s son not named Immanuel 2. Septuagint uses word for strict virgin (Isaiah written 700 BC, Septuagint written 250 BC)
Matt 1:18-25- (v. 22) Quotes Isaiah 7:14 from Septuagint
January 13, 2009______________________________________________________________________
Eight indications from Matthew of the virgin birth
1. (v.16) Other women mentioned because of role as “co-begetters” Jacob- Joseph husband of Mary of whom (fem pronoun used) Jesus was born. Importance – Mary begot Jesus, Not Joseph.
2. (v.18) “In this way” – ESV “as follows” – NKJV Implies that it was unusual “before they came together”
3. (v.18) “from the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:35)
4. (v.19) Joseph’s reaction; knew it wasn’t his (John 8) “we were not born of fornication” Mary’s reaction as well (Luke 1:34)
5. Joseph’s struggle (v.20)
6. (v. 22-23) Quotes (Isa 7:14) Angel quotes OT, quotes from the Septuagint
7. (v.24) Joseph did not have sex with Mary until, she had Jesus
8. (v. 25) He called Jesus, Jesus
Important passages – (Luke 3:23, John 8:41, 1:14, Rom 1:3, Gal 4:4, Phil 2:6, 1Tim 1:15,3:16, 1 John 3:5)
Gal 4:4/ Gal 4:23 (gk) ginomai/ gemao Become/ Born Jesus became, he was not born
Why is the doctrine so important?
1. Truthfulness of scripture; Bible teaches virgin birth (matt) If virgin birth is false, Bible is false.
2. Deity of Christ (Isa 9:6, Mic 5:2, John 3:6) – human + human = human
3.The virgin birth protects (is necessary) humanity/ sinlessness
We are not saying!
1. Immaculate conception – Mary was not sinless (Luke 1:47) “God my savior” This would mean that Mary’s mother would have to be sinless and so on. Mary’s family was not sinless
2. Perpetual virginity of Mary (matt 13:53) Jesus had brothers and sister (Luke 2:7) “firstborn”
Reasons for the incarnation
1. Demonstrates God’s love (Rom 5:8)
2. Reveal God to man (john 1:1, 14, 18) Jesus is the exegesis of the father
3. Reveal man to man – Christ was the most human, human
4. Came to destroy sin (Heb 2:14, 1 John 3:8)
5. To be the perfect mediator between God and man (C. (1) (2) on p.12) (I Tim 2:5)
6. God’s promise that one of David’s sons would reign forever (2 Sam 7)
January 20, 2009______________________________________________________________________
Titles of Christ that indicate his divinity
Alpha and Omega (John 1:41)
Christ (messiah) (Isa 9:6, Matt 1:23, John 1:1, Rom 5:5, Tit 2:13, Heb 1:8, Acts 2:28, 2 Pet 1:1, 1 John 5:20)
OT – YHWH NT – Christ (Matt 3:3) speaks of YHWH in OT but Christ in NT, using same exact verse/ passage
Holy One, Immanuel, King, Lord
Preeminent one (Col 1:15)
Son of God – we are sons by adoption Christ is “only begotten” “one and only”
Divine Attributes – qualities of Jesus that are possessed only by God
1. Eternality and self existence (John 1:1) “was” (Isa 9:6, Mic 5:2, John 8:58)
2. Creator (john 1:3, Heb 1:2-3)
3 Angel of the LORD (YHWH) (Gen 22)
God (v. 1) (from me) > Angel of the LORD (v. 11) > I know that you fear >back to God (trinity in the OT)
(Isa 48:10) Jesus speaking say God and spirit (Zech 3:1) Defends Joshua (Imputation of Christ’s righteousness on his people)
4. Immutability (Heb 1:12, 13:8) the same yesterday today and forever
5. Incomprehensibility (Eph 3:8)
6. Omniscience (John 1:48)
7. Omnipotence (Matt 1) King 100% man 100% God (matt 2) Born king Exousia (gk) – Authority (power of word) (Matt 7, 9:2-8) (v. 6,8) exousia
8. Omnipresence (Eph 1:23, Matt 18:200
Communicable Attributes
Holiness, Righteousness, Perfection, fidelity, Love, and mercy
Divine Activities
1. Perogatives
a. Judges (john 5:22)
b. Forgiver of sins
c. Worshipped (John 5:23)
2. Works
a. Creator
b. Live-giver
c. Head of the Church
Divine Awareness
Christ recognizes himself as God when he is a child (Matt 2)
Divine Affirmations – Jesus’ deity of affirmed
1. Subjective (john 8:58, 10:30) all of the “I Am” statements
2. Objective (from others) (John 10:33)
January 27, 2009______________________________________________________________________
Who is Jesus? (Matt 16:13-17) Jesus clearly attributes knowing Christ to being revealed to them by God
(Matt 11:25-27) Why does he need to be revealed? It brings the glory to God
Christ, the God-man
Challenge of the hypostatic union
Hypostatic union is a way of saying that Christ is fully God and fully human; explains the way that the persons interact
(1 John 4:1-3) Cults are defined from the departure of knowing the nature of Jesus. Jesus Christ has come (implication of deity) “in the flesh” (hb) means flesh and blood (implication of human nature)
(2 Cor 10:3-6) The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but of the spirit
Denial of the humanity of Christ is denying the full essence of his glory.
The fact of the hypostatic union of two natures in Christ
To say that Christ is not fully human or divine is heresy. Christ has two distinct natures, yet is one person.
Christ is one person, never looked at himself as a personal duality. He always referred to himself as “I” and there was never a conflict between the son of man and the son of God.
Hypo – comes from the Latin for “under”
Static – or stasis for “standing” in place
(1 Tim 3:16) He was manifested in the flesh
The Necessity of the Hypostatic union
(Mark 13:32, Matt 24:36) No one knows that hour in which Christ will return, Not Even the Son
(Phil 2:1-3) (v. 6-8) Who being in the “form” of God (v. 7). He was equal with God, Yet did not consider it something that he should hold onto (something to be grasped) But he emptied himself (he made himself nothing) By assuming a human nature (the “form” of a servant) being born “in the likeness of men”. He says this not to say that he was like A MAN, but that he was like MEN, in that he was sinless unlike us. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death (Heb 2:14) (v. 17) He had to be made like his brothers in every respect (EXCEPT FOR SIN) so that he could be our high priest.
His divine nature was absolutely in obedience to the Father, but in submission to the Father it explains his limitations in knowing the hour in which he will return. (Matt 11:25-27) It had to be granted to him by the Father while he was in his incarnation.
February 3, 2009_______________________________________________________________________
Could Jesus have sinned? Either Christ could have sinned or he could not have sinned, it is the same as asking is Jesus God or is he man? The answer is yes. God cannot sin, but in his humanity could he? There is a definite parallel between Jesus and adam. Part of being fully human requires having the ability to sin. God cannot be tempted, and God cannot die. Jesus had peccability in humanity, and was impeccable in deity, and both coexist at the same time is the person of Christ in a mysterious way.
The Work of Christ
1. The life – His perfect life authenticates him as the messiah
2. His offices –
a. Prophet – He is able to represent God to man. We need a perfect prophet (prophetic books)
b. Priest – The law showed the need for the perfect priest (the Pentateuch)
c. King – We need a perfect king (prophetic books)
3. His death
Why is the death of Christ important?
1. Incarnation - The eternal destiny of our souls is dependent on this work. Important to Christ’s incarnation (there would have been no need). Removal of the sin of the world (when Jesus was named - he will save his people from their sins). The son of man did not come to be served but to serve. (Gal 4) Made under the law to redeem those as adoptions as sons. He humbled himself and became obedient to death. (Heb 2:9) He partook of the same flesh and blood as we have in order to destroy Satan. He was revealed to us to take away sin. (Heb 10:12, 10:4)
2. Ministry – was always focused on the fact that he was going to die.
3. To scripture – the works of Christ was prophesied in the OT.
The OT- Continuously prophesies the coming of Christ
b. The law - To fulfill the law, this drove the people to Christ because they could not do it on their own. (Rom 3:19-20) we are without excuse. (Heb 10) The sins were not taken away by the law
a. Prophets – Pointed to the Messiah. (John 12:38-41) he saw the Lord high and lifted up.
The Gospels – 20% is given the events surrounding the death of Jesus
The Apostles – The first recorded sermon of both Peter and Paul focus on the death of Christ, and his suffering
4. To those in heaven – Only once was it recorded that he had contact with those in heaven. (Luke 9:31) focused on his death. (1 peter 1:11-12) even the angels desire to look at these things
The rationale of the death of Christ
1. The holiness of God – especially eminent, it is constantly mentioned (Lev 19:2) God’s holiness will not allow him to look at sin.
2. Sinfulness of man – (Rom 3) describes our condition (v. 10) we are all unrighteous. God solves this by giving us Jesus’ righteousness (imputes it to us). (Rom 3:11) renews our mind (12:2) transformed
3. The love of God – man would not be saved apart from God if he demands that he punish all sin, and if our sin demands that he receive the full penalty. (Rom 5:8) Christ died for us while we were STILL sinners. The love of God works in harmony with holiness.
Definition of the death of Christ
Jesus was both the sacrificer and the one being sacrificed
1. A sacrifice – 1. Every sacrifice was a reminder that sins have been committed, could not remove sin! (Priests never sat down because their work was never finished; Jesus sat down at the right hand of God) 2. The sacrifice must be one approved by God Himself (it pleased the father to bruise the son)3. Sacrifice had to be a male without blemish
2. It was a substitute – stresses the offering itself, highlights the relationship with the offender (us) (Isa 53) “He for us”
3. Sinlessness is also required of a substitute for sin
4. The substitute must be of equal or greater value
5. The substitute is often sent to do something that person cannot do
6. p. 29 (6.)
He is a ransom – The son of man came to ransom his people
1. OT - God ransomed the lives of the people of Israel who were slaves
2. NT – 1. (Matt 20:28) 2. The price of the ransom was the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28) 3. The ransom secured the deliverance of the people of God from the power of Satan (Gal 1:4)
He is redemption
P.30- 31
Propitiation– comes from the verb meaning to appease wrath
February 10, 2009______________________________________________________________________
(Heb 9:5) (v.9) the tabernacle is described as a parable (earthly story with a heavenly meaning) all of the tabernacle stories/ parts of the tabernacle (mercy seat (propitiation)) refer to Christ
(Heb 11:19) received Isaac back from the dead as a parable
1. Christ’s death was propitiatory
2. God initiated the sacrifice
3. The first effect of the propitiatory sacrifice is upon God himself (that he might be just in his forgiveness of sinners)
4. The justice of God is the underlying necessity of the propitiatory death of Christ
5. As a result of the propitiation man may be justified
Jesus plays all the roles: Lamb, mercy seat, high priest, he is the veil in which the priest must go in order to offer the blood on the mercy seat.
A satisfaction – to fully meet the requirements of the claims of God
God gave us the righteousness of him
An atonement – The total work of Christ on the cross
How do we define atonement? It is never mentioned in the NT, which is why we have to go back to the OT. OT meaning = “to cover”
A reconciliation – One of the effects of the death of Christ
Implies that a formally amicable relationship between two persons no longer exists; a process of restoration of friendship
We have peace with God (Rom 5:1), access into grace and into his presence (Rom 5:2), and being drawn near to God (Eph 2:13)
Actively removing the barrier between Christ and man, passively in that it refers to the resulting union between God and man.
Who is responsible for the death of Christ?
It was our sins that handed Christ over to the cross.
God the father handed Christ over in (Rom 8:32)
He handed himself over (Gal 2:20) (Isa 53:12)
Exaltation
His resurrection – the vindication of the person and work of Christ
(1 Cor 15) Christ died > buried >rose again > seen
If you deny the resurrection, you are not a Christian (Rom 1)
Without the resurrection there could be no Christian faith
(Implications)
1. Christ is not raised
i. the work of Christ
a. Tie into OT priest offering blood on the alter
b. There is no meaning of the death of Christ without the resurrection
ii. The person of Christ
2. Our Gospel is false
i. The OT prophets are liars
ii. Jesus is a liar
iii. Apostles are liars
3. You are still in your sins
i. We would not be justified
ii. We would not be regenerated
iii. We would not be sanctified
iv. We would not be resurrected/ glorified
v. The Holy Spirit could not come unless Christ has been exalted
4. This is not a ghost coming out of the tomb, Christ had a bodily resurrection
5. The nature of the resurrection body
i. there is continuity with our human body (John 20:20)
ii. also discontinuity (Luke 24:13-35)
iii. It was physical, and it was related to the body that he had before his death burial and resurrection.
6. Who raised Him?
i. God
ii. Spirit
iii. Himself
7. Proofs of the resurrection
It is a fact of history as well as a fact of faith.
It was predicted, it was verified.
Ascension of Christ – Ended the earthly first advent of Christ
1. ended the period of his humiliation
2. marked the first entrance of resurrected humanity into heaven
3. Made the descent of the Holy Spirit possible
Present work of Christ
1. Building his church
2. Intercedes for his believers (john 17) (Jesus prays for us)
3. He is preparing a place for us (john 14:1-3)
4. He produces fruit in the life of the Believers (john 15:1-7)