Christological Heresies

Question 0

Stress humanity, deny divinity (ebionitism)

Answer 0

Jewish sect of Christians
Jesus was solely and purely human with charismatic gifts
Anointed as messiah at baptism, spirit came upon him.
Contemporary version: Unitarianism
Jesus is good man, a religious genius with exceptional insight

Question 1

Paths toward error regarding Christology

Answer 1

Overemphasize Christ’s humanity, ignore divinity
Overemphasize Christ’s divinity, ignore humanity
Deny unity of natures
The fullness of God was present in the man Jesus and thus the way was secured whereby all humanity could be united to God. (HOD, p. 105)

Question 2

Stress humanity, deny deity (adoptionism)

Answer 2

Denies eternal natural

Adopted by God at his baptism as Son of God

Question 3

Stress humanity, deny divinity (Arianism)

Answer 3

Jesus is the supreme, first created being
Denies divinity
Contemporary version: Jehovah’s Witness

Question 4

Refutation of ebionitism, adoptionism, Arianism

Answer 4

John 1:2-3
Philippians 2:6-11
Colossians 1:15-20
Hebrews 1:3

Question 5

Stress divinity, deny humanity (docetism)

Answer 5

Gr. Dokeo: to seem

Jesus Christ was purely divine with only the appearance of human being

Question 6

Stress divinity, deny humanity (Gnosticism)

Answer 6

Gr. Gnosis: to know
Matter is evil, therefore God cannot become material or human, duality of spiritual and physical
Jesus Christ just seemed human (docetic)
Importance of secret, special knowledge/revelation

Question 7

Refutation of Gnosticism, docetism

Answer 7

John 1:1-18
1 John 1:1-3
1 John 2:18-27
1 John 4:1-6

Question 8

Denial of the unity of the natures, nestorianism

Answer 8

Separation of Christ into two persons and two natures (Siamese twins)
Denies the incarnation
Jesus was a human bound morally in friendship with Logos (the Word)

Question 9

Denial of unity of the natures eutychianism

Answer 9

Neither God nor man

A composite, third type of being

Question 10

Denial of unity of the natures apollinarianism

Answer 10

Jesus possessed the body of a man, but the mind of God
A miraculous mixture
Soul is disengaged from the body
Logos takes the place of the soul, a soul-less being

Question 11

Refutation of nestorianism, eutychianism, apollinarianism

Answer 11

John 5:6-12
Hebrews 1:1-6
Hebrews 2:9-17
1 Timothy 3:16

Question 12

Council of Nicea - 325 C.E

Answer 12

Countered Arianism, Christ’s nature is of the same substance with the Father
Emphasized the incarnation, union of the natures
Emphasized mission
Nicene creed