Christology

Question 1

Ebionism

Answer 1

Jesus was not truly God

i. Likely started among Jews who were strict monotheists, who would have thought that ascribing divinity to Jesus was polytheistic.
ii. (A) Jesus as the Messiah but not born of a virgin and not divine or (B) Jesus was born supernaturally but that he was not preexistent.
iii. Heavy insistence of keeping the law.
iv. Some Gnostic teachers, like Cerinthus, were Ebionites, as contrasted with Docetic Gnostics.

Question 2

Adoptionism

Answer 2

Jesus was not true God

i. Most notably, Paul of Samosata (fl. early third century) held this view.
ii. At some point during his life, Jesus was adopted as the divine Son (usually baptism or resurrection)

Question 3

Arianism

Answer 3

i. A serious assault to Christology, Arius (born c. AD 256) was a presbyter in Alexandria.
ii. “there was a time the son was not.” Not the same, but similar essence
iii. One key text for Arius was Prov. 8 where wisdom is created and personified.

Question 4

Beliefs that Jesus was not truly God

Answer 4

Ebionism, Adoptionism, Arianism

Question 5

Beliefs that Jesus was not truly human

Answer 5

Docetism and Apollinarianism

Question 6

Docetism

Answer 6

i. From the Greek δοκέω which means to think or seem.
ii. Docetism was heavily connected to Gnosticism
iii. Jesus could not be human because he represents the ultimate good which must transcend the physical.
v. Defense: 1 John 4, Ignatius of Antioch

Question 7

Gnosticism (for influence on docetism)

Answer 7

1. Metaphysical dualism (spiritual is good, aspire to it; physical bad, overcome it)
2. Attribution of creation to a demi-urge
3. Depreciation of the process of human generation and birth (anything coming through normal reproductive means was corrupted)
4. Salvation through knowledge (There is an inner spark of the divine in each of us, and we gain access to this through knowledge.)

Question 8

Apollinarianism

Answer 8

Jesus was not true human
(Apollinaris (c. 315–392) was bishop of Laodicea and his family was close to Athanasius. Apollinaris saw himself as a defender of Nicene Christology.)
ii. Jesus merely adopted a human body, not a human person (the body of Jesus was mortal, but the Logos was immortal; the human body is like a receptacle of the divine)
v. His catchphrase was, “One nature made flesh of God the Logos,” which had a bent towards monophysitism.
vi. The Cappadocians, especially Gregory Nazianzus, attacked his position (Letters 101–03).

Question 9

Nestorianism

Answer 9

Nestorius of Constantinople (c. 381–452).

• two separate persons in Jesus
  iii. Cyril of Alexandria: If there were two persons, does this mean that there are two persons for us to worship?What does this mean for the unity of the Godhead?
  iv. Nestorius adamantly rejected using the phrase Theotokos (God-bearer) of Mary, preferring instead Christotokos (Christ-bearer).
  v. The question that has perplexed historians was whether or not Nestorius was a Nestorian.

Question 10

Eutychianism

Answer 10

Eutyches of Constantinople (c. 378–454).

ii. the two natures were made one (also called monophysitism)
iv. A latter view that came about was called monothelitism, which states that Jesus had only one will (Council of Constantinople in AD 681 in favor of dyothelitism. Just like Jesus needed fully divine and fully human natures, so too Jesus had to have a divine and human will in order to made like us in every respect (Heb 2:17).)