Unit 2: Christology Flashcards
Why is Christology so hard?
- It is a challenge to understand two natures in one
- It is the cornerstone of the faith and affects all other theological topics (hard to isolate)
What are the two sections of Christology?
- Ontological: Who is He in His person (what kind of being is Christ, harder)
- Functional: What has He done (easier, but hard to isolate from soteriology)
What two ecumenical councils are important for our discussion of Christology?
- 325 Council of Nicaea (trinitarian)
- 451 Council of Chalcedon (520 theologians) (Christological)
Ecumenical: “global, universal, broad” (7) nearly every Christian region was represented. Saw the early church as a united movement
What is the historical background for the Council of Nicaea?
- 33 AD Cross
- 90 AD Bible completed
- 310 AD Constentine Emperor
- 325 AD Council of Nicaea
200+ yr gap between Bible and Councils because of persecution
Questions:
- Is Jesus divine and what is His relationship to the Father?
- Jesus Creature or Creator?
- What does it mean for God to be one and three?
Who were the two main people at the Council of Nicaea?
- Alexander is the Bishop of Alexandria
- Arius is a Priest under Alexander
- They disagreed about how to protect monotheism and how to relate the Father and the Son especially in eternality
- Alexander: What you can say about the Father you can say about the Son, begotten not created,
- Arius: The Son is inferior, created, his power is an extension of the Father
– very convincing and put to music: “ there was a time He was not”
Constantine invited all Bishops ~250-350 attended and told them not to leave until they agreed and to write down their agreement
- Modern Iznik, Turkey
- May 20th - June 19th
What are the three views of the Nicaean Council?
- Arianism: Homoiousian: different substance, unity of will (want same thing)
- Orthodoxy: Homoousian: Father & Son same substance
- Monarchian: Sabellianism: one essence in one person can manifest as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
(Modalism, Oneness Pentecostals)
Nicene Creed not written down until 2nd ecumenical council
Adoptionism:
the idea that Jesus was an ordinary man so inline with the word of God that God adopted him into divinity @ baptism
Who was Athanasius of Alexandria?
A deacon under Alexander who took over bishopship when he died. He was forced to bring Arius back in because of Constentine even though he and Alexander disagreed.
What is the Nicene Creed?
The Constantinople affirmation of the Creed of Nicaea.
*Each council affirms the former council was faithful to the Scriptures
What are the doctrines of the trinity diagram?
- The “is not doctrine” is eternal modes of subsistence: they subsist not manifest nor partition
- The “is doctrine” is homoousia
– One nature subsists in three homoousia persons (eternal natures of origin)
What is the Chalcedonian Box?
Top: Fully God (Nicaea, condemn Arianism, Soteriological axiom: “God alone can save us”
Bottom: Fully Human (Constantinople I, reaffirm Nicaea, condemned Apollinarianism, Soteriological axiom: “that which is not assumed is not healed”
Left: One Person (Ephesius, Condemned: Nestorianism, specify one person of Christ)
Right: Two Natures (Chalcedon, Condemned: Eutychianism, Maintain: 2 nature without confusion/change/separation/division)
Anathematized view because not affirm the line they are on
What are the four horsemen of heresies?
Arianism
Apollinarianism
Eutycheism
Nestorianism
What is Apollinarianism?
The idea that eternal divine logos needs to stay intact when assume flesh
- human shell with divine inside
- problem: suffering high priest, need make sense of Jesus learning & omniscient divine mind
- G Naz the Cap Daddy: sin nature beaks all of us, Son must be real human mind to redeem them “that which is not assumed in not healed”
What is Eutycheism?
a monophysite heresy
- oil: divine nature so much greater swallow up human nature so not have any real affect
- Terttum Quid: “a third thing” natures so smashed get third thing, not all together divine nor human
What is monophysites?
One physicality or nature
What is Nestorianism?
The idea that there are two persons
- Was Mary Theotokos or Christokos: God or Christ carrier
- There is a human nature in Mary’s womb which belongs to a person
- Christokos problem Christ was a human nature which had a person then the Son is another person with a divine nature
- If there was no virgin birth you cannot avoid two persons
What is the premise of the Council of Chalcedon?
All four horsemen heresies are known
- major fight is against Eutychianism
- Question: how should Christians speak about their LORD?
- Result: Chalcedonian definition which uses “hypostatic union”
What is Hypostatic Union?
In this person (hypostate) there are two natures (union)
–> Questions: how do the natures relate? Do they communicate? Send attributes?
- Jesus not know and say not my will but He is homoousia with the omniscient God
–> Communicatio Idiomatum, Extra Calvinisticum
Docetism:
A type of Monophysitism that relies on Gnosticism (spiritual good, flesh bad).
- Because Jesus was divine he cannot be subjected to the bad flesh
- Jesus only appeared human “phantom like”
from Doketati, “to seem”
What were the tasks of Chalcedon?
- Official affirmation/denial of Nicaea
- once and for all, emphatically yes - Filioque Controversy: Where Holy Spirit come from?
- Write definition to confess how Christ is human and God “Chalcedonian Creed” (should be Chalcedonian Definition)
What are some of the aspects of the first section of the Chalcedonian Creed?
- “Holy fathers”: Nicaea Counsil (affirmation)
- Jesus divine & human, comprised rational soul & body, attack Apollinarianism
- Same substance as Father (Arianism)
- Same substance as humans: being truly human does not include sin
- Theotokos (against Nestorianism)
What are the Chalcedonian negations?
- Unconfusedly: Eutychianism - cannot smash them together
- Unchangeably: Arianism?
- Indivisably: hard division leading to two persons
- Inseparably: soft division of natures potentially leading to divisions of persons
What is the second section of the Chalcedonian creed?
” The distinction between the natures is not at all destroyed because of the union, but rather the property of each…”
- attack Eutychianism, not loose both
- all properties of divinity and humanity are kept (occurring at same time)
- natures do not act but are animated by persons
- creature and creator smashed together
- CANNOT set aside divine attributes (omniscience) because would change divine nature
What is the third section of the Chalcedonian creed?
“He is not separated or divided int two persons, but he is one and the same Son, the Only Begotten, God the Logos, the LORD Jesus Christ”
- Is Jesus’ divine or human nature in view (affects how read biblical passages)
- Divine Nature does not communicate to human Nature
- Not likely Holy Spirit communicate to Human Nature
- Human nature learned from young age: Jesus in humanity was that unique
*Wins back the LIFE of Jesus: Jesus procured perfection in humanity- actually did it
- Procures righteousness through perfect fulfillment of the law In humanity
What aspects of Constantinople II should be noted?
- Natures do not act, persons do
- Son did not stop existing
- Anything said to nature can be said to person
- NOT Two Actors
What are three of the most important words in theology?
“Begotten, not made”
Definition What is eternal modes of subsistence/eternal relations of origin?
The Father is unbegotten
- the principle of the trinity, no one gives Him life
The Son is eternally begotten
- the Father communicates one essence to the Son
The Spirit eternally proceeds
- from the Father and the Son
What is important about eternal modes of subsistence/eternal relations of origin?
- the Only Thing that distinguishes, gives threeness, the “is not” portion of the trinity diagram
- NOT three natures, divinities
- ONE nature, essence, power, will, operations
- “Originating” in eternal relation
Is eternal modes of substance/eternal relations of origin hierarchical? Why/why not?
NO
- because its how they subsist
- To be a Father, most have a begotten: The Father is dependent on the Son for His subsisting as paternity
- The persons depend upon each other, irreducibly
Definition: Eternal Generation
From all eternity the Father communicates the one simple, undivided, divine essence to the Son
What is eternal generation?
- A biblical word “to beget” “fromness”
- Stong analogy: we are begotten
– differences: our begottenness: time stampable & tertium quid
— HIS: eternal, no division in essence homoousia - Protects monotheism because whatever essence is the Father is communicated to the Son
Definition: Inseparable Operations
The Trinity performs a single operation because the Persons subsist from a single essence and will. Therefore the external works of the Trinity are indivisible.
What is important about inseparable operations?
- One will, power, operations, centers of consciousness: Trinity does not need to get on the same page
- As Jesus acts He is acting in sync with the trinity
Definition: Doctrine of Appropriations
Yet a particular work may be appropriated by a person of the Trinity in a way that corresponds to that Person’s eternal relation of origin
How do the missions of the Trinity mirror the processions?
- Father: unbegotten - creates, predestines, plans - because He is the principle and all things come from Him
- Son: eternally begotten - incarnate - eternal Son becomes the temporal Son
- Spirit: eternally spirates - Pentecost - sent by Father and Son because He was sent from them
How does the doctrine of the Trinity relate to other doctrines?
- Less revealed because no chapter and verse
- More revealed because not facts but God Himself: it is the substance of the Christian faith
What is dyothelitism?
The doctrine that Jesus has two wills
What is the question of dyothelitism?
- How many wills does Jesus have?
- Where do we locate “will”? (Person or nature)
- If person: Jesus 1, Trinity 3 (many problems: not my will –> different levels of consciousness in Trinity)
- If Nature: Jesus 2, Trinity 1 (Jesus conformed human will to divine will earning righteousness –> learning obedience through suffering)
What does Communicatio Idiomatum mean?
The communications of attributes
What is the question of Communicatio Idiomatum?
If Jesus is one person with two natures, do these natures communicate attributes
- Divine nature: divine attributes
- Human nature: creaturely attributes (yet without sin)
What is the answer to Communicatio Idiomatum?
- Yes, there is communication between the natures and the person
– only happens upwards: human nature will no longer be with the disciples, but the divine nature will be with them always - No there is not communication between the natures –> disagree with Lutherans and Catholics
– Eucharist requires divine omnipresence communicated to human nature
– Not know time or hour requires human ignorance attributed to divine nature
What is Extra Calvinisticum?
- Both natures of Christ are fully operational at all times
- The Divine nature is not constrained, whatever is true of the divine nature in operation is true in the hypostatic union
- This is how the Human Nature is locally present while the Divine Nature is omnipresent
What are the aspects of the incarnation?
- The most mysterious and glorious event in history that has lost its scandal
- The scandal can be regained by considering that it flips the divine attributes on their head
- The Creator and creature are slammed together
- This doesn’t make sense!
- This raises the bar of beauty of what Christ did for us
- This is where well-meaning Christians get Christology wrong (Kenotic Christology)
What is Kenotic Christology?
- Wrong but not a heresy
- “to empty”
- During the incarnation the Son emptied Himself of some Divine attributes
- Soft: He limits Himself (does not tap in to omniscience)
- Hard: Actually taking off (truly ignorant of time/hr)
- Why? Philippians 2 - emptied Himself to become a servant
- Problems:
1. Divine Simplicity: God is not composed of parts to lay aside
2. Divine Immutability: To lay aside would be a change
3. Unchalcedonian explanation of the natures
4. Improper exegesis: if someone is perfect adding anything is an emptying - the assumption of humanity is emptying
What are the aspects of the Virgin Birth of Christ?
- To be non-Catholic we devalue a woman who had one of the biggest human roles in God’s plan
- Mary bares God for 9 months and God in the flesh will bear some of her DNA
- Jesus’ human nature is of Mary through temporal generation
- Significant for prophecy and metaphysics (to avoid Nestorianism)
What is the question and implication of Impeccability? What are the names of the two sides?
-
Could Jesus have sinned?
– NO one believes that Jesus did sin
– People are divided if He could have
Implication: Jesus’ Righteousness in Life - Impeccability: could not have sinned
- Peccability: could have sinned
(Most of history: impeccability, last 100 yrs question)
What are the helpful Latin phrases for Impeccability?
Non Posse Peccare: Not possible to sin (glorified believers)
Posse Non Peccare: Possible not to sin (regenerate believers, not with us from birth as it is for Jesus and Adam)
What is the benefit of the argument of peccability?
Who Jesus is has implications for soteriology
What are the posse peccares of Jesus’ natures? What is important to remember about the divine attributes?
Human Nature: Posse Non Peccare
Divine Nature: Non Posse Peccare
- God’s attributes are Him: He is Holiness so to stop being holy is to not exist, Jesus could not have sinned because He IS holy by His divine nature
- His human nature had all the potential to sin (same nature as Adam) BUT this nature is animated by a Holy Person
Does the person or the nature sin?
The person sins as dictated by the nature
What would happen if Jesus sinned?
The world would have ended
- Jesus would have become unholy requiring God to not exist and therefore the world He upholds would not exist
If Jesus was impeccable what does it mean in Hebrews that He was tempted?
- NOT mean He was tempted like us in every way. Our temptations are internal coming from a sin nature.
- Jesus’ temptations was external. Satan appealed to good things in the wrong way.
Analogy: wood is flammable but in a pool it is not flammable or barb wire is malleable but welded to iron it is unmalleable
Analogy: Uncle game
- Jesus withstood temptation and never gave in though it would have only gotten harder and harder to resist.
What are the soteriological implications of impeccability?
Jesus earned righteousness by His perfect works
- Volitional consistency (human nature) and ontological necessity (Divine nature) leads to a complete assurance of righteousness
What is included in the death of Jesus?
- Worst day in human history, the most unjust
- Our sinfulness does not justify that bad things happen but in a sense we deserve it
- Christus Odium
What is Christus Odium?
Christ hatred, when Christ bears our sin there is a moment when God hates the Son
Where does Christus Odium potentially come from?
Penal substitutionary atonement: Christ took God’s wrath for us because our sins were imputed to Him.
- Because God hates sin, when Jesus receives our sin, God hates Jesus
What are the versions of Christus Odium?
- Hard (largely gone): Ontological break in trinity - second person of the trinity truly died. Such a hatred of Christ that there is a true rupture in the trinity
- Soft (more prevalent): ontological rupture impossible, facture in fellowship–that there was a true broken fellowship between the Father and Son “the Father turns His face away”
What is wrong with Christus Odium?
- Divine simplicity
- To break relationship one must have relationship. There is no ability in the classical (rather than social) trinity to have a broken relationship. Because the person animates the nature it is not possible for the Father to hate the human nature of the Son.
What is Jesus saying on the Cross if it is not Christus Odium?
- Quoting Psalm 22
- It is a Psalm of trust–God will deliver
- The Father does not turn His face away
- Jesus announces His identity with the Throne of David
- While in agony He is subtly proclaiming victory
What is included in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
- It is the beginning of the four fold stage of progressive exaltation (then ascension, sitting at the right hand of God, and returning in judgement)
- Disciples learn more about Jesus in the forty days between His resurrection and ascension than they did before in 30-33 years on earth. (Unveiling the Messianic secret “not time” response)
What is included in the ascension of Jesus?
- Although it is only recorded briefly in Luke’s gospel it is discussed in many locations afterward
- Big deal for what Jesus does
Why is the ascension so beautiful?
1) Shows us our future - united to Christ, we go where he goes and get to see a little of that
2) Post-ascension scripture describes the activity of post-ascension human nature of Jesus: sitting at the right hand. The work is finished
3) Jesus can mediate to the Father on behalf of Christians- never die- eternal intercession
4) Jesus sends the promised Holy Spirit
What is a helpful way of considering functional Christology?
- Archetype: considering persons or objects Christ is better “how much more” (seen in Hebrews)
- Particularly priest, prophet, king
What are the offices of priest, prophet, king in the Old Testament?
- Priest: intermediary between God and man - the bridge
- Prophet: revelation role “thus sayeth the LORD” to deliver covenant stipulation
– What God has commanded the covenant people to do - King: regnal formula: pattern of became king in this year and did good/evil before the LORD shows the kings were bad
– one job: execute justice for human flourishing
How is Christ a fulfillment of the offices of priest, prophet, and king?
- Priest: our high priest is not prevented by death to continue. One mediator. Is priest and offering so both are perfect
- Prophet: Jesus reveals the will of God. He shows the Father: to see me is to see the Father and He says “I say to you” not delivering another’s words
- King: of the cosmos. Kingdom is not of this world. Much more kingly than any of the few “good” kings
What is Ebionism?
An old Christological heresy before Nicaea. Based off of the Hebrew word for poor. Believed that what is virtuous is poverty
- Down played Jesus’ uniqueness - Virgin Birth, Preexistence, Divinity
Do Christological heresies exist today?
Yes, but different. Easy to have sympathy for early Christians doing their best–this is not the case now.
- Less formal: contrary religion or ignorance
- Formal: Sabellianism = Oneness Pentecostals, Arianism = Jehovah’s Witness/Islam (?)
