Unit 4 Flashcards
Doctrine 4
We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that he is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
Define Hypostatic Union
Hypostasis is Greek for person so hypostatic union is the union of persons. Two natures can be distinguished, but not separated because they exist in perfect unity.
Ex: Jesus is both human and divine
Define Kenotic Theory (kenosis)
Kenosis comes from the Greek word emptying. Kenotic Theory describes how Jesus emptied himself of his divine attributes and became one with humanity.
Provide specific where Jesus demonstrated his humanity, include scripture reference
Emotions: experienced sorrow Mark 14:33-34, anger Mark 14:33-36
Physical: he was born Luke 2:6-8, He experience hunger Mark 11:12
Intellectual:learned Luke 2:41-47, developed Luke 2:52
Social/cultural: family Luke 2:51, subject to the Law Matt 22:15-21
Spiritual being: tempted Hebrews 4:15, trials Luke 22:28
What are the implications of Christs’s humanity?
Jesus can truly sympathize with and intercede for us.
Jesus manifests the true nature of humanity
Jesus can be our example
Human nature is ultimately good
God is not totally transcendent (so far removed)
Christology
The study of the person of Christ
Theanthropos
Perfect union of God and man in one individual.
Define Incarnation and it’s purpose
Definition: to provide with a body
Purpose: to reveal God and to reveal God’s original design for humanity
Titles of Jesus
- Lord: luke 10:11
- Christ: John 20:31
- Son of God: romans 8:32
- Son of man: Mark 10:33
- Saviour: Matthew 1:21
- Servant: Philippians 2:7
- The word: John 1:1-5
- King: mark 1:14
- Judge: John 9:39
- High priest: Hebrews 4:14-16
- Last Adam: 1 Corinthians 15:45
- Head of the body: Ephesians 1:22
4 (non-biblical) ancient writings which refer to Jesus
Pliny the Younger: wrote to Emperor Trajan concerning how to deal with christians
The Roman historian: writings in 115 ad
Suetonius: refers obliquely to Jesus and the movement he founded
Flavius Joseph (Jewish): history of his own people includes John the Baptist and Jesus
Divinity of Jesus both OT and NT witnesses
NT witnesses: Peter/ 2 Peter 1:1
Paul/ Titus 2:13
Thomas/ John 20:28
Peter James and John/ Matthew 17:5
OT witnesses: Psalm 2:7 father& son
Psalm 110:1 lord to lord
Psalms 40: 6-8 body& obedience
Isaiah 7:14 virgin birth
Define Kenosis
Emptying
Definitions of various Christological Heresies
Ebionitism: Jewish sect that saw Jesus as human endowed with particular charismatic gifts.
Docetism: suggests that Jesus is not actually human, but was God come to earth, and only had the appearance of being human. Feature of Gnosticism.
Gnosticism: believed that material world was evil and spiritual world was good. Jesus was the lesser deity that created the world.
Arianism: believe that Jesus is in some sense divine and first created being
Apolanarianism: Jesus had body of man but mind of God
Adoptionism: Jesus became the son of God at his baptism & denies pre-existence of Jesus
Nestorianism: question the possibility of the unity of god and man in one person
Eutychianism: believe that Jesus was a third type of being, not God or man.
How to refute heresies
Ebionitism//stress humanity deny devinity//Jesus was human with charismatic gifts//Truth: John 1:2-3 he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him.
Adoptionism//denies eternal nature//adopted by God at his baptism//Truth: Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…
Arianism//Jesus is the first created being//denies divinity//Jehovahs witness//Truth: Colossians 1:15 he is the image of the invisible God the first born over all creation.
Docetism//Jesus was purely divine with only the appearance of a human being//Gnosticism//Jesus only seemed human, matter is evil therefore God cannot become material//Truth: testing the spirits 1 John 4:1-6 every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.
Nestorianism//separation of Christ into two persons//Eutychianism//neither God nor man//apollinarianism//the body of a man but the mind of God, soul disengaged from the body//Truth: Hebrews 1:1-6 God…has in these last days spoken to us by His son while He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of his power…
Church councils which convened to refute heresies
Council of Nicea-325 c.e (common era) or a.d. :)
Countered Arianism
Emphasized the Incarnation
Emphasized mission
Council of Ephesus- 431
Condemns and refutes Nestorianism
Council of Chalcedon- 451
Refutes Eutychianism
Confirmed unity of divine & human natures
