I. Biblical references to "Christology"

    A. There are no Biblical usages of the word "Christology"
         1. "Christology" is derived from two Greek words
              a. Christos meaning "Christ"
              b. logos meaning "word, reason, study of"
         2. "Christology" is the study of the Person of Jesus Christ
              a. distinct from "soteriology," which is the study of the work of Jesus Christ in redemption
                  and salvation.
              b. Christology addresses the issue of Jesus being both God and man, and becoming such
                  in the incarnation
                  (1) Scripture has abundant references both to the deity and humanity of Jesus
                  (2) "Christology" attempts to correlate and explain how Jesus could be both God and
                        man in the same person.
    B. Some references to Jesus' Deity
         1. Pre-existence - Jn. 1:1,2; 17:5; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:17; Rev. 1:8
         2. Creator - Jn. 1:3,10; I Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16
         3. Sustainer - Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3
         4. Source of life - Jn. 5:26; 11:25; 14:6; 17:3; Rom. 6:23; I Jn. 5:12
         5. Revealer of God - Matt. 11:27; Jn. 1:18; 14:7; II Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3
         6. Son of God - Mk. 1:1; 9:7; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:34; 10:36; Rom. 1:4
         7. Identified as God - Jn. 5:18; 10:30; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:19; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; I Jn. 5:20
         8. I AM - Mk. 14:62; Lk. 22:70; Jn. 8:24,58; 11:25; 14:6; 18:5
         9. Trinity - Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 3:14-17
        10. Holy One - Mk. 1:24; John 6:69; Acts 2:27; 3:14
        11. Object of faith - Mk. 8:34-38; Jn. 6:29,40; I Jn. 5:13
        12. Forgives sin - Matt. 9:6; Mk. 2:7,10; Lk. 5:21,23; Acts 5:31
        13. Savior - Matt. 1:21; Lk. 2:30; Jn. 1:29; 4:42; Acts 4:12; 5:31; Heb. 5:9; II Pt. 1:1,11
        14. Lord - Lk. 2:11; John 20:28; Rom. 10:9,12; 14:9; I Cor. 12:3; II Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:5;
              Rev. 17:14
        15. Pre-eminent - Eph. 1:20-22; Col. 1:18; 2:10
        16. Judge - Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46; Jn. 5:22-30; II Cor. 5:10; II Tim. 4:1,8
        17. Worshipped - Acts 7:55,59; Phil. 2:8,9; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 3:21
    C. Some references to Jesus' humanity
         1. Genealogy - Matt. 1:1-17; Lk. 3:23-38
         2. Birth as infant - Matt. 2:1; Lk. 2:7; Rom. 1:3; Gal. 4:4
         3. Human flesh - Lk. 24:39; Jn. 1:14; Rom. 8:2; Heb. 2:14; I Jn. 4:2
         4. Tangible - Col. 2:9; I Jn. 1:1-3
         5. Development and growth - Lk. 2:40,46,51
         6. Human senses - Matt. 4:2; Jn. 4:6; 11:34; 19:28
         7. Emotion - Matt. 9:36; 26:37-40; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 10:21; Jn. 11:35; 12:27
         8. Temptation - Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-3; 22:44; Heb. 2:18; 4:15; 5:7
         9. Prayer - Matt. 14:23; Mk. 1:35; Lk. 5:16; 22:39,41
        10. Derivative activity - Jn. 8:28; 14:10; Acts 2:22
        11. Death - Jn. 19:30; Phil. 2:8
        12. Son of Man - Mk. 8:31; 9:12; 10:33
        13. Man - Acts 2:22; Rom. 5:15; I Cor. 15:21; Phil. 2:7,8; I Tim. 2:5
    D. Particular references to God becoming man in the incarnation of Jesus
         John 1:1,14 - "the Word was God...the Word became flesh..."
         Rom. 1:3 - "His Son, who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh"
         Rom. 8:3 - "God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh... condemned sin in
              the flesh"
         Rom. 9:5 - "the Christ according to the flesh"
         Gal. 4:4 - "in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman"
         Phil. 2:5-8 - "Christ Jesus...existed in the form of God..., but emptied Himself, taking the
              form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men...found in appearance as a
              man..."
         I Tim. 3:16 - "He who was revealed in the flesh"
         Heb. 2:14 - "He Himself likewise partook of the same (flesh and blood), that through death
              He might render powerless him who had the power of death...the devil"
         I Jn. 1:1,2 - "the Word of Life...was manifested"

II. A brief history of Christian discussion concerning the Christological incarnation

    A. Greek Gnosticism suggested Jesus only "appeared" to be human - Docetism
    B. Ebionites (Jewish Christians) asserted Jesus was fully human, and Holy Spirit descended
         upon Him at baptism - Adoptionism.
    C. Arius (c. 250-336) argued that Jesus was subordinate to God the Father. "There was a time
         when the Son was not" - Subordinationism; denial of pre- existence.
    D. Council of Nicea (325) affirmed that Jesus was fully God and fully man in homoousion.
    E. Apollinarius (c. 310-380) posited that human rational soul of Jesus was replaced by divine
         logos in single nature - Monophysitism
    F. Gregory of Nazianzus (330-389) stated, "the unassumed is the unhealed"
    G. Nestorius (c. 380-451) suggested that there were two separate beings in Jesus Christ; no real
         union
    H. Eutyches (c. 378-454) indicated that the human nature was absorbed into the divine in a
         synthesis - Absorption
    I. Tome of Pope Leo (449), Council of Chalcedon (451) established orthodoxy as "two natures
         (divine and human) in one hypostasis or Person (Lat. personae)."
    J. Leontius of Byzantium (c. 500-560) introduced concept of enhypostasia, that human nature
         of Jesus did not have independent existence.
    K. German theology of 18th and 19th centuries - quest for "historical Jesus." Led to R.
         Bultmann's "demythologization"
    L. Nineteenth century theology - argument of kenotic theories of Christology
    M. Karl Barth (1886-1968) - Christocentric revelation of God. Humanity of God- assumption
         of humanity into Deity, leading to universalism.

III. Issues of consideration concerning the Christological incarnation

    A. What is meant by God and man?
         1. Identifying God
              a. Word of God - Jn. 1:1,14
              b. Son of God - Rom. 1:3; 8:3
              c. God the Father
              d. Holy Spirit
              e. Deity, Divinity, Godhead
         2. Identifying man
              a. Flesh - Jn. 1:14; Rom. 8:3
              b. Physical embodiment
              c. Human form - cf. Phil. 2:7
              d. Human individual
              e. Humanity at large; human race
    B. How can deity and humanity be unified?
         1. Attributes and functions appear mutually antithetical

God Infinite Eternal Omnipresent Spirit Not visible Not temptible Not mortal Independent autonomous

Man Finite Temporal Space-time limitation Tangible Visible Temptible Mortal Dependent, derivative

          2. The Creator/creature distinction must always be maintained, and never allowed to merge
             monistically.
    C. How is it that two become one?
         1. Identifying the twoness - what is commonality of God and man?
              a. Persons
              b. Beings
              c. Natures
              d. Substances
              e. Essences
         2. Identifying the oneness
              a. Person
              b. Nature
              c. Distinction
              d. Individual
              e. Embodiment
              f. Personification
    D. What type of union is formed?
         1. Biblical statements
              a. Word became flesh - Jn. 1:14
              b. Son in the likeness of sinful flesh - Rom. 8:3
              c. taking the form of a bond-servant - Phil. 2:7
              d. being made in the likeness of men - Phil. 2:7
              e. partook of flesh and blood - Heb. 2:14
              f. Word of Life was manifested - I Jn. 1:1,2
         2. Human explanations
              a. Synthesis
              b. Hybrid
              c. Conglomeration
              d. Amalgamation
              e. Combination
              f. Consolidation
              g. Fusion
              h. Association
              i. Unification
    E. Necessary balance
         1. Ontological Christology (Being)
              a. Being, nature, life inherent in God
              b. Even if one can conceive of Jesus being God and man simultaneously; it seems
                      impossible to fathom the simultaneous function/behavior/action of God and man.
         2. Operational Christology (Action)
              a. Kenotic "emptying" of Phil. 2:7 cannot refer to ontological Being, and must therefore
                  refer to operational Action of the voluntary laying aside of the prerogative of
                  independent Divine action.
    F. Some additional questions
         1. If we refer to "two natures" or any other commonalities of God and man...
              a. does this not establish an equality or equity?
              b. Is this based on inadequate anthropological understanding?
         2. Is the union of God and man in Jesus Christ an eternal union?
              a. Not in same sense as eternal unity of Godhead in Trinity
              b. The union was commenced in time - Gal. 4:4
              c. Is the God-man union everlasting? If so...
                  (1) Does Jesus still have physical flesh, embodiment?
                  (2) Is Jesus human forever?
                  (3) Does the humanity of Jesus come to indwell us also?
                  (4) Is Jesus still visible, mortal, temptible, dependent?
         3. Did God become man?
              a. Not a Biblical statement
              b. Is this statement overly inclusive and unitary?

IV. Implications of attempting to understand the Christological incarnation

    A. Correlation of Trinitarian and Christological considerations
         1. 3 in 1 of Trinity sets up 2 in 1 of Christology
         2. Sequence of unity and union considerations
              a. Trinity - essential Divine unity
              b. Christology - integral personal union
              c. Christian and Christ - indwelling identificational union
    B. Alternative responses to the Christological incarnation
         1. Reject as unreasonable - absurdity
         2. Reduce to human reason by attempting to resolve antinomies; inevitably emphasize deity
              or humanity to neglect of other
         3. Accept the revelation of God concerning Christological incarnation
              a. finite human reason will never explain or define
              b. must accept manner in which God has revealed Himself
              c. failure to do so is deification of human reason
    C. Accepting the imprecision of Christological explanation and definition
         1. Vagaries of translation and interpretation of meaning from the very beginning of such
              Christological study
              a. Greek ousia translated as Latin substantia or essentia
              b. Greek phusis translated as Latin substantia
              c. Greek hypostasis translated as Latin personae, subsistentia
         2. Early creeds and formulations not as precise as many Christians think.
         3. Man's finite understanding still attempting to explain
    D. Must look beyond Christological explanations
         1. Don't want to get mired in abstractions of thought
         2. Teleological purpose of Christological incarnation
             a. II Cor. 5:19 - "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself"
             b. "Man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5) serves as "one mediator between God and man"
                  (1) having effected redemption by taking the death consequences of sin vicariously
                        on man's behalf,
                  (2) in order to reinvest and restore Divine life (I Jn. 5:12) and Divine nature (II Pet. 1:4)
                        to man by His Spirit.