Post by Admin on Aug 2, 2023 0:24:32 GMT -5
THE TWO NATURES OF CHRIST
It has been the observation of this writer that lack of proper understanding of the TWO NATURES of Jesus Christ—of His humanity and divinity—as among the chief reasons why many could not seem to grasp and to accept the doctrine of the Trinity. True, if Christ were just a man (and nothing more than being such), there could not be a Trinity. For then the Godhead as one God in three distinct persons in one essence would be untrue and untenable.
This same lack of proper understanding, it can’t be denied, has continually been the cause of seemingly endless debates, arguments, quarrels and so forth, and has also seemed to become the order and norm in most Bible discussions and forums. This despite numerous and incontrovertible proofs set forth and taught in the holy Scriptures.
Having said that, let there be an admission that the arguments espoused and presented in this post, generally, are not original but merely borrowed and echoed doctrinal proofs taken from extant historic church documents, and from writings of those who this commentator considers to be faithful Scripture exegetes and authorities.
Let me now explain, as briefly as possible, by referring to some biblical accounts to support the above proposition regarding the two natures of Christ which (very importantly) have corroborative bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity.
For example: when we read about Christ’s getting hungry, getting tired, bleeding at the cross of Golgotha, praying to and commending His spirit (which is human) to the Father—the Godhead (which consists always of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and eventually dying—then, what is being manifested is the HUMANITY of Christ. When we read in the Scripture that the glorified Jesus who is now in heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God, is coming back to this earth for His church, at a time appointed—then, it (the coming back) presupposes that He is not omnipresent. When we read in Scripture Christ’s admission that He didn’t know the day and hour of His coming back it, too, presupposes that He was not omniscient. We don’t need further proof here. Just these couple of weaknesses and limitations suffice that they cannot be attributed to God but to the MAN Jesus.
On the other hand, if we read in the Scripture, for examples: Jesus’ stilling the storm and walking on the sea, healing the sick, feeding thousands—then, there is unquestionably a manifestation of His DIVINITY and His being “very” God.
In addition, the man Jesus did NOT become divine in His glorification, and will remain human even in His glorified state, but by His being closely UNITED with the divine second person of the Trinity, and His being given all power in heaven and in earth (Mat. 28:18), the glorified human Jesus has been made able to do and to exercise all these given powers in heaven and in earth. And, as only the second person of the Trinity assumed a human nature (John 1:14), it follows that ONLY Jesus Christ is both HUMAN and DIVINE.
These distinctions of Christ’s two natures are very clearly treated in the church’s creeds and confessions (which, hopefully, I shall also be able to present in my future posts). But for the meantime, let me now further prove to you from the Scriptures the divinity of Jesus Christ, by quoting an historic church document.
In the Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 10, the confession speaks about the DEITY OF CHRIST. It states:
____________________
“We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God— eternally begotten, not made nor created, for then he would be a creature.
He is one in essence with the Father; coeternal; the exact image of the person of the Father and the "reflection of his glory (Col 1:15, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature), being in all things like him.
He is the Son of God not only from the time he assumed our nature but from all eternity, as the following testimonies teach us when they are taken together.
Moses says that God "created the world" (Gen 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth); and John says that "all things were created by the Word" (John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made), which he calls God). The apostle says that "God made the world by his Son" (Heb 1:2, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds). He also says that "God created all things by Jesus Christ" (Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him).
And so it must follow that he who is called God, the Word, the Son, and Jesus Christ already existed when all things were created by him.
Therefore the prophet Micah says that his origin is "from ancient times, from eternity" (Micah 5:2, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting). And the apostle says that he has "neither beginning of days nor end of life" (Heb 7:3, Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually).
So then, he is the true eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke, worship, and serve.
____________________
In conclusion: Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, alone, has two natures closely united in ONE person—one very God, the other very man. The advent of the incarnation was necessary so that Christ could die (as only man could die) and serve God’s purpose in salvation via substitutionary atonement and sacrifice. The DIVINE Jesus in virtue of being God is unchanging, one in essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, so that when He took on the form of human flesh His specific place in the Trinity, as the second person, was not without Him—it was NOT rendered vacant. The MAN Jesus, on the other hand, in His human nature, though given immortality by His resurrection, will retain and continue to be human even in His glorified state, and to exercise all power given Him in heaven and on earth (Mat. 28:18).
HENCE, GIVEN THE FOREGOING, THE DEITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST; THE SECOND PERSON OF THE GODHEAD—THE TRINITY.
It has been the observation of this writer that lack of proper understanding of the TWO NATURES of Jesus Christ—of His humanity and divinity—as among the chief reasons why many could not seem to grasp and to accept the doctrine of the Trinity. True, if Christ were just a man (and nothing more than being such), there could not be a Trinity. For then the Godhead as one God in three distinct persons in one essence would be untrue and untenable.
This same lack of proper understanding, it can’t be denied, has continually been the cause of seemingly endless debates, arguments, quarrels and so forth, and has also seemed to become the order and norm in most Bible discussions and forums. This despite numerous and incontrovertible proofs set forth and taught in the holy Scriptures.
Having said that, let there be an admission that the arguments espoused and presented in this post, generally, are not original but merely borrowed and echoed doctrinal proofs taken from extant historic church documents, and from writings of those who this commentator considers to be faithful Scripture exegetes and authorities.
Let me now explain, as briefly as possible, by referring to some biblical accounts to support the above proposition regarding the two natures of Christ which (very importantly) have corroborative bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity.
For example: when we read about Christ’s getting hungry, getting tired, bleeding at the cross of Golgotha, praying to and commending His spirit (which is human) to the Father—the Godhead (which consists always of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and eventually dying—then, what is being manifested is the HUMANITY of Christ. When we read in the Scripture that the glorified Jesus who is now in heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God, is coming back to this earth for His church, at a time appointed—then, it (the coming back) presupposes that He is not omnipresent. When we read in Scripture Christ’s admission that He didn’t know the day and hour of His coming back it, too, presupposes that He was not omniscient. We don’t need further proof here. Just these couple of weaknesses and limitations suffice that they cannot be attributed to God but to the MAN Jesus.
On the other hand, if we read in the Scripture, for examples: Jesus’ stilling the storm and walking on the sea, healing the sick, feeding thousands—then, there is unquestionably a manifestation of His DIVINITY and His being “very” God.
In addition, the man Jesus did NOT become divine in His glorification, and will remain human even in His glorified state, but by His being closely UNITED with the divine second person of the Trinity, and His being given all power in heaven and in earth (Mat. 28:18), the glorified human Jesus has been made able to do and to exercise all these given powers in heaven and in earth. And, as only the second person of the Trinity assumed a human nature (John 1:14), it follows that ONLY Jesus Christ is both HUMAN and DIVINE.
These distinctions of Christ’s two natures are very clearly treated in the church’s creeds and confessions (which, hopefully, I shall also be able to present in my future posts). But for the meantime, let me now further prove to you from the Scriptures the divinity of Jesus Christ, by quoting an historic church document.
In the Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 10, the confession speaks about the DEITY OF CHRIST. It states:
____________________
“We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God— eternally begotten, not made nor created, for then he would be a creature.
He is one in essence with the Father; coeternal; the exact image of the person of the Father and the "reflection of his glory (Col 1:15, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature), being in all things like him.
He is the Son of God not only from the time he assumed our nature but from all eternity, as the following testimonies teach us when they are taken together.
Moses says that God "created the world" (Gen 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth); and John says that "all things were created by the Word" (John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made), which he calls God). The apostle says that "God made the world by his Son" (Heb 1:2, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds). He also says that "God created all things by Jesus Christ" (Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him).
And so it must follow that he who is called God, the Word, the Son, and Jesus Christ already existed when all things were created by him.
Therefore the prophet Micah says that his origin is "from ancient times, from eternity" (Micah 5:2, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting). And the apostle says that he has "neither beginning of days nor end of life" (Heb 7:3, Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually).
So then, he is the true eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke, worship, and serve.
____________________
In conclusion: Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, alone, has two natures closely united in ONE person—one very God, the other very man. The advent of the incarnation was necessary so that Christ could die (as only man could die) and serve God’s purpose in salvation via substitutionary atonement and sacrifice. The DIVINE Jesus in virtue of being God is unchanging, one in essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, so that when He took on the form of human flesh His specific place in the Trinity, as the second person, was not without Him—it was NOT rendered vacant. The MAN Jesus, on the other hand, in His human nature, though given immortality by His resurrection, will retain and continue to be human even in His glorified state, and to exercise all power given Him in heaven and on earth (Mat. 28:18).
HENCE, GIVEN THE FOREGOING, THE DEITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST; THE SECOND PERSON OF THE GODHEAD—THE TRINITY.