04.03 - Chapter 22 - Then Came the Redeemer

Chapter 22 Then Came the Redeemer A Confession of Faith

"It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, in accordance with the covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator between God and man; to be Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Saviour of His Church, the Heir of all things, and the Judge of all the world. To the Lord Jesus He gave, from all eternity, a people to be His seed. These, in time, would be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by the Lord Jesus (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 1; study Isaiah 42:1; 1 Peter 1:19-20; Acts 3:22; Hebrews 5:5-6; Psalms 2:6; Luke 1:33; Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 1:2; Acts 17:31; Isaiah 53:10; John 17:6; Romans 8:30). The Incarnation The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person forever. Christ the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin. Christ is the Messiah which was to come. The promised Seed of the woman (but not of the man) was fulfilled in the virgin birth (Genesis 3:15).

"The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, of one substance and equal with Him; Who made the world, and Who upholdeth and governeth all things He hath made, did, when the fullness of come, take upon Himself man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; Being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her: and the power of the Most High overshadowing her; and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David, according to the scriptures; So that two whole, perfect and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man." (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 2; study John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:27, Luke 1:31, Luke 1:35; Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 2:5).There were many prophecies concerning Christ. The prophets had said:

• Messiah was to be born of Abraham’s seed Genesis 22:18 • Messiah was to be of the tribe of Judah Genesis 49:19 • Messiah was to be a Prophet like unto Moses Deuteronomy 18:15 • Messiah was to be the son of David Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5 • Messiah was to appear while the second temple stood Haggai 2:9; Malachi 3:1 • Messiah was to come at the end of the seventy weeks Daniel 9:25 • Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 • Messiah was to be preceded by a forerunner Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 • Messiah was to be declared to be God Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 7:14 • Messiah’s ministry was to be a blessing Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-21 • Messiah was to be crucified Psalms 22:1-31 • Messiah was to be offered as a vicarious sacrifice Isaiah 53:1-12.

All of these prophecies and more found fulfillment in the Person of Christ showing that Jesus is the Messiah foretold. The Pre-existence Of Christ And His Incarnation Scripturally Set Forth

♦ John 8:38 “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”

♦ John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”

! Special Note. Many religious groups such as the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and Christian Science practitioners, are willing to declare a belief in Christ’s pre-existence; but they do not believe in His deity. The Days of Humiliation The days of His Incarnation involved great humiliation for the Lord. The abasement of Christ consisted of many things: being born in a stable; being brought up in an obscure village; being made under the law; having to endure the hardships of life; being the object of the outpouring of Divine wrath; having to suffer the cursed death of the cross; being buried; and continuing under the power of death for three days and nights (Php 2:6-9) But Christ endured all of the shame and suffering and humiliation in order to bring many sons into glory. The heart of the redeemed looks through eyes of faith and sees God’s Son upon the tree.

Before the cross in awe I stood, Beholding brow and pierced hand; For me it was He bled and died, No other price for sin beside Could pay the price for me. His precious blood, there flowing red, Was love’s best gift, most freely shed; No one but He the price could pay, Or save from death and point the way For sinners, you and me. And as I gaze, I seem to hear Him gently say, "My son, draw near;

New life I give and power withal, Free unto all who on Me call, Now and eternally."

~*~ Ernest O. Sellars The Virgin Birth The doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ has been part of the faith of the Church from the first. The earliest creed is the Apostle’s Creed (c. 100-150). It says in part that Jesus was, “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” For 1500 years this tradition was virtually undisputed within the Church. Suddenly, there came an attack on this precious doctrine by individuals from the Age of Enlightenment. The French infidel Voltaire (1694-1778), and the English pagan Thomas Paine (1737-1809), author of The Age of Reason), united with others to use wit and worldly wisdom to assault the teaching of the virgin birth. The German Rationalistic schools of the nineteenth century continued the relentless attack against the Lord through textual criticism. Then came the modern era and Unitarianism stressing the brotherhood of mankind and the Fatherhood of God. The unique person and work of Jesus Christ was dismissed along with the doctrines about Him such as the virgin birth. The age of miracles was declared to be over at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Rejection of the Virgin Birth

Historically, anti-supernaturalism consistently repudiates all miracles. Meanwhile, subjective speculation is substituted for the authority of the Scriptures and arguments are set forth against the doctrine of the virgin birth.

# Argument. "The doctrine of the Virgin Birth was not part of the teaching of Christ or the Apostles."

Answer. Not everything that Christ or the Apostles preached and taught is known. But even if they did not preach anything about it, the doctrine still stands on the testimony of the written gospels.

# Argument. "Mark and John do not mention the Virgin Birth."

Answer. Mark did not write anything about the boyhood of Christ but began with the Lord’s public ministry. In like manner, John immediately concerns himself with the Deity of Christ and not with the early days of His humanity.

# Argument. "Paul did not preach the doctrine of the virgin birth."

Answer. Paul does say that Christ was “made [born] of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), with emphasis on woman, and then goes on to write about the “mystery of godliness,” (1 Timothy 3:16) and that Christ was “in the form of God, took on him the form of a servant.” (Php 2:7) Proof of the Virgin Birth The gospels of Matthew and Mark teach the glorious doctrine of the virgin birth. These books are the genuine writings of the men whose names they bear. All manuscript evidence testifies to this. The Incarnation involves Christ’s exaltation. The statement of this doctrine covers His resurrection, ascension, session at the right hand of God, and His coming judgment to the world at the last day. The Person of Christ

Christ the Son of God became man by taking to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her yet without sin. According to The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689 (Chapter 8, Section 2), "The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, of one substance and equal with the Him, who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things He hath made, did—when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof; yet without sin; being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowing her, and so was made of a woman, of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David, according to the Scriptures; so that two whole and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood were inseparably joined together, in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ the only Mediator between God and man." (Study John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:27, Luke 1:31, Luke 1:35; Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 2:5)

"The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the Divine, in the person of the Son, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, having in Himself all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him, to the end that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety; which office He took not upon Himself, but was thereunto call by His Father; Who also put all power and judgement in His hand, and gave Him commandment to exercise the same." (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 3; study Psalms 14:7; Acts 10:38; John 3:34; Colossians 2:3; Colossians 1:19; Hebrews 7:26; John 1:14; Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 5:5; John 5:22, John 5:27; Matthew 8:18; Acts 2:36). As a Mediator, Christ fulfilled all the legal responsibilities of the Law in order to be a perfect Sacrifice for sin. "This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which that He might discharge He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfilled it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have borne and suffered. being made sin and a curse for us; enduring most grievous sorrows in His Soul and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw no corruption: on the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered, with which He also ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of His Father making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world." (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 4; study Psalms 40:7-8; Hebrews 10:5-10; John 10:18; Galatians 4:4; Matthew 3:15; Galatians 3:13; Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 26:37-38; Luke 22:44; Matthew 27:46; Acts 13:37; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 20:25, John 20:27; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; Acts 10:42; Romans 14:9-10; Acts 1:11; 2 Peter 2:4) The Deity of Christ Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity. This is proven in several ways.

Jesus Claimed To Be Divine ♦ John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.”

♦ John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

♦ John 10:38 “But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

♦ John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”

♦ John 14:9 “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

♦ John 14:10 “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” The Apostles Taught that Jesus Was Divine

♦ Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

♦ Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

♦ Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;”

♦ Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

♦ John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

♦ John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

♦ John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

♦ Php 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

♦ Colossians 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:”

♦ Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” The Confession Of Others Concerning Christ’s Deity

♦ Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

♦ Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

♦ Luke 4:41 “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.” The Sacred Title of God Applied to Christ Prove His Divinity • Jesus is called Emmanuel Matthew 1:23 • Jesus is called God John 20:28 • Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega Revelation 1:11 • Jesus is called the King of kings and Lord of lords 1 Timothy 6:15 The Works of Christ Prove His Deity • Miracles John 20:30 • Resurrection Acts 2:32-36 • Supernatural knowledge Matthew 9:4 • His unique teachings Luke 4:22; Luke 2:47 The Personal Influence of Christ in the World Asserts His Deity More than 1900 years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity...

Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He loved: That was during His exile in childhood... In infancy He startled a king: in childhood He puzzled the doctors: In manhood He ruled the course of Nature, walked upon the billows as if pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.

He never wrote a book, and yet all of the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him.148 He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the song writers combined.

He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students... The names of the past proved statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone The names of past scientists, philosophers and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more.

Though time has spread 1,965 [1,998] years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives.

Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.

He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of Heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord, our Saviour and our God.

--The Man Who Changed The World, Herbert Lockyer The Authority that has Been Entrusted to Christ Proves His Deity ♦ John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”

♦ Acts 10:42 “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”

♦ Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Personal Proof of the Deity of Christ The best proof is the experience of Divine grace that regenerates the soul. Mel Trotter was a desperate alcoholic to the point that at the funeral of his young daughter he actually slipped into the funeral parlor and stole her shoes. He thought he could sell the child’s shoes for another shot of whiskey. Then the day came when he met the Master. Mel Trotter became a preacher of the gospel. He often went back to the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago where the Lord found him to give his testimony. One evening while he was speaking, a half drunk fellow stood up and yelled, "How do you know you are converted?" And Mel Trotter immediately replied, "Why, bless your dear heart, old fellow, I was right there when it all happened!" The Humanity of Christ As Christ was very God of very God, so He was true humanity. The Bible tells us that Christ had a human body which could be seen, felt, and handled (1 John 1:1). The Lord was born, grew, came to maturity, appeared in form as a man, ate, drank, thirsted, slept, was weary, died, was buried, rose and was recognized by His physical characteristics.

♦ Luke 24:39 “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

♦ Romans 1:3 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;”

♦ Hebrews 2:14 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” The Personality of Christ In addition to being God incarnate, the Scriptures reveal that Jesus had a human soul with its powers of intellect, feeling, will and conscience. The Lord loved, sympathized, wept, exercised the feelings of a man, thought, talked, willed, made choices, groaned in spirit, and was troubled.

♦ Hebrews 2:16 “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

♦ Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

♦ Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

♦ Matthew 26:38 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

♦ Mark 13:32 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

If Jesus did not have a human soul as well as a human body, He would not be truly man. The Distinction of Two Natures The word “nature” refers to substance with its attributes. The two natures are the human soul with its faculties and a Divine substance with its attributes. These two natures stand together in the person of Christ. The Logos or the second person of the Godhead does not take the place of, and exclude the human soul of Jesus, as some of the ancients believed. In such case there would be no true humanity. There is a complete human nature and a complete Divine nature in Jesus Christ. The two natures are not mixed or confused so as to make a third something neither human nor Divine; as an acid and alkali unite and form a neutral salt. If the two natures were mingled Christ would be neither truly God nor truly man; and He is declared to be both God and man. Each nature retains its attributes, just as the body and soul of man are one person and two natures, and each nature retains its peculiar attributes. The body does not partake of the attributes of the soul, nor the soul partake of the attributes of the body. So Christ’s humanity does not partake of the attributes of divinity, nor His divinity partake of the attributes of His humanity.

Christ’s human mind increased in wisdom; but His Divine mind was always omniscient. His human will had only human power, but His Divine will was omnipotent. The Hypo-static Union The Doctrine of the Hypo-static Union has reference to the union of two natures in one. In the person of Christ there is a complete human nature, body and soul, and a complete Divine nature, with all its attributes. These are one person and not two. It might be thought that the human nature of Jesus constituted a person and the Logos or second person of the trinity constituted a person and therefore there were two persons. But the human nature of Jesus was never a separate person. It never had any existence apart from the Divine nature and it had no individual subsistence. The Logos united not with a human person, but with a human nature. The two natures never address each other nor send each other as is the case with the persons of the Trinity. The one person of Christ is spoken of in terms true of both natures, but always as one Person as He lived and worked. Concerning the person and work of Christ, the following points should be noted.

• Some of the Lord’s acts were purely Divine such as creation, preservation, and resurrection.

• Some things which were said of Christ as a person were true of His Divine nature only: “Before Abraham was I am,” true of the Divine nature. “The glory which I had with thee before the world began.”

• Some of the acts of Christ are purely human such as eating drinking, and sleeping.

• Some things which were said of Christ as a person were true of His human nature only: “I thirst.” “My soul is sorrowful even unto death.”

• Of the acts of Christ, some were theanthropic, which are instances in which both natures are manifested. One illustration is that God spoke to us by His Son. Then there is the work of redemption at Calvary and after that when Jesus sat down on the right hand of God.

• This linguistic usage shows that the two natures are regarded as but one person. We are two natures in one person and sometimes designate ourselves by one of the natures. We say, “I walk,” or “I think.” The same I that walks is the same I that thinks.

• The union in Christ is not the transmutation of one substance into another. The Divine nature does not become human and the human nature does not become Divine. 1 John 1:14 which teaches that “the Word became flesh,” must not be pressed to mean a transmutation or transubstantiation of the Divine into the human. That would take away the divinity. If the Divine nature should take on the limitations of the human it would cease to be Divine. A spirit has not flesh and bones neither becomes flesh and bones. The attributes of matter are the opposite of those of spirit and vice versa. We must understand this text in the light of what we know from other sources and passages. The word “became” does not have the force of something being transmuted, but means, something that came to pass, occurred, or took place. What occurred or came to pass? A new visible human personality, the God-man, the human mode of existence in which Christ appeared. This came into existence. John further expresses the Incarnation by saying in 1 John 1:2 that the life was manifested. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) And in 1 John 4:2 Jesus is the Christ come IN the flesh. He was in the flesh, but not identical with it.

♦ 1 John 4:2 "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:" “Flesh” here means the whole human nature and not merely “body.”

♦ 2 John 1:7 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

♦ 1 Timothy 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

! Special Note. When we are taught that “God became man,” it means that God united Himself with man, so that He appeared as man; and not that He changed Himself into a man. In the God-man there is a union and communion of natures but not a communication, importation, or transfer of the attributes of one nature to the other. The humanity does not impart its limitations to the Divine nature, and the Divine nature does not make the humanity infinite, omnipresent, or omnipotent. The human does not become Divine or the Divine human. The attributes of matter cannot be transferred to spirit, nor the attributes of spirit to matter; but they may exist in a personal union as is the case with our bodies and souls. But there is a union and communion of natures in the theanthropos which does impart knowledge and power without making the human Divine. One person can impart knowledge and inspiration to another but a person cannot impart the substance or faculties of their mind. The Jews asked, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” Christ’s knowledge was more than that gained in ordinary ways. The human Jesus had as much knowledge and power as the Divine nature contributed to Him; but that doubtless limited by a human capability.

If the Lord knew the thoughts of men and read their hearts, it was the Divine nature that conveyed such knowledge to the human mind of Christ, and the human was the medium of expression for the Divine mind.

If Jesus was ignorant of the Day of Judgment, it was because the Divine nature had not disclosed the thing to His human intelligence. When Christ was a babe in the manger His Divine nature was just as omnipotent and omniscient as ever (Hebrews 10:5-9). The relation of the human mind in Christ to the Divine mind was similar to the relation of a prophet’s mind to God. As the prophet Isaiah could know no more of the secrets of God than God disclosed to him, so the human mind of Christ could know no more than the Logos made known.

Summary Thoughts • There is in the Godhead three persons in one substance.

• There is in Jesus Christ three substances: human body, human soul, and the Divine nature.

• In man there is one person in two substances.

• In Jesus Christ there are two sets of faculties; a human mind, feeling and will; and a Divine mind, affection and will; and these two sets of faculties are so united as to constitute but one person.

Christ’s Sinlessness (Impeccability)

Sinlessness means without sin. Impeccability means not conquerable by sin. Christ is universally believed to be sinless, not all are agreed as to Him impeccability. Some say that temptation implies there may be a high degree of temptation where there is no possibility of its succeeding. But it is answered that there may be a high degree of temptation where there is no possibility of its succeeding. Impeccability means not that temptation could not appeal to Christ, but that it could not conquer Him. This was due to the support of His Divine nature, as the Divine nature would be involved in culpability if the person yielded to sin. No temptation to Christ arose out of a sinful nature as is true of man; but the solicitation addressed to his holy nature may have been quite as powerful. When Hebrews 4:15 teaches that Christ was, “tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin,” the meaning is that He was tempted as we are except by those desires that arise from inward evil.

Errors as to the Person of Christ Denial of His Humanity The Gnostics denied Christ’s humanity on the ground of their Manichaean philosophy that taught that evil arises from matter. Man consists of a spirit combined with a material body and this union with the material defiles the spirit. Salvation therefore consists in emancipation from the body. To effect this redemption Christ came into the world. It was necessary He should appear as a man; but as He could not be connected with matter and retain His spirituality His body was only a phantasm, a mere appearance without substance or reality. He therefore was not born nor did He suffer and die. Some admitted he had a body not of matter but some ethereal or celestial substance. The Docetics were a Gnostic sect who made this position famous.

Denial of His Divinity

# The Arians (followers of Arius, a presbyter in Alexander, Egypt, c. AD 320) held that God was one eternal person and that Christ was the first created being, by whom God created the world, super-angelic, became incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. Nevertheless, He was a creature of different substance from God (Gk. heter-oousios). The Semi-Arians held that the absolute self-existent God was one person. The Son was a Divine Person, not equal with the Father, not identical in substance, but similar (Gk. homo-i-ousios). Unitarians now deny the Deity of Christ. They consider Him a mere man.

# The Apollinarians held that Jesus Christ had a human body and a human soul but no human mind or spirit. The Logos replaced these things. This position was embraced because of a belief that every man’s soul was part of the Divine substance. They therefore attacked the two complete natures in Christ.

! Special Note. The Apollinarians were followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea (d. AD 390) a Bishop of Laodicea in Syria. His system of belief was condemned by synods of the Church.

After his death the movement terminated and rightly so for while man is made in the image of God, he is also distinct from the substance and essence of God. Man is not God.

# The Nestorians denied the union of the two natures in one person. They insisted on the distinction of the two natures till they practically made two persons. David Clark explains the problem. "If there are two natures in Christ as separate as two coins then there must be a human person that says ’I’, and a Divine person that says ’I.’"

! Special Note. In AD 428 Nestorius was appointed Bishop of Constantinople. Wanted to purify his diocese of any hint of unorthodoxy, he attacked the popular veneration being given to the Virgin Mary while trying to reassure the followers of Mohammed that Christianity taught the worship of one God. His teachings led to the conclusion that the human Jesus could not be worshiped and that unity of Christ’s person between the mortal and the immortal, the flesh and the Divine was merely a union of the will rather than a true hypostatic union. Opposed by Cyril of Alexandria, Nestorius was deposed at the Council of Ephesus in AD 431 and exiled in AD 436. Nestorianism continued to flourish in Persia and encouraged missionary activity in Arabia, India, Turkey, and China.

# The Eutychians (fifth century AD) went to the opposite extreme and said there was only one nature and that was Divine. Everything about Christ was Divine, even His body was Divine.

According to Eutyches, living in a monastery outside Constantinople, it was the Logos that was born, and the Logos that suffered and died. Eutyches said that there were two natures before the union, but only one after the Incarnation. The two natures of Christ were so unified as to become one.

! Special Note. The controversy which Eutyches created led to the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) which reaffirmed the orthodox position of Christ having two natures. Not satisfied with that position, the Egyptian Church, along with the Ethiopian, adopted the doctrine of one nature in Christ, the Divine. The Doctrine of Kenosis This important doctrine is based upon the Greek word for “emptying” in Php 2:7. This view teaches that the Logos became man by reducing Himself to the capacity of a babe and increased in wisdom and power till at length He assumed Divine nature much like the flame in a gas heater can be started by a small spark and then turned up. "This makes God to be less than deity and makes the Redeemer not truly man. If this were true, then Jesus would not be the seed of Abraham if He had no human soul." (David Clark) Nevertheless, the willingness to reject the deity of Christ has plagued the Church throughout the centuries and now in modern times.

# The Socinians held that Christ was a mere man in Himself, had no prior existence but had a miraculous birth, and was baptized with the Holy Ghost and became Divine and is to be worshipped. The Unitarians are really a branch of the Socinians, followers after Fausto Sozzini (or Socinus, 1539-1604). In the tradition of the radical skepticism of the Italian Renaissance, Socinus denied the deity of Christ, predestination, original sin, total depravity, a substitutionary Atonement, and justification by grace through faith alone. He preferred a salvation by works. The teachings of Socinus found fertile soil in Poland, where he died.

# The Jehovah Witnesses reflect more modern deniers of the deity of Christ. They believe that Christ was a man on earth but became God and yet Christ was called God while on earth and claimed to be God while on earth. He was called Son of God before He was born. A Confession Of Faith: The Mediatorial Office Of Christ

Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; Yet, by reason of the unity of His person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 7; study John 3:13; Acts 20:28) To all those for whom Christ hath obtained eternal redemption, He doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them; uniting them to Himself by His Spirit, revealing to them in the Word and by the Word the mystery of salvation, persuading them to believe and obey, governing their hearts by His Word and Spirit, and overcome all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation; and all of free and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them to procure it. (The Baptist Confession O Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 8; study John 6:37; John 10:15-16; John 17:9; Romans 5:10; John 17:6; Ephesians 1:9; 1 John 5:20; Romans 8:9, Romans 8:14; Psalms 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26; John 3:8; Ephesians 1:8) This office of Mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ, Who is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the Church of God, and may not be either in whole, or any part thereof, transferred from Him to any other. (The Baptist Confession O Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 9; study 1 Timothy 2:5) This number and order of offices is essential; for in respect of our ignorance we stand in need of His prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God and imperfection of the best of our services, we need His priestly office to reconcile us and present us as acceptable unto God; and in respect of our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual enemies, we need His kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to His heavenly kingdom. (The Baptist Confession Of Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 10; study John 1:18; Colossians 1:21; Galatians 5:17; John 16:8; Psalms 110:3; Luke 1:74-75) The Mediatorial Office Of Christ: Prophet Christ is the revealer of God.

• Christ revealed God in the theophanies of the Old Testament.

• Christ revealed God by the inspiration of the prophets.

• Christ revealed God through the Incarnation, with its direct and personal teachings, “I speak that which I have seen.”

• Christ revealed God the inspiration of the Apostles and others who wrote the Scriptures.

• Christ sent the Spirit by whom inspiration was given, hence the Catechism says: “By word and spirit.”

• Christ is the completed revelation of God (Revelation 22:18). The Mediatorial Office of Christ: Priest

What is a priest? Hebrews 5:1. “Every high priest is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for men. Hebrews 8:3. As every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices therefore it is needful that this one also have something to offer. In the Old Testament the priest offered expiatory sacrifice on the ground of which men’s sins were remitted. He came to God for men, presented sacrifices and interceded for them. He was thus a mediator between God and man. The Old Testament priesthood was a type of Christ’s priesthood. The priesthood was fulfilled in Christ. there is now no priest in the strict sense of that word. There is no expiatory sacrifice now to be offered. Christ did that once for all. "The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself which He, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, fully satisfied the justice of God, procured reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven for all those whom the Father has given to Him. (The Baptist Confession O Faith Of 1689, Chapter 8, Section 5; study Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:14; Romans 3:25-26; John 17:2; Hebrews 9:15)

Christ did not appoint priests to offer sacrifices but He did appoint teachers and preachers to minister to the Church. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation can be obtained only through the intervention of the priest; because the sacraments are the channels of grace and to be available must be administered by men canonically ordained. Hence they have priests, and call the Lord’s Supper an atoning sacrifice a real expiation of sin, in which Christ’s sacrifice is repeated. The important feature of the priestly office called the Atonement will be considered under a special head. Christ makes intercession at God’s throne for His people. He presents His plea on the ground of His Atonement. To make the Virgin Mary an intercessor between man and Christ is derogatory to Christ and attributes undue prerogatives to a human being. The Mediatorial Office of Christ: King • God as Creator was and is sovereign over all His creatures.

• By the Fall man revolted to the kingdom of Satan.

• God re-established His kingdom on earth by a covenant requiring faith in a Redeemer.

• Entrance into this kingdom is by personal acceptance of the covenant.156

• The kingdom of Christ has assumed more and more organization over the years under the early patriarchs Abraham, Moses and Christ.

• Christ came as King. The kingdom has been in the world since Eden but the King was not visibly present.

• Submission to the king, to his laws and rule is essential to citizenship in the kingdom.

• The kingdom is eternal, spiritual, both visible and invisible.

• It is a mistake to suppose that the word “kingdom” in the Bible refers only to a future millennial reign or that the kingdom was removed from the world when Christ ascended or that the Church age is to be distinguished from the kingdom age.