...Divinity and Mortality of Jesus One of the important ideas introduced during the course was one that described the divine characteristics of God. Specifically, at least In Christianity, God is noted to have three aspects: omnipotence, omniscience, and omnibenevolence. By having each of those, God is viewed as an all-powerful, all knowing, and all good being. What I want to focus on is God’s son, Jesus. The doctrine in Christianity known as the trinity describes God as being one with Jesus, as well as the Holy Spirit. This union means that Jesus must be a divine being – Jesus is God. Clearly, however, Jesus is also depicted and described as one who is human as well. How can Jesus be both God and a man? How is it that Jesus is seen as having the divine characteristics that are fitting of God, yet has all the characteristics of a mortal? These are the questions I want to focus on and hopefully make some sense out of. Christian theology employs the idea of the Hypostatic union between God and Jesus which means that Christ is in fact one person with two fully complete natures. Jesus is completely human and completely God at the same time. There is no dilution or separation of these qualities. Jesus is simply both with the two distinct natures existing concurrently. However, I find issue with this idea. Is it not contradictory? Jesus obviously takes on the form of a mortal man as evidenced by certain passages in the scriptures. Luke 2:52 says “And Jesus grew in in wisdom and stature...
Words: 3309 - Pages: 14
...evidence that God can’t be in the presence of sin, now there’s physical evidence that God never left Jesus and was actually close by the whole time. Don said it’s possible that the human aspect of Jesus just felt distant from God and isolated. Is it possible that God didn’t change at all, but maybe the application of the world’s sin changed Jesus, or caused him to lose his ability to commune with God so it appeared to Jesus that God had turned away? I started to pray heavily to better understand what Jesus experienced when sin was placed on him. Was there something about his God-man nature that fundamentally changed? I developed a new hypothesis and potential closing: Jesus...
Words: 2071 - Pages: 9
...Why is the Cross at the heart of Christian Anthropology? Christian Anthropology is the study of humans and Theology is the study of God. Jesus Christ was 100% God and 100% man. Accordingly Jesus can be studied in both Anthropology and Theology. Therefore the cross is at the heart of Anthropology because it is the study of Jesus God-man and humans who crucified Him on the cross. Christian Anthropology is a word made with two Greek words, Anthropos meaning “man” and logos meaning “word, matter, or thing.” Furthermore we use the word Christian “anthropology” to the study of man in reference to the Scripture. Therefore it involves studies and creation of man who was created in the “image of God. Consequently this includes the established nature of man before and after the fall. As a result of the fall human life has never been the same; anthropology is also concerned with human dignity, freedom, depravity, culture, and society. Since the creation of the world God had a plan to redeem mankind from sin through the cross of Christ Jesus by the shedding of His blood. Accordingly man freedom is the heart of the cross of Jesus. When we study man, his fall and redemption we have to understand our sins hence we have the word Hamartiogy. “Hamartiology,” is a word made up by two Greek terms hamartia meaning “sin” and logos. Furthermore it includes the biblical doctrine of sin including its origin, nature, transmission, effects, and judgment. In this essay the writer will briefly examine texts...
Words: 3574 - Pages: 15
... What Can Be Discerned about Jesus from His Words Concerning Issues Other than the Kingdom and Himself 3 III. What Can Be Discerned about Jesus from His Deeds and Words Proclaiming the Kingdom of God 3 IV. What Can Be Discerned about Jesus from His Words Concerning Himself… 3 V. Hosea and “the Son of the Living God” in Mattew 16:16b 3 VI. Jesus as Messiah in the Gospel of Luke 3 VII. Narrative Christology and the SON OF MAN: What the Marken Jesus says instead 3 VIII. Conclusion 3 IX. Reference 4 I. The meaning of Christology The Greek for “Messiah” is Christos, whence “Christ”. So, “christology” would discuss how Jesus came to be called the Messiah or Christ and what was meant by that designation. In a broader sense, “christology” discusses any evaluation of Jesus in respect to who he was and the role he played in the divine plan. Scholars distinguish different kinds of Christology. “Low christology” covers the evaluation of him in terms that do not necessarily include divinity, e.g. Messiah, Rabbi, Prophet, High Priest, Savior, Master. “High christology” covers the evaluation of Jesus in terms that include an aspect of divinity, e.g. Lord, Son of God, God. There are a wide range of conceivable possibilities in understanding the degree or manner of Jesus’ divinity. As to degree, theoretically Jesus could be seen as divine but as lesser than, e.g. angels who were known in the OT as “sons of God”; or Jesus could be deemed equal in divinity...
Words: 9677 - Pages: 39
...[Christology] As I was on my way home from work, two well-dressed gentlemen accosted me, handing me some literature which explained what they believed. As I glanced over it and was drawn to one sentence: “Jesus was a man and as such could not also be God.” Seeing the puzzled look on my face, one of the men asked me what I thought about the claim. The Biblical basis for Jesus humanity can be illustrated in scripture. John 1:14 states: “So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory of the only Son of the Father.” When Jesus was born, God became a man. He was not part man and part God, he was completely human and completely divine. Jesus Christ is the perfect expression of God in human form. Another important doctrine of Christianity is that of Jesus deity. In John 10:30 it reads: “The Father and I are one.” This is the clearest statement of Jesus divinity he ever made. Jesus and his father is not the same person but are triune in the nature of the Godhead. On page 158, Towns explains that, “The Biblical basis for Jesus deity is His pre-existence and eternity. Jesus has always existed as stated, John 8:58: “Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!” This is one of the most powerful statements uttered by Jesus. When he said that he existed before Abraham was born he undeniably proclaimed his divinity. In addition, the Bible teaches that Jesus is both God and man at the same...
Words: 927 - Pages: 4
...Christology The claim that Jesus was a man and as such could not also is God is one that has been highly debated. The fact that Jesus was a man can be confirmed by another religion, Islam claims that he was a great prophet. For Christians it is maintained that Jesus was fully God and fully man. The hypostatic union of Jesus is the cornerstone of the faith, his humanity sets the example for us to live by and his deity makes the only sacrifice sufficient for our sins. The Bible gives plenty of examples of how Jesus was fully human. The book of Luke chapter 2 gives two examples of Jesus’ humanity first by talking about his birth. The second example is when the chapter talks about how he became strong in the spirit as he grew when he was at the temple. The Bible gives another example of Jesus’ humanity “Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35). The Bible gives examples of his humanity in John 4:6 at the well he was tired from his journey and needed a drink from the well. Mathew 4:2 After 40 days of fasting he was hungry. All of the examples in scripture point to a very human nature of Jesus. If he were not fully human he would not have been tired and thirsty after a journey nor would he be hungry after not eating and he definitely would not have cried at the death of a friend. Those are all very human needs and emotions but through that he also displays the deity side of him. Jesus was also fully God and there are plenty examples of this in scripture. Jesus performed many miracles...
Words: 774 - Pages: 4
...Jesus & Mohammed Brian Smith HUM/130 9/4/10 Lori Silverstein Jesus & Mohammed The lives of Jesus and the Prophet Mohammed are somewhat linked forever. There are those that believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he was born of the Virgin Mary, sent to earth in the form of a man and died for the sins of man. There are those that believe that the Prophet Mohammed was the last prophet of God, a messenger of God and considered to be the founder of the religion of Islam. Regardless of what a person may or may not believe, the lives of the two are intertwined forever. The Prophet Mohammed as called by those who follow Islamic faith was born somewhere around 570 CE in the city now known as Mecca. He has been credited with being the father of Islam and is largely regarded by Muslims as the greatest law-bearer in the group of Islamic prophets. Mohammed was the son of a merchant however was orphaned at the age of six. Mohammed is said to have been a descendent of the Prophet Ishmael the son of father Abraham who is said to be the father of the three major religions in the world, Christianity and Islam being tow of them. When Mohammad grew up he married a wealth rich widow by the name of Khadijah at her proposal, which whom he had six children four daughters and two sons. (http://www.britannica.com/Muhammad , 2010) During his youth Mohammad worked mostly as a merchant and some as a shepard. As his life in Mecca became more complicated and unorganized...
Words: 1876 - Pages: 8
...Christology Jesus was a man but was he also God? It is a question that many have today. Through studies it can be determined that Jesus is in fact both God and man. This can be accomplished by reviewing biblical accounts, looking at what it means for Jesus to be both God and man, and examining the dangers of overemphasis or denying the deity or humanity of Christ. Through the synoptic gospels it is apparent that Jesus was both God and man. Matthew 1:18-25 explains the birth of Jesus. It explains that while engaged to Joseph Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit. This not only shows Jesus’ humanity but also his deity as he was conceived through the Holy Spirit and not through man. We can also see the humanity of Jesus in the fact that he died on the cross. Mark 15:37 States “Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last.” Throughout the New Testament Jesus would make I am statements, these statements would show the deity of Jesus. For example John 8:12 states “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Jesus is announcing his deity to the people in this passage. John 1:1-5 also shows Jesus’ deity by explaining that in the beginning he was with God and he was God. Through these two passages it is clear that Jesus’ deity was established and he made it known. The second thing to look at is what does it mean for Jesus to be...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
... Prophet, Priest & King: Jesus and His fulfillment of each office A research paper submitted to Professor xxxxx xxxxxxx in partial fulfillment of the requirements for BIBL 000 xxxxxxxx by xxxxxxx xxxxxxx 123456789 I. Introduction II. Prophet A. General role of prophet B. Jesus as prophet III. Priest A. General role of priest B. Jesus as priest IV. King A. General role of king B. Jesus as king V. Conclusion Prophet, Priest & King: Jesus and His fulfillment of each office Introduction ...
Words: 2380 - Pages: 10
...The Two Natures of Jesus Angelia Pillow Bethel University Abstract This paper is a discussion of the dual natures of Jesus Christ. This human nature did not take away from his divine nature; they were together in one person, Jesus Christ The Two Natures of Jesus The Chalcedonean Creed states the following: That Jesus has two natures; he is God and man. Each nature is full and complete; he is fully God and fully man. Each nature remains distinct. Christ is only one person. Things that are true of only one nature are nonetheless true of the Person of Christ. To prove the duality of Jesus Christ would not be a simple task. It would be something that would take years just to come up with enough evidence just to prove whatever point you wished to fight for. Many people cannot even imagine much less truly understand how Jesus Christ was both God and Human in one body. Hypostatic Union is used to describe how Christ took human form and nature and still remained God at the same time; this divine form in a human form. He was one person with two natures; the divine nature and the human nature. These two natures do not separate from one another and they do not mix We can use the Bible to show many things about Jesus. We can see both his divinity and his humanity. Paul stated that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). Because of this Christians all over the world do not have any problems proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior (1 Cor. 12:3)...
Words: 1144 - Pages: 5
...gone and everything we have built will be worthless? I would like to argue that it is not necessarily the end that matters the most but the journey. Dying in the end should not mean that we have to live our lives miserably. I believe that death and factitious freedom are deeply intertwined with the thesis question "Why did Jesus die on the cross?" In this paper, we carefully examine not just the father-son relationship between Jesus and God but Jesus as both God-Man through the hypostatic union (As given in the thesis question) , its relationship to people and the very purpose of His and generally an individual's death vis-a-vis human freedom. It is very difficult to try to elaborate this issue that has been going on for years without being theological. There is a gap between theology and philosophy in such a way that theology's main ingredients are faith and belief and philosophy is sheer rationality. Theology becomes rational only if the people have faith or belief in God. Philosophy challenges people through the premises grounded on reason and reality that usually come in conflict with those who believe in God. There is no concrete way to prove if God is real or not, but religion is that powerful that even if there is uncertainty people even die for devotion. This is one...
Words: 2521 - Pages: 11
...INTRODUCTION This paper was written based on the faith of Christians. Furthermore, the research referenced the Holy Bible as it is the sole basis of Christians for their doctrines and faith. The progression of the essays was written in accordance on how I think the doctrines of Christians were regarded. Section one: Did Jesus claim to be God?, discloses the dissimilar stand for Christians on the true state of Jesus Christ whether His is God or is He a man or is He God and a man at the Same time. Section two: Does the Bible Have Authority, discusses how the Christians were made to accept as true that the Bible is the sole basis for the words of God. Section three: How can we be confident that Jesus is returning?, opens the notion on where we are heading after our journey in this world. DID JESUS CLAIM TO BE GOD? The confusion on the true state of Jesus Christ often disrupts the mind of the believers on choosing their stand. However, the Holy Scriptures have the apparent stand on the issue on how to recognize Jesus Christ. Believers were divided to three groups on their belief on Christ’s true status such as: Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is a man and last of all, Jesus Christ is God and a man at the same time. According to Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ is a man however a man that serves as the lone mediator of man to God (I Timothy 2:5). According to Apostle Peter, Jesus Christ is man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs (Acts 2:22). Moreover, Apostle...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
..."Jesus was a man and as such could not also be God." How could anyone print this on a track? Jesus was born of a woman, but was “the Son of God.” But what exactly do we mean when we say that God the Son became man? We certainly do not mean that He turned into a man, in the sense that He stopped being God and started being man. Jesus did not give up any of His divinity in the Incarnation. Rather, as one early theologian put it, "Remaining what He was, He became what He was not." Christ "was not now God minus some elements of His deity, but God plus all that He had made His own by taking manhood to Himself." Thus, Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes at the Incarnation. He remained in full possession of all of them. For if He were to ever give up any of His divine attributes, He would cease being God (Perman, Matt). Jesus came to this world through a virgin birth but did not give up any of his divine attributes. This would make Jesus both man and God. There were eight aspects to Jesus’ claim to deity. The first was in the Gospel of John he used the Jehovistic I AM, that identified him with deity. The Jehovistic I AM statements were used without the figures of speech (John 8:25, 56-59; 18:6, 8 the pronoun “he” is not in the Greek). Jesus claimed to be Adonai (Matt 22:42-45) of the Old Testament. In the baptismal formula, Jesus identifies himself with God. Jesus claimed to be one with the Father (John 10:30) and that anyone who saw him was seeing the Father (John...
Words: 1528 - Pages: 7
...2012 As I was walking two men approached me, handing me some literature on why Jesus was a man and not also God. The gentlemen asked me, what do you think of our claim? I responded, If Jesus is just a man, were all doomed, because his humanity and deity are inseparable”. I explained to them, that the biblical basis for Jesus humanity was that he came as sacrifice for our sins and to identify with his creation. I told them,” it’s important to remember that his humanity is different from ours”. Jesus had no sin that permeates the rest of us. Jesus is what God intended for us to be. It’s through Jesus that our humanity can be purely and truly expressed. He always did the right thing and never sinned. None of us can say the same thing (Romans 5:12-19). The Biblical basis for Jesus humanity is just as important as his biblical basis for his deity. In 1Corithians15:3-8 Jesus deity is stated. That, for what I received I passed on to you as of first importance. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to scripture, and he appeared to Peter, than to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same place, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, than to all apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For Jesus to die on the cross for sins of man, profess to be God, and to take opposition...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...Miracles performed by Jesus Christ | | Sherell Andrews | 2/17/2013 | The eight signs and miracles Jesus performed and how each reveals his deity. | In the gospel of John there are eight signs and miracles that Jesus Christ performed; these signs and wonders are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. The first miracle stated in John was Jesus turning water into wine. He and his disciples arrived at a wedding celebration that was in progress. Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to him and told Him they ran out of wine; she knew he would find a way of getting more wine.[1] Jesus responded by saying his hour had not come yet. His mother had enough faith in Jesus and instructed the servants at the wedding to do what he ask them to do, He ask them to fill the water pots with water.[2] He miraculously changed the water into wine. This miracle is said to bring out new beginnings in the ministry of Christ. Many Scholars parallel Jesus turning water in to wine to his death and resurrection. You could explain it as a full circle in Christ ministry. John shows “Changing the water of Judaism into the wine of Christianity, the water of sins and being unsaved into the wine of eternal life in Christ and to be saved” [3] This miracle points to the deity of Christ in and the fullness of eternal life in Christ power over creation. The next miracles in the gospel of John are the healing of the nobleman’s son in verses 46-54. The Nobel man seems to be a high...
Words: 1784 - Pages: 8
