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235 - THE MAN JESUS
THE BIRTH OF JESUS: The Lord Jesus was born not on December 25, 1 A.D. because of several reasons: December is wintertime in Palestine area and of course, the sheep and shepherds cannot be in the open field at nighttime as mentioned in the Bible narrative. The newly born child would freeze to death if wrapped only with thin cloth. The census all-over the Roman Empire was implemented 40 days after the Emperor Tiberius decreed it when he visited
It was the Bishop of Rome (the fox) who officially proclaimed in 354 A.D. that Christmas be celebrated on such day.
THE PERFECT MAN: Jesus Christ must become true humanity because of 4 reasons that no other person can fulfill. He became a genuine humanity in order to be the Savior of the human race, to die on the cross of Calvary and to be mediator between God and man. He became a genuine man to become our great High Priest forever and to rule as the Son of David during the millennial kingdom.
He had to become a man in order to take our place (of condemnation before God). It was man (Adam) who sinned; therefore, it must be man who must pay the penalty of sin. For until a Man can stand in the presence of God, no man can stand in the presence of God.
He had to be a Man because it is impossible for the deity to die. It is impossible for deity to suffer spiritual death (that is to become sinful before God). It is impossible for the deity to be separated from God and from His essence.
While Jesus was on the cross, God the Father poured out all His wrath against sin on Him who has no sin. God the father poured His wrath on Him while His humanity was separated from God that is while He was spiritually death.
The acceptance of Christ as a Man meant the acceptance of His sacrifice. The acceptance of His sacrifice meant the acceptance of all those who seek entrance into the presence of the Father through Jesus Christ [Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 1:13, Psalm 110:1, 1 Peter 3:22].
Christ as the SECOND ADAM has no Adamic original sin without the old sinful nature (AOS & OSN), He is the unique begotten Son of God and the unique God-Man- perfectly impeccable. Because of Jesus the justice of God is freed to bless man. Jesus is the only Person born spiritually alive and by His own volition chose to die for man. He is the only Man equal with God. He is the only Man equal with man, and the only man accepted and approved by God.
It is impossible to produce a biography of Jesus Christ due to very limited materials provided by the writers of the Gospels. As believers, we cannot accept the non-Christian and pseudo-Christians materials. All the Gnostic and extra-canonical materials are misleading and heretical.
Jesus Christ is the only unique Person in the entire universe for several reasons: He was born spiritual alive and became spiritually death only for 3 hours while hanging on the cross.
He was born without the old sinful nature and He died by His own will. He was tempted more than all the men and women in this world but He ascended to heaven without committing a single sin. His death on the cross (His spiritual death) gives eternal life to those who comes to Him by faith in Christ alone.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
236 - JESUS OF NAZARETH
JESUS as the proper name and Christ as the official, name of our Lord: to distinguish him from others who possessed the same name. He is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (John 18:7), and "Jesus the son of Joseph" (John 6:42). This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshuaホ, which was originally Hoshea (Numbers 13:8, 16), but changed by Moses into Jehoshua (Num. 13:16; 1 Chronicles. 7:27), or Joshuaポ After the Exile it assumed the form Joshuaホ whence the Greek form Jesus. It was given to our Lord to denote the object of his mission, to save (Matthew 1:21).
The life of Jesus on earth may be divided into two great periods,
1. That of His private life, till he was about thirty years of age; and 2. That of His public life, which lasted about three years
In the "fullness of time" He was born at Bethlehem, in the reign of the emperor Augustus, of Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:23; comp. John 7:42
The expression ｡ｧJesus the Christ｡ｨ is a combination of a name, "Jesus" (of Nazareth), and the title "Messiah" (Hebrew) or "Christ" (Greek), which means, "anointed." In Acts 5:42, where we read of "preaching Jesus the Christ," this combination of the name and the title is still apparent. As time progressed, however, the title became so closely associated with the name that the combination soon was transformed to a confessional name, Jesus Christ. The appropriateness of this title for Jesus was such that even Jewish Christian writers quickly referred to Jesus Christ rather than Jesus the Christ (Matthew 1:1; Romans 1:7; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:1; I Peter 1:1).
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
237 - THE ONLY BEGOTTEN
The Greek word monogenes occurs 9 times in the New Testament- the second half of the word is not derived from gennao, ｡･to beget｡ｨ," but is an adjectival form derived from genos, "origin, race,｡ｨmonogenes, therefore, could be rendered "one of a kind." The translation "only" will suffice for the references in Luke and Hebrews.
In the Pauline writings, the term idios huiosヘ clearly stated the reality of monogenes (Rom. 8:32). Since the apostle Paul used "beloved" プ(agapetos) of the Son, some have concluded that the two words agapetos and monogenes are equivalent in force.
Though the translation "only" is lexically sound for Johnnanine passages, since in all strictness "only begotten" would require monogennetosホ the old rendering "only begotten" is not entirely without justification when the context in John 1:14 is considered.
The verb genesthaiハoccurs at the end of 1:13 ("born of God") and ginesthai ハin 1:14; these words ultimately go back to the same root as the second half of monogenes. Especially important is 1 John 5:18, where the second "born of God" must refer to Christ according to the superior Greek text.
. The Sonship in John is linked to preexistence (17:5, 24, and the many references to the Son as sent of the Father).
In its significance monogenes relates to several areas: (1) being or nature (uniquely God's Son), (2) the revelation of God to man (John 1:18), and (3) salvation through the Son (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9). "The adjective 'only begotten' conveys the idea, not of derivation and subordination, but of uniqueness and consubstantiality: Jesus is all that God is, and He alone is this".
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
238 - JESUS AS LORD
The phrase "Jesus is Lord" is probably the earliest of the Christian confessions and worked its way into the various acts of Christian worship. In what may well reflect a baptismal liturgy Paul writes, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' ... you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). Similarly, in the confessional or creedal formula in Phil. 2:11 every tongue shall confess, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Furthermore, only by the Holy Spirit can one say, "Jesus is Lord" (I Cor. 12:3).
It is important to note that it is Jesus as the risen and exalted one who is Lord, that is, the believing community in virtue of His exaltation to the right hand of God confesses the lordship of Jesus. In his Pentecost sermon Peter declares that Jesus whom they crucified God has raised and exalted to his right hand; and the whole house of Israel must know assuredly that God by this exaltation has made Him Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
According to Paul, Jesus as Lord is declared Son of God with power through His resurrection from the dead. This must not be taken to mean that lordship is not to be ascribed to the earthly ministry of Jesus but to reinforce the point that the significance of the title in the life of the church is linked to His exaltation. To underscore this, Psalm 110:1 was drawn on heavily (Matthew 22:44; 26:64, Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:3).
In the Palestinian community "Lord" was most commonly linked with Yahweh and became a regular circumlocution for the divine name in the public reading of the Scriptures. In the Greek Old Testament it is a translation of the Hebrew term "Adonaiホパ a designation for Yahweh. Furthermoreホ the use Maranatha ("Our Lord, come" or "Our Lord is coming") in I Cor. 16:22 suggests an early Palestinian origin. It is suggested, therefore, that when Jesus is called Lord, it is affirming his oneness with God.
They Jews have argued that the title, which makes Jesus equal with God, could not have arisen in the monotheism of Palestine, and that Jesus was first worshiped in these Hellenistic Christian communities. Though the debate is exceedingly complex, the former explanation is probably to be preferred. The recognition by even the enemies of Jesus that He acted and spoke with the authority of the OT Lord is not to be dismissed.
As the title for the exalted one, "Lord" has special reference to the present work of Christ as over against His former work on earth or His future work. The life of the community is lived under Jesus' lordship (Rom. 14:8). The baptism, or gift, of the Spirit is the act of the risen Lord that creates and extends the church. Through the Spirit the lordship of Jesus is exercised so that even the work of the Spirit is to be seen as the work of the risen Lord.
Having ascended on high He has given the church its spiritual leadership for the equipping of the saints and the perfecting of His body (Ephesians 4:11). The diversity of gifts and the variety of services are the singular activity of the Lord (I Cor. 12:4-5). The empowerment of the church is also expressed in the head-body imagery employed by Paul so that the head sustains the body and keeps it on course in the fulfilling of the divine plan (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18; 2:10). In the church the risen Lord thereby continues His own ministry begun in the incarnation.
Prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and intercession are carried on in the church by virtue of the presence of the Lord at the right hand of the Father (Rom. 8:34). The church rejoices in the Lord (Rom. 5:11; Phil. 3:1; 4:4). All the promises of the present meaning of ministry and witness are rooted in the lordship of Jesus. The promise of spiritual victory and the certain, present reality of the love of God flow from His presence at the right hand of God (Rom. 8:34-39)
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
239 - LORD OF LORDS
The whole of the created order also comes under the lordship of Jesus. He is the sovereign firstborn over all creation, for it was created through Him and is sustained by Him (Col. 1: 15-16; Heb. 1:3). The structure of the text of Colossians 1:15-20 shows that Jesus has the same relationship over the created order that He has over His new creation, the church. Only so do we perceive meaning in both the world and creation. So it is the purpose of God to bring all things to their fulfillment in Him (Ephesians 1:10). In the Old Testament, He is known as the LORD of Lords (Adonai ha Adonim ｡V Deut. 10:17).
The Lordship of Jesus over history is carried out through the Church and its proclamation. By virtue of His lordship the church is free to live in the world as servant. Being free from the necessity of power and achievement, for the victory is sealed, the church functions in terms of faithfulness and obedience, knowing that it is God who gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:6) and that the conquest of death as the last enemy is a certainty in the light of the victory of Christ (I Corinthians 15:25-26).
The gift of freedom is that by which the church bears witness to His lordship. The cross is taken up daily. The same is to be said of the weakness of the church. In Revelation the beast is allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them (Rev. 13:7), but the final chapter reverses the script. The foolishness of the Church also bears witness to the lordship of Jesus, since it is by paradox that the Church prospers. Paul's testimony regarding Himself is true for the church: When it is weak, then it is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
The consequence of the church's reflection on the lordship of Jesus was to establish, in spite of the threat it might have posed to monotheistic commitments, the oneness of Jesus with God. He was incorporated into the singularity of God. So a title whose basic thrust is to assert Jesus' present power and authority in the church and in the world leads the church to recognize that the authority is the direct, not mediated, authority of God Himself. Jesus as Lord speaks not only of His work but of His person also, a fact made clear by the way the various NT writers use the OT. Thus we see the prominence of the "name" of Jesus ((Philippians 2:9-10; Acts 2:38). During his earthly ministry His lordship is obscured for the sake of redemptive work, but after His resurrection He is declared openly to be what He always has been, one with God in power and Person.
MESSIAH: (Greek: huios tou anthropou; Aramaic: bar nasa; Hebrew: Ben Adam). This Christological title appears 69 times in the Synoptic Gospels and 13 times in John and meets the most demanding tests of authenticity because of its original use by Jesus. There is no evidence of a well-defined Son of man Christology in Judaism before the time of Jesus.
Since nothing in Judaism corresponds precisely to the nuances of meaning Jesus gives to the term, and as the early Church makes no use of it in its own theology, attempts by radical critics to discount Jesus' originality in applying the title to Himself run counter to the fact that it satisfies especially well their own criterion of dissimilarity as the basic test of authentic sayings of Jesus.
Rejection of the title in any of its three shades of meaning may thus be seen to rest on pre-suppositional, not exegetical, grounds, since no other title used by Jesus so clearly attests His messianic self-consciousness; while numerous religious contemporary and humanistic viewpoint of interpretation begin with the a priori assumption that the church, not Jesus, is responsible for a His Christology.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
240 - THE SON OF MAN
The first intentional use of Son of man by Jesus functions as a substitute for His personal pronoun "I," and as such conveys extraordinary claims of authority on His part, quite different from its ordinary and simple reference to "man" in the psalms and as a form of address in Ezekiel. As Jesus uses the title in Mark 2:10, He claims the authority to forgive sins, indicating that He is consciously and creatively investing the title with deep spiritual meaning, tantamount to sharing the prerogatives of God.
Similarly His use of the title in the grain-field episode of Mark 2:28 indicates his authority over the sacred Sabbathホ another claim of correlativity with God. The explicitly redemptive character of His ministry is evidenced by His personal claim that "the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 8:20; 11:19; 12:32), which indicates His servant-hood.
The second sounds His familiar theme of open table fellowship with outcasts, and the third concludes a powerful passage on His binding of Satan and a warning about "the unforgivable sin" against the Holy Spirit, by whose power Jesus is invading the demonic kingdom, another personal claim to correlativity with God. Matthew sayings are two in number (13:3; 11:13) and imply respectively that is, He is the Lord of the harvest), and that He knows who He is.
For since the Christology is so high and Jesus so aware of His equality with God, radical redaction criticism must be completely reassessed as to the originality of Jesus and the creativity of the early Church if these sayings are accepted as genuine.
Son of Man as Prophecy - This is equally true of the second group of Son of man sayings in which Jesus prophesies of His future suffering. If the first group is accepted as authentic, the second follows coherently. If on a priori grounds the first is rejected, then the second group will be rejected as "prophecies" of the church created after the fact. Of the eleven passages in this category, eight are in Mark (8:31; 9:12, 31; 10:33; 14:21, 41) and all disclose Jesus' messianic awareness that He is to suffer as a ransom for many. In considerable detail Jesus foretells His betrayal, condemnation, death, and resurrection.
The temptation of the naturalistic critic will be to explain these prophecies as church created, but only if the reality of biblical prophecy and the incarnation are discounted. On the assumption that the evangelist is giving an authentic account of Jesus' prophecies; a coherent picture of His personal awareness of His redemptive mission and His authority as the true Prophet of God [Deut. 18:15-22].
The third group appears to be more enigmatic in the sense that Jesus refers to the Son of man in the third person. A number of more radical interpreters take this to mean that Jesus was referring to another than Himself, and since the sayings, interpreted in this fashion, would not suggest His messianic self-consciousness, they are willing to allow the possibility of authenticity. There are nineteen of these sayings, all of which portray the Son of man as a glorified divine being, whereas in the first two groupings Jesus generally speaks of Himself in terms of humility and suffering.
It is important to note that, the Son of man, who is given everlasting dominion and glory and kingdom by the Ancient of Days. Jesus consciously personifies the Son of man, and as He draws His disciples about Him and empowers them to participate in His redemptive reign He allows them to share in the corporate Son of man as saints of the Most High, and in His reign as He as king inaugurates the kingdom of God. Son of man and kingdom of God appear to be nearly interchangeable in both individual and corporate senses.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
241 - THEOPHANY
The Angel of the Lord or the Angel of God or the Angel of Jehovah, which is the Old Testament Theophanic Mediator or what we called Christophany, which ハis the visible physical appearance of the Second Person of the Godhead who assumed the human form.
The Angel of the Lord is a distinct personal Self-manifestation of God, Who is called the Incarnate Logos [Judges 2:1]. The Angel of the Lord is unique and distinct from God yet introduced Himself as the Deity. He had the same specific personality of angels but superior in rank and distinguishable from angels in general.
The Angel of The Lord spoke with divine authority as though He was God Himself [John 1:1-14], unlike the angels who are under divine authority. He had the authority to forgive sins [Exodus 23:31], and had direct authority to execute divine order. He is the Guardian Angel of the chosen nation Israel [Isaiah 63:7].
The Angel of the Lord did not appear on earth while Jesus was in the flesh, the one who appeared before the shepherds was probably the archangel Gabriel, referred to only as the ｡ｧangel of the Lord｡ｨ by the writer of Luke [Luke 2:9].
The public appearance of the Angel of the Lord made a turning point in human history. He was there in the founding of the chosen race; He was there in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, in the founding of the Theocratic government in Mt. Sinai, in leading the Hebrews into settlement the Promise Land and in the founding of Solomon｡ｦs temple.
The Angel of the Lord supported Elijah in preserving monotheism by destroying the 450 prophets of Baal and the 600 prophets of Asherah. During the Babylonian captivity the Angel of the Lord protected the children of Israel.
The Angel of the Lord helped and encouraged Hagar [Genesis 16:7, 21:17] during her ordeal. He stopped the sacrifice of Abraham and prior to this, visited and warned Abraham [Genesis 18:1-, 22:11-15]. He assisted Eliezer in searching in searching for a wife for his son Isaac [Genesis 24:7, 40]. He gave instruction to Jacob [Genesis 31:11-15], He appeared to Moses and later delivered to him the 10 Commandments [Exodus 3:6-10]. The Angel of the Lord led and served as the Commander of the Israelite army [Joshua 5:14, 6:2] and as the King of the chosen nation for many years [1 Samuel 8:7].
Note: Angels are always spoken of the masculine gender-there is no feminine form of the word. Angels appeared to believers prior to the completion of the canon of the Bible but ceased after the completion of the Canon. Angels appeared to men and women of God, never to kids.
Angels appeared to people in human forms but without wings. The Bible recorded the appearance of angels in form of adults male not in appearance of little children.
Angels appeared to some Old Testament saints but no one had actually seen a cherubim or seraphim and except in dreams or vision. Only 2 Old Testament characters had these kinds of vision.
The Bible called the ハハTheophanic ハChrist as the Angel of the Lord, and that term is exclusively used for the Lord Jesus. The Bible uses the term angel for angel, the term cherubim for cherubim, and seraphim for seraphim. The Angel of the Lord is not just an angel, not a seraph and not a cherub. He was the pre-incarnate Christ.
The term ｡ｧAngel of the Lord｡ｨ was a language of accommodation for man to understand the spiritual matter.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
242 - THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
The perfect humanity of Christ advanced through all stages of spiritual growth, reaching spiritual maturity at the early age of twelve years old [Luke 2:40].
His attainment of spiritual self-esteem characterized by virtue personal love toward God and its attainment of spiritual autonomy characterized by virtue impersonal love toward all men [Luke 2:52].
The humanity of Christ signified His positive volition to the plan of God the Father submitting to the baptism of John. His immersion symbolized His obedience to the plan of the Father for His first coming. Plans of grace that no one but the infinite and perfect impeccability of Jesus Christ could execute.
Christ｡ｦs declaration of His submission to God｡ｦs will elicited the strongest possible attestation of our Lord｡ｦs spiritual maturity [Matthew 3:17, John 1:14]. As true humanity, Christ had utilized the divine sphere fulfilled the pattern of spiritual growth.
At the outset of His public ministry, He was immediately taken into the desert, to face His evidence testing [Matthew 4:1-15]. The humanity of Christ was tested severely all throughout His ministerial days. The account recorded in Matthew chapter 4 is only partial of His daily testing.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
243 - FACTS BEFORE HIS BIRTH
It is impossible to produce a biography of the Lord Jesus Christ due to very limited materials provided by the writers of the Scripture. We cannot accept the non-canonical materials and materials from extra-Biblical sources.
Numerous prophecies from Genesis to Malachi are related to His birth as true humanity [Isaiah 9:1-2]. The appearance of an angel first to Mary [Luke 1:26-38], and then to Joseph [Matthew 1:18-25] concerned about the first coming of the Lord Jesus. His predecessors were also mentioned [Isaiah 40:3-5, 9-10, Matthew 3:1-3, Mark 1:2-3, Luke 7:24-27].
THIRTY YEARS IN NAZARETH
Although this lasted for 30 years, yet the material is confined only to the birth stories and one brief incident when Jesus was about twelve years old [Luke 2:41-52]
The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are composed of 89 chapters with a total of 3744 verses. However, only eleven (11) verses are related to His 30 years in Nazareth. Compare to 8 chapters or over 1800 verses related to His last 10 days before His death.
His home life in Nazareth for 30 years has little relevance to our spiritual life because of their negative volition and open rejection of the Messiah and the Word of God.
The people of Nazareth called Him nothing but the ｡ｧcarpenter｡ｨ or the ｡ｧson of the carpenter｡ｨ is an obvious indication of their hardness of the heart (hardening of the kardiaヘ [Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3].
The mystery of the hidden years also reveals the reality that any believer has the same potential for maximum for spiritual maturity in any given situation or circumstances.
The real issue about the hidden years is not what He did or what He did not do, but WHO AND WHAT HE IS inside the cosmos diabolicus. ポハThat is, how He maintained His perfect impeccability in their midst of sinful men.
The real issue about the virgin birth is not the virginity of Mary but the birth of the Son of God into perfect humanity (without old sinful nature and Adamic original sin) the real issue is the kenosis. ハハハ
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
244 - THE KENOSIS
KENOSIS: プヘハfrom the Greek verb kenoo ハハmeaning to deprive oneself of a rightful function, to debase oneself. It explains how the supreme God of the universe condescended to become a man and suffer the humiliation of the cross [Philippians 2:6-8].
THE 2 STATES OF CHRIST:
The state of His humiliation: having taken the form of a servant, having become in the likeness of men [Philippians 2:7]
The state of His preincarnate ボeternal state, as being in the form of God, equal with God [Philippians 2:6]
The truth expressed here concerning His pre-incarnate state is that He had to be equal with God in order to have the form of God. He could not be God the Son without being God.
He who showed us the プmorpheハボ the form of God or the essence of God, had to be equal with God. Prior to His incarnation He was in the form of God- He was in essence of God, and after His incarnation, in spite of His voluntary humiliation, He was still in the form of essence of God.
But in spite of His essence as a Deity, He took upon Himself the true essence of a servant ｡V the form of a man. How could the sovereign, infinite, perfect and immutable God become a servant yet remains God?
The answer is not speculation but history ｡Vthe historical life of Christ in the hypostatic union on earth. God has resolved the issues. The answer to this question reveals the dynamics of Christ integrity.
To become a servant, Christ had to veil His preincarnate glory and power [John 17:5]. All throughout His life on earth (during His Hypostatic union) Christ refused to use or exercise the attributes of His Deity apart from the mission given to Him by the Father [Revelation 13:8]. Satan tempted His humanity to use His divine Deity for His own benefits.
As a perfect Deity, Christ remained perfect omniscience, but as a true humanity, He was born ignorant (He was not bon with Bible doctrine implanted in His soul) but He learned Bible doctrine, little by little, precept by precept [Isaiah 28:10] from the early age.
As God, Christ remained omnipotent, existing equally in heaven and on earth [John 13:13], while as a Man; He endured primitive technology and all the discomfort of His day. As Deity His omnipotence held together the universe, maintaining and sustaining it, including all the needs of all His children around the world [Colossians 1:17].
During His Incarnation, Jesus Christ did not exercise His divine attributes to benefit or glorify Himself. Instead, the Father｡ｦs design of the divine attribute ハassigned to God, the Holy Spirit the mission of sustaining and glorifying Christ (John 8:56, 16:14).
Divine power system or dynapshere explains kenosis because humility does not stand all alone in the divine system but the foundation of all other viruses and by what Christ voluntarily chose to do, not just what He voluntarily chose to restrict [Philippians 2:5-8].
Kenosis is the most dramatic demonstration of objective divine love of the Members of the Godhead for one another.
Since the divine dynasphere met the absolute standards of God the Son in the eternity past, we can place our confidence in the divine dynasphere ハas our Christian way of life. From His omniscience in eternity past, Christ knew every detail of the divine dynasphere ハボits tremendous divine dynamics that is identical to his own.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
245 - IMPECCABILITY
ハOur Lord｡ｦs complete and uninterrupted reliance on the divine dynasphere is manifested is manifested in the sinless perfection of His life- His freedom from free categories of sin.
Christ remained free from all three categories of sin, namely the old sinful nature, the Adamic original sin, and personal sin. The virginal conception of Christ enabled Him to enter the human race free from the inherent sin nature that corrupted every person born into the world [Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:22]. Therefore, there was no home to which Adamic ハoriginal sin could be imputed.
He faced life having to contend only with avoiding personal sins. He remained unblemished and spotless- free from personal sins [1 Peter 1:19]. Were He a sinner, He would be condemned. He would have to bear the punishment for His own sins and would be unqualified to substitute for mankind. Only someone not under condemnation can take the place of the condemned.
Christ is not able to sin [non posseハ peccare] refers to His Deity. God cannot tolerate sin or any imperfection; He cannot be tempted to sin. No sin appeals to Him, and He never tempts us to commit sins [James 1:13]. The phrase ｡ｧChrist is not able to sin｡ｨ (posse non peccareハ) refers to His perfect humanity, which possess the ability to resist sin [Hebrew 4:15].
For 33 years, the humanity of Christ remained inside the plan, purpose and will of God (the divine dynasphere), the perfect environment of virtue love complexes. Although Christ was tempted in every way that we are, He never violated kenosis but consistently relied on the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit ｡V He remained in the power system, He remained impeccable all throughout His humanity [1 John 3:5].
The divine dynasphere ハempowered Him to reach the cross fully qualified to bear the sins of the human race. God the Father provided all the support necessary for Christ to accomplish that mission. God does the same for us ｡Vso that we can finish our mission that is to glorify Christ in time.
THE DEITY OF CHRIST: Cannot be tempted and cannot sin.
THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST: Can be tempted and can sin.
THE GOD｡VMAN: Cannot sin (Not able to sin) and cannot be tempted (able not to sin)- that is, impeccability.
Sovereignty is divine volition, absolute free will in the eternal and infinite essence of God. Each person of the Godhead is sovereign ｡Vsubject to no one, dependent on no one, answerable to no one.
The pleasure of God the Father was to author a plan to reconcile fallen man to Him ｡Vthe pleasure of the Son was to execute His plan of grace [John 8:29].
God the Son did not cease to be sovereign when He decided to obey the authority of the Father. The sovereignty of the Son aggressively upheld, seconded, and affirmed the sovereignty of the Father.
Kenosis was an offensive not defensive divine strategy, aimed ultimate victory in the angelic conflict. Christ accepted the challenge to wield the most powerful weapon ever designed the divine dynasphere.
Therefore, the omniscience of Christ knew from eternity past every detail of the divine dynasphere and its dynamic power and resources. Since, the divine dynasphere ハmet the absolute standards of God the Son, we can place our confidence in the will, plan and purpose of God.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
246 - THE LAMB OF GOD
Twice in the NT Jesus is called the Lamb of God, and on each occasion by John the Baptist (John 1:29, 35). The word amnos (ハlamb) is found also in Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19; and in the Greek version of Isaiah 53:7. These last references suggest Isaiah 53 as the immediate context for John's declaration concerning Christ, the Messiah, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Lamb of Isaiah 53 was identified with the Messiah as the servant of God. This identity of Jesus as Messiah with the Lamb of God was certain for His disciples with Bible doctrine (John 1:20, 23, 29).
The use of the genitive of possession, the Lamb of God, specifically relates Christ to God in the act of sin bearing. He is at once the sacrificial victim presented to God and the victim provided by God. In this relationship he bears the world's sin, removes it by taking it on Himself. As in Isaiah 53 he bears "on Himself alone the iniquity of us all," by being "led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before his sheerer is dumb."
. The two figures, that of Isaiah 53:7 and that of Exodus 12, consequently coalesce in the designation. They are not contradictory but complementary. "All the utterances of the New Testament regarding the Lamb of God are derived from this prophecy (Isaiah 53:7), in which the dumb type of the Passover now finds a tongue".
All the ideas surrounding the figure of the lamb built up through the progressive revelation of the OT may indeed go into the concept as it occurs in the NT. In Genesis there is the necessity of the lamb, Abel brought the firstlings of his flock (Hebrew 9:22); in Exodus, the efficacy of the lamb, the blood sprinkled door posts (Revelation 7:14; 1 Peter 1:12); in Leviticus, the purity of the lamb, without blemish (1 Peter 1:19); in Isaiah, the personality of the lamb, "He," the lamb, as the servant of the Lord (John 1:29; Rev. 5:12-13). Nowhere, therefore, does the figure merely suggest "the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:1); it always carries with it a sacrificial sense (Revelation 5:6, 12; 13:8).
In the book of Revelation the unqualified designation lamb (arnion)ヘ occurs eight times in symbolic reference to Christ and unites the two ideas of redemption and kingship. On one side are such statements as a Lamb which has been slain (5:6, 12); those "who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (7:14); "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (12:11); "they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (21:27).
The stress here falls upon the redeeming work of Christ as the Lamb of God. On the other side, connected with the title is the idea of sovereignty. It is the Lamb that was slain that has power to take the book and loose its seals (5:6-7); there is reference to the wrath of the Lamb (6:16); and the Lamb is seen in the midst of the throne (7:17); the throne in heaven is the throne of God and the Lamb (22:1, 3); the wicked make war against the Lamb but the Lamb is victorious (17:14). In the general term "lamb", then, two ideas unite: victorious power and vicarious suffering. At the heart of God's sovereignty there is sacrificial love.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
247 - THE INCARNATE CHRIST:
Incarnation from Latin in and caro ハmeaning stem and carn, meaning flesh. In the context of Christian theology, the act whereby the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, without ceasing to be what He is, God the Son, took into union with Himself what He before that act did not possess, a human nature, "and so [He] was and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person, forever. Like many other theological terms, this term can be misleading. It might suggest that the eternal Logos by the act of incarnation was confined to the human body of Jesus of Nazareth. The implication of such a construction of the result of the incarnation is that God the Son, kenotically "emptying" Himself, divested himself of his attribute of being always and everywhere immediately present in his universe.
But to hold such a view is tantamount to contending that He who ｡ｧenfleshed｡ｨ Himself as Jesus of Nazareth, while doubtless more than man, is not quite God. Divine attributes are not, however, characteristics separate and distinct from God's essence that He can set aside when he desires. To the contrary, it is precisely the sum total of God's attributes that constitutes the essence of His deity and expresses His divine glory.
Jesus, during the days of His flesh, claimed omnipresence for Himself in Matthew 18:20 and 28:20 declared that Jesus Christ possessed "two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation, the distinctiveness of the natures being by no means removed because of the union, but the properties of each nature being preserved. The doctrine, thus clarified, means that in the incarnation the divine Logos, while in the body of Jesus and personally united to it, is also beyond the bounds of the human nature He assumed. Scripture support for this doctrine is replete [John 1:14; Romans 1:3; 8:3; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:7-8; I Timothy 3:16; I John 4:2; 2 John 7, also Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 1:21-22; I Peter 3:18; 4:1).
It is very important, in light of what has just been said, to underscore that in the incarnation the divine Logos did not take into union with Himself a human person; otherwise, he would have been two persons.
The Scriptures will not tolerate such a view. Never does Jesus Christ, when referring to Himself, say "we" or "us" or "our"; He always uses "I" or "me" or "my." What the divine Logos, who was already and eternally a person, did do, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, was to take into union with Himself a human nature with the result that Jesus Christ was one person with a divine nature (i.e., a complex of divine attributes) and a human nature (i.e., a complex of human attributes).
This is not to say that the human nature of Christ is impersonal. The human nature of Christ was not for a moment impersonal. The Logos assumed that nature into personal subsistence with Himself. The human nature has its personal existence in the person of the Logos. It is in-personal rather than impersonal. The Son of God did not become personal by incarnation. He became incarnate but there was no suspension of His divine self-identity.
The Effecting Means of the Incarnation: according to Scripture, whereby the incarnation came about is the virginal conception (a more accurate description than virgin birth) of the Son of God by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:16, 18, 20, 23, 25; Luke 1:27, 34-35; 2:5; 3:23; Galatians 4:4). Due to the interpenetration of the Persons within the Godhead (John 14:20; 17:21-23; Hebrew 9:14), the Holy Spirit, by means of the virginal conception, insured the divine personality of the God-man without creating at the same time a new human personality.
If Christ had been generated by man, He would have been a human person, included in the covenant of works, and as such would have shared the common guilt of mankind. But now that His subject, His ego, His person, is not out of Adam, He is not in the covenant of works and is free from the guilt of sin. And being free from the guilt of sin, His human nature could also be kept free, both before and after His birth, from the pollution of sin.
Representations of the Incarnate Person: Because Jesus Christ is the God-man (one person who took human nature into union with His divine nature in the one divine person), the Scriptures can predicate of His person whatever can be predicated of either nature. In fact, can be predicated of either nature. Also, the person of Christ may be designated in terms of one nature while what is predicated of Him so designated is true by virtue of His union with the other nature.
1. The person, and not a nature, is the subject of the statement when what is predicated of Christ is true by virtue of all that belongs to his person as essentially divine and assertively human; that is, redeemer; prophet, priest, and king.
2. The person, and not a nature, is the subject of the statement when what is predicated of Him, designated in terms of what He is as human, is true by virtue of His divine nature.
In Romans 9:5 Christ is designated according to His human nature ("Christ according to the flesh"), while what is predicated of Him is true because of His divine nature ("God over all, blessed forever"). The Scriptures do not confuse or inter-mingle the two natures. It is the person of Christ who is always the subject of the scriptural assertions about him.
3. The person, and not a nature, is the subject of the statement, when what is predicated of Him, designated in terms of what He is as divine, is true by virtue of His human nature.
In I Corinthians 2:8 Christ is designated according to His divine nature ("the Lord of glory"), while what is predicated of Him is true because of His human nature (man "crucified" Him). Again, there is no confusion here of the divine and human natures of Christ. It is not the divine nature as such which is crucified; it is the divine person, because He is also human, who is crucified.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
248 - HYPOSTASIS
The word is a transliteration of the Greek hypostasis, "substance," "nature," "essence" (from hyphistasthai, "stand under," "subsist," which is from two Greek words that means "under," andホ "cause to stand"), and denotes a real personal subsistence or person. In philosophy it signifies the underlying or essential part of anything, as distinguished from attributes that may vary.
It developed theologically as the term to describe any one of the three real and distinct subsistence in the one undivided essence of God and especially the one unified personality of Christ the Son in His two natures: human and divine
The classic Chalcedonian definition of God, one essence in three hypostases , was unfortunately translated into Latin as "one substance [Gr. hypostasis] in three persons" (una substantia, tres personae). This not only confused threefold substance with the one ousia (Latin essentia, "essence"), but the Latin word persona ("face" or "mask") is very different from the Greek hypostasis.
Bible translators tried unsuccessfully to resolve the conflict by defining hypostasis as synonymous with the very different word persona. Although much confusion still reigns, orthodoxy has generally held to the one substance of God, known in the three persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God is ｡ｧOne in essence, three in Hypostasis｡ｨ is quite different from ｡ｧOne in essence, three in persons｡ｨ. Hypostasis emphasizes the equality of the Godhead- eternal, infinite and absolute but different in functions.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
249 - PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST
The preincarnate existence of Christ may be only a simple, contemplative inference backwards from the spiritual glory of the present Christ, certainly its clearest expression is found in later writing reflecting upon the messianic assessment of Christ in the primitive Christian community (Acts 2:22-23; 10:38). Yet preexistence is at least implied in words of Jesus Himself: "The son of man came"; the owner of the vineyard "had still ... a beloved son: finally the Father sent Him." It is explicit in sayings attributed to Jesus in John's Gospel: "I came down from heaven"; "The glory I had with thee before the world was."
Jewish scholars attributed "ideal" preexistence to things (law, temple) and persons (Adam, Moses) deeply reverenced, echoed perhaps in Paul's calling Christ "last Adam ... from heaven." Greek thinking, reflected in Philo, was familiar with preexistence of souls. But it is unnecessary to find here more than a source of usable terms. The idea that the Son of God, eternally preexisting in glory with the Father, moved by love became incarnate was too central to Christian faith to depend upon coincidences of language for its basis.
Paul appeals for generosity because Christ, "though rich became poor." He pleads that converts live as sons because "God sent forth his son"; argues for self-effacement from the fact that Christ, being in the form of God, "emptied Himself"; contends, against the Gnostics' pleroma ハfilling the gulf between God and creation, that "all things were created in, through, and for Christ ... who is before all things.
As "Lord from heaven" Christ provides the pattern of our resurrected humanity; as He first descended, so He has ascended, the measure of His triumph and assurance of ours (2 Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-16; Ephesians 4:8-9). For such practical, pastoral exhortations one does not argue from fringe speculations, but only from familiar, accepted, foundation truths.
John's Gospel and Epistle, assuming that Christ came from God and went to God (John 13:3), emphasize His being sent by the Father on divine mission, expressing divine love (John 3:16; I John 4:9-10), a revelation of the unseen Father by one belonging "in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18), a divine Word, present when God spoke at creation and now again conveying meaning and power to the world (John 1).
For John as for Paul, mankind's salvation derives not from any human initiative but from the coming of the eternal Son into time. That is the crucial truth here at issue.
The implications of preexistence are a concern of subsequent Christian thought. Does it impair the manhood of Jesus? Why the delay in Christ's arrival? Does preexistence imply continuity of memory between the eternal Son and Jesus? But the fact of preexistence is not questioned, except where Christ's deity and divine mission are wholly denied.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
250 - STATES OF JESUS CHRIST
The states of the Lord Jesus Christ refer to the different relationships He had to God's law for mankind, to the possession of authority, and to receiving honor for Himself.
Generally two states (humiliation and exaltation) are distinguished. Thus, the doctrine of the twofold state of Christ is the teaching that Christ experienced first the state of humiliation, then the state of exaltation. Within each of these states five aspects may be distinguished.
THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST
There are five aspects under the humiliation of Christ:
5. Victorious Proclamation
The incarnation, or Christ's taking to Himself a human nature, was itself a step of humiliation. He gave up the honor and glory that belonged to Him in heaven (John 17:5). He also gave up His right to exercise divine authority for His own benefit and the right to enjoy his Lordship over all things in heaven and on earth (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 2:9). Thus He gave up the status of ruler and took on the status of a servant. Furthermore, He subjected Himself to the demands of living under the law (Galatians 4:4), thus making it necessary for Him to obey perfectly the OT laws that God had commanded of His people (John 8:46; Matthew 3:15).
He took on Himself the obligation to obey God perfectly as a man, as our representative, in order to earn salvation for us through a record of perfect lifelong obedience (Romans 5:18-19). This he had to do in the strength of His human nature, without miraculous assistance from His divine powers (Matthew 4:3-4).
It was a true human nature, which the Son of God took to Himself. It was not merely a human body, but also a human mind (which learned as we learn, Luke 2:52), and a human soul (which could be troubled as we are troubled, John 12:27; 13:21). Thus, Jesus was fully man, made like us "in every respect" (Hebrew 2:17). He had to be fully man in order to become the sacrifice that was offered for man's sins: if He was not fully man, we could not have been saved.
Nevertheless, the human nature of Christ was not subject to sin (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 4:15; I John 3:5). Thus, His human nature was like Adam's human nature before the fall.
Yet Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes or become less fully God when he took on a human nature. He remained fully God (John 1:1, 14; Col. 1:19; 2:9), omnipotent (Matthew 8:26-27; Isaiah 9:6), omniscient (John 2:25; 6:64; 16:30; 21:17), eternal (8:58), and incapable of dying (2:19; 10:17-18). However, these attributes were veiled, not generally manifested during Jesus' earthly ministry (Matthew 13:55-56), and never used for His own benefit or to make the path of obedience easier for Him (4:1-11).
Thus, Jesus remained fully God and became fully man as well. It is sometimes said, "while remaining what He was, he became what He was not." (It should be remembered that it is God's Son, the second Person of the Trinity, who became man.
God the Father did not become man, nor did the Holy Spirit: Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:1; 3:16; Galatians 4:4). It is the most amazing fact in all history that one who was eternal and infinite God should take to Himself the lowly nature of a man and should then continue to exist for all eternity as fully God and fully man as well, united in one person.
It is important to insist that even while existing in these two natures, Jesus Christ remained one Divine Person. His human nature was not an independent person by itself (capable, e.g., of talking to the divine nature or acting in opposition to it). In a manner that surpasses our understanding, the human and divine natures of Christ were integrated into one Person, and He remains as both God and man, and yet one Person, forever.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
251 - THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST
The suffering of the Lord Jesus lasted throughout His whole life, though they culminated in His trial and death on the cross. He experienced the ordinary sufferings of living in a fallen world. He was weary (John 4:6), thirsty (19:28), hungry (Matthew 4:2), sorrowful (John 11:35), and lonely (Matthew 26:56). He felt great grief at human sin and its terrible effects (Matt. 23:37; Mark 3:5; 8:12; John 11:33-35, 38).
He endured human opposition and intense hatred against Himself (Luke 11:53-54; John 15:18, 24-25). He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).
Moreover, He "learned obedience through what He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8); that is, His moral strength and ability to resist temptation increased with the successful meeting of each more difficult temptation, especially those connected with hardship and suffering. He experienced the sufferings of enduring great temptations without yielding (Matthew 4:l.-11; Luke 11: 53-54; 22:28; Hebrew 2:18; 4:15; I Peter 2:21-23), especially in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to His death (Matthew 26:37-38; Hebrew 5:7; 12:3-4).
Here it must be remembered that one who does not yield to temptation most fully feels its force, just as someone who successfully holds a heavy weight overhead feels its force much more than someone who drops it at once.
His humiliation increased in intensity at the time of His trial and death. Physical sufferings connected with crucifixion were terrible, as were the mocking and shame connected with such a death. But even worse were the sufferings in spirit that Jesus experienced when God the Father put on Him the guilt of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; I Peter 2:22; Isaiah 53:6). The Father turned away His face, so that Jesus was left alone with the blackness of sin and guilt upon Him (Matthew 27:46). Then, as Jesus fulfilled the role of propitiatory sacrifice (Romans 3:25; I John 2:2; 4:10), He bore the fury of the intense wrath of God against sin, and bore it to the end.
The penalty for sin was the spiritual death of Christ (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). It was necessary that Jesus Himself die to bear our penalty. His death was not similar to ours. His human spirit and soul was separated from His body and passed into the presence of the Father in heaven (Luke 23:43, 46).
Thus, He experienced a death that is like the one we, as believers will experience if we die in this present age. The knowledge that Jesus has gone through death before us should remove from us the fear of physical death (I Corinthians 15:55-57; Hebrews 2:14-15).
It is not correct to say that Jesus' divine nature died, or could die, if "die" implies a cessation of activity, a cessation of consciousness, or a diminution of power (John 2:19; 10:17-18). Yet by virtue of union with Jesus' human nature, His divine nature experienced what it was like to go through spiritual death. Whether the divine nature was ever itself the object of divine wrath against sin is not explicitly stated in Scripture.
Jesus' body was laid in a tomb (Matthew 27:59-60), and He continued under the state of physical death for a time. Thus, Jesus' humiliation was complete in that He suffered all the punishment and shame due to fallen mankind as a result of Adam｡ｦs original sin.
It does not seem correct to say that Jesus descended into hell, at least not according to any sense in which that phrase can be understood today, apart from spiritual meanings which may be assigned to the doctrine of victorious proclamation.
J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
252 - THE EXALTATION OF CHRISTThere are four aspects of Christ｡ｦs exaltation:
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