Topic 12 - The Deity of Christ
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The Importance of the Deity of Christ: “It lies at the heart of our faith; for our faith rests on Jesus’s actually being God in human flesh, and not simply an extraordinary human...” (Erickson, Millard J. “Introducing Christian Theology” 3
rd
Edition; Grand Rapids MI: Baker academic, 2015, p.238)
Note: It seems that the first line of attack on Christianity, and a prominent identifying feature of a cult, is their views on the deity of Christ
I. The Biblical Approach to Christology A. The biblical narrative presents a picture that develops and has multiple sides and
perspectives. We will consider these three perspectives:
Christology from behind.
Christology from below.
Christology from above. “Some theologians use these frameworks in opposition to one another, often to present
a one-sided picture
: Christology from below
as a "low Christology" (Jesus as just a man) or Christology from above
as a "high Christology" (Jesus as really God). We, however, see these three perspectives as mutually reinforcing each other. They help tell the story of Jesus without being fixed, separable categories.”
(Ben Blackwell & R. L. Hatchett. (2019). Engaging Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic. p 124)
1. Christology from behind – Old Testament Messianic Expectations.
a.
The idea of Christology does not start with Jesus and the New Testament.
b.
The term Christ is a Greek word that means "anointed" and is a translation of the
Hebrew term Messiah.
c.
Today anointing is often metaphorical, but in the ancient world it literally referred to the practice of pouring oil on leaders' heads, setting them apart as ordained by God. Kings (1 Sam 10:1; 16:12-13; 1 Chron 29:22) and priests (Exod Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
The Deity of Christ
Topic TWELVE – The Deity
of Christ
So, we will look at Jesus:
1.
As ___________.
2.
As ___________.
3.
As the ______/______
1
28:41; Lev 8:30), prophets were anointed too (1 Kgs 19:16; 1 Chron 16:22). These
were all messianic. - that is, anointed.
d.
Many Jews continue to look forward to the coming of a messiah who will bring restoration. Christians in the New Testament see these expectations fulfilled in Jesus.
2. Christology from below – New Testament Messianic Fulfilment.
e.
The Four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
“The term gospel (Greek: euangelion) means "good news," and the center of that good news is evident from the beginning. Mark, likely the first of the four to be written, starts with "the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,
the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). Jesus being the "Messiah/Christ" is the good news. The association of Jesus with the kingly messianic ideas is evident in the Gospels.” f.
Called the Messiah/Christ by the by his disciples (Mark 8:29), g.
Even the gentiles understand his role as the messianic King of Daniel 7 when they write his charge over his cross as "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" at his crucifixion (Matt 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38, John 19:19)
3.
Christology from above – The Divine Son Becomes Incarnate. a.
Through the narrative of the Bible, we progressively learn the breadth and depth
of God's identity. b.
In Christology from below, it is important that we see the resurrected and exalted Christ as no mere human he embodies the God of Israel. c.
Narrative indicators about his divine identity (e.g., the Lord in Mark 1:1-3 or Immanuel, "God with us," in Matthew 1:23),
d.
Other strong indicators of his deity. (John 1:1-18; Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:15-23; Heb 1:1-4).
e.
John 1:14, "the Word became flesh"- he came in carne. The Incarnation.
Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
2
(Ben Blackwell & R. L. Hatchett. (2019). Engaging Theology. p 124-127)
B. Biblical teachings: (
ortho
doxy)
1. Jesus’ own, _____________________________ and truth claims
What did Jesus believe and think about himself?
a.
Jesus’ power over nature; authority to _____________________ (Mk 2:5-7)
b. His “I AM”s (Ex 3:14-15, Jn 8:48)
c.
His power over ____________ and _____________ (Jn 5:21 & 11:25)
d. My, my! angels, kingdom (Matt 13:41) My _____________ & I are ________! (Jn 10:30)
e.
Presented himself co
existent & co
equal
with God! (Jn 14:7-9)
B. Apostolic witnesses of John, Paul, & writer to Hebrews
1. John
’ Cosmic Christ
in the beginning (1:1-5) was the Logos; This is a simple “monotheism”, not modalistic monarchism!
2. Paul
: express image of God, holds all things (Col. 1:15; 2:9), Judge of living/dead (2 Cor. 5:10), name above all (Phil. 2:5)
3. Hebrews -1:3: the Son superior to… exact representation of? One
through whom all things were created (Psa. 45:6 = God
) Jesus un
created; of same essence (
homousia
) as Father God
C. The term “Lord” ascribed to him.
A term that can be used without Christological connotations but in many it does reference deity. (Acts 2:20-21; Rom 10:13; I Pet 3:15)
D. Evidence of the __________________________.
1. The fact of Jesus’s resurrection argues for his deity.
2. The resurrection must be understood in the context of the tradition at that time which would have seen resurrection as evidence of deity.
3. Significant that Jesus’s resurrection was argued for so shortly after his death.
4. The empty tomb and reliable testimonies to such.
5. The immediate and intense emergence of Christianity
(Erickson, Millard J. “Introducing Christian Theology” 3
rd
Edition; Grand Rapids MI: Baker academic, 2015, p.238-242
( We will give further notes regarding the resurrection of Jesus as it is key to our faith)
Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
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II. Historical Controversies on the Deity of Jesus Christ A. Historical Departures: (heresy)
1. Ebionism: Jesus a supernatural ‘man’; at birth or baptism Jewish monotheists: not preexistent; God present with
2. Arianism: Jesus is unique, transcendent but “first created
” Father “greater”; homoio
similar not homo
/same ousios
B. Functional Christology
: 1. A late 20
th
century development
2. An emphasis on what Jesus did rather than what is. 3. Can the two be separated? (NO)
House, H. Wayne. Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine
. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1992. p.53
III. Implications of the Deity of Christ
A. We can experientially “_____________” God in “knowing _______________”!
B. God’s forgiving and redeeming Grace is ours “in Christ”
C. Jesus, _________________
has reconciled believers back to God!
D. Jesus, who was God, walked on earth
E. It is appropriate to worship Jesus Christ. “Oh come let us adore - Jesus Christ, our Lord!”
(Erickson, Millard J. “Introducing Christian Theology” 3
rd
Edition; Grand Rapids MI: Baker academic, 2015, p.244
IV. The Deity of Jesus
Derickson, Stanley L. “DERICKSON’S NOTES ON THEOLOGY,” n.d., pp.336-339.
A. HIS ________________ PROVE HIS DEITY 1. The _______________: John 1:1
2______________________: Matthew 8:29; Luke 1:35; John 5:18; 19:7; 1 John 5:20.
3. ______________: Luke 2:11; Acts 10:36; Philippians 2:10,11.
4. Holy One: Mark 1:24
5. ______________: John 20:28
B. HIS ________________ PROVE HIS DEITY
Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
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1. ________________: Colossians 1:16; John 1:3,10
2. Preservation: Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3
3. _____________________: Mark 2:5; Colossians 3:13
4. ______________________: John 14:14
5. _____________________: John 5:21
6. Judging: John 5:22; 5:27; Acts 10:42
7. _______________________ – (A complete lists can be found in most study Bibles)
C. HIS ATTRIBUTES PROVE HIS DEITY
1. ___________________:
a. He was before John. John 1:1
b. He was before Abraham. John 8:58
c. He was before creation. John 17:5,24
d. He was before birth. Micah 5:2; (see Hebrews 1:11; Isaiah 9:6; Rev 1:11)
2. Self-Existence:
3. ____________________: Hebrews 13:8;
Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
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4. ________________________: Matthew 18:20; Matthew 28:20
5. ________________________:
a. He knew the time and manner of His exit from this life: Matt 16:21; John 12:33
b. He knew who would betray Him: John 6:66-71
c. He knew the character and certain end of the age: Matthew 24:21-28
d. He knew the Father: Matthew 11:27
e. He knows all there is to know — all things: Colossians 2:3, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” John 16:30; 21:17
ADDED NOTE:
Matthew 24:36 clearly states that the Father alone knows when Jesus' return will be. Verses such as John 5:30; 6:38; 8:28-29; 10:30; 12:49; 14:28, 31; and Matthew 26:39, 42 demonstrate Jesus' submission to the Father as well as their Oneness in the Godhead. Yes, they are both God. But some things Jesus had apparently chosen to "give up the rights" to be privy to during His earthly ministry (see Philippians 2:5-11). (
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-know-return.html
)
6. Omnipotence: - Over ___________________ - Matt 8:1-4, 9:1-7; Luk 4:31
- Over _____________ – Matt 8:16-17, 8:28-32; Luk 4:35
- Over _______________ – Matt 8:26; John 6:1-14 (Feeding 5000), John 6: 16-21
- Over ___________ – Matt 9:1-6; Mark 2:1-12; Luk 7:47-48
- Over ____________ – Luk 7:14-15, 8:54:56; John 11;4
7. Holiness: Acts 3:14; Luke 1:35, I Pet 2:22; II Cor 5:21
8. Righteousness: 1 John 2:1
D. _____________________ OF CHRIST PROVES HIS DEITY
1. He Accepted The Worship Of Men: Matthew 15:25; John 9:35-39
2. He Deserves Worship: John 5:23
3. God Calls For Him To Be Worshiped: Hebrews 1:6 E. CHRIST AND WRITERS OF SCRIPTURE CLAIMs HE WAS DEITY AND EQUAL WITH GOD
1. John 5:18, John 10:30, John 14:7, John 17:5, John 12:45
2. Matthew 26:63-64, 3. Philippians 2:6a
4. Colossians 2:9
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Derickson, Stanley L. “DERICKSON’S NOTES ON THEOLOGY,” n.d., pp336-339.
House, H. Wayne. Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine
. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1992. p.59
V. The Resurrection
A. Why is the Resurrection SO IMPORTANT?
1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ______________ of our Christian faith.
(I Cor 15:17)
2. The resurrection of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament and by Christ Himself.
(Job 19:25–27; Psalms 16:9–11; 22:22; 118:22–24; Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:30–32; Luke 18:31–34; John 2:19–22)
3. Christ's resurrection has been at the heart of the church's message from the Day of Pentecost to the present. By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ demonstrated that He Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
7
had cleansed the guilt of our past and is able to help us in our present lives.
(Romans 4:24–25; Hebrews 7:25)
4. His resurrection assures us that our future is safe and secure.
6
Without Christ's resurrection we would have no salvation from sin, and no hope for our own future resurrection. (John 14:19-20)
5. The empty tomb is proof of Christ's deity. (John 5:26; Romans 1:4)
6. It guarantees the future resurrection of believers. )John 14:19; 1 Cor15:20–23)
7. The resurrection of Christ also provides believers with spiritual power today. (Romans 6:3–4; Eph 1:19–21)
“The Resurrection of Jesus Christ | Moody Bible Institute.” Accessed April 1, 2019. https://www.moodybible.org/beliefs/resurrection/
.
B. Theories regarding the Resurrection of Jesus
1. The _______________
Theory (also called the Resuscitation Theory)
a. The Swoon Theory, first proposed in 1828 by H. E. G. Paulus, a German theologian and critic of the Bible, claims that Jesus did not die. Rather, suggested Paulus, Jesus merely fainted
on the cross, from pain, shock, and loss of blood. Jesus was then mistakenly buried alive.
b. The Swoon Theory
suggests that the cool, damp air of the tomb somehow revived Jesus after three days and He decided to exit. Despite not having access to desperately needed medical care and nourishment, Jesus supposedly managed to unwrap His dressings and then, in the total darkness of the tomb, locate and roll away the mammoth stone sealing the tomb entrance. And then, still unnoticed by the guards
, Jesus supposedly walked away, on feet punctured by the cross nails, to rejoin His disciples. c. The most significant problem with this theory is that it greatly underestimates the severity of Jesus’ wounds. Historical sources confirm that Jesus was horribly tortured—and confirmed dead by several sources
before He was removed from the cross. 2. The ____________________________
Theory
Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
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a. The Hallucination Theory
asserts that the many people who saw Jesus in His resurrected body just imagined
doing so. b. The New Testament tells us, however, that all kinds of people saw Jesus after His resurrection. Different ages, different occupations, different backgrounds, different viewpoints.
Dr. Gary Habermas observes:
“That these different individuals in each of these circumstances would all be candidates for hallucinations really stretches the limits of credibility.”
c. The fact that many people chose to believe in Jesus, after talking with Him and touching His wounds, also helps to refute this theory. Hallucinations are an individual event. If 500 people have the same hallucination, that’s a bigger miracle than the resurrection. 3. The ___________________________
Theory
a. The Conspiracy Theory suggests that Christ’s disciples simply stole His body and fabricated the resurrection story.
b. The historian Eusebius (A.D. 314-318) was the first to argue that it is inconceivable that such a conspiracy could succeed. c. The fact that the Bible tells us that lots of people saw Jesus, over a 40-day period, helps us to debunk this final theory.
Chuck Colson, special counsel to President Nixon during the Watergate scandal in the 1960s, knows
full well how difficult it is to keep a conspiracy together. Says Colson:
“I know how impossible it is for a group of people, even some of the most powerful in the world, to maintain a lie. The Watergate cover-up lasted only a few weeks before the first conspirator broke and turned state’s evidence.”
Adds Paul E. Little
, author of Know What You Believe
:
“Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.”
Isn’t it interesting that people are able to believe a theory full of holes, but are unable to believe the truth! Jesus’ disciples—though they faced horrendous persecution and all but one was Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
9
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martyred—never renounced their belief in the resurrection of Jesus! I’ll go out on a limb here and say it’s because they knew the resurrection to be true.
We can trust the radical transformation of Jesus’ early followers, because we can clearly see the Holy Spirit in action today working to transform our lives, as well. “Resurrection Theories Debunked: Christ Rose! - Josh.Org.” Accessed April 1, 2019. https://www.josh.org/resurrection-theories-debunked/
.
C. 10 myths about the resurrection – Mike Licona & Michael Patton
(Each of the hyperlinks below will take you to a video describing and refuting the myth)
Myth 1: Contradictions in the Gospels
Myth 2: Pagan Parallels in the Mystery Religions
Myth 3: The Fraud Theory
Myth 4: Hallucinations
Myth 5: It’s a Matter of Faith
Myth 6: Apparent Death Theory
Myth 7: It Was Merely Legend
Myth 8: Science Proves that Resurrections Cannot Occur
Myth 9: Not Enough Evidence
Myth 10: Lost Gospels
https://apologetics315.com/2013/03/top-ten-myths-about-the-resurrection/
D. Evidential Arguments in Defense of a Physical Resurrection of Jesus.
Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ, Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and McDowell’s A Ready Defense. I discovered that there are many reasons for accepting the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as a historical fact.
1.
The First Eyewitnesses were Women. The first eyewitnesses of the resurrection were women. All the Gospels note that the first individuals to discover the tomb empty were women. Matthew notes that “
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb…The angel told the women, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the play where he lay” (Matthew 28:1, 5-6). Women were not held in high esteem. In Greco-Roman culture, a woman’s testimony was not admissible in court. In Jewish circles, it took the testimony of two Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
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women to equate that of one man. If one were to invent a story, the last people one would place as the first witnesses would have been women, unless it were otherwise true.
2.
Minimal Facts Concerning the Resurrection. Gary Habermas has popularized the so-called minimal facts argument for the resurrection. The minimal facts are those things that are accepted by nearly all New Testament scholars. The minimal facts are “
1. Jesus died by crucifixion. 2. Jesus’ disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them. 3. The church persecutor Paul was suddenly changed. 4. The skeptic James, brother of Jesus, was suddenly changed. 5. The tomb was empty.” These facts are nearly universally accepted by New Testament scholars, including liberals.
3.
Transformation of the Early Disciples. As noted in the minimal facts, James, the brother of Jesus, was changed from a skeptic to a believer because of the resurrection. James along with his brothers did not believe in Jesus during Jesus’s early ministry (see John 7:5). However, Jesus appeared to James (1 Cor 15:3-9) and James became a leader in the early Jerusalem church. His death is recorded by Josephus. Paul is another example of one who was completely transformed by the resurrection of Jesus. Paul had been a persecutor of the church. After witnessing the risen Jesus, Paul became a proclaimer for the church.
4.
Embarrassing Details of the Resurrection. Historically speaking, embarrassing details add veracity to a historical claim. The fact that women were the first witnesses, that a member of the Sanhedrin (the same Sanhedrin that executed Jesus) had to give Jesus a proper burial, and that the disciples were fearful and fled all
serve as embarrassing factors for the resurrection account.
5.
Willingness to Die for What Was Known. Many people will die for what they believe to be true.
But no one will die for something they erroneously invented. The disciples knew if they were telling the truth. Yet, one finds that the disciples were willing to die for what they knew to be true. Stephen died by stoning (Acts 7:54-60), James of Zebedee died by the sword at the hands of Herod (Acts 12:2), James the brother of Jesus died, and Peter and Paul died at the hands of Nero.
6.
Documentary Evidence. The documentary evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is quite good. The historian seeks to find how many primary and secondary sources can be gathered for an event to determine the event’s historicity. Concerning primary sources, the resurrection has Matthew’s account, John’s account, and Paul’s account in 1 Corinthians 15, including the additional references by James (if one accepts that James wrote the letter attributed to him) and Jude. The following are secondary sources for the resurrection: Luke, Mark, Clement of Rome, and to a lesser degree Ignatius and Irenaeus.
7.
Circumstantial Evidence. Douglas Groothius notes that circumstantial evidence for the historicity of the resurrection is “
namely, the practice of the early church in observing baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Sunday Topic 12 – The Deity of Christ
11
worship.” Baptism is based upon the analogy of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper is a symbol of Christ’s sacrificial death. In addition, it is quite odd that faithful Jews would move their worship from a Friday evening into Saturday to a Sunday morning unless
something major had occurred on a Sunday morning. The major Sunday morning event was Jesus’s resurrection.
8.
The Missing Motive. J. Warner Wallace has noted in his lectures and books that when a conspiracy is formed, three motivating factors are behinds such a move—power, greed, and/or lust. The disciples would hold no power behind claiming the resurrection as history. They were running around while often being threatened by the Jewish and Roman authorities. As far as greed, they taught that one should not desire earthly possessions, but spiritual ones. Lust was not a factor, either. They taught celibacy before marriage and marital fidelity after marriage. In fact, N. T. Wright notes in
his classic book, The Resurrection of the Son of God, that the disciples had no theological motivation behind claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead as they were anticipating a military hero and a final resurrection at the end of time. What motivating factors existed for these disciples to invent such a story? None! The only reason the disciples taught the resurrection of Jesus was because Jesus’s resurrection had occurred.
9.
Enemy Attestation of the Resurrection. Historically speaking, if one holds enemy attestation to an event, then the event is strengthened. When one considers the claims of the authorities that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus (Matthew 28:11-15), the testimony of the resurrection is strengthened. The early belief that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus is strengthened by the discovery of the Nazareth Inscription that orders capital punishment for anyone who steals a body from a tomb. In addition, several references to Jesus and his resurrection include citations from Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius among others (including the Babylonian Talmud).
10.
Multiple Post-Resurrection Eyewitnesses. Finally, there is multiple eyewitness testimony pertaining to the resurrection of Jesus. Several people had seen Jesus alive for a period of 40 days. The eyewitnesses include Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18), the women at the tomb accompanying Mary (Matthew 28:1-10), the Roman guards (Matthew 28:4), the Eleven disciples (John 21), the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), an indeterminate number of disciples (Matthew 28:16-20); over five-hundred disciples (1 Cor 15:6), to James (1 Cor 15:7) and to Paul (1 Cor 15:8-9). I am certain that there were many other witnesses that are unnamed.
https://crossexamined.org/10-reasons-accept-resurrection-jesus-historical-fact/
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Dr. Gary Habermas on the Eyewitness Timeline
Liberty Convocation. - February 2013
http://media2.liberty.edu/mediaplayer/232/message?_
ga=2.210729046.2714798.1554666231-1997125126.1554553697
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