[1] CHRIST

[D] CHRIST: supplementary materials

D1. Only begotten Son (Question 39)

a. monogenes appears 9 times in NT

Luke (3 times):

7:12 -- a widow’s son as "the only son of his mother"
8:42 -- Jairus’s daugther as "his only daughter"
9:38 -- son of an unnamed man in the crowd as "he is my only child"

Hebrews (1 time):

11:17 -- Isaac as to monogene of Abraham

John (4 times):

1:14
1:18
3:16

First John (1 time):

1Jn 4:9

b. In John’s writings, huios (son) is reserved for Jesus alone; He is often referred to as huios theou (Son of God). Christians are referred to as tekna theou (children of God) although they are referred to as huios theou (sons of God) in other NT books.

c. The word monogenes, with its variants, occurred in Greek literature of 8th century BC poet Hesiod. Thereafter it appears in works of many authors. Literally monogenes means "sole descent" or "the only child of one’s parents".

d. The word was also used in the sense of "peerless", "matchless", "unique", "incomparable", "of singular importance", or "the only one of its kind". The ideas have more to do with quality than derivation or descent. Later usage showed that both meanings were common.

e. The Septuagint usage of the word was also varied. In the case of Isaac, he was described as Abraham’s "favoured" , "chosen", or "unique" but not the only son. Some other usage may also carry the idea of "beloved" or "best-loved".

f. In the 1st century, Clement of Rome used the word to mean "the only one of its kind".

g. The term "only begotten" came from the traditional translation of the Greek word monogenes. However, the translation is inaccurate.

h. The term monogenes huios in John is best translated as "one and only Son", not the traditional "only begotten Son".

i. When the Arians challenged that the word indicated that Christ was created. The Church Fathers did not have a satisfactory reply so they only added the words "not created" in the creeds, with the explanation that "only begotten" means "the Son was the only begotten by the Father from eternity past".

j. Church Fathers took the word as connected with the root of the Greek verb gennao meaning generate or beget, hence the English translation "only begotten". Study of Greek writings before the 1st century proved that monogenes is not derived from the root gennao, but is derived from genos, kind or class.

k. The word therefore means "in a class by Himself" or "the only one of His kind" or in other words "unique", "peerless", "matchless", "incomparable". Thus the NIV correctly translated the term "the One and Only". The doctrine of eternal generation was thus a mistake.

D2. Person of Christ (Question 42) a. Preincarnate:
(1) Existed eternally before creation

from the "beginning" (Jn 1:1; 1Jn 1:1)
"with God" (Jn 1:1-2)
"before the wold was" (Jn 17:5)
the Word "became flesh" implying a preincarnate existence (Jn 1:14)

(2) Participated in creation

"Let us make man" (Gen 1:26)
the "craftsman" (Pr 8:30)
the "firstborn over all creation" (Col 1:15)
all things were created "through Him" (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16)
world created "through Him" (Jn 1:10; 1Co 8:6)
all things created "for Him" (Col 1:16)
all things hold together "in Him" (Col 1:17)

(3) Manifested Himself in the OT

as Yahweh (to Abraham, Gen 18; in judgment, Gen 19; in promise, Hos 1:7)
as the "angel of Yahweh" (to Hagar, Gen 16:7-14; to Abraham, Gen 22:9-18; to Jacob, Gen 31:10-13; to Moses, Ex 3:2; to Israel, Ex 14:19; to Balaam, Nu 22:22; to Gideon, Jdg 6:11-24)

b. Divine nature:
(1) Possesses divine attributes

eternal (Jn 1:1; 8:58; 17:5)
omnipresent (Mt 28:20; Eph 1:23)
omniscient (Jn 16:30; 21:17)
omnipotent (Jn 5:19)
immutable (Heb 1:12; 13:8)

(2) Possesses divine offices

Creator (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16)
sustainer (Col 1:17)

(3) Possesses divine prerogatives

forgives sin (Mt 9:2; Lk 7:47)
raises the dead (Jn 5:25; 11:25)
executes judgment (Jn 5:22)

(4) Identified with the OT Yahweh

"I AM" (Jn 8:58)
seen by Isaiah (Jn 12:41; 8:24,50-58)

(5) Possesses divine names

"Alpha and Omega" (Rev 22:13)
"Immanuel" (Mt 1:22)
"Son of man" (Mt 9:6; 12:8)
"Lord" (Mt 7:21; Lk 1:43)
"Son of God" (Jn 10:36)
"God" (Jn 1:1; 2Pe 1:1)

(6) Possesses divine relations

the expressed image of God (Col 1:15; Heb 1:3)
one with the Father (Jn 10:31)

(7) Accepts divine worship

(Mt 14:33; 28:9; Jn 20:28-29)

(8) Claims Himself to be God

(Jn 8:58; 10:30; 17:5)

c. Human nature
(1) Had a human birth

born of a virgin (Mt 1:18-2:11; Lk 1:30-38)

(2) Had a human development

continued to grow and become strong (Lk 2:50,52)

(3) Had the essential elements of human nature

human body (Mt 26:12; Jn 2:21)
reason and will (Mt 26:38; Mk 2:8)

(4) Had human names

Jesus (Mt 1:21)
son of man (Mt 8:20; 11:18)
son of Abraham (Mt 1:1)

(5) Had the sinless infirmities of human nature

became weary (Jn 4:6)
became hungry (Mt 4:2; 21:18)
became thirsty (Jn 19:28)
was tempted (Mt 4; Heb 2:18)

(6) Was repeatedly called a man

(Jn 1:30; 4:9; 10:38)

d. Union of natures

The person of Christ is theantropic (two natures in one person)
Hypostatic union (two natures in one personal substance)
Both the human and divine qualities and acts may be ascribed to Jesus Christ under either of His natures.
His natures cannot be separated.

e. Character

Absolutely holy

His human nature was created holy (Lk 1:35)
committed no sin (1Pe 2:22)
always pleased the Father (Jn 8:29)

Possesses genuine love

laid down His life (Jn 15:13)
His love surpasses all knowledge

Truly humble

took the form of a servant (Php 2:5-8)

Thoroughly meek

(Mt 11:29)

Perfectly balanced

was grave without being melancholy
was joyful without being frivolous

Lived a life of prayer

(Mt 14:23; Lk 6:12)

An incessant worker

worked the works of His Father (Jn 5:17; 9:4)

D3. Kenosis: Christ emptied Himself (Question 43)

"We declare that the one selfsame Christ, only begotten Son and Lord, must be acknowledged in two natures, without any co-mingling, or change or division or separation, that the distinction between their natures is in no way removed by their union, but rather, that the specific character of each nature is preserved, and they are united in one person and one hypostasis" (Creed of Chalcedon, AD 451).

a. Kenotic (Gr. kenosis ) theories: (Php 2:7 "made Himself nothing", NIV; "emptied Himself", NRSV, NASB; supporting verses: 2Co 8:9; Jn 17:5)
(1) Christ emptied Himself of divine consciousness: The Son of God laid aside His participation in the Godhead when he became a man. All the attributes of His deity literally ceased when the incarnation occurred. The Logos became a soul residing in the human Jesus.

(2) Christ emptied Himself of eternity form of being: The Logos exchanged His eternity-form for a time-form bound down by human nature. In this time-form Christ no longer had all the attributes commensurate with Deity, though He could use supernatural powers.

(3) Christ emptied Himself of relative attributes of Deity: This view differentiates between essential attributes, such as truth and love, and those that relate to the created universe, such as omnipotence and omnipresence. (Fairbairn)

(4) Christ emptied Himself of integrity of infinite divine existence: At Christ’s incarnation the Logos took up a double life. One "life centre" continued to function consciously in the Trinity while the other became incarnated with human nature, unaware of the cosmic functions of Deity. (Martensen)

(5) Christ emptied Himself of divine activity: The Logos turned over all of His divine roles and duties to the Father. The incarnate Logos was unaware of the happenings within the Godhead.

(6) Christ emptied Himself of actual exercise of divine prerogatives: The Logos retracted the mode of the divine attributes from the realm of the actual to the potential. He retained His divine consciousness but renounced the conditions of infinity and its form.

(7) Christ emptied Himself of the use of the divine attributes: The Logos possessed the divine attributes but chose not to use them. (Walvoord, Carson)

(8) Christ emptied Himself of the independent exercise of the divine attributes: The Logos always possessed and could utilize the prerogatives of Deity but always in submission to and by the power of the Father and the Holy Spirit. The incarnate Christ never did anything independently by virtue of His own Deity. (Strong, Oden) Jn 3:34 "God gives the Spirit without limit" to the One sent by the Father.

(9) Christ emptied Himself of the insignia of majesty, the prerogatives of Deity: The Logos emptied Himself of the outward form of Deity. (This view is vague as to what is precisely meant.)

b. Erickson's Explanation:

The incarnation was more a gaining of human attributes than a giving up of divine attributes.
At no point does the passage say that he ceased to possess the divine nature. See Col 2:9: "For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."
"He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant" which contrasts sharply with "equality with God" (v.6). Thus the emptying is the equality with God, not the form of God. He became functionally subordinated to the Father during incarnation. By taking on human nature, he accepted certain limitations upon the functioning of His divine attributes. These limitations were not the result of a loss of divine attributes but of the addition of human attributes.
His actions on Earth were always those of divinity-humanity. He still had the power to be everywhere (omnipresence). However, as an incarnate being, He was limited in the exercise of that power by possession of a human body. Similarly, He was still omniscient, but He possessed and exercised knowledge in connection with a human organism which grew gradually in terms of consciousness, whether of the physical environment or eternal truths. Thus, only gradually did his limited human psyche become aware of who he was and what he had come to accomplish.
This should not be considered a reduction of the power and capacities of the Son, but rather a circumstance-induced limitation on the exercise of His power and capacities.
Analogy: the world’s fastest sprinter is entered in a three-legged race with a partner. Although his physical capacity is not diminished, the conditions under which he exercises it are severely limited. For that matter, he runs a lot slower.
Conclusion: Christ’s incarnation was a voluntary, self-chosen limitation.

c. Danger of believing any limitation in Christ’s kenosis (Musick, Wheaton College):

They destroy the vital doctrine of the immutability of God (Buntin). "If God laid aside one of His attributes, the immutable undergoes a mutation, the infinite suddenly stops being infinite; it would be the end of the universe" (Sproul).
They destroy the integrity of the atonement (Buntin). The redemption of all creation and everyone who would ever believe in Christ required an infinite sacrifice that was also a perfect human being. Limiting Christ’s Divinity would leave all of humanity, and all of creation hopelessly subject to God’s curse and to His eternal wrath.
They promote a polytheistic view of God. Many Christians today believe that Jesus was fully God and that His Deity was undiminished, but that He simply did not exercise the full use of His Divine attributes when on earth. This belief is based on a misunderstanding of the Trinity. The early fathers have clearly stated that there are three Persons in the Godhead, but only one God. "We distinguish among the Persons, but we do not divide the Substance... There are not three omnipotent Beings, but one Omnipotent Being" (Creed of Athenasius). The only way to limit the use of attributes of one person without limiting the attributes of all three members of the Godhead is to divide the substance into three Divine beings for each of the three Persons. This heretical view of the Trinity would then allow Jesus to suspend His omnipotence, for example, while the Father and Holy Spirit would continue to exercise dominion in the universe.
They undermine Christ’s perfect intercessory work for us. Christ’s current ministry for each of us is based not only on perfect knowledge of us, but also on perfect knowledge of all the times. He was tempted in every way as we are, but without sin. Jesus is anywhere and everywhere any time and all the time. As our high priest He prays for us with perfect, omniscient, transcendent knowledge. He transcends space and time (Jn 8:58) and links our every temptation to His own temptation (Heb 4:12-16) to come to our aid, to sanctify us (Heb 2:10-18), that in the end He might present us before the Father "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Col 1:22). [Argument (Hung): the intercessory work is being done only now, after the period of incarnation.]
Conclusion: Jesus was 100% God while He was on Earth. The transfiguration and Christ’s affirmation before His captors - Jesus did not empty Himself of His Divine glory; it was merely veiled (Buntin).

d. Berkhof’s Explanation:

"emptied Himself" is a mistranslation. The verb ekenosen is found in only 4 other NT passages (Ro 4:14; 1Co 1:17; 9:15; 2Co 9:3); they are used figuratively and means "to make void", "of no effect", "of no account", "of no reputation" (KJV). It means Christ made Himself of no account, of no reputation, did not assert His divine prerogative, but took up the form of a servant. It does not support the kenosis theory.

e. Buswell’s Explanation:

Christ never gave up any of essential divine attributes. The form (Gr. morphe) of God could not be given up without His ceasing to be who He was. He took the form of a servant and the essential attributes of man, but He also took the schema of humanity in order that He might die upon the cross (Heb 2:14). This is confirmed by Col 2:9. Thus the ekenosen here conveys the same thought (identical in logical thought) as spendomai (poured out): "I am already poured [like a drink offering] and the time of my departure has come." (2Ti 4:6).

f. Difficulty in Mk 13:32 and Mt 24:36 that the Son does not know the day of His second coming:

Buswell: There are different levels of consciousness in human psychology. It is not a contradiction to say that a person may know something which he does not know. In one sense of the word he knows it, in the sense of the power of recall. In another sense he does not know it -- he does not hold it in his active consciousness. Prior to the incarnation the Son chose, when He became flesh, to operate in a normal human horizon so that He might literallh have common human experience. Thus, though omniscient, He chose not to have in His active consciousness at this time, the knowledge of the day and hour of His return.
Traditional: As a human, He does not know it although as a God, He knows it (at that moment). He was simply speaking from the position of the Son who was a human at that point in time. [Hung: arguable but difficult to defend]
Erickson: He genuinely did not know as He was limited while in a human body.

D4. Theories of Atonement (Question 45) [Italics indicate theories not given in the notes.]
a. Ransom or Payment to Satan (Origen): Christ’s death was a ransom paid to Satan to purchase captive man from Satan’s claims (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; 1Co 6:20).

b. Recapitulation (Irenaeus): Christ in His life recapitulated all the stages of human life, in so doing reversed the course initiated by Adam (Ro 5:15-21; Heb 2:10).

c. Dramatic (Aulen): Christ is Victor in a divine conflict of good and evil and wins man’s release from bondage (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; 1Co 15:51-57).

d. Mystical (Schleiermacher): Christ took on a human, sinful nature but through the power of the Holy Spirit triumphed over it. A knowledge of this will mystically influence man (Heb 2:10,14-18; 4:14-16).

e. Example (Pelagius, Socinus, Abelard): Christ’s death provided an example of faith and obedience to inspire man to be obedient (1Pe 2:21; 1Jn 2:6).

f. Moral influence (Abelard, Bushnell, Rashdall): Christ’s death demonstrated God’s love, which causes man’s heart to soften and repent (Ro 5:8; 2Co 5:17-19; Php 2:5-11; Col 3:24).

g. Commercial or Satisfaction (Anselm): Christ’s death brought infinite honour to God. So God gave Christ a reward which He did not need, and Christ passed it on to man (Jn 10:18).

h. Governmental (Grotius): Christ’s death demonstrates God’s high regard for His law. It shows God’s attitude toward sin. Through Christ’s death God has a rationale to forgive the sins of those who repent and accept Christ’s substitutionary death (Ps 2; 5; Isa 42:21).

i. Penal substitution (Calvin): Christ’s death was a vicarious (substitutionary) sacrifice that satisfied the demands of God’s justice upon sin, bringing forgiveness, imputing righteousness, and reconciling man to God (Jn 11:50-52; Ro 5:8-9; Titus 2:14; 1Pe 3:18).