Mister Richardson’s
Bible Doctrine Class

Chapter 14: The Person of Christ

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. - John 1:14.

A. The Humanity of Christ

1. Virgin birth - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:34-35.
   • This shows salvation must come from the Lord - Galatians 4:4-5.
   • The virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity in one person.
   • The virgin birth also makes possible Christ's true humanity without inherited sin - Luke 1:35.
2. Human weakness and limitations:
   • Jesus had a human body - Luke 24:39. He thirsted, He hungered, He grew tired.
   • Jesus had a human mind - Luke 2:52; Hebrews 5:8.
   • Jesus had a human soul and emotions - Matt 26:38; John 11:35, 12:27, 13:21.
3. Sinlessness
   • Jesus was tempted - Luke 4:13.
   • He did not sin - Hebrews 4:15.
4. Could Jesus have sinned (impeccability)?
5. Why was Jesus' full humanity necessary?
   • For representative obedience - Romans 5:18-19; 1 Cor 15:45-47.
   • To be a substitute sacrifice - Hebrews 2:16-17, 4:15-16.

B. The Deity of Christ

1. Direct scriptural claims:
   • The word God (theos) is used of Christ - John 1:1,18, 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8 (quoting Psalm 45:6); 2 Peter 1:1; Isaiah 9:6.
   • The word Lord (kyrios) is used of Christ - This is the same word as you find in the Old Testament for YHWH (Yahweh), which is translated in the KJV, LORD. Kyrios is used to translate the name of the Lord 6,814 times in the OT. Luke 2:11; Matthew 3:3 (Isaiah 40:3); Psalm 110:1 (Matt 22:44); 1 Corinthians 8:6.
   • Other strong claims:
     • I am - John 8:58 (Exodus 3:14).
     • Alpha & Omega - Revelation 22:13.
     • The Son of Man - Daniel 7:13; Matthew 26:64.
     • Son of God - Matthew 11:25-30, 17:5; 1 Corinthians 15:28; Hebrews 1:1-3,5,8; John 1:14,18,34,49, 8:19, 14:9.
     • Fullness of God - Colossians 1:19, 2:9.
     • The Resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
2. Evidence that Jesus possessed attributes of God:
   • Omnipotence - Matthew 8:26-27, 14:19; John 2:1-11.
   • Eternity - John 8:58; Revelation 22:13.
   • Omniscience - Mark 2:8; John 2:25, 6:64.
   • Omnipresence - Matthew 18:20, 28:20.
   • Sovereignty - Mark 2:5-7; I say to you instead of Thus saith the Lord.
   • Worthy to be worshipped - Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 19:10.
3. Did Jesus give up some of His divive attributes while on earth (kenosis)?
   • No. He was fully God. Not acting is not the same as not having.
4. Why was it necessary for Jesus to be God?
   • Only an infinite God could bear the full penalty for sins.
   • Salvation is from God - we can't save ourselves.
   • Only someone who is truly God could be our mediator - 1 Tim 2:5.

C. The Incarnation

1. Inadequate views of the person of Christ:
   • Apollinarianism - Human body, not human mind.
   • Nestorianism - Two separate persons in Christ, human and divine.
   • Monophysitism (Eutychianism) - One mixed nature. Neither fully God or man.
   • Docetism (Gnosticism) - Denied humanity of Christ.
   • Arianism - Denied deity of Christ.
2. The Chalcedonian Definition (451) - Fully God & Man in one person.
3. One nature does some things that the other nature does not do.
4. Anything either nature does, the person of Christ does.
5. Jesus was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Give three evidences from Scripture for the humanity of Jesus Christ.
2. Give two reasons why it was necessary for Jesus to be fully human.
3. Name three ways in which the Bible explicitly states that Jesus is God.
4. Why was Jesus' deity necessary?
5. In what ways were Arianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Monophysitism erroneous in their view of Christ?
6. How did the Chalcedonian Definition contribute to a proper understanding of the person of Christ?

TERMS
Apollonarianism, Arianism, Chalcedonian Definition, docetism, Eutychianism, God, impeccability, incarnation, kenosis theory, Lord, monophysitism, Nestorianism, Son of God, Son of Man, virgin birth.

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
Q20: Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?
A20: God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life,1 did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer

Q21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?
A21: The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever.

Q22: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
A22: Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her yet without sin.

LINKS
The Nicene Creed - Wikipedia
The Nicene Creed - Spurgeon.org
How Can Jesus be God and Man? - John Piper
Docetism - Catholic Encyclopedia
Apollinarianism - Gervase Charmley
Arianism - Gervase Charmley
Gnosticism - Gervase Charmley

QUOTES
What we receive in the gospel is not benefits but Christ and therefore the focus of public preaching and private pastoral ministry must be to set forth Christ.
- Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ

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