God the Son, Student Workbook, SW10

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G O D T H E S O N

• Two prominent historical errors that contested Jesus’ humanity were put forth and refuted in the early Church councils. Nestorianism, the doctrine that Christ was two distinct persons , and Eutychianism, the doctrine that Christ has one blended nature were rejected as heresies because of their rejection of the full humanity of Jesus. The Councils of Nicea (325) and Chalcedon (381) settled these questions, affirming that Jesus was fully God and fully human . • The early councils also refuted and rejected other key errors associated with misreading Jesus’ humanity: Docetism which asserted that Jesus was not human and Apollinarianism which asserted that Jesus was not fully human . • The doctrine of the humanity of Christ is filled with many and important practical implications of the unity of Jesus’ divine and human nature. Being like us in every way yet without sin , Jesus as our high priest can empathize with our needs and represent us before God. As our Second Adam, we will be conformed to his glorious body in the time of glorification to come.

“ . . . Christ perfectly fulfilled and united in His person the three main strands of Old Testament Messianic expectation. The Carpenter of Nazareth is first the Prophet who proclaims the Word of the Lord, then the Priest who abolishes sin by sacrifice and intercession, and finally the King who rules over the entire universe. This threefold scheme provides a picture of the mediatorial work which our Lord came to earth to accomplish.” ~ Bruce Demarest, Jesus Christ: The God-Man . Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1978. p. 102.

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We who believe that God really lived on earth, and took upon Him the low estate of human form, for the purpose of man’s salvation, are very far from thinking as those do who refuse to believe that God cares for anything. . . . Fortunately, however, it is a part of the creed of Christians even to believe that God did die, and yet that he is alive forevermore.

~ Tertullian (c. 207, W), 3.319. David W. Bercot, ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998. p. 96.

I. The Purpose of God the Son’s Coming to Earth: Revelation and Redemption

Video Segment 1 Outline

A. For Revelation

1. Jesus revealed to us God’s very being and person .