The Epistles to the Hebrews

Appendix  145

Appendix 39 Theological Support for the Position That Jesus Could Have Sinned Had He Chosen to Do So Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis The sinlessness of our Lord does not amount to absolute impeccability. As a true man He must have been capable of sinning. That He did not sin under the greatest provocation, that when He was reviled He blessed, when He suffered He threatened not, that He was dumb, as a sheep before its shearers, is held up to us as an example. Temptation implies the possibility of sin. If from the constitution of His person it was impossible for Christ to sin, His temptation was unreal and without effect, and He cannot sympathize with His people.

~ Charles Hodge. Systematic Theology, Abridged Edition. Edward N. Gross, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992. p. 364-365.

The second development [in patristic theology] was the shift from affirming the fact that Christ did not sin to affirming that He could not sin. This was an extension of Augustinian ideas, and it shows how far the tradition had departed from the New Testament. Not only did this belief result in some theologians asserting that Christ did not take on a human nature identical to ours but only one which was analogous, but it also demanded that some account be given of how Christ’s “impossible” temptations could be meritorious.

~ B. E. Foster. “Sinlessness of Christ.” Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright, J. I. Packer. Eds. New Dictionary of Theology. Downers Grove: InverVarsity Press, 1988. p. 643.

Did Jesus have the ability to sin? The problem hidden in that question is that if Jesus did have the ability to sin, does that mean He had original sin and participated in a fallen nature? If that were the case, He wouldn’t even be qualified to save Himself, let alone us. If He did not have the ability to sin, was His temptation (so central to God’s giving him the crown of glory for his obedience) just a charade – was He really not subjected to real temptation? The New Testament tells us that Jesus was like us at every point save one: He was without sin. It tells us that Jesus became incarnate and took upon Himself sinful nature. It also tells us that He is the second Adam. Generally, classical Christology teaches that when Jesus was incarnate and became the new Adam, He came born with the same nature that Adam had before the Fall. Adam didn’t have original sin when He was created. So Jesus did not have original sin. So we would