"CHRISTOLOGY"

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Proposition - As we look to the Word this morning, I invite you to join with me as we examine the doctrine of “Christology.” We will see the doctrine defined, challenged, defended, and supported.

Interrogative question - Who do you say that Christ is?

Hebrews 1:1–4 (NASB95)

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

1. The doctrine of Christology defined -

Christology is the study of the doctrine of Christ.

Christology includes topics such as -

• The Person of Christ

• The Deity of Christ

• The Humanity of Christ

• The Work of Christ

CHRISTOLOGY The study of Jesus in the New Testament, namely, His persona, activity, and especially His role in salvation. Another more specific use of the term concentrates on how Jesus fulfills, exercises, and redefines what it means to be the Messiah of Israel. Gupta, N. K. (2016). Christology. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

CHRIST, CHRISTOLOGY “Christ” is English for the Greek Christos, “anointed one.” The Hebrew word is Mashiach, Messiah. Christology is a compound of the Greek words Christos and logos (word, speech). Christology is the study of the person (who He is) and work (what He did/does) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Akin, D. L., Martin, R. P., & Draper, C. W. (2003). Christ, Christology. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 284–285). Holman Bible Publishers.

The doctrine of “Christology” includes -

1) the Preincarnate Christ,

Preincarnate Christ would include things such as - Eternity Past, Eternal Son of God, OT Appearances, OT Activities, and OT Prophecies.

2) the incarnate Christ, and

Incarnate Christ would include things such as - Incarnation, Teachings, Miracles, Arrest and Trials, Death and Atonement, and Resurrection and Ascension.

3) the Glorified Christ.

Glorified Christ would include things such as - Heavenly Intercessor, Rapture, Judgment Seat, Second Coming, Millennial Reign, Great White Throne Judgment, and Eternity Future.

2. The doctrine of “Christology” Challenged -

EBIONISM -

Ebionism. One of the earliest errors to infect the church insisted on the humanity of Christ to the exclusion of his deity because its proponents denied the preexistence of Christ—a view influenced by first-century Jewish teachings. This heresy became known as Ebionism. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

GNOSTICISM -

Gnosticism. As a movement with roots preceding the New Testament church, Gnosticism gradually assimilated Christian elements. It consisted of a second-century eclectic cult combining Greek philosophy, Persian dualism, Judaistic thought, elements of oriental mystery religions, and Christianity. Gnosticism’s main tenet echoed Plato’s concept of matter being evil and spirit being good. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

ADOPTIONISM/MODALISM -

Adoptionism/Modalism. Some in the early church accepted a view holding that God adopted (thus the term Adoptionism) the man Jesus as his son at some point following his birth—either at his baptism or his resurrection. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

DOCETISM -

Docetism. The Docetists derive their name from the Greek term dokeō, meaning “seem” or “appear.” This group took the opposite extreme of the Adoptionists and insisted on the deity of Christ while rejecting his humanity. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

ARIANISM -

Arianism. The next heresy to assail the person and work of Christ arose out of the teachings of Arius (AD 250–336), an elder in the church at Alexandria, Egypt. He and his followers assumed that the Son’s temporary submission to the will of the Father in the program of redemption involved an eternal inequality between the Father and the Son. Arians viewed Christ as merely a created being, although he was the first and most supreme of all creatures. Christ was not of the same substance as God but of a similar substance. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

APOLLINARIANISM -

Apollinarianism. The next error to arise in the early church affirmed the true deity of Christ but denied his full humanity. The Apollinarians—named for Apollinaris (ca. AD 315–ca. 392), bishop of Laodicea—believed that Christ possessed a real body and an immortal sensitive soul, but they denied to him a truly human mind (or rational soul). MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

NESTORIANISM -

Nestorianism. A significant division occurred in the early church due to the false teachings of Nestorius of Constantinople (ca. AD 381–ca. 451). He attributed a dual personality to Christ—two persons and two natures, rather than one person and two natures. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

EUTYCHIANISM -

Eutychianism. The view of Apollinarianism led to another controversy called Monophysitism (belief in “one nature”) or Eutychianism, referring to its originator, Eutyches of Constantinople (ca. AD 378–ca. 454). Eutyches held that the deity and humanity of Christ were devoid of distinction—the two were fused together into a third nature that was neither God nor man but something in between. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 268). Crossway.

3. The doctrine of “Christology” defended -

The Council of Nicaea - AD 325

Defended the deity of Christ; opposed Arianism

The Council of Constantinople I AD 381

Defended the deity of Christ; opposed Arianism and Apollinarianism

The Council of Ephesus AD 431

Defended the two natures of Christ; opposed Nestorianism

The Council of Chalcedon AD 451

Defended the two natures of Christ; opposed Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism/Monophysitism

The Council of Constantinople II AD 553

Defended the two natures of Christ; opposed Eutychianism/Monophysitism

The Council of Constantinople III AD 680–681

Defended the two natures of Christ; opposed Monotheletism

The Council of Nicaea II AD 787

Defended the use of icons

4. The doctrine of “Christology” supported -

John 1:1–3 NASB95

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

John 1:14 NASB95

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 8:58 NASB95

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

John 10:30 NASB95

30 “I and the Father are one.”

Philippians 2:6–8 (NASB95)

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Colossians 1:15–20 (NASB95)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 2:9 NASB95

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Hebrews 1:1–3 (NASB95)

So What?

Our response to the doctrine of “Christology” -

“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all!

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,

Ye ransomed from the fall,

Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all;

Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all!

Let every kindred, every tribe,

On this terrestrial ball,

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of all;

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of all!

O that with yonder sacred throng

We at His feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all;

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all!

~Edward Perronet (1726–1792) adapted by John Rippon (1751–1836)

This denial [of the deity of the Son] is possible only for those who disregard the teachings of Scripture, for the Bible contains an abundance of evidence for the deity of Christ. We find that Scripture

(1) explicitly asserts the deity of the Son in such passages as John 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Tit. 2:13; 1 John 5:20;

(2) applies divine names to Him, Isa. 9:6; 40:3; Jer. 23:5, 6; Joel 2:32 (comp. Acts 2:21); 1 Tim. 3:16;

(3) ascribes to Him divine attributes, such as eternal existence, Isa. 9:6; John 1:1, 2; Rev. 1:8; 22:13, omnipresence, Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13, omniscience, John 2:24, 25; 21:17; Rev. 2:23, omnipotence. Isa. 9:6; Phil. 3:21; Rev. 1:8, immutability, Heb. 1:10–12; 13:8, and in general every attribute belonging to the Father, Col. 2:9;

(4) speaks of Him as doing divine works, as creation, John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10, providence, Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 17:2; Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3, the forgiveness of sins, Matt. 9:2–7; Mark 2:7–10; Col. 3:13, resurrection and judgment, Matt. 25:31, 32; John 5:19–29; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Phil. 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:1, the final dissolution and renewal of all things, Heb. 1:10–12; Phil. 3:21; Rev. 21:5, and

(5) accords Him divine honour, John 5:22, 23; 14:1; 1 Cor. 15:19; 2 Cor. 13:13; Heb. 1:6; Matt. 28:19. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1938), 94–95.

Turn in your Bible’s to Philippians 2 verse 9 with me

Philippians 2:9–11 (NASB95)

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How is the doctrine of “Christology” affecting your life?

Illustration - get on my knees and place different objects between me and the Lord -

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