· Christology ·

Lecture Thirty Nine:  Kenotic Christology

TH330 Systematic Theology I · Moody Bible Institute · Dr. Richard M. Weber

I. The Text

Phil. 2:5-11.  “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

“Kenotic theology” - “refers to the self-emptying of Christ in the Incarnation, as well as his conscious acceptance of obedience to the divine will that led him to death by crucifixion.  Many theologians see in the term a reference to Jesus’ choice not to exercise the prerogatives and powers that were his by virtue of his divine nature.  In the nineteenth century certain thinkers built this idea into a kenotic Christology, which spoke of the incarnation as the self-emptying of the preexistent, eternal Son to become the human Jesus.  This self-emptying involved the setting aside of certain divine attributes, or at least the independent exercise of his divine powers.”  (“Kenotic Theology” in Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1999).

II. Paul’s Meaning in the Text

A. The Eternal Existence of Christ

B. The Self-Emptying (vs. 7-8)

Not a change in content, but a change in form or in accompanying the form.

“Obviously in order to die, He had to become man.  In order to do that He had to empty Himself of His preincarnate position, yet without diminishing the Person.  There was no way He could become a man and remain in the position He had in His preincarnate state.  But He could and did become a man while retaining the complete attributes of His preincarnate Person, that is, of full Deity.”  (Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology).

C. Two False Understandings of the Kenosis

1. Christ Surrendered Some (or All) of His Divine Attributes

2. Christ Appeared as a Man by Disguising His Deity

D. Conclusion:  A Explanation of the Kenosis

If we talk about the God-man and we talk about the man part, then we say that there were limitations. But if we talk about the God-man then we see there is authority. The God-man does perform miracles in His own power. Paul says that He took the nature of a servant, not the nature of a king. He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death. This servant is the chief example of what a servant should look like…that He had full deity, and became humble enough to allow murder.

Ryrie:  “In the kenosis Christ emptied Himself of retaining and exploiting His status in the Godhead and took on humanity in order to die.”  (Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology)