Did Christ Exist Eternally in the Flesh?

[wmc1982]

I know Christ exists eternally but what about in flesh? And if not, on what basis was His fleshly form based on? I can't imagine His fleshly body's appearance was randomly based. Could it be based on what the first Adam looked like since He was "the second Adam"?

I've assumed that in flesh he looked Middle Eastern and I know this isn't important because I know Christ not based on a fleshly image and God doesn't provide me with a fleshly image to base my knowledge on Him. But the Apostles knew Him in a way I won't know on this Earth (unless He comes back in my lifetime). And I wonder if in Heaven if He will have any sort of existence in a flesh body?

Does His form in the flesh have importance to us knowing Him at all? Will we know Him more by knowing Him in the flesh in Heaven?

(I know these might be questions that aren't meant for us to know right now and I don't want to bring division based on these questions. I just want to know Christ more and I wonder if I would know Him more if If I lived in the time of His earthly flesh incarnation, and if that fleshly body existed before His incarnation. I mean when Christ came back after the Ressurection to meet with the Apostles and others it seems he was in a fleshly form (showing the wounds from the nails in His hands), so how does His flesh body have eternal significance and did this body always exist eternally?)

 

[Tangible]

The two natures of Christ cannot be separated.

 

[Albion]

Not eternally fleshy, no. Scripture supports the idea that God took on flesh at the time of the Incarnation. And as for Christ's appearance, the Virgin Mary did conceive a child, so he would look much like her. In heaven, Christ has a body, but remember that it was a glorified body after the Resurrection, and it is believed that our bodies will be glorified in a similar way.

 

[AnticipateHisComing]

The two natures of Christ cannot be separated.

I can separate a time where the Word/Son of God existed as a spiritual being before taking on flesh.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

And scripture says this was a lowered state that the Son of God took on.

Psalm 8:5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Jesus went to heaven and returned to his glorified state.
Heb 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

I think of the Son of God in heaven more like as he appeared in his transfiguration.

Mat 17:2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
Rev 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

 

[AnticipateHisComing]

In heaven, Christ has a body, but remember that it was a glorified body after the Resurrection, and it is believed that our bodies will be glorified in a similar way.

The Son of God is glorified in heaven. We will be glorified. Does not mean our glory is the same. I don't believe we will shine with light like the Son of God does. All glorifications are not the same.

 

[pdudgeon]

no th

The Son of God is glorified in heaven. We will be glorified. Does not mean our glory is the same. I don't believe we will shine with light like the Son of God does. All glorifications are not the same.

No, all glorification's are not the same, but they all have the same source in God.
As we have seen through examples of God's creativity on Earth,
it is my belief that the same creativity and diversity will be present in heaven.

Moreover, from John's descriptions in Revelation I believe that there will be things and wonders seen in heaven
that have never been seen on earth.

and to answer the original question, Christ took on perishable flesh for our sake, and discarded it as we shall when He arose from the grave.

 

[Albion]

The Son of God is glorified in heaven. We will be glorified. Does not mean our glory is the same.

Not much there that could be called controversial, is there?

 

[football5680]

No.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

The word "became" would imply that there was a change so he did not exist eternally in the flesh, but became flesh at a point in time.

 

[Rick Otto]

The Son of God is glorified in heaven. We will be glorified. Does not mean our glory is the same. I don't believe we will shine with light like the Son of God does. All glorifications are not the same.

The same only generally in the sense they are are definitely all glorification, but different specifically in category and iindividual incident appropriate to God's purpose therein.

 

[Catherineanne]

I know Christ exists eternally but what about in flesh? And if not, on what basis was His fleshly form based on? I can't imagine His fleshly body's appearance was randomly based. Could it be based on what the first Adam looked like since He was "the second Adam"?

I've assumed that in flesh he looked Middle Eastern and I know this isn't important because I know Christ not based on a fleshly image and God doesn't provide me with a fleshly image to base my knowledge on Him. But the Apostles knew Him in a way I won't know on this Earth (unless He comes back in my lifetime). And I wonder if in Heaven if He will have any sort of existence in a flesh body?

Does His form in the flesh have importance to us knowing Him at all? Will we know Him more by knowing Him in the flesh in Heaven?

(I know these might be questions that aren't meant for us to know right now and I don't want to bring division based on these questions. I just want to know Christ more and I wonder if I would know Him more if If I lived in the time of His earthly flesh incarnation, and if that fleshly body existed before His incarnation. I mean when Christ came back after the Ressurection to meet with the Apostles and others it seems he was in a fleshly form (showing the wounds from the nails in His hands), so how does His flesh body have eternal significance and did this body always exist eternally?)

Aiui, yes, Christ is in heaven in his bodily form; he was assumed into heaven in his body, and he bears on that body the marks of his crucifixion. The same is true of Moses and Elijah; the Bible describes how each was assumed bodily into heaven. The same is also true of the Virgin Mary, although this is from Tradition rather than Scripture; she died and her body was then assumed into heaven.

The Nicene Creed talks about the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come; this will be an existence of both flesh and spirit.

 

[Cappadocious]

what basis was His fleshly form based on?

His Mother.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

I know Christ exists eternally but what about in flesh? And if not, on what basis was His fleshly form based on? I can't imagine His fleshly body's appearance was randomly based. Could it be based on what the first Adam looked like since He was "the second Adam"?

I've assumed that in flesh he looked Middle Eastern and I know this isn't important because I know Christ not based on a fleshly image and God doesn't provide me with a fleshly image to base my knowledge on Him. But the Apostles knew Him in a way I won't know on this Earth (unless He comes back in my lifetime). And I wonder if in Heaven if He will have any sort of existence in a flesh body?

Does His form in the flesh have importance to us knowing Him at all? Will we know Him more by knowing Him in the flesh in Heaven?

(I know these might be questions that aren't meant for us to know right now and I don't want to bring division based on these questions. I just want to know Christ more and I wonder if I would know Him more if If I lived in the time of His earthly flesh incarnation, and if that fleshly body existed before His incarnation. I mean when Christ came back after the Ressurection to meet with the Apostles and others it seems he was in a fleshly form (showing the wounds from the nails in His hands), so how does His flesh body have eternal significance and did this body always exist eternally?)

That depends. If God isn't subject to his creation of time, then yes he has always been in the flesh after the Incarnation as God's point of existence is not subject to time. I don't know the exact terminology, but the idea is that God is not subject to time and is in fact literally doing everything at once. Some people don't prescribe to this ideology, as I do not think much scripture supports it.

 

[Tangible]

A good, brief, explanation of the Two Natures of Christ based on the works of the early Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz can be found here: http://lutherantheologystudygroup.blogspot.com/2010/09/lutheran-christology-two-natures-of.html

Genus Idiomaticum
Each nature has its own peculiar essential or natural attributes, which it retains even in the union, yet without conversion or confusion. The difference of the natures is not abolished because of the union, but rather the property of each nature is preserved intact and takes part in forming the one person. An example this can be seen when Jesus feeds the 5,000. This was wrought with the human hands of Jesus and his divine nature.

Genus Majestaticum
The divine nature of Christ in itself has received nothing from the hypostatic union, but his human nature has received and possesses innumerable supernatural gifts and qualities which are contrary to its nature and which are above every name and also above, beyond, and exceeding its own essential properties, which still, however, remain unimpaired. This can be seen in Jesus walking on the water, and walking through the wall and appearing to his disciples in a locked room.

More importantly this genus starkly separates Calvinism from Lutherans in their view on the Lord's Supper. Lutherans maintained that this genus allowed Christ to be physically present with his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. As Jesus is God, Jesus – as both God and man – can be omnipresent, even in Communion. Calvinists did not hold to this genus and so they asserted that only Christ’s divine nature, and not his human nature, could be present in the Sacrament - the "Spiritual Presence" View. Their reasoning is that Christ’s human nature could not be present on an altar while also being present in heaven.

Genus Apotelesmaticum
The union of Christ’s two natures took place in order that the work of redemption, propitiation, and salvation could be accomplished in, with, and through both of His natures. This essentially meant that when Christ died on the cross and rose again, he did so in both natures. This genus is very important to understand. If Jesus died only in his divine nature, he could not have died. If Jesus died in his human nature only, his death could not have made satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

 

[Berean777]

...

 

[rnmomof7]

I know Christ exists eternally but what about in flesh? And if not, on what basis was His fleshly form based on? I can't imagine His fleshly body's appearance was randomly based. Could it be based on what the first Adam looked like since He was "the second Adam"?

I've assumed that in flesh he looked Middle Eastern and I know this isn't important because I know Christ not based on a fleshly image and God doesn't provide me with a fleshly image to base my knowledge on Him. But the Apostles knew Him in a way I won't know on this Earth (unless He comes back in my lifetime). And I wonder if in Heaven if He will have any sort of existence in a flesh body?

Does His form in the flesh have importance to us knowing Him at all? Will we know Him more by knowing Him in the flesh in Heaven?

(I know these might be questions that aren't meant for us to know right now and I don't want to bring division based on these questions. I just want to know Christ more and I wonder if I would know Him more if If I lived in the time of His earthly flesh incarnation, and if that fleshly body existed before His incarnation. I mean when Christ came back after the Ressurection to meet with the Apostles and others it seems he was in a fleshly form (showing the wounds from the nails in His hands), so how does His flesh body have eternal significance and did this body always exist eternally?)

He did not exist in the flesh before the incarnation... but He is eternally in His glorified flesh now seated at the right hand of the Father ....

 

[Berean777]

What about the deity figure who breathed into man and man became a living soul?
What about the deity figure who walked in the Garden of Eden?
What about the deity figure who dined with Abraham in his tent?
What about the deity figure who wrestled with Jacob?
What about the deity figure who stood in the furnace with Daniel?
What about the deity figure called the Angel of Yahweh's presence?

 

[rnmomof7]

What about the deity figure who breathed into man and man became a living soul?
What about the deity figure who walked in the Garden of Eden?
What about the deity figure who dined with Abraham in his tent?
What about the deity figure who wrestled with Jacob?
What about the deity figure who stood in the furnace with Daniel?
What about the deity figure called the Angel of Yahweh's presence?

The pre incarnate Christ

 

[Berean777]

The pre incarnate Christ

Ok you say pre-incarnate and I agree.
This pre-incarnate form was not the earthy form, then what form was it?

 

[AnticipateHisComing]

Ok you say pre-incarnate and I agree.
This pre-incarnate form was not the earthy form, then what form was it?

Scripture in the Old Testament tells of the spiritual, both angels and God appearing in physical form as men. I disagree with your statement that these were not earthly forms. I believe that these physical appearances by the spiritual were only temporary. They returned to heaven to their spiritual form.

So many think it unfathomable that Jesus would "dispose" of his earthly body when he ascended into heaven. I say it is no different than what he did after his Old Testament appearances.

 

[Berean777]

Scripture in the Old Testament tells of the spiritual, both angels and God appearing in physical form as men. I disagree with your statement that these were not earthly forms. I believe that these physical appearances by the spiritual were only temporary. They returned to heaven to their spiritual form.

So many think it unfathomable that Jesus would "dispose" of his earthly body when he ascended into heaven. I say it is no different than what he did after his Old Testament appearances.

When you say Jesus disposed of his earthly body and returned to heaven as a spirit, you are in line with the preterist.