Christ's Nature

[eutychus]

Thinking about this today:

What exactly was the nature of Christ? Man? God?

And if his nature was of both man and God, then how come God could exist witht he totally depraved nature of man. Would that then lead to Jesus' having the nature of redeemed man?

Insight wanted, and much appreciated.

 

[frost]

I'll take a stab. I think he had both natures within him. However, his human nature was not "depraved," as ours for he never had the propensity to sin. While he was both God and man, he was somewhat limited as a man. For instance, when asked about the end of the age, he said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." I've also heard it said that our sinful nature comes from our father. Since Jesus had no earthly father, he didn't have our sinful nature. I've not studied that a great deal but found it to be an interesting idea.

blessings...

 

[eutychus]

Excellent point about our depravity coming from our father...I hadn't even thought of that. I concur with the limitations of God he had as man. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Reformationist]

Thinking about this today:

What exactly was the nature of Christ? Man? God?

Christ had a fully human nature and a fully divine nature. His natures were not separated, nor were they intermingled.

And if his nature was of both man and God, then how come God could exist witht he totally depraved nature of man.

His human nature was wrought by immaculate conception, i.e., Mary's pregnacy was the result of divine providence, not the seed of man, through which we are inculcated with a sinful nature.

Would that then lead to Jesus' having the nature of redeemed man?

Jesus was not redeemed because He was neither born with a sinful nature nor did He ever sin.

Insight wanted, and much appreciated.

Hope that helps. The duality of Christ's nature is not something that we can fully comprehend because, other than Him, we have nothing to relate it to.

God bless

 

[Reformationist]

While he was both God and man, he was somewhat limited as a man. For instance, when asked about the end of the age, he said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

One little side note on this, there are many examples of revelation in the Gospel that are specific to the human nature of Christ, which was finite. When the Bible speaks of Christ exhibiting human characteristics, such as weeping and, as in the case of the quote above, a lack of knowledge, It is speaking of Christ's human nature. The unity of the Godhead is such that, as they are of the same essence, all three members have the same knowledge and purpose. So, when Christ said "only the Father knows the day" He didn't mean the Father knew something He didn't know in His divine nature. He meant that He did not know it in His human nature. As I mentioned before regarding the distinction between Christ's divine nature and His human nature, not only is there no intermingling of attributes, there is also no transference. Certain traits, like omniscience, omnipotence, eternality, etc., are incommunicable divine attributes.

God bless

 

[frost]

So you think that even though Christ said he didn't know the day or the hour, he really did? I agree that, "The unity of the Godhead is such that, as they are of the same essence, all three members have the same knowledge and purpose." But that statement relates to an eternal perspective. I believe when Christ was a human being on Earth, in physical time, he did not have all knowledge, nor was he omniscient and omnipotent. Now that he's glorified of course he has those qualities (and had them before the foundation of the world.)

 

[Reformationist]

So you think that even though Christ said he didn't know the day or the hour, he really did? I agree that, "The unity of the Godhead is such that, as they are of the same essence, all three members have the same knowledge and purpose." But that statement relates to an eternal perspective. I believe when Christ was a human being on Earth, in physical time, he did not have all knowledge, nor was he omniscient and omnipotent. Now that he's glorified of course he has those qualities (and had them before the foundation of the world.)

The Son always had a divine nature, even in the incarnation. I'm not saying that Christ lied. I'm saying that the knowledge of the hour and the day were knowledge that he knew only in His divine nature and, as omniscience is an incommunicable attribute, this knowledge is not transmitted to His human nature. When He said He didn't know the day and the hour He was saying that He didn't know it in His human nature.

God bless

 

[Imblessed]

The Son always had a divine nature, even in the incarnation. I'm not saying that Christ lied. I'm saying that the knowledge of the hour and the day were knowledge that he knew only in His divine nature and, as omniscience is an incommunicable attribute, this knowledge is not transmitted to His human nature. When He said He didn't know the day and the hour He was saying that He didn't know it in His human nature.

God bless

strangely enough reformationist, I actually understood what you just said and it makes sense!!!
The underlined part is what did it for me. Wow, I never thought I'd even come close to understanding how Jesus could be both God and man at the same time and still "not know" things, but I think you actually may have brought me a step or two closer....... Thanks!


( the problem is, I don't think I'll ever be able to get that understanding across to others.....LOL)

 

[frost]

The Son always had a divine nature, even in the incarnation. I'm not saying that Christ lied. I'm saying that the knowledge of the hour and the day were knowledge that he knew only in His divine nature and, as omniscience is an incommunicable attribute, this knowledge is not transmitted to His human nature. When He said He didn't know the day and the hour He was saying that He didn't know it in His human nature.

God bless

I agree completely Ref, I guess we were saying the same thing in different ways. Even though he was divine, he was also human and thus did have restrictions such as lack of knowing the exact hour and day. Those restrictions, however, did not change who he was. His Father knew, and since he and his Father were one, he, in a sense did know yet at that time he (his human nature,) didn't know the exact day/hour. It really all boils down the explanation of the Trinity which is not an easy one for us to grasp.

blessings...

 

[Fotina]

The Son always had a divine nature, even in the incarnation. I'm not saying that Christ lied. I'm saying that the knowledge of the hour and the day were knowledge that he knew only in His divine nature and, as omniscience is an incommunicable attribute, this knowledge is not transmitted to His human nature. When He said He didn't know the day and the hour He was saying that He didn't know it in His human nature.

God bless

That sounds dangerously like you are separating the divine from the human in the one person of Christ.

I think the explanation is somewhere in the verse that speaks of Christ "emptying Himself and taking the form of a slave".

peace

 

[Reformationist]

strangely enough reformationist, I actually understood what you just said and it makes sense!!!
The underlined part is what did it for me. Wow, I never thought I'd even come close to understanding how Jesus could be both God and man at the same time and still "not know" things, but I think you actually may have brought me a step or two closer....... Thanks!


( the problem is, I don't think I'll ever be able to get that understanding across to others.....LOL)

LOL! If I gave you the impression that I fully understand the concept of the duality of Jesus' nature please forgive me. It is a doctrine, much like the Trinity, that is taught but far beyond our ability to fully comprehend.

 

[Reformationist]

I agree completely Ref, I guess we were saying the same thing in different ways. Even though he was divine, he was also human and thus did have restrictions such as lack of knowing the exact hour and day. Those restrictions, however, did not change who he was. His Father knew, and since he and his Father were one, he, in a sense did know yet at that time he (his human nature,) didn't know the exact day/hour. It really all boils down the explanation of the Trinity which is not an easy one for us to grasp.

blessings...

That's exactly right and exactly what I meant. As for the Trinity, well, "not an easy one for us to grasp" is putting it lightly.

God bless

 

[Reformationist]

That sounds dangerously like you are separating the divine from the human in the one person of Christ.

Actually, in my first post in this thread, I said the opposite of that:

Christ had a fully human nature and a fully divine nature. His natures were not separated, nor were they intermingled.

God bless

 

[Imblessed]

LOL! If I gave you the impression that I fully understand the concept of the duality of Jesus' nature please forgive me. It is a doctrine, much like the Trinity, that is taught but far beyond our ability to fully comprehend.

Naww, I know you better than that! You just managed to put it in a way that helped me 'understand' it just a wee bit more, that's all.

 

[Reformationist]

Naww, I know you better than that! You just managed to put it in a way that helped me 'understand' it just a wee bit more, that's all.

Well then, that's good. Glad to have helped.

God bless

 

[theseed]

Thinking about this today:

What exactly was the nature of Christ? Man? God?

And if his nature was of both man and God, then how come God could exist witht he totally depraved nature of man. Would that then lead to Jesus' having the nature of redeemed man?

Insight wanted, and much appreciated.

Chirst is both God and Man, his humanity is came by an act of creation by the Holly Spirit. So he remained untainted by sin. God helped proved this by having him born of a virgin.

 

[Knight]

Here's an easy way to do this for those competent in math.

For humans: 1+1=2

For Christ and His nature: 1+1=1

Simple, isn't it?

 

[Bulldog]

Here's an easy way to do this for those competent in math.

For humans: 1+1=2

For Christ and His nature: 1+1=1

Simple, isn't it?

Clear as mud.

~God Bless

 

[Knight]

Clear as mud.

~God Bless

That, my friend, depends on the mud.