LECTURE NOTES

ON

CHRISTOLOGY

THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN BIBLE COLLEGE

Motto: "CHRIST'S AMBASSADORS"

© The Redeemed Christian Bible College,

Lagos, Nigeria, 2004

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978 - 8071-08-2

From the
Chairman,
Board of Governors
Last year we presented to us an improved curriculum of The
Redeemed Christian Bible College to the glory of God. The Lord is
helping us to execute the provisions in the revised curriculum.

In an attempt to make the revised curriculum worthwhile in content,

we have embarked upon the revision of the materials we are using in
the teaching-learning procedure.

I am happy to present to our students this improved lecture material

on Christology. We hope this will further enrich your knowledge on
general knowledge of the entire Bible.

God bless you as you read and study this lecture material along with
your class discussions with your lecturer.

PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
General Overseer,
RCCG / Chairman Board of Governors,
RCBC
 MODULE 1

General lntroduction and Definition of Terms

Christology consists of two Greek Words, - ‘Christos’ i.e. Christ, and ‘Logos’
i.e. - Word or statement. Therefore, Christology could simply mean the
statements or words about Christ. There are many reasons why we need to study
Christology. The reasons are:
1. That we may know more about Christ - Phil. 3:10.
2. Because the Lord Himself commands us to learn of Him -
Matt. 11:28-29.
3. That we may be like Christ - Phil. 2:8; 1 John 4:17.
4. That we may know Christ's dos and don'ts.
5. That we may be able to accurately tell others about Him.
Knowing Christ is knowing the mind of God, hence, we study Christology in
order to know the mind of God. The knowledge of Christology helps a
student to have a clear understanding of the reason why Christ came, suffered,
died and resurrected.

The four gospels are to be examined in their harmonious presentation of the life
and ministry of Christ. This course, however, inspires devotion and love towards
God in the student's life. It offers sound knowledge and clear understanding of
the life of Christ. The scripture commands us to learn of Christ. As we learn of
Him, the more we be like Him. By this study, our life is expected to change for
His glory and likeness. This is an invitation of Christ to every one to come
before Him and learn. Before our experience of salvation, we were living in sin.
But after salvation, we find rest and peace for our souls.

Many people stop at salvation and never know more about Him. Some people
know Him to the extent of sanctification i.e. they know Him as sanctifier and
no more. Although, we shall know about Him by this study, we cannot learn all
about Him through eternity. Jesus said ..."Learn of me, for I am meek..." Can we
sincerely say we are as meek as Jesus? Many of us are proud of our achievement,
ability and positions. Though Christ is unlimited, yet He is meek to the point of
death on the Cross. There is a need for us to humble ourselves and learn of Him.
We need to allow Jesus to teach Himself to us. We must be like babes - forgetting
all we think we have known about Him in the past and let us say to Him "Speak to
me about Yourself, Lord". We may think we have known much about Him and
we may discover that we know little to nothing. Even the disciples, after they had
been with him for so long, discovered they did not know much about Him. Our
prayer, therefore, should be "Open my heart Oh Lord, I am ready to obey".

Definition of Title

Christology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with the person of and
ministry of Christ. In traditional Christian theology it logically precedes Soteriology,
the doctrine of Christ's saving work, because Christology seeks to explain the saving
work of Christ by explaining the person of Jesus. In the actual history of the Church,
however, Soteriology preceded Christology, because the belief in Jesus' saving role
led to claims about who He was. Christology is not the formulation of revealed
propositions as much as it is the Christian response to the phenomenon of Jesus.

Christ, Greek term found in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint,
translating varied forms of the Hebrew verb mashakh,"to anoint" (most
frequently the nominal form ‘siah’, although Judaism asserts that the Messiah
is yet to come. The concept of the Messiah combines the Hebrew ideal of
Davidic king with the priestly tradition exemplified by Moses. Christians
have also seen in certain passages in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah a
third characteristic of the-Messiah, that of the suffering servant (see Isaiah
53). In Christian theology, Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of all the three
concepts.

According to the first three Gospels, the Messiahship of. Jesus was
proclaimed by angels at the time of His conception (see Matthew 120-23),
at His birth (see Luke 2:9 - 4) and during His baptism (see Mark 1:11) . It
was later acknowledged by demons (see Luke 4:41) and, finally, by St Peter
and Jesus Himself (see Matthew 16:16-17). According to the Gospel of
Mark (see 14:61-64), it was Jesus' admission that He was the Messiah that
led to His crucifixion.
Tutorial Questions

I) What is Christology?
2) How can you dismiss its pre-eminence to , Soteriology?
 MODULE 2

The Deity of Christ

The names of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus is called "God", a generic name (Isa. 9:6; John 1:1-18; 20:28;
Rom 9:5; 14:7-12; I Tim. 3:16; Titus 1:3; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20). He exists in
"the form of God" (Phil. 26). He is "the image of the invisible God" (Col 1- .15),
and He is "the express image of His (God's) Being" (Heb. 1:3 "person").
LORD
A comparison of certain New Testament passages with their Old
Testament sources shows that Jesus is sometimes identified as "LORD"
(Yahweh or Jehovah), the Old Testament personal name of God, (Luke
1:68; Psalm 106:48; Luke 3:4-6; Isaiah 40:3-4; 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer 23:15-16;
Rev. 1:7; Zech 12:1-10; Eph.4:8-10; Psalm 68:4:18; and Heb. 1:10-12;
Psa.102:12,25-27). He is also identified as "Lord" (Adonai), the primary
Old Testament title of God, as in Matthew 22:41-46; Psalm 110:1; and
John 12:37-42; Isa. 6 1 .

THE WORD
As a spoken or written word expresses one's thoughts or feelings, so God
the Son, as "the Word" (John 1:1-14; Rev. 19:13), has always manifested
the invisible God and expressed His truth to man (Col 1:15; 2:9; . Matt.
11:27). Before His incarnation (His coming to earth and taking on
Himself a sinless human nature), God the Son expressed certain qualities
of God's nature by His creative work (John 1:1-3; Ps.19:1) as well as God's
thoughts by the words of OT prophets and Scripture writers. With His incar-
nation, the Son manifested God the Father by His human words, attitude, and
actions; later He transmitted the N.T. Scriptures to their writers through the
Holy Spirit (John 1:14, 18; 5:19; 12:49-50; 14:811; 16:12-13; Rev. 1:1). He
is the only one who can fully reveal God (Matt. 11:27; Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15;
2:9).

THE SON OF GOD

This title is used of angels (Jobs 1:6) and humans (Luke 3:38; Rom. 8:14;
Ps. 82:6), for they possess God's image, which is personhood. But when it
is used of the Lord Jesus, it expresses His eternal divine relationship to
and equality with God the Father (John 5:18-2 ). Observe that He was the
Son of God before His incarnation (Ps. 2:7; Gal. 4:4) and that the Holy
Spirit was the father of His human nature (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:35). The
Jews regarded "Son of God" to be a title of Deity (John 5:17-18; 10 3 1-
36). In biblical language, to be a son of someone is for somebody to have
the character of that person or thing (Matt. 5:45; John 17:12; Eph. 2:2-3). In
the case of Jesus, He manifested the character of the Father, for He and the
Father are one (John 10:30). This emphasizes their essential unity; their
having in common the single divine nature. Thus, Jesus is the Son of God
because He inherently possesses the divine nature of the Father's eternal
generation.

Closely related to the concept of Jesus' divine son ship are the following
designations:

1. He is "the First Begotten." This designation marks His priority in

time or rank, as in the following examples:
a. He is prior to and ranks above all creation (Col. 1:15). The
self-consistence of the scriptures requires us to regard "of creation" as
a genitive of reference rather than a genitive of identification. Thus,
God the Son is above all with reference, to creation, not
as a part of creation (Co. 1:16-17).
b. He is Mary's firstborn son, being born before her other
children (Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:7).
c. He is the first to rise physically from the dead, never to die
again (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5). As the Last Adam, He is the first member
and leader of the new humanity, as its Pattern and Leader, whose
human likeness all saved people will share (Rom. 8:29; Col.1:15; 1
John 3:2). It is the first of these examples that speaks of Jesus' deity, as
the divine Creator (Col. 1:15). The remaining three examples relate to
His humanity.

2. He is "the Only Begotten Son."

 This designation (John 1:14, 18; 3:16; 18; 1 John 4:9) emphasizes
the uniqueness of God the Son in His divine relation to God the
Father. As the Father's only Son, the Second Person of the divine
Trinity is the Only Begotten One in a sense that no one else is.
Unlike creaturely sons of God, the Son's divine nature is being
eternally generated by the Father (Luke 7:12; 8:42;9:38; Heb.
11:17).

Tutorial Questions:
1.) List the names of Jesus Christ.
2.) Explain the phrase "the first begotten".
 MODULE 3

The Pre-existence of Christ

Christ's birth was not His Beginning

Jesus Christ is different from any other person that has ever lived.
His life did not begin at the time of His birth because He has no
beginning. John 1:1 tells us that Jesus existed even before the
creation of the world and He was with the Father at the time of
creation - John 1:2. In Genesis 1:26, we read: "Then God said let us
make man in our image…" The use of the pronoun “US” shows that.
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity was there with the Father.

All things were created by Him - John 1:3, 10. All that God is, is
revealed in Jesus Christ His Son when the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us - John 1:14. This is truly God in the flesh. He is
both God and man. As God in the sense that He had no beginning
and as man He was born a baby in Bethlehem. Christ is the Ultimate
Revelation of God. The Deity of Christ is the bedrock of
Christianity. It makes Christianity the only religion that portrays the
nature of God Himself. Therefore, Christianity is THE RELIGION.
According to Schleiermacher, "Christianity is a monotheistic faith,
belonging to the teleological type of religion, and is essentially
distinguished from other such faiths by the fact that in it everything
is related to the redemption accomplished by Jesus of Nazareth."

The Deity of Christ also shows Christ as being capable of the work of
redemption. Schleiermacher further wrote: "the Redeemer
distinguishes Himself exclusively from all other men by the
uninterrupted power of God-consciousness, because God's actual
being was-in Him." The deity of Christ established that He is greater
and has actually existed before Adam because He came to rectify the
mistake of Adam. His deity also shows His superiority over
Abraham.
Several biblical passages speak of God the Son's existence
before His incarnation as said earlier. However, it is the fact of
His eternal pre-existence that underscores His deity. This is stated
emphatically in Micah 5:2, "Whose goings forth have been from
old, from everlasting, " and it is implied in Isaiah 9:6 (Heb.
"Father of eternity "); John 1:1; 17:5; Col. 1:16-17 and Rev.
1:11).

The Christ In Prophecy

The Old Testament has many other prophecies of the Christ.
Perhaps no one can tell how many because there may be some
that are not yet recognized. Three kinds of prophecies may be
mentioned here:

1. Types or Symbols. For example, every animal killed in

sacrifice may be regarded as a symbol of Christ's sacrifice of
his life.
2. Obscure Prophecies. Such was the early promise that the
seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent –
Genesis 3:15.
3. Plain Statement: Such was the promise that God would raise
up a prophet similar to Moses - Deut. 18:15.

The writers and the time of Prophecies concerning Christ

a. The prophecies about Christ were not all written by one man, but were
given through Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel,
Micah, Malachi and others.
b. These prophecies were not all written at the same time. Those
of Moses were written nearly fifteen hundred years before
Christ came, those of David about a thousand years before
Christ came. Those of Isaiah more than seven hundred years
before Christ came and those of Malachi about four hundred
years before Christ came.
c. These prophecies are not in just one book or one section of
the Old Testament, but run through all its sections. The first
 one is that the seed of a woman will bruise the head of the
serpent in Genesis and the last is that of the sun of
righteousness in the last chapter of Malachi.

Specific Examples of Prophecy concerning Christ

The study of a few examples may help us understand more about
Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ. Look up these
passages:
i. Jesus was a minister in Galilee - Isa. 9:1-7; Matt.
4:12-16
ii. He was to enter Jerusalem in triumph - Zech. 9:9;
Matt. 24:4-5.
iii. He was to be despised and to be rejected - Isa. 53:3;
Mat. 27:21-23.
iv. He was to be a man of sorrows - Isa. 3:3-4; Matt.
26:3638.
v. He was to be betrayed by a friend - Isa. 41:9; John

13:18
vi. Even the price for the betrayal was foretold - Zeh.
11:12-13; Matt. 27:3-10.
vii. He was to be silent on trial - Isaiah 53:7; Matt.
27:12-14.
viii. He was to be sentenced to death - Isa. 53:8; Matt.
14:61-64.
ix He was to suffer abuse - Isa. 53:5,7; Matt. 26:67-
68; 27:27-30.
x. He was to suffer scourging - Isa. 53:5 John 19:1.
xi. His hands and feet were to be pierced - Psa. 22:26;
John 20:20; 25-27.
xii. His garment was to be shared by lot - Psa. 22: 18;
John19:23-24.
xiii. He was to endure cruel mockery – Psa. 22:7-8; Matt.
27:41-43.
xiv. He was to be numbered with transgressors - Isa.
53:12; Mark 15:27:28.
 xv. His bone was not to be broken - Psa. 34:20; John
19:36.
xvi. He was to be pierced.- Zech 12:10; John 19:37
xvii. He was to be with the rich in His death - Isa. 53:9;
Matt. 27:57-60.

One should not believe that men by human power alone could look
hundreds of years into the future and foretell such details
accurately. But God guided the prophets and God knows the future
as well as the past. (11 Pet.1:21)

N.B. Some theologians advocate using alternative Christological

models to explain the doctrines of pre-existence and incarnation,
preferring the New Testament metaphor of God's "sends His own
Son” to the latter, entirely intellectualized Christology of
Chalcedon. A few contemporary Roman Catholic theologians, such
as Edward Schillebeeckx and Walter Kasper, have chosen to begin
their Christological inquiry "from below " rather than "from above";
they start with the fully human Jesus and then go on to discover and
confess the saving presence of God in Him.

Tutorial Questions:
1. Discuss the importance of the Deity of Jesus Christ to
Christianity.
2. Write out ten prophetic writings concerning Christ in the OT
and discuss their fulfillment in the NT.
 MODULE 4

His Divine Attributes

We would expect that He, in Whom "dwells all the fullness of

the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9), "Who being in the form of God
thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Phil. 2:6), "Who is
the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15), and "Who is the
express image of His (God's) Being" (Heb. 1:3), possesses all the
attributes of God. Some of these are eternality (Mic. 5:2; John 1:1;
Rev. 1:11); omnipresence (Matt. 28:20; John 3:13; Col. 1:27);
omnipotence (John 1:1-3; I Cor. 1:24; Heb. 1:3); omniscience
(John 2:24-25; 6:64; Col. 2:3); truthfulness, or His being real (John
7:18; Rev. 3:14; 19:11) as well as the Truth (the revelation of God,
John 1:14; 17; 14:6; Eph. 4:21); faithfulness (2 Thess. 3:3; Heb.
2:17; Rev.19:11); righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8; Acts 3:14; 22:14; 1
John 2:1); goodness (Acts 10:38); holiness, or His transcending all
things (Isa. 6:1-3; John 12:41) as well as being sinless and morally
pure (1 John 3:3,5; Heb. 7:26; Acts 3:14; love (John 13:1, 34;
15:9;.Rev. 1:5); grace (2 Cor. 8:9; John 1:14; mercy (1 Tim. 1:12-
16; Heb. 2:17); long-suffering (1 Pet. 2:18-24; Rev. 1:9); and
sovereignty (Mark 4:37-41).

There is also His immutability (Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8). Although by

His incarnation, God the Son assumed a complete human nature,
His divine nature remained unchanged. This human nature was
joined to His personhood, not to His divine nature.

God the Son is alive (John 6:51) and He is self-existent (John 5:26;
Col. I:16-17). As the Instrumental Cause of all things, He is the
conveyer o f all life, both physical (John 1:3-4; 5:28-29) and
spiritual (John 14:6; 11:25; 17:3; Col. 3:3; I John 5:11-12; 20). As
man, He also has and experiences physical life and spiritual life,
which is an intimate, human relationship with God the Father.
Tutorial Questions

1.) What is Immutability?

2.) Discuss ten divine attributes of Jesus Christ.
 MODULE 5

His Divine Works

The Trinitarian view of God sees the Persons of the divine Trinity as
being active before time in formulating the divine decree, by which
all events of the universe were chosen and rendered certain, and
during time in executing its details. Being the Instrumental Cause of
all things, the Son is involved in every aspect of God's total work
relating to the universe.

His Creating All Things

Acting with the other Persons of the Trinity, the Son was the Father's
Agent or Instrumental Cause in bringing all created things except sin
into existence (John 1:3; Col. 1:16).

His Sustaining All Things

The Son not only "holds together" all things (Col. 1:17) but also is
"upholding all things by the Word of His power" (Heb. 1:3).

His Revealing the Father

As the eternal Word, the Son revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27). He
did this by His creative work (John 1:3; Rom.1:19-20), His giving
OT revelation (John 1:1-18), and by His earthly life and His words
(John 1:14; 14:8-11; Rev. 1:1).

His Forgiving Sins

Only God can forgive people their sins, since all sins are ultimately
against Him who is sovereign over the universe. Jesus exercised
the divine authority of forgiveness, which the Jews understood as
belonging only to God (Lk.5:20-25). He demonstrated the reality
of His having this authority by healing the man whom He had
forgiven - Luke 7:47-49.
His Giving Life
In addition to imparting physical life to His creation (John 1:3-4), the
Lord Jesus also has the power to give spiritual life to those who trust
in Him as their Saviour (John 6:32-40). Moreover, He will raise all
dead persons to physical life (John 5:21-25).
His Exercising Judgment
Only God can justly exercise judgment and give people what they
deserve for their lifetime behaviour, for He knows their motivations
and intentions as well as their overt actions (Rom. 2:2-6; 11-16).
Knowing the hearts of all people (John 2:24-25), the Son of God
will judge all people (John 5:22-23; 25-29): He will appraise His
own people upon His return for the Church (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev.
22:12); He also will judge earth dwellers after His return to earth
(Rev. 19:11-15; Matt. 25:31-46); furthermore, He will judge the
unsaved, both angels and humans, after His millennial rule (Rev.
20:11-15; Acts 17:31).
His Authoring Salvation
Only One who is God could be the Instrumental "Cause" of
salvation (Heb. 5:9) because of the greatness of sin's ruin and
power in human lives and of sinful mankind's indebtedness to God
The Lord Jesus is the only Saviour from the guilt, ruin, and
bondage of human sin (Matt. 1:21; Luke 2:11; Acts 4:12; 1 John
4:14).
His Expressing Divine Authority
Only One who is God could exercise such authority as that seen in
Jesus' rebuking His enemies, like Satan (Matt. 4:10; 16:23; Jude 8-
9) and demons (Mark 1:24-26), and in His declaring additional or
new moral laws (Matt. 5:28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 7 : 1 8 - 29; John 13:34-
35).
Tutorial Questions
1. List five divine works of Jesus Christ.
 2. Explain eschatologically, the divine juridical work of
Jesus Christ.

MODULE 6

The Messianic Work of Jesus Christ

Jesus began His messianic career as the Father's Messenger after

His baptism and anointing. In as much as His humanity will
continue forever, Jesus' messianic career will continue forever
(Psalm 110:4; Luke 1:33). The nature of His messianic works is
indicated by the functions of those people who were anointed in OT
times - the prophets (1 Kings 19:16), the high priests (Exod. 29:7),
and the kings (1 Sam. 10:1). The details of these messianic works
are given in OT prophecy like Isaiah 2:1-5; 11; 42:1-7; 49:1-12;
50:4-9; 52:13-53:12 and 61:1-3.
In His messianic office as the Father's anointed Messenger,
the Lord Jesus is carrying out the Father's will in the roles of
prophet, high priest, and king. Although the Lord has other
messianic functions, like those of Saviour and Intercessor (Matt.
1:21; Heb. 7:25), these appear to relate to His continuous primary
roles of prophet, high priest, and king.
The great prophetic statement of a goal of His messianic
commission is given in Isaiah 49:5-6, namely to restore Israel to
God and to be a light to the Gentiles (v.6b), all being accomplished
in the salvation of these peoples (Isa. 46:13; 49:6; 62:11; Matt.
1:21; Luke 1:69-79; 2:28-30). However, to achieve this, He must
first die for their sins (Isa. 52:13-53:12) and evangelize (Isa. 52:6-7;
Rom. 10:4-15). Bear in mind that these messianic works relate
specifically to His human ministry, which He does in the power of
the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:28; Luke 4:1; 14; Acts 10:38).

The Functions of Jesus' Messianic Office

 i. Jesus' functions as prophet - Deut. 18:18; John 7:40; Heb.
1:1-2. As the Prophet foreseen by Moses, Jesus speaks the
words of God the Father - Deut. 18:15; 18; John 12:49-50.

ii. During His first coming to earth, Jesus spoke the Fathers'
words in His reaching and preaching
ministries - John 3 3 4 ; 7:16-I8; 8:28; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24).
iii. During His absence from earth, Jesus gave His servants the
divine revelation that He received from the Father and that
they wrote under divine inspiration as the NT Scriptures -
John16:12-15; Rev. 1:1-2 presented.
iv. During His second coming to earth, Jesus will give whatever
additional divine revelation that will be needed by the ( t e n s
of His millennial kingdom - Isa. 2:1-3; Joel 228) besides the
written Scriptures that we now have - 1 Peter 1:25.

Jesus' functions as High Priest - Psa. 110:4; Heb. 4:14; 5:5-6.

During OT times the high priests of Israel were
mediators between God and His people. They taught the people God's
Law (Deut. 33:8-10), offered sacrifices
like those on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:316), and made
intercessory prayers for God's people (Exod.
28:29-30; 1 Sam. 12:23).

1. During His first coming, Jesus taught the people and His
disciples (Matt. 5:1-2; Mark 1:2122; Luke 19:47), prayed for
His people (Luke 22:31-32; John 17:9-24), gave Himself for
humanity's sins (Matt. 20:28; Heb. 9:14), and mediated the
New Covenant (Heb. 8:6-13; 12:24).
During His absence from earth, Jesus is leading all who trust
in Him (John 6: 33,35), teaching His people through
Scriptures (Eph. 4:20-21) and by the Holy Spirit (1 John
2:27), providing access to God for His people (Heb. 4:14-16;
10:19-22); praying for them (7:25; Rom. 8:34), and
representing them as their Advocate (1 John 2: I). Also, during
the present age, He is building His Church both quantitatively
 and qualitatively (Matt. 16:18; Acts 16:5) and is preparing a
place for her (John 14:2).

During His second coming to earth, Jesus will continue His

priestly work throughout His millennial rule (Psa. 110:4;
Zech. 6:12-13: Heb. 5:6; 7:24-25).

Jesus' functions as King (Isa. 9.6-7; Luke 1:32-33: Matt. 2:1-11).

With the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of
government united in Him, Jesus' regal functions are to judge (John
5:22) and to rule (Rev. 19:15).
During His first coming to earth, Jesus did not exercise
political authority (John 3:17; 18:36-37). However,
having received the title to all things (John 3:35; 13:3),
He did exercise authority over nature (Mark 4:41) and
fallen angels (demons and Satan; Mark 1:2326; Matt.4:
10-11). He also commanded men to follow Him (Mark
1:17).

During His absence from the earth, as the Head of the

Church, He is the king of gospel believers (Eph. 4:15-
16; 5:23), their judge (2 Tim 4:7-8), and their deliverer
from their spiritual enemies, including sin and its
effects (Matt. 1.21; Col. 1:13; John 15:19). As a man
He has been exalted over all things, including angels
and humans (Matt. 28:20; I Peter 3:22; Eph. 1:20-23; 1
Tim. 6:14-15.

During His second coming to earth, He will as the Last

Adam evict Satan, destroy His enemies, appraise the
lives of all earth dwellers, and rule as absolute
Sovereign over Israel and the earth as the viceroy of God
the Father (Heb. 2:5-9; John 5:21-29; Rev. 19:11-20:4;
22:12; Matt. 25:31-46; Ps. 72:8-1 I ; Jer. 23:5; Zech.
14:9).
N.B.
I. It should be noted, however, that all Jesus' human works are
messianic, done in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). His
divine works as God are not messianic works.
2. All of Jesus' messianic works are done in such a way that
allows the Father to do these through Him (John 5:17; 12:49-50);
14.10-11). Jesus never acts independently of the Father (John5:19,30;
8:28).
3. There are two aspects of our Lord's messianic work as the
Saviour, or deliverer of His people (Luke 2: 11):

(a) His priestly work of offering Himself as the atoning sacrifice for
their sins (Isa. 53:5, 10; Matt. 1:21; Heb.7:27) and of applying its
value to gospel believers at their salvation (Heb. 9:14; Col. 1:14).

(b) His regal work of being His people's Lord (1 Cor. 6:20; Rom.
14:8-9) and of delivering them from their spiritual enemies,
including the power of sin and death (Isaiah 61:1-3; Rom. 6:17-22;
Rev.1:18).

4. Being humanly alive forever ( I Cor. 15:20), the Lord Jesus

will always have messianic duties to fulfil in future programmes that
the Father will have for Him throughout eternity - Eph. 2:7; Psa.
110:4; Luke 1:33.

5. In all His messianic works, it is our Lord's supreme purpose

to glorify the Father (John 12:28; 17:4).

Tutorial Questions
I. Discuss the messianic functions of Jesus as a Prophet.
2. Discuss the messianic functions of Jesus as a King.
 MODULE 7

The Prophetic-Historical Christ and His

Genealogy

The Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest man, who has ever lived. He is
the greatest Overcomer. Who is this man Jesus? The Bible gives us
the answer to this question and the true story of His life. The
important events of the life and ministry of Jesus are given in the
Gospels, each of which presents Him in a different aspect of His
being. Matthew portrays Him as the long-promised Messiah, the
Fulfillment of Jewish Old Testament whose work is to establish the
Kingdom of God (Matt. 1:2023; 2:1-6; 4:14-16; 28:10-20. Mark
portrays Him as the obedient servant and as the Incarnate Son of
God, Jesus of Nazareth, Mighty in word and in deed and draws His
picture as man sharing human emotion – (Mark 1:1-3, Mark 11:12-
25; 6:31; 4:38), Luke portrays Him as the universal Redeemer of
mankind and as the perfect man (Luke 3:21-38; 2:10-14). John
reveals Him as the Son of God – (John 1:2; 16:12-21).

The Prophetic-Historical Jesus

History is full of men who have claimed at one time or the other to
have come from God or that they themselves were gods or that they
bore messages from God, for example, Buddha, Mohammed,
Confucious, D. Lawrence, Christ and thousands of others. Each of
them has a right to be heard and considered but there must be some
permanent test method available to all men in all civilizations and all
ages by which one can fully decide whether anyone of these or all of
them are justified in their claims.

We shall consider two tests namely Reason and History. Reason

because everyone has it, even those outside the faith. History,
because everyone lives in it and should know something about it.
Reason dictates that if any of these men actually came from God; the
least thing that God could do would be to support t h i s claim. As we
know that automobile manufacturers will tell their customers when to
expect a new model and probably some few descriptions about the
new model.

Therefore, if God would send anyone from His place or if He,

Himself came with vital information for all men, it would sound
reasonable that He ought to let men know when His messenger
would be coming, where He would be born, live and the doctrine He
would teach, His mission for the people in the world and the manner
of His life and death. Now, the extent to which the messenger
conforms to these announcements would determine the validity of
his claims. It could then be concluded that if God did not do this,
there would be nothing to prevent any impostor from appearing in
history and saying "I come from God or an angel appeared to me in
the forest or desert and gave me this message".

Many of the so-called prophets or 'saviours' had no one to foretell

their births and their probable manner of lives. They were men among
men and not divine as they have claimed. Christ alone stepped out
of that line. Search the writings of the Jewish people and related
history of the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans, you will
find Him there. If our search brings out the various Messianic
prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Jesus Christ, one has no
reason to doubt the ancient predictions about Jesus Christ. History
and the gospels record it that the Romans were so fearful about a
king who would rule the world that they ordered the killing of
children born at about the time predicted that Christ would be born.

Genealogy of Christ
The genealogy of Jesus Christ was given by two evangelists namely
Saint Matthew and Saint Luke. The record of Matthew started from
Abraham down to King David and down to Jesus. David was
mentioned first because his life was singled out by later prophets as
one of Abraham's seed through whom the Messiah was to come. The
genealogy of Christ stated by Matthew showed only the Jewish
descent as the Son of David, Son of Abraham and this was because
Saint Matthew wrote his Gospel primarily for Christian converts
among his countrymen - the Jews of Palestine. He portrayed our
Lord as the long-promised Messiah, the fulfilment of Jewish Old
Testament prophecy. Four women could be found in this genealogy
- Rahab, Ruth, Tamar and Bathsheba. Rahab and Ruth were Gentiles,
while Tamar and Bathsheba were Jews. Thus, Christ descended from
both Jews and Gentiles. Three of these women had moral problems.
Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:25) while Tamar and Bathsheba
committed adultery (Gen. 38:2; 2 Sam. 11:1-5). Ruth had no known
case of moral problem (Ruth 3:11).

The record of St. Luke was traced through Adam, the father of all
nations. While Matthew traced through David's life which is royal
via Solomon, Luke did his through Nathan, another Son of King
David (2 Sam. 5:14) and Heli, the father of Mary i.e. while
Matthew traced through the paternal, Luke traced through the
maternal genealogy (Luke 3:23-38). Joseph was the legal son in-
law of Heli. From the two records, we have seen that our Lord has
double claim in the lineage of David, Joseph and Mary. That is
double access to the crown. Joseph, as it has been pointed out, was
a direct descendant of David through Solomon. . By Jewish law,
Joseph could transfer his crown right to his first son, Jesus. From
this point of view we can say Jesus is the rightful Messiah. This is
in accordance with Jewish Law. Mary is also the direct descendant
of David as stated above in both books, but in genealogy by St.
Luke, it means son-in-law since importance was not laid on
women in Jewish history.

Important Lessons Drawn From Jesus' Genealogy:

I. Jesus Christ is the Messiah as predicted by the Prophets
- 2 Sam. 7:12; Isa. 11:1. The Messiahship is settled since the
genealogy could be traced to David.
2. Our God is a covenant keeping God.
3. Gentiles have claims to the Lord.
4. Jesus has double claim to the Messiahship.

Tutorial Questions

1. Prove historically that Jesus is the Messiah

2. Prove genealogically that Jesus is the long-await ed
Messiah of the Jews.
 MODULE 8

The Conception and Birth of Jesus Christ

and His Obscured Life

Ordinarily, human conception takes place when a sperm unites with

an ovum. This union results in the beginning and development of
human life. The unique feature of Jesus' birth is that it was the result
of supernatural conception, not of human generation. Mary did not
conceive by the agency of a man (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:34-35), with
or without divine help (Luke 1:5-7, 24-25). Mary conceived by God
the Holy Spirit, who fathered Jesus' humanity (Matt. I.20; Luke
1:35). However, this work of the Holy Spirit did not include the
creation of Jesus' personhood, for this, together with His divine
nature existed from eternity (Mic. 5:2; Gal. 4:4; John 1:1; 8:42).

Our Lord's divine conception was necessary for His saving work
(Matt. 1:21). Preserving His sinlessness, it qualified Him to make
atonement for the sins of others (Heb. 2:9; 7:26-27). One who is a
sinner can neither discharge himself from the debt of his sins nor
deliver others from their obligation to God. The Lord's unique
conception prevented His receiving from a human parent, inherent
corruption (Luke 1:35).

During the time that Mary was to put to bed, there was a decree
from Caesar Augustus that people should be enrolled. The purpose
of the census was to provide statistical data for the levy of taxes in
the provinces. Joseph as well as Mary would have to go to
Bethlehem (known earlier as the city of David), six mile south of
Jerusalem. Boaz and Ruth, great grandparents of King David lived
there. Since the Jew's property was then of the father's estates, the
Romans would comply to the custom of laying claim to one's family
estate in order to assess it for taxation. Every person needed to appear
for questioning so as to make a proper assessment of his property.

There are two probabilities here: One, Mary would have needed to
go with her husband to be counted on the above explanation. Or,
Mary went along with Joseph, unconscious of the prophetic
implication, because the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem (Micha
5:1). Howbeit, Joseph set from Galilee to the city of David called
Bethlehem (known today as Beit-lahm) and because there was no
room in the inn; Mary gave birth to her first child in a manger.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the Magi found the star, which
directed them to where the little child was born. They passed
through King Herod the Great's palace and he ordered them to search
diligently and bring him information about the whereabouts of the
new born King but they failed to report to Herod. When Herod saw
that he had been tricked by the Magi, he ordered the killing of all
children from one day to two years from the time of the visit of the
Magi. Before then, however, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph and asked him to take the child to Egypt. Egypt was like an
asylum for Jesus Christ. This was to fulfill what the prophet of old
said concerning Him: "out of Egypt have I called my son" - Hosea
11:1.

The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

The circumcision and naming were done on the eighth day and this
established Jesus as a true son of Israel, according to the covenant of
God with Abraham - Gen. 17:10. Also, these `rituals' are acts of
identification of the Lord with the people He came to redeem. This
also proves His humanity because only human beings are
circumcised. The naming of the child was carried out from the
directives given both to Mary and Joseph (Luke 1:31; Matt. 1:21).

Redemption of the First Born and the Purification of the Mother

About a month later, two other legal requirements were met by
Jesus' parents with Him in the temple according to the Mosaic Code,
the first born of a man belonged to the Lord as His portion. But men
are relieved of the necessity of priesthood by the payment of five
shekels (Num. 18:15-16).

The mother's purification terminated after a period of forty-one days

(Jer. 12:1-4) and was marked by the presentation of a burnt offering
and a sin offering. Ordinarily, a lamb was offered for the former and a
bird for the latter but if the one offering was poor and cannot afford
the lamb, two
turtledoves or two young pigeons were allowed (Lev. I2:8). Mary's
offering established the poor state of the holy family (Luke 2 24).
The visit to the temple was above all for the purpose of presenting
the Child to the Lord - Luke 2:22.

The Nazareth Home

After Herod's death, God told Joseph in a dream to take the child
back to the land of Israel. God led them to Galilee instead of Judea
to protect Jesus from Archelaus (who before his journey to Rome to
obtain confirmation of his title by Augustus had slain nearly 3,000
Pharisees who opposed him. His reign soon came to an end because
of his cruelty and incapability.

Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Nazareth to live. Nazareth was a

small place, a despised village inhabited by a group of wild people
(Luke 4:28-29). An indication of its poor reputation among the
Jews was implicit in Nathaniel's question, "can anything good
come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). That such a village should be
chosen by God as home for His son explains the fact that Divinity is
always found where it is least expected (1Cor. 1:27; 4:10; 1 Sam.
9:21). Choosing Nazareth as His home is also a reflection of Jesus
humble upbringing - Matt. 11:28-29.

The family of Jesus comprises at least eight members and probably

it may be more (Matt. 13:55-56). The Lord of Glory experienced
the disciplines of life. Judging from His parables, Jesus must have
cultivated early in life the habit of observing what went on around
Him. He saw that not all the sower's seed fell on good ground. He
had many times stuffed dried grass into his mother's stove to heat it
for baking - grass that only a short time before had been growing
in the field. Probably he had watched Mary light a lamp and
looked carefully for the coin that had slipped from her hand and
rolled out of view. This panorama of early days furnished him with
many a true-to-life illustration as He stood before the multitude
and taught later in His ministry.

Tutorial Questions:

1. Briefly comment on the offering of the Holy Family at the

presentation of Jesus, showing contentment and life of
modesty.
2. Jesus never played "James Bond". Discuss in the light of His
flight to Egypt.
 MODULE 9

Childhood up to His Baptism for the Earthly Ministry

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40). Here
are ten facts we know about the childhood of Jesus:
1. He grew in body.
2. He grew strong in mind.
3. He was filled with wisdom.
4. He was living in God's grace.
5. He had a gift of teaching (Lk 2:47).
6 He knew His life mission (Lk 2:49).
7. He was a model boy (Lk. 2:51).
8. He increased in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
9. He grew to maturity.
10. He grew in favour with God and man (Luke 252; Ps.
119:97; Isa. 50:4).
This is all we know about the childhood of Jesus. Though this may
not satisfy our curiosity, there is sufficient revelation from the
scriptures to assure us of the humanity of Christ and His full
identity with the human race. He (Jesus) did not appear in the
world as a mature adult with compelling sign. Rather, He sub-
mitted to the sinless limitation of growth.

The gospels do not undertake to provide us with a biography of

Jesus of Nazareth but with a history of Jesus as the Saviour (John
21:25; I John 1:1 ff). As a result of the silence of the gospel writ -
ers, some Christian writers (apocryphal mostly) wished to hon our
Christ by writing fabulous incidents concerning Him. One of these
is titled "The gospel of infancy". Here is a warning not to make the
Bible vocal where it is silent. Where God is silent, we must admit
that He concealed such information to Himself. We must believe
that the reason why such fabulous and extra-ordinary (purported)
experiences were not recorded is that none of them happened.

The Education of Christ

While the gospels shed no light on the education of Jesus, it is
possible that He gained knowledge from the custom of the day. His
first instruction would be at the knees of His mother. She would
have taught Him to sing Psalms and instructed Him in the rudiment
of Hebrew laws and history.

Almost certainly, Jesus would have attended the synagogue school as

a child and unquestionably received instructions in the scriptures at
home. This is in accordance with the ancient requirements in a
Jewish home (Deut. 6:7). In Israel, there is a school called "the
house of the Book" to which Jesus would have been sent at the age
of six. The rule of the synagogue was that the teacher would teach
to the age of ten. The child would memorise the Old Testament
scriptures until he knows the law better than his own name. The
first book they study is the Leviticus. But by the time the scholar
gets to age twelve, he becomes a "son of the law" and is therefore,
bound by his phylacteries (protector or charm) for the first time.
Hence, as from this time the scholar is regarded as a free moral
agent responsible for his actions.

Language probably spoken by Jesus

The Palestine of Jesus' day represented a mixture of culture and
languages. When the Jews returned from captivity the Persian
Empire of which they were a part used Aramaic as its official
language which was familiar to the Jews as seen when Ezra and his
associates read the law to the people. They read in the language
people understood - Nehemiah 3:8. Secondly, He must have learnt
Hebrew too because Hebrew continued to be used for the writing of
the last book of the Old Testament. The quotations indicated that He
read the original Hebrew and not Greek translation - Luke 4:16.
Thirdly, His native Galilee was full of Greek speaking inhabitants.
By reason of staying in Galilee alone He must have been exposed to
Greek influences. Presumably, He would need this language also for
any ministry in the territory of Tyre and Sidon. Apparently, our Lord
had some contact with this area, which is almost easily explained if He
had some knowledge of Greek - Mark 7:31. Dalnan in his book "Jesus -
Joshua" said Jesus could have probably spoken to Pilate without any
interpreter.

The Baptism of Jesus - Matt. 3:13-7; John 1:29.

In Mark's language, the Baptism of Jesus was the beginning of the
gospel of Jesus- Mark 1: 1. While John was baptizing people in the
Jordan River Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized. At first, John did
not want to baptize Jesus because he realized that Jesus was greater
than him and he thought that he should be baptized by Jesus. Jesus
insisted that He should be baptized by John in order to fulfill all
righteousness. This means that all that God requires, whether logical or
not, must be done. It is the will of the Father that His Son should
submit willingly to the work of redemption. (1 Pet. 2:24). When Jesus
was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God came
down upon Him like a dove and God's voice from Heaven said: "This
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased".

The Implication of Jesus Baptism

1. He identified with the world's sin. Though His baptism
involves no acknowledgement of sin, the purpose is to be
made like unto His brethren in all things. Heb. 2:17.
2. His introduction into Messianic Office. By administering
baptism on Him, the forerunner of the Messiah set Him
apart to His mission of redemption and sanctioned His
claim.
3. His Father broke the long silence with humanity, espe-
cially, the nation of Israel.
 4. The baptism anoints Him for service. The Holy Ghost
descended in a bodily form as a dove upon Him. This was
no meaningless display. Indeed this depended on the
Spirit that characterized His entire ministry. He achieved
everything through the Holy Spirit.

Tutorial Questions
1. Justify that the man "Jesus" was not a "super-man"; though
supernatural.
2. Discuss the implication of Jesus' baptism.
 MODULE 10

Jesus' Human Incarnation

The word incarnation speaks of the initial action and following

condition of taking on a human nature and being embodied in flesh
(John1:1-4). The incarnation of God the Son was His taking upon
Himself a complete, sinless human nature (body, soul, and spirit), so
that everything that can be asserted of sinless man can be asserted of
Him. Several aspects of His incarnation follow:

1. Jesus self-emptying (the "kenosic"). Having asserted Jesus'

deity (Phil. 2:6), the apostle Paul declared that the Lord
"emptied Himself' (Gr. v 7), when He took upon Himself a
slave’s attributes and was made in men's likeness. What does
His self emptying mean? When God the Son took upon
Himself a complete, sinless human nature, there were certain
qualities of His deity that He did not bring into His human
experience. These divine qualities remained with His divine
nature and continued to express themselves in His divine
experience and activities as God (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). Thus,
our Lord's self-emptying concerns His excluding from His
human experience certain divine qualities and powers that
were not compatible with human nature and with God's will
for Him as man. However, as God, He still possesses all His
divine qualities and powers but did not put them into use so
that He served the purpose of incarnation which is
redemption.

2. The doctrinal implications of His self emptying

These implications are based on the view that with His incar-
nation, God the Son now has two separate natures - one
divine and the other human, and that He is now both wholly
God and wholly man. This view also holds that the make-up
of the Members of the divine Trinity constitutes individual
separate personhoods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and a
single divine nature, which is commonly possessed by them
and that makes them each God and together One God. Thus,
although the self emptying concerned the Son's deity, it was
not an occurrence within His divine nature or within His
experience as God. It related wholly to His human experience
as man.
i. As man, the Lord Jesus continually expressed the glory
of divine moral character throughout His early, human
lifetime (John 1:14). However, only once did He humanly
display His pre incarnate glory before men (Matt. 17:2; cp.
John 17.5).

ii. As man, the Lord Jesus did not exercise His inherent
divine power in His human experience. Being the Messiah
(one anointed with the Holy Spirit), He did, and is doing, all
His human works by the power and direction of the Holy
Spirit (Luke 41,14, 18, Acts 10:38; cp. Isa. 6:11; 11: 1-5).

iii. As man, the Lord Jesus did not in His human

experience manifest certain divine attributes like
omnipresence (John 11:67) and omniscience (Mark 13:32;
John 8:26; 28, 40), for these are not compatible with human
nature. Their manifestation would have even prevented Him
from accomplishing His redemptive mission. His self-
emptying was His denying Himself these divine powers in
His human experience as man.

iv. As man, the Lord Jesus did not work or exercise

authority independently of the Father, for He was the
Father's Messenger (cp. Phil. 2:7; Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-6; 52:13-
53; 12; John 6:38; 8:28-29; 17:4). Being subordinate to the
Father's authority (John 14:28), Jesus in His human
experience never acted independently of the Father (John
8:28; 12:49; 14:9-10) or contrary to Him (John 17:4; 8:29).
The authority that Jesus displayed over man, nature, illness,
and demons (Mark 4:39-41; Matt. 4:23-24); was the
messianic authority that the Father gave Him over all things
(John 3:35; Matt. 28:18). He also was given authority to raise
the dead and to judge angels and humans (John 5:19-30;
11:40-44).

v. In His human experience, the Lord Jesus displayed divine

moral attributes, which are compatible to humanity. These
included holiness (John 846; 1 Pet. 2:22), love (John 15:9);
righteousness (8:29), mercy (Luke 18:31-43), holy hatred
(Mark 3:5; cp. Matthew 23), grace, and truth (John 1:14).
By the Holy Spirit, these qualities can be reproduced in and
displayed by His people as well (Gal-. 5:22-23).

vi. Thus, His self-emptying as God (Phil. 2:6-7) appears

to be a figurative expression (an anthropomorphism),
relating to His humanity and human experience. To relate it
to His deity creates irresolvable problems. Certainly, as God
He did not divest Himself of any qualities of His deity and
thus ceased to be God. However, it can be said that when
God the Son became man, in His humanity He was a man
divested of the amoral qualities of deity that were
incompatible with human nature, like omnipresence,
omniscience, and omnipotence. Any similarity to or
manifestation of these divine qualities in His human
experience must be attributed to the Holy Spirit, who
energized His life and ministry (Luke 4:1; 14; Acts 10:38).

vii. Any consideration of the Lord Jesus Christ as He is

 presented in the Scriptures after Hi s incarnation, must
distinguish between His attributes and functions as God and
of existence. Most references to Him in the New Testament
relate to His human activity as the Messiah of an OT
prophecy. Being uniquely one person with two natures, He
functions simultaneously both as God and as man. This truth
cannot be understood because of its uniqueness; it must he
accepted by faith in what the Scriptures say of Him.

Tutorial Questions
1. Explain the self-emptying of Jesus Christ.
2. Discuss briefly, the doctrinal implication of self-emptying of
Jesus Christ.
 MODULE 11

The Union of Jesus' Two Natures

We shall now compare the relation of Jesus' divine and human

natures to each other and to His personhood. We should keep in
mind that nature is that essence, with its qualities and powers,
which gives to the person possessing it his particular identity and
character of being. Personhood is that unique, self-conscious, self-
asserting, responsible subject who possesses a certain kind of
nature and whose essential qualities and capabilities are determined
by this nature.
The meaning of the hypostatic union in the two natures
From eternity, God the Son was a person who possessed the di vine
nature (the nature of God). As we have seen, at His incarnation God
the Son took upon Himself a human nature, divinely made of
Mary's substance. But He continued to have His divine nature and
to be God. The union of these two natures (the divine and the
human) in one personhood is called "the hypostatic union."
"Hypostatic" is from the NT Greek word ‘hypostasis’, which means
"that which stands under." Theologically, the word hypostasis can
relate to the divine nature and to the Son's personhood as follows:

i. Its relation to God's divine nature. Hypostasis 'as it relates to

God's nature is found in Hebrews 1:3, "the exact impress of
His nature." God the Son bears the exact impress of the
divine nature, for this nature is equally possessed by each
Person (personhood) of the Trinity. Thus, in Hebrews 1:3,
hypostasis refers to the divine nature, which underlies the
three Persons (personhoods) of the Trinity - the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
ii. Its relation to the Son's personhood. Hypostasis as it re-
lates to God the Son's personhood is a theological concept
that sees His personhood as underlying His two natures,
 the divine and the human. Thus, the doctrine of the
hypostatic union of Jesus' two natures is their being united
in His single personhood.
Features of the hypostatic union as it relates to Jesus
The divine and human natures are united in one
personhood. The Lord Jesus is not two persons, one human
and the other divine; but having one personhood, He is one
Person. In His incarnation, God the Son did not assume a
human person, but a human nature, divinely made of Mary's
substance (Luke 1:35). Although His incarnation gave Him
a human nature and made Him human, Jesus still possesses
the divine nature, by which He is God. Thus, He is a
personal being with two natures, making Him to be the God-
man.

The divine and human natures are inseparably united in His

personhood, yet they are not mingled or confounded. Our
Lord's incarnation does not affect His divine nature in any
way, for there is no interaction or exchange between the two
natures; the properties of one nature never become the
properties of the other. They are never mixed or combined so
as to lose their distinctiveness or to form a third nature. On
the other hand, these natures do not function independently
of His personhood like separate persons. They continuously
and simultaneously communicate their powers and qualities
to His personhood without conflict so that He functions at the
same time as God and as man. When He was on earth, Jesus'
personhood had complete control over the manifestations of
His deity in the realm of his human experience (Matt. 17:1-
2; John 18:5-6). Although He seldom displayed the visible
qualities of His divine nature in His human experience, He
still possessed this nature. When He expressed His deity by
speaking the divine "1 AM" in Gethsemane (John 18:5-6),
He was still a man, whom they bound and led away (John
18:12-13). When He humanly slept in a boat (Matt. 8:24),
He was no less God, upholding the universe by the Word of
 His power (Heb. 1:3). With this in view, we can better
understand Apostle Paul's reference to God's blood (Acts
20:28). Although blood is not a part of the divine nature, it
was an essential element of Jesus' unglorified human nature.
Being God and man, God the Son purchased His Church
with His own human blood, which represented His human
atoning sacrifice (Eph. 5:25).

Problems of the hypostatic union of the two natures in Jesus

The problems of the hypostatic union are not inherent in it self but
they belong to our understanding of this union.
a. There is the problem of Jesus' limited knowledge
(Matt. 27:34; Mark 13:32). Being God, the Lord Jesus knows all
things (Col. 2:3), but as man His knowledge was limited to what
the Father had revealed to Him (John 5:19-20; 8:26,28,40). Having
the two natures, He has both divine knowledge and human
knowledge, with the extent of each being determined by its
respective nature. The mystery remains of how a person can
experience both unlimited and limited knowledge at the same time.
It has been suggested that His divine knowledge existed below the
level of His human consciousness. He did not allow His divine
knowledge to flow into His human consciousness because there
were certain things that He was not given to know or teach as a
man.

b. There is the problem of His being tempted (Matt. 4:1-10).

There are three basic questions to answer:

Could Jesus have sinned? No, His divine nature will not permit this.
Were the Lord's temptations real? Yes, His human nature permits it.
If Jesus could not sin, why did Satan tempt him? Satan's temptation
of Jesus revealed his limited knowledge of God that he thought he
knew perfectly.
c. There is the problem of Jesus' death (Rom. 5:19.
How could One who was God die? The answer is that Jesus' death
was entirely human experience - He died as a man. It has been
suggested that an aspect of His death was the temporal separation
from His Father which is spiritual death - Matt. 27:46.

Tutorial Questions

1. Explain the meaning of hypostatic union of the two natures.

2. Briefly comment on the features of hypostatic union of the
two natures.
 MODULE 12

False or Incomplete Theories of the Atonement

Throughout the present age, theologians have tried to explain the
meaning of Jesus' death. Although the following theories do not
correctly or sufficiently state what the Scriptures teach about the
atonement, our acquaintance with these views will help us to
recognize them when we meet them and will also help us to
understand better the biblical view.

1. The Recapitulation Theory of Irenaeus, (a bishop of

Lyons, Gaul 2nd century). He believed that in Jesus, the course of
human lie by repeating in Himself all its stages and experiences,
including those of sinners. By His obedience He compensated for
Adam's disobedience and became the transforming agent of
mankind. This theory is incomplete, for it fails to state the basis
of the atonement other than the Lord's obedience.
2. The Ransom Payment to Satan Theory of Origen, (a
teacher of Alexandria, Egypt 3 rd century). He taught that Jesus'
death was a ransom paid to Satan for the purpose of delivering
humanity from his claim. This theory is wrong, for it ignores the
truth that the debt of sin was owed to God since it was His law
that was violated (1 John 3:4).
3. The Commercial Theory of Anselm, (Archbishop of
Canterbury, England 11th Century). This holds that Jesus' death by
way of satisfaction restored God's honour, which was violated by
sin. Jesus also secured a merit that He himself did not need and
this is passed on to all who obey the gospel. This view overlooks
the truth that sin incurs a divine penalty that must be paid. God's
holiness, rather than honour, demands this.
4. The Moral Influence Theory of Peter Abelard, (a French
scholar 12th century). He believed that Jesus' death was not a
ransom but a revelation of God's love that awakens a response in the
sinner and delivers him from the power of sin. This view fails to
explain the substitutionary and propitiatory character of Jesus' death
(Rom. 5:8; I John 2:2; 4:10).
5. The Theory of Thomas Aquinas, (an Italian Dominican
theologian I3th century). He held that the atonement was not
necessary and that God could have redeemed man without it. He also
believed that Christ's total life contributed toward His atoning work.
This view makes the atonement arbitrary. Actually, God cannot act
contrary to His holiness and justice. Although Jesus' obedience and
sinlessness were necessary qualifications of His saviourhood, sal -
vation rests upon His obedience unto death (Phil. 2:8).
6. The Acceptilation Theory of Duns Scotus, (a Fransciscan
theologian century). Similar to Aquinnas, Scotus believed that the
method of atonement was entirely arbitrary (God could have chosen
another person or way to atone for sin) and that there was no inherent
necessity for rendering God satisfaction. This view ignores the truth
that the necessity for the atonement laid in God's nature rather than
only in His will.
7. The Example Theory of Faustus Socinus, an Italian Unitar-
ian than only in His held that Jesus did not bear the exact full pen-
alty of the law since this would require Him to die as many deaths
as there are sinners. He believed that forgiveness of sins is an act of
pure mercy based on man's repentance and obedience. This theory
ignores the connection between Jesus' death and the salvation of
sinners (Matt. 20:28; 26:28).
8. The Government Theory of Hugo Grotius, (a Dutch jurist
I7th century). Rejecting penal satisfaction, he associated the
atonement with Jesus' death as symbolic showing God's hatred of
sin. This ignores that the Lord's death paid the debt of our sins.
9. The Mystical Theory of Edward Irving, (a Scottish
minister 19'h century). Rejecting penal satisfaction, he associated the
atonement with Jesus' purifying human nature. He believed that
Jesus assumed a corrupt, evil, human nature, purified this by His
sufferings and obedience, and reunited it to God. People are saved by
becoming partakers of Jesus' purified humanity by faith. This
ignores the need for a divine propitiation for sin (1 John 4:10).
10. The Vicarious Confession Theory of John McLeod
Campbell, (Scottish theologian 19' h century). He believed that Jesus
offered to God on behalf of humanity the repentance that was
necessary to fulfill the condition of divine forgiveness. Jesus made
this confession by His death, which showed His agreement with the,
Father's condemnation of sin. There is no scriptural support for this
theory.

The true view of our Lord's atoning work is Penal Substitutionary

Atonement. This is to mean that the combination of some of these
theories that are not complete in themselves will cater for the
individual deficiencies in them. In the next module we shall make
some analysis to substantiate this opinion.

Tutorial Questions
1. List five incomplete theories of atonement and briefly point out
their inadequacies.
2. How can the Church come with an acceptable theory of
atonement?
 MODULE 13

The Nature of Jesus' Atoning Work

Atonement had to be made before God could deliver sinners from the
guilt, debt, ruin, and bondage of their sins and could bring them
into a right relation with Himself. This is expressed by the words of
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but
have everlasting life”. What does it mean for God to give His only
begotten Son? Why must the sinner believe in the Saviour to receive
everlasting life? The answers to these questions are found in the
biblical teaching of the atonement. With "penal" referring to judicial
punishment, the divine atonement involved the principle of penal
substitution and judicial satisfaction.
• Our Lord's sacrifice was substitutionary - Rom. 5:8.
The idea of substitution is that Jesus died for sinners
(Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:14-15). With "for" (Grk. Huper)
meaning "on behalf of," this emphasizes the truth that
Jesus took the place of sinners on the cross as their
substitute. "The Just One for the unjust ones," He bore the
punishment of their sins (I Peter 3:18). In Matthew 20:28,
"for" ( greek-‘anti’) means "instead of'.
• Our Lord's death was satisfactory - I Cor. 15:3.
There are two features of our Lord's satisfactory death
viz:
i. It is propitious - 1 John 2:2; 4:10.
Propitiation is a sacrifice that appeases or placates God's
wrath. God was angry with mankind, for all had broken
His laws and offended His person. However, with
unparalleled grace and love, God the Father gave His only
Son to appease His wrath against sinners through the
punishment He received on the sinner's behalf.
 ii. It is provisional - John 3:16, 18, 36.
By this atoning work, the Lord Jesus secured a value that He did
not need for Himself and that could be divinely applied to the
account of others - 2 Cor. 5:18-20. This means that the value,
which His atoning work obtained, is not divinely applied to the
sinner's account until he exercises salvation faith in the Saviour
(Acts 10:43). This is the reason why unsaved people must place
their trust in Jesus for their salvation. The Lord Jesus is the only
qualified substitute. If sinners accept the Lord's atoning work by
faith, God applies its values to their accounts; if sinners do not
trust in the Saviour as their substitute, then they themselves must
bear the punishment of their sins (John 3:36). There is no other
way to be delivered from this dreadful obligation (Acts 4:12; John
14:6). This truth must be given in gospel presentations.

Tutorial Questions

1. Defend the substitutionary idea of our Lord's atoning work.

2. Jesus' death for humanity's sins is provisional. Discuss.
 MODULE 14

The Validity of the Substitute that Jesus Provides

Liberal theology and other forms of unbelief reject the bib heal view
of penal substitutionary atonement. Since this reject concerns such a
primary biblical doctrine, we shall consider some of the objections of
unbelief and the replies that H.E. Guillebaud s o ably gave.

Objection One: It is wrong for a judge to sentence an innocent

man to die for a guilty person.

Reply: Mr. Guillebaud points out that the objector sees four distinct
parties involved in this case besides the guilty criminal, let us say, a
murderer. These are the judge, the innocent substitute, the wronged
party (the family of the murdered man and through them the whole
community), and the king, representing the law of the land, to whom
the judge is under oath to administer justice. It is observed that, if the
innocent substitute could by his voluntary consent surrender his own
rights, the judge's action would be a double outrage against the
wronged party and the law that he had sworn to administer. He would
be committing a crime against both of these by releasing the
murderer and ordering the execution of an innocent person.
However, in the teaching of substitutionary atonement, the case is
different. Mr. Guillebaud wrote:
There is the condemned criminal, the guilty sinner with him are the
Judge, Wronged Party, King (or Law), and Substitute. God was not
administering someone else's law, but His own, and the sin was not
committed against someone else, but against Him; and above all, He
did not take someone else and accept him as a substitute for the
condemned sinner, but He came Himself, took upon Himself the
nature of the guilty ones, and bore the penalty of His own law. The
Substitute who died on Calvary expressly declared Himself to be the
Judge of the world. Instead, therefore, of a judge punishing an in-
nocent third party in place of the criminal, we have a Triune Judge,
One of whose Persons identified Himself with the nature of the
criminal in all except his sin, and then takes the sin upon Himself and
sublet the penalty of His own Law, which indeed has no existence
independent of Him. Moreover, not only is there this identity between
the Substitute and the Judge, but also in a mysterious sense between the
Substitute and the criminal, when the latter becomes willing to accept
the identification. Can this be termed immoral?
• One problem of unbelief is its refusal to accept the truth that
Jesus was more than a man. He was and is the God-man. Were He
only a guiltless man, His sacrifice for others would be immoral, for
He did not deserve this death.

Objection Two: How could a few hours of suffering by the

substitute be equivalent to everlasting hell for sinners?

Reply: This objection disregards the fact that quantity, bulk, length of
time, and distance are conceptions that have little significance in the
spiritual world (2 Pet. 3:8). In contrast to quality, Mr. Guillebaud
wrote:
The reply to this objection is that the importance of the
sacrifice of the Son of God is not measured by the duration
in time of His sufferings, but by their quality, and above all
by the quality of Him who suffered...Quantity is a
conception wholly out of place in considering the
sufferings of the Saviour. The very idea of balancing those
sufferings in quantity against the doom of unsaved man-
kind is entirely alien to the Bible. But if we think in terms of
spiritual quality, surely it is not incredible that such
sufferings endured by the Judge himself should be adequate
 to "propitiate" His eternal justice and make it possible for
Him righteously (and gladly) to forgive the sinner who
truly turns to Him.
L. S. Chafer observed that the value of the sacrifice is not discovered in
the intensity of the Saviour's anguish but in His dignity and inftn to
worth.

Objection Three: Guilt cannot be transferred from one person

to another.

Reply: This objection rests upon the misunderstanding that guilt is the
same as the evil effects of sin upon ones life. Guilt really concerns
one's obligation to God to pay the penalty that one's sins have
incurred. At the cross our sins were judicially transferred to the
Saviour; and He bore their guilt, that is, the obligation to pay their
judicial debt, which was death. He did not experience on the cross the
natural results of sin, like disease. Mr. Guillebaud asked, "Is it
incredible that He (God), under conditions that seem right in His eyes,
can lift that responsibility from us and take it upon Himself in Christ?"
We conclude thus in the words of Mr. Guillebaud again: "If man needs
to be saved, and if salvation is the work of God, surely, in the nature of
things, it is from God that man must learn about God, with His Word,
is the final authority on the matter”.

Tutorial Questions

1. It is not wrong for God to sentence the innocent Jesus to die

for the sin of man. Discuss.
2. Argue that it is possible for the guilt of man to be transferred
to another.
 MODULE 15

The_Extent or the Scope of Jesus' Atoning work

The meaning of "extent"

In His dealing with human sins on the cuss, did Jesus atone for the
sins of all mankind or for those of the elect alone? W.G.T. Shedd
observed that the word extent has two meaning in usage: passively, it
means value like the extent of one's property; actively, it speaks of the
act of extending.

a. Passively: The word extent passively refers to the atone-

ment's value, which Jesus secured by His sacrifice and which is
sufficient to satisfy God's judicial demands against the sins of all
mankind.
b. Actively: The word extent actively refers to the divine
application of the atonement's value to those who believe the
gospel.
Thus, in its passive sense, the Atonement, being for all mankind, is
unlimited (sufficient for all); in its active sense it is limited to the
gospel believing elect (efficient to the elect). Although the Lord Jesus
died for all mankind, the salvation benefits of His atoning work are
experienced only by gospel believers and by those who die before
having developed moral awareness and accountability.
The following propositions set forth our understanding of this
doctrine:
1. Jesus died for all mankind (Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:I4-
15; John 3:16-17; 1 Tim 2:1-6); thus, He is the Saviour of the
world (I John 4:14; John 1:29; 1 Tim. 4:10).

2. Jesus' death seems to include a wider purpose than only the

salvation of the elect. It also provided a value for the non elect
 to reject, to the added condemnation of those who hear the
gospel (John 3:18; 2 Pet. 2:1). While it is God's intention to
save the elect when they believe, it seems also to be His inten-
tion by Jesus' atoning work to make the gospel's universal ap-
peal real and true (John 3:16; Acts 17:30). Jesus died provi-
sionally for the non-elect. They are not relieved of their duty to
receive the Saviour by a limited atonement. Since Jesus died for
the non-elect, they can never say that they could not have been
saved if they had chosen to receive Him. On the other hand, if
He did not die for them, how can they be guilty of rejecting a
value that does not exist for them?

3. Although universal in its extent, the Lord's atoning work was

provisional in the sense that the benefits derived from it are not
received and possessed until one exercises salvation faith in the
Saviour (Acts 63 1 : I0:43). While the Lord Jesus atoned for the
sins of the whole world by bearing their punishment, God
applies the value of this sacrifice only when the sinner receives
the Saviour. The unbeliever's doom in hell is not a second
payment, for the value of Jesus' atoning work was never
divinely put to his account. If he fails to draw on the bountiful
account of Christ's atonement, the sinner himself must pay the
debt of his sins as though Jesus had not died, for his guilt and
the debt of his sins remain with him.

4. We must distinguish between Jesus’ atoning work (His dealing

with humanity’s sins) and salvation (the benefits derived from
the atonement). People receive salvation when they exercise
salvation faith in Jesus rather than when He died on the cross.
Salvation faith precedes personal rejection of the components
of salvation, including redemption, justification, reconciliation,
regeneration, and sanctification (Acts 10:43; 16:31). The value
of the atonement, with its salvation blessings, is not divinely
applied until the sinner believes the gospel.

5. A distinction must be recognized between God's unrevealed

 decree, or purpose, and His revealed will, or desire, for sinners.
His revealed will for all people is that they believe the gospel
and be saved (2 Pet. 3:9: I Tim. 2:4). This is indicated by the
universality of the gospel's statement and appeal and of the
provision that God has made in Jesus (John 3:15-16; Acts
17:30). But God's secret decree is to save only those whom He
has chosen (2 Thess. 2:13; Acts 13:48). Our duty is to give the
gospel to everyone (Luke 24:47; Greek: "to all nations") and
leave it with God to save whom He will.

6. Since Jesus died for the whole world and secured, thereby a
value that is now offered by the gospel for everyone to receive
or reject, we can present the gospel to everyone with the assur-
ance that God will save all who exercise salvation faith in Je-
sus. The "whosoever" of the gospel appeal is to be taken liter-
ally, for God, who cannot lie, means what He says. The apostle
Paul, speaking on reconciliation observed that God did not
reckon to unsaved people their sins and send them to hell (2
Cor. 5:18-20). Rather, He laid them on Jesus for the purpose of
provisionally reconciling the world unto Himself.
Consequently, anyone in the world can be reconciled to God by
receiving the message of reconciliation (Luke 24:47; Mark
16:15; Acts 18:9-11).

7. Finally, it can he said that the Lord's atoning work was

unlimited in its value, for He died for all people. However, in
the divine application of this value, His atoning work is limited
to those who believe the gospel. Jesus did not actually pay the
debt of humanity's sins while He was on the cross. By His
death He secured a value that is now offered through the
gospel and that is divinely applied to all who trust the
Saviour for their salvation at the time they believe the gospel.
They who do not receive the Saviour must themselves forever
pay in hell the debt of their sins.
Tutorial Questions
1. Passively, to what extent can the atoning work of Jesus' death
be applied to the sins of humankind ?
2. Actively, to what extent can the atoning work of Jesus death
be applicable to humankind?
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