The Early Controversies about the Son of God

Our only direct contact with God is through Jesus Jesus is God’s “Self-Disclosure” The Word-God-Speaks in the flesh Not just sounds; a person Immanuel (God with us) God living in our world God making direct contact with humans

Because of Jesus, we finally see the Trinity clearly Baptism of Jesus – Matthew 3.13ff Where are the three Transfiguration of Jesus – Matthew 17.1ff Where are the three Great Commission – Matthew 28.18ff What are their names

We learn that God is three We learn that God is Lover Beloved Love We learn that God is The One who Sends The One who is Sent or Chosen Apostle Messiah The One who Confirms

Jesus reveals the Unity in God I and the Father are One Whoever sees Me has seen the Father The words that I have spoken to you are spirit Jesus reveals the unique relationships between the Three Persons (hypostases) The Father has sent Me I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things

Summary: Jesus Himself helps us see the Trinity That God is one Essence (Being) That God is three distinct persons (hypostases) Early on, the Church used the stories of Jesus to support the understanding of the Trinity Some thought Jesus was just a personality of God, or a character that God played That the Father, Son and Spirit were not three distinct persons, but three ways God showed Himself (modalism) The Nicene Creed corrects this heresy by using the word “consubstantial” (same substance)

By His deeds It’s not just that Jesus does miracles, it is how He performs the miracles Jesus never prays to God for help to perform a miracle He commands the wind, the storm, the dead, the demons Jesus performs miracles from afar Changing water into wine Healing the centurion’s son Commanding Lazarus to come out of the tomb Jesus reads thoughts Jesus heals through clothing Bleeding woman

By His Words Beginning key statements with “Amen” Jesus freely used God’s name (I AM) as the foundation for His teaching The I AM statements Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM” People recognized His “gracious” (grace-filled) words People recognized the authority of His words

Summary: Many claimed, even in Jesus’ day, that He was not God That He was merely a prophet, no different that than the other prophets Today: Islam, some parts of Judaism That He was a great ethical teacher Today: Judaism, Buddhists, Deists/Rationalists (Jefferson), Hindus Arians claimed that Jesus was a super human, but not completely God

The Councils work to correct this heresy Nicene Creed: true God of true God begotten not made of one and the same substance (consubstantial) Ephesus: Mary is the Mother of God Chalcedon: Jesus is begotten before the ages from the Father according to the divinity Mary is key Mary must remain virgin forever in order to demonstrate that Jesus is truly from God, and not just another human

He was born of a woman Yet His conception and birth were a triple miracle He was tempted by the devil For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Jesus had human emotions Wept, moved with compassion, got angry Jesus had His flesh abused Jesus died

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. 16 … 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Summary: Some said that Jesus was not truly human That He only seemed to be human (Docetists) That humanness is what causes evil (Gnostics) That His humanity was like a coat or clothing That He was mostly human, but one key part (His soul or His will/desire) never was human The Chalcedon Council corrected this heresy Through all things like us except for sin; begotten before the ages from the Father according to the divinity, and in the last days the same for us and for our salvation from Mary the Virgin Theotokos according to the humanity;

Key: The Virgin Mary guarantees and seals Jesus’ humanity Jesus does not simply drop down from heaven Jesus is not some alien channeled through Mary, as if Mary is a water-pipe and Jesus is water Rather, Jesus gets His flesh from His mother She is truly a mother throughout His entire life, not a surrogate (Protestants)

After Christianity is the state religion, many different arguments arise to explain who Jesus is Some argue that Jesus was partly human, and partly divine (Nestorians) Some argue that Jesus is fully divine and partly human (Monophsites, Monergiests) Some argued that Jesus was neither fully divine or fully human, but a hybrid (Eutychians) The Council of Chalcedon gave the definitive answer

one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, understood in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation with the difference of the natures at no point removed through the union, but rather the property of each nature preserved and coming together into a single person [perichoresis] and a single subsistence not dispersed or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, Only-begotten, God, Word, the Lord Jesus Christ,

The Church teaches that Jesus is similar to the Trinity The Trinity is three in one Three persons (hypostases) in one Essence Jesus is two in one Two natures (divine & human) in one person (hypostasis) Finally, the Church teaches that Jesus blessed and sanctified all material items Therefore, we can picture God by having pictures and statues of Jesus