1. The Doctrines of the Trinity & The Deity of Christ as revealed in John’s prologue

2. “The Word became flesh…” Issues and questions this will resolve: Reason for the Holy Spirit conception Is Jesus truly, fully man? If yes, how was He man without the Adamic nature? Were His temptations real like ours? -- Heb. 4.15: [Jesus] has been tempted in all things as we are -- James 1.13:for God cannot be tempted Is the Word still fully deity after He becomes flesh?

3. This view of Jesus is most familiar to us. Christologically, this is known as the Incarnation. Common Divine Nature The God The Word The Holy Spirit Material Immaterial The Holy Spirit The Son The Father Common Divine Nature Most are unfamiliar with John’s opening view of the Trinity (ontological view).

4. Only Logos became flesh. Personhood & Nature are distinct 1.14 specifically states that only the Person of the Word became flesh. Common Divine Nature The God The Holy Spirit The Word

5. The Father did not become flesh 1.14 states that the incarnate Word came from the Father. Jesus said, “I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father.” Jn. 16.28 John 17.13 Jesus prayed to the Father, “But now I come to you…” Jesus spoke of the Father as another person in another location.

6. The Spirit did not become flesh In chapters 14-16 Jesus speaks of sending the Spirit to be with believers in His (physical) absence. John 16.7: Jesus said, “…if I do not go away, the [Spirit] shall not come to you…” The Spirit and the incarnate Logos are distinct persons of the Trinity.

7. Clarification… Colossians 2.9 (KJV): For in [Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Theotes means: deity; the state of being God. This verse is not stating that in Jesus dwelt the Trinity bodily, but that in Jesus dwelt the fullness (completeness) of deity. A synonym, theiotes: Acts 17.29 translated divine 2 Peter 1.3 & 4, both times trans. divine Romans 1.20, trans. Godhead (clearly meaning divine nature)

8. Clarification… 2 Corinthians 5.19: “…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…” “In Christ” denotes the relationship of the Father working through the Son to reconcile gospel believers to Himself. John 17.21 & 23: …that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me…I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity…

9. Clarification… John 10.30: “I and the Father are one.” “One” is neuter in gender & cannot modify either of the masculine nouns, Father (or the understood) Jesus. “I and the Father are one thing; in nature or essence.”

10. Logos has not always been flesh Jesus conceived Law given King David born The God The Word The H.S. Nature 4500 years Father Son Spirit human nature Nature The God The Word The H.S. Nature creation Logos was Logos became flesh

11. Was Became “I AM” is eime (I-mee). It means: to be; to exist. “was” is ane. It is the imperfect tense of eime which means it specifies no beginning point. Simply: eternal existence. “Has always been” 1.1; 1.2; 1.4 Egeneto means: existence with a definite beginning point. All things were made… There *was a man… The Word became… “began to be”

12. Why the word Flesh? Speaking of the Baptizer in 1.6, John wrote, “There came a man…” Why didn’t John write “man” or “human being?” Since the Word is a personhood, that which He took on was the human nature only.

13. The Humanity of Jesus Personhood of the Word (essence of identity) I BONESBLOOD BRAIN ORGANS MUSCLEHEART ETC. SKIN CONSCIENCE APPETITES MIND WILL EMOTIONS ETC. Immaterial part of Jesus’ human nature Material part of Jesus’ human nature

14. Flesh used to describe the material part of man’s nature: The Greek word translated flesh is used in the NT to describe both the material and the immaterial parts of human nature. Luke 24.39: “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Matthew 26.41: “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

15. Flesh used to describe the immaterial part of man’s nature: Ephesians 5.31: For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. Matthew 16.17: “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

16. Since all the attributes of humanity reside within the human nature, the absence of a human personhood makes Jesus no less human. Terms like “man” or “human being” would say too much, suggesting the Word took on not only a human nature, but also a human personhood. Reason for “Flesh” In both the Trinity and man, personhood is void of attributes. Attributes reside in the nature.

17. Material Immaterial Human Nature (flesh) Acquired human nature The Holy Spirit The Word The God Common Divine Nature The Word, a Person of the Trinity, assumed a human nature. After John 1.14, the Word, inseparable from the common, divine nature also possesses a human nature. Grey area represents the God-Man Personhood who became flesh

18. Material Immaterial (flesh) Remains Divine Acquired human nature The Holy Spirit The Word The God Common Divine Nature Remains Deity The Word is not separated from the divine nature He does not cease to be deity in personhood Jesus, the God-Man is fully deity with a real human nature.

19. Incarnational Sonship Material Immaterial The Holy Spirit Common Divine Nature The relationship between these two eternal persons changes; it is now Father to Son. The Father The God The Word The Son (flesh) John 10.30: “I and the Father are one.” John 14.8: “…for the Father is greater than I.”

20. Material Immaterial (flesh) The Holy Spirit The Son The Father Common Divine Nature He has TWO natures, human and divine. The God-Man Jesus has a divine personhood, He knows who He has always been. John 17.5: “And now, glorify Me together with Yourself, Father, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17.24: …for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

21. Q and A QWhy do the Father and Son seem to have different attributes? AAfter incarnation they do. But it is not because of Modalism or Tritheism, it is because the attributes of Jesus’ human nature are different than the attributes of the divine nature. Yet, Jesus still retains the divine nature common to the three Persons. QDoesn’t rank exist between the Father and the Son? AYes. After incarnation the Son is submissive to the Father. Not because the Son loses part or all of His deity, but because of choice. The relationship between the Word and the God changes from co-equal to that of a Son to a Father.

22. John 6.35: “I am the bread of life” John 8.12: “I am the light of the world” John 11.25: “I am the resurrection and the life” John 14.6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” John 8.58: Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM!” The Word incarnate (Jesus) retained the fully divine nature and also possesses a fully human nature. This is why Jesus can claim that He is, presently, the I AM!