How can the Incarnation be reconciled with God’s immutability?
Great theological minds have had to wrestle with this very question, often in the course of responding to false teachers. As the early theologians formulated their answers, they upheld the affirmations of Scripture. On the one hand, they upheld the full divinity of Jesus Christ, and rightly so. There are biblical passages that explicitly assert…
How was Jesus fully God and fully man?
At the core of Christology lies the doctrine that Jesus was not merely a human being, but that He was also fully God. This concept, known as the hypostatic union, reveals the dual nature of Jesus, who transcends the ordinary boundaries of human existence. The term hypostatic union expresses the dual nature of Jesus as…
What does it mean that Jesus is God with us?
Before the birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph and revealed that his fiancée, Mary, had conceived a child through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20–21). Mary would give birth to a Son, and they were to name Him Jesus. Then Matthew, quoting from Isaiah 7:14, provided this inspired revelation: “All this took place to…
Are God and Jesus the same person?
The answer to the question “are God and Jesus the same person?” really depends on what is meant by the same person. If this question means to ask “Is Jesus really God?” or “Is Jesus God in the flesh?” then the answer would be “Yes—Jesus is fully divine. He has all the attributes of God”…
What is the meaning of the Incarnation of Christ?
Incarnation is a term used by theologians to indicate that Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh. This is similar to the hypostatic union. The difference is that the hypostatic union explains how Jesus’ two natures are joined, and the Incarnation more specifically affirms His humanity. The word incarnation means “the act of…
What are miaphysitism and dyophysitism?
The terms miaphysitism and dyophysitism are used to explain the nature of the incarnation and how Jesus should be thought of as both God and man. Dyophysitism is the position that Jesus is one person of one substance but with two different natures: one divine and one human. This term is from the Greek duo…
What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man?
Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 82 times in the New Testament (NIV and ESV). In fact, Son of Man is the primary title Jesus used when referring to Himself (e.g., Matthew 12:32; 13:37; Luke 12:8; John 1:51). The only use of Son of Man in a clear reference to Jesus, spoken…
How can Jesus be both God and man at the same time?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is both God and man. Many Christians are understandably confused when it comes to understanding how Jesus can be God and man at the same time. How could our divine Creator become a human? Could a first-century Jewish man really be God? While a certain amount of mystery will…
Is Jesus God in the flesh?
Since Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), the real identity of Jesus Christ has always been questioned by skeptics. It began with Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, who was afraid to marry her when she revealed that she was pregnant (Matthew 1:18-24). He took her as his wife…
What did Jesus mean when He said “I AM”?
Jesus, in response to the Pharisees’ question “Who do you think you are?” said, “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered,…