What is the kenosis? What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself?
The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of kenoó, from which we…
What are the strongest biblical arguments for the divinity of Christ?
That the New Testament is full of references to the divinity of Christ is difficult to deny. From the four canonical Gospels through the book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles, Jesus is not only seen as the Messiah (or Christ) but also equated with God Himself. The apostle Paul refers to the divinity of…
What is dyotheletism?
Dyotheletism is a theological doctrine that has a central place in the history of Christian thought. The word is derived from the Greek words dyo (“two”) and thelema (“will”). It asserts that there are two wills in the one person of Jesus Christ—a divine and human will. One of the doctrine’s early defenders was Maximus…
Is there power in the name of Jesus?
Any power attributed to the name of Jesus originates in the Person of Jesus. When we “believe in Jesus’ name,” we are trusting in the finished work of the risen Christ on the cross (1 John 5:13). Jesus is not a magic word. There is nothing special about the arrangement of the letters in His…
What is the hypostatic union?
The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, 10:30), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the…
Did Jesus say He is God?
It is true that Jesus never said the exact words, “I am God.” He did, however, make the claim to be God in many different ways, and those who heard Him knew exactly what He was saying. For example, in John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews who heard Him…
Is Jesus Yahweh?
The third chapter of Exodus describes the encounter between Moses and God about the Lord’s name: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you”’” (Exodus 3:13–14, NASB). The phrase I am who I am in…
What is the supremacy of Christ and what are its implications?
The supremacy of Christ is a doctrine surrounding the authority of Jesus and His God-nature. In the simplest of terms, to affirm the supremacy of Christ is to affirm that Jesus is God. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines supreme as “highest in rank or authority” or “highest in degree or quality.” In essence, there is none better.…
Does Christ have two natures?
The Bible does not explicitly address the question of whether Jesus Christ has two natures or only one. As it will be explained below, however, understanding that Christ has two natures is the most biblically and theologically consistent position. The issue came to a head in church history as theologians in the church tried to…
Why is the humanity of Jesus important?
The humanity of Jesus is as equally important as the deity of Jesus. Jesus was born as a human being while still being totally divine. The concept of the humanity of Jesus co-existing with His deity is difficult for the finite mind of man to comprehend. Nevertheless, Jesus’ nature—wholly man and wholly God—is a biblical…