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I'd say that you have asked a very loaded question.
While it is certain that Jesus set aside some of His divine attributes, I am not convinced that we can say that He set aside His divinity. If He did, then He would not have had the ability to die for an untold number of sinners on the cross of Calvary. He must be all Christ and all man, all at the same time, in order to fulfill the demands of Scripture and the justification of God.
The Scriptures tell us that He took on the attributes of a bond servant.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB 95) 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
But that same passage tells us that "He existed in the form of God."
My guess is that we, like many who have come before us in the 2000 years of the church age, can argue just how much Christ emptied Himself until we are blue in the face and at war with each other and still not solve the issue, because we simply don't know all the details.
I expect that Christ had His full divine capacity at His will and at His command, and that the tempter (Satan) worked hard to cause Christ to utilize His full capacity as the Son of God during the temptation so as to negate the express will of the Father in sending His Son as propitiation for sinners. Christ, however, was humble, as a servant to a master, to never once take His eyes off of His Father, nor never exercising His own will apart from that of the will of His Father -- thus living a perfect sinless life.
In one particular incident, we do see the transfigured Christ in some of His glory (I doubt that it was yet full glory, for some saw Him and lived!):
Matthew 17: 1-9 (NASB 95) 1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
isn't it considered heretical though if when we hold to Jesus "limiting" Himself in the Incarnation to extent that He was no longer God while on earth
that we have strayed out of "orthodoxy?"
I'd say that you have asked a very loaded question.
While it is certain that Jesus set aside some of His divine attributes, I am not convinced that we can say that He set aside His divinity. If He did, then He would not have had the ability to die for an untold number of sinners on the cross of Calvary. He must be all Christ and all man, all at the same time, in order to fulfill the demands of Scripture and the justification of God.
The Scriptures tell us that He took on the attributes of a bond servant.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB 95) 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
But that same passage tells us that "He existed in the form of God."
My guess is that we, like many who have come before us in the 2000 years of the church age, can argue just how much Christ emptied Himself until we are blue in the face and at war with each other and still not solve the issue, because we simply don't know all the details.
I expect that Christ had His full divine capacity at His will and at His command, and that the tempter (Satan) worked hard to cause Christ to utilize His full capacity as the Son of God during the temptation so as to negate the express will of the Father in sending His Son as propitiation for sinners. Christ, however, was humble, as a servant to a master, to never once take His eyes off of His Father, nor never exercising His own will apart from that of the will of His Father -- thus living a perfect sinless life.
In one particular incident, we do see the transfigured Christ in some of His glory (I doubt that it was yet full glory, for some saw Him and lived!):
Matthew 17: 1-9 (NASB 95) 1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
Do any of you hold to that?
That Jesus limited Himself so much that he left his Divinity "In Heaven" and rebecome God again once ascended on high?
I'd say that you have asked a very loaded question.
While it is certain that Jesus set aside some of His divine attributes, I am not convinced that we can say that He set aside His divinity. If He did, then He would not have had the ability to die for an untold number of sinners on the cross of Calvary. He must be all Christ and all man, all at the same time, in order to fulfill the demands of Scripture and the justification of God.
The Scriptures tell us that He took on the attributes of a bond servant.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB 95) 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
But that same passage tells us that "He existed in the form of God."
My guess is that we, like many who have come before us in the 2000 years of the church age, can argue just how much Christ emptied Himself until we are blue in the face and at war with each other and still not solve the issue, because we simply don't know all the details.
I expect that Christ had His full divine capacity at His will and at His command, and that the tempter (Satan) worked hard to cause Christ to utilize His full capacity as the Son of God during the temptation so as to negate the express will of the Father in sending His Son as propitiation for sinners. Christ, however, was humble, as a servant to a master, to never once take His eyes off of His Father, nor never exercising His own will apart from that of the will of His Father -- thus living a perfect sinless life.
In one particular incident, we do see the transfigured Christ in some of His glory (I doubt that it was yet full glory, for some saw Him and lived!):
Matthew 17: 1-9 (NASB 95) 1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
Do any of you hold to that?
That Jesus limited Himself so much that he left his Divinity "In Heaven" and rebecome God again once ascended on high?
It would be heretical to suggest that Jesus Christ was/is not fully God/man. There were two major early heresies that came against Christ and the church. The first was that Christ was all and only God, and not man at all. The second, shortly after, was that Christ was fully and only man and not God at all. God's people answered both charges with the orthodox position we still and always hold.
But note that I did not suggest or offer that Christ was not fully God. I simply said that He chose to set aside some of His divine attributes so as to be a fully-devoted-servant of His Father. I also noted that He had the right to pick back up those divine attributes at any second, but that doing so would have not been in the will of His Father, who had a divinely appointed task at hand.
Quick question. is is said in Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Christ meaning anointed, what was he anointed with that makes him the Christ? Also was the Christ to also have been a son of David?
Did Paul mean we should have the attitude of being equal with God?
My explanation was that Jesus, during his time on earth, laid aside the independent use of his divine power so that whiole on earth he could stand against temptation by relying on God's Word and God's power. He stated that He always did the will of the Father. He said (John 8:28) that he always spoke what the father had taught him.
Jesus was fully God and fully man, but while on earth He lived the same way we are supposed to live - in total reliance on the Father.
That's my take on it.
I have not responded to your questions because, frankly, I am a bit confused about what you are asking. Are you suggesting that I don't see Christ as both God and man? I do, and I made that very clear above.
About the other issues, perhaps they are best for another thread, as they don't really pertain to this particular topic. I will say, however, that to be the anointed one does not necessarily mean that Christ was physically anointed with some substance while here on earth. He was "anointed" by the Holy Spirit at His baptism, where we see a complete picture of the Trinity, Father speaking forth from heaven, Holy Spirit in a form that appeared as dove-like, and Son, coming up out of the waters of the River Jordan. He was also anointed unto burial by the woman who poured out the valuable burial perfume.
As to the "son of David," Christ was indeed a son of David, by birth to Mary, herself a descendant, and by adoption by His earthly father, Joseph, who was also of the line of David. Interestingly, one parent was of the cursed line of David and the other was not, thus negating a God-directed curse on one of the lines of David through a divine intervention in the arrangement of the human parents of the Son of God. Christ is the son of David, who will fulfill the prophecy of God to hold the throne of David forever.
And, no, I do not believe that Paul was suggesting that "we" have an attitude of equality with God. I believe if you take apart the Greek in that passage, you will find that we should have the same "attitude" as that of Christ, humble servant to the Most High God.
I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. My post 6 is what I believe and I gave scripture as to why and I understand you disagree. Let me say a little more.
Matt. 22:42-45 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The Son] of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
The Christ came from God and by the resurrection will be declared to be the Son of God and yet he was also the son of David. They called his name Jesus.
God is Spirit. Now did the Christ come as God or did he come as the Word made flesh? 1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus (the) Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. In another post you said something about heretical, here is what John says is heretical. 1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that (the) Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Jesus himself said this. John 3:6 1st part That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
Was Jesus flesh or spirit? That you answered from Acts 2:36 says God has made that same Jesus. What same Jesus? That Jesus that they had crucified and slain: He God the Father had raised up. You do not have to resurrect God but the Son of man who was in the heart of the earth, Hades for three days and three nights.
He had emptied himself of something. What? see post 6 and since you brought it up his water baptism says the same.
Some time after his water baptism Jesus said this. Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
his water baptism was a picture of this baptism spoken of in Luke 12 and his water baptism is also in chronological order of the baptism of Luke 12.
Jesus the Son of man went into the water and was baptized, that is he died,
Straightway he came up out of the water, that is was resurrected to life, regenerated.
And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: that is see Acts 2:33 having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, also Titus 3:5 renewing of the Holy Spirit.
And last but not least: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. that is Rom. 1:4 And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Acts 13:33 in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Col. 1:18 who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
It is the resurrected Son of man Jesus the Son of God that is a creature.
The last Adam a quickening spirit
Howbeit that not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. After the resurrection
I'm afraid that I will once again need some clarification. If I read you correctly, you are saying that Jesus was only a man until after His resurrection.
Is that what you are trying to convey?
Is He espousing some type of 'Jesus getting 'adopted" by god by his resurrection from the dead!
I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. My post 6 is what I believe and I gave scripture as to why and I understand you disagree. Let me say a little more.
Matt. 22:42-45 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The Son] of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
The Christ came from God and by the resurrection will be declared to be the Son of God and yet he was also the son of David. They called his name Jesus.
God is Spirit. Now did the Christ come as God or did he come as the Word made flesh? 1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus (the) Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. In another post you said something about heretical, here is what John says is heretical. 1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that (the) Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Jesus himself said this. John 3:6 1st part That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
Was Jesus flesh or spirit? That you answered from Acts 2:36 says God has made that same Jesus. What same Jesus? That Jesus that they had crucified and slain: He God the Father had raised up. You do not have to resurrect God but the Son of man who was in the heart of the earth, Hades for three days and three nights.
He had emptied himself of something. What? see post 6 and since you brought it up his water baptism says the same.
Some time after his water baptism Jesus said this. Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
his water baptism was a picture of this baptism spoken of in Luke 12 and his water baptism is also in chronological order of the baptism of Luke 12.
Jesus the Son of man went into the water and was baptized, that is he died,
Straightway he came up out of the water, that is was resurrected to life, regenerated.
And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: that is see Acts 2:33 having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, also Titus 3:5 renewing of the Holy Spirit.
And last but not least: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. that is Rom. 1:4 And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Acts 13:33 in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Col. 1:18 who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
It is the resurrected Son of man Jesus the Son of God that is a creature.
The last Adam a quickening spirit
Howbeit that not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. After the resurrection
You have a VERY serious problem with this kind of interpretation and here it is.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Jesus was Lord at birth not baptism and the greek term for Lord is a designation for God.
I'm afraid that I will once again need some clarification. If I read you correctly, you are saying that Jesus was only a man until after His resurrection.
Is that what you are trying to convey?