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Could Christ have sinned?

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Hobie

Hobie

Well-Known Member
Was it all a charade or could Christ have sinned?

Matthew 4:1
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

We also have the following...
Hebrews 4:15
“For we do not have 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 sin.”
 
Hobie

Hobie

Well-Known Member
This is in direct contrast to the view that Christ came as man, with impeccability or was Impeccable

impeccable
adjective
faultless; flawless; irreproachable:impeccable manners.
not liable to sin; incapable of sin.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
Yes, He could have. But He submitted to the will of the Father and did not act of His own accord.
 
37818

37818

Well-Known Member
JonC said:
Yes, He could have.
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No. Mark 10:18, ". . . And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."
For it to be possible for Jesus to have sinned would fully rule out Jesus being the Son of God.
 
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JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
37818 said:
No. Mark 10:18, ". . . And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."
For it to be possible for Jesus to have sinned would fully rule out Jesus being the Son of God.
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I disagree. For Christ to have sinned would have ruled out Jesus being the Son of God.

Christ's sinlessness was descriptive of Christ's nature - not His lack of ability.
 
37818

37818

Well-Known Member
JonC said:
I disagree. For Christ to have sinned would have ruled out Jesus being the Son of God.

Christ's sinlessness was descriptive of Christ's nature - not His lack of ability.
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God does not have the ability to sin.
 
JonC

JonC

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Moderator
37818 said:
Then such a Jesus cannot be the Son of God. Because God cannot sin.
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But if He couldn't have then He obviously was not God.

That's the fun of philosophical questions - your answer reduces God to a weak fool (that Christ was unable to talk back). Mine could be taken to question God's potential righteousness.

The truth is you are wrong because you link the impossibility to ability rather than divine nature.
 
37818

37818

Well-Known Member
JonC said:
But if He couldn't have then He obviously was not God.

That's the fun of philosophical questions - your answer reduces God to a weak fool (that Christ was unable to talk back). Mine could be taken to question God's potential righteousness.

The truth is you are wrong because you link the impossibility to ability rather than divine nature.
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No. Jesus being like, but not, sinful flesh, being truely human had the ability to be truely tempted, Hebrews 4:15, Romans 8:3.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
37818 said:
No. Jesus being like, but not, sinful flesh, being truely human had the ability to be truely tempted, Hebrews 4:15, Romans 8:3.
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This is an inconsistent post. Man cannot be tempted apart from man's ability.

Jesus is God. AND on earth Jesus was also God. He had the power to sin. Sin was not in His nature.
 
37818

37818

Well-Known Member
JonC said:
This is an inconsistent post. Man cannot be tempted apart from man's ability.

Jesus is God. AND on earth Jesus was also God. He had the power to sin. Sin was not in His nature.
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Well, Jesus was the man. And as the Son of God was God too. Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 4:15 are true. According to Hebrews 1:3 He remained God even on the cross.
 
Lodic

Lodic

Well-Known Member
What would have been the purpose of His temptation in the wilderness if Jesus was unable to surrender to the temptations? In Philippians 2:7, Christ emptied Himself, being made in the likeness of men. Although He is the Son of God, He set aside His divine attributes so He could be like humanity in every way. I believe He was capable of sin, but remained sinless.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
37818 said:
Well, Jesus was the man. And as the Son of God was God too. Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 4:15 are true. According to Hebrews 1:3 He remained God even on the cross.
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Jesus did not cease being God. Jesus did not lack the ability to sin (He became obedient even to the cross). It was not in His nature to sin, but it was within His ability.

We do not need to make Jesus less than man and less than God. He could have sinned but did not.
 
Lodic

Lodic

Well-Known Member
JonC said:
Jesus did not cease being God. Jesus did not lack the ability to sin (He became obedient even to the cross). It was not in His nature to sin, but it was within His ability.

We do not need to make Jesus less than man and less than God. He could have sinned but did not.
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Well put, sir. Well put, indeed.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
37818 said:
We disagree. Jesus being the Son of God being fully God. It is absolute absurdity for God to have an ability to sin.
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So to be clear, when Joseph said "Jesus, go to bed" you believe Jesus lacked the ability to say "no"?

The issue is sin is defined not by a matter of ability but as a matter of the will. Sin is birthed when men are carried away by their desires.

Could Jesus sin? Yes, of course. Anyone can sin just as anyone can refrain from sin. It is a matter of the will, not of ability.
 
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