C2.2 Jesus

• hypostatic union: combination of divine and human natures in Jesus
• patripassianism: FSS are different modes of the same being.

  The Son's suffering is identical to the Father's suffering
• theopaschitism: Christ only has one nature, the divine, and therefore only Jesus suffered at the crucifixion, not God (follows Arian tradition)
• "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark) - Jesus' last words
• Moltmann view of God

  • father suffers with son - God is passible and has one nature
  • Jesus fully God so God suffered w Jesus
  • God gave up Son for us; Son gave himself up for us; Spirit unites F+S in their suffering + sacrifice
• "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John)
• 3 reasons why Jesus may have thought he was the Son of God

  1. calls himself God - see me = see the Father (John)
  2. miracles - walk on water (Mark), heal blind (John)
  3. resurrection - overcame death, orig given by God (Gen)
• miracles that show Jesus thought he was God

  1. walk on water (Mark) - control over nature
  2. heal blind (John) - heal physical + sin
• Arius' belief about Jesus

  • Jesus was created by God
  • there was a time when the Son did not exist
  • Jesus is not equal to the Father
• Arius' arg for view that Son is lesser than Father

  by definition Son derivation from Father = lesser than
• give a criticism of this arg that Son is lesser than Father:

  Arius: by definition Son derivation from Father

  Athanasius, Nicene Creed: eternally begotten – S related to F by eternal derivation; both no beginning
• give a response to this criticism of the arg that Son is lesser than Father:

  Athanasius, Nicene Creed: eternally begotten – S related to F by eternal derivation; both no beginning

  Arius: eternally begotten not Biblical - “The Father is greater than I” (John)
• give a criticism of this arg that Son is lesser than Father:

  Arius: by definition Son derivation from Father

  Athanasius, Nicene Creed: eternally begotten – S related to F by eternal derivation; both no beginning
• Athanasius' view of Jesus

  begotten but not created by the Father; homoousios (same substance as Father); fully God + fully human
• homoousios: Greek word meaning 'of the same substance'
• What did the Council of Chalcedon conclude about Jesus' nature?

  hypostatic union - Jesus is "truly God and truly man", "consubstantial with the Father"
• Bible verse supporting Reformation view that saved "sola fide":

  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works" (Ephesians)
• develop Calvin's view of Jesus as prophet

  God's self-rev, reveals true nature of God, "Word of God" (John 1)
• develop Calvin's view of Jesus as king

  right hand of God, head of Church, pwr over earthly rulers (Ephesians)
• Bible quote to support Calvin's view of Jesus as king:

  "he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority [...] and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body" (Ephesians)
• develop Calvin's view of Jesus as priest

  represents ppl of God, sacrifice to atone for sins - human priests = imperfect, Jesus = perfect (Hebrews 4)
• Calvin + Luther's view of Jesus as mediator

  only mediator between us + God as fully God + fully human
• criticism of Calvin + Luther's view that Jesus is the only mediator

  Catholic Church: priests mediate between humans + God; apostolic succession
• Bible quote to support Calvin + Luther's view that Jesus is the only mediator:

  "there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy)
• Calvin view on salvation

  limited, predetermined salvation; no FW (sola fide but faith is gift from God)
• Luther view on salvation

  unlimited salvation; relational change as move into new spiritual life w God (sola fide - faith in your control)
• Weinandy criticism of Moltmann

  Molt rejects essential transcendence + immutability of God; doesn't suffer
• Weinandy criticism of Moltmann


  Molt rejects essential transcendence + immutability of God; doesn't suffer
• criticism of Weinandy's view that God doesn't suffer

  evidence of God suffering/changing in the Bible, e.g. Exodus ppl's suffering
• give a response to this criticism of Weinandy:

  evidence of God suffering/changing in the Bible, e.g. Exodus

  Weinandy: written by humans inspired by God; reflection of human perspective of God
• strengthen this arg from Weinandy against God's passibility:

  Weinandy: Bible depicting God suffering written by humans inspired by God; reflection of human perspective of God

  Buber: our relationship with + perception of God changes but God himself doesn't (I-You)
• strengthen this arg from Weinandy against God's passibility:

  Weinandy: Bible depicting God suffering written by humans inspired by God; reflection of human perspective of God

  Buber: our relationship with + perception of God changes but God himself doesn't (I-You)
• 2 strengths of Moltmann's view of God as passible

  1. more benevolent as suffers w us -> lessens evidential PoE; worthier of worship; not removed from human exp
  2. if can't suffer, not omnip as can't do something
• Barth criticism of Moltmann's arg that God must suffer to love

  based on human understanding of love + suffering; God omnip so can love w/out suffering
• strengthen Barth's criticism of Moltmann:

  God omnip so can love w/out suffering

  Anslem: "being than which no greater can be conceived" so change means less perfect
• Council of Chalcedon:
hypostatic union - Jesus is "truly God and truly man", "consubstantial with the Father"