DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2
The studying and understanding of the person and work of Christ should be central to the very character of a Christian faith so that all other ideas are secondary in terms of how one thinks of Christ. The first step in understanding Christ Deity should focus on the “witness of the scripture”. The scripture provides a broad selection of emphasis and material with no diverging opinion, and it includes sampling some of the data that refers to Christ’s person and work[1]. This will expose the self-consciousness of Jesus, where he did not claim to be God but his message emphasized on God and Christians are called to believe with Him and not in Him. Understanding the term “Lord” and how it is translated in the Bible can also explain Christ’s deity. The next step involves studying the “Evidence of the Resurrection” which can be understood in terms of revelation and the history. Revelation can be considered to have occurred only when history is seen to have run its course (693)[2].
None of these aspects of Christ’s deity supersedes the other give that the work done by Christ could only be done by a person in the capacity of God. Christ work was indication of the kind of relationship he had with his Father and given that even after being question he did not refute to be God, His work was as much of importance as is His person. The harmony between person of Christ and his work is well depicted in His authority in various situations, such as defining the Sabbath to those who accused his disciples of picking wheat on the holy day (693)[3]. His authority enabled him to do only God would do, which shows the harmony between His person as equal to God and His godly works. Many any of the recent Christology fails to group Jesus work in terms of a prophet, kind and a prophet. These functions can be understood from the notion that Christ was commissioned to carry out some specific task. The dimension of this tasks are biblical and do not indicate an imposition on materials from the Bible of a certain grouping. The person of Christ and his work have a union which means that their functions are not independent (670)[4].
While his work involved exercising humanity in some situations, his commissioned task was mostly divine. This means that his actions were those of a person whose nature is based on divinity-humanity union, 670[5]. His humanity nature is seen when underwent circumcision, but his divine nature is seen in the institution of the Baptism practice in the church. The replacement of circumcision by Baptism signifies the spiritual realities that were won by Christ. While the two practices may have the same meaning in the salvation work, they are not identical at all (121)[6]. One shows the divinity realities of Christ while there is a reference in human nature in Christ deity. The unity in his person indicates that the work of Christ cannot be understood separately from the work that He was commissioned to do. At time, he took the nature of a servant even though such nature contrasts the God’s nature. It is an expression of acceptance of some limitations while the divine attribute were functioning.
References
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
Schreiner, Thomas R., and Shawn D. Wright, eds. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Nashville: B & H Academic, 2006
[1] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
[2] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
[3] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
[5] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013
[6] Schreiner, Thomas R., and Shawn D. Wright, eds. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Nashville: B & H Academic, 2006
