Christology: Issues And Polemics

In this chapter we are going to look at the problem around Christology, in which there are many issues and polemics in this topic. There are many wrong interpretations related to the two natures of Christ. Christ, the Son of God is the second Person of the Trinity, yet He has two natures; human nature and divine nature. He must have these two natures to become a Mediator between God and human. Therefore, many churches have lost their true understanding concerning to the two natures of Christ, because they interpret it according to their own understanding. Here we will learn some issues and polemics of this problem. Some emphasize the nature of Christ is only divine nature and reject His human nature because they believe that the matter

In this topic we are going to be a critical thinker to analyze the misinterpretation. This will be very useful for us to know which one is the truth, then in our daily life we can declare our faith to other. This understanding will help us to standing firm in our faith and to refuse heresies around us. We will be able to describe the issues and heresies toward Christ, and will be able to either analyze and give the answer toward the issues. We will not be gullible by heresies around us because we have the true understanding about our faith. We will learn some of these misinterpretation and analyze it, on the next chapter we will learn Christology and what is the two natures of Christ to give us the very basic and fundamental understanding about our faith in Christ Jesus.

Heresies and Polemics

In this chapter we will look at the three major problem in fathoming the two natures of Christ Jesus; emphasize on Jesus’ humanity, emphasize on Jesus’ divinity, and confusing the two natures of Jesus Christ. Remember that what we are going to learn in this chapter are heresies.

The Six Basic Heresies Regarding the person of Christ

(Taken from: Introducing Christian Doctrine second edition by Milliard J. Erickson)

They are keeping the law of Moses and keeping the laws of Judaism as necessary to salvation.

Paul teaches that salvation was not bound to the offspring of Abraham, it depends upon God’s mercy, which He extends to whom He pleases [Rom. 9:15-16]; and there is no reason for Jews to be boast in the name of the covenant unless they keep the law of covenant; obey the Word. (McNeil, 2006)

They are most considered Jesus to be a man and not God. This teaching minimizes the divinity of Jesus Christ because they believe that Jesus is only human and just a merely man. Their teaching is that Jesus born of Joseph and Mary because as a man, He normally born of His parents; they refused the virgin birth.

The Jewish Christians presume that Jesus is not God and only human because believe that God is only one; Shemma or Ehad, especially for the early church. Jesus is not God; He is Messiah who endowed at His baptism the divine power from the Holy Spirit. Jesus was a merely human being and when he was Baptist, the Holy Spirit grant to Him the divine power for Him become a Messiah. Jesus was born normally as an ordinary human and not conceived by Holy