Post 1 Introduction
This Post is to serve as an introduction to an experience in online education for the Th.B. Program of the American Baptist College. If you are registered for the class, Ph/Th 501, you have gotten an e-mail from the instructor with the website address and instructions as to how to use this website.
Our class meets entirely online. You won't have to go to the campus of American Baptist College at all during this class. You will have to visit this website for each of the 14 class meetings. Each class builds on the one before, so don't skip any lessons. The work you do for each lesson will also fit together to create the final assignment, so make sure and keep copies of everything you do.
For today, please take time to read this introduction. Your first assignment is to post a comment. To do so:
1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the word "comments."
2. Compose one complete paragraph (three to five sentences) stating your name, your goal for taking this course, and your impression of this method of learning to this point.
3. Scroll to the bottom of that window, click the radio button that says "other"
4. Type your first and last name.
5. Click "publish your comments."
Tuesday I will post the next new information. Be sure and look for it. In fact, for the rest of the course, you will need to check this website every day: www.blogger.com. Once there,go to our course site, phth501. Or, you can go directly to http://phth501.blogspot.com/ I will post new information every day or so. It is also a part of your class assignment to read the comments of others and respond online. This is how we have our virtual-class discussions. Remember, talk about the comment, not the commenter.
Thank you for participating in this experience!
posted by Doc | 7:50 PM
8 Comments:
This is the second time I've taught this class online. I enjoyed it a lot last time. The students did too, after they figured out how to make it work. Good luck.
Hello Doc Martin! My name is Rodney Harris and I am too am excited about the course. I have registered for the course to complete my degree for Theology/Biblical Studies at ABC. This will be my first time taking an online course and I look forward to the challenge.
Hello Mr. Harris! I'm so glad you got the e-mail and were able to find the website. Thanks for leaving your comment. The next lesson will be posted on Tuesday. Note: I'm actually doing this from the lodge at Lake Junaluska-- the Methodist retreat center in the mountains of North Carolina! I'm here studying spiritual formation.
My name is Thomas Hunter, some of the things that I expect from this class is to learn more about God and myself.The method is ok to this point by the way nice tie
Hello Mr. Hunter! Thanks for logging on. I hope that after the class posting on Tuesday you will know more about what to expect for the class. I hope it doesn't scare you off!
IV. Assignment for the next class: Write a great thesis statement for your project paper.
Jesus, An Extraordinary Unusual Person-Was He both Human and Divine?
Larry. Thanks for posting. I think this posting actually was to go with Post number 3. Make sure you keep it in order in your notebook--the one you are making for the class. Also, be careful--this sounds more like a sermon title than a thesis statement. It needs to be something that you see as a real need for your target audience (class, church, etc.) and something you can do some solid research on and thus build an academic case. I think you can do that on the idea of the question of the divinity of Christ. I just think you are going to have to be careful to make it a lesson/lecture not a sermon.
Make sense?
Dear Dr. Martin,
Hello and how are you and yours! I hope all is well. I have been very, very, involved with my entire family. My daughter was involved in an automobile accident. She was in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt. She is alive and well. I have hosted two family reunions and attended a third. I felt somewhat Like David, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
I am working very hard to complete my assignment. I have been reading several pieces of literature on my topic of interest. I might have read too much. There is so much great information to read. Staying on task has been difficult. Please be patient with me. I am working diligently to complete my assignment. Please read my very rough draft.
Jesus, an Extraordinary Unusual Person-
Was He both Human and Divine?
A Thesis
Submitted to the
Of American Baptist College
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Bachelor of Theology
Larry D. Thomas
August 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction to class
II. Syllabus
III. Project
A. Introduction/Background of Study
B. Review of Literature
C. Problem
D. Scope Statement
E. Purpose Statement
F. Significance of the Study
G. Definition of Terms
H. Conclusion
I. Works Cited
IV. Extra Pages/Notes
B. Review of Literature
How can a person have a divine nature and a human nature at the same time in the way that we believe Jesus Christ did? One of the great crises in evangelical Christianity today is a lack of understanding about the person of Christ. Almost every time Sproul watched Christian television he herd one of the classical creeds of the Christian faith being denied blatantly, unknowingly, unwittingly. And of course, part of the reason is that it is so difficult for us to understand how one person can have two natures. You are asking me the question, "How?" I don't know how; I know that Jesus is one person with two natures. How can that be? Long before there was a human nature there was a second person of the Trinity. Here the second person of the Trinity, very God of very God, God himself, was able to take upon himself a human nature. No human being could reverse the process and take upon himself a divine nature. I cannot add deity to my humanity. It's not as if Christ changed from deity into humanity. That's what he herd all the time. He herd that there was this great eternal God who suddenly stopped being God and became a man. That's not what the Bible teaches. The divine person took upon himself a human nature. We really can't understand the mystery of how this happened. But it is conceivable, certainly, that God, with his power, can add to himself a human nature and do it in such a way as to unite two natures in one person (Sproul, R.C., 2005). Compiled in this section are several beliefs which provides varied answers and beliefs to the question, “Was He both Human and Divine?”. Briefly described in this section are the following approaches: (1) the Humanity of Jesus; (2) Divinity of Jesus; (3) Who is Jesus, and; (4) Who Jesus is not.
The Humanity of Jesus
If there is any one thing of which modern Christians have been certain it is that Jesus was a true man, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, in all points tempted as we are. All docetist, Eutychean, Monophysite errors which explained away the humanity of our Lord have now been jettisoned be all serious theological thought. Theologians of all shades of opinions have declared that in respect to His human nature Christ is consubstantial with ourselves. We need only read the Gospels to attest to the fact of Jesus' genuine humanity.
There is not a limitation that humanity shares that Jesus did not fall heir. Like the rest of us, he got hungry. When at the well of Sameria he asked the women who was drawing water for a drink. When he grew tired, he needed rest and sleep. He learned obedience, we are told, in the way we must learn it. When his disciples were unfaithful it was very cutting to his heart. The blindness of the city he longed to save moved him to tears. In the garden he experienced the normal agony of any individual in the same situation. On the Cross, he added to all physical tortures the final agony of feeling God-forsaken (Mackintosh, (1912, 2007).
It was one of Jesus’ favorite ways to refer to Himself. He’s quoted 85 times in the King James Version of the New Testament calling Himself the “Son of Man.” Here are some of His human characteristics:
• Jew who grew up in Nazareth, learned carpentry from his earthly father, “grew in wisdom & stature, and in favor with God and man,” (Luke 2:52) and began a ministry throughout Israel at age 30.
• The cousin of John the Baptist, who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.
• Was baptized by John at the beginning of His ministry, at which point a voice from the heavens proclaimed, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:22, NAS)
• Was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days, at which time He fasted and prayed, and resisted temptation by quoting scripture.
• Was misunderstood by His family and those of His hometown.
• The half-brother of James, who authored the Book of James, and was a leader of the early church.
• After ministering, healing, and teaching for three years, was crucified outside Jerusalem during the feast of Passover by the Romans at the demand of Jewish religious leaders.
• Had human needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
• Showed human emotions of love, happiness, sadness, and anger… but not fear, hatred, or pride.
• Born in Bethlehem into a poor family where the mother, Mary, was a virgin. Both she and Joseph the “step-father” were of the line of David and the tribe of Judah, fulfilling prophecies from: Micah 5:2, Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, Genesis 49:10, Psalm 132:11, Jeremiah 23:5, and Isaiah 11:10 (Crosswalk.com., 2007).
Divinity of Jesus
The deity of Jesus isn’t one of the easiest of Christian beliefs to grasp, though it is one of the most central. And, I might add, one of the most controversial. If Jesus was just an inspired human teacher, one who pointed the way (or a way) to God, this fits nicely within our contemporary religious milieu. But if Christians claim that Jesus was not merely a human prophet, but somehow also the one true God in the flesh, then this sets Christianity apart from other religions. It implies that Christ is not merely one possible way to God, but the one authentic way. In our world today, this claim seems arrogant and unkind, if not antique (Roberts, 2004).
According to theologian, James D. Tabor, Paul taught that Jesus was a divine preexistent heavenly being, created as the “firstborn” of all God’s creation (Tabor, 2006, p.262). He existed in the “form of God” and was “equal to God” (Philippians 2:6). It was by the agency of Christ that God had brought the world into existence (Colossians 1:16). In his heavenly glory Christ was before all things and he was glorified and worshipped by the angelic hosts. He subsequently “emptied himself “and took on human form, being “born of a woman” and sent into the world from heaven (Philippians 2:7-8; Galatians 4:4). His purpose was to live without sin and to die on the cross as atonement for the sins of the world. As Paul put it: “For our sake he [God] made him to be a sin offering, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteous of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). God then raised Christ from the dead and transformed him back into his glorious heavenly body. Christ ascended into heaven and was seated in power and glory at Gods right hand (Philippians 3:20-21).
Who is Jesus
The Prince of Peace… The Word made man… Savior and Lord… The King of Kings… The Lion of Judah… The Lamb of God
When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his followers, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked them, “And who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because no person taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who I am.” (Matthew 16:13-17, NCV).
Furthermore, author Tim LaHaye contends, He [Jesus] who was sinless would never deceive us, and He who was the wisest Teacher could not be mistaken (LaHaye, 2004, p.75). Also, the claims are many and varied, but add up both individually and collectively to affirmation of who Jesus is, taken from the King James Version of the Bible:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
“The Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6).
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father, except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (john 11:25-26).
“The Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).
“Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:24).
“I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12)
“When the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
“The Son of Man [came]…to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger” (john 6:35).
The claims are true and the promises sure. In the face of such incontrovertible evidence, we can only say with the once-doubting Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) (LaHaye, 2004, p.75).
Who Jesus is not
C.S. Lewis, one-time atheist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, put the dilemma this way: A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said [about Himself] would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity) (Crosswalk.com., 2007).
Author, speaker, and educator, Leith Anderson, suggest Jesus was not a “hypocrite”, nor did he believe in anyone else acting hypocritical (Anderson, 2005, p.80). When you [people] do good and righteous acts for others [just as Jesus], be careful not to show off in front of everyone, because that will disqualify you from God’s reward. It’s hypocritical to pretend you are being like God and then draw attention to yourself and seek praise. Even if you have seen hypocrites in the synagogue or out on the street, don’t be like them. They receive all their reward from human praise. You keep your good deeds a secret and trust the Father to reward you later (Anderson, p.81).
C. Problem
The question of who Jesus was [is] has been a question asked by many people of all walks of life. Various answers of who Jesus was, is, and what He is not, are often challenged and disputed by people from areas throughout the world. Often the answers to the question of who exactly Jesus was, is, and what He was not, vary. There has been much controversy and debate about the various beliefs, opinions, about Jesus. This study addressed well known truths about Jesus. This study was done to see if in fact, if Jesus was only human, only divine, and or both human and divine.
Whether these findings prove to be extremely favorable toward the belief Jesus was only human, only divine, or both human and divine, it is hoped that this study will shed light on the truth of who Jesus was, is, human, divine, at which time of his preexistence, and His existence. Futhermore, the data provided in this study can be a useful source of information to persons pursuing a degree in theology, and those persons who are in the ministry (who witness to believers and nonbelievers).
I. Works Cited
Anderson, L. (2005). Jesus an Intimate Portrait of the Man, His Land, and His People.
Minnesota: Bethany House.
Crosswalk.com. (2007). http://www.crosswalk.com/whoIsJesus/1522132/
LaHaye, T. (2004). Why Believe in Jesus?. Oregon: Harvest House Publishers.
Mackintosh, H. R. (1912) (2007). The Doctrine of the Person of Jesus Christ.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/papers/vol1/500215-
The_Humanity_and_Divinity_of_Jesus.htm
Martin, W. (2007). http://phth501.blogspot.com
Roberts, M. D. (2004). Was Jesus Divine? The Early Christian Understanding.
http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusdivine.htm
Sproul, R.C. (2005). How Could Jesus Be Both Divine and Human?.
http://www.mbrem.com/jesus_Christ/sproul.htm
Tabor, J. D. (2006). The Jesus Dynasty The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family,
and the Birth of Christianity. New York: Simon & Schuster.
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