Basic HTML Version
302
2. SCRIPTURE PROOF FOR THE REAL HUMANITY OF CHRIST.
There has been a time, when the
reality (Gnosticism) and the natural integrity (Docetism, Apollinarianism) of the human nature
of Christ was denied, but at present no one seriously questions the real humanity of Jesus
Christ. In fact, there is at present an extreme emphasis on His veritable humanity, an ever-
growing humanitarianism. The only divinity many still ascribe to Christ, is simply that of His
perfect humanity. This modern tendency is, no doubt, in part a protest against a one-sided
emphasis on the deity of Christ. Men have sometimes forgotten the human Christ in their
reverence for the divine. It is very important to maintain the reality and integrity of the
humanity of Jesus by admitting his human development and human limitations. The splendor of
His deity should not be stressed to the extent of obscuring His real humanity. Jesus called
Himself man, and is so called by others, John 8:40; Acts 2:22; Rom. 5:15; I Cor. 15:21. The most
common self-designation of Jesus, “the Son of Man,” whatever connotation it may have,
certainly also indicates the veritable humanity of Jesus. Moreover, it is said that the Lord came
or was manifested in the flesh, John 1:14; I Tim. 3:16; I John 4:2. In these passages the term
“flesh” denotes human nature. The Bible clearly indicates that Jesus possessed the essential
elements of human nature, that is, a material body and a rational soul, Matt. 26:26,28,38; Luke
23:46; 24:39; John 11:33; Heb. 2:14. There are also passages which show that Jesus was subject
to the ordinary laws of human development, and to human wants and sufferings, Luke 2:40,52;
Heb. 2:10,18; 5:8. It is brought out in detail that the normal experiences of man’s life were His,
Matt. 4:2; 8:24; 9:36; Mk. 3:5; Lk. 22:44; John 4:6; 11:35; 12:27; 19:28,30; Heb. 5:7.
3. SCRIPTURE PROOF FOR THE SINLESS HUMANITY OF CHRIST.
We ascribe to Christ not only
natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This means not merely
that Christ could avoid sinning (potuit non peccare), and did actually avoid it, but also that it
was impossible for Him to sin (non potuit peccare) because of the essential bond between the
human and the divine natures. The sinlessness of Christ has been denied by Martineau, Irving,
Menken, Holsten, and Pfleiderer, but the Bible clearly testifies to it in the following passages:
Luke 1:35; John 8:46; 14:30; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 9:14; I Pet. 2:22; I John 3:5. While Christ was
made to be sin judicially, yet ethically He was free from both hereditary depravity and actual
sin. He never makes a confession of moral error; nor does He join His disciples in praying,
“Forgive us our sins.” He is able to challenge His enemies to convince Him of sin. Scripture even
represents Him as the one in whom the ideal man is realized, Heb. 2:8,9; I Cor. 15:45; II Cor.
3:18; Phil. 3:21. Moreover, the name “Son of Man,” appropriated by Jesus, seems to intimate
that He answered to the perfect ideal of humanity.
4. THE NECESSITY OF THE TWO NATURES IN CHRIST.
It appears from the preceding that, in the
present day, many do not recognize the necessity of assuming two natures in Christ. To them
Jesus is but a man; yet at the same time they feel constrained to ascribe to Him the value of a