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was denied, all speaking about the humiliation and exaltation of Christ lost its meaning. The
result is that in many present day works on Dogmatics we look in vain for a chapter on the
states of Christ.
3. THE NUMBER OF THE STATES OF THE MEDIATOR.
There is a difference of opinion as to the
number of the states of the Mediator. Some are of the opinion that, if we assume that the
person of the Mediator is the subject of the states, strict logic requires that we speak of three
states or modes of existence: the pre-existent state of eternal divine being, the earthly state of
temporal human existence, and the heavenly state of exaltation and glory.[Cf. McPherson, Chr.
Dogm., p. 322; Valentine, Chr. Theol. II, p. 88.] But since we can speak of the humiliation and
exaltation of the person of Christ only in connection with Him as the God-man, it is best to
speak of only two states. Reformed theologians do find an anticipation of both the humiliation
and the exaltation of Christ in His pre-existent state: of His humiliation in that He freely took
upon Himself in the pactum salutis to merit and administer our salvation; and of His exaltation
in the glory which He as our prospective Mediator enjoyed before the incarnation, cf. John
17:5. The two states are clearly indicated in II Cor. 8:9; Gal. 4:4,5; Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 2:9.
B. THE STATE OF HUMILIATION.
On the basis of Phil. 2:7,8, Reformed theology distinguishes two elements in the humiliation of
Christ, namely, (1) the kenosis (emptying, exinanitio), consisting in this that He laid aside the
divine majesty, the majesty of the sovereign Ruler of the universe, and assumed human nature
in the form of a servant; and (2) the tapeinosis (humiliatio), consisting in that He became
subject to the demands and to the curse of the law, and in His entire life became obedient in
action and suffering to the very limit of a shameful death. On the basis of the passage in
Philippians it may be said that the essential and central element in the state of humiliation is
found in the fact that He who was the Lord of all the earth, the supreme Lawgiver, placed
Himself under the law, in order to discharge its federal and penal obligations in behalf of His
people. By doing this He became legally responsible for our sins and liable to the curse of the
law. This state of the Saviour, briefly expressed in the words of Gal. 4:4, “born under the law,” is
reflected in the corresponding condition, which is described in the various stages of the
humiliation. While Lutheran theology speaks of as many as eight stages in the humiliation of
Christ, Reformed theology generally names only five, namely: (1) incarnation, (2) suffering, (3)
death, (4) burial, and (5) descent into hades.
1. THE INCARNATION AND BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Under this general heading several points
deserve attention.