Christology

CHRISTOLOGY

2005

LESSON EIGHT

I. The Second Genus of the Communication of Attributes:

Genus Maiestaticum (p. 152 et. seq.)

A. Definition:

1. “The second genus of cm. of attributes is that by which the Son of God, because of the personal union, truly and really communicates the properties of His own divine nature to His assumed human nature for common possession, use, and designation (Hollaz).” (Mueller, p.275)

(an Epitome of Pieper’s work)

B. Reformed demand “unbridgeable chasm” between the divine attributes and His human nature. (p. 152)

1. Say His human nature cannot be invested with divine omnipotence, divine omniscience, and other divine attributes.

2. Say that would destroy His human nature.

3. Are ready to invest His human nature with extraordinary finite attributes, e.g. great power, great wisdom.

4. Romans agree but less explicitly.

5. Both guided by “the finite, limited, or created is not capable of containing the infinite, unlimited, or uncreated.” (Scaer’s Glossary)

C. Lutheran response:

1. Reformed argument is theological suicide.

2. Reformed argument would then mean that His human nature is incapable of the divine Person of the Son of God while they wish to retain the real union.

3. Reformed argument would really destroy His divine nature.

D. Scripture teaches the cm. of divine properties to the human nature.

1. Taught wherever divine majesty in general or a specific divine attribute (e.g. divine omnipotence or divine rule) are predicated of Christ as having been given to Him in time.

a. Mt 11:27.

b. Mt 28:18.

c. Lk 10:22.

d. Php 2:9-11.

e. Eph 1:20-23.

f. Heb 2:9.

g. Heb 5:9.

h. God can receive nothing or be exalted in nothing.

i. Passages manifestly express the cm. of divine attributes to the human nature.

2. Taught when teaches the fullness of the Godhead dwells in His human nature as in its body.

a. Col 2:9.

b. Jn 1:14.

c. Jn 2:11.

d. 1Jn 1:1,2.

3. Communicated Omnipotence

a. Heb 2:8.

(1) Power given to Christ is described, not as limited power, but as divine omnipotence.

(2) vv. 7-9 show that divine omnipotence given to Christ after His preceding humiliation, and so in time, according to His human nature.

(3) cf Dan 7:13,14.

b. 1Co 15:27.

c. Eph 1:22 (again).

d. No doubt left re: Christ, even before His exaltation, was in possession of divine omnipotence also according to His human nature.

(1) Mt 11:27 (again).

(2) Jn 3:35.

(3) Jn 13:3.

(4) Is 9:6.

(5) Jn 5:27-29 (“because He is the Son of Man”)

(6) The miracles prove this as well.

e. In the state of humiliation, we also observe limited power.

(1) Jn 4:6.

(2) Jn 18:12.

(3) Lk 22:43.

(4) Lk 23:33.

f. How do we understand this coexistence of omnipotence and limited power?

(1) Scripture points to the office which He had to perform on earth among men and for me.

(2) When office demanded, He refrained from the use of His divine omnipotence dwelling in His human nature.

(3) Jn 10:18.

4. Communicated Omniscience

a. Scripture ascribes to Him, according to His human nature, also divine, not just exceptional, knowledge.

b. He proclaimed the Word of God in an altogether different manner than did the Prophets and Apostles.

(1) Jn 3:31,32.

(2) Jn 1:18.

(3) Jn 3:13.

c. His “source” was His uninterrupted oneness with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

d. Since His teaching took place in and through the human nature, His human nature plainly shared in the divine knowledge.

(1) compare Jn 3:34 and Eph 4:7.

(2) Jn 2:25.

e. Scripture also ascribes to Him, in His state of humiliation, limited knowledge.

(1) Lk 2:52.

(2) Mk 13:32.

f. Scripture predicates of Him, according to His human nature, a twofold knowledge:

(1) the knowledge communicated by the divine nature to the human nature by virtue of the personal union, and

(2) the knowledge peculiar to the human nature as its natural, essential attribute.

(3) first is infinite.

(4) second is finite and capable of growth.

g. Again, refer to His office the coexistence even if we cannot intellectually conceive of such.

5. Next week: Communicated Omnipresence.