Presentation on the person and work of Christ by Todd Linn PhD; Christology 1

1. CHRISTOLOGY
(The Study of Jesus Christ)

2. CHRISTOLOGY
(The Study of Jesus Christ)
His Person
(The ontological dimension)
(Who He is)
His Work
(The functional dimension
(What He does)

3. The Person
of Christ
Full Deity Full Humanity
(Two Natures / One Personality)

4. Hypostatic Union
(Two natures / one person)
● Q: How much of Jesus Christ is God?
● A: 100%
● Q: How much of Jesus Christ is man?
● A: 100%

5. The Work of Christ
Sinless Life Vicarious Death
(substitutionary)
Bodily Resurrection

6. A VERY Brief History of Christology . . .
● . . . Tracing the
development of the
teaching of the
hypostatic union . .

7. Christology in the Church Councils
(the development of the doctrine of the hypostatic union)
ERROR AGAINST
DEITY
CHURCH POSITION ERROR AGAINST
HUMANITY
Arius—Christ is a
created being
Nicea, 325 AD—Christ
is eternal and truly God
Constantinople, 381—
full manhood of Christ
is affirmed
Apollinarius—dominant
logos over the humanity
Nestorius—Christ is
two natures in a
mechanical union
Ephesus, 431—unity of
Christ’s personality is
affirmed
Chalcedon, 451—
orthodox Christology
established: two
natures in one person
Eutyches—divine
nature swallows up the
human nature

8. The Definition of Chalcedon (451
AD)
● “Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with
one accord teach men to acknowledge one and
the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once
complete in Godhead and complete in manhood,
truly God and truly man . . . one and the same
Christ . . . recognized in two natures, without
confusion, without change, without division,
without separation; the distinction of natures
being in no way annulled by the union . . .”

9. The Westminster Confession of Faith
(1643-1646)
● “The Son of God, the second Person in the
Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one
substance, and equal with the Father, did, when
the fullness of time was come, take upon him
man’s nature, with all the essential properties
and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin . .
. so that the two whole, perfect and distinct
natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were
inseparably joined together in one person,
without conversion, composition, or confusion.
Which person is very God and very man, yet one
Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.”

10. . . .Time for a Gary
Larson slide . . .

12. Four Great Christological
Passages:
1. John 1:1-18; 8:58; 14:6
2. Philippians 2:5-11
3. Colossians 1:13-20; 2:9-10
4. Hebrews 1:1-3; 5-14; 2:5-18

13. John 1:1-18

14. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was
God.
2. He was in the beginning with God.
● The pre-existence of Christ

15. 3 All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was
made.
❑ God’s agent in creation

16. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of
men.
5. And the light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not comprehend it.
● He is life (spiritual life)
● He is light (John 8:12)

17. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of
that Light.
9. That was the true Light which gives light to every man
coming into the world.
● John the Baptist, the forerunner

18. 10 He was in the world, and the world was
made through Him, and the world did not
know Him.
11. He came to His own, and His own did not
receive Him.
● The Jews (His own) did not receive Him.

19. 12 But as many as received Him, to them
He gave the right to become children of
God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but
of God.
● Salvation is not automatic: receive, believe
● Children of God a privilege.
● Not by blood (family), nor of the will of flesh
(works), but of God (grace).

20. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
● “Dwelt” or, “Pitched His tent.” Like God’s
presence in the OT tabernacle.
● “only begotten” means “unique.”

21. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This
was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is
preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for
grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and
truth came through Jesus Christ.
● Verse 15 from NEB, “Before I was born, He already was.”
● “grace for grace” like, “wave after wave of His grace”

22. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The
only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of
the Father, He has declared Him.
● “declared” is “exegesis”: to unfold through
teaching: to “draw out.”
● Christ “brought God out” and made Him
understandable to us.
● John 14:9.

23. A Concluding Illustration of Our Being
Identified with Christ
“But since my Savior stands between,
Who shed His precious blood,
‘Tis He, instead of me is seen,
When I approach to God.”
–John Newton (1725-1807)