Christology Essay
Short Essay on Christology
Christology in its most basic definition means the study of Christ. Christology focuses on Jesus’ nature and the person he was, as well as the details of his life and teachings. It also focuses on the relationship between Christ and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Elwell explains Christology, “In the New Testament the writers indicate who Jesus is by describing the significance of the work He came to do and the office He came to fulfill” (Elwell 2001, 239). In this essay we will focus on some of the significant issues of Christology, such as Jesus’ humanity and deity, the Hypostatic Union, and the Biblical basis for such issues. Many people get confused and have a hard time with the concept of Jesus being both man and God at the same time. It is a hard concept to take in and understand, but we have to trust in the authority of the Bible. A few Biblical examples of the Humanity of Christ would be from the Books of Matthew and Mark. In Matthew 4:1-2, we read about Jesus being tested in the wilderness. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and after He was hungry, a very human trait. Again in Mark 4:38-41, we read the story of Jesus calming the storm and how He was in the stern of the boat sleeping, also, another very human trait. However, even though human, “even the wind and waves obeyed Him.” Along with humanity, Jesus also has deity. One aspect of Jesus’ deity is how He is worthy of worship. A biblical example of the worship of Jesus is in Matthew 2:1-2. Even when He was a baby Magi from the Far East came to worship Him. The ability to forgive sins and give us a clean slate is also another part of Jesus’ deity. In Luke 5:18-21, Jesus sees the faith of some men and he says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. Taking it one step further, the concept of the Hypostatic Union says that Jesus is both 100% man and 100% God at the same time. He is permanently the divine
Christology in its most basic definition means the study of Christ. Christology focuses on Jesus’ nature and the person he was, as well as the details of his life and teachings. It also focuses on the relationship between Christ and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Elwell explains Christology, “In the New Testament the writers indicate who Jesus is by describing the significance of the work He came to do and the office He came to fulfill” (Elwell 2001, 239). In this essay we will focus on some of the significant issues of Christology, such as Jesus’ humanity and deity, the Hypostatic Union, and the Biblical basis for such issues. Many people get confused and have a hard time with the concept of Jesus being both man and God at the same time. It is a hard concept to take in and understand, but we have to trust in the authority of the Bible. A few Biblical examples of the Humanity of Christ would be from the Books of Matthew and Mark. In Matthew 4:1-2, we read about Jesus being tested in the wilderness. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and after He was hungry, a very human trait. Again in Mark 4:38-41, we read the story of Jesus calming the storm and how He was in the stern of the boat sleeping, also, another very human trait. However, even though human, “even the wind and waves obeyed Him.” Along with humanity, Jesus also has deity. One aspect of Jesus’ deity is how He is worthy of worship. A biblical example of the worship of Jesus is in Matthew 2:1-2. Even when He was a baby Magi from the Far East came to worship Him. The ability to forgive sins and give us a clean slate is also another part of Jesus’ deity. In Luke 5:18-21, Jesus sees the faith of some men and he says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. Taking it one step further, the concept of the Hypostatic Union says that Jesus is both 100% man and 100% God at the same time. He is permanently the divine
Bibliography: Elwell, Walter A., Ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.