Jesus Christ as Eternal God?

[The_Catholic]

1. Hello, are there any pepole in here who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the sense that He is Eternal God in the flesh?
2. I know there has been certain groups of religous people who believed that Christ was God only in Spirit but not in flesh. Or that He had two natures. Could anyone elaborate on this?

3.To be called “The Son Of God” implies what? That He came from God but is not nessecarily God Himself? Or is He the “Son of God” in the sense that He came down from God and Heaven to become a man and was born into this world?

1. What are the different views on Christ and His divinity?

Just curious. I’ve been talking to someone lately who is asking me questions as these and I’m not the wisest fox in the den so I’m asking all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Maranatha]

Here is an article the Trinity from the Old Catholic Encyclopedia.

 

[Ghosty]

1. Hello, are there any pepole in here who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the sense that He is Eternal God in the flesh?

Hello! Yes, there are some people here who believe this, and they are called Arians or Nestorians. Such a belief is against Catholic teaching, however, and such people aren’t Catholics. Jehovah’s Witnesses are examples of modern Arians.

1. I know there has been certain groups of religous people who believed that Christ was God only in Spirit but not in flesh. Or that He had two natures. Could anyone elaborate on this?

This would be Nestorianism. To clarify, it is orthodox to say that Jesus has two natures, so long as it’s understood that there is only one Person. In otherwords, there isn’t a human Jesus and a Divine Jesus, but rather a Divine Jesus with both human and Divine natures. Another orthodox expression, called “miaphysitism”, is that Christ has one Nature, but the definition of Nature there is closer to “Person” in the other definition, so that this “one nature” is actually the Incarnation, and both humanity and Divinity are within the Incarnation without mixing and without eliminating one or the other. This is what St. Cyril meant when he said “we believe in One Nature of the Incarnate Logos”. Both definitions mean the same thing, they just have different meanings for the word “nature”, and both are acceptable in the Catholic Church.

Nestorianism is the idea that since there is human and Divine natures in Christ, there is a human Christ and a Divine Christ, as two distinct Persons. This view is absolutely unacceptable in Catholic teaching.

3.To be called “The Son Of God” implies what? That He came from God but is not nessecarily God Himself? Or is He the “Son of God” in the sense that He came down from God and Heaven to become a man and was born into this world?

Neither, actually. The term “Son of God” indicates the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. He is the Son of the Father, the First Person of the Trinity. Both the Father and the Son are fully God, and equally God, and they exist simultaneously for Eternity. The Second Person is called “Son” because He is from the Father, but not in a way to make Him something other than God. He was the Son of God before He came down from Heaven, and He was the Son of God before there was anything but God. His becoming human is another matter entirely.

1. What are the different views on Christ and His divinity?

There are countless views, all except the Catholic view being heretical. Almost every single heresy touches on this question, and there are thousands of heresies. Anything specific you’re looking for?

Peace and God bless!

 

[VociMike]

1. I know there has been certain groups of religous people who believed that Christ was God only in Spirit but not in flesh. Or that He had two natures. Could anyone elaborate on this?

Well, it’s a serious heresy. If it wasn’t God’s blood that was shed on the cross, then how did it save us?

3.To be called “The Son Of God” implies what? That He came from God but is not nessecarily God Himself? Or is He the “Son of God” in the sense that He came down from God and Heaven to become a man and was born into this world?

God is not a title. My father’s title might be President of the Rotary Club, but that does not make me President of the Rotary Club. No, God is not a title but an essence, a complete reality (no doubt there are more precise theological terms). The true son of any being has the same essence, the same complete reality as the father. The true “son” of a frog is not a parrot, but also a frog. Thus the Son of God must also be God. The Son of God is one in being (consubstantial) with the Father.

Now, since Jesus is also a true Son of Mary, a human, then He is also true man. That is the wonder of the Incarnation.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

1. Hello, are there any pepole in here who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the sense that He is Eternal God in the flesh?

Unitarians and some others would agree, I believe. Mormons don’t believe that He is uniquely the Son of God by nature​

1. I know there has been certain groups of religous people who believed that Christ was God only in Spirit but not in flesh. Or that He had two natures. Could anyone elaborate on this?

He has two natures as He is both God & and a genuine human being. God is a man, because He has taken upon Himself a true human nature - a man, this man, is the eternal God. Both facts are equally important, neither can be sacrificed. And these two natures are in the unity of the single Person of the Eternal Word of God.​

3.To be called “The Son Of God” implies what? That He came from God but is not nessecarily God Himself? Or is He the “Son of God” in the sense that He came down from God and Heaven to become a man and was born into this world?

“son of God” is:​

• a royal title
• a way of referring to “divine beings” in the Bible
• a means of asserting both the co-equal Deity of Christ with the Father & the Spirit, and His eternal derivation from the Father: He is other than the Father, but not separate from or inferior to Him. ##

1. What are the different views on Christ and His divinity?

Too numerous to count ​

Just curious. I’ve been talking to someone lately who is asking me questions as these and I’m not the wisest fox in the den so I’m asking all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Steven_Merten]

Hello The Catholic,

God the Father gave mankind freedom from the control of His will in order for man to choose between love for God through obedience to God or hate for God through disobedience. Did Jesus have human freedom from the will of the Father through which to choose love for the Father through obedience to the Father or hatred for the Father through disobedience to the Father as Adam and Satan posessed? Jesus indicates that He does have free will through which to choose the will of the Father or not to do the will of the Father.

What if Jesus had chosen to disobey the Father as Adam and Satan (Satan who is damned to hell for all eternity) had? Would it be fair to say that Jesus is righteous and Adam and Satan are unrighteous if Adam and Satan were the only ones capable of choosing disobedience to the Father and unrighteousness?

The Church believes that Jesus was eternal God and free willed man in the same being. The Church considers this a crux; something that cannot be explained.

We know that God exists outside of physical time which He created. God is Omni-Present to the whole of physical time. God can look at the whole of creation from the smallest subatomical particle to the ends of physical empty space and from before creation to beyond the end of time. God can look at the whole of physical creation and physical time as a human looks at a three inch piece of yarn. God exists outside of physical time.

The question you want to ask is when was the Son of God, Jesus, eternally begotten of the Father into eternal life to exist in Omni-Presence, to the whole of created physical time, with the Father from before creation to beyond the end of physical time as eternal God.

Please visit Jesus Loves God
NAB PSA 2:4

He who is throned in heaven laughs; the LORD derides them; Then in anger he speaks to them; he terrifies them in his wrath: “I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, 'You are my son; this day I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod: you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.’” NAB ACT 13:32

“We ourselves announce to you the good news that what God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, in raising up Jesus, according to what is written in the second psalm, You are my son; this day I have begotten you.” NAB LUK 22:42

"Father, if it is your will, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done."NAB JOH 10:17

“The Father loves me for this: that I lay down my life to take it up again. No one takes it from me; **I lay it down freely.”****NAB JOH 14:30 **

“I shall not go on speaking to you longer; the Prince of this world is at hand. He has no hold on me, but the world must know that I love the Father and do as the Father has commanded me.” NAB JOH 4:34

“Doing the will of him who sent me and bringing his work to completion is my food.”
NAB JOH 8:29

“The One who sent me is with me. He has not deserted me since I always do what pleases him.”
NAB HEB 4:14

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession of faith. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and to find help in time of need.NAB REV 3:21

“I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself won the victory and took my seat beside my Father on his throne.”

 

[The_Catholic]

Thanks everyone. Don’t misunderstand me, of course I believe Christ is Eternal God. I just have trouble explaining it to others. I usually say: :Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, who is Eternal and equal to God the Father. He came down from Heaven and was born into this word to become man to suffer, die, and be raised again for our sins."

But to some I am making no sense. They’ll respond: If you’re saying Christ is the all-knowing Eternal God then why is he tempted by evil, as God cannot be? Why doesn’t he know when he’s returning except the Father? How can he be a “second” person of the trinity, equal to God and eternal like God but also called the “Son” of God implying that the Father existed first? And how can there be ONE God but THREE seperate persons of that ONE God as in the Trinity, all being eternal and equal and all being seperate persons but all being ONE?

I honestly get stumped and cannot answer these questions or make sense of my statments.

But I will also say that the Bible says that Christ is “the ONLY son of God.” Does it not? To me this is really saying something because others in the Bible are said to be “sons” of God but Christ is said to be “The only.”

 

[Ghosty]

How is it that I can be made of spirit and matter, yet when you cut me with a knife you are only cutting matter and not spirit? Why is it when I’ve stubbed my toe I haven’t stubbed my soul?

There is no contradiction between certain things of Christ being limited in humanity, even while the Son is unlimited as God. His human knowledge could only process certain kinds of information, but His Divine Knowledge was perfect, just like my body can be cold, but my soul can never be warm or cold.

Peace and God bless!

 

[The_Catholic]

How is it that I can be made of spirit and matter, yet when you cut me with a knife you are only cutting matter and not spirit? Why is it when I’ve stubbed my toe I haven’t stubbed my soul?

There is no contradiction between certain things of Christ being limited in humanity, even while the Son is unlimited as God. His human knowledge could only process certain kinds of information, but His Divine Knowledge was perfect, just like my body can be cold, but my soul can never be warm or cold.

Peace and God bless!

Nice post, thanks.