What are the reasons for believing that Jesus incarnated had a Divine Nature?

[JimG]

Angainor:

The idea of the demon person and nature possessing a human is beyond my comprehension at the moment. I think I can imagine a demon person invading a human nature host with the human person still existing as another “I”.

Isn’t that what “[post=1367801]another ‘I’[/post]” means? Two persons (human and demon) are sharing one nature?

Pretty much, yes. Keep in mind that a demon has a spiritual nature. A demon has no body by nature. So the person of the demon which is an expression of the demonic nature, invades the body of a human being. But if the demon dropped his nature, he would no longer be demonic, so the possession would be meaningless. A ‘person’ can not exist independent of its nature. But a nature need not have personhood–i.e. it can be a rock or a tree. But I can’t be JimG without having a nature. I can’t be a who without also being a what.

 

[Angainor]

JimG:

Pretty much, yes. Keep in mind that a demon has a spiritual nature. A demon has no body by nature. So the person of the demon which is an expression of the demonic nature, invades the body of a human being. But if the demon dropped his nature, he would no longer be demonic, so the possession would be meaningless. A ‘person’ can not exist independent of its nature. But a nature need not have personhood–i.e. it can be a rock or a tree. But I can’t be JimG without having a nature. I can’t be a who without also being a what.

I see what you mean about the demonic nature being a spiritual nature. I think I see how it could inhabit the human nature.

 

[JPrejean]

I see what you mean about the demonic nature being a spiritual nature. I think I see how it could inhabit the human nature.

Sounds like you’ve got the hang of it. “Inhabit” is a good word for the situation; the demonic can dwell within and exert a causal influence on the human being, but it does not become human by doing so. We humans are under the influence of causes all the time, so that if someone gives my body a shove, I’m going to move, but that doesn’t mean that the person who had such a causal influence becomes me. There’s no real difference with the case of demons; the demon is just pushing around a soul in a spiritual way rather than a body in a physical way. In fact, what makes a demon a demon (in effect, what defines the “demonic nature,” which is really just a misused angelic nature) is the ability to act as a spiritual cause.

It might help to recall that what defines what kind of nature a person has is the real ability to act as a cause of a particular kind (one might think of person as “the one causing” and nature as “the way in which he causes”). Thus, the demon is not the same person as the human, because the demon causes according to his demonic mode of causation, while the human causes according to the human mode of causation (which is by actually being a body and soul). To use another example, the Holy Spirit, when dwelling with the human heart, operates according to His own divine mode of causation (divine grace pouring forth charity in our hearts), while we act according to our human mode (taking the actions that this charity inspires in us). That is why it is wrong to say that people can perform miracles by their own power, which is a power only available to a divine person who creates and sustains all being and upon whom all other causes depend. In Christ, it is the same personal cause, acting according to both the divine and the human mode, who performs miracles.

 

[Angainor]

By the way no one has asked why I believe Jesus was a divine person with a human nature but I will tell you anyway. [thread=102143]This thread[/thread] is one of the reasons I believe what I do.Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

My Father, if it is possible… Jesus did not possess certain knowledge of the Father’s will. But with his divine person, he had perfect faith.

The other reason is Jesus’ second temptation in the desert. Jesus did not have certain knowledge that the angels would catch him. Jumping from the temple would be a true testing of the Father. Jesus’ divinely perfect faith allowed him to accept God’s plan without testing the Father.

 

[DeFide]

Angainor:

By the way no one has asked why I believe Jesus was a divine person with a human nature but I will tell you anyway. [thread=102143]This thread[/thread] is one of the reasons I believe what I do.Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:3

My Father, if it is possible… Jesus did not possess certain knowledge of the Father’s will. But with his divine person, he had perfect faith

The other reason is Jesus’ second temptation in the desert. Jesus did not have certain knowledge that the angels would catch him. Jumping from the temple would be a true testing of the Father. Jesus’ divinely perfect faith allowed him to accept God’s plan without testing the Father.

Angainor, I think you may be interested in The Consciousness of Christ, by Fr. Most, and is available online:

catholicculture.org/docs/most/getwork.cfm?worknum=215

Although you may prefer to read it by book.

The Catechism also has a treatment of the topic that is more concise:
vatican.va/archive/catechism/p122a3p1.htm#III

 

[JPrejean]

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Ah, I see. You seem to be confused about the difference between person and will. Jesus has two wills (a human and divine one), but He is only one person. You don’t need two people to have two wills. Indeed, if distinct persons meant distinct wills, then there would be three divine will, and thus, three gods! The Church dealt with this particular matter with the question of monotheletism.

 

[Good_Fella]

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached
my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who
believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
[Luke 1:41-45]

Please note that the divine title “Lord” is used twice in this passage.
On the first occasion it refers to the child in Mary’s womb. On the next
occasion Elizabeth is referring to God who is in heaven. Mary’s cousin
is using the same title when mentioning the Father and the Son on
separate occasions in her speech. She is actually identifying the Son
with the Father, having been enlightened with divine knowledge by the
power of the Holy Spirit.

The appellation “Lord” is ‘kyrios’ in the Greek. The root meaning of the term
is “legitimate authority” in New Testament usage. The scriptural confession
“Jesus is Lord” amounts to recognizing the Son’s authority by acknowledging
his divinity and oneness with God the Father. ‘Kyrios’ was the term used
in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) to represent
the Hebrew name for God, YHWH or Jehova.

The Holy Bible teaches and reveals to us in many accounts and by human
testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus himself wished to conceal
his divine identity and so called himself the Son of Man. Holy Scriptures
makes it clear that Jesus has both a divine and human nature. Elizabeth
was certain of that when she identified the child in her cousin’s womb with
YHWH.