The Humanity of Christ
Jesus Christ is fully human.
This doctrine defines Christian orthodoxy. Denial places one outside the historic faith.
What the traditions say
Dogma defined at Chalcedon (451). Christ has a true human nature — body, soul, will, and intellect — "like us in all things but sin" (Heb 4:15).
Luther emphasized the "theology of the cross" — God revealed in human weakness and suffering. The genus maiestaticum communicates divine attributes to the human nature.
Essential to theosis: because Christ truly became human, humanity can truly participate in the divine nature.
Against Docetism and Apollinarianism. Gregory of Nazianzus: "What has not been assumed has not been healed." Christ must be fully human to save humanity.
The extra Calvinisticum: even during the incarnation, the divine nature was not confined to the human body. Both natures are fully maintained.
Who binds this (creedal)
Every affiliated congregation inherits its denomination's position. Follow a chip to see the confession's language.
Key scriptures
- 1John 4:2 — Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
- 1Tim 2:5 — For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
- Acts 2:22 — Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
- Gal 4:4 — But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
- Heb 2:14 — Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
- Heb 4:15 — For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
- Isa 9:6 — For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- John 1:14 — And the Word was made 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.
- John 11:35 — Jesus wept.
- John 19:34 — But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
- Luke 1:31 — And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
- Luke 2:52 — And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
- Matt 1:23 — Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
- Matt 4:2 — And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
- Phil 2:7 — But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
- Rom 1:3 — Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
What the confessions say
Articles of the historic confessions that address this doctrine.
- Reformed Belgic Confession Art19 — The Two Natures of Christ
- Reformed Heidelberg Catechism Q48 — But are the two natures in Christ not separated from each other if His human nature is not present wherever His divinity is?
- Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion Article 15 — Of Christ alone without Sin
- Lutheran Augsburg Confession Article 3 — Of the Son of God
- Ecumenical Chalcedonian Definition text — Chalcedonian Definition
- Roman Catholic Council of Trent (Canons) On the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist · Canon 3 — On the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist
The Church Fathers
The earliest Fathers who commented on the Scriptures above.
I Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by Him has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded,…
"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore,…
"Why, sir," I asked, "is the Son of God in the parable in the form of a slave?" "Hear," he answered: "the Son of God is not in the form of a slave, but in great power and might." "How so, sir?" I said; "I do not understand." "Because," he answered, "God planted the vineyard, that is to say, He created the people, and gave them to His…
And hear again how Isaiah in express words foretold that He should be born of a virgin; for he spoke thus: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and they shall say for His name, `God with us.'" For things which were incredible and seemed impossible with men, these God predicted by the Spirit of prophecy as about to…
But, according to these men, neither was the Word made flesh, nor Christ, nor the Saviour, who was produced from [the joint contributions of] all [the Aeons]. For they will have it, that the Word and Christ never came into this world; that the Saviour, too, never became incarnate, nor suffered, but that He descended like a dove upon…
The sacred vine produced the prophetic cluster. This was a sign to them, after they had been trained from wandering to [find] their rest. The sacred vine represented the great cluster of the Word, bruised for us. For the blood of the grape—that is, the Word—desired to be mixed with water, as his blood is mingled with salvation. And the…