Christology From Above
Biblical Text
Philippians 2:6-11: An early Christian hymn and passage embraced and affirmed corporately and liturgically as a popular expression of devotion to Jesus as God.[1]
John 1:1-14: Highly Christological scripture that is indeed a classical formulation that begins from God and from Jesus, whose deity is already given, who is already God the Son, and who as the pre-existence Son of God as the eternal Logos, became a man (the human Jesus or the Jesus of history).[2]
Matthew 1:18-25 and Isaiah 7:14: The symbol of Christology from above is the virgin birth.[3]
Key Issues: On the Doctrine of Christology
Low Christology: One of the oldest false Christology theory is “Low Christology.” It is also known as the “Evolutionary Model.” Initially proposed by the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule, especially Wilhelm Boussets’ influential Kyrios Christos (1913).[4] One of the New Testament textual criticism scholars, Bart Ehrman also supports this “Evolutionary model.” He explains that Jesus’ identity on earth began with a human Jesus who later became divine, and he explains that this would have happened after Jesus’ resurrection or during Jesus’ Baptism. [5] With that, Bart explains that “Jesus was understood to have been a human, a full flesh-and-blood man, who came to be exalted and glorified by God and so raised to the rank of the divine, therefore, the Christology begins among the humanity down here on the earth and is known as a Low Christology.” [6] Bart Ehrman holds this view because he understands that Jesus never knew that he was more than a human being.[7] On the other hand, “Wolfhart Pannerberg” in his book “Jesus God And Man” also holds the view of the “Evolutionary Model.”[8]
Apollinarianism: Apollinaris, the bishop of Laodicea (A.D. 361) argued that Christ had a human body but not a human mind or spirit, and the mind and spirit of Christ were from the divine nature of the Son of God.[9] He affirmed that Christ Jesus possessed a “sensitive soul, but the word of God was in that soul in place of the intellect and the mind.”[10]
Personal Statement
Low Christology: From a Biblical perspective, I would clearly state that I believe in “High Christology”, and on the other hand, I would carefully conclude “low” Christology as heretical.
Apollinarianism: The doctrine of Apollinaris is biblically incorrect. Scriptures prove that Jesus took a human nature that was made of a body and soul with a clear human intellect and mind.
Warrant for Position
Low Christology: Jesus’ Supernatural birth serves as biblical evidence for a symbol for High Christology (Matt 1:20-23). Therefore, the theory of the Evolutionary Model that promotes “Low Christology” should be considered incorrect. We can also note the earliest reverence given to Jesus by the wise men who visited infant Jesus at his birth. When they saw Jesus, they “fell and worshipped him” (Matt 2:11). Alongside this, we note that even John the Baptist boldly declared about Jesus’ supremacy, “He who comes from above is above all” (Jn 3:31). Indeed, reflecting what Apostle Paul witness in Colossian 1:17 “And he (Jesus) is before all things.” On the other hand, John the Baptist was also aware of Jesus' purpose of taking away the sins of the World (Jn 1:29). Now if John knew about Jesus' identity and purpose, then why would not Jesus understand himself? Biblically we can argue that Jesus was aware of his divine identity and purpose and he knew it since his youth. We can note this from Luke 2:49 where Jesus said, “he had to be in his father's house.” Therefore, Bart Ehrman's statement about Jesus not understanding himself more than a human being before his baptism or resurrection is completely incorrect. On the other hand, we can support High Christology when we see Jesus publicly forgiving sins. Something that only God can do (Mk 2:5-7). And if we say that Jesus didn’t know that he was God, then why would Jesus being an agent of God’s Kingdom (which evolution theory agrees that Jesus only knew that was an agent of the Kingdom) publicly do such a scandalous act against God by forgiving someone’s sins? On the other hand, we can also note that Jesus was very much aware that He was God from the beginning because He said “Before Abraham was I am” (Jn 8:58). Therefore, it would be appropriate to say that Jesus didn’t become God as the Evolutionary Model would say. With that, one should always question why the Jewish religious leader crucified Jesus. What was Jesus’ fault? Was he a criminal? Biblical evidence is quite clear that Jesus was not a criminal. Roman Pontius Pilate declared Jesus' innocence three times (Lk 23:4,14, 22). Even Herod didn’t find any guilt in Jesus (Lk23:15). Therefore, we should note that Jesus was crucified because of the religious leaders who found Jesus’ statement and acts scandalous and blasphemy because they equalized Jesus with God (Mk 2:5-7, Matt12:8-14, Jn 8:58-59, Jn 10:3, Mk 14:62-64). Therefore, Jesus’ crucifixion makes it so clear that Jesus was crucified because he declared himself to be God. And it was not just Christ Jesus’ declaration because many others also witnessed Jesus’ divinity (Centurion at the cross (Mark 15:39), the Canaanite woman (Matt 15:22), Jesus’ triumphal entry (LK 19:38), blind Bartimaeus (MK10:47), Demons (Mk 5:7). Therefore, all this biblical evidence leads us to conclude that it was not possible that Jesus himself never knew he was God. It is strongly biblically evident that Jesus knew he was God because he fully played his divine role in his earthly ministry. Thus, I would conclude that biblically there is no room for such heretical “Low Christology.”
Apollinarianism: In defence of the doctrine of Apollinarianism, the Chalcedonian creed affirmed that Jesus had a rational body and soul. Even the church council of Alexandria in A.D. 363 and the church council of Constantinople in A.D. 381 rejected this view of Apollinaris.[11] Biblically we note that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature (Lk 2:52). Therefore, according to our biblical faith, we can defend that Jesus functioned with the human brain. However, it should be made clear that in Jesus’ divine nature, there was no growth since Jesus’ divine nature was perfect and complete from eternity. The other helpful biblical scripture that can help us understand Jesus’ human mind is Mark 13:32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Here Jesus acknowledges that as the “son of man” who has a human mind doesn’t know the hour. On the other hand, biblically we also understand that Jesus knows all things (John 16:30) therefore, we need to understand that for “this unique, two-nature, singular person of Christ, this is no contradiction, but a peculiar glory of God-man.” [12] Alongside this, it would also be important to highlight that Jesus is fully God. According to the historic Chalcedonian creed, Jesus Christ is one person who has two natures, divine and human. Indeed, the same perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man. [13] We should know it’s not that Jesus Christ is 50% God and 50% man or 45% and 55%. It is biblically evident that Jesus is 100% God and 100% human. Therefore, even the other doctrines like Arianism (Jesus is not fully God) and Eutychianism (Jesus had only one nature after his incarnation) should be concluded heretical on the biblical evidence of Jesus’ full divinity and full humanity.
Bibliography
Larry W. Hurtado, How on Earth Did Jesus Become a God? Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005. 50
Robert L Reymond, Jesus Divine Messiah. New Jersey, Presbyterian and Reformed, 1990. 45
Donald Macleod, The Christology of Wolfhart Pannenberg. n.d. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/the-christology-of-wolfhart-pannenberg/ (accessed February 2025).
Andrew Ter Ern Loke, The Origin of Divine Christology. Cambridge University Press, 2017. p3-4
Bart D. Ehrman, How Jesus Became God (The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee. HarperOne), 2014. 232
Bart Ehrman, The Earliest Christology. 13 February 2013. https://ehrmanblog.org/the-earliest-christology-for-members/ (accessed February 10, 2025).
Ibid.
Wolfhart Pannenberg, JESUS - GOD AND MAN. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press, 1968. 56
Wayne Gruden, Systematic Theology An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 45
Christology from Nicea to Chalcedon: A Brief History. 6 March 2018. https://fromthestudy.com/2018/03/06/christology-from-the-nicea-to-chalcedon-a-brief-history/ (accessed February 27, 2025).
Wayne Gruden, Systematic Theology An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. 24
Jesus Is Fully Human. 15 December 2016. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-is-fully-human (accessed February 27, 2025).
Ibid.
