THE PERSON OF CHRIST - INTRODUCTION

THE PERSON OF CHRIST

INTRODUCTION:

We Have Seen that Christ is Both True God and True Man

These Two Facts, Although Taught Clearly in the Word, Raise Some of the Most Difficult Questions Ever Faced by the Human Mind

• How were the two natures joined together in Christ?
• How could Christ be both God and man without having a double personality?
• How could He have two natures without having two minds and two consciousness's’?
• What was the exact relation of the divine nature to the human nature while He was on earth?
• What is the exact relation of the human nature to the divine, now that He is glorified?

These problems, growing out of the Theanthropic Person of Christ, have never been wholly solved, and we do not pretend to solve them all in this article. But we shall try to shed the clear light of Divine revelation upon them as far as it goes. Beyond that we cannot go. Historically, whenever men have tried to go beyond what is written, they have run into serious error. The path of truth here is narrow, and mere good intentions cannot save us from doctrinal disaster if we step out of this path.

1st THE PERSON OF CHRIST IS A MYSTERY

It is the Great Mystery of Christian Faith

Matt. 11:27 "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
1 Tim. 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

Yet the Bible Encourages a Reverent Study of This Mystery

John 20:27 "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."
Phil. 3:8 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
Col. 2:2-3 ARV "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

The phrase occurs in the record of another of the Apostle's prayers. His desire for all the saints was that they might know "The mystery of God, even Christ." That he desired this, shows us that in the true Christian sense a mystery is not something which cannot be known. It is something which man is unable to discover or explain; but it is something which may be disclosed to him and which therefore he may know. And that is perhaps Paul's ultimate word about Christ. The last word has never yet been spoken about Him. There is nothing more wonderful than the persistence and ever-increasing discussion of all sorts and conditions of thinking men concerning the Person of our Lord. The subject is never exhausted; it never becomes out of date. Again and again men feel that they have formulated a Christology, only to find that some others have seen other facts not included in their system. And so He moves on, the Enigma of the ages, the inclusive Word, Whose ultimate secret is not expressed, the very mystery of God. Nevertheless through all the intellectual processes, He finds the heart of man, and gives Himself to it, so that in Him it finds rest, joy, satisfaction. Multitudes of simple souls who are unequal to any explanation live in daily comradeship with Him. They know Him, and know Him well. They are more intimate with Him than with their dearest earthly friends. They tell Him all their grief's and joys, their doubts and hopes, their successes and failures, and they hear Him speak to them positively, prevailingly He is indeed the Mystery of God, profound in the wonder of His being, and yet so real that the tiniest child talks of Him with sweet familiarity.