Bible Study (Christology)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

  

  GOLDEN TEXT.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

LESSON NOTES:[1]

     I.            JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. Most Trinitarians express that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second person in the Godhead of the Trinity or Triune Godhead.

A.             WHAT DOES GODHEAD MEAN? It simply means God’s nature or how He is.

B.             THE TRINITY DOCTRINE WAS INITIATED TO PROTECT THE TEACHING THAT JESUS IS DIVINE. Some early Christians taught that Jesus was just an anointed Man; not quite God but more than human. The doctrine of the Trinity was composed to protect the teaching that Jesus is God. It was never formulated to teach erroneously that there are three gods. That would be polytheism; which is not Christian at all.

C.             WHAT DO YOU MEAN JESUS IS SECOND.

1.               HE HAS ALREADY MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE IS FIRST AND LAST.

Revelation 1:17 ¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Revelation 22:13 ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

2.               HOWEVER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORINTHIANS TEXT BELOW, NORMALLY WHEN GOD’S THREEFOLD NATURE IS MENTIONED, THE SON IS LISTED SECONDLY.

Matthew 28:19⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

II.            JESUS IS KNOWN BY SEVERAL NAMES. The Old Testament on several occasions gave prophetic knowledge to Jesus’ Person as one who in his advent (coming) to this Earth would be called by several names.

Genesis 3:15 ¹⁵And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and HER SEED; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Isaiah 7:14 ¹⁴Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Haggai 2:7 ⁷And I will shake all nations, and THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

                         A.            THE NEW TESTAMENT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS CALLS HIM THE SON OF GOD SON OF MAN. Also, Lamb of God and other titles like Son of God (denoting His divinity), Son of Man (denoting His humanity), etc.

Matthew 8:20 ²⁰Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Matthew 16:16 ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 27:43 ⁴³He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

John 1:29 ²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

                         B.            BUT JESUS IS THE HIGHEST NAME.

Philippians 2:9-11 ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

III.            JESUS IS ETERNAL. We believe that Jesus was and is eternal in his person and nature as the Son of God who was with God in the beginning of creation.

John 1:1 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:2 ²He was with God in the beginning.

                         A.            LOGOS. This Son of God is spoken of in the Gospel of John as the "Word" or being interpreted in the Greek as "Logos", meaning the word.

1.               THE GREATEST REVELATION OF GOD. This Logos was the truest manifestation of God ever presented to man in this world's his too. This "Logos" was sent to declare God to man.

John 1:18 ¹⁸No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Hebrews 1:1-2 ¹In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

2.               JESUS IS GOD. This Logos took the form of human flesh, which we call the "Incarnation" or "word" of God made flesh, to dwell among men. As one puts it concerning the incarnation, God becoming flesh never ceased to be God as well as never ceasing to become man (Heb. 5:7).

John 1:14 ¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 5:7 ⁷During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

IV.                        THE VIRGIN BIRTH. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of a Virgin called Mary according to the scripture, thus giving rise to our fundamental belief in the Virgin Birth and to all of the miraculous events surrounding this Phenomenon.

Matthew 1:18 ¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:25 ²⁵But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

A.             THE OLD TESTAMENT ALSO BEARS WITNESS TO THIS.

Isaiah 7:14 ¹⁴Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

B.             JESUS BEING THIS LOGOS ALSO ASSUMES THE TITLE OF "SON" AND THE ROLE OF "SONSHIP" In the Scripture He refers to his Father as Father or "Father in Heaven.”

Matthew 12:50 ⁵⁰For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

C.             JESUS AND JOSEPH. We believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God, served his paternal father, Joseph, in the City of Nazareth.

Luke 2:51 ⁵¹Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Matthew 13:55 ⁵⁵"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

Mark 6:3 ³Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

D.             GOD USED THE VIRGIN MARY AS THE CHANNEL FOR THIS BLESSING that came down to us. The Virgin Birth is a fact.

Luke 1:43 ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my LORD should come to me?

E.             IT WAS A MIRACLE. The Virgin Birth in final is summed up in St Luke 1:37,"With God Nothing shall be impossible."

V.                        THE INCARNATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE VIRGIN BIRTH. The Word "Incarnation" (a term of Latin Origin, meaning "Becoming in-flesh") is not itself a biblical word. But, it conveys a biblical truth, the truth which finds classic expression in St John 1:14. The Word became flesh.”

A.             THE INCARNATION WAS NECESSARY FOR JESUS TO BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD. This incarnation of the Son of God in flesh was brought about by his being born of a virgin. A young woman, not knowing any man at the time, gave birth to Jesus Christ by means of conception of the Holy Ghost then Christ was born as any other human being was born.

B.             ANGELS AFFIRMED THE VIRGIN BIRTH. There is just one theological fact underlying it that makes it different in relation to other births. At this birth, angels shared the news to troubled minds, such as was Joseph, to fear not Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost (St. Matt. 1:18-20; St Luke 1:34.35; Heb. 10:5).

Matthew 1:18-20 ¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:34-35 ³⁴"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" ³⁵The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Hebrews 10:5 ⁵Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

VI.                        THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST IN CONNECTION WITH THIS VIRGIN BIRTH WAS TWOFOLD:

A.             THE HOLY GHOST WAS THE EFFICIENT FACTOR OF WHAT WAS CONCEIVED IN THE WOMB OF MARY. This made Jesus Christ's birth, as to His Person, Holy in inception by its being Spirit, not flesh, in origin. This is what makes the Virgin Birth unique beside all other births.

B.             JESUS WAS SINLESS. The Holy Ghost being present in the womb of Mary, of course, sanctified this whole experience and influence, not letting Jesus become the victim of sin. Since there was no sin passed from man to child, this conception became a Holy one and continues throughout his life. (St John 3 34. Heb. 9:14).

Hebrews 4:15 ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 9:14 ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

1 Peter 2:22 ²²"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."

VII.                        JESUS PERFORMED MIRACLES. During his earthly ministry preached the Gospel and performed miracles.

Acts 2:22 ²²"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

VIII.                        JESUS SUFFERED FOR OUR SINS. We believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God, became to man, the "Suffering Servant" This suffering Servant came seeking to redeem man from sin and to reconcile him back to God his Father.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

A.             THE SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH OF CHRIST. His volumes of written testimony in the four Gospels tell us that Jesus lived in this world suffered afflictions, was condemned by man to die. He died on the cross, was buried and on the third day rose again from the dead.

Hebrews 10:5-10 ⁵Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; ⁶with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. ⁷Then I said, 'Here I am-it is written about me in the scroll- I have come to do your will, my God.'" ⁸First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"-though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

IX.                        JESUS IS OUR MEDIATOR. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is standing now as mediator between God and Man. (I Tim. 2:5). This we believe he shall do until the final overthrow of Satan and evil in the Final Judgment.

1 Timothy 2:5 ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

Hebrews 7:25 ²⁵Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

X.                        PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."

---

[1] [1] Range, C. F. Church Of God In Christ Official Manual. COGIC: Memphis, 1973.