Introduction
Of the religions in the world, I would even say of all the persons that have ever existed throughout world history there has been no one more recognized or well-known than Jesus Christ. This is not just my opinion, I sought the input of AI, (artificial intelligence-Microsoft Copilot), and this is the response that I received; “The most widely recognized person in all of human history is Jesus Christ, based on global name recognition, historical influence, and frequency of references across centuries.” But what do people really know about Him? Muslims believe that he was a great prophet. Jews believe that He was a misguided rabbi who falsely believed that He was the promised Messiah. Hindus believe that Jesus was a great spiritual teacher, an avatar, or a divine guru. And Buddhists believe that Jesus was a fully enlightened being, much like Buddha and they revere Him for devoting His life to leading people to enlightenment. However, none of these major religions believe that He was who He claimed to be, who is the Son of God. If Jesus was not who He claimed to be, and if He was just only another prophet, rabbi, avatar, or an enlightened being; then why is He the most well-known person in all of history? The answer according to Christianity is quite clear–He was who He said He was, “The divine Son of God“ who brought redemption to the world and restored the relationship with God that had been lost in the Garden of Eden. His entry into the world which included His earthly ministry was of such significance that it impacted all of creation including all of human history from the beginning, and to its conclusion in the end-times. Redemption extends back to every person in the times of the Old Testament and extends forward to all future persons who will receive salvation by their faith in Christ. He was not only God in the flesh coming into the world, but His work was of such cosmic proportions that it rocked all of creation, from beginning to end, and to the farthest reaches of the universe. This is the reason that He is the most well-known person of all time, and this is the reason that people want to know Him. Any person will find this teaching interesting; however, this study has been prepared for Christians who are lacking in their knowledge of the faith and wish to learn the essential doctrines. Christ can be known at a basic level as Lord and Savior, but advancing to a higher level of knowledge about Him is life transforming and spiritually enriching.
Now that Christ has been properly introduced, how is that we can know about Him? The answer is through Christology, which pertains to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This doctrine tries to answer the question, “Who is Christ?” (See note below).
note
What is meant by, “tries to answer the question,” is that our understanding of the divine and infinite God is restricted by the limitations of our finite minds. I explain this in the section on the Incomprehensible God.
The answer to this question is found through the study of Christology. Here is a definition of Christology: “The study of the Person of Christ, and in particular of the union in Him of the divine and human natures, and of His significance for the Christian faith,” (The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church). What we discover as we begin our study is that Christ is a complex being, He is fully God as the 2nd Person of the Trinity. In the course of His position as redeemer, He took on a human nature in order to become the perfect sacrifice to atone for mankind’s sin, (these concepts will be explained later in the study). We begin to see that Christ has multiple aspects concerning His person and His work. Christology divides the study of Christ into two parts in order to understand the various dimensions of Christ. These two parts are the person of Christ, and the work of Christ. The study of the person of Christ explores Christ as He exists as part of the triune Godhead where He is in relation to the Father, as the Son. In His essence, He is fully God just as all three persons of the trinity share the same essence and are also fully God. The study of the work of Christ defines Christ through His various works where He is redeemer, creator, mediator, king, prophet, and priest, among many other tasks and titles. Examining Christ in His various roles and dimensions helps us to understand Him as He exists in each stage of redemptive work and interaction with mankind; from creation until the final judgement. As these dimensions are pieced together, a grand mosaic revealing the person of Christ emerges which presents Him more accurately in the fullness of His character.
While Christology addresses the study of Christ by who He is and by His works, there is another important aspect to knowing Christ. This is to know Him personally through a relationship, just as a person can experience with any other person but being mindful to display the proper reverence to His position as Lord. Every believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, and the Spirit directs their relationship with Christ through a spiritual union–This is known as the Union with Christ. This relationship is the foundation of spiritual growth because it is Christ who is the source of the believer’s strength, faith, and nourishment as explained in John, chapter 15. Christology, also known as the Doctrine of Christ, is more than knowing about Christ, it is about loving Him and being in a special relationship with Him which continues into the eternal life.
The Person of Christ: Who is Christ?
We begin our study by declaring that Jesus Christ is the eternal and infinite God as He has always existed in the Trinity as God, the Son. It is in this position as the Eternal God that His role as the author of creation is understood. John the Apostle begins his gospel with this belief, “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being,” (John 1:2-3). The Apostle Paul confirms this primary principle of the faith, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together,” (Col. 1:16-17). This is the fundamental teaching of who Christ is and the foundation of this study as we advance into the other dimensions of Christ’s identity.
As this study progresses through instruction on Christ who is God and shares all of His attributes, students will encounter difficulties as they attempt to understand the concepts relating to the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of an infinite being. This is further explained in the section of the Incomprehensible God. This is not a critique of the student because this difficulty is universal and applies to all students of theology, past and present. The greatest theological minds throughout history have struggled with these concepts and at some point, in certain doctrines, they had to end their pursuit of inquiry and acknowledge their limitations; accepting that many of the deep things of God are beyond man’s comprehension and will always remain mysteries. Therefore, students should likewise accept what has been clearly revealed and understand that other things will remain mysteries which will never be fully understood.
For the full teaching on Christology click the following link: https://teachhosea46.com/christ-christology-2/
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