The Two Natures of Christ

The salvation of a Christian, a follower of Christ, is linked to faith in Jesus Christ. If Jesus isn't God, there is no salvation. Therefore, it becomes important to determine just who Jesus Christ is. Is Jesus just a man? Is Jesus God in the flesh? Or, is Jesus Deity?

As we look at the following information we will see that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. In prior years of Christianity, it was the humanity of Christ that was attacked, today it is His Deity. Those who attack the Deity of Christ are attacking one of the foundations of Christianity. Jesus Christ died as a substitutionary death in order to provide salvation for lost humanity. If Jesus was only a man He could "not" have died to save the world, but since He was deity, His death provided salvation for all mankind.

Jesus is called God in the Bible.

Jesus has two natures, One is fully God and the other is fully human. This entire article shows that Jesus is fully God.

Jesus is called God in John 20:28 and many other places.

Matthew 1:23 says they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.

Again, in Romans 9:5 the apostle Paul called Jesus Christ God.

Jesus is called the Son of God, and this implies that Jesus is the same as God. In Luke 4:41, the devils cried out ". . . thou art Christ, the Son of God."

In Romans 8:3, God sent His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and condemned sin in the flesh.
In John 5:25, it says the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God.

Jesus said He is the Son of God, John 10:36.

Again, in Matthew 27:43, Jesus said He was the Son of God.

In Mark 1:1, Mark declares Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.

Jesus is called Lord. Matthew 12:8 says the Son of man is Lord.

Jesus says He is Lord in John 13:13.

Acts 16:31 says,". . . believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

Revelation 19:16 refers to Jesus as the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 1:17 refers to Christ as deity, as well as in Revelation 22:13.

The apostle Paul, in Titus 2:13, calls Jesus Christ our God and Saviour.

Peter writing in 2 Peter 1:1 calls Jesus Christ our God and Saviour.

In 1 John 5:20, John writes that Jesus is the true God and eternal life.

In Luke 8:38-39, the formerly demon possessed man was told to tell what great things God had done for him, and as he went he declared what Jesus had done unto him.

In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses writes of our God, He is the Rock. Then in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, the apostle Paul identifies the Rock as Christ!

In Isaiah 45:22-33, God stated "That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Then in Philippians 2:10-11 we see that it is at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord. We bow only to God and therefore Jesus is God.

In Deuteronomy 10:17, we see that God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God. In 1 Timothy 6:15, God is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Who is this God?

In Revelation 17:14, this God is mentioned as being the Lamb, Jesus Christ, that will overcome, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Jesus forgave sins, and only God can forgive sins, Mark 2:5-7.

In Isaiah 48:12-13, 17 God says He is the First and the Last. He is the redeemer and the Holy one of Israel. He is Lord your God. Again, Who is this God? Who is the First and the Last? In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus Christ says He is the First and the Last.

Isaiah 40:3 mentions ". . . prepare the way for the Lord . . . our God." Then Mark refers to this verse in Mark 1:1-3, and mentions the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in connection with preparing the way. This is a clear indication that Jesus Christ is the Lord.

In Exodus 3:13-14, God identified Himself to Moses by the name of "I AM". In John 8:58-59, Jesus identified Himself to the Jews with the same name of "I AM". The Jews sought to stone Him because they knew He was claiming to be God.

In Genesis 1:1, we see that God created the heavens and the earth. In Hebrews 3:4, we see that God is the builder of everything. In Colossians 1:15-16 Jesus created all things, visible and invisible, all things were created by Him, and for Him. Again, in John 1:1-3, 10, we see that the Word was God, and was with God in the beginning, and through Him all things were made, that He was in the world but the world was made by Him and did not recognize Him. This Word is Jesus Christ.

In 1 Timothy 3:16 it is seen that God was manifest in the flesh. In John 1:1-14 we see that the Word with God and the Word is God and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. This is a clear reference to Jesus Christ.

In Exodus 34:14 we are told not to worship any other god, for the LORD is a jealous God. Later in Hebrews 1:6, speaking of Jesus, it says "Let all God's angels worship Him", another clear reference to the fact that Jesus is God.

Hebrews 1:8 clearly references the Son as God.

In the Revelation of Jesus in Revelation 1:8, 17-18 are mentioned many names of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord God, Almighty, the First and the Last. Then as we look in Revelation 22:12-13, we see these titles of Deity applied specifically to Jesus Christ.

In Romans 10:13 Paul quotes from Joel 2:32. Joel was referring to the Lord Jehovah in Joel 2:32 and and in Romans 10:13, Paul applies this to Jesus, proving that Christ is equal to Jehovah of the Old Testament.

Psalms 102:25 speaks of the God that created heaven and earth and Paul, in Hebrews 1:10, references this verse and proves this Old Testament God is Jesus Christ.

The Bible also tells us that Christ is immutable, meaning that Christ does not change, He is the same forever, as stated in Hebrews 13:8. Immutability is an attribute of God, Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.

The God of the Old Testament, Proverbs 26:10, is called Jesus in the in the New Testament, Titus 2:13.

Jesus is also fully human.

The second nature of Jesus is that Jesus was not only fully God, He was fully human. Our Lord has existed throughout eternity and when He became flesh, He possessed a perfect human body, with soul and spirit just like we have today.

Jesus as a man, is the mediator between God and men, 1 Timothy 2:5.

The man Jesus is the one who will save, Matthew 1:21, and the name Jesus has the meaning of "Yahweh saves."

When Jesus fasted, He became hungry, proving His humanity, Matthew 4:2.

When Jesus walked through Samaria, He became tired and needed rest, John 4:6.

On a days journey, Jesus became thirsty, just like all mankind would, John 4:7.

Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus, showing human emotion John 11:34-35.

Jesus wept of the city of Jerusalem, showing human grief, Matthew 23:37; Luke 19:41.
At the prospect of His crucifixion, Jesus was troubled in His human spirit, John 13:21 and His soul was troubled, John 12:27.

Jesus suffered in His human body as he experienced scourging etc, John 19:1.

On the cross, Jesus thirsted as a man, John 19:28.

Jesus was born of a woman, making Him a human being, Galatians 4:4.

Jesus was physically descended from David, Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8.

Jesus had a body, for ointment was poured on His body. Matthew 26:12; Hebrews 10:5.

Jesus had a soul, John 12:27; Matthew 26:38.

Jesus had a spirit, Mark 2:8; Luke 10:21, 23:46.

If Jesus was not a man, He could not have died, Hebrews 9:12.

Jesus is referred to in Acts 17:31 as a "man" who will judge the world in righteousness.

God is All Powerful

God is all powerful (omnipotent), is all knowing (omniscience) and is all present (omnipresence).

Only God can have these powers. The following shows that Jesus is omnipotent, all powerful, having all power, unlimited power, and only God has this power.

Matthew 28:18 shows us that Jesus has the same power as God.

That Jesus also has power over demons can be seen in Luke 4:36 when He commanded the spirits and they came out. Only God can have power over demons.

Jesus claimed to be one with God in John 10:30-33.

Then, again, in John 5:17-18, the Jews sought to kill Jesus because He had made Himself equal with God.

In Philippians 2:5-6 the apostle Paul writes that Jesus was in the form, or nature of God.

In John 11:25-26, Jesus said He was the resurrection and the life.

That Jesus has power over nature can be seen in Colossians 1:16-17 and it is Jesus who hold all things together. Only God can have this power.

Without mentioning every miracle that Christ did while He was on earth, these miracles could only be done by God.

Jesus had the power to forgive sins, which is something only God can do Mark 2:5-10; Isaiah 43:25, 55:7.

Jesus is omniscient,

meaning that he had total knowledge of every thing. Only God can be all knowing.

Jesus knows all things, and in John 16:30 that is the reason the disciples said by ". . . this we believe that thou camest forth from God."

Peter said that Jesus knew all things, John 21:17. Only God can know all things.

In John 7:13-17, Jesus taught in the Temple "And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"(John 7:15). This shows that Christ was not taught by man.

There is no higher authority than Jesus. We see in Matthew 7:29 and Mark 1:22 that Jesus taught with authority.

Jesus knew the history of the Samaritan Woman in John 4:29, whom He had never met before, John 4:18. Clearly only God, not man could know this.

Jesus also knew the thoughts of men, Luke 6:8, 11:17; John 2:24-25.

Jesus knew the one who would betray Him, John 6:70.

The disciples knew Christ was omniscience, John 16:30.

Jesus predicted His death man times, which demonstrates His omniscience Matthew 16:21; 17:22; 20:18-19; 26:1-2.

Only God can be present everywhere, omnipresent, at the same time.

Jesus is present where two or three are gathered in His name, Matthew 28:20.

In Matthew 28:20, we have the promise of Jesus to be with us always, even unto the end of the world. Only God can do this.

Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, Hebrews 7:26. Jesus did no sin and neither was guile found in His mouth , 1 Peter 2:22. Jesus came to take away our sins, and in Him was no sin, 1 John 3:5. Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 5:21, gives a description of Jesus, who knew no sin.

Christ held divine offices. There is no creation, except by an act of God. Since Christ created, He is therefore God, Hebrews 1:10. The apostle John said the world was made by Jesus, John 1:10, and in John 1:3, John said that all things were made by Jesus, and that without Him nothing was made.

It is Christ that upholds all things by the word of His power, and He is before all things (not a created being but an eternal being) and by Him all things consist, Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17.

In Luke 7:48 Jesus forgave sins and only God can forgive sins. Jesus is called the Son of Man and has the power to forgive sins, Mark 2:5-10.

Jesus has the power to raise those that believe on Him and give them everlasting life, John 6:39-40.

Jesus has been given the office of all judgment, John 5:22. Jesus said in Revelation 22:12 that He comes quickly, and He will give to every man according to His works.

Jesus will judge believers at the judgment seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Jesus will judge the nations as seen in Matthew 25:31-32.

Jesus will judge the world in righteousness, Acts 17:31.

Jesus provides salvation and eternal security, John 10:38; John 6:47. Jesus is from eternity to eternity. He has always been. Jesus was the eternal Son of the eternal Father. In Micah 5:2, it states that it was Jesus who came forth, and His goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I Am", John 8:58.

Christ promised the disciples that, "I am with you always", meaning that He is omnipresent, an attribute of God only, Matthew 28:20.

Christ has promised to indwell every believer, which is another proof of His omnipresence, John 14:23; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:27; Revelation 3:20.

If Jesus pre-existed eternally, He would have to be God. The following proves He pre-existed eternally.

Paul suggested the pre-existence and eternality of Christ since He is from heaven, 1 Corinthians 15:47; 2 Corinthians 8:9.

The apostle John stressed that Christ "descended from heaven," in John 3:13. Since Christ came down from heaven, Bethlehem could not have been His beginning.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but Micah 5:2 tells us that this was not His beginning, that He existed from the days of eternity.

In Colossians 1:17 Paul used the present tense, "He is before all things," stressing the eternality and preexistence of Christ.

The apostle John in John 1:3 says that Christ created all things, which means He must be eternal.

In Isaiah 6:3-5 Isaiah talks of the Lord of Hosts and says he has seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah, in Isaiah 6:10, is referring to our Lord Jehovah God, and it is these passages that John 12:14 is referring to, equating Jesus with the Lord of the Old Testament, because the Lord Jehovah of the Old Testament is eternal, so also then Jesus is eternal.

Listed below are some of the errors concerning the two natures of Christ.

A type of the dual nature of Jesus can be found in the boards of the tabernacle. In the tabernacle there are two boards, one of gold and one of wood. The wood never became gold and the gold never became wood. Christ had one personality, two natures, but with one personality.

During the first century of the Christian Church, the error of "Ebionitism" denied the deity of Christ, believing that Christ had a relationship with God after His baptism.

In the second century, "Docetism" was an error that maintained that Christ did not possess a human body, but only a celestial body - denying the humanity of Jesus Christ.

"Arrianism" denies the divinity of Jesus Christ, believing there was a time when Jesus never existed. They denied the pre-existence of Jesus Christ.

"Apollinarianism" is an error that taught that since sin is sown in the soul of all men, and God had no sin, then Christ had no soul, and therefore had an incomplete body.

"Nestorianism" is an error that takes the two natures of Christ and makes two persons out of them. They taught that God dwelt in a perfect man, and therefore God was in Christ instead of Christ being in God.

The error of "Eutychianism" took the two natures of Christ and put them together to make one new nature.

"Monothelitism" was an error that taught Christ had two natures, but only one will.

"Unitarianism" is an error that denies the Trinity and thereby denying the Deity of Christ.

"Christian Science" denies the humanity of Christ. It is neither Christian nor Science.

"Millennial Dawnism" denies the personal existence of Jesus Christ.

If a man had written the Bible, he would surely have left out these two natures of Christ, since it is difficult to understand.

God didn't explain it in depth, but just stated it factually. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ had a human nature and a divine nature, He is the God-Man.

More than any other doctrine of the Christian faith, the deity of Christ has been attacked throughout the ages. The deity of Christ can be considered one of the chief cornerstones of Christianity. Most of the cults deny the deity of Christ. One example of those who deny the deity of Christ is the Jehovah Witnesses. The foregoing information refutes this denial and proves that Jesus is God. However, let's take another look. The word Lord in the Old Testament was translated from the word Jehovah. In Isaiah 7:14 it is Jehovah that gives us a sign that a Virgin will conceive and bear a Son whose name will be Immanuel. Immanuel literally means God with us or Jehovah - Jehovah is the only God. Jehovah Himself declared in Isaiah 43:10-11 that there was no other God but Jehovah. This makes Jesus Christ and Jehovah God the same in substance, in power, and eternity and therefore equal. This prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23.

Isaiah 9:6 tells of the coming Jesus Christ and lists Him as having all the attributes of Jehovah God, as well as directly referring to Jesus as the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father. Clearly, the many cults and the Jehovah witnesses are not following the teachings of the Bible when they deny the deity of Christ.