Notes – Dr.

Carmelo Martines

CHRISTOLOGY
DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

INTRODUCTION

Christology is the study and science of Christ and his relationship with the universe.
and especially with man.
2. Theology has united the person and work of Christ in an indissoluble way. In
in this sense, Christology studies the person of Christ and soteriology its
work.
3. This study will address the aspect of the person of Christ.
4. Regarding the study of the person of Christ, there are two methods:
Christology from above
Christology from below

The first method takes into account the aspects of divinity, the incarnation.
and the humanity of Christ.
The second method takes into account the history of Christ from his birth.
until his ascension. In fact, this method is often referred to as
Jesusology
5. What are the foundations of a Christology? Scripture itself. In Luke
24:25-27 and 44 Christ declares that the Scripture (understand still the OT) is
the guidelines to understand Him. Christ interpreted the Old Testament in a
Christological.
The following text Mt 16:16-17 is in the context of Jesus' question about
his identity, Peter's confession to Christ is nothing more than a revelation,
avpeka,luye,n,Christologyisnotmerelyamentalspeculationofthetype
theological but a true revelation. Without revelation, we would not know
Christ.

6. Origin of the name-title

Hebrewxv;m' →x;yvim'
Greek cry,w → Christ,

Latin to anoint

THE PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST

The preexistence of Christ in the Old Testament

There are two passages in the OT that explicitly announce the preexistence of the Messiah.
Isaiah 9:6 'Everlasting Father' according to verse 7 is God who gives the name.
Micah 5:2 the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but He is preexistent.

The preexistence of Christ in the New Testament

Implicit statements

But he answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

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 Notes – Dr. Carmelo Martines

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Explicit statements

IamAbraham.
Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'
I'mgoingback eivmi,vipa--1s

The relationship between Abraham and Christ is one of contrast. Abraham comes to be
It has a temporal beginning and is caused by another. In contrast, Christ uses the
Verb to be. The peculiarity is in the use of the verbal mood in the present, if Christ
I would have used the expression "I was" in the imperfect tense.
Such a statement could apply to an angel preexisting to Abraham. The 'I am'
He always is. The Jews understood this, which is why they wanted.
to stone him.

Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Other statements

John the Baptist This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'

Pablo For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Objections to the preexistence of Christ

Only begotten son

The problem is posed at the level of translation see John 3:16.

Textos aplicados a Cristo Juan 1:14, 18; 3:16; 3:18; 1 Juan 4:9.
The adjective is composed of demo, which means one and yge, which means to arrive.
a being) with the meaning of 'class' or 'race', then the correct translation is
unique
If the Greek word had been monogenhto,jdegenna,w (to beget)
it corresponded to the translation as 'only begotten'.
So the correct way to translate the term is not as 'only begotten' but as
"only". See the following texts Luke 7:12, 8:42, 9:38 and Heb 11:17.

The translations of the term. The LXX translatespormonogenh,j

The Hebrew term is "unique" in the absolute sense. Genesis 22:2,12,16, in this
In case the LXX prefers the term avgaphto,j. See Judg 11:34, Prov 4:3. Jeremiah 6:26.

The Latin versions before the Vulgate translated the term as "unicus".
Jerome translated it as 'only begotten' due to Christological controversies. Marco
historical: councils of Nicaea 325, Chalcedon 451 and Basil with his distinction between
the Father as generator, the Son as generated. Therefore, by virtue of the dogma
Ecclesiasticus translated the Christological passages as 'only begotten'. And thus it influenced
other translations.

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Vulgate Reina-Valera → Spanish VRVR

Tyndale → English KJV

Conclusion. The passage that most clearly reveals the meaning of the term is Heb.
11:17, Isaac is unique, not the only son. Ishmael was born 13 years earlier (Gen 16:16) and six
Abraham had more children with Keturah (Genesis 25). Isaac was "the only one" in his.
class, he was the son of the promise, son of a miracle.
In this sense, Jesus is unique:
In relation to the Father (Jn 5:17)
In relation to the revelation (John 1:18)
In relation to his redeeming work (John 3:18)

Firstborn, first child.

The term is an adjective composed of prvo/first and ti,ktwnacer.

Philologically: firstborn. If applied to Christ as the firstborn,
The idea is that Christ would be a creature and as such is not God and is worthy of
adoration.

first, applied to Christ in the NT.

Seven times in three different ways
a. In relation to the physical birth: Mt 1:25 and Lc 2:7
b. In a figurative way, which does not denote its birth: Ro 8:29, Col 1:15 and
1:18
c. In a non-chronological form: Heb 1:6 and Ap 1:15.

Hebrew concept of primogeniture.

a. Successor of the father
b. He led the clan, keeps the name
c. Family priest
d. Received double portion of the inheritance

The firstborn is not always the first born, biblical examples.

a. Jacob. Gn 25:25-26, 1st Esau 2nd Jacob, but Ex 4:22 Israel is the
firstborn
b. Ephraim. Gn 41:50-52, 1st Manasseh 2nd Ephraim, but Jer 31:9 Ephraim is the
firstborn
c. David. 1 S 16:10-12 David is the youngest of the sons of Jesse, but
Psalm 89:20 and 27 David is the firstborn

One can be the firstborn by merit, by dignity, or rank. The order

hierarchical in physical birth is not important, but the dignity of the
person.

Explanation. Col 1:15 refers to the character and dignity of Christ and not that he was the
first creature. Christ has the prerogatives and authority of the
primogeniture.

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Heb 1:6 God cannot ask for worship for someone who had a beginning, see Ro
1:25.
Christ was not literally the firstborn of the dead but Abel, therefore not.
he would be of the resurrection, was Moses and he would not be the first to go to heaven,
He was Enoch. But he is first among them all in category, rank, and by greater weight.
of glory.

2. Engendrado gorgena, w generated.

Applied to Christ in a literal way gives the impression of an origin at a moment.

of eternity.

The term applied to Christ: Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5.
All the mentioned texts cite Psalms 2.

Context of Psalms 2. Conspiracy of the enemies of Israel. The anointed one appears.
The king is enthroned and is given promises of encouragement and victory. The 'today I have'
"Engendered" should be understood in a figurative sense, it is the day when the king is
enthroned and as a servant of God, he will guide the destinies of his people.

Important texts: 2 Samuel 7:12-14 and 2 Co 6:18.

Uses applied to Christ. Acts 13:33 Paul quotes Psalms 2, the resurrection gives rise
to the ascension and the subsequent enthronement. Heb 1:5 Christ is greater than the
angels (a warning against angel worship). Heb 5:5 enthroned as high priest
priest. Let us remember the baptism of Jesus and the voice from heaven that declared: "This
"This is my beloved Son" (Mt 3:17).

Quote from Ellen G. White: 'When speaking of His preexistence, Christ transports the
mind towards the past through the endless ages. It assures us that there was never
a time when He was not in close communion with the Eternal Father. That
whose voice the Jews were listening to had always been one with the Father
Sing of the Time, August 29, 1900 (The Evangelism 446).

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST

Today the Christological pendulum movement places more emphasis on the human aspect of Jesus.

1. Statements of the Old Testament regarding the divinity of the Messiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

2. NT Statements

John 1:1

God is o` lo,goj
c the boy goes to the market
y God was the Verb

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

According to grammar:
The 1st rule: noun without article, in the translation it can be translated with a
indefinite article or not. In Greek, there is no indefinite article, e.g.:
They brought to himparalutiko.
a paralytic
nevpi.♦kli,onnhj
lying a beblhme,
bed. When
nonJesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.'
they brought the paralyzed man lying on 'a' bed

And behold, a woman of Canaan came out from that region and cried out to Him, saying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' ivdou.♦gunh.Cananai,a
Here is 'a' Canaanite woman

Based on this rule, some propose this translation:

and a god was the Word, due to the fact that it does not have a definite article.

BUT here is the 2nd rule: If the subject has the copulative verb 'to be,' the noun
the predicate goes without an article, as is the case in Jn 1:1.
Now, what is the reason for this rule? To distinguish the subject from the predicate.
Observe the following example:

In him was life, andand

the lifethe
was the lightzwh.
of men.
h=n to. fw/j
Y the Life was the Light

In this case, the subject and predicate are interchangeable just like the
The teacher was the principal.
Three logical and grammatical conclusions
First: if in the phrase of Jn 1:1 the two nouns were with an article
defined, it would have been very confusing to understand, it is the example of Jn 1:4.
Second: if in the phrase of John 1:1 the article was overqeuo.
reduced all divinity to Christ alone. See the following example:

Whoever does not love does not know

qeo.j God, because
heGod is love.
is here
the God love is
If the sentence were constructed differently:

qeo.j h` average,ph evsti,n

God the love is
God is reduced only to love. In this case, love is greater.
what God.
Third: the noun without an article in the predicate is a predicate or
adjective of the noun with definite article of the subject.
Fourth: if one observes the phrase from John 1:1, it can be seen that the predicate in this
If the noun without an article comes first and the subject comes after the verb. It
what the author wants to highlight first is the quality of the subject, in
In this case, the Word is God.

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 20:28 is not an exclamation; it would have been in the vocative.
Romans 9:5
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
But of the Son He says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.'

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martinez

3. Old Testament passages related to Jehovah applied to Christ

Pedro: The LORD Almighty is the one you are2:7-8

1 Peter to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.

Mateo: A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness

For this is he
prepare
who was
the spoken
way forof
the
byLord;
the prophet
make straight
Isaiah when
in thehe
desert
said,a'The
highway
voicefor
of one
our crying
God.' in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'

Pablo You ascended on high, leadingEphesians

a host of captives
4:8 in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

“ So that a people yet to be created

Heb may praise the Lord. For he looked down from his sanctuary on high; from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death. So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord. In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: 'Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.'
1:10-12
“ Jer 9:23-24 1 Corinthians 1:30

If a Hebrew applies these texts in this way, it is conclusive proof of the

divinity of Christ, because it presents him of the same nature as the
Father.

4. Offices of the deity attributed to Christ

Creator: Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Sustainer Col 1:17, Heb 1:3

Forgiver Lk 5:21, 7:48
Judge For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

5. Christ accepted divine worship

The term proskune, indicative of an act of worship. See

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'

6. Christ is the object of invocation

It may be that the previous point is discussed considering the term

proskune,likeasimplebowofcourtesyorrespect.
But the invocation, when the meaning of calling on the divine applies only
to God, Ro 10:13, 1 Co 1:2
A Hebrew or Jew did not invoke the name of Abraham or that of Moses, the
religious invocation of reserve to the divine being never to a creature, e.g.
1 R 18:24 (LXX) "and I will call upon the name of the Lord, the God"
mou

THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST

It presupposes the preexistence of the Messiah.

The Bible teaches that Christ became flesh without ceasing to be God.
The incarnation presupposes the pre-existence of the Messiah.

2. Biblical declarations
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Galatians 4:4
Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

3. Key theme for understanding the Bible

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Quote from Elena G. de White: "The study of the incarnation of Christ is a

fruitful theme that will reward the seeker who delves in search
of the hidden truth

"The story of Bethlehem is an inexhaustible theme. Within it lies the..."

depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” DTG32.

If he is not God incarnate, his death is not a substitute, but merely exemplary.

In contemporary theology, Christ is a man, a prophet, a

example.

The resurrection and ascension a myth.

The second coming 'is a realized eschatology'

4. Purposes of the incarnation

1st. He came to reveal the character of the Father.
2nd. Wine to fulfill the promises and the pact.
3rd. Wine to be a substitute and guarantor for sinners.
4th. Came to be our High Priest.
5th. Wine to destroy the works of Satan.
6th. He came to give us an example of a holy life.
7th. Wine to prepare us for his second coming.
He came to become man to redeem men.

5. Temporality of the incarnation

It is to be assumed that upon fulfilling His mission on earth, Christ then after His
Did the resurrection and ascension abandon his human nature?
The texts do not confirm this assumption.
Resurrection: Luke 24:37-43.
John 20:20-29, the wounds of the cross
they remain.
Ascension 1 Timothy 2:5 mediator 'Jesus Christ man'.

EGW Quotes: '...God gave His only begotten Son so that He could become
member of the human family, and would hold forever its
human nature","DTG17; "Christ had ascended to heaven in
human form",DTG771; "Christ has carried His humanity to the
eternity", Youth ’s Instructor October 28, 1897; "I carry that
humanity with the heavenly courts, and throughout the centuries
eternal will hold her, like He who redeemed every human being
what is in the city of God,” CBA6:1054.

THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST

1. Characteristics that demonstrate the true humanity of Christ.

His humanity was real because he was a real man.

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 Notes – Dr. Carmelo Martines

Jesus John 8:39-40

Pilate Jn 19:5
Bailiffs Never has anyone spoken like this man.

Pablo For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

Peter Acts 2:22

It possesses the elements of human nature.

Matthew 26:26-28 flesh and blood

Galatians 4:4 born of a woman
Since therefore the children
meat andshare in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.
blood
1 John 4:2 has come in flesh

It was subject to the laws of development

And the child grew and

grewbecame strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
And it happened that
toafter
hear three
anddays
tothey
askfound him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
And Jesus increasedintegral
in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
growth
For it was fitting that he, for whomby
perfected andafflictions
by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
For in that he himself hath suffered
suffered beingtempted
being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
Although he was a son, he learned
learned obedience from what he suffered.
obedience
EGW Quote: "While working in childhood and youth, he developed his
mind and body", HA263.

The best evidence of his humanity is that he suffered and died.

And being in agony,suffered

He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

John 19:30 he/she died

He exercised the active powers of a human being.

And after fasting forty

hedays
wasand forty nights, he was hungry.
hungry
And suddenly a great
wasstorm arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but he was asleep.
sleeping
Then he said to them, 'My soul is very
anguished to sorrowful,
death even to death; remain here, and watch with me.'
John 4:6 felt tired
Jesus wept. I cry
Now my soul is troubled, and what shall
disturbance of Isoul
say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

John 19:28 he/she was thirsty

His appearance or external features

Gospels nothing.

Elena G. de White something.

DTG111 simple character

DTG219 beauty of face, loving gaze and tone
DTG341 royal gate
DTG472 benign face
EE44 clear and distinct voice

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

HR221 he had a beard

HR224 kind gaze, wide and raised forehead
a little higher than the average

What kind of humanity did Jesus have?

Discussion topic

Two positions are being debated in the church:

First: Jesus was born with tendencies to sin.
Nature fallen 'post-lapsarian'.
Second: Jesus was not born with tendencies to sin.
Unfallen nature 'prelapsarian'.

Historical framework of the discussion

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Alonso T. Jones began to express
that Christ took the complete nature of man, and clarifies that God
manifested in Christ in 'sinful flesh', in order to demonstrate before the
universe, which with the fallen nature, Christ was able to overcome temptations.
Position shared by Waggoner and Prescott.
In the third decade of the 20th century, Milian L. Andreasen organizes these
ideas in what is called 'the theology of the last generation'. According to
Andreasen Christ with his fallen human nature defeated sin, of
this way the last generation will demonstrate that it is possible to live without sinning, and
that demonstration is the vindication of God. The current author who has
continued with these ideas is Herbert E. Douglass. The latter establishes the
"harvest principle", the coming of the Lord is conditioned on the
spiritual quality of the last generation. Douglass establishes the
comparison between Christ and the last generation. The life of Christ and his
victory over sin, in its fallen human nature, is essential for
understand the last generation and their victory over sin.

The reaction to these ideas began in 1957 with the publication of Questions
on Doctrines where the Christological presentation supports the concept of the
fallen nature of Christ. Theologians such as Heppenstall, Dederen and
LaRondelle expanded this conception further.

However, the issue is not closed. The Adventist Ministry magazine

September-October 1986, 5-28, I present a debate between Norman R.
Gulley 'What human nature did Jesus take? Not fallen' and H. E. Douglass
What human nature did Jesus take? Fallen.

The solution to the debate must consider two approaches:

1st approach: Christ took human nature in its fallen condition.

Take into account certain very special texts
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
For both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

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 Notes – Dr. Carmelo Martines

Take into account certain statements from EGW:

By taking upon Himself human nature in its fallen condition,
Christ did not participate in the least of his sin. He was
subjected to the weaknesses and frailties by which he is surrounded
man...
Christ, who did not know in the slightest the stain or
pollution of sin, took our nature in its condition
deteriorated, MS1:296.
But Jesus accepted humanity when the species was
weakened by four thousand years of sin

Reflections on the first approach.

These texts and quotes show that Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh.
sin, but that similarity is not pure equality with us. In the physical aspect
his flesh is substantially the same as ours. In the moral realm exempt from
sin, diametrically opposed to us.

2nd focus: The impeccability of Christ

Key texts:
Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me.
For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

1 John 3:5

Key quotes from EGW:

He had to take his position at the head of humanity at
to take his nature but not the sinfulness of man
May 1901.
He was not tainted by corruption nor knew sin; without
embargo gold with strong outcry and tears. He was a powerful
supplicant who did not possess the passions of our fallen nature,
however surrounded by the same weaknesses and temptations in
everything like us", Testimonies2:508-509, this statement is from the
October 25, 1868.
A curious fact, when Jones preached that Jesus took "flesh
"sinful," the brothers would take this quote out.
Letter 8, 1895 addressed to Pastor Baker (excerpt from it in the
CBA5:1102-1003.
But be careful, extremely careful in the way you...
you occupy yourselves with the nature of Christ. Do not present it before the people
like a man with tendencies to sin... You never leave, in
in no way, the slightest impression in the human minds that
a stain of corruption or a tendency towards it rested
about Christ…
Two curious facts, this letter is received by Baker when Prescott
he was preaching in Australia about the fallen nature of Christ.
And Andreasen, why didn't you take this letter into account so
important? Did he mismanage the information?

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Reflections on the second approach.

The Word became flesh in our flesh John 1:14
Iwilltakecareofit
The Holy Spirit would have purified human nature,
making her free from the contamination of sin.
The most important element of the conception of Jesus was the
supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit.
Quote from EGW: "The incarnation of Christ has always been a
mystery, and it will always remain so

Raised objections

If Christ was not completely like us (with tendencies to sin)

would have had advantages over us.
Such advantages do not exist: He was not born in the Garden of Eden, but in a
world corrupted by sin. In the physical sense, he was not like Adam, not
he had his height and strength, he inherited the deteriorated human nature.
If Christ was not totally like us, he could not have been tempted.
like us.
And what are the temptations of the gospels? To theatricalize some scenes.
to demonstrate his power? Would Satan have agreed to do such a thing?
paper?
The fallacy of this theological argumentation is to think that in order to be tempted
a nature inclined to sin, corrupt.
Now let's think about: Lucifer
One third of the angels from heaven
Adam and Eve
What tendencies did they have towards sin? They were created perfect and without
trends, but they were tempted and sinned.
The greatest temptation of Christ was to use his divine power to escape from the
temptations, problems, and afflictions.

3. Key text in the debate: Phil 2:5-8

5
Hewhoisinyouisgreaterthanhewhoisintheworld.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 Bun
ittheformoG
f odn,octonsd
iern
igequatiylwtihGodsomethn
igtobegraspedh,etookontheformoafservant.
qew/|(
he who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
cling
7
Avlla.Itisbeingconceivedinasimilarformofservant.
hello,howareyou?
but he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, made in the likeness of the
men
butIwasfoundlikeaman
and in his bearing as a man
8
thisisaquestionaboutthesubjectthatwearediscussing.
staurou/Å

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Flowchart

YouareinChristJesus
Asforthedivinenature,beingthesource
hecameupwithaplan.
to.itisthegod
Isee.Itisautomatic.
morfh.ndou,loulabw,n
EvenifIamcondemned,Iwilliveforever.

And,whenhewasraisedup,hehumbledhimselfasaman.
geno,Iamjustyourfriend,howareyoutoday?
youarehere.tobecrucified

Semantic considerations

morph/|formofGodandformofaservant,natureorconditionofabeing,what
It is essential this means that Christ was fully God and fully man.
Christ was 100% 100 divine and 100% 100 human.

u`pa,rcwser or to exist, the verbal form of the present participle indicates that without
stop being what it is, it becomes something else.

to arrive, to come into being, in this case the verb indicates that
Christ becomes man at a given moment without ceasing to be God.
Divine condition is pre-existing to the later human condition.

itisanadjectivethatestablishesanabsoluteequality,ChristwasequaltoGodseeJn
5:18 "he who does good is with God."
In these two texts, when Christ is to be equated with God; the term
appropriate and no other.

oh mine, such a resemblance, does not establish an absolute equality, the text
carefully marks a substantial difference, Christ is equal to God in
absolute terms, but not equal to man in absolute terms, the difference
it is not in human nature but in the sinfulness or corruption of it
nature; in this, Christ is not absolutely equal to us, He does not have
tendencies to sin.
Explanation: sin is constitutional to man, since Adam and Eve.
Sin fell and became part of human nature.
Sin is not essential to human nature, when Adam and Eve were
created did not have tendencies towards sin, their nature was not corrupted nor
affected. That is to say, Adam and Eve did not need sin to be human.
With Christ, the same happens, although at birth I inherit the weakness of the race.
human, not so the corruption or tendency to sin. Christ was essentially
human without those tendencies. That is why this Greek term 'moi' only highlights the
no constitutionality of sin in Christ but not its human essentiality
expressed in the term morphh/|.

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Keno,whatisthemeaningofthetermtoemptyoneselfortobestunned?Inlakenosis
Did Christ lose His divinity by taking on human nature? Did Christ
Did it lose some of its attributes, such as omniscience or omnipresence? No.
Christ was not less God and less man. His divinity remained.
integrate in the incarnation, key text Col 2:9 "for in him dwells all the fullness bodily"
fullness of the Deity.
So how to understand lakenosis? Not as a change of nature but a
change of status. He does not leave his attributes but rather his condition of royalty. EGW
It mentions that Christ, upon becoming incarnate, left: heaven, his throne, his crown. The text of
Philippians specifies that lakenosis means: to take the form of a servant, to humble oneself.
to himself, to be obedient unto death and his death on the cross. Lakenosises the
self-denial of his submission by man.

4. General conclusions about the human nature of Christ

1st In the moral and spiritual: closer to Adam than to us, innocent
exempt from sin, diametrically opposed to our corrupt nature and
sinful.

2nd In the physical: closer to us than to Adam, in the substantial

physically the same as us.

3rd We can call this position: ambilapsaria.

He takes our nature but not its sinfulness.
He takes our nature but not our passions.

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

5. Official statements that support this position:

1. Questions on Doctrine 1957

2. Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists 1988

3. Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology 2000

Treatise on Seventh-day Adventist Theology

4th South American Biblical Theological Symposium 'Christology' 2007

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

John 1:1

There is a god. lo,goj

c nsm v-iia-3s art-sm nsm

y God era the Verb

15
 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'

IamtheAbrahamgene.
adv. n. masc gw
i, eareafraid pron.eivmi,vipa--
1s

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 Notes – Dr. Carmelo Martines

Letthismindbeinyou,whichwasalsoinChristJesus:who,beingintheformofGod,thoughtitnotrobberytobeequalwithGod:butmadehimselfofnoreputation,andtookuponhimtheformofaservant,andwasmadeinthelikenessofmen:andbeingfoundinfashionasaman,hehumbledhimself,andbecameobedientuntodeath,eventhedeathofthecross.

FLOW CHART

ThemindofChristJesusisamongyou.

OGod,existingineveryform.
hewasleadingwithauthority

to.eij=naii;saqew

avlla.e`auto.nevke,nwsen

morfh.ndou,loulabw,n(

Iamplanningtogotothemarkettobuysomeitems.

ForIwastreatedasamanwhenIwashumbled.
e`auto.n
Iloveyougreatly,mydear.

Qana,youare.Staurou

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 Notes – Dr. Carmelo Martines

Appendix

VII BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM

SOUTH AMERICAN 'CHRISTOLOGY'

JOINT STATEMENT

We, the attendees of the VII South American Biblical-Theological Symposium, driven by the
deepest desire to exalt Christ above all animated and inanimate things of
universe, together with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and recognizing the presence of Christ
crucified in the hope of his second coming, which we all believe, we adopt the following
JOINT STATEMENT:

1. We reaffirm our total commitment to faith, hope, conduct, and mission with the
biblical-adventist christology.
2. We reaffirm that the source of this Christology is Sacred Scripture. Scripture was
revealed by God, and granted to human beings through the Holy Spirit who
he inspired holy men of God, to pre-announce Jesus Christ, his person, his work, his
uniqueness and to make it known as the incarnate God, as the unique-sufficient redeemer
and as blessed hope in his second coming.
3. We reaffirm that the hermeneutical principle for the Christological understanding of the
Scripture interprets itself within the framework of the great conflict.
between good and evil that began with the rebellion of Luzbel in heaven and will conclude
with the final judgment and the definitive destruction of the evil one and his followers.
4. We reaffirm the full divinity and complete humanity of Christ. The person of
Christ, as God incarnate, possessed two natures: one divine, the other human.
Totally God, totally man. Divine-human. As God, He was co-eternal with
the Father. He hid his divinity in humanity through the incarnation, in order to
offer the unique and sufficient redemptive sacrifice, on the cross and redeem all those who in
He creates for eternal life. As a man, Christ inherited the weaknesses inherent to the
human nature after four thousand years of sin: suffered the same
needs of all humans. But he did not have sinful passions, nor
any propensity towards evil. With the possibility of sinning, he was tempted in everything, but
without sin and without sin.
5. We reaffirm that Christ's vicarious death on the cross and his resurrection from the
the dead were literal acts that assure the redemption and salvation of all
those who accept it.
6. We reaffirm the Christological reality of the united church as the body of Christ (Eph
1:22, 23). The church possesses a diversity of gifts, talents, and functions granted to
she through the Holy Spirit, who, exercised under the guidance of the same Spirit,
they build the unity of the church in doctrine, in organization, in lifestyle, and in
missionary action; making it one, with one mind, the mind of Christ.
We reaffirm our determination to live intimately connected with Christ.
This means that we accept his vicarious sacrifice on the cross, his redemption, his
salvation, His will, His intercession, and His church. Christ has interceded and intercedes,
for us, sinners, in the heavenly sanctuary, fulfilling a double ministry,
formerly typified by the priestly ministry, carried out in the two
departments of the sanctuary-temple of Israel: in the holy place, for forgiveness of the
sins and in the holy of holies, for vindication in the judgment. Thus assuring life
eternal for all who believe in Christ and live with Him.

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 Notes - Dr. Carmelo Martines

We reaffirm our commitment to the Christological mission of the universal church.

united. The mission of the united church is a Christological mission and its Christology has
being a missionary. The mission is part of being Christian and its objective is
to make sinners believe, so that by believing they may live with Christ and have life
eternal.
9. We reaffirm our firm and secure hope in the second coming of Christ as
a literal and unique eschatological event. The second coming is the fulfillment of the
blessed Christian hope and, together with the cross, constitutes the greatest
Christological motivation for our sanctification. Thus wrote John: "Behold what
love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; for this reason the
the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God
and it has not yet been manifested what we shall be; but we know that when he appears
we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who
whoever has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:1-
3).

The previous Joint Declaration presents basic components of Adventist Christology.

supported and taught in the South American Division of the Seventh-day Adventists and in
your seven Schools of Theology.

Adventist University of Bolivia

Cochabamba, Vinto, November 4, 2007

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