Jesus – God and Man

The Journey Toward Understanding

Part Three: Behold the Man

I. Ignatius of Antioch (d110s)

A. Biography

What are some of the ways Ignatius of

Antioch emphasizes the humanity of Christ in Chapter 9 of Epistle to the Trallians (pp38-41 in Nichols, For Us and

For Our Salvation)?

Bishop of Antioch

Martyred c110 under Emperor Trajan

B. Ignatius of Antioch’s Defense of the Incarnation

1. Ignatius of Antioch Against Docetism

“Mary then did truly conceive a body which

had God inhabiting it. And God the Word

was truly born of the Virgin, having clothed

Himself with a body of like passions with our

own. He who forms all men in the womb,

was Himself really in the womb, and made

for Himself a body of the seed of the virgin,

but without any intercourse of man. He was

carried in the womb, even as we are, for the

usual period of time; and was really born, as

we also are; and was in reality nourished with milk, and partook of

common meat and drink, even as we do. And when He had lived among

men for thirty years, He was baptized by John, really and not in

appearance; and when He had preached the Gospel three years, and done

signs and wonders, He who was Himself the Judge was judged by the Jews,

falsely so called, and by Pilate the governor; was scourged, was smitten on

the cheek, was spit upon; He wore a crown of thorns and a purple robe;

He was condemned; He was crucified in reality, and not in appearance,

not in imagination, not in deceit. He really died, and was buried, and rose

from the dead, …” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Trallians, Ch 10)

“[Christ was] truly begotten of God

and of the Virgin…”

(Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Trallians, Ch 9)

“The Word … did dwell in flesh…” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrneans, Ch 2)

• John 1:1 1In the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

• John 1:14 14The Word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us.”

2. Ignatius of Antioch’s Defense of the Biblical Description of Christ’s Work

a. Defense of the Reality of Christ’s Sufferings

If Christ is to be the Savior the Bible describes him to be,

he must be fully human

“[They claim] He became a man iiinnn aaappppppeeeaaarrraaannnccceee, that He did not in reality take unto Him a body, that He died iiinnn

aaappppppeeeaaarrraaannnccceee, and did not in very deed suffer.” (Ignatius of

Antioch, Epistle to the Trallians, Ch 10)

“…certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer,

.”

(Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrneans, Ch 2)

“… you must pray to God for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance…”

(Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrneans, Ch 4)

“…if, as some that are without God, that is, the unbelieving, say, that He only seemed to suffer (they themselves only seeming to exist), tthheenn wwhhyy aamm II iinn

bboonnddss?” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Trallians,

Ch 10)

“But as for me, I do not place my hopes in one who died for me in appearance, but in reality.” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the

Trallians, Ch 10)

b. Defense of the Reality of Christ’s Resurrection

“…even as after the same manner His Father will so

raise up us who believe in Him by Christ Jesus,

apart from whom we do not possess the true

life.” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Trallians, Ch 9)

“…He suffered truly … He truly rose again.” (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrneans, Ch 2)

• Luke 24:37 37“Look at my hands and my

feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

• John 20:27 27“Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put

it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

II. Irenaeus of Lyons (c115-c202)

A. Biography

• Born c115

near Smyrna,

in Asia Minor

(modern-day

Turkey)

John Polycarp Irenaeus Hippolytus

• c150, sent to Gaul (modern France) as

presbyter (elder); settled in

Lugdunum (modern Lyons)

• 170s, heresies seep into Gaul from

Rome; Irenaeus sent to Rome to

address the situation

• 177, Emperor Marcus Aurelius began

severe persecution of Christians in

Gaul (Irenaeus was still in Rome)

Marcus Aurelius

• 180s, Irenaeus returns to find majority

of church martyred; made Bishop of

Lyons until martyrdom in 202

Irenaeus’ magnum opus! A 5-volume critical

examination of Gnosticism!

Gnostics claimed to have “secret teaching” from John.

Then why wouldn’t Irenaeus have been

aware of this through Polycarp,

John’s own disciple???

God

Physical Matter

Proarche Monotes Henotes

B. Irenaeus vs. Gnosticism

1. Irenaeus on Gnostic Claims to Authority

2. Irenaeus on Gnostic Teachings on Creation

Adversus Haereses

Against Heresies

Gnostics believed God could have no

contact with physical matter…

… So God sent fort emanations

from himself to do his dirty work

for him

Irenaeus Mocks, as long as we are “inventing” characters in our creation story, why not a gourd, or a cucumber?

3. Irenaeus on Gnostic Teachings on Christ and Redemption

a. Irenaeus’ View of Christ

Gnostics believed the body is a “prison”

from which the spirit must escape.

Christ is a spiritual messenger, sent to

show us the way out.

“[If the Apostles heard the heresies we have

today,] they would at once stop their ears

and flee as far off as possible, not enduring

even to listen to the blasphemous address.” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III.4)

“Irenaeus is saying in the strongest language possible that the teachings of

the Docetists and the Gnostics are diametrically opposed to the teachings of

the Bible.” (Stephen J. Nichols, For Us and For Our Salvation, 31-32)

“[The apostles proclaimed]

the one Jesus Christ, the Son

of God, who was enfleshed

[incarnated] for our

Salvation.” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, I)

b. Irenaeus’ View of Redemption

Recapitulation

Christ is a new source for humanity

• Rom 5:12, 15-19 12

[S]in entered the world through one man, an death through sin, and in this way

death came to all men, because all sinned . . . 15

…[I]f the many died by the trespass

of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace

of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16

Again, the gift of God is not

like the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought

condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17

For

if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of

righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18

Consequently, just as

the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act

of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19

For just as through

the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Adam Our first representative or

“federal head”

Jesus Our new representative or

“federal head”

“[In Christ,] God recapitulated in

Himself the ancient formation of

man [Adam] that he might kill sin,

deprive death of its power, and

vivify man…” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies,

III.17.7)