- About Jesus -
Jesus answered:
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
THE KENOSIS OF CHRIST
It's popular today to say that Jesus in the Incarnation was fully
man,
but certainly not fully God. In discussing the doctrine of the
Incarnation (God the Son in human flesh), Philippians 2:7 says that
Jesus "emptied Himself." Does this mean that Jesus was not
100 percent God as well as 100 percent man?
While
historic Christianity has always affirmed that Jesus Christ
was both fully God and fully man, some have argued that in order for
Jesus to have been truly human He must have divested Himself of
certain divine attributes. In fact, those who affirm this very novel
view nearly always appeal to Philippians 2:5-7.
Which, by the way, says, "Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of man."
The words "emptied Himself" are interpreted by a growing
number of people today to mean that Christ actually laid
aside certain divine attributes.
But is this correct? Well as a matter of fact, it's not.
To
say that Jesus surrendered even one divine attribute is
to say that Jesus is less than God, and therefore not
God at all! See, if God is deprived of even one attribute, then He
is
not fully deity. Of course, references to His deity abound in Scripture
(John 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8).
And by the way, this is not only affirmed by the Bible, it's clearly
affirmed by the creeds.
Of
course the question is asked: If Jesus didn't give up His deity,
then what did Christ empty Himself of? Well the context indicates
very clearly that Jesus veiled His glory as a sign of His humility.
He voluntarily makes Himself of no reputation.
He sets aside His high position and waves His divine prerogatives
because He loves us. But while Christ surrenders His divine glory,
He does not surrender His divine attributes.
