Doctrine of the Incarnation

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Doctrine of the Incarnation

• Truly God and Truly Man

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The Messiah

• The Messiah - the savior that the Jewish people
  were hoping would rescue them from oppression and
  would give to them a peaceful kingdom
• Jesus declares that he is the fulfillment of the
  promise for a Messiah
• So, what are we to believe about Jesus? Is he
  God? Is he a man?
• Whats going on?!?!

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The Doctrine of the Incarnation

• The Incarnation is our understanding of who Jesus
  was
• Developed and declared within three centuries
• Incarnation literally means in the flesh
• Jesus is Gods own son made present in human
  flesh, so Jesus is Truly God and Truly Man
• He has a human nature and a divine nature

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IncarnationWhy???

• Why would God become a human being???
• God loves and cares for us so deeply that he
  wants to be as close to us as he can
• By becoming human, God can empathize with us
• He can direct us and teach us how to live as
  humans

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IncarnationWhy?

• There is a rift between God and man as a result
  of sin
• We could not fully make it up to God
• God could not fully reach us
• The answer to this dilemma is the Incarnation
• The fusion of God and man

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So, What is that Incarnation Thing?
100 God

100 Man

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Heresies

• A heresy is a theological or religious opinion
  or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to
  be contrary, to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox
  doctrine of the Christian Church
• Arianism claimed that Jesus was more than
  human, but less than divine
• Gnosticism denied Jesus humanity

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In response to Heresies

• The church called Ecumenical Councils
• Ecumenical Council - a conference of the bishops
  of the whole Church convened to discuss and
  settle matters of Church doctrine and practice

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Important Ecumenical Councils

• Council of Nicaea 325 AD
• Council of Constantinople 381 AD
• Council of Ephesus 431 AD
• Council of Chalcedon 451 AD