Christology: Whole-hearted, Personal, Selective or Biblical?

C Mc

1. What is it?
2. What's the background or origin of the term?
3. What is its primary source?
4. What are the areas?
5. What are some excellent sources on Christology?    
6. Which book the entire New Testament the most Christological titles?
7. Which book the entire New Testament the most Christology?
8. Give an example of Christology.

Do you agree with the two statements below? If so, how or give an example.

• Christology is a sacrificial offering and final salvation for believers.
• Christology is shown Jesus as both High Priest and Sacrifice for the human race.

Is Christology personal or biblical? CM

C Mc

Brethren, Fellow Posters,

Let's not bypass such a beautiful and vital topic during this critical forum period. Christology (from Greek Χριστός Khristós and -λογία, -logia), translated literally from Greek as "the study of Christ," is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on whether Jesus was human, divine, or both.

For this OP, I would like us to focus on Jesus incarnated in human flesh and fully equal with God the Father from eternity.   In this view in focus, we can also deal with the questions of the Incarnation and nature of Christ. 

In passing, let me mention some historical Christological doctrines that gained broad support:

• Monophysitism (monophysite controversy, 3rd–8th centuries) After the union of the divine and the human in the historical Incarnation, Jesus Christ had only a single nature.
• Miaphysitism (Oriental Orthodox churches) In the person of Jesus Christ, divine nature and human nature are united in a compound nature ("physis").
• Dyophysitism (Chalcedonian Creed) Christ maintained two natures, one divine and one human, after the Incarnation.
• Monarchianism (Adoptionism (2nd century onwards) and Modalism) God as one, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity.

As well as, Influential Christologies which were broadly condemned as sinful, they are:

• Docetism (3rd–4th centuries) claimed the human form of Jesus was a mere semblance without any actual reality
• Arianism (4th century) viewed the divine nature of Jesus, the Son of God, as distinct and inferior to God the Father, e.g., by having a beginning in time.
• Nestorianism (5th century) considered the two natures (human and divine) of Jesus Christ almost entirely distinct.

Christological thought can be divided into different groupings:

1. Ontological Christology -- (with various shades) -- places emphasis on the 'being' and the 'essence' of the person of Christ.  
   1. It focuses on the nature and the substance of Christ.
2. Speculative Christology -- the infinite and the finite are merged in various forms of idealism.
   1. The historic Christ at times tends to lose His real significance and becomes merely a symbol of a vast and complex metaphysical idea.
3. The 'History of Jesus' Christology -- A researcher seek to go behind the gospel narratives.
   1. stripping them of all early church accretions to try and find the genuine historical Jesus.
   2. Focused on the real Jesus in His actuality, behind the faith statements of the gospel writers.
4. Existential Christology -- Focuses on His present impact on the life of the believer (not so much on the person of Christ or on His historical activity).
   1. Offers a present Christ who acts as a medium to assist man to understand and accept the authenticity and reality of his own existence.
5. Functional Christology -- (with various shades) -- the emphasis is placed on the meaning and significance of the mission and work of Jesus
   1. Functional terms of ontological language regarding the substance of Jesus Christ rather than in the intricacies.
   2. Jesus has the task to bring salvation and to reveal the Father in a special manner, but without having to subscribe to the Chalcedonian formula.

You may notice there are some overlapping in time between these various Christological categories. "What say ye" thus far? CM

SOURCES:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christology
• John McIntyre, The Shape of Christology, London: S C M Press, 1966