Christ's Humanity and the Fullness of God,
By ChatGPT and Stephen D Green,
2024
From a non-Trinitarian perspective, the relationship between Christ and God, as well as the implications for believers, reveals a profound narrative of humility, exaltation, and transformation. Central to this understanding is the distinction between the divine nature of God and the human nature of Christ. This view holds that Christ, though preexistent as the Son of God, voluntarily set aside His divine privileges to become fully human. This act was not merely a symbolic gesture but a real incarnation in which the Messiah took on flesh, lived as a man, and subjected Himself to the limitations of human existence.
The apostle Paul describes this profound act in Philippians 2:6-8, where he writes, “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.” This passage emphasizes that Christ, while preexistent in divine form, willingly relinquished the privileges and status of divinity. He did not cease to exist as the Son of God but fully embraced humanity to experience life as a man. This humility enabled Him to serve as the perfect mediator between God and humankind, fulfilling God’s redemptive plan.
The apostles consistently upheld the humanity of Christ, affirming that He was not a hybrid of divine and human natures but genuinely human during His earthly ministry. Peter declares in Acts 2:22, “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him.” This statement highlights Jesus’ dependence on God for the works He performed, demonstrating His complete humanity and submission to God’s will. Similarly, Paul describes Christ as “the man Christ Jesus” in 1 Timothy 2:5, underscoring His role as the mediator between God and humans. John further insists on the reality of Christ’s humanity in 1 John 4:2-3, stating that “every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” These declarations reinforce the centrality of Christ’s humanity and its importance in God’s plan of reconciliation.
After His resurrection, Christ did not shed His humanity but was instead glorified and transformed. He became immortal, incorruptible, and endowed with divine authority, though He remained fully human. The risen Christ demonstrates the continuity of His human nature in passages such as Luke 24:39, where He tells His disciples, “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.” He even eats with them to further affirm His physical reality. Yet His resurrection body was glorified, serving as the prototype for what His followers will one day become. Paul describes this transformation in Philippians 3:21, saying, “He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” This glorified state is a foretaste of humanity’s ultimate destiny in God’s kingdom.
Paul’s declaration in Colossians 2:9, “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form,” reflects Christ’s unique status as the glorified human through whom God’s fullness is perfectly expressed. This does not mean that Christ has reacquired the exact divine nature He set aside during His incarnation. Instead, it signifies that Christ now serves as the vessel through which God’s character, authority, and purpose are fully revealed. As the exalted Lord, Christ has been given divine privileges, such as immortality and the authority to judge, but these are granted to Him by God, not intrinsic to His nature. This exaltation is the result of His obedience and sacrifice, as stated in Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
The fullness of deity in Christ also aligns with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers, though in a distinct and hierarchical way. Believers, too, are called to partake in the divine nature, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:4: “Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.” While Christ embodies the fullness of deity uniquely as the glorified human Lord, the Spirit enables believers to reflect God’s character and grow in godliness. Paul echoes this transformative process in Ephesians 3:19, praying that believers may be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” This filling is part of a spiritual journey that culminates in glorification, when believers will fully share in Christ’s immortal and glorified state.
The relationship between Christ’s fullness of deity and the Spirit’s indwelling in believers is one of both distinction and connection. Christ is the first to embody God’s fullness completely, serving as the head and model for His followers. Believers, through the Spirit, are being transformed into His image, as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” While Christ already possesses this fullness as the glorified Lord, believers are on a path toward this same destiny, sharing in His glory and immortality at the resurrection.
In summary, Christ’s setting aside of divine privileges to become human demonstrates His humility and obedience. His resurrection and glorification mark Him as the first to fully embody God’s fullness in a glorified human form, serving as the prototype for humanity’s ultimate destiny. While believers are not equal to Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables them to reflect God’s nature and grow toward the fullness of deity that Christ exemplifies. This dynamic relationship underscores the unity of God’s purpose, with Christ as the glorified human Lord and believers sharing in His glory through the transformative work of the Spirit. Together, these truths affirm God’s plan for humanity to be reconciled to Him and glorified in His presence.
Stephen D Green and ChatGPT, 2024
