The Dual Nature of Christ

From the Bible we see that Jesus Christ had two distinct natures in a way that no other human being has ever had. One nature is human or fleshly; the other nature is divine or Spirit. Jesus was both fully man and fully God. The name Jesus refers to the eternal Spirit of God (the Father) dwelling in the flesh. We can use the name Jesus to describe either one of His two natures or both. For example, when we say Jesus died on the cross, we mean His flesh died on the cross. When we say Jesus lives in our hearts, we mean His Spirit is there.

Below is a comparative list that will illustrate what we mean when we say Jesus had two natures or a dual nature.

Table 8: The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ
	As a man, Jesus		But as God, He:
1	Was born a baby	Luke 2:7	Existed from eternity	Micah 5:2; John 1:1-2
2	Grew mentally, physically, spiritually, socially	Luke 2:52	Never changes	Hebrews 13:8
3	Was tempted by the devil	Luke 4:2	Cast out devils	Matthew 12:28
4	Hungered	Matthew 4:2	Was the Bread of Life and miraculously fed multitudes	John 6:35; Mark 6:38-44, 52
5	Thirsted	John 19:28	Gave living water	John 4:14
6	Grew weary	John 4:6	Gave rest	Matthew 11:28
7	Slept in a storm	Mark 4:38	Calmed the storm	Mark 4:39-41
8	Prayed	Luke 22:41	Answered prayer	John 14:14
9	Was scourged and beaten	John 19:1-3	Healed the sick	Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24
10	Died	Mark 15:37	Raised His own body from the dead	John 2:19-21; 20:9
11	Was a sacrifice for sin	Hebrews 10:10-12	Forgave sin	Mark 2:5-7
12	Did not know all things	Mark 13:32	Knew all things	John 21:17
13	Had no power	John 5:30	Had all power	Matthew 28:18; Colossians 2:10
14	Was inferior to God	John 14:28	Was equal to God - was God	John 5:18
15	Was a servant	Philippians 2:7-8	Was King of kings	Revelation 19:16

We can resolve most questions about the Godhead if we properly understand the dual nature of Jesus. When we read a statement about Jesus we must determine if it describes Jesus as a man or as God. Moreover, whenever Jesus speaks in Scripture we must determine whether He is speaking as man or as God. Whenever we see a description of two natures with respect to Jesus, we should not think of two persons in the Godhead or of two Gods, but we should think of Spirit and flesh.

Sometimes it is easy to get confused when the Bible describes Jesus in these two different roles, especially when it describes Him acting in both roles in the same story. For example, He could sleep one minute and calm the storm the next minute. He could speak as man one moment and then as God the next moment. However, we must always remember that Jesus is fully God and not merely an anointed man. At the same time, He was fully man, not just an appearance of man. He had a dual nature unlike anything we have, and we cannot adequately compare our existence or experience to His. What would seem strange or impossible if applied to a mere human becomes understandable when viewed in the context of One who is both fully God and fully man at the same time.

Historical Doctrines of Christ

The dual nature of Christ has been viewed in many different ways throughout church history. We will discuss these various views in a brief and general way. For the sake of reference and further study, we have included in parentheses various historical names associated with these beliefs. For more on these terms and doctrines, see any good work on the history of dogma, especially the history of trinitarianism and Christology.

Some believe that Jesus was only a man who was greatly anointed and used by the Spirit (Ebionitism; see also Unitarianism). This erroneous view completely ignores His Spirit nature. Others have said that Jesus was a spirit being only (Docetism - a doctrine in Gnosticism). This view ignores His human nature. John wrote that those who deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh are not of God but have an antichrist spirit (I John 4:2-3).

Even among those who believe in the dual nature of Jesus Christ, there are many erroneous beliefs. Some have tried to distinguish between Jesus and Christ, saying that Christ was a divine being who temporarily dwelt in Jesus beginning at his baptism, but withdrew from the man Jesus just before death (Cerinthianism - a doctrine in Gnosticism). In a similar vein, some say Jesus was a man who became God only at some point in His adult life - such as at His baptism - as a result of an adoptive act by God (Dynamic Monarchianism, Adoptionism). In other words, this view contends that Jesus was a human who was eventually deified. Others regard Jesus as a created deity, a deity like the Father but inferior to the Father in deity, or a demigod (Arianism). Then, some believe that Jesus is of the same essence as the Father, yet not the Father but subordinate to the Father in deity (Subordinationism).

We refuted these false theories in Chapter 4 - JESUS IS GOD by referring to the Scriptures. There we noted that Jesus is fully God (as demonstrated by Colossians 2:9) and that Jesus was fully God from the beginning of His human existence (as demonstrated by the Virgin Birth and Luke 1:35).

The Spirit inspired John and Paul to refute many of these erroneous doctrines, particularly the Gnostic beliefs that Christ was a spirit-being only and that Christ was a being inferior to the Supreme God, Among other things, Gnostics believed that all matter was evil. Therefore, they reasoned, Christ as a divine spirit could not have had a real human body. Since they held that the Supreme God was so transcendent and holy that He could not make direct contact with the evil world of matter, they taught that from God came a series of emanations one of whom was the Spirit-being Christ, who came to this world. Of course, the Book of Colossians refutes these doctrines and establishes that Jesus is the Almighty God in the flesh.

While the Bible is clear in emphasizing both the full deity and full humanity of Jesus, it does not describe in detail how these two natures are united in the one person of Jesus Christ. This, too, has been the subject of much speculation and debate. Perhaps there is room for divergent views on this issue since the Bible does not treat it directly. Indeed, if there is to be any mystery about the Godhead, it will be in determining precisely how God manifested Himself in flesh. (See I Timothy 3:16.) The study of the nature or natures of Christ is called Christology.

One way to explain the human and divine in Christ is to say He was God living in a human house. In other words, He had two distinct natures unified not in substance but only in purpose, action and appearance (Nestorianism). This view implies that Christ is divided into two persons, and that the human person could have existed in the absence of the divine. The Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. condemned Nestorius' view as heresy. [14]

Many theologians, however, including Martin Luther have thought that Nestorius, the chief exponent of this doctrine, did not really believe in such a drastic separation but that opponents distorted and misrepresented his views. Apparently, he denied that he divided Christ into two persons. The main concern Nestorius expressed was this: he wanted to so differentiate between the two natures of Christ that no one could call Mary the mother of God, which was a popular practice in his day.

Another Christological view holds that the human and divine aspects of Christ were so intermingled that there was really only one dominant nature, and it was divine (Monophysitism). A similar belief is that Jesus did not have two wills, but only a divine-human will (Monothelitism). Others believe that Jesus had an incomplete human nature (Apollinarianism); that is, Jesus had a human body and soul but instead of a human spirit He had only the Spirit of God dwelling in Him. Other ways to state this belief are that Jesus was a human body animated solely by the Spirit of God, or that Jesus did not have a human mind but only the divine mind (the Logos).

On the one hand we have a view that emphasizes the separation between the two natures of Christ. On the other hand, we have several views that describe one totally dominant, divine nature, a totally unified nature, or an incomplete human nature.

Jesus Had a Complete, But Sinless, Human Nature

The truth may lie somewhere in between these historical views expressed by various theologians. That Jesus had a complete human nature and complete divine nature at the same time is the teaching of Scripture, but we cannot separate these two natures in His earthly life. It is apparent that Jesus had a human will, mind, spirit, soul, and body, but it is equally apparent that He had the fulness of the Godhead resident in that body. From our finite view, His human spirit and His divine Spirit were inseparable.

The divine Spirit could be separated from the human body by death, but His humanity was more than a human body - the shell of a human - with God inside. He was human in body, soul, and spirit with the fulness of the Spirit of God dwelling in that body, soul, and spirit. Jesus differed from an ordinary human (who can be filled with the Spirit of God) in that He had all of God's nature within Him. He possessed the unlimited power, authority and character of God. Furthermore, in contrast to a born-again, Spirit-filled human, the Spirit of God was inextricably and inseparably joined with the humanity of Jesus. Without the Spirit of God there would have been only a lifeless human that would not have been Jesus Christ. Only in these terms can we describe and distinguish the two natures in Jesus; we know that He acted and spoke from one role or the other, but we also know that the two natures were not actually separated in Him. With our finite minds, we can make only a distinction and not a separation in the two natures that blended perfectly in Him.

Although Jesus had a complete human nature, He did not have the sinful nature of fallen humanity. If He would have had a sinful nature, He would have sinned. However, we know He neither had a sinful nature nor did He commit sinful acts. He was without sin, He did not sin, and sin was not in Him (Hebrews 4:15; I Peter 2:22; I John 3:5). Since He did not have a human father, He did not inherit a sinful nature from fallen Adam. Instead, He came as the second Adam, with an innocent nature like Adam had in the beginning (Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians 15:45-49). Jesus had a complete, but sinless, human nature.

The Bible does indicate that Jesus had a human will as well as the divine will. He prayed to the Father, saying, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). John 6:38 shows the existence of two wills: He came not to do His own will (human will), but to do the Father's will (the divine will).

That Jesus had a human spirit seems evident when He spoke on the cross, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). Although it is difficult to distinguish between the divine and human natures of His spirit, some references seemingly focus upon the human aspect. For example, "he sighed deeply in his spirit" (Mark 8:12), "waxed strong in spirit" (Luke 2:40), "rejoiced in spirit" (Luke 10:21), "groaned in the spirit" (John 11:33), and "was troubled in spirit" (John 13:21).

Jesus had a soul, for He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38; see Mark 14:34) and "Now is my soul troubled" (John 12:27). Upon His death, His soul visited hell (Greek hades - the grave or the underworld of departed souls), just as all souls did before Calvary (Acts 2:27) The difference was that the Spirit of God in Jesus would not let His soul stay in hell (Acts 2:27, 31); instead He conquered hell (again, hades) and death (Revelation 1:18).

The soul of Jesus had to be inseparably bound to the divine Spirit of Jesus. Otherwise, Jesus would have lived as a man, even with the eternal Spirit taken away from Him. This did not and could not have happened, since Jesus is God made known in the flesh. We know that Jesus as God never changes (Hebrews 13:8).

If we do not accept the fact that Jesus was fully human, then the scriptural references to His temptations lose meaning (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:16-18; 4:14-16). So does the description of His struggle and agony in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-44). Two passages in Hebrews point out that since Jesus was tempted as we are, He qualifies as our High Priest, understands us perfectly, and helps us in our infirmities: "In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren" (Hebrews 2:17); "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Hebrews 5:7-8 says, "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." These verses do not present a picture of someone unaffected by the emotions of fears and doubts. Rather, they describe someone who possessed these human weaknesses; He had to subdue the human will and submit to the eternal Spirit.

The humanity of Christ prayed, cried, learned obedience, and suffered. The divine nature was in control and God was faithful to His own plan, but the human nature had to obtain help from the Spirit and, had to learn obedience to the divine plan. Surely all these verses of Scripture show that Jesus was fully human - that He had every attribute of humanity except the sinful nature inherited from the Fall. If we deny the humanity of Jesus, we encounter a problem with the concept of redemption and atonement. Not being fully human, could His sacrifice be sufficient to redeem mankind? Could he really be a true substitute for us in death? Could He truly qualify as our kinsman redeemer?

Could Jesus Sin?

The assertion that Jesus was perfect in humanity leads to a question: Could Jesus sin? This is really a misleading and abstract question, since we know Jesus did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). The answer is more academic than practical, more speculative than bearing any real substance. In His humanity, Jesus was tempted by Satan, and He struggled with His will in Gethsemane. Although He did not have our depraved natures - He had the same innocent, sinless nature as Adam had originally - He had the same ability to go against God's will, as did Adam and Eve.

Certainly the divine part of Jesus could not sin and could not even be tempted to sin (James 1:13). The human part of Jesus, when viewed alone, theoretically had the capacity to sin. But this is only theoretical, and not actual. Viewed alone, it seems that the humanity of Christ had the capacity to choose sin. However, His human nature always willingly submitted to the divine nature, which could not sin. So, as a practical matter, Jesus Christ - viewed as the combination of humanity and divinity that He was - could not sin. The Spirit was always in control and Spirit-controlled humanity does not commit sin. (See I John 3:9 for an analogy.)

What if the humanity of Jesus had rebelled against the divine leadership? This is another totally theoretical question because it did not happen and as a practical matter it could not happen. This question does not take into account the foreknowledge and the power of God. Yet if one insists on an answer, we would say that if the humanity of Jesus had tried to sin (a foolish assumption), the divine Spirit of Jesus would have immediately separated Himself from the human body, leaving it lifeless. This lifeless body would not be Jesus Christ, so technically Christ could not have sinned, although the plan of God would have been thwarted temporarily.

Since Jesus as God could not sin, does this mean the temptations were meaningless? No. Since Jesus was also fully human He really was able to feel the struggle and pull of temptation. He overcame temptation, not as God in Himself, but as a human with all the power of God available to Him. He now knows exactly by experience how we feel when we are tempted. Of course, He knew He would be victorious through the Spirit, but we can have the same assurance, power, and victory by relying on the same Spirit that was in Christ.

So, why did Satan tempt Jesus? Apparently, he did not know Jesus inevitably would be victorious and he did not understand at that time the full mystery of God in flesh. If he had, he never would have instigated the crucifixion. Perhaps he thought he had defeated God's plan by the crucifixion, but instead he just fulfilled it. It is also probable that the Spirit of God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus so that Jesus could feel temptation as we do. We are told that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1).

For those who think our position somehow detracts from the reality of Christ's temptations, consider this. We know Jesus did not have a sinful nature. We know He did not have the inclination and compulsion to sin that we have because of our fallen nature. Yet, this does not detract from the reality of what He experienced. He still felt the very struggle that we feel. Likewise, the fact that as God Jesus could not sin does not detract from the reality of His temptations. He still felt the same struggles and trials that we feel. On the other hand, if we say Jesus could sin we detract from His absolute deity, for we are indicating that somehow God can exist apart from Jesus and vice versa.

We conclude that the human nature of Jesus could be and was tempted. Since the divine nature was in control, however, Jesus could not and did not sin. If Jesus had an incomplete human nature, the reality and meaning of the temptations and the struggle in Gethsemane would be lessened. We believe He did have a complete human nature. He experienced exactly how man feels when he is tempted and when he struggles. The fact that Jesus knew He would overcome through the Spirit does not detract from the reality of the temptations.

The whole question of whether Jesus could sin is abstract, as we have already observed. Suffice it to say that Jesus' human nature was like ours in all points except in the matter of original sin. He was tempted in all things, as we are, and yet the Spirit of God was always in control. The most relevant fact for us is that He was tempted, yet He did not sin.