Blog 2023/09/27

Blog 2023/09/27 [∞]

Theotokos [∞]

Theotokos is a title used for Mary, mother of Jesus, used particularly in Eastern Christianity since the 3rd Century, though many on social media claim it was used from the beginning.

The claim comes from the belief that all things Catholic came from the beginning and were preserved by tradition. It is difficult to picture the fisherman Peter wearing the Phonician fish hat and being carried about on a litter.

The reasoning for the title for Mary is that she is the mother of Jesus; Jesus is God, so Mary is the mother of God. They also use Eve as a type of Mary, who was called 'mother of all living'.

The doctrine is inescapably chained to the Catholic doctrines of the hypostatic union, immaculate conception, and the kenosis. While many Evangelicals appeal to church fathers as support when it suits them for their flavor of Christianity, I do not. They were Nicloatains who lost their first love and adopted the doctrines of Balaam and the Judaisers.

Jesus is the incarnation, the physical body, taken by the creator. The Hebrew letters 'kof' כ and 'nun' give more details than are generally included in the debates. The kof says that he was fully God and fully man BY NATURE. The nun says that he was partially God and partially man BY CHOICE.

The doctrine of hypostatic union asserts that Jesus is both God and man. If left there, it is a perfectly fine definition. But the Greeks always have to expand upon things. In practice it means that Jesus was fully aware of his deity, even as a child. This is where, in practice, they invent myths of Jesus as a baby flying and changing his toy birds into living birds.

Evangelicals usually reject the myths, however some keep the myth that the baby was fully aware of his deity. More keep the myth that he used his divinity, particularly his omniscience, from time to time. Most attribute the miracles to his own divinity. This is all mythology.

Those who lean the other way, suggesting that Jesus was solely a man, are not considered Christian, having crossed a line of orthodoxy.

The issue is resolved by the 'mystery hidden from the beginning'; by the hidden layer of scripture. We have more information than has been used in the debates.

The claim of Ph 2:7 is that he 'emptied himself'. We know that he was before the beginning, he was God with God. John 1:1. We know he was born of Mary.

The sin of both Adam and Eve was to make themselves equal to God by declaring good and evil for themselves. They 'grasped at' divinity. The Word 'in the form of God' was allowed to declare good and evil for himself, but chose instead to obey the will of the Father. Though he was equal to God (the kof כ) he emptied himself and took the form of man. (the nun נ).

What is the form? It is the external appearance. As the Word, he was invisible and everywhere present. As the Son, he chose to be in one place at a time and visible in the flesh. This is a choice. When you choose to close your eyes, you do not become blind. He chose to limit himself as a man.

Why did he do this? Knowing that he would be our high priest, he chose to know our temptation. He was tempted in every way that we are. Since he chose to be born and from the beginning, not use his omniscience, he only knew what a baby would know. To those who believe in mythology, the baby Jesus was perfect. He never cried. He never made demands. He probably pooped gold.

He was like any other child, but without sin. How could this be? Other babies demand attention as though they are gods. They are the center of their universe. Jesus was the same way, but because he was God, there was no sin. He rightfully could demand attention. The rest of us are born in sin. He was not.

He had to learn who he was and what he was to do. By the time he was twelve, he knew that he was the Son of God and must be about his Father's business. The prophecy of this is in Ge 14. It speaks of his coming of age when he realized he was flesh and spirit. He was not using his omniscience.

The prophecy of 2Ki 21 picks up and tells us that when he returned to Jerusalem, he knew he was God.

Before he returned to Jerusalem is the account of the wedding at Cana. Prior to the account he was not ready. After the account, he returned to Jerusalem and cleaned temple knowing he owned it. He knew he was God.

At the wedding of Cana he saw in the circumstances a picture he had seen in scripture. It was the marriage of the lamb, and the rules had no grace. Realizing he was God, he could judge the world, or he could provide grace. He chose to save Israel. As Elisha had removed the ax from the stream, Jesus removed judgement from his own heart. He is the Word represented by water. He was now ready to begin his ministry.