podcast 346 – Is Jesus still a man? – Part 2

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Does the New Testament teach that when God raised and exalted the Lord Jesus, this changed Jesus from being human to being divine?

There’s at least one passage in Paul’s letters which at first glance sounds like this, and this view is held by some unitarian Christians.

In this episode I answer an email from listener Corey in which he argues that certain texts clearly teach that Jesus is no longer human, but is instead divine.

I discuss the texts he cites, and I again make use of the god-deity distinction discussed last time, and point out a crucial ambiguity in the terms “humanity” and “divinity.” Are these supposed to be essences/natures, or mere statuses/accidental properties? It is going to matter when we ask whether or not Jesus is still human!

Here are some rough definitions of the key terms discussed in this and in the last episode, and some clear implications of these terms, as I discuss them at the end of this episode.

• deity: a very powerful self whose powers exceed those of the natural realm.
• god: a necessarily unique deity who is the ultimate source of everything else there is.

By definition, any god is a deity, but by the definitions at most one deity can be a god.

• Divine status – being an immortal being who enjoys much greater powers than the humans we see around us now.
• Human status – having the sorts of limitations we see in the humans alive now (other than Christ).

Or perhaps one may stipulate that by “divine status” one means instead this:

• Divine status – whatever condition it is which is now enjoyed by the exalted Jesus and which will be enjoyed by resurrected believers in the future.

By the definitions, having human status implies not having divine status, and divine statues implies not having human status. On the first definition of “divine status” above, nowadays both God and Jesus will have it, but on the second definition, the exalted Jesus but not God would enjoy “divine status.”

We must distinguish “divinity” and “humanity” as involving statuses from these important ideas:

• Divine essence – the property or properties in virtue of which their owner is a god.
• Human essence – the property or properties in virtue of which their owner is a human being.

Because these are by definition kind-essences, nothing can gain or lose them without coming into existence or going out of existence. Thus, if Jesus ever had human essence, then he continues to have it now.

And because of the properties involved, in principle nothing could either gain or lose divine essence, nor could a thing have it because of something else. Thus, it can’t be that God has awarded Jesus with divine essence.

Because of the properties involved (see podcasts 343 and 344 or 263 and 264), if anyone has divine essence then it follows that they lack human essence, and if anyone has human essence then they lack divine essence.

Having heard both sides, do you affirm or deny that Jesus is no longer human? Let us know in a comment below.

Links for this episode:

Revised English Version

1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Corinthians 15:44; REV comment on 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:2; Hebrews 1:3; Genesis 1:26-27; John 14:7-10; Galatians 1:1; Galatians 1:11-12; Galatians 1:15-17.

podcast 145 – ‘Tis Mystery All: the Immortal dies!

This week’s thinking music is “lostTrack” by airtone.