Responding to Gavin Ortlund: Lutheran vs Reformed Christology.


 



Here I will outline 4 points of considerations in the Christology debate.

Firstly: In the transfiguration it seems to me that Christ's divine nature permeates through his human nature, I believe this is the reading of the fathers. Christ's human body is transfigured before the the 3 disciples which seems to be in some sense communicating the glory of the divine nature but not other attributes like omni-presence. So it does not seem implausible to me that Christ in his person can communicate the attribute of omni-presence to his human nature to make his flesh appear spiritually on altars for only the occasion of the Lord's Supper. Saying that how can a human body be omni-present is like saying how can a human body be transfigured. They can't, it is a communication of a divine attribute for a specific purpose Secondly, Lutherans don't say that Christ's divine nature is completely locally confined in his earthly human body and ceases to rule the world and be omnipresent. Both the Lutheran and Reformed we are both in continuity with the fathers on this point. Thirdly, 2 Peter 1:4 says we become "Partakers of the divine nature", now whatever that means If we can in some sense partake of the divine nature for our sanctification, I do not think it is far fetched to believe that Christ our omnipotent God is unable for a time to communicate an attribute to his human nature and allow his human nature to partake of the divine nature in a more substantial way. Fourth, we see Christ say before his accession " behold i will be with you even to the end of the age" and also: "where 2 or three are gathered in my name i will be there". We know Christ is omni-present so certainly he can't mean it simply referring to his presence in the middle of amazon rain forest but rather there is a more substantial sense that he will be present where 2 or 3 are gathered. Lastly I do believe that the Reformed have a difficulty pointing at the bread in the Lord Supper and saying that, that bread is truly Christ's body they have to ascend to the heavens to eat it. But Christ had no problem holding that same bread and "saying this is my body".

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