John of Antioch was the Patriarch of Antioch. He led a group of moderate Eastern bishops during the Nestorian Controversy. He gave active support to his friend Nestorius in the latter’s dispute with Cyril of Alexandria. In the opening meeting of Council of Ephesus, John arrived late in the Council. Cyril started the meeting without John, and he and Nestorius were condemned in his absence. However, they were reconciled with Cyril based on the Formula of Reunion. This moves Cyril closer to the ultimate solution on the work and person of Jesus Christ as One person, two nature.
Tag Archives: Christology
Biblical Nuggets: Apollinaris on the Person of Christ
Apollinaris on the Person of Christ
Apollinaris is a bishop of Laodicea in Syria. He is noted opponent of Arianism. He believes that Jesus had a human body and human soul, but he had the Divine Logos in place of a human spirit. This view appealed to the trichotomy and switched human spirit of Jesus with the Divine Logos. In other words, Apollinaris is trying to conceptualize human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. He taught that Jesus has human soul and human body but his spirit is placed by Divine spirit or Logos. Continue reading Biblical Nuggets: Apollinaris on the Person of Christ
Scripture Reading: John 1:14-18
ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:14-18 [SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)]
14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·
And the Word became flesh and he encamped among us, and we beheld {the} His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth;
15 (Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων· [Οὗτος ἦν [a]ὃν εἶπον·] Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν·)
(John testifies concerning Him and has cried out, saying, [“This One was {of} whom I said;] the One coming after me has become before me, for He was before me.)
16 [b]ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος·
And out of his fullness we all received, also grace upon grace;
17 ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.
for the law was given through Moses, the grace and the truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· [c]μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son/God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father, he declared {him}.
Footnotes:
- ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:15 ὃν εἶπον Treg NIV RP ] ὁ εἰπών WH
- ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:16 ὅτι WH Treg NIV ] Καὶ RP
- ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:18 μονογενὴς θεὸς WH Treg NIV ] ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός RP
Note: SBL Greek New Testament Texts are taken from biblegateway.com.
Fore More Readings:
Biblical Nuggets: Mary as “Theotokos”
Mary as theotokos (Θεοτοκος), meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God”
Theotokos, obviously the title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic Churches, and Oriental Orthodox. It literally means the one who bears God or Mary as the God-bearer or Mother of God. This view denies the humanity of Jesus Christ. The problem to his view is Jesus is not fully God at any time. Word does not become flesh.
Christians understand God as the origin of everything. He has no beginning; therefore, he has no mother, so to speak theologically. Christians believe that God the Son (Jesus) is begotten of the Father from all the eternity, as Nicene Creed clearly states. He is just born “in time” as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity of Mary.
CAFNepal 