TITLE
AND METAPHORS OF JESUS ANOTHER CHRISTOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
George Eldon Ladd. A
Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1974.
Veli-Matti Karkkainen. Christology: A Global
Introduction-Am Ecumenical, International and Contextual perspective. Grand
Rapids; Baker Academic, 2003.
1. Synoptic representation of Jesus
Son
of Mary: Gal 4:4, John: 2:3. This title is also called as Humanity of Jesus
Christ. It was humiliating title as women were considered as inferior in the
context. This title is affirmation of the womanhood.
Son
of David/ Son of Abraham: This title is emerged in anticipated coming of a new king form
the Davidic line. They were waiting for a king who ruled as David. They were
waiting for a king who liberated from Roman Empire. Jesus’ relationship with
the Israel or a Jews. This title also shows Jesus’ humanity. This title also
establish the Jesus relationship with the Jews. As a Christological title, Son
of David points to Jesus as the royal Messiah in the line of David. Jesus, in
his person and ministry, fulfils the promises of God given to the Davidic
dynasty. However, it is perfectly evident that he refused to be a political
king. He was the Suffering Servant. Son of David as a title for Jesus is used
only eleven times in the New Testament.
Messiah: Messianic
expectation that Jews kept in the first century Palestine context. Messiah
means one who is anointed. Messiah as a divine figure. Messiah as the political
figure. Jesus never allowed messiah publically. But is he allowed that is not
the political Messiah rather it was divine Messiah. The Jews expecting the
political Messiah. This tiles are contextual in nature. The term messiah was
contextual in nature.
At
his trial too Jesus was accused of being a political messiah (Lk. 23:2) by the
Jewish leaders. However, the Roman rulers found it very amusing because he
looked anything but a threat to the Roman rule. They called him “the so-called
Christ” (Mt. 27:17, 22). On the cross, the scribes, and priests mocked him as
the king of Israel (Mk. 15:32). The word Christos was used mostly as a title
not as a proper name. Even the disciples never addressed Jesus as the messiah.
He made no overt
claim to be Messiah, yet he did not reject messiahship when it was attributed
to him; and before the Sanhedrin, when directly accused of claiming
messiahship, he asserted, but gave his own definition to the term. He claimed
himself to be a heavenly Messiah. He is the King of Peace.
Christos
is used 530 times in the New Testament. 383 times it is in Pauline writings.5
Christ is Paul’s favourite title for Jesus and it also points to the fact that
it became in an important vocabulary during the early Christianity. For Paul,
it is both a name and a title: Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, and the Lord – Rom.
9:5. He connects Christ to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus the Christ
(Rom. 6:6-7; 1 Cor. 15; Gal. 3:13).
It
was a political title – a political liberator. Jesus did not identify himself
with the political expectations of his followers. William Wrede, calls
it “messianic secret” because Jesus never allowed his followers to describe him
Messiah. Victorious Messiah was the people’s expectation;
the
crucified Messiah was a stumbling block (1 Cor. 1:23). Jesus is the Messiah but
not in the mode of a political liberator or like the Zealots or other
nationalistic leaders. 1 Pet. 1:11 – connects Christ with suffering. Therefore,
early Christians understood crucifixion as a messianic event.
Why
is this title important?
• To relate Jesus to Israel as the fulfilment of the classic Jewish expectations.
• To show the continuity between Christianity and Judaism.
• For a better Jewish-Christian relation today.
Lord: Septuagint
uses kyrios for God in the Old Testament. It became the early Christian
confession - ‘Jesus is Lord’ (Rom. 10:9). Jewish historian Josephus mentions
that the Jews refused to call the emperor Lord. Paul uses it without any
particular explanation, assuming that his readers are familiar with it. Paul
equates Jesus as the Lord to the Old Testament Yahweh (Rom. 10:13; Joel 2:32).
He uses it in formula form: our Lord (Rom. 1:4), “our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom.
5:1), “the Lord Jesus” (Rom. 14:14). Rom. 14:6 portrays Jesus as the Lord – a designation.
It is a context specific title. Paul uses it in different contexts: to
encourage and admonish believers (Rom. 14:1-12), in eschatological passages (1
Thess. 4:15-17), and in liturgical contexts that highlight the worship life (1
Cor. 11:20).The Hebrew word is Adonai. Yahweh- YHWH which means Lord. This
title show the high degree of identity between and YHWH.
Son
of God: To think the title ‘Son of God’ referring to the
divinity of Jesus the Christ and ‘Son of Man’ to the humanity are exegetically
inaccurate. In the Old Testament it can mean - “belonging to God.” Israel as
the people of God (Exo. 4:22), Davidic dynasty that were to rule (2 Sam. 7:14)
were called son of God. Also in NT, it can also refer to ‘belonging to God’
(Rom.1:4; Rom 8:31). Jesus claimed that he came from above rather than below.
The divinity of Jesus such as miracles, signs, virgin birth connotes this
title. The concept of sonship carries various meanings: commissioning to special work,
obedience, intimate fellowship, knowledge, likeness, receiving of blessing and
gifts. Old Testament doesn’t point to a messianic figure who is accorded with
the title Son of God.
It
is used 124 times in the New Testament, mostly in Pauline literature and
Hebrews. Paul declares that Jesus is “Son of God” on account of his resurrection
(Rom. 1:4). Jesus used it rarely, but the gospel writers argue that he was sure
of his divine sonship and he saw his mission from that perspective (Mat. 11:27;
Mk. 12:6; 13:32; Lk. 10:22). His sonship can be explained in the following
three propositions:
• He claimed personal intimacy with the Father – used abba
(Aramaic ‘daddy’) (Mk. 13:36).
• Obedient to the will of God (Mk. 36).
• Uniqueness of his status. Paul uses two distinct Greek words tekna
– children; huios – Son.
Some
feminist theologians have raised concern about the sexist usage of Son. Son was
a cultural usage of the time. Only a Son could inherit the rights. Therefore,
the exclusive language is retained. From the Christological perspective this
title is an important one for the following reasons:
• It points towards the human-God relationship.
• Filial relationship between the Father and the Son.
The
Human one or Son of Man: because had all human limitation, experiences, normal human role.
fully human being. Theologically Son of Man is a very significant title. Three
important aspects of the title:
1.
Son of Man was Jesus’ favourite way of designating himself. It is the only
title he freely used.
2.
The title is never used by anyone other than Jesus.
3.
There is no evidence in Acts or the epistles that the early church called Jesus
the Son of Man.
Around
65 times the title is found in the gospels. Surprisingly, it never became an
important title for Jesus even though Jesus preferred it. The early church
Fathers referred it to portray the humanity of Jesus. They were not fully
correct in doing so.
2. Logos, New Adam, high Priest after the order of Melchizedek,
Kenotic Christology
Logos: John 1:1. Jesus is address as Logos. This title is comes from the
context of Greek philosophy. According to Greek philosophy logos is the
creating principle. Logos is the creative power through which everything were
created.
New Adam: the new Adam basically refers to action done by Jesus Christ. Old
Adam committed sin and new Adam became sacrifice for the remission of the
entire sin. And establish new order in creation.
High priest after the order of Melchizedek: Hebrew 7,
4:14 following. The Jews, priest is the person who conduct the sacrifices on
behalf of people. became a sacrifice and became priest.
Kenotic
Christology
17the
century a controversy emerged saying: Gospel does not give much reference to
not making full use of all his divine attributes.
1. Omnipresent
2. Omniscient
3. Omnipotent
In
1850s an approach was develop that approach is called as Kenotic approach. This
approach defended the divinity and humanity of by arguing that by maintaining
the divinity attempt to express the humanity on this earth.
Gottfred
Thomasius
“Incarnation
basically involves kenosis, a deliberate setting of all his divine attributes”.
Christ voluntarily abandoned all privilege of divinity. Abandoning all the
privileges does not reduced the divine power of Jesus Christ.
Philippians
2:6-8- in incarnation second person of divinity totally reduced himself the
level of humanity.
Metaphors
of
1. Lamp of God:
this is context in nature. Especially in agrarian society.
2. Shepherded:
Jn 10:11
3. the true
Wine: Jn 15:15
4. Bread of
Life: Jn 6:35
5. Light of the
World: Jh 8:12
Help
us to develop a new title/ new metaphor
1. All the
title or images or metaphor are emerged out of particular context, experiences
and believes.
2. These title
or images or metaphors actually they are the different Christology. In other
word they are the different expression of Jesus Christ.
3. This title
gives space for new title.
4. These title
are in line with the Jesus’s life and ministry.
5. Different
title gives the ideas that no particular title comprehensively express who is.
6. The
contextual title has theological significant.
Michael
Amaladoss- Ancient faces of Jesus- why can’t we support particular image? or
why can’t we go for contextual image?
Every
title may not stick to everyone. Because every image is limited. And every
image is inadequate to explain the reality in full.
There
are two rules of the images given to Jesus
1. Jesus’s
life: every image is rooted in Jesus
2. The culture
and history of Jesus Christ: each title are rooted in the life culture of
disciples.
The
image does not deny the dogma. But complement one another.
Paul
Ricouor: Existing images give birth to new thoughts.
Every
image have surplus meaning. In other word, one image can give full meaning.
That surplus meaning can give us to new other meaning.
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