Perfection of Christ
Encyclopedia
The perfection of Christ is a principle
in Christology
which asserts that Christ
's human attributes exemplified perfection in every possible sense.
Apostle Paul's perspective on Christ
as the "perfect man" considered him the "second Adam" who brought forth life, while Adam left a legacy of sin, e.g. in and
In the 2nd century, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons based his concept of the perfection of Christ on the Gospel of John
(as well as the other Synoptic Gospels
) rather than on the Pauline Epistles
. For Irenaeus the perfection of Christ originates from his being "The Word", i.e. the Logos which pre-existed as Christ
in perfect form, untouched by sin: because he was the first, he could achieve perfection.
In the 3rd century, Tertullian
emphasized the perfection of Christ as a key consequence of the Incarnation of the Logos in Christ. In Tertullian's view to suggest that anything could be added to improve Christ would be to deny the Gospel
s.
In the Middle Ages
a key focus of Christological studies on the knowledge of Christ
was his perfection as in which states "full of grace and truth". In the 13th century, the perfection of Christ was subject to detailed theological analysis by Saint Thomas Aquinas
in his Summa Theologiae
.
John Calvin
considered the perfection of Christ as a source of grace which covered the blemishes of sin in others.
Principle
A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed...
in Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
which asserts that Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's human attributes exemplified perfection in every possible sense.
Apostle Paul's perspective on Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
as the "perfect man" considered him the "second Adam" who brought forth life, while Adam left a legacy of sin, e.g. in and
In the 2nd century, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons based his concept of the perfection of Christ on the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
(as well as the other Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic Gospels
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in the same sequence, and sometimes exactly the same wording. This degree of parallelism in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence structures can only be...
) rather than on the Pauline Epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
. For Irenaeus the perfection of Christ originates from his being "The Word", i.e. the Logos which pre-existed as Christ
Pre-existence of Christ
The pre-existence of Christ refers to the doctrine of the ontological or personal existence of Christ before his conception. One of the relevant Bible passages is where, in the Trinitarian view, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos or Word...
in perfect form, untouched by sin: because he was the first, he could achieve perfection.
In the 3rd century, Tertullian
Tertullian
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian , was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He is the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature. He also was a notable early Christian apologist and...
emphasized the perfection of Christ as a key consequence of the Incarnation of the Logos in Christ. In Tertullian's view to suggest that anything could be added to improve Christ would be to deny the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
a key focus of Christological studies on the knowledge of Christ
Knowledge of Christ
The knowledge of Christ refers to one of two possible, and at times related, topics in Christology: one addresses how Christians come to know Christ, the other focuses on the knowledge of Christ about the world. Discussions regarding the knowledge of Christ have had a central place in Christology...
was his perfection as in which states "full of grace and truth". In the 13th century, the perfection of Christ was subject to detailed theological analysis by Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
in his Summa Theologiae
Summa Theologica
The Summa Theologiæ is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas , and although unfinished, "one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature." It is intended as a manual for beginners in theology and a compendium of all of the main...
.
John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
considered the perfection of Christ as a source of grace which covered the blemishes of sin in others.
See also
- Active obedience of ChristActive obedience of ChristThe active obedience of Jesus Christ comprises the totality of his actions, which Christians believe was in perfect obedience to the Law of God...
- ChristologyChristologyChristology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
- Knowledge of ChristKnowledge of ChristThe knowledge of Christ refers to one of two possible, and at times related, topics in Christology: one addresses how Christians come to know Christ, the other focuses on the knowledge of Christ about the world. Discussions regarding the knowledge of Christ have had a central place in Christology...
- Person of ChristPerson of ChristIn Christology, the Person of Christ refers to the study of the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ as they co-exist within one person.There are no direct discussion in the New Testament regarding the dual nature of the Person of Christ as both divine and human...