Monday, May 4, 2009

They bunglingly stir up contention

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin
Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 13 - 
Christ Assumed the True Substance of Human Flesh
Section 1 - Proof of Christ's true manhood
The Marcionites thought Jesus only appeared to have a body.
The Manichees thought His flesh was heavenly.
But... Gen 12:3; 17:2, 7; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; Ps 45:6; 132:11; Matt 1:1; Rom 1:3; 9:5; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:11-17; 4:15; Rom 8:3.

Section 2 - Against the opponents of Christ's true manhood
Marcion thinks Phil 2:7-8 means that Jesus put on a ghost of a body.
But Paul wasn't describing Christ's physical body, but His character.
1 Pet 3:18; 2 Cor 13:4
A heavenly body - 1 Cor 15:47 - doesn't mean unearthly;
1 Cor 15:12-20 make no sense, then.
"Son of Man" doesn't just mean FOR men. Ps 8:4; Heb 2:6, 14, 11.
"Firstborn" doesn't mean chronological birth, but in honor - Rom 8:29.
Gen 3:15 should end all debate - Christ had to be seed of the woman.
The pattern for refuting heresy is to compare the Scripture they are distorting with other Scripture, or the context.

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