The Impeccability of Christ

I believe that Christ could not have sinned. He could be tempted, and was, according to his human nature (taking on of flesh) but could not sin according to His eternal Divine nature.

 

IMHO that makes no sense.
He could not be tempted unless he could have sinned.
He could not have been tempted as we who can sin
unless He also could sin. It is the simple explanation
of this verse:

Heb 4:15 (KJV1611 Edition):
For wee haue not an high Priest which cannot bee touched
with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sinne.


I am tempted to sin cause I can sin.
If Jesus was 'in all points tempted like as we are' that
just couldn't have happened unless He was capable
of sin. Capable of sin, tempted, but never gave into
the temptation which He could have given into.

 

Since your reply is a reasoning from the text, I will reply with reason. Can God sin?

 

This is at the heart of the matter. A great question. :thumbs:

 

This question was flawed from the outset to force a denial of one aspect of the person of Christ.

To say that Christ could have sinned denies His Divinity
To say that Christ could not have sinned denies His humanity.

We can’t deny either.

I believe the correct answer is both that He could have sinned because of His humanity, AND He could not have sinned because of His Divinity.

This is another mystery of God, and any difficulties with trying to fully comprehend that are because we are finite beings trying to understand the infinite.


BGTF

 

Otherwise known as a contradiction.

 

If you exchanged your 'could's' and 'would's', I might agree with you

Late edit:
I believe the words make a big difference in this matter.

To say that He would not because He could not, implies passivity in the defeat of sin.
To say that He could not because He would not, implies power in the defeat of sin.

I prefer the latter.



BGTF

 

You can not be tempted to do something - that you can not do.

A good example of this - you and I are never "tempted" to turn stone into bread. Christ COULD turn stone into bread since he was/is God so he COULD be tempted in that way when in a starving moment (hint 40 days without food or water).

On the Cross Christ said "I thirst" -- I believe he was really thirsty on the cross and was really hungry in Matt 4.

God does not get thirsty or hungry -- but MAN does. Christ emptied himself to be found in the form of man -- he was thirsty... he was hungry... he was tempted yet did not fall into sin.

in Christ,

Bob

 

I don't think you are quoting the text right when you paraphrase it as "he was foreordained to be sinless" as if he had no other choice.

EVEN in the area of being the lamb of God "Father you can do all things.. if it be possible let this cup pass from me -- nevertheless NOT MY WILL but THY will be done".

We see in Christ's prayer that HE was looking for a way out of the "Lamb of God" role when it came down to the end.

We don't see anything along the lines "Father I really don't want to do this but I am being forced step by step by the force of your will so I have no choice".

in Christ,

Bob

 

BTW of what benefit is this topic? I say it is of great benefit because in the case of accepting the idea that TO BE TEMTPED to do something it has to be something you could actually try to do... we have Christ "tempted in all points as we are yet without sin" and in that way he becomes our (1John 2) example no just our Lord and Savior.

in Christ,

Bob

 

To me the reasoning seems rather empty. It pretends to acknowledge the humanity of Christ while denying it, then seems to acknowledge His divinity. I acknowledge both. According to His humanity He could be tempted, but according to His Divinity He could not sin. He never ceased to be God. And we cannot, and should not, separate the essenses. Pastor's Bob point is strong. Christ was foreordained to be the spotless Lamb of God. It was impossible for Him to fail His mission.

 

Simple question - Christ said "I thirst".

Did He?

Does God get thirsty??

The point remains.

in Christ,

Bob

 

Amen, Brother BobRyan -- Preach it! :thumbs:

 

This one bothered me for a while, if Christ is God how could He be tempted! For God cannot be tempted.

Answer is rather simple, as a human He exposed Himself to temptation as we all are in this world dominated by the devil.

Yet His Divine nature would not have contemplated the temptaion for a moment. Unlike us, with the fallen nature.

Neat heh!

Inpeccability is a new word and does not come near SINLESSNESS.

 

Here's a fine article on the issue by NT scholar of DTS, Danile B. Wallace:

http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1488

 

Excellent article.

 

1. I thought so too the first time I read it about three years ago. Jesus was incapable of sinning.

2, But he did caution of the difficulities of the text.