The Son of God as a Child

I. Exegesis 2:39-52

II. Errors and Heresies Regarding Christ as the God-man.

1. Gnosticism
   Among many other errors, taught that Christ did not have a real body.
2. Arianism
   Affirm Christ's humanity, but deny his deity.
3. Modalism
   God manifests Himself as Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit, but never at the same time
4. Apollinariansm
   He did not possess true, or complete humanity.
5. Nestorianism
   Two separate persons, the one divine and the other human.
6. Eutychianism (Monophysitism)
   a mixture of the human and the divine.

III. Jesus was a Real Human Being

1. He was Born
   In no way did He become less of God. At the incarnation something was added.

2. He had the appearance of a real man.

3. He had the self-awareness of a real man.

4. He had all the natural characteristics of a man – yet without sin.

IV. Creedal Language on the Two Natures of Christ

The Nicean Creed spoke of Christ's deity.
The Creed of Chalcedon talked about Christ's two natures in one person.

London Baptist Confession of Faith – Chapter 8

V. Why was Christ born of a woman?

1. This was God's eternal plan – from Gen. 3:15 – when it was said that the seed of the woman would break the serpent's head.

2. He couldn't be born of a real man without a woman.

3. He couldn't be conceived by a man and a woman and be the Son of God.

4. Sin came through the woman. Salvation comes through the woman also.