Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
The purpose of the cross was not to make Christs flesh God. It was already God since birth.
If Jesus is God then His whole person is God. We cant say this part of him is god and another part is not. We cant say only part of Jesus died on the cross.
This is why Luther and others say God died.
Furthermore, according to early church fathers, not only was Christ's flesh God, but our flesh becomes God as well:
He took our flesh and our flesh became God, since it is united with God and forms a single entity with him. For the higher perfection dominated, resulting in my becoming God as fully as he became man. ~ Gregory of Nazianzus
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Hebrews says that He is the firstborn among many brothers. This is presented as a very clear goal of the cross. Gospel record also presents Jesus being resurrected and breathing into the disciples and saying "receive ye the Spirit", once again this is presented as a key goal of the crucifixion. Jesus now calls them brothers, not just friends. How can sinful man be made into brothers of the Son of God?
1. According to the NT Jesus is the "first". How could He be the first of many if his body was unique and different from ours? If that were the truth He could not be the first of many, but rather unique without any brothers.
The NT describes Jesus as "our forerunner" -- how could He be based on your teaching. If His body was "God" then He could not sympathize with us because it would not be true that He had been made in all things like us, only without sin.