# Christology



## Greg (Dec 18, 2008)

I'm looking for a good book/study on Christology, one that deals with the Lord's two natures as well as His eternal generation. Thanks.


----------



## Guido's Brother (Dec 18, 2008)

Danny Hyde's God With Us is worth a read. 

See my review here.


----------



## Wannabee (Dec 18, 2008)

Amazon.com: The Person of Christ (Contours of Christian Theology): Donald MacLeod: Books

I read it a few years ago, and don't remember much about it's distinctives. It was mandatory reading for seminary.


----------



## Davidius (Dec 18, 2008)

Amazon.com: On The Incarnation: Saint Athanasius: Books


----------



## Greg (Dec 20, 2008)

Thanks Wes, Joe & David.


----------



## lukeh021471 (Dec 21, 2008)

Is Gorden Fee's Pauline Christology any good?


----------



## py3ak (Dec 21, 2008)

Theodoret, _Polymorphus_, is a very engaging read on the two natures.


----------



## VilnaGaon (Dec 22, 2008)

martin chemnitz ---- The two natures in Christ, Not an easy read but very solid. You can get it from Concordia publishing house.


----------



## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Dec 22, 2008)

Jesus, Divine Messiah by Robert Reymond is also worth the read.


----------



## py3ak (Dec 22, 2008)

I was under the impression that Reymond was a bit soft on eternal generation?


----------



## Greg (Dec 22, 2008)

py3ak said:


> I was under the impression that Reymond was a bit soft on eternal generation?



The eternal generation of the Son was actually the main reason why I had posted this. I was reading a short exchange between a Oneness Pentecostal (UPC) and a Trinitarian elsewhere on the web and was wanting to study more in-depth about this.


----------



## Puritan Sailor (Dec 22, 2008)

Wannabee said:


> Amazon.com: The Person of Christ (Contours of Christian Theology): Donald MacLeod: Books
> 
> I read it a few years ago, and don't remember much about it's distinctives. It was mandatory reading for seminary.



MacLeod is great. He also has a book called Jesus is Lord, which is basically volume 2 for The Person of Christ. He also has a good book on the Trinity called Shared Life. 

There is another book in the same Contours series called The Work of Christ by Robert Letham, which is also very good.


----------



## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Dec 23, 2008)

py3ak said:


> I was under the impression that Reymond was a bit soft on eternal generation?



I believe Dr. Reymond asks the same questions about Eternal Generation as Calvin, Warfield, and Murray. As far as eternal sonship, there is no question that he stands with the orthodox position.


----------



## CovenantalBaptist (Dec 23, 2008)

Rev. Todd Ruddell said:


> py3ak said:
> 
> 
> > I was under the impression that Reymond was a bit soft on eternal generation?
> ...



With respect, brother, I disagree. Dr. Reymond does draw on Warfield and Calvin (see below) but he leaves no doubt as to his personal position denying Eternal Generation. He is not "orthodox" on this issue, he is defective.

From His revised Systematic:


> I would suggest that Christians should not believe that the Holy Spirit, through an eternal act of proceeding in the depth of the divine being that is always continuing, is continually proceeding out of the Father and the Son as to his essential being as God, which act thereby “puts the third person in possession of the whole divine essence.”
> [Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, Lectures Delivered at Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. and Knox Theological Seminary, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1998), 340.



Dr. Reymond has written a fine Systematic and it is a constant referent of mine, but, he is *not reliable* when it comes to Trinitarian doctrine and indeed his views have been rejected by at least one presbytery in considering a pastoral candidate who propounded them. I would not recommend him on this issue. 

I think that if you are looking for a better treatment (and in my opinion one of the best books on the Trinity available today - Robert Letham's book "The Holy Trinity" is excellent. 
Amazon.com: The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology And Worship: Robert Letham: Books

Note also that Letham critiques Reymond on Reymond's "shoddy" handling of Calvin's views on the subject. A brief summary of that critique is available on Theopedia here (scroll down).

The relevant bit from Theopedia is here: 


> Robert Letham has critiqued Reymond for his \"shoddy\" handling of Calvin's views.[17] \"Reymond cites one short paragraph from Warfield’s fine article 'Calvin’s Doctrine of the Trinity' to argue that Calvin rejected Nicene trinitarianism (334-35). This article is ninety-five pages long and Warfield repeatedly affirms Calvin’s approval of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan doctrine of the trinity. For instance, 'It will have already become apparent... that in his doctrine of the Trinity Calvin departed in nothing from the doctrine which had been handed down from the orthodox Fathers.’ [Warfield] also underlines Calvin’s 'pervasive' approval of eternal generation and eternal procession (244-45). From this long article Reymond extracts one small paragraph and uses it to counter all Warfield has carefully stated over scores of pages.


----------



## py3ak (Dec 23, 2008)

> is continually proceeding out of the Father and the Son *as to his essential being as God*



I don't have Reymond, or access to most of my library at the moment, but I think the bolded part is the essential qualifier. Have not the orthodox taught that generation and procession are personal rather than essential? 

Turretin makes this point rather lucidly:



> Although the Son is from the Father, nevertheless he may be called God-of-himself (autotheos), not with respect to his person, but essence; not relatively as Son (for thus he is from the Father), but absolutely as God inasmuch as he has the divine essence existing from itself and not divided or produced from another essence (but not as having that essence from himself). So the Son is God from himself although not the Son from himself.



Institutes, I.xxviii.40


----------



## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Dec 23, 2008)

CovenantalBaptist said:


> Rev. Todd Ruddell said:
> 
> 
> > py3ak said:
> ...



Thank you, Pastor Powell, for your brotherly response. I would recommend to all who are interested to read Reymond, Calvin, Murray, and especially the Warfield article. Also, read Letham's critique, and Reymond's reply in his book "Contending for the Faith". Further, read Berkhoff and Shedd on "Eternal Generation". These are not easy issues, to be sure, and I don't want to be trite in any of my responses. I will say however that I have found in reading Reymond a refreshing commitment to the exegesis of Scripture in speaking to these issues, and a reticence on his part to go beyond the teaching of the Bible. As one who has confessed the WCF, WLC, and WSC as the confession of my faith, I can say with a clear conscience that I believe Christ is eternally begotten of the Father, and that the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son, but that in neither of these statements do I deny the Auto-Theotic natures of the second and third Persons of the Trinity, which Aseity, I believe, is an essential attribute of God. 

At any rate, I have observed prior threads on this topic, and have seen how rancorous this topic can be. I have no desire to enter into a protracted debate, nor to stir things up. (Moderators, delete this post if you deem it necessary) especially as I will be out of pocket for a few days, without access to the internet. Thanks again, Pastor Powell for your post. I believe the best way to address this issue is first to read all the pertinent data from the sources above and others, including Letham's fine book. 

Blessings to you all, 

Pastor Ruddell


----------

