Where does the Bible tell
us Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man from the moment of conception
(e.g. how do we know His Divinity wasn't infused later in His life?) and/or
tells us Jesus Christ is One Person with two complete natures, human and Divine
and not some other combination of the two natures (i.e., one or both being less
than complete)?
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made.
The "beginning" is when God created (Gen 1:1), the Word "already
was" with God before then, therefore He cannot be one of the things
created. This is confirmed by verse 3 which says all things were made by
Him....therefore He cannot be one of the things made, He could not make Himself:
The Word of God is YHWH (the eternal Son)
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD (YHWH) God walking in the
garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD(YHWH) God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where
art thou?
KJV Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ... 5 Then
said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man
of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine
eyes have seen the King, the LORD(YHWH) of hosts.
John 12:41 These things said Esaias,
when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
Zechariah 12:10 1And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to
come, the Almighty.
Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last... 16 I Jesus....
In order that finite creatures experience God and have fellowship with Him,
Infinite God must manifest a finite "form" or "similitude"
in their sphere of existence. In heaven, this "form of God" is Jesus.
(A "form" Gr. morphee) is not a body, its an "appearance" that communicates a hidden
reality as in "the golfer showed good form)
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God:
It is by Him one sees the Father, He is God actualized in the matrix of the
creature:
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say
unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father
which is in heaven.
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth
us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have
I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the
Father?
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in
the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
This form or similitude also appeared on earth albeit veiled:
Deuteronomy 4:12 And the LORD spake unto you out of
the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude;
only ye heard a voice.
Exodus 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt
see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that Rock was Christ.
In answer to the rest of your question, note carefully what this text says:
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.
"Made himself of no reputation" is an
"explanation" of kenoo, literally it
is "emptied himself."
Jehovah's Witnesses (among others) believe this means Christ "emptied
himself" of his nature in heaven and then appeared on earth.
The word apart from context, can be understood
thusly. How do we choose the correct sense? By reading the
context.
Observe the one who "emptied himself" is also the one who "took
(lambano) upon him the form of a servant." , from this we deduce two things:
1)It is the same person who does both acts.
2)Lambano denotes an
addition, not a substitution or fusion.
As "emptying himself" of His nature as God is tantamount to saying
Jesus ceased to exist, then KENOO cannot mean He did that as it was the same
Person who "emptied himself" that added to Himself human nature.
Had Jesus ceased to exist, it would have required an act of creation for Him to
reappear and that idea is not found in scripture and directly contradicts
express statements to the contrary:
KJV Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day,
and for ever.
So the KJV rendering "made Himself of no reputation" communicates the
meaning precisely. By adding to Himself human nature,
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of
the only begotten Son of the Father.
So Jesus never ceased to be the Word of God in heaven, even while a man on
earth, hence it is written in the received text:
KJV John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Therefore in the One Person of the Son, are two separate and distinct
natures, divine and human, unconfused.
This proves the conception of Jesus' human nature in Mary's womb is irrelevant
to His divine nature, and not confused with it in any way.
This is confirmed by all the passages declaring Jesus became (human) flesh....a
fusion divine human flesh would not be human:
KJV Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and
bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have
seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of
God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is
it in the world.
So that is how we know the One Person of Jesus is fully God and fully man, two
complete natures united to His Person, simultaneously and separate from each
other, unfused.
(Therefore the Catholic monophysite fusion of natures in the
transubstantiated "substance" of the Eucharist is antichrist, a lying
icon of an inhuman Christ that does not exist.)
And we can know all this for sure within the confines of sola
scriptura.
As a former denier of these truths, but who, because God authenticated His
Word, and because His Holy Spirit opened my mind, now receive this as the
gospel truth.
While we are at it, why not ask how we know Eternal Generation of the Son is
correct? Elementary my dear Watson:
KJV 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name
of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God.
KJV John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
Jesus is the "only begotten Son" of the Father, this can't be a
meaningless title for then the "name of the Son" has no content to
believe in.
Therefore Jesus truly is "begotten" of the Person of the Father.
How do we know this is an "ongoing event", "eternal
generation" and not a past "begetting"?
KJV Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Orthodoxy thrives without Roman Catholic Tradition, I am living proof extra
biblical tradition is unnecessary as I wouldn't have paid that any heed when I
converted from Arianism.
Athanasius also testified scripture has this teaching:
but about the faith they wrote not, `It seemed
good,' but, `Thus believes the Catholic Church;' and thereupon they confessed
how they believed, in order to shew tha their own sentiments were not novel, but Apostolical; and what they wrote down was no discovery
of theirs, but is the same as was taught by the Apostles.-Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia, Part I. History of the Councils,
Athanasius....
Vainly then do they run about with the pretext that they have demanded Councils
for the faith's sake; for divine Scripture is sufficient above all things but
if a Council be needed on the point, there are the proceedings of the Fathers,
for the Nicene Bishops did not neglect this matter, but stated the doctrine so
exactly, that persons reading their words honestly, cannot but be reminded
by them of the religion towards Christ announced in divine Scripture…Councils
of Ariminum and Seleucia, Part I. History of the
Councils, Athanasius.
KJV 1 John 4:9 In this
was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He
that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and
every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
__________________
The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.-kjv