Kenosis False Teaching

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ChristisGod

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The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of kenoó, from which we get the word kenosis.

Kenoticism, also known as kenotic theology or kenotic Christology, is an unbiblical view of Christ’s nature. Kenoticism teaches that the divinity of the Son of God was somehow lost or lessened when the Lord took on human flesh and entered our world.

The word kenoticism comes from the Greek word kenoó, a form of which is translated “emptied” in some translations of Philippians 2:7. Writing about Christ, Paul says, “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied [ekenōsen] Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7, NASB).

Kenotic theology or kenotic Christology, first introduced in the late 1800s by German theologian Gottfried Thomasius (1802—75), is based on the idea that Jesus actually laid aside some of His divinity in order to be more like human beings. Philippians 2:6–7 is used as the proof text for this idea. Jesus “emptied” Himself, according to kenoticism, of His divine attributes.

The biblical truth is that Jesus Christ fully possessed both a divine nature and a human nature, and the two natures co-existed in what is often called the hypostatic union. Kenoticism is an attempt to redefine the nature of Christ. Interestingly, it is only the divine nature of Christ that kenoticism calls into question, not His human nature. Most people can easily accept the reality of Jesus’ humanity. Few would argue with the fact that Jesus was born, lived, and died as a human being. What is harder to accept is that He was born, lived, and died—and rose again—as God incarnate.

If Jesus divested Himself of some of His divine attributes, as some teach, then we have some theological problems. First, emptying Himself of any part of His divinity would render Jesus less than fully divine. If He had temporarily laid aside His omniscience, omnipotence, etc., He would have ceased being the divine Son of God. But God cannot stop being God, even for a moment.

Another significant problem with kenotic Christology involves the eternal destiny of all who follow Christ. No mere human being can fulfill the role of Savior. If Jesus were not the infinite second Person of the triune God, His sacrifice would be insufficient. If Christ were not divine, if He had given up His divinity at any point in time, the efficacy of His sacrifice on the cross would be nullified. To be the Savior, Jesus was at every moment both fully God and fully man.

How, then, do we understand Philippians 2:6–7, which says that the Son of God “emptied” Himself as He took on the form of a servant? In what way did Jesus “empty” Himself? We begin with context. Verses 1—5 describe the attitude believers should adopt, one that “was also in Christ Jesus.” Believers are to exhibit humility and lowliness of mind, having the same self-sacrificial mindset that Jesus had. He didn’t use His equality with God to His own advantage; rather, He took on the form of a servant. Believers are to emulate Christ by becoming humble and obedient. Believers do not put off their human attributes and become something else, any more than Jesus put off His divine attributes. Rather, they look to Jesus as their example and subjugate their impulses and desires for the sake of others.

Christ’s “emptying” of Himself was the laying aside of the privileges of divinity, not divinity itself. In heaven, the Son of God possessed infinite honor and glory and adoration. But He chose to leave that position of honor, and He “made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7). When He came to earth, He veiled His glory and chose to occupy the position of a slave. The kenosis spoken of in Philippians 2:7 was a self-renunciation but not an emptying of deity. Jesus never ceased to be God, and He did not exchange deity for humanity.

What Jesus did was set aside His heavenly glory. And He voluntarily refrained from using His divinity to make His way easier. His miracles were not done to benefit Himself but to help others. During His earthly ministry, Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father (John 5:19). John Walvoord explains it this way: “The act of kenosis . . . may . . . be properly understood to mean that Christ surrendered no attribute of Deity, but that He did voluntarily restrict their independent use in keeping with His purpose of living among men and their limitations” (Jesus Christ Our Lord, p. 144).

At times, Jesus intentionally veiled His attributes that at other times were fully on display. When He healed the sick, walked on water, fed the 5,000, and raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus’ divine nature was fully evident. When He allowed Himself to be hungry, thirsty, beaten, abused, and crucified without retaliating, He was intentionally restricting His divine power. He did not give up His power; rather, He chose to subjugate it for a greater good. But at no time during His life was Christ ever without the fullness of divinity (see Colossians 2:9).

Discussions of kenoticism are complicated by the fact that sometimes the term kenosis is used as a synonym for kenoticism. The Bible teaches the kenosis of Christ, but it does not teach that Jesus gave up any divine attributes. Kenosis must be understood within the larger context of the whole of Scripture. And when teachers speak of kenosis, we must be sure to understand how they are using the term. Kenoticism is a heresy that takes the biblical concept of kenosis too far.got?

hope this helps !!!
 
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CharismaticLady

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The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of kenoó, from which we get the word kenosis.

Notice that Philippians 2:7 does not specify what the Son of God “emptied” Himself of. And here we must be careful not to go beyond what Scripture says. Jesus did not empty Himself of His divine attributes—no such attributes are mentioned in the verse, and it is obvious in the gospels that Jesus possessed the power and wisdom of God. Calming the storm is just one display of Jesus’ divine power (Mark 4:39). In coming to earth, the Son of God did not cease to be God, and He did not become a “lesser god.” Whatever the “emptying” entailed, Jesus remained fully God: “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

It is better to think of Christ’s “emptying” of Himself as a laying aside of the privileges that were His in heaven. Rather than stay on His throne in heaven, Jesus “made himself nothing” (as the NIV translates Philippians 2:7). When He came to earth, “he gave up his divine privileges” (NLT). He veiled His glory, and He chose to occupy the position of a slave.

The kenosis was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity. Nor was it an exchange of deity for humanity. Jesus never ceased to be God during any part of His earthly ministry. He did set aside His heavenly glory. He also voluntarily refrained from using His divinity to make His way easier. During His earthly ministry, Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father (John 5:19).

As part of the kenosis, Jesus sometimes operated within the limitations of humanity. God does not get tired or thirsty, but Jesus did (John 4:6; 19:28). God knows all things, but it seems that, at least once, Jesus voluntarily surrendered the use of His omniscience (Matthew 24:36). Other times, Jesus’ omniscience was on full display (Luke 6:8; John 13:11; 18:4).

There are some false teachers who take the concept of kenosis too far, saying that Jesus gave up all or some of His divine nature when He came to earth. This heresy is sometimes referred to as the kenosis theory, but a better term is kenoticism or kenotic theology, to distinguish it from biblical understanding of the kenosis.

When it comes to the kenosis, we often focus too much on what Jesus gave up. The kenosis also deals with what Christ took on. Jesus added to His divine nature a human nature as He humbled Himself for us. Jesus went from being the glory of glories in heaven to being a human being who was put to death on the cross. Philippians 2:7–8 declares, “Taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” In the ultimate act of humility, the God of the universe became a human being and died for His creation.got?

hope this helps !!!


John 17:5
5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." That is obviously the Omnis, as while on earth Jesus couldn't be everywhere at once.

So you see, that kenosis doctrine is not based on pure fallacy, if at all, I don't know. This verse shows that there must have been a time when God, the Word, emptied Himself, to become flesh; thus, the John 17 verse show what in Philippians 2:7 He emptied Himself of. Glory - God powers - Omnis.
 

ChristisGod

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John 17:5
5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." That is obviously the Omnis, as while on earth Jesus couldn't be everywhere at once.

So you see, that kenosis doctrine is not based on pure fallacy, if at all, I don't know. This verse shows that there must have been a time when God, the Word, emptied Himself, to become flesh; thus, the John 17 verse show what in Philippians 2:7 He emptied Himself of. Glory - God powers - Omnis.
Another blatant misrepresentation of the bible reading your own doctrine into the scriptures. His Glory/Divinity was veiled in His humanity, it was not missing.

He was fully God lacking nothing in His Divinity just as He was fully man lacking nothing in His humanity. Your Christology it flawed and is rejected by Scripture, the Creeds and all the church counsels. It is unorthodox and unbiblical.

Your jesus was not God which is heresy. You cannot say He is fully God and yet lacks anything in His Divinity.

That is what is known as an oxymoron and a contradiction.

hope this helps !!!
 
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ChristisGod

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John 17:5
5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." That is obviously the Omnis, as while on earth Jesus couldn't be everywhere at once.

So you see, that kenosis doctrine is not based on pure fallacy, if at all, I don't know. This verse shows that there must have been a time when God, the Word, emptied Himself, to become flesh; thus, the John 17 verse show what in Philippians 2:7 He emptied Himself of. Glory - God powers - Omnis.
Here lets begin with the syllogisms from the text in Philippians 2.

Just as the term “form of God” in verse six does not mean “less than God” because of the phrase “equality with God" in the prior passage.

It goes to reason in the same way with the 2 phrases in the “form of a servant” and in the “likeness of man” in verse seven do not mean that Jesus was any “less than human,” but instead means He was the same or “equal with all humans.”

That is how the passage reads and how it is to be understood in its " CONTEXT ".

In Colossians 2:9 the Apostle Paul said, For in HIM (CHRIST) ALL of the “ fullness of deity dwells bodily.”Did Paul use the word fullness there to mean partially? NO as Jesus did not empty Himself of His Deity. Jesus Divinity is FULL, complete lacking in nothing. The ENTIRE Fullness of Deity dwells(is present) bodily in Jesus.

Try to engage the text and exegete the passage rather than use eisegesis- reading your own thoughts and ideas into the text.

hope this helps !!!
 
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CharismaticLady

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Another blatant misrepresentation of the bible reading your own doctrine into the scriptures. His Glory/Divinity was veiled in His humanity, it was not missing.

He was fully God lacking nothing in His Divinity just as He was fully man lacking nothing in His humanity. Your Christology it flawed and is rejected by Scripture, the Creeds and all the church counsels. It is unorthodox and unbiblical.

Your jesus was not God which is heresy. You cannot say He is fully God and yet lacks anything in His Divinity.

That is what is known as an oxymoron and a contradiction.

hope this helps !!!

Remember what happened at His baptism in water? Why would the Holy Spirit need to come upon Him to start His ministry if He hadn't emptied Himself. The seed He was conceived with made Him sinless, like He did for us by giving us the seed of the Father 1 John 3:9, but He needed the powers of the Spirit to heal the sick and raise the dead. Another reason we are given a second blessing besides the seed of the Father - for spiritual gifts.
 

ChristisGod

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Remember what happened at His baptism in water? Why would the Holy Spirit need to come upon Him to start His ministry if He hadn't emptied Himself. The seed He was conceived with made Him sinless, like He did for us by giving us the seed of the Father 1 John 3:9, but He needed the powers of the Spirit to heal the sick and raise the dead. Another reason we are given a second blessing besides the seed of the Father - for spiritual gifts.
see my previous post and try to engage the text under discussion.
 

CharismaticLady

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In Colossians 2:9 the Apostle Paul said, For in HIM (CHRIST) ALL of the “ fullness of deity dwells bodily.”Did Paul use the word fullness there to mean partially? NO as Jesus did not empty Himself of His Deity. Jesus Divinity is FULL, complete lacking in nothing. The ENTIRE Fullness of Deity dwells(is present) bodily in Jesus.

Paul was writing this after Jesus had already been glorified. This was after Pentecost. Jesus was already in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father. You're applying this to even when He was a baby. No. The Word of God emptied himself to be a helpless baby.
 

ChristisGod

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Paul was writing this after Jesus had already been glorified. This was after Pentecost. Jesus was already in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father. You're applying this to even when He was a baby. No. The Word of God emptied himself to be a helpless baby.
That is false Paul is writing the same thing in Phil 2 as He is in Col 2. Same time frame. You are making things up to suit your kenosis heresy.

In every instance its speaking of His earthly life as we see below.

Colossians 1:19-20
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
 
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CharismaticLady

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That is false Paul is writing the same thing in Phil 2 as He is in Col 2. Same time frame. You are making things up to suit your kenosis heresy.

In every instance its speaking of His earthly life as we see below.

Colossians 1:19-20
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

I don't know anything about what the kenosis theory is, but obviously whoever saw it and made the doctrine saw it in Scripture. What is truth is truth, and the Spirit will show it to more than one person who is being taught by the Spirit. What one of those people adds to Scripture is up to them, and don't blame me for what someone else did, if they did at all.

You are forgetting the words in Col. 1:20, "through his blood, shed on the cross." Done deal and past tense.
 

ChristisGod

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I don't know anything about what the kenosis theory is, but obviously whoever saw it and made the doctrine saw it in Scripture. What is truth is truth, and the Spirit will show it to more than one person who is being taught by the Spirit. What one of those people adds to Scripture is up to them, and don't blame me for what someone else did, if they did at all.

You are forgetting the words in Col. 1:20, "through his blood, shed on the cross." Done deal and past tense.
another fallacious argument as the JW's reason the same way you do in John 1:1 to deny He is God and make Him a lesser god, a god but not the God as you have done with Philippians 2.

Your reasoning is identical to theirs in denying His Deity.
 

CharismaticLady

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Kenoticism, also known as kenotic theology or kenotic Christology, is an unbiblical view of Christ’s nature. Kenoticism teaches that the divinity of the Son of God was somehow lost or lessened when the Lord took on human flesh and entered our world.

Here again, I stop and address. What is the truth is that Christ was BORN with a divine nature. Why? Because He was conceived with the seed of the Father. That is why He could not sin, and gave us the same power when He makes us born again. 1 John 3:9. So if you are not misreading the doctrine of Kenoticism, it has nothing to do with "nature." If it does, then it is false, though based on a truth - just like Calvinism has become a false doctrine, though based on a speck of truth.

Jesus never had a carnal nature, which is why when we come upon a temptation like He did, it doesn't phase us. We can resist, just like Jesus did. It's easy.
 

CharismaticLady

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another fallacious argument as the JW's reason the same way you do in John 1:1 to deny He is God and make Him a lesser god, a god but not the God as you have done with Philippians 2.

Your reasoning is identical to theirs in denying His Deity.

Nope. Not like JW at all. The Word was always GOD, not a god.
 

ChristisGod

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I don't know anything about what the kenosis theory is, but obviously whoever saw it and made the doctrine saw it in Scripture. What is truth is truth, and the Spirit will show it to more than one person who is being taught by the Spirit. What one of those people adds to Scripture is up to them, and don't blame me for what someone else did, if they did at all.

You are forgetting the words in Col. 1:20, "through his blood, shed on the cross." Done deal and past tense.
You just made my point so THANK YOU.

He shed His blood on the cross when all the Fulness of Deity was in Him bodily as the passage plainly SAYS in Colossians 1:19-20.

Thank you for the concession even though you will now deny it because of your false beliefs concerning Jesus lack of Divine Attributes.

To lack a single attribute by default makes Him not God.

hope this helps !!!
 

ChristisGod

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Nope. Not like JW at all. The Word was always GOD, not a god.
No you teach the opposite since your jesus was not God for 33 years since He lacked most of all the Divine Attributes, Omni's etc..................

Once again your beliefs are contradictory. Out of one side of your mouth you say He was God and the other lacked all the Divine Attributes of God.

You CANNOT have it both ways.

hope this helps !!!
 

ChristisGod

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@Christophany

My dear brother, you keep comparing me with something or someone else, when I am not like anyone I, myself, have ever heard of. :D
I'm comparing your beliefs with the bible. Whether you admit it or not what you believe is the heresy known as kenosis. Just the same as someone who believes God is one person manifest simultaneously as the Father, Son and Spirit makes them oneness. Just the same as a person who believes God is one person not 3 makes them a unitarian by default.

hope this helps !!!
 

CharismaticLady

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You just made my point so THANK YOU.

He shed His blood on the cross when all the Fulness of Deity was in Him bodily as the passage plainly SAYS in Colossians 1:19-20.

Thank you for the concession even though you will now deny it because of your false beliefs concerning Jesus lack of Divine Attributes.

To lack a single attribute by default makes Him not God.

hope this helps !!!

What I find interesting is how you degrade what the new birth is all about. Jesus was the FIRST of many brethren - children of God. We are no longer sinners. Do you believe that?
 

CharismaticLady

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I'm comparing your beliefs with the bible. Whether you admit it or not what you believe is the heresy known as kenosis. Just the same as someone who believes God is one person manifest simultaneously as the Father, Son and Spirit makes them oneness. Just the same as a person who believes God is one person not 3 makes them a unitarian by default.

hope this helps !!!

If kenosis says Jesus was born with a carnal nature, then I am the opposite, but you won't acknowledge that. Open your mind! You only believe what you want to believe, and nothing else, making you very closed minded. Bye for now.
 

ChristisGod

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What I find interesting is how you degrade what the new birth is all about. Jesus was the FIRST of many brethren - children of God. We are no longer sinners. Do you believe that?
the discussion is Jesus Divinity while He walked this earth, I stay on topic- feel free to start a thread on that topic.