10/15/22

Christology and Communion: It Matters. Part II

In our first installment of this three part series comparing and contrasting Lutheran and Reformed Christologies and how they affect each tradition's doctrine on the Lord's Supper, we laid out a brief sketch of Lutheran Christology, drawing mainly from the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, section VIII, on the person of Christ. In this second installment, we will cover Reformed Christology, drawing from the Westminster Confession of 1646 and the London Baptist Confession of 1689. Since these two great Reformed Confessions agree with each other, we will be able to quote from either and know what both state. We will also draw from John Calvin, Huldrich Zwingli, and other relevant Reformed fathers.

As stated in the first post, we do not agree on everything Christological, but we do agree on large amounts of it. Unfortunately, where we do disagree ends up in doctrines that Lutherans see as vital to our salvation, whereas the Reformed tend to treat them as secondary.

WCF VIII:2 (LBCF VIII:2) 

The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin: being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.

Here we have a very orthodox confession of the Hypostatic Union and the Person of Christ. Westminster and London are equivalent here. Westminster continues,

WCF VIII:3-4

The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure; having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a mediator and surety. Which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by his Father, who put all power and judgment into his hand, and gave him commandment to execute the same.

This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which, that he might discharge, he was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it; endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body; was crucified, and died; was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day he arose from the dead, with the same body in which he suffered; with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father, making intercession; and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.

And finally,

WCF VIII:7

Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes, in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.

Here is our largest area of difference, but it needs to be seen via the lens of the Lord's Supper to see why.

In essence, this is where the Reformed and the Lutherans part on Christology. For the Reformed, attributing the communication of the attributes here only applies within the local circumscribed body of Christ, which has ascended to heaven. However, this leads to many Reformed theologians claiming that Christ's divinity is omnipresent apart from his humanity. While it is true that his divinity is what makes it possible for Christ to be omnipresent, the Lutheran thinker immediately sees an issue here - that is, we see a splitting of the one person of Christ. For where his divinity is, there is the whole Christ. This is what Lutherans termed the extra calvinisticum, the Calvinist beyond, so to speak. It is at this point that the Reformed reject the genus maiestaticum and the Lutherans reject the extra calvinisticum.

We agree on many points of Christology. We disagree on one key point and it relates directly to our doctrines of the Lord's Supper. The final post in this three part series will cover that.

+Pax+

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