2.10 Differing understandings of Incarnation:

1. What is a Heresy?

• Heresy refers to beliefs that go against the teachings of the Church.

• In the context of the incarnation, heresies deny that Jesus is both fully human and fully God.

2. Jesus as Fully Human and Fully God:

• The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

  • Too much focus on Jesus as human can lead to the belief that he wasn’t really God but just a good person.

  • Too much focus on Jesus as divine can lead to the belief that he only appeared to be human, like God in disguise.

3. Key Church Documents:

• Two important documents, Dei Verbum 4 and Verbum Domini 12, help to balance the understanding of Jesus as both fully human and fully God.

4. Dei Verbum 4:

• Key Idea: Jesus, the Word made flesh, was sent by God to reveal His inner nature and bring salvation to all.

  • Quote 1: "He sent His Son... so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God."

    • Explain: This shows that Jesus was sent to reveal God's nature to humanity. By becoming human, Jesus made God’s divine essence understandable to people.

    • Summary: Jesus, as the Word made flesh, allowed people to know God more intimately by living among them.

  • Quote 2: "Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as a man to men."

    • Explain: This emphasises that Jesus, although divine, took on human form to live among people and demonstrate God’s will in human life.

    • Summary: Jesus’ humanity makes him relatable, but his divinity connects people directly to God.

5. Verbum Domini 12:

• Key Idea: The Son of God limited himself to human form so that people could understand God.

  • Quote 1: "The eternal Word became small – small enough to fit into a manger."

    • Explain: This shows the humility of Jesus, who, though divine, limited himself to a vulnerable human form, even as a baby, so that people could understand God.

    • Summary: Jesus’ incarnation was an act of humility, making God accessible to all, even in the simplest forms.

  • Quote 2: "In his perfect humanity [Jesus] does the will of the Father at all times."

    • Explain: Jesus perfectly embodied God's will in his human life, making him the perfect example of how to live according to God’s plan.

    • Summary: Jesus, both fully human and fully divine, lived a perfect human life, always following God's will.

6. Jesus as the New Adam:

• Verbum Domini 12 describes Jesus as the New Adam—the perfect man who, through his actions and death, fulfilled God's will and was glorified.

7. Summary:

• Jesus being both fully human and fully God means he could reveal God to humans in a way they can understand.

• His humanity made his death and resurrection meaningful, while his divinity shows his ultimate authority as the Lord of all things.