The Word Became Flesh

Millard J. Erickson

©1991 by Millard J. Erickson

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Book House Company

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Erickson, Millard J.

The word became flesh / Millard J. Erickson.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-8010-3208-3

ISBN 0-8010-2063-8 (pbk.)

1. Jesus Christ—Person and offices. 2. Incarnation. I. Title.

BT202.E75 1991

232′. 1—dc20

91-24728

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Scripture references marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked bv are taken from the Modern Language Bible: The Berkeley Version in Modern English. Copyright © 1945, 1959, 1969 by Zondervan Publishing House. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

To the Japan Baptist Church Association and its leader,

Akira Izuta,

in recognition of faithful service to Jesus Christ

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1 The Formulation of Incarnational Christology

1. The Biblical Source

2. The Development of Incarnational Christology

(1) To the Council of Chalcedon

3. The Development of Incarnational Christology

(2) After the Council of Chalcedon

Part 2 Problems of Incarnational Christology

4. The Historical Problem. (1) Critical Christology

The Possibility of Historical Knowledge of Jesus

5. The Historical Problem. (2) Existential Christology:

The Relevance of Historical Knowledge of Jesus

6. The Sociological Problem

(1) Liberation Christology

7. The Sociological Problem

(2) Black Christology

8. The Sociological Problem.

(3) Feminist Christology

9. The Metaphysical Problem

(1) Functional Christology

10. The Metaphysical Problem

(2) Process Christology

11. The Anthropological Problem

(1) Universalist Christology

12. The Anthropological Problem

(2) Postmodern Christology

13. The Logical Problem

(1) Mythological Christology

14. The Logical Problem

(2) Narrative Christology

Part 3 The Construction of a Contemporary Incarnational Christology

15. The Reliability of the Historical Evidence for Jesus

(1) The Synoptic Gospels

16. The Reliability of the Historical Evidence for Jesus

(2) The Gospel of John

17. Jesus’ Testimony to His Deity

18. The New Testament Witness ...