Divine Paradoxes: Resolving Seeming Contradictions in Christian Theology
Category 1: God’s Nature vs. Christ’s Earthly Life
1. Introduction
Christian doctrine holds that God is eternal and immortal—incapable of dying or ceasing to exist. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:17, “Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory.” However, the core of the Gospel is the death of Jesus Christ, who is also declared to be fully God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). This creates a theological tension: How can the immortal God die? The paradox lies in reconciling divine immutability and immortality with the reality of the cross.
2. God Cannot Die
2.1 Scriptural Foundations
- 1 Timothy 6:16 – “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.”
- Psalm 90:2 – “From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
- Hebrews 1:12 – “Thou remainest… Thy years shall not fail.”
- Malachi 3:6 – “I am the LORD, I change not.”
2.2 Theological Significance
- God’s divine essence is indestructible; He cannot cease to be.
- Death is a consequence of sin (Romans 6:23), but God is perfectly holy and sinless.
- If God could die, He would not be self-existent and eternal—key divine attributes.
3. Christ Truly Died
3.1 Scriptural Witness
- Matthew 27:50 – “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
- John 19:30 – “He bowed his head, and gave up the spirit.”
- Romans 5:8 – “Christ died for us.”
- Philippians 2:8 – “He humbled himself… unto death, even the death of the cross.”
3.2 Nature of His Death
- Christ’s death was real and physical, not illusion or mere appearance.
- He experienced the full consequence of human mortality—pain, separation, and burial.
- His death had atoning value precisely because He was sinless and divine.
4. Theological Resolution: Death in Human Nature, Not Divine Essence
4.1 Hypostatic Union
- Jesus Christ is one Person with two natures—divine and human (John 1:14).
- His divine nature did not and could not die; His human nature died.
- The death was experienced in His body, not in His eternal deity.
| Aspect of Christ | Mortal or Immortal? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Nature (Logos) | Immortal | Unchanging, eternal, divine |
| Human Nature (Body/Soul) | Mortal | Capable of suffering and death |
5. Historical Theological Perspectives
5.1 Early Church
- Ignatius of Antioch: Christ suffered “in the flesh” while remaining divine.
- Athanasius: The Word remained unchanging even while assuming a mortal body.
5.2 Chalcedonian Orthodoxy
- The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) affirmed the two natures of Christ—“without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.”
- Christ’s death applied to His human nature only, but because of the unity of person, it was the divine Son who died according to His humanity.
5.3 Reformation Thought
- Martin Luther: Emphasised the mystery—“God died on the cross,” in the sense that the person who died was God, though the divine nature did not perish.
- John Calvin: Held firmly to the communication of properties—Christ died truly as man but remained God throughout.
6. Doctrinal and Devotional Implications
6.1 Assurance of a Perfect Saviour
- Because Christ is God, His death is of infinite value for atonement (Hebrews 9:14).
- His death was not merely symbolic but substitutionary and sufficient (2 Corinthians 5:21).
6.2 Comfort in Mortality
- Christ shared our mortality so that we might share His immortality (1 Corinthians 15:54–57).
- His victory over death is the pledge of our resurrection (John 11:25).
6.3 Worship Rooted in Paradox
- The immortal God humbled Himself to die, which demands reverent awe and adoration.
- The cross is both scandal and glory, weakness and power (1 Corinthians 1:23–24).
7. Conclusion
The paradox that God cannot die, yet Christ died is a cornerstone of Christian theology. It affirms both the unassailable divinity of Christ and the authenticity of His humanity. His death, far from diminishing His deity, reveals the depth of divine love. In dying, God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself—an act only possible through the mystery of the Incarnation.
References
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
- Athanasius. On the Incarnation
- Council of Chalcedon, Definition of Faith (AD 451)
- Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Smyrnaeans
- Calvin, J. Institutes of the Christian Religion
- Luther, M. Theologia Crucis
- Torrance, T.F. Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ