Divine Paradoxes: Resolving Seeming Contradictions in Christian Theology
Category 1: God’s Nature vs. Christ’s Earthly Life
1. Introduction
Christian theology confesses that God is eternal, without beginning or end (Psalm 90:2; Revelation 1:8). Yet in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ was born (Galatians 4:4) to Mary in Bethlehem. This paradox confronts the mystery of how the eternal Son of God entered time, taking on a birth date, a lineage, and a historical identity. It affirms the wonder of the incarnation while upholding the eternal nature of God.
2. God Is Eternal
2.1 Scriptural Foundations
- “From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” – Psalm 90:2
- “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord.” – Revelation 1:8
- “With the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8
2.2 Theological Meaning
- God has no origin; He is self-existent and not subject to time.
- His eternality is a fundamental attribute—He exists outside the created order, including time itself.
3. Yet Christ Was Born
3.1 Scriptural Witness
- “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman.” – Galatians 4:4
- “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” – Isaiah 9:6
- “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” – John 1:14
3.2 Historical Birth in Time
- Jesus was born of Mary, a real woman, in a real town, in a real moment in history (Luke 2:4–7).
- This birth did not create the Son, but marked the entrance of the eternal Word into time and human history.
4. Theological Resolution: Eternity Entering Temporality
| Divine Attribute | Incarnate Tension |
|---|---|
| God has no beginning | Christ was born in time |
| God transcends time | Jesus entered history as a first-century man |
| God is eternally begotten | Yet Christ’s human life had a birthday |
This paradox is resolved by affirming that the Son eternally existed with the Father, but entered time voluntarily by assuming human nature. His birth did not begin His existence but manifested His eternal person in a temporal frame.
5. Historical Theological Perspectives
5.1 Nicene and Chalcedonian Foundations
- Nicene Creed: “Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
- Chalcedon: The eternal Son is “born of the Virgin Mary”, without confusion, without division, fully God and fully man.
5.2 Augustine
- “Christ was born in time so that we might be born into eternity.”
5.3 Anselm
- “Only one who is truly eternal can redeem those bound by time.”
6. Doctrinal and Devotional Implications
6.1 Eternal Sonship Affirmed
- Christ’s birth is not the beginning of His person, but the revelation of the eternal Son.
6.2 God’s Nearness in Time
- God’s eternal plan entered time to redeem those subject to it.
- The eternal touched the temporal to save it from decay and death.
6.3 Hope for the Mortal
- Because eternity stepped into time, we who are temporal may step into eternity through union with Christ.
7. Conclusion
The paradox of God being eternal, yet Christ being born, leads us to marvel at the humility and purpose of the incarnation. It is not the contradiction of eternity and time, but the mystery of their union in the person of Jesus. The birth of Christ is the door through which eternity kissed history, and in doing so, gave us access to everlasting life.
References
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
- Nicene Creed (AD 325, 381)
- Council of Chalcedon (AD 451)
- Augustine. Sermons on the Liturgical Calendar
- Anselm. Cur Deus Homo