Lesson Book, Level 2: The Triune God—The Triune God and the Person and Work of Christ, by Witness Lee

More excerpts from this title...

II. CHRIST BEING MAN

The Bible also reveals to us that Christ is not only God but a man as well. Throughout the four Gospels, Christ called Himself "the Son of Man." When Satan came to tempt Him in the wilderness, Christ replied that man shall not live on bread alone (Matt. 4:4a). In Acts 2:22, Peter calls Him "Jesus the Nazarene, a man demonstrated by God to you." First Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one Mediator of God and men, the Man, Christ Jesus." Hallelujah, He is so wonderful! He is both God and man. In previous lessons we saw that Christ is the complete God, the Triune God. In later lessons we shall see that He is also a genuine man. This is why Christians have called Him the "God-man."

III. CHRIST BEING THE CREATOR

God is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1; 2:1-3). Since Christ is God, He surely is also the Creator. This fact is clearly revealed in the Scripture: "And, You in the beginning, Lord, have founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands" (Heb. 1:10). "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being which has come into being" (John 1:3). "Through Whom are all things, and we through Him" (1 Cor. 8:6). "Because in Him were all things created in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him" (Col. 1:16). "Through Whom [the Son] also He [God] made the universe" (Heb. 1:2). These verses clearly tell us that Christ is the Creator of all things; all things have been created and have come into being through Him.

IV. CHRIST BEING A CREATURE

Man is a creature (Gen. 1:27; Acts 17:26). Since Christ is a man, surely He is also a creature. This is revealed in Colossians 1:15, which says the Son is "Firstborn of all creation." This verse tells us in plain words that Christ is created because it says that He is the Firstborn of the creation, the First of all creatures. Revelation 3:14 also tells us He is created. In this verse Christ calls Himself "the beginning of the creation of God." He is the chief of the creation, the First One of all creatures.

Some people teach that Colossians 1:15 says that Christ is the Firstborn before all creation and that He is thus not a creature. But this is not what the Bible says. It says that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation. If you are the first-ranked student of your class, aren’t you still part of your class? So Christ is part of the creation. He is a creature.

Christ is a creature because He became "flesh" (John 1:14), took part of "blood and flesh" (Heb. 2:14), was born a "child" (Isa. 9:6), and became a "man" (1 Tim. 2:5). "Flesh," "blood and flesh," "child," and "man"—these surely indicate creatures. Are not "flesh" and "blood and flesh" created things? Are not "child" and "man" created things? Of course they are! Therefore, since Christ became these things, how can we say that He is not a creature? If we acknowledge that Christ is a man, then we must admit that He is a creature. If we deny that He is a creature, then we deny that He is a man.

People have been wrong throughout the centuries, but the Bible has never been and never will be wrong. We should not change the eternal Word of God to make it fit our thinking. Our concepts must line up with the truth of the Bible.

V. CHRIST’S WORK

It is crucial to see the Person of Christ because all of His work depends upon who He is. Christ can be our Savior because He is such a wonderful Person—He is God, the Creator, and a man, a creature. He could die as the Lamb of God for our sins because He is a man. His work of redemption is eternal in time and space because He is the eternal God. As God He can also put His divine life into us that we could fulfill His eternal purpose. Hallelujah for such a Christ! Praise Him for who He is and for the work He has accomplished!

QUESTIONS

  1. What is a heresy?
  2. Why is it heretical to say that Christ was a man who later became God?
  3. Which verses show that Christ is the creator?
  4. Which verses show that Christ is God?
  5. Which verses show that Christ is a creature?

Quoted Portions from (Lee/LSM) Publications

  1. Concerning the Person of Christ, pp. 19-47.

(Lesson Book, Level 2: The Triune God—The Triune God and the Person and Work of Christ, Chapter 13, by Witness Lee)

back to top