Paradox Christ Quote by Bart D. Ehrman
““The adoptionists were right to affirm that Jesus was human but wrong to deny that he was God; the docetists were right to affirm that Jesus was divine but wrong to deny that he was human; the Gnostics were right to affirm that Christ was both divine and human but wrong to deny that he was a single being. And so, if you put together all the orthodox affirmations, the result is the ortho-paradox: Christ is God; Christ is a man; but he is one being, not two. This became the standard Christological affirmation of the orthodox tradition. As we will see, this did not settle the issue of who Christ was for the orthodox. It instead led to more questions, and “false beliefs” continued to propagate—not against any of the standard orthodox claims, but against various ways of understanding these claims. As time went on, heresies became increasingly detailed, and the orthodox affirmations became increasingly paradoxical.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture” by Bart D. Ehrman, 2021
The quote explains that early Christian groups each captured part of Christ’s nature but missed the full mystery, leading orthodox Christianity to adopt a paradoxical view of Christ as both fully divine and fully human in one person, a formulation that sparked further theological disputes.
In simple terms: Early groups got pieces right but missed the whole, so orthodoxy created a paradox that spurred more debate.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the complexity of theological synthesis and its limits.
Themes
theology
hermeneutics
orthodoxy
paradox
history of Christianity
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
respectful
Type
theoretical
historical
academic
When to use this quote
- Academic study of early Christianity
- seminar discussions on Christology
- interfaith dialogues
- personal reflection on belief systems
Key Concepts
Christology
dual nature
heretical development
doctrinal formulation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does holding paradoxical truths affect faith?
- Can doctrine accommodate mystery without becoming contradictory?
A Different Perspective
The paradox may oversimplify mystery mystery and can be used to dismiss legitimate questions.
