Baker Academic

Monday, December 10, 2012

What Did Jesus Do with His Food? - Le Donne

In the second century, Valentinus argued:
“He was continent, enduring all things. Jesus digested divinity; he ate and drank in a special way, without excreting his solids. He had such a great capacity for continence that the nourishment within him was not corrupted, for he did not experience corruption” (via Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 3.59.3; cf. also Miscellanies 3, 7).
To our credit, it only took Christianity 200 years to settle this debate:
Chalcedon: "Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin."
So relieved to have this settled.

-anthony

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