from all eternity with God, had also taken our human nature upon Him, only
without sin (for sin was not an original part of man's nature).
The passages of the holy Scriptures which prove the humanity of the Lord
Jesus Christ are in no way contradictory to those which teach us His Deity.
Nay rather, both go together to show that He was perfect man as well as
perfect God. This renders it possible for us to believe in His atonement: for,
if He had been merely man, His death would have been no propitiation, nor
would it have shown forth God's love 1 to man. Holy Scripture shows
that His Deity manifested the divine attributes, and His humanity the human
attributes, nor were these two separate natures in any degree confounded
(مركب) or
mixed
(مخلوط) with one another, though they were united in the one Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of Man and Word of God. Inasmuch as He became Man He was inferior
to God, and inasmuch as He was from all eternity one with His Father He was
equal to God. All this is clearly stated in the scriptural passages which we
have quoted above. The incarnation produced no change in the divine nature,
for the divine nature is devoid of all change or alteration. The
(المطلق) absolute
did not become relative 1 the necessary and self-existent
(واجب
اْلوجود)
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