Have you ever wondered whether or not Jesus was a sinner? The Bible offers some very clear answers to this thought-provoking question!
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the scriptures and look at what they have to say on the matter. We will also explore the opinions of the Church Fathers on the matter.
The Nature of Christ
In Orthodox Christianity, Jesus Christ is considered to be fully God and fully human, and sinless. This belief is supported by both the Bible and the teachings of the Church Fathers.
The Bible shows Jesus as sinless multiple times. For example, in Hebrews 4:15, it is said that Jesus was tempted like all other people, but didn’t sin. This verse shows Jesus was able to resist all forms of temptation and didn’t sin.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 is written that Jesus didn’t sin, but suffered because of the sins of people.
This was the mission of Christ, to make it possible for humanity to become righteous. He took on the sins of humanity through suffering.
In addition to these direct statements, the Bible also provides evidence of Jesus’ sinlessness through his actions.
For example, when Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin and accused of blasphemy, he was asked if he was the Son of God. In response, Jesus said, “I am,” which was the name of God, by this He also let them know that He has always existed.
This led to his condemnation. One of the attributes of God is sinless nature, and people couldn’t believe that a human can have this nature.
In John 8:46, Jesus asks His accusers by saying, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” This question goes unanswered. This shows that Jesus was without sin, nobody could accuse Him of anything.
We can also recall the story of how Christ fasted in the desert and Satan appeared to Him, saying that Jesus can get food with the help of a miracle. Christ didn’t succumb to temptation and didn’t commit sin.
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The Opinion of The Church Fathers
The Church fathers also believed in the sinlessness of Jesus, since Jesus was God and God can’t sin.
1. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria On The Incarnation of the Word
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria writes, “For the Word, being God, was not subject to corruption, nor was he capable of sinning” (On the Incarnation of the Word, chapter 8).
Saint Athanasius says that Jesus’ sinlessness was an essential aspect of his divinity. God is love, and true love can’t be damaged by sin and can’t commit any sin. It was the initial nature of Jesus. While His human nature could be damaged physically, His spiritual nature couldn’t be hurt by anything.
2. Saint Cyril of Alexandria on the Sinless Nature of Christ
Saint Cyril of Alexandria shares the same opinion about the sinless nature of Jesus Christ in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke.
He writes, “He had no need of holy baptism, being wholly pure and spotless, and holy of the holy. Nor had He need of the Holy Ghost: for the Spirit That proceedeth from God the Father is of Him, and equal to Him in substance” (commentary on Luke 3:21-22).
In this quote, we can understand the nature of Christ better. We can know that Jesus didn’t need baptism, by getting baptized He showed an example for other people. Also, Jesus was fully pure and sinless. The Saint also writes that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father to Christ and he didn’t need to receive it by baptism. All these things are very important aspects of understanding the nature of Jesus in Orthodoxy.
Saint Cyril shows that Jesus was already pure and holy, and therefore had no need for baptism or repentance.
There are many other quotes from the Church Fathers that can support the idea of the sinless nature of Jesus Christ.
3. Saint Justin Martyr in His First Apology
In his First Apology, Saint Justin Martyr writes, “He is the only blameless and righteous man” (chapter 16). It means that Jesus is the only human who had initially sinless nature, and no other human can have it.
Even if someone else lives a righteous and indeed sinless life, it’s a heroic deed of a human and not his initial spiritual nature. This idea is important for Orthodox Christianity since heresies can have another opinion about it, despite the writings of the Church Fathers.
This idea can be supported by another great saint. In his Commentary on the Gospel of John, Saint Augustine writes, “He alone of all the sons of men is found without sin” (chapter 39). It shares the same opinion with the words of saint Justin Martyr.
There is no other human in the world who would be born with sinless nature except Jesus, who was also God, and therefore couldn’t sin or make something bad that would hurt the souls of other people.
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Final Thoughts
It can be concluded that the Bible has many verses that show the sinless nature of Jesus, and therefore Jesus hasn’t committed any sin.
The Bible shows Jesus as being without sin and immune to temptation. Jesus Christ suffers because of the sins of humans so all people would be able to become righteous.
The Church Fathers agree with each other, everyone writes that Jesus had a sinless nature and there was no other human like that.
It’s important to understand the sinlessness of Jesus to recognize Him as God. If someone thinks that Jesus was human and therefore could commit sins, then it isn’t a full belief in God. All actions of Jesus were made with love and can’t be considered sinful.
For Orthodox Christians, the sinlessness of Jesus is a fundamental belief that shows the nature of God’s relationship with humanity and our salvation. We believe that God is love and Jesus has made everything to show an example of a righteous life for us.
Although He had a sinless nature, He was a real human and felt everything that we feel. We can approach Him with confidence, knowing that He understands our struggles and temptations and that He is able to help us overcome them.
Sources:
Saint Augustine, Commentary on the Gospel of John
Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation of the Word
Saint Justin Martyr, First Apology
Charalampos
Charalampos is an Orthodox Christian who wants to help others learn about Christianity. His main goal is to help people understand the Bible and how to apply its teachings in their everyday lives. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and hiking.
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