Jesus
I. Early Christian's view of Jesus
II. Titles of Jesus
III. Physical appearance of Jesus
I. Early Christian's view of Jesus (Top)
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Romans 2:16
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom 2 Tim. 4:1
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 2 Thess. 1:7-10
Brethren, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ, as of God, as of the Judge of quick and dead. Second Clement (A.D. 100) ch.1
Let us fear the Lord Jesus [Christ], whose blood was given for us… the fear of Him is good and great and saves all them that walk therein in a pure mind with holiness. For He is the searcher out of the intents and desires; whose breath is in us, and when He lists, He shall take it away. Clement of Rome (A.D. 96) ch.21
There is one only physician, of flesh and of spirit, generate and ingenerate, God in man, true Life in death, Son of Mary and Son of God, first passible and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord. Ignatius: to the Ephesians (A.D. 35-105) ch.7
Be you deaf therefore, when any man speaks to you apart from Jesus Christ, who was of the race of David, who was the Son of Mary, who was truly born and ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth; who moreover was truly raised from the dead, His Father having raised Him, who in the like fashion will so raise us also who believe on Him - His Father, I say, will raise us - in Christ Jesus, apart from whom we have not true life. Ignatius: to the Trallians (A.D. 35-105) ch.9
For with what reason should we believe of a crucified man that He is the first-born of the unbegotten God, and Himself will pass judgment on the whole human race, unless we had found testimonies concerning Him published before He came and was born as man, and unless we saw that things had happened accordingly. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.180
I have frequently remarked that this very Christ is the Judge of all the living and the dead. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.258
Sometimes He upbraids, and sometimes He threatens. Some men He mourns over, others He addresses with the voice of song, just as a good physician treats some of his patients with cataplasms, some with rubbing, some with fomentations; in one case cuts open with the lancet, in another cauterizes, in another amputates, in order if possible to cure the patient's diseased part or member. The Savior has many tones of voice, and many methods for the salvation of men; by threatening He admonishes, by upbraiding He converts, by bewailing He pities… Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.173
With all His power, therefore, the Instructor of humanity, the Divine Word, using all the resources of wisdom, devotes Himself to the saving of the children, admonishing, upbraiding, blaming, chiding, reproving, threatening, healing, promising, favoring; and as it were, by many reins, curbing the irrational impulses of humanity… In fine, the system He pursues to inspire fear is the source of salvation. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.228,230
Because God once decreed from the beginning what shall be even to the end. Finally, as He Himself is the Judge appointed by the Father on account of His assumption of humanity, wishing to show that men shall be judged by the word that He had declared, He says: “Think you that I will judge you at the last day? Nay, but the word,” says He, “which I have spoken unto you, that shall judge you in the last day.” Victorinus (A.D. 304-313) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.7 pg. 345
II. Titles of Jesus (Top)
"Who He is that is called at one time the Angel of great counsel, and a Man by Ezekiel, and like the Son of man by Daniel, and a Child by Isaiah, and Christ and God to be worshipped by David, and Christ and a Stone by many, and Wisdom by Solomon, and Joseph and Judah and a Star by Moses, and the East by Zechariah, and the Suffering One and Jacob and Israel by Isaiah again, and a Rod, and Flower, and Corner-Stone, and Son of God. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.262
(Jesus) is called an Angel because He came to men (for by Him the commands of the Father have been proclaimed to men); is called Glory, because He appears in a vision sometimes that cannot be borne; is called a Man, and a human being, because He appears strayed in such forms as the Father pleases; and they call Him the Word, because He carries tidings from the Father to men. Justin Martyr (A.D. 160) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg.264
This is the name of Jesus; for this name, if you reckon up the numerical value of the letters, amounts to eight hundred and eighty-eight. Thus, then, you have a clear statement of their opinion as to the origin of the supercelestial Jesus. Wherefore, also, the alphabet of the Greeks contains eight Monads, eight Decads, and eight Hecatads, which present the number eight hundred and eighty-eight, that is, Jesus, who is formed of all numbers; and on this account He is called Alpha and Omega, indicating His origin from all. Irenaeus (A.D. 180) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg. 339
III. Physical appearance of Jesus (Top)
He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2
That Lord walked in humility and obscurity, with no definite home: for "the Son of man," said He, "has not where to lay His head;" unadorned in dress, for else He had not said, "Behold, they who are clad in soft raiment are in kings' houses:" in short, inglorious in countenance and aspect, just as Isaiah withal had fore-announced. If, also, He exercised no right of power even over His own followers, to whom He discharged menial ministry; if, in short, though conscious of His own kingdom, He shrank back from being made a king, He in the fullest manner gave His own an example for turning coldly from all the pride and garb, as well of dignity as of power. Tertullian (A.D. 198) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.3 pg. 73
Nay, there is more than this: for even Christ, we shall find, has ordinary raiment; Paul, too, has his cloak. Tertullian (A.D. 198) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.3 pg. 97-98
"Whence has this man this wisdom and these mighty works?" Thus spoke even they who despised His outward form. His body did not reach even to human beauty, to say nothing of heavenly glory. Had the prophets given us no information whatever concerning His ignoble appearance, His very sufferings and the very contumely He endured bespeak it all. The sufferings attested His human flesh, the contumely proved its abject condition. Tertullian (A.D. 198) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.3 pg. 530
As John says these things to the multitude, and as the people watch in eager expectation of seeing some strange spectacle with their bodily eyes, and the devil is struck with amazement at such a testimony from John, lo, the Lord appears, plain, solitary, uncovered, without escort, having on Him the body of man like a garment, and hiding the dignity of the Divinity, that He may elude the snares of the dragon. And not only did He approach John as Lord without royal retinue; but even like a mere man, and one involved in sin, He bent His head to be baptized by John. Hippolytus (A.D. 225) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.5 pg. 235
SEE ALSO: CHRIST