How to Study a topic like, "Though Born of a Woman, Jesus did not inherit sin"

This topic is probably controversial and I am not looking to start a theological debate on various positions but I am interested in learning how to use Logos to study up on the fact that Jesus knew no sin and yet He came through Mary who, like all humans, was born into sin. The topic would probably be easier to search online, but I want to be able to utilize my Logos resources to drill down on the conversation. Any thoughts?

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Fred Chapman

Without knowing what Logos resources you have in your library, or what tools and features you have available. I would start with reading about topics like:

immaculate conception, virgin birth, and views regarding the union of the human nature and divine nature of Christ.

J. Remington Bowling

You may also want to do a search on "traducianism" and see resources like W. G. T. Shedd's Dogmatic Theology (pp. 557-577 and on Christ specifically, pp. 633-640)

Dennis Davis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1078764#Comment_1078764

Thanks Fred and J. That was more than enough to set me on the hunt. Much appreciated.

Tim McMillian

Searching the Factbook for "Sinlessness of Christ" should yield a good number of results from your encyclopedias, theology books and journals (assuming you have a good sized collection in your Logos library). I have the Dictionary of Bible Themes in my library and you can find numerous biblical references for related searches like Christ, divinity; Christ, perfection; Christ, perfection; Christ, righteousness and Christ sinless. Searching your theological library and commentary collections for these topics should prove to be fruitful for your research. There are probably more sophisticated ways of doing all this in Logos, but this is probably where I would start. Hope this helps.

Adam Borries (Logos)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1078808#Comment_1078808

Good suggestions. If you have Logos 8's Theology Guide, the entry on Jesus’ Impeccability may also be instructive, as well as related topics like Original Sin.

Tim McMillian

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1078819#Comment_1078819

Thanks Adam. I just learned something new.

Hamilton Ramos

Hi Dennis:

Even though Logos tries to have a wide amount of resources, for some reason I find that on topics near the envelope of orthodoxy, it falls short.

This is a very interesting topic. I have learned about it from other sources and from exploring the Bible itself.

I will share a different angle for your consideration. Check to see if things are so.

Jesus definitively did not inherit sin, the proof is in the Gospel of John:

John 1:32 And John bore witness: I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

Basically the Holy Spirit would not remain on anyone with sin, as that would probably endanger life of the person receiving Him.

We are able to receive the Holy Spirit because of the Atonement of Jesus done for us.

Then we have another thrust:

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)

The above makes sense, the conjecture given the scant info presented is that Jesus was to be tested just as Adam (pre fall) was: Jesus had to have a pre fall nature to be tested in the same circumstances.

Likewise we have more witness:

Philippians 2: 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Being born in the likeness of men does not mean being the same.

So taking the above in consideration, there was a hypothesis presented way back that states that most likely the full zygote was placed by God in Mary's womb.

1 Corinthians 15:50

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The above verse clearly explains that the inheritance of the Kingdom had to be received by an unfallen natured Being. Jesus Christ was that Being, and after He inherited then He shared with us, which is coherent with what the verse expounds.

For those that say that Jesus had to be fully human (meaning that had to be of fallen nature), they are probably wrong, because the Lamb for the sacrifice had to be perfect, no blemish, so anything of a fallen nature (by parallel) could not qualify.

As you expressed in the original post, the objective here is not start polemics, but to open new angles for further research, reflection and constructive comment.

Peace and grace.