UNION BIBLICAL SEMINARY

COURSE: Theology of New Testament

TOPIC: Christological Titles of the New Testament

Submitted to: Rev. Dr. Shanti David

Submitted by: Calban Riford Dohling

Contents
Introduction
1. Definition
2. Identity of Jesus in Biblical and Contextual aspects
3. Synoptic representation of Jesus
a. Son of Mary
b. Son of David
c. Son of Abraham
d. Messiah/Christ
e. Lord
f. Son of God
g. The Son of Man
4. Johannine and Epistle Christological Interpretations
a. Logos
b. Last Adam
c. Kenotic Christology
d. Messiah
e. Lord
f. Jesus as Human
Conclusion
Bibliography

1
Introduction

In Mark 8: 29, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You
are the Messiah.” This paper brings to discuss the various Christological titles in the New
Testament. We will be dealing with the titles of Jesus from the New Testament and other
Christological interpretations.

1. Definition:
a) Title: Title is a name that describes someone’s position or job, or a name showing rank,
occupation, or condition in life. Title is an appellation of dignity, honor, distinction, or
preeminence attached to a person or family by virtue of rank, office, precedent, privilege,
attainment, or lands.1

2. Identity of Jesus in Biblical and Contextual aspects:

The term contextual implies that the Christologies to be studied firmly anchored in a specific
context, be in cultural, intellectual or related to a specific worldview. Contextual Christologies
are found only outside the West.2 Jesus Christ as the “liberator,” who frees people from bondage
and slavery of all kinds. So, as he does in the Gospels, Christ not only frees people from sin and
illness, Christ also desires to free our fellow human beings from the social structures that keep
them impoverished. This is the kind of “liberation” that is held out. Liberation theologians
meditate on Gospel stories that show Christ transpose the social structures of the day, in order to
bring more social justice into the world.3 The cross brings to fulfillment the uniqueness of Jesus
ancestor-ship. It is remembering of this event and retelling of it that is both liberating and
challenging.4

3. Synoptic representation of Jesus:

a) Son of Mary: The description of Jesus as son of Mary in Mark 6:3 is possible evidence
for a custom known to rabbinic sources of a man being name as “of his mother” when the father
was unknown. In Jewish source, the father name is normally used to identify the son even when
the father is dead. Contrary to this custom, Jesus is designated by his mother’s name rather than

1
“Title”, Illustrated Oxford Dictionary (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 711.
2
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology: A Global Introduction (Michigan: Grand Rapid, 2003), 240.
3
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology: A Global Introduction …, 241.
4
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology: A Global Introduction …, 261.
2
his father’s.5 The humanity of Jesus Christ makes clear that Jesus is the son of Mary. All human
beings have inherited legal guilt and a corrupt moral nature from their first father, Adam. But the
fact that Jesus did not have a human father means that the line of decent from Adam is partially
interrupted. Jesus did not descend from Adam in exactly the same way in which every other
human being has descended from Adam. A better solution is to say that the work of the Holy
Spirit in Mary must have prevented not only the transmission of sin from Joseph but also, in a
miraculous way, the transmission of sin from Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you …
therefore the child to be born will be called holy” (Luke1:35).6

b) Son of David: After the Babylonian exile, the tradition grew that Messiah was the son of
David. There would, moreover, be many families of Davidic descent in first century Judea which
holly unaware of their lineage.7 God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ)
would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would established a kingdom
that would endure forever. In his person and ministry, Jesus fulfills the promises of God given to
the Davidic dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12-16). He was against the popular expectations and refused to
claim political power, rather as the suffering servant, he laid down his life and died for his people
to gain salvation.8

c) Son of Abraham: Abraham was the first to whom a particular promise was made, that
the Messiah could spring from, Genesis 22:18. The first promise in Genesis 3:15 only signified
that he should be the seed of the woman; and it would have been sufficient for the fulfillment of
it, if he had been born of any woman, in whatsoever nation, tribe, or family; but by the promise
made to Abraham he was to descend from him, as Jesus did; who took upon him the seed of
Abraham, Hebrews 2:16 or assumed a human nature which sprung from him, and is therefore
truly the son of Abraham.9

d) Messiah/Christ: Christ or Messiah is an important term employed in the New

Testament. The term Christ‟ is of Greek origin and it means “anointed one”. ‟The Hebrew
equivalent is the Messiah and it has the same etymology. The most outstanding Messianic use is

5
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Secunderabad: OM Books, 1994), 530.
6
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An introduction to Biblical Doctrine…, 531.
7
Gordon Kaufman, Systematic Theology: A historicist Perspective (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1968), 169.
8
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology: A Global Introduction …, 28.
9
Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction (New York: Blackwell Publisher, 1994), 353.
3
found in the Old Testament in Psalm 2:2; Isaiah 9 and 11.10 The word Christos was used mostly
as a title not as a proper name. (Jn. 1:20; Lk.3:15; Mt. 21:9; 2:5;Jn. 7:40-42; Jn. 12:34).11 The
word Christos is used 530 times in the New Testament, 383 times it is in Pauline writings. Christ
is undoubtedly Paul’s favorite title for Jesus (Rom.9:5).12 In Acts, it is the declaration that Jesus
resurrected and crucified by the Jews leaders, is in fact the Messiah (Acts 2:36).13

e) Lord: The Greek term Kurios is usually translated “Lord” which in the Septuagint is the
standard name for God. The early Christian tradition used the term Lord in reference to Jesus.14
In the Old Testament, the title ‘Lord’ is used to translate various titles for God; for examples,
Adonai and Elshadai. In Aramaic this titles are translated by the term ‘Mara’ and in Greek by the
word ‘Kurios’. And Paul uses the title ‘Lord’ in fixed formulas referring to Christ (Rom. 1:4;
14:6).15 Thus during the early life of Jesus, he was addressed as ‘Lord’ in recognition of His
authority as a teacher, and a charismatic Prophet. The fact of resurrection was the most important
event in opening the way for the full recognition of Jesus as the Lord, for it was through the
resurrection, that all could know assuredly that God made Him both Lord and Christ.16

f) Son of God: In the Old Testament the title ‘son of God” is used for three groups: the
people of Israel, the kings and angels are called by this name. 17 And it is used 124 times in the
New Testament, mostly in Pauline literature and Hebrews. Paul declares that Jesus is ‘Son of
God’ on account of His resurrection (Rom.1:4). Paul uses two distinct Greek words tekna-
Children, huios- son.18And Jesus refers Himself as ‘Son of God’ (Mk.13:32). The moment in
which Jesus was declared as the ‘Son of God’ was pushed back to His baptism where a voice
from heaven said “you are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mk.1:11). At that
moment Jesus was marked out for His messianic role. And He is represented as accepting the
title in Mark 14:61-61.19

g) The Son of Man: The title is clearly refers to Jesus and usage is chiefly derived from the
book of Daniel and Deutro-Isaiah. The Son of Man was thus the glorious heavenly man already
10
Samuel George, Christology (Kolkata: SCEPTRE.2013), 12.
11
Samuel George, Christology…, 13.
12
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology A Global Introduction…, 24.
13
Samuel George, Christology…, 14.
14
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology A Global Introduction …, 48.
15
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology A Global Introduction …, 48.
16
Lemtur Maong, Christ in a changing context..., 7.
17
Lemtur Maong. Christ in a changing context..., 5.
18
Samuel George, Christology…, 14-15.
19
Lemtur Maong. Christ in a changing context…, 6.
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present among men in the person of Jesus Christ.20 Paul says in Romans 1:3, Jesus as God’s Son
“who was descended from David according to the flesh.” But flesh can refer more neutrally to
ordinary, human, physical life. Paul writes that the first part of that history is Jesus human life in
all its fleshly weakness, and the second is the spiritual life of resurrection power. Paul believes in
the real humanity of Jesus.21

4. Johannine and Epistle Christological Interpretations:

a) Logos: In the New Testament, the fourth gospel was written much later than Paul’s
epistles, the synoptic gospels probably written about 90 A.D. or even later.22 And also the recent
study has made it difficult to draw a hard and fast division between the Synoptic gospels as
basically historical accounts of the life of Jesus and the Fourth Gospel as basically a theological
interpretation of the significant of Jesus.23 The great term which John uses for Jesus Christ is
Word or Logos (John 1:1). This term has many implications, it recalls the creative word of
Genesis and God spoke by whose power all things came into existence, and John proposes that it
should remind us that it is through Christ the word of God that Universe exists.24 And secondly
Logos or Word recalls the prophetic word of the Old Testament. The word of the Lord came
upon the prophets, and only then they could speak their message. Therefore, John says that
Christ is the Logos he is speaking to both Jew and Greek, and is saying that in Jesus of Nazareth
the governing principle of the whole universe took flesh and become man.25

b) Last Adam: In the New Testament, two passages Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, Paul
draws comparison between Adam and Christ. Here, Adam rather than being an individual is a
figurative character set over against Jesus Christ. In 1Cor. 15, it is a discussion of the
resurrection of the dead in which Paul explains the meaning of Christ’s resurrection of the
believer.26 “For since death came through a Man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through
a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1Cor. 15:21-22). And also in
the other context in Romans 5, Paul compares Adam’s fatal sin, which brought humankind under
condemnation, with Jesus’s righteousness and obedience, which brought salvation and
justification. In Philippians 2, there may well be an implied contrast between Adam, who with

20
Lemtur Maong, Christ in a changing context …, 5.
21
Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology A Global Introduction …, 114.
22
Boyd R.H.S, Khristadvaita Theology for India (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1977), 127.
23
T.E. Pollard, Johannine Christology and the Early Church (New York: Cambridge University press, 1970), 3.
24
Boyd R.H.S, Khristadvaita Theology for India…, 129.
25
Boyd R.H.S, Khristadvaita Theology for India…, 129.
26
Veli-Matti Karkkaien, Christology: A global introduction…, 49.
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fatal results was grasping and disobedient, wanting to be equal with God, and Christ, who was
the opposite and was highly exalted. Whether or not there is an Adamic reference in Philippians
2, it is in any case clear that Paul sees Jesus as the new and greater man, as the one who was
himself in the image of God and who brings restoration of the that image to others (1Cor. 15:49,
Col.3:10), and as the founder of the new and redeemed humanity, the one who has undone
Adam’s work. And we are appropriately reminded of Paul’s teaching on Jesus having brought
“new creation.”27

c) Kenotic Christology: The theory of “Kenosis” based on the text Philippians 2:5-11.
Here, we see various forms of this theory were proposed. One of them confirmed a partial
kenosis in which the Logos as incarnation and emptied himself only of those divine things which
did not belong to the essence of God, but were demanded by His relationship to the world.
Therefore, the son of God keeps his essential identity with God while assuming human
attributes.28

d) Messiah
i. Jesus a way: In the pluralistic society, every religion has significance and show their
way of salvation. In such context, Messiah can be portrayed as the way to inculturation. In his
setting, Jesus the messiah accepted and promoted what is good in Jewish culture and tradition,
corrected and tried to change what is incorrect. His message can unite all human as the
children of God under harmony which elucidates the unity and equality. 29 Justice is the
foundation of Son of David’s mission, and he lived the Good News of liberation that he
preached and he is the way of liberation.

ii. Jesus as Liberator: Messianic concept of liberation is the sociological and cosmological
along with the individual response. It implies the demolition of oppressive power structures that
oppresses the world and a transformation of the universe.30 The primordial option of Jesus in
favor of humanity and not only the Jews, but beyond racial walls. The option of Jesus constitutes
the conscience of the oppressed, identifying with their expectations.31 These are found channeled

27
David Wenham, Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
company, 1995), 119-120.
28
John- Yun Lee, Paul and the historical Jesus (Seoul: Pilgrim Publishing Co., 1998), 92.
29
A. Alangaram, Christ of the Asian Peoples (Banglore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2001), 75.
30
A. Alangaram, Christ of the Asian Peoples…, 111.
31
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World (. Michigan: Willliam B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1982), 60.
6
in liberation. Jesus the liberator can identify the needs and the agony of the helpless because he
also went through the same state. The rediscovery of Jesus as liberator reveals the oppressed
people who need the good news of liberation. Jesus climaxed a long history of human hoping
and waiting, 32 because the work of Jesus provides spiritual restoration and renewal to the
Humanity and provided independence and greatness.

e) Lord
i. The risen Lord: The goal of human existence and whole creation is the eschatological
glorification that was already begun with the resurrection of Lord. Chakkarai sees resurrection as
the realization of lord resulting in the moralization and the spiritualization. 33 Chenchiah
considers the resurrection of Lord is the culmination of the victory of love, truth over hatred and
injustice.34 Samartha expresses the resurrection of Lord Manifest the power to overcome the evil
and tragedy in human life and the hope of reaching a consummation which is not a return to the
old but to the new.35 The resurrection thus explains that it is against imperialism, oppression
dehumanization.

ii. Lord’s authority diminishes political power: The Lordship of Christ in the Davidic line
may be related to the significance of Kingship in the society. Here, it postulates the importance
and sacred nature of the Lordship in the wellbeing of the society, maintenance and protection of
relations.36 The Lordship of Christ challenges the human social hierarchy and organization. The
concept of the Lordship undermines and removes the power of oppressors and delimits the
power. The concept of Jesus as the great Lord ensures the demarcation of power of human and
subservient to Lord.37 The Lord’s reign in the Davidic line unifies people together to understand
the egalitarian views that should be prevailed in society and equip humanity to strive for it.

f) Jesus as Human
i. New humanity in Christ: There is something special in Jesus, a person from an obscure
background considered as the Son of Mary rejected by his own society has risen to be the most
influential person who has appeared in the human history. But this special does not separate him
from the human race because in the matter of limitation he was human. John Macquarie

32
Thomas N. Finger, Christian Theology an Eschatological Approach Vol II (Ontario: Herald Press, 1985), 67.
33
Mathew Vekathanam, Indian Christology (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2004), 543.
34
Mathew Vekathanam, Indian Christology…, 545.
35
Mathew Vekathanam, Indian Christology…, 546.
36
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World…, 149.
37
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World..., 152.
7
emphasizes that in order to understand Jesus as human we should start from the Paul’s concept of
New Human or New Adam. Here we should not evaluate Jesus in terms of Gender rather
consider him as a human; it is the equivalent of the Hebrew adam and Greek work anthropos and
signifies human being of either sex. Instead of considering How God became man lets
reformulate like how God became human which postulates the inclusiveness.38

In a pluralistic realm, the concept of Jesus should be a way to inculturate, and the way to
dialogue with friends of other faith, with the main aim of working together in the service in the
reign of God that reflects an idea of a new humanity and new human family where all will be the
children of God with love, justice and freedom.39 The concept of New Adam further more deals
with the satisfaction of human dignity, liberation from oppressive structures, peace,
reconciliation and fullness of salvation, which can be seen in Christ, who provides the new
humanity. The new humanity is a symbol of unity and harmony, this harmony was lost through
the selfishness and greed of humanity. 40 The harmony is newly manifested in Christ, who
restored human life with his new humanity.

ii. Jesus and Inculturation: Jesus, the Son of Abraham took initiative to enter into dialogue
with humanity for the salvation, and in the process of divine inculturation that encounters
different cultures, traditions, religions of people in order to redeem and save according to the
divine purpose of God. Jesus came as human and announced the good news and the reign of
God. God himself in his eternal wisdom of salvation has chosen inculturation as a process of
salvation. “Inculturation is the dialogical encounter process understood in its deep meaning that
comes from the salvific moment of God.”41. Robinson Wheeler indicates that Jesus as a true
natural man, in his existence, he is referred to man to other man and his humanity is indisputably
as fellow humanity.42It depicts Jesus‟ human activity involved not only a straight up relation
with God but parallel relation with fellow beings.Jesus designs his ministry with the intention of
destroying all that prevents the realization of the total person. His works and words point to a
new reestablishment of values which include sacred and just. Jesus protested against the legalist

38
John Macquarrie, Jesus Christ in Modern Thought (London: SCM Press, 2003), 359.
39
M. M. Thomas, “A Christ Centered Humanist Approach to Other Religions in The Indian Pluralistic Context…, 55.
40
A. Alangaram, Christ of the Asian Peoples…, 58.
41
A. Alangaram, Christ of the Asian Peoples…, 58.
42
Thomas N. Finger, Christian Theology an Eschatological Approach Vol II…, 96.
8
attitude of scribes who tried to dehumanize the Mosaic Law. Through healing the sick and
proclamation of liberation to the poor Jesus humanize and conscientize the society. 43 The
humanity of Jesus stresses to rediscover the social dimensions of the gospel that furthers the
action oriented approach to the oppressed and towards mission.

Conclusion
It is to be noted that, there are vast titles of Jesus that are drawn by different New Testament
authors and according to their particular environments and settings. The titles were given to
Jesus backed by cultural and as metaphors in order to witness Jesus in the pluralistic context, but
in the core, they all are indicating to the same direction that is, Jesus as Savior who liberates the
humanity.

Bibliography:

“Title”, Illustrated Oxford Dictionary. New York: Oxford University, 2005.

Alangaram, A. Christ of the Asian Peoples. Banglore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2001.

Finger, Thomas N. Christian Theology an Eschatological Approach Vol II. Ontario: Herald,
1985.
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Secunderabad:
OM Books, 1994.

George, Samuel. Christology. Kolkota: SCEPTRE.2013

Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. Christology: A Global Introduction. Michigan: Grand Rapid, 2003.

Kaufman, Gordon. Systematic Theology: A historicist Perspective. New York: Charles

Scribner’s Sons, 1968.

Lee John- Yun. Paul and the historical Jesus. Seoul: Pilgrim , 1998.

McGrath, Alister. Christian Theology: An Introduction. New York: Blackwell, 1994.

Maong, Lemtur. Christ in a changing context. Dimapur: TDCC,2008

Macquarrie, John. Jesus Christ in Modern Thought. London: SCM, 2003.

43
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World…, 58.
9
Pollard, T.E. Johannine Christology and the Early Church. New York: Cambridge University,
1970.

R.H.S, Boyd. Khristadvaita Theology for India. Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1977.

Samuel, Vinay and Chris Sugden, Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World. Michigan: Willliam
B.Eerdmans, 1982.

Thomas, M. M. “A Christ Centered Humanist Approach To Other Religions In The Indian

Pluralistic Context.” In Christian Uniqueness Reconsidered, Edited by Gavin D’costa. New
York: Orbis Books, 1990.

Vekathanam, Mathew. Indian Christology. Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2004.

Wenham, David. Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? Michigan: William B.

Eerdmans, 1995.

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