Jesus is fully divine and fully human; his life is the pattern for disciples
Mennonites affirm orthodox Christology: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became fully human in the Incarnation, died for sin, and rose bodily from the dead. He is Savior and Lord. The Mennonite Confession of Faith affirms Jesus as 'Word of God' and 'fully human,' consistent with Nicene and Chalcedonian Christology.
A characteristic Anabaptist emphasis is that Jesus's earthly life — his teaching, example, relationships, and especially his willingness to suffer rather than resist — is normative for Christian discipleship. 'Following Jesus' (Nachfolge Christi) is the central ethical category of Anabaptist spirituality. Christ's way of nonresistant love is not merely a counsel of perfection but the required pattern for all who call him Lord.
Key Distinctions
- Natures formula:
- two complete natures (divine and human) united in one person (hypostatic union)
- Conciliar affiliation:
- Council of Chalcedon (451) affirmed
Scripture References
Sources
- Mennonite Confession of Faith (1995), Article 2 (Jesus Christ)
- Schleitheim Confession (1527)