How can the Incarnation be reconciled with God's immutability?
Answered from the commentary of Hamilton Smith, J. A. Trench, William John Hocking and 5 others
God does not change in His divine Person: the eternal Word, who was God, became flesh, and the Son remained what He eternally was while taking perfect manhood into union with Himself. The change was in the condition and form He took, not in His deity or Person; He became truly Man without ceasing to be God. In becoming man, He took the form of a servant and came in humility, while His divine being and eternal relationship with the Father remained unchanged. Thus the Incarnation was not Godhead turned into flesh, but the unchanging Son taking humanity into union with Himself.
Verses: John 1:1, John 1:2, John 1:3, John 1:4, John 1:5, John 1:6, John 1:7, John 1:8, John 1:9, John 1:10, John 1:11, John 1:12, John 1:13, John 1:14, John 1:18, John 8:58, Philippians 2:6, Philippians 2:7, Philippians 2:8, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:15, Hebrews 2:16, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, James 1:17
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Moreover, if our Lord's incarnation introduced into the Trinity entirely new relations, it would be, not an emptying, but a filling; not a humbling, but an exaltation; not a revelation of God, but a revolution in God. It is incredible that any such radical changes could take place in the inner relations of the Unchangeable God. The Incarnation did reveal what was there before, it could not create entirely new relations. Our Lord's transcendental attributes did not issue from His human birth alone, though by the operation of the Holy Spirit, else His humanity had been unreal, but from the fact that the Person, who entered into Manhood was Divine.
Depend upon it we shall gain greatly in our souls, and in our knowledge of the truth, if we adhere to Scripture. I read there of a Person — the Word, existing in eternity, Himself the Creator. I read of that same Person become flesh, a man on earth amongst men, a true, real, individual man, but the same blessed Person — God manifest in flesh, the Son whom God sent in likeness of flesh of sin, God's Son, come of a woman. There is no thought of a change in the Person, the real "I." He is always the same, though His "form" is changed, and the condition in which He has life.
He Who Was Son in Deity Takes up Perfect Manhood into Union with His Person.
He took up perfect manhood into union with His Person. His incarnation did not in the least detract from His eternal deity nor from His eternal relationship in the Godhead, but only gave to His humanity His infinite perfection. So in manhood He was Son as He ever was in that eternal, unchanging and unchangeable relationship which He had with the Father in the Godhead.
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." "The Son of God is come." "The Son of God was manifested" (John 1: 15; 1 John 5: 20; John 3: 8).
He Who Was Son in Deity Takes up Perfect Manhood into Union with His Person
He took up perfect manhood into union with His Person. His incarnation did not in the least detract from His eternal deity nor from His eternal relationship in the Godhead, but only gave to His humanity His infinite perfection. So in manhood He was Son as He ever was in that eternal, unchanging and unchangeable relationship which He had with the Father in the Godhead.
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." "The Son of God is come." "The Son of God was manifested" (John 1:15; 1 John 5:20; John 3:8).
"Scripture makes it clear that His Person is eternal and changeless, whether as in the form of God in the past eternity, or as come in flesh, or as glorified as Man at God's right hand, or as the subject Son in eternity to come."
Scripture does not divide between the Deity and the humanity of the Incarnate Son, even in the womb of the virgin. Believing that the Person of the Eternal Son abode unchanged and unchangeable when He became the woman's Seed, we are content to be ignorant because we are confident that the method of the Incarnation is inexplicable to the human mind, though scripture describes it so simply as "the birth of Jesus Christ" (Matt. 1:18).
Scripture does not divide between the Deity and the humanity of the Incarnate Son, even in the womb of the virgin. Believing that the Person of the Eternal Son abode unchanged and unchangeable when He became the woman's Seed, we are content to be ignorant of the holy mystery because we are confident that the method of the Incarnation is inexplicable to the human mind, though scripture describes it so simply as "the birth of Jesus Christ" (Matt. 1:18).
The Eternal Son of God became Man, yet He never ceased to be the Infinite Creator. He emptied Himself of His reputation.2 His Manhood veiled His glory so that He did not receive the universal obeisance that was His due; yet He never ceased in His Person to be omniscient,3 omnipotent,4 and omnipresent,5 upholding all things by the Word of His power.
The Eternal Son of God became Man, yet He never ceased to be the Infinite Creator. He emptied Himself of His reputation.2 His Manhood veiled His glory so that He did not receive the universal obeisance that was His due; yet He never ceased in His Person to be omniscient,3 omnipotent,4 and omnipresent,5 upholding all things by the Word of His power.
Also, the Word was made flesh; God has been manifested in flesh. Acting thus in that veritable humanity, His presence in the unity of the same Person was incompatible with sin.
Verses
- John 1:1–141In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things received being through him, and without him not one [thing] received being which has received being. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not. 6There was a man sent from God, his name John. 7He came for witness, that he might witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but that he might witness concerning the light. 9The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the world had [its] being through him, and the world knew him not. 11He came to his own, and his own received him not; 12but as many as received him, to them gave he [the] right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; 13who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's will, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth;