Magisterium & Incarnation (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note
Exam code: 8063
Understanding of the incarnation in Dei Verbum 4
From the earliest days of the Christian Church, people have tried to present false ideas about Jesus. Some have argued that Jesus:
Was not fully God, just a very holy and wise man
Was not fully human, just appeared to be so
Was half-God, half-man
These incorrect ideas are known as heresies because they do not present the Christian understanding that Jesus was both fully God and fully human
One of the earliest Church teachers to counter these false claims was St Irenaeus (see previous page)
More recently (within the last 60 years), the Magisterium has produced two documents to explain the Catholic Church’s belief that Jesus is both fully God and fully human
These documents are known as Dei Verbum and Verbum Domini
Dei Verbum 4
Dei Verbum means God’s word
It was published in 1965 by Vatican II
It explains that Jesus' becoming human was the only way for humans to fully understand God
“For he sent his Son … so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God” (Dei Verbum 4)
“Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as ‘a man to men’” (Dei Verbum 4)
Dei Verbum also stresses that Jesus is, at the same time, “God with us” and came to humans to bring salvation to everyone
“God is with us to free us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to life eternal” (Dei Verbum 4)
Understanding of the incarnation in Verbum Domini 12
Verbum Domini means the word of the Lord
It was written by Pope Benedict in 2010
It explains how Jesus’s incarnation made God visible to people on earth
God limited himself to the form of a human — a child — so that humans could understand him
“The Son himself is the Word, the Logos: the eternal word became small — small enough to fit in the manger. He became a child so that the word could be grasped by us” (Verbum Domini 12)
The incarnation also shows that Jesus:
Knew the will of God because he is God
Always carried out the will of God because he is a perfect human being — even when it cost him the ultimate price: his life
“In his perfect humanity, [Jesus] does the will of the Father at all times … Jesus thus shows that he is the divine Logos (word) but at the same time the new Adam, the true man” (Verbum Domini 12)
Worked Example
Give two beliefs about Jesus taught by the magisterium.
[2 marks]
Answer:
Jesus was fully God, God incarnate, while on earth. [1 mark]
Jesus was fully human while on earth. [1 mark]
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This topic is so tricky that Church leaders have studied it throughout the Church’s history. So don’t worry if you find it hard!
Keep in mind at all times:
Christianity teaches that Jesus is fully God AND fully human.
Any other interpretation is incorrect and goes against Church teaching.
The documents you have studied in this part of the course explain this in different ways. Try to learn one or two quotes from Dei Verbum 4 and Verbum Domini 12, and make sure you can explain how they show the belief that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
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