From Temptation to Salvation: The Christology of Colin E. Gunton

From Temptation to Salvation: The Christology of Colin E. Gunton

Andres S. TANG

Regarding the issue of the temptation of Jesus Christ, Colin E. Gunton develops his Christology by following Edward Irving's suggestion that the human nature of Jesus Christ is fallen or sinful. Concerning the sinfulness of Jesus Christ, Gunton introduces the third way, namely, that "He was enable not to sin” which is better than the two traditional stances: “He was unable to sin" and "He was able not to sin." For Gunton, the latter two make the temptation of Jesus Christ unreal. Furthermore, since what Christ has not assumed He has not saved, Gunton thinks that we need to assert Irving's suggestion. It is only in this way that Jesus Christ truly shares and represents the human being before God the Father. However, how did Jesus Christ overcome the temptation of committing sin? Instead of employing the doctrine of two natures, Gunton develops a kind of Pneumatological Christology to solve the problem. It is only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is able to offer His life in an obedient way to God the Father.