Pieper, 1968, vol. 2. “In the Second Genus the Divine Attributes are Not Separated from the Divine Essence”

“In the Second Genus the Divine Attributes are Not Separated from the Divine Essence” (Loc. 5023)

“Against the Lutheran teaching of the communication of divine attributes to Christ’s human nature Reformed and Roman Catholic theologians have raised the following objection: If the divine attributes belong as communicated attributes also to the human nature, then the Lutherans teach a separation of the divine attributes from the divine essence” (Loc. 5033). The argument then is that the human nature is converted into the divine. Pieper observes that a denial of communication doesn’t permeate the Reformed camp, as they all want “a real communication of the Person of the Son of God to the human nature” (Loc. 5033). He explains that the human nature itself does not change but that the attributes which that nature possesses change.

An important application of this idea is that the divine is not present apart from the presence of Christ. For instance, the body and blood of Christ are not present in all bread and wine but only in consecrated bread and wine.

Pieper also points out (Loc. 5129ff) that they communication of attributes is not reciprocal, despite the demands of Reformed logic. In the state of humiliation Jesus is fully divine and fully human.