III. ADOPTIONISM: The Old Heresy Behind the Text of the Modern Versions

By going through the above verses two important trends appear. 

1.   The Name “Jesus” is frequently disassociated from the titles “Lord” and “Christ.” Whereas in the AV we will read “Jesus Christ” or the “Lord Jesus Christ,” in the Modern Versions “Jesus” is often made to stand alone or not at all.  In fact, our Saviour’s full title "Lord Jesus Christ" is found 84 times in 81 verses in the AV and only 60 times in 60 verses in the NIV, 62 times in 62 verses in the NRSV, and 63 times in 63 verses in the RSV.  A noticeable difference is clearly apparent!

2.   In the above list the name “Jesus” is frequently removed from statements of Deity and works of Deity.

Looking at Matthew and Mark, Jesus is removed from:

Matthew
4:12     The prophesy of the great light (12-16).
4:18     The call to discipleship (18-22).
4:23     The miracle working ministry in Galilee (23-25).
8:29     Association with the title "thou Son of God."
12:25   The healing of the blind and dumb demoniac (22-30).
13:36   The interpretation of wheat and tares (36-43).
13:51   Association with the title "Lord" (which is also removed).
14:14   The immediate account of a miracle.
14:22   Much of the account of walking on the sea (22-27).
15:16   The discourse about defilement (10-20).
15:30   The immediate account of a miracle.
16:20   Association with the title "the Christ.".

Mark
1:41     The immediate account of a miracle.
5:13     The immediate account of a miracle.
5:19     Association with the title "Lord."
6:34     The feeding of the 5,000 (32-44).
7:27     The healing of the Syrophenician woman's daughter (24-30).
8:1       The feeding of the 4,000 (1-9).
8:17     The discourse concerning leaven (14-21).
11:14   The cursing of the fig tree (12-14).
11:15   The cleansing of the Temple (15-19).
12:41   The account of the widow's mite (41-44).
14:22   The account of the Last Supper (22-25).

In the author’s, Early Manuscripts, Church Fathers, and the Authorized Version (Available from The Bible for Today) eighty-six examples of this disassociation are given.

What Lies Behind This Separation?

This separation of “Jesus” from “Christ” occurs far too often to look for a cause other than deliberate editing in certain N.T. manuscripts.  That there was a strong movement in the early centuries that could result in such a systematic editing; there can be no doubt!  The foremost error regarding the Person of Christ is to deny His true Deity and true Humanity.  The chief means by which this was done, and which finds expression down to our own day, is technically known as “Adoptionism” or “Spirit Christology.”  The heresy follows this line of reasoning: Jesus of Nazareth, an ordinary man of unusual virtue, was “adopted” by God into divine Sonship by the advent of the “Christ-Spirit” at His baptism.  Therefore, Jesus became Christ at His baptism rather than the fact that He was always the Christ from eternity.  And, though united for a time, Jesus and Christ were separate personages.  Many names and groups are associated with this wicked teaching, foremost of whom were the Gnostics. The liberal J. N. D. Kelly writes,

There was a great variety of Gnostic systems, but a common pattern ran through them all.  From the pleroma, or spiritual world of aeons, the divine Christ descended and united Himself for a time (according to Ptolemy, between the baptism and the passion) to the historical personage.  These were tendencies on the fringe, yet Gnosticism at any rate came within an ace of swamping the central tradition. (Early Christian Doctrines, London: Adam & Charles Black, 1958, pp. 141,142).

Ponder carefully Kelly's statement about how near this came to “swamping the central tradition”!  In the summaries, we will be looking more closely at Egypt; but notice for now that Kelly's mention of Ptolemy and Gnosticism takes us to that city that gave powerful force and rise to the Gnostic error - Alexandria. 

It is for this reason that the Bible closes with the following warnings:

1 John. 2:22     Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? 

1 John. 4:2, 3   Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist.

1 John. 5:1       Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

2 John. 7          For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh: This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The terrible heresy has found expression in a number of ways down through the centuries, and it has been given a new lease on life through the Modern Versions. This then is the old heresy revived!