RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Jesus Christ
such pictures as the Pieta of Botticelli at Munich being mere anachronisms.
IV. Origin of the Pictures of Jesus: While the theory may be advanced that the oldest pictures of Christ were based either on works of art still more ancient or on tradition, it is practically certain that they are not real portraits but ideal representations. This is clear both from their extreme diversity and from the words of Augustine: " What his appearance was we know not." The most primitive type, wherein early Christian and Gnostic documents agree, is that of a boy or youth. The youthful vigor of the early Church in religious and in moral thought, sustained by the belief in the second coming of the Lord and strengthened by persecution, inspired the artist to depict the Christ as the incarnation of undying youth, even as Noah, Job, Abraham, and Moses were represented as beardless boys. Herein, too, lay the genesis of the concept of the Good Shepherd.
With the fourth and fifth centuries the bearded type was evolved side by side with the beardless. The explanation of this change lies in the perfection, strength, and manliness implied by the beard. The parted hair, on the other hand, which is characteristic of the pictures of Christ in this period, especially in the mosaics, typifies his earthly lineage and designates him as one of the children of Israel, since of human beings only Jews and Judeo-Christians are represented with parted hair in early Christian art. The theory, advanced by many scholars, that Greek religious art influenced the various early Christian concepts of the personal appearance of Christ seems to lack sufficient evidence to be in any wise conclusive.
(NlKOLAUS MtJLLER.)
Bibliography: W. Bayliss, Rex regum. A Painter's Study of the Likeness of Christ from the Time of the Apostles, London, 1903; A. N. Didron, Iconographie chretienne. Histoire de Dieu, Paris, 1843; W. Grimm, Die Sage vom Ursprung der Christusbilder, pp. 121-175, Berlin, 1844; Mrs. Jameson, History of our Lord as Exemplified in Works of Art, 2 vols., London, 1872; A Hauck, Die Entstehung des Christustypus in der abendlandischen Kunst, Heidelberg, 1880; T. Heaphy, Likeness of Christ, New York, 1886 (illustrations valuable); H. M. A. Guerber, Legends of the Virgin and Christ, with Special Reference to . Art, ib. 1896; E. M. Hurll, Life of Our Lord in Art, Bos- 'on, 1898 (valuable); E. von Dobschiitz, Christusbilder, Leipsic, 1899; F. W. Farrar, Life of Christ as Represented in Art, London, 1900; J. L. French, Christ in Art, Boston, 1900; F. Johnson, Have We the Likeness of Christ, Chicago, 1903; J. Burns, The Christ Face in Art, New- York, 1907; J. S. Weis-Liebersdorf, Christus- und Apostelbilder, Freiburg, 1902; J. Ileil, Die fruhchristlichen Darstellungender Kreuzigung Christi, Leipsic, 1904; K.M.Kaufmann, Handbuch der christlichen Archaologie, Paderborn, 1905; G. A. Mtiller, Die liebliche Gestalt Jesu Christ, nach der schrifUichenund monumentalen Urtradition, Styria, 1909.
JESUS CHRIST, THREEFOLD OFFICE OF: A
phrase connoting the functions of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. From the earliest times Jesus has been recognized as the representative of a twofold and yet unitary theocratic function, as king and priest. The spiritual kingdom of the Messiah has its foundation in the sacrifice of his life (Matt. xvi. 16-25, xx. 25-28). This thought may be traced from the second century to the time of the Reformation. But as early as Eusebius a threefold office is ascribed to Christ, that of prophet, priest, and
king, and this is traceable to Jewish sources. The view of a threefold office, however, did not suppress the tradition of a twofold office, although the three
designations of Christ were always used
Historical separately. Among the medieval theo-
Survey. logians, Thomas Aquinas approaches
closely the conception of Eusebius since he speaks of legislator, sacerdos, and rex, but with him this is merely a mechanical division, and Thomas makes no further use of the threefold scheme. The Evangelical doctrine followed in the beginning the tradition of a twofold office (cf. the works of Luther and the older Evangelical catechisms) . Calvin added the prophetic office as a third function, and his conception of the doctrine of Christ's work became the basis for its treatment in Reformed theology and soon also in Lutheran theology. As prophet the Messiah brings the full light of intelligence and thus becomes the fulness and consummation of all revelations. As king of a spiritual and eternal kingdom he not only brings his people external and passing aid, but equips them especially with the gifts for eternal life and guards them against their enemies. As priest Christ secures to his people by his atonement and vicarious suffering the blessing that God deals with them not as judge, but as gracious father. In accordance with these principles Calvin emphasized the truth that communion with God is found in Christ's living personality and in life communion with that personality. In the Heidelberg Catechism (Questions 31 and 32) the thought of Calvin received a finished form and found a large circulation. The orthodox followers of Calvin, however, attempted both to explain the full content of the Messianic person from three points of view, and to analyze the act of salvation in its historical development according to the threefold scheme, thus not easily escaping the mistaken assumption that Christ had become first prophet, then priest, and finally king. It became the custom to deprive Christ of his royal function in the state of humiliation and of the prophetical function in the state of exaltation. Against this mechanical tendency, Cocceius opened new and fruitful points of view by returning to the living material of the Bible. The usual order of the offices of Christ seemed to him justified in so far as the dignity of Christ rose in the growing mind of the people, from the state of a prophet to that of a king. But in reality, he states, Christ's priesthood must be put in the first place, since even before time he mediated between his Father and the people; then follow the royal and prophetic offices. The first office is that through which Christ acquires his people; the second that through which he keeps them; and the third that through which he leads them to the knowledge and love of the king. This double consideration would have resulted in an organic and simultaneous union of the offices in the living personality, even if Cocceius had not expressly added that the entire mediatorial act lasted until the end of days.
The Roman catechism also teaches the threefold office of Christ. In Lutheran theology the doctrine was adopted only at a late period. Melanchthon had not left to the school of theology which followed him a uniform system as Calvin had left for Re-
Jesus Christ