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The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland

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"passions." She says, "His mind, like yours, could<br />

be harassed and perplexed.... His enemies could<br />

annoy Him.... Jesus was exposed to conflict and<br />

temptation, as a man" (OHC 57). Jesus knew the<br />

emotion of anger, for He was often righteously<br />

angry; and the ability to be righteously angry "as a<br />

man" presupposes the ability also to be tempted to<br />

unrighteous anger. "Passions" may not be inherited<br />

genetically, but they are inherited environmentally.<br />

But it is impossible for any human being to yield to<br />

the prompting of evil passions if he has the faith<br />

which Christ had.<br />

We cannot read into this statement more than<br />

Ellen White said, making it imply that because<br />

Christ did not take or possess "the passions of our<br />

human, fallen natures" He could not have taken our<br />

fallen nature. <strong>The</strong> word "human" is linked to<br />

"fallen" in her context. If we interpret the statement<br />

to mean that He did not take our fallen nature, we<br />

must also make it mean that He did not take our<br />

human nature. <strong>The</strong> "infirmities" He took are<br />

evidently related to our temptations, and are far<br />

more than physical weaknesses.<br />

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