ThoughlongmaintainedbytheEbionitesorprimitiveChristians，itwasverysoonrejectedbythegreatbodyoftheChurch，whichassertedinsteadthatJesushadbeeninspiredbytheHolySpiritfromthemomentofhisconception。FromthisitwasbutasteptothetheorythatJesuswasactuallybegottenbyoroftheHolySpirit；anotionwhichtheHellenicmind，accustomedtothemythsofLeda，Anchises，andothers，foundnodifficultyinentertaining。AccordingtotheGospeloftheHebrews，ascitedbyOrigen，theHolySpiritwasthemotherofJesus，andJosephwashisfather。Butaccordingtotheprevailingopinion，asrepresentedinthefirstandthirdsynoptists，therelationshipwasjusttheotherway。Withgreaterapparentplausibility，thedivineaeonwassubstitutedforthehumanfather，andamythsprangup，ofwhichthematerialisticdetailsfurnishedtotheopponentsofthenewreligionanopportunityformakingthemostgrossandexasperatinginsinuations。Thedominanceofthistheorymarkstheeraatwhichourfirstandthirdsynopticgospelswerecomposed，——fromsixtytoninetyyearsafterthedeathofJesus。Intheluxuriantmythologicgrowththereexhibited，wemayyettracethevarioussuccessivephasesofChristologicspeculationbutimperfectlyblended。In“Matthew“and“Luke“wefindtheoriginalMessianictheoryexemplifiedinthegenealogiesofJesus，inwhich，contrarytohistoricprobabilitycf。Matt。xxii。41-46，butinaccordancewithatime-honouredtradition，hispedigreeistracedbacktoDavid；“Matthew“referringhimtotheroyallineofJudah，while“Luke“morecautiouslyhasrecoursetoanassumedyoungerbranch。Superposeduponthisprimitivemythologicstratum，wefind，inthesamenarratives，theaccountofthedescentofthepneumaatthetimeofthebaptism；andcrowningthewhole，therearethetwoaccountsofthenativitywhich，thoughconflictinginnearlyalltheirdetails，agreeinrepresentingthedivinepneumaasthefatherofJesus。OfthesethreestagesofChristology，thelastbecomesentirelyirreconcilablewiththefirst；andnothingcanbetterillustratetheuncriticalcharacterofthesynoptiststhanthefactthattheassumeddescentofJesusfromDavidthroughhisfatherJosephisallowedtostandsidebysidewiththeaccountofthemiraculousconceptionwhichcompletelynegativesit。Ofthisdifficulty“Matthew“isquiteunconscious，and“Luke，“whilevaguelynoticingitiii。23，proposesnosolution，andappearsundisturbedbythecontradiction。
ThusfartheChristologywithwhichwehavebeendealingispredominantlyJewish，thoughtosomeextentinfluencedbyHellenicconceptions。NoneofthesuccessivedoctrinespresentedinPaul，“Matthew，“and“Luke“assertorimplythepre-existenceofJesus。Atthisearlyperiodhewasregardedasahumanbeingraisedtoparticipationincertainattributesofdivinity；andthiswasasfarasthedogmacouldbecarriedbytheJewishmetaphysics。Butsoonafterthedateofourthirdgospel，aHellenicsystemofChristologyaroseintoprominence，inwhichtheproblemwasreversed，andJesuswasregardedasasemi-divinebeingtemporarilyloweredtoparticipationincertainattributesofhumanity。ForsuchadoctrineJewishmythologysuppliednoprecedents；buttheIndo-Europeanmindwasfamiliarwiththeconceptionofdeityincarnateinhumanform，asintheavatarsofVishnu，orevensufferingIIItheinterestsofhumanity，asinthenoblemythofPrometheus。TheelementsofChristologypre-existinginthereligiousconceptionsofGreece，India，andPersia，aretoorichandnumeroustobediscussedhere。AveryfullaccountofthemisgiveninMr。R。W。Mackay’sacuteandlearnedtreatiseonthe“ReligiousDevelopmentoftheGreeksandHebrews{。}“
ItwasinAlexandria，whereJewishtheologyfirstcameintocontactwithHellenicandOrientalideas，thatthewaywaspreparedforthedogmaofChrist’spre-existence。TheattempttorationalizetheconceptionofdeityasembodiedintheJehovahoftheOldTestamentgaverisetotheclassofopinionsdescribedasGnosis，orGnosticism。ThesignificationofGnosisissimply“rationalism，“——theendeavourtoharmonizethematerialisticstatementsofanoldmythologywiththemoreadvancedspiritualisticphilosophyofthetime。TheGnosticsrejectedtheconceptionofananthropomorphicdeitywhohadappearedvisiblyandaudiblytothepatriarchs；andtheyweretheauthorsofthedoctrine，verywidelyspreadduringthesecondandthirdcenturies，thatGodcouldnotinpersonhavebeenthecreatoroftheworld。Accordingtothem，God，aspurespirit，couldnotactdirectlyuponvileandgrossmatter。ThedifficultywhichtroubledthemwascuriouslyanalogoustothatwhichdisturbedtheCartesiansandthefollowersofLeibnitzintheseventeenthcentury；howwasspirittoactuponmatter，withoutceasing，protanto，tobespirit？Toevadethisdifficulty，theGnosticspostulatedaseriesofemanationsfromGod，becomingsuccessivelylessandlessspiritualandmoreandmorematerial，untilatthelowestendofthescalewasreachedtheDemiurgusorJehovahoftheOldTestament，whocreatedtheworldandappeared，clothedinmaterialform，tothepatriarchs。AccordingtosomeoftheGnosticsthislowestaeonoremanationwasidenticalwiththeJewishSatan，ortheAhrimanofthePersians，whoiscalled“theprinceofthisworld，“andthecreationoftheworldwasanessentiallyevilact。Butalldidnotshareintheseextremeopinions。Intheprevailing，theory，thislastofthedivineemanationswasidentifiedwiththe“Sophia，“orpersonified“Wisdom，“oftheBookofProverbsviii。22-30，whoisdescribedaspresentwithGodbeforethefoundationoftheworld。Thetotalityoftheseaeonsconstitutedthepleroma，or“fulnessofGod“Coloss。i。20；Eph。i。23，andinacorollarywhichbearsunmistakablemarksofBuddhistinfluence，itwasarguedthat，inthefinalconsummationofthings，mattershouldbeeliminatedandallspiritreunitedwithGod，fromwhomithadprimarilyflowed。
ItwasimpossiblethatsuchviewsastheseshouldnotsoonbetakenupandappliedtothefluctuatingChristologyofthetime。
Accordingtothe“ShepherdofHermas，“anapocalypticwritingnearlycontemporarywiththegospelof“Mark，“theaeonorsonofGodwhoexistedprevioustothecreationwasnottheChrist，ortheSophia，butthePneumaorHolySpirit，representedintheOldTestamentasthe“angelofJehovah。“Jesus，inrewardforhisperfectgoodness，wasadmittedtoashareintheprivilegesofthisPneumaReville，p。39。Here，asM。Revilleobserves，thoughaGnosticideaisadopted，Jesusisneverthelessviewedasascendinghumanity，andnotasdescendingdivinity。Theauthorofthe“ClementineHomilies“advancesastepfarther，andclearlyassumesthepre-existenceofJesus，who，inhisopinion，wasthepure，primitiveman，successivelyincarnateinAdam，Enoch，Noah，Abraham，Isaac，Jacob，Moses，andfinallyintheMessiahorChrist。Theauthorprotests，invehementlanguage，againstthoseHellenistswho，misledbytheirpolytheisticassociations，wouldelevateJesusintoagod。Nevertheless，hisownhypothesisofpre-existencesuppliedatoncetherequisitefulcrumforthoseGnosticswhowishedtoreconcileastrictmonotheismwiththeascriptionofdivineattributestoJesus。Combiningwiththisnotionofpre-existencethepneumaticorspiritualqualityattributedtoJesusinthewritingsofPaul，theGnosticizingChristiansmaintainedthatChristwasanaeonoremanationfromGod，redeemingmenfromtheconsequencesentailedbytheirimprisonmentinmatter。AtthisstageofChristologicspeculationappearedtheanonymousepistletothe“Hebrews，“andthepseudo-Paulineepistlestothe“Colossians，““Ephesians，“and“Philippians“A。D。130。Intheseepistles，whichoriginatedamongthePaulineChristians，theGnostictheosophyisskilfullyappliedtothePaulineconceptionofthescopeandpurposesofChristianity。JesusisdescribedasthecreatoroftheworldColoss。i。16，thevisibleimageoftheinvisibleGod，thechiefandrulerofthe“throues，dominions，principalities，andpowers，“intowhich，inGnosticphraseology，theemanationsofGodwereclassified。Or，accordingto“Colossians“and“Philippians，“alltheaeonsaresummedupinhim，inwhomdwellsthepleroma，or“fulnessofGod。“ThusJesusiselevatedquiteaboveordinaryhumanity，andacloseapproachismadetoditheism，althoughheisstillemphaticallysubordinatedtoGodbybeingmadethecreatoroftheworld，——anofficethenregardedasincompatiblewithabsolutedivineperfection。Inthecelebratedpassage，“Philippians“ii。6-11，theaeonJesusisdescribedasbeingtheformorvisiblemanifestationofGod，yetashumblinghimselfbytakingontheformorsemblanceofhumanity，andsufferingdeath，inreturnforwhichheistobeexaltedevenabovethearchangels。Asimilarviewistakenin“Hebrews“；anditisprobablethattothegrowingfavourwithwhichthesedoctrineswerereceived，weowetheomissionofthemiraculousconceptionfromthegospelof“Mark，“——acircumstancewhichhasmisledsomecriticsintoassigningtothatgospelanearlierdatethanto“Matthew“and“Luke。“YetthefactthatinthisgospelJesusisimplicitlyrankedabovetheangelsMarkxiii。32，revealsalaterstageofChristologicdoctrinethanthatreachedbythefirstandthirdsynoptists；anditisaltogetherprobablethat，inaccordancewiththenoticeableconciliatorydispositionofthisevangelist，thesupernaturalconceptionisomittedoutofdeferencetotheGnosticizingtheoriesof“Colossians“and“Philippians，“inwhichthismaterialisticdoctrineseemstohavehadnoassignableplace。In“Philippians“especially，manyexpressionsseemtovergeuponDocetism，theextremeformofGnosticism，accordingtowhichthehumanbodyofJesuswasonlyaphantom。Valentinus，whowascontemporarywiththePaulinewritersofthesecondcentury，maintainedthatJesuswasnotbornofMarybyanyprocessofconception，butmerelypassedthroughher，aslighttraversesatranslucentsubstance。AndfinallyMarcionA。D。140carriedthetheorytoitsextremelimitsbydeclaringthatJesuswasthepurePneumaorSpirit，whocontainednothingincommonwithcarnalhumanity。