In His state of humiliation Christ did not teach as did the prophets of Israel, but as the unique Prophet sent by God (Propheta κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν, Propheta omnibus excellentior), Luke 7, 16; John 4, 19; 6, 14, that is to say, immediately (αὐτοπροσώπως) and by His own authority, John 7, 46; 1, 18. Our Lord did not receive His divine doctrines by divine inspiration, 2 Pet. 1, 21, but possessed them as the omniscient Son of God, Matt. 23, 8. 10; Luke 24, 19; 4, 32; Matt. 7, 29; John 6, 63. Nor did He possess His divine knowledge merely according to His divine nature; for through the personal union (communication of attributes) also His human nature participated in the omniscience of His divine nature, Col. 2, 3. 9. (In Christo igitur Deus ipse munere prophetico fungitur, Heb. 1, 2.) Augustine: "Doctor doctorum Christus, cuius schola in terra et cathedra in coelo est."
With respect to the message which Christ proclaimed. Scripture declares very plainly that He announced Himself as the divine Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil, Matt. 4, 17; John 6, 40; 3, 14. 15; Matt. 20, 28; John 6, 51—65. As Paul preached Christ and Him Crucified as his central message, 1 Cor. 2, 2; 2 Cor. 4, 5, so our divine Savior centered His entire preaching in the astounding Gospel-truth of salvation through His vicarious death, Luke 18, 31—34; Matt. 16, 21—23; Mark 8, 27—33. Again, as St. Paul proclaimed salvation by grace through faith in the crucified and risen Christ, so also Christ Himself published the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Him, Matt. 11, 28; John 6, 29. 32. 33. 35.
It is true, our divine Lord, as the Prophet whom God raised up like unto Moses, Deut. 18,15, promulgated also the divine Law, Matt. 5—7, not, however, a new law (Modernists), but the same Moral Law which God had published in the Old Testament, Matt. 22, 34—40, the fulfilling of which is love, Rom. 13,10. Even the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5—7, was not a new law, but only the right explanation of the Moral Law in opposition to the false interpretations of the scribes. The commandment of love was taught so explicitly in the Old Testament, Lev. 19,18, that the Jews at the time of Christ fully understood it, Luke 10, 27. The “new commandment,” John 13, 34, was new only with regard to its peculiar application to Christ’s followers and the motives with which it was enforced (Luther: “new through the new spiritual powers”); for His disciples were to love one another in imitation of their divine Master, in whom they believed.
In opposition to all errorists who affirm that Christ was essentially a new Lawgiver (Pelagians, Arminians, Semi-Pelagians, Modernists, papists: Christ proclaimed as a new law the evangelical counsels, consilia evangelica: chastity, poverty, and obedience) the Church declares on the basis of Scripture: “Christ was indeed a Teacher of the Law, but not a new Lawgiver.” (Christus quidem fuit legis doctor, sed non novus legislator.) Yet, though Christ preached also the divine Law, the administration of His prophetic office consisted properly in His proclamation of the Gospel of salvation through faith in His atoning suffering and death, John 1, 17.