But most probably the description of Jesus as thus unique will continue to be associated with the allegation - He told us so; he claimed Messiahship and " died for the claim."
They were thus enabled to retain the belief in his Messiahship which his death had threatened to destroy permanently.
Hitherto He had not permitted any public recognition of His Messiahship, but now He entered David's city in lowly but significant pomp as David's promised heir.
The Church's first creed had been " the Fatherhood of God and the Messiahship of Jesus " (A Ritschl); but the " Rule of Faith " (Irenaeus; Tertullian, who uses the exact expression; Origen)- that summary of religiously important facts which was meant to ward off error without reliance on speculations such as the Logos doctrine - built itself up along the lines of the baptismal formula of Matt.
His Messiahship is asserted; who then is D octrine the Messiah?