Institute for Christian Living
Evangelical Free Church of Hershey
6 lessons March 5 – April 9, 2003
Web version: http://www.leppc.net/kearns/ICLChrist.htm
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These are all excellent resources for understanding our faith in general, and any one of them would make an excellent addition to or beginning of a personal Christian library. Boice’s book is probably the most readable and devotional, written by a man who was both a pastor and a noted Bible teacher in Philadelphia. It evidences a pastor’s concern for personal application and devotion. Grudem’s books are also very readable, even the very large Systematic Theology, and are organized more for study or reference and present the material very systematically. Both books have review and application questions after each chapter. As of last year, all three are in print and available from large online bookstores such as Borders.com or Amazon.com.
Ultimate reference: The Bible. All thinking about Jesus must be ultimately based upon God’s self-revelation through the ages, faithfully recorded in the Bible. This self-revelation was progressive (revealed in increasing detail over long periods of time) and self-consistent (later revelations do not contradict earlier ones: later texts must be used to interpret earlier ones, not vice-versa.)
Phl 5:2-11: A parabolic view of Jesus, from eternity to present to future, using “iso-morph”: “of the same form”. See Isaiah 45:23
Similar parabolic idea in 2 Cor 8:9 and Gal 4:4
Col 2:9 and 1 Tim 3:16, and especially Tit 2:13.
His purpose is stated in Jn 20:30-31
He begins at the beginning: Compare Jn 1:1-3 with Gen 1:1-2. The “Word” is the “Logos”, a Greek word that meant much more than simply the spoken or written word. It was the organizing principle of the cosmos. In was in the beginning, with God, and was God.
Jn 12:37-41: Jesus is the object and fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision.
In Revelation: “I am the first and the last” and “I am the Alpha and Omega” are clearly applied to both the Lamb and to God. (Rev 1:8 and Rev 22:13)
Heb 1:8-12
2 Pe 1:1
o He identified his coming with the coming of the Kingdom of God. Mk 1:15, Lk 17:21, Mt 5:17
o He called men to follow him personally. This was never done by prophets: Mt 4:19, Mt 8:22, 9:9; 10:38; 19:21; Jn 12:26 and many others.
o He forgave sins, knowing he was doing what only God can do: Mk 2:1-12
o He promised to send God’s Holy Spirit.
o He alone, and always, referred to God as his Father. No Jew ever spoke of God this way, and was Jesus only way of speaking of God. Jn 10:30; 17:1, 25; Jn 20:17 (distinguishes his relationship to Father as distinct from our relationship to Father)
o He identified himself with the Father: Jn 10:30; 8:19; 14:7; 12:45; 14:9; 14:1; 15:23; 5:23, and many others.
o He did not speak as prophets (“Thus saith the Lord”) but instead always said, “Truly I say to you…”
o Look up all the Bible references in the preceding outline, and explain, to a companion, how they support Jesus’ being truly God.
o Go to the web site http://www.leppc.net/kearns/ICLChrist.htm and click here (or on the link below) to further study the Trinity. If you don’t have access to the web, review the handout on the Trinity from class.
o At the same web site, click on the Creeds links below, and read some of the ancient statements of our faith, for upcoming lessons. (If you don’t have a browser, get these tonight in class)
o How would you answer a Jehovah’s Witness, who told you that Jesus was/is an archangel, a very important creature of God’s, but not actually God?
See link above or separate handout.
o Questions: What is at stake if Jesus was not human? Which is higher, mind or spirit or body? When Paul talks about the flesh as if it were evil or a particular problem, what is he talking about? Are our bodies particularly sinful, in and of themselves? In thinking about these questions, keep in mind Adam and Eve, Satan and his demons, and Jesus.
o "God is very fond of matter. He made it. " (C.S. Lewis)
o Quotation from Luther's introduction to Romans:
“You must not so understand “flesh” and spirit as to think that flesh has to do only with unchastity and spirit only with what is inward, in the heart; but Paul, like Christ in John 3, calls “flesh” everything that is born of the flesh; viz, the whole man, with body and soul, mind and senses, because everything about him longs for the flesh. Thus you should learn to call him “fleshly” who thinks, teaches, and talks a great deal about high spiritual matters, but without grace. From the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5, you can learn that Paul calls heresy and hatred “works of the flesh”, and in Romans 8 he says that “the law was weak through the flesh”, and this does not refer to unchastity, but to all sins, above all to unbelief, which is the most spiritual of all vices. On the other hand, he calls him a spiritual man who is occupied with the most external kinds of works, as Christ, when he washed the disciples’ feet, and Peter, when he steered his boat and fished.”
o Two-fold nature is seen in OT: Is 9:6. In NT: Ro 1:3-4, Gal 4:4-5
o In many places His humanity is seen right next to his deity, in same verse or situation. Wedding at Cana. Stilling the storm. Death on the cross with miraculous happenings.
o Docetism: ancient Gnostic heresy that Jesus only appeared to be a man, but was not truly man like we are. John’s letters were probably the earliest response to Gnosticism and Docetism: 1 Jn 1:1-3 uses 3 of the 5 -physical senses to emphasize the physical presence of Jesus. Also see I Jn 4:2-3 emphasizing his incarnation. Prominent heretics denying the incarnation were Marcion of Pontus, a mid 2nd Century docetist, and the followers of Manicheism, who disdained matter and taught that Jesus was made of heavenly, but not material flesh. Influenced Augustine as a youth and led to Chalcedonian and Athanasian creeds.
o Like us in emotions: Most frequently mentioned are compassion and pity. Mk 8:2-3 Mk 1:41 Lk 7:13 Mt 20:34 Lk 19:41 Jn 11:35 Jesus' emotions were deep and disturbing, even distressing to him. Greek embrimaomai used only in Jn 11:33 , Mt 9:30, Mk 1:43, and 14:5. Suggests deep grief with an element of anger. Mk 10:14
o Deep sorrow was experience by Jesus, but more often mentioned in NT is his Joy! Jn 15:11 Jn 17:13 Heb 12:2
o Like us in temptation: Mt 4:1-11.
o Like us in suffering: Mt 4:2, Jn 19:28-29, Lk 8:23, Lk 22:39-46
o All this allows Jesus to identify with us, and us with him: 1 Pet 2:21 Heb 2:16-18
The briefest description of Jesus’ nature and work. Bare bones: Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of virgin, suffered, died, rose, ascended and will come again to judge.
More explicit declaration of deity and humanity of Jesus; was concerned with heresies denying one or the other of these natures.
Entire creed devoted to the nature of Jesus as “both God and Man” , one person / two natures, inseparable.
Almost entirely concerned with the doctrine of the Trinity.
o The atonement is the central, unavoidable, essential reason for the incarnation.
o Calvary, not Bethlehem, is the focal point of Christianity.
o Jesus came to die, to save us. Heb 10:4-7. His very name indicates this: Mt 1:21. Mk 8:31 Jn 12:27-33 Jn 17:1-2
o The OT also teaches this: Lk 24:25-27
o How does the atonement require the incarnation? Anselm of Canterbury (died 1109) wrote his theological masterpiece Why Did God Become Man? about this. Salvation had to be achieved by God because no one else could do it. Yet, the debt was owed by man. So only man could pay it: (quote from Anselm ):
It would not have been right for the restoration of human nature to be left undone, and…it could not have been done unless man paid what was owing to God for sin. But the debt was so great that, while man alone owed it, only God could pay it, so that the same person must be both man and God. Thus it was necessary for God to take manhood into the unity of his Person, so that he who in his own nature ought to pay and could no should be in a person who could…The life of this man was so sublime, so precious, that it can suffice to pay what is owing for the sins of the whole world, and infinitely more.
This word has to do with sacrifice, and indicates what Jesus accomplished in relation to God by his work.
This idea presupposes the idea of a wrath to be satisfied in the first place. Is God wrathful? Is this an outdated concept?
Rom 3:23-26. Consider the context: Rom 1 and 2.
Has to do with Jesus work with respect to us:
The “salvation triangle”:
Consider the buying of a slave out of slavery: How could he become a slave in the first place? Ps 51:5, Ps 19:13, Rom 6:23
Consider Hosea.
God the Father’s action toward us.
Which is more important to Christian theology, the death or the resurrection of Jesus?
Did the disciples have faith before the resurrection? Mt 16:16 If so, how strong was it?
Lk 24:45-48. A key part of the message. Why?
1 Cor 15:3-8
Acts 2:27
This doctrine is the pivot. It does not itself accomplish our salvation, but it establishes it. 1 Cor 15:14-18 What doctrines does it establish?
· The existence of God
· The deity of Jesus (Rom 1:4) (Jn 5:18, Jn 16:28, Jn 14:9….all claims to divinity; by resurrecting Him, the Father vindicated these claims. Mt 12:40
· The Seal on justification: Rom 4:24-25. Mt 20:28 . How were we to know that the sacrifice was, in fact, acceptable to the Father?
· The Seal on sanctification: Eph 1:19-20, Rom 6:4, (Story by Torrey of rock-climbers: Adam→ Jesus)
· The Seal on Eternal Life: Jn 14:3, 1 Thess 4:14, Jn 14:19, 1 Cor 15:55-57
· The Seal on Judgment: Acts 7:31, Heb 9:26-27
Mt 24:44; Jn 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 9:28; James 5:8; 1 Jn 3:2; Rev 22:12, 17, 20;
Titus 2:12-13; we eagerly await the Lord’s coming
Many varied views held by intelligent, scholarly, committed believers. We will seek the areas of agreement.
Tension: Is Jesus coming back at any moment? Are there not signs which must be fulfilled first? Consider the verses:
His coming could be at any time:
· Mt 24:42-44, 50; Mt 25:13; Mk 13:32-33; Luke 12:40
· Phil 3:20; I Thess 5:2
· James 5:7-9, I Pet 4:7; 2 Pet 3:10;
· Rev 1:3; Rev 22:7, 12,
· 2 Pet 3:8-9
His coming will be preceded by certain signs and events:
· Mk 13:10, Mt 24:14 Gospel preached to all nations. But see: Col 1:5-6, 23
· Mk 13:7-8; Mt 24:15-22; Lk 21:20-24 Great tribulation. But consider tribulations through the ages, even today.
· Mk 13:22, Mt 24:23-24; False prophets. But see: Acts 8:9-11
· Mk 13:24-25, Mt 24:29-30 Signs in Heaven. But consider: How much warning would this be?
· 2 Thess 2:1-10 Man of lawlessness. But consider all the men of lawlessness through time.
· Rom 11:12, 25-26 Salvation of Israel: But see: Rom 11:1-2
So which is it? Any moment, or after these signs? Consider possible solution: each of these signs are unlikely to have already been fulfilled, but might have been. Hence, Jesus’ coming at any given moment would be conceived as unlikely, but possible.
· Creation
· Redemption, Propitiation, and Justification
· Destined, slain from the foundation of the earth
· Intercession
· Incarnation
· The perfect life
· The revelation of the Father
· Suffering and Death in our Place
· Resurrection
· Ascension
· Second Coming
The Names and Person of Christ
His deity and membership in the Trinity
His humanity and incarnation
Jesus in the major Creeds
The work of Christ
The anointed offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest and King