| Basic Christianity: The Magnificent Seven |
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The articulation of foundational beliefs of Christianity dates back to the beginnings of the faith. It began with early hymns: short, creedal statements “Jesus is Lord” – 1 Cor 12:3 (no one can say, except by HS); Romans 10:9 (if you confess…that Jesus is Lord) 1 Cor 15:3-8 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, Rom 1:3-4; 1 Tim 3:16; Phil 2:6-11; Irenaeus (107): be deaf, therefore,
whenever anyone speaks to you apart from Jesus Christ, who is of the
stock of David, who is of Mary, who was truly born, ate and drank, was
truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died
in the sight of beings of heaven, of earth and the underworld, who was
also truly raised from the dead… Roman Symbol, Apostles Creed: all it’s articles are found in the theological formulas that were current around AD100. Early form of Apostle’s Creed likely preserved in the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus’s Apostolic Tradition (c.215): “Do you believe in God the Father All Governing? Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Who was begotten by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died (and was buried) and rose the third day living from the dead, and ascended into the heavens, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
in the holy Church, and (in the resurrection of the body)?” It moved to formalized statements when Rome quit killing Christians This is not when doctrine was “discovered” or “fabricated” but when it was articulated Precise, fixed, official creeds did not appear until the 3rd and 4th centuries. Nicea 325; Constantinople 381; Chalcedon
451; Council of Orange 529 1. Theology: Trinity; one God in 3 persons Wayne Grudem: “God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each is fully God, and there is one God.” One essence, three persons / One common set of attributes, three distinct personalities / one “what”, 3 “whos” 1. ALL GOD: Bible speaks of Father as God, Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). Father: blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 1:2) Son: Jn 8:58 “before Abraham was I am.” Jn 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” Philippians 2:5 – “who being in very nature God” Titus 2:13 “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” 2Pe 1:1 “our God and Savior Jesus Christ Spirit: Acts 5:4 – you have lied to God 2. DISTINCT: the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), He cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. - distinct 3. NOT PARTS: The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. The Bible is clear that all three Persons are each one hundred percent God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God. For example, it says of Christ that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). 5. ONE God: Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." 6. NOT A CONTRADICTION –one & 3 in different ways Equality, diversity, singularity – those are your 3 key words you must know The
words we avoid: subordination, tritheism, modalism Sets us apart from Muslim Sets us apart from the JW and Mormon Fundamental level we are in different places – we can be civil and kind and loving, but that doesn’t mean we Are in the same spot Jn 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” Though “trinity” isn’t in
the bible – the concept is there – the deity of the Son is present
–the concept was not created in the 3rd century, the wording
we now commonly use to express this eternal concept was created Beautiful: all we cherish is eternal – love Practical: Prayer
is with God through God to God 2. Anthropology: dignity & depravity In the image of God: what does that mean? There is not a consensus on definition. What can we say conclusively? It gives humanity a particular dignity 1. Dignity: Gen 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Gen 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. We have a special place in the plan of God. We have value. This extends to all humanity! Every race, both genders, all ages, regardless of disability – we all have value That’s why we hate the sex trade! We seek to care for everybody But it doesn’t stop there. we have something wrong with us from birth – In Adam all are dead – federal head 2. Depravity Definition: unmeritoriousness of man in the sight of God Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned -- Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Rom 3:10-13 "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE
WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME
USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." Negatively: it does not mean:
Positively: it means: 1. corruption extends to every part of man’s nature- all the faculties of his being – computer virus 2. nothing in man that can commend him to
a righteous God for salvation Conclusion: total depravity is
the entire absence of holiness, not the intensity of sin. A totally
depraved man is not as bad as he can be, but he has no holiness, that
is, nothing to commend himself to God. 3. Christology: fully God, fully man Fully God to live perfectly Fully man to offer the perfect sacrifice Alternatives: ebionism (just a man) – docetism (just God) – adoptionism (God took over a man) – modalism (1 god manifests himself in different forms) – arianism (Jesus the highest created being) – apollinarianism (parts of him were God, parts were guy) – Nestorianism (human side & God side lacked unity) – Eutychianism (blend – 3rd thing) You can’t degregate one of these – he was all of both Trinity: there is unity in nature/essence/community of attributes and there is diversity in persons/existences Christ: unity of person (there is only one person) and there is a diversity of natures/characteristics one “who” with two “whats” So
he could accomplish the full redemption – a perfect human to be a
perfect sacrifice for sin If Jesus isn’t perfectly God – why is Christianity done? There is no adequate sacrifice. Only God can pay our debt Only
man had to Creeds will express it this way:
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified
and then buried, rose again and ascended to the Father from whence he
will come to judge the living and the dead 4. Soteriology: Substitutionary Atonement; by grace through faith When we read “He died for us” – what do we understand this means? He died bearing the curse of our debt to forgive us forever and to reckon unto us the imputed righteousness of Christ that acquires for us a place with the Father in eternity forever. We are more than neutral – we’ve not been made neutral – we are made righteous. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. Substitutionary atonement – he was a sacrifice to appease God’s wrath: Demarest: Penal substitution – the Messiah died in the sinner’s place and took upon himself the sinner’s just punishment. Galatians 3:13 – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. Mark 10:45 – to give his life as a ransom for many Romans 8:3 – sending His own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering John 1:29 – behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Other ways of explaining the cross will work: ransom, reconciliation, christus victor, example, moral influence – but they are insufficient in themselves He
was a sacrifice It
is by grace through faith that we are saved 5. Sanctification / Ecclesiology: Indwelling Holy Spirit; community He is making us holy – how? Indwelling HS Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Tim 1:14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. We differ on how this works but all agree
6. Eschatology: return, resurrection, judgment Last things We disagree widely here – premil, postmil, amil, pretrib, posttrib, midtrib, we’re all over the place – good people, godly people, smart people – land all over the map here We agree on a few things: return, resurrection, judgment Return – he’s coming back – paraousia (para: alongside / ousia: exist, live) – to be near – his coming Resurrection – the body! Jesus had a body! Judgment – 1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who
are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thess 5:1-7 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6
so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7. Bibliology: inspired, authoritative, infallible this is all in the book! contains the written revelation of God – creation, bible
Language has a design plan that
is inherently covenantal: an author communicates words with a meaning
attached to them, we receive the words, draw from them the intended
meaning, and respond accordingly. God uses Scripture to testify of
Jesus with words, and by bringing about the reader’s mutual indwelling
with Christ through the Spirit’s rendering Scripture efficacious. Closing: It’s about Jesus He is the starting place to working
out our theology His deity pushed the doctrine of the trinity His activity pushed the articulation of salvation His nature determines Christology His affirmation of texts and his authority given to disciples determines bibliology His work determines sanctification His return marks eschatology Vanhoozer: “Christian theology takes
faith in revelation of Jesus Christ, attested in the Scriptures, as
its ultimate criterion for judging what is true, good and beautiful. It’s all about Him – He is the beginning, middle and end of all human history |