There are numerous other references to God's wrath: "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel". Similarly, 1 John 5:19 states that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one".
Furthermore, total depravity does not mean that sinful man is as sinful as he can be. Finally, the doctrine of total depravity does not mean that the sinner engages in every possible form of sin.
631 do what they ought. The unregenerate person is incapable of genuinely
Other than this, there is no direct connection between Adam's sin and the rest of the human race. Preventive grace, a universal benefit of Christ's atoning work, nullifies the judicial effects of Adam's sin.
639 having participated in that first sin, they are somehow accepted and
Furthermore, we have embraced the Augustinian view (natural headship) of the imputation of original sin. We can become quite sensitive to God's displeasure with our individual sins, but considerably less aware of the sinfulness of any group of which we are a part.
645 This is in keeping with the fact that the world knew neither the Father
Christ has disarmed the powers; their strength is now neutralized
It's important that we see all of this in the context of autumn. One approach views the social dimension of sin merely as the totality of the sins of individuals.
Christology from above is basically fideistic. Particularly in the form expounded by Brunner and other existentialist theologians, it draws
Faith in the Christ will lead us to an understanding of the Jesus of history. A second major methodological question concerns the relationship between the study of the person and the work of Christ.
The idea that God literally became man is quite incredible and logically contradictory?9
These conceptions should not be taken as a literal expression of the nature of reality. It is simply a symbol of the greater abstract truth of God's going out into the world.
The type of Christology which has become the traditional view of the church stems not from the New Testament, but from the church’s
These two senses, God's immanence in the world and the absolute uniqueness of the God-man Jesus Christ, are not inseparable. Brian Hebblethwaite, "The Uniqueness of the Incarnation," in Incarnation and Myth: The Debate Continued, pp.
To a Jew of the time Jesus’ resurrection would have meant that the end of the world had begun. Paul expected that the resurrection of all
Pannenberg believes that the resurrection must be understood from the point of view of the historical traditions of which it is a part. To a Jew at that time, the resurrection of Jesus would have meant that the end of the world had begun.
The resurrection would have established that the Son of man is none other than the man Jesus. Before Easter, Jesus was understood to
So he did not respond to the Pharisees' demands for an immediate "sign from heaven." And although Jesus, in response to John the Baptist's disciples, pointed out that the saving acts of the end times took place in his ministry, thus establishing his identity, the real verification was still in the future. However, the resurrection, because it is the end of history, and because it occurred proleptically, gives us revelation even within time.
The resurrection would have meant that God has been ultimately revealed in Jesus. Only at the end of time can God be fully revealed in
Descriptions of his temporal functional subordination to the Father have been misinterpreted as statements about the essence of the Son. We must evaluate this in the light of the many other references in this Gospel to the deity of Christ.
A functional Christology of the New Testament, as opposed to an ontological Christology, is the truly biblical view, but it can be used
7 0 0 The Person of Christ The Deity of Christ 7 0 1 an organizing principle for his study of the various New Testaments. A functional Christology in the New Testament, as opposed to an ontological Christology, is the truly biblical view, but it can be used.
It is neither necessary nor desirable to go beyond the functional approach taken by the New Testament. The New Testament Chris-
Cullmann's Christology is therefore centered on what Jesus did in history: "It is characteristic of New Testament Christology that Christ is connected with the total history of revelation and salvation, beginning with creation. There can be no Heilsgeschichte without Christology; no Christology without a Heilsgeschichte that unfolds in time.
It is true that the biblical writers were very interested in the work of Christ and that they did not engage in sheer speculation on the nature
The assumption that the discussion of natures is “ultimately a Greek, not a Jewish or biblical problem,” reflects the common presuppo-
Consequently, the assumption that the mentality of the Hebrews was nonontological or nontheoretical must be called into question
There is broad agreement that the fourth-century Christologists were influenced by Greek presuppositions as they came to the Scripture
Brevard Childs, Biblical Theology in Crisis (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970), pp
But could it not be that the Chalcedonian theologians, who were so much closer to the time of the New Testament, actually understood it as well or better than modern theologians. In particular, one should examine the work of functional theologians to see whether categories drawn from contemporary functionalism (i.e., pragmatism) do not color their interpretation of the Bible.
Cullmann warned against distorting the biblical perspective by analyzing it under the categories of a later period. But what of his basic
702 The Person of Christ The Deity of Christ 703 is that they from their point of view in the twentieth century. The conclusion of Barr and others that the mentality of the Hebrews was not as non-metaphysical as is sometimes thought should at least prompt us to consider the possibility that Cullmann's exegesis may be influenced by contemporary functionalism.
Even if we grant that the early Christian church was more con- cerned with what Jesus had done than with what kind of person he is,
God and man have been reunited. It was not an angel or a human
He marvels at the faith of the centurion (Luke 7:9) and the unbelief of the inhabitants of Nazareth (Mark 6:6). We have no direct statements in the Bible about the relationship of the two natures.
12-13 Paul speaks of the internal working of God. This power of God within the believer Baillie presents as a model of the
- The incarnation was more a gaining of human attributes than a giving up of divine attributes. Philippians 25-7 is often conceived of as
- The union of the two natures meant that they did not function independently. Jesus did not exercise his deity at times and his humanity
- In thinking about the incarnation, we must begin not with the traditional conceptions of humanity and deity, but with the recognition
7 4 2 The Person of Christ The Virgin Birth 743 Cism, have proposed the use of the expression “virgin conception.” The doctrine of the virgin birth is based on only two explicit Bible references: Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38.
747 Matthew in particular may have included the story found in 1: 18-25
It is of course true that there is also early evidence of denials of the virgin birth. It is quite possible to be unaware or ignorant of the virgin birth and still be saved.
1 PART EIGHT
The Lord gave up certain divine attributes, either the natural attti- butes or the relative attributes .I2 To say that Jesus gave up his natural
To say that Jesus gave up his relative divine qualities means that he retained the absolute qualities he possessed in and of himself, such as immutability and self-existence, but gave up the qualities associated with creation, such as omnipotence. and omniscience. If the nature of something is the sum of the qualities that compose it, it is difficult to imagine how Jesus could actually have given up some of his divine qualities without ceasing to be God.
Jesus gave up the independent exercise of his divine attributes. This does not mean that he surrendered some (or all) of his divine attributes,
Christ gave up the use of his divine attributes.14 This means that
He could not freely and independently exercise all the faculties he had when he was in heaven. (By saying, "He ascended," what does he mean except that he had also descended to the nether parts of the earth?).
77.5 out of that place.18 (2) The Lutheran view is that Jesus descended into
Man needs an openness to God, an inclination to respond to him
Unlike Judas, who went out and committed suicide, we will not be chilled, hardened, or repulsed by the pain of recognizing our sin; instead we will welcome the fear. Like Paul when we heard the words, “I am Jesus whom you persecute” (Acts 9:5), we will find that our resistance to God has disappeared.
Man also needs inspiration. While we have abstract descriptions of the holiness which we are to embody, it is when we see it in a practical
When we see what we have pierced through our sin, then we are softened. While we have abstract descriptions of holiness that we must embody, it is when we see it in practical terms.
789 God’s favor, it is necessary only to do one’s best or to respond to God’s
So because of Christ's death it is possible for God to forgive sins without destroying the moral core of the universe. According to Anselm's view, sometimes called the "satisfaction theory" of the atonement, Christ's death was an actual punishment imposed on him to replace the punishment that should have been attached to the breaking of the law by individual sinners .
791 punishment as a matter of strict retribution. Sin is not punished simply
The two major early developers of the ransom theory were Origen and Gregory of Nyssa. For this reason, his view of the atonement was also called the "dramatic" view.
795 God’s deception of Satan is justified on the grounds of its being for a
So, then, Paul's idea of atoning death (Christ as ihaaTrjprov) is not simply that it covers sin and cleanses from its corruption (atonement), but that the sacrifice also appeases a God who hates sin and is radically opposed to it (atonement). .-. Rather, it is a matter of both, Christ and the believer, becoming one in the eyes of God.
I PART NINE
The gifts are bestowed on the body (the church). They are for the edification of the whole body, not merely for the enjoyment or
On the other side of the argument are those who reject the idea that the Holy Spirit is still giving charismatic gifts. For a fuller treatment, see Frederick Dale Bruner, A Theologv of the Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), p.
I PARTTEN
A single continuous process with distinguishable components
The official Catholic position has long been that the church is the only channel of God's grace. Declaration of the Church's Relationship with Non-Christian Religions", in Vatican II Documents, p.
Catholics, who are “incorporated” into the church
Does the presence of grace in nature mean that there is grace outside or outside the church. This reverses the traditional formula according to which the presence of the church brings about salvation.
Non-Christians, who are “related” to the church.34
Certain aspects of the doctrine of salvation are related to the matter of one's standing with God. One of the passages that is often quoted in this connection is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.
The decree to save some and condemn others
918 Salvation of those who will receive eternal life, passing over all others and leaving them in their self-chosen sins.4o The effect is the same in both cases, but the latter view attributes the lostness of the non-elect to their own choice of sin rather than the active decision of God, or of God's choice by omission rather than by commission. The other major variation among Calvinists has to do with the logical order of God's decrees.
The decree to create both the elect and the reprobate
The terminology concerns whether the decree to save logically comes before or after the decree to allow the fall.
The decree to permit the fall of both classes
The decree to provide salvation only for the elect
The decree to create human beings
The decree to permit the fall
The decree to save some and condemn others
The decree to provide salvation only for the elect.4l
The decree to provide salvation sufficient for all
The decree to choose some to receive this salvation.42
Thus, both repentance and faith are gracious works of God in the life of the believer. There is nothing in the descriptions of the new birth to indicate that it is a process rather than a single act.
The present body is perishable, subject to disease and death; the resurrection body is incorruptible, immune to disease and decay
The judgment will be the final declaration of the believer's righteous status (Matt. 2531-46). Three passages in particular emphasize the change that will be wrought in the believer's body.
The present body is sown in dishonor; the resurrection body will be glorious
Like a student thoroughly prepared for an exam, the Christian views the final judgment, not with dread, but with expectation, knowing that the result will be positive. Our moral and spiritual perfection will be achieved in part through the removal of temptation, for the source of sin and evil and temptation will have been overcome (Rev. 20:7-10).
The present body is weak; the resurrection body is powerful
In glorification there will also be a moral and spiritual perfection of the individual.24 Several biblical references point to a future completion of the process that began in regeneration and was continued in sanctification. One of the most direct of these statements is Colossians 1:22: "Now he has reconciled [you] in his body of flesh through his death, to present you holy and blameless and blameless before him." The concept of future faultlessness or blamelessness is also found in Ephesians 1:4 and Jude 24.
The present body is physical ($VXLK~V); the resurrection body will be spiritual