Download dallidis

THEOLOGY OF
CHRISTIANITY
2016 ALEXANDER DELLIDIS
1
2016 by ALEXANDER DELLIDIS
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without
the prior written permission of ALEXANDER DELLIDIS.
2
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE
DELLIDIS FAMILY
CONTENTS
1. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEOLOGY
2. THE BIBLE’S MESSAGE
3. GENERAL REVELATION OF GOD
4. THE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
5. THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED
6. THE FULL INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
7. GOD IS THE AUTHORITY
8. QUALITIES OF GOD
9. HOLINESS OF GOD
10. GOD’S
PRESENCE
11. THE TRINITARIAN VIEW OF GOD
12. GOD IS GUIDING HISTORY TO HIS GOAL
13. THE CREATION
14. GOD MAINTAINS HIS CREATION
15. EVIL IN THE WORLD
10
12
16
21
25
28
30
34
37
43
46
53
56
58
62
3
16. ANGELS
17. HUMANITY
18. THE CREATION
19. GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE
20. HUMAN CONSTITUTION
21. CHARACTERISTICS OF RACE
22. SIN
23. ASPECTS OF SIN
24. CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
25. SIN IS UNIVERSAL
26. THE EVIL THAT COMES THROUGH THE WORLD
27. CHRISTOLOGY
28. THE DEITY OF CHRIST
29. CHRIST’S HUMANITY
30. UNITY OF THE TWO NATURES OF CHRIST
31. THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
32. CHRIST’ TEACHING
33. ATONEMENT
34. A VIEW OF THE ATONEMENT
35. EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT
36. THE HOLY SPIRIT
37. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
38. SALVATION
39. PREDESTINATION
40. GOD’S WORK OF SAVING US
41. OBJECTIVE ASPECTS OF SALVATION
42. THE CONTINUATION OF SALVATION
66
70
73
80
83
87
98
101
104
111
116
121
123
136
140
144
152
159
161
165
171
181
195
200
206
216
224
4
43. COMPLETION OF SALVATION
44. EXTENT OF SALVATION
45. THE CHURCH
46. THE FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH
47. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH
48. RITES OF THE BAPTISM
49. RITE OF THE CHURCH
THE LORD’S SUPPER
50. THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH
51. ESCHATOLOGY
52. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
53. THE SECOND COMING AND THE CONSEQUENTS
54. MILLENNIAL AND THE TRIBULATIONAL VIEWS
55. FINAL STATES
231
238
246
256
261
266
272
277
285
292
305
319
327
ABBREVIATIONS IN THIS BOOK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
1. Gen. Genesis
2. Exod. Exodus 3. Lev. Leviticus
4. Num. Numbers 5. Deut. Deuteronomy
6. Jud. Judges 7. Sam. Samuel 8. Chron. Chronicles
9. Neh. Nehemiah 10. Ps. Psalms 11. Prov. Proverbs
12. Eccl. Ecclesiastes 13. Sol. Solomon
14. Jer. Jeremiah 15. Ez. Ezekiel 16. Dan. Daniel
17. Hos. Hosea 18. Jon. Jonah 19. Mic Miah
20. Hab. Habakkuk 21. Hag. Haggai 22. Ma. Malachi
23. Est. Esther 24. Zech. Zechariah
25. Matt. Matthew 26. Rom. Romans
27. Cor. Corinthians 28. Gal. Galatians
29. Eph. Ephesians 30. Phil. Philippians
31. Thess. Thessalonians 32. Tim. Timothy
33. Phile. Philemon 34. Hebr. Hebrews 35. Rev. Revelation.
5
INTRODUCTION
From beginning to end the Bible’s message is God.
Before there was anything as we know it, there was God. The Bible
begins by telling how the eternal God created the world and
everything in it. His special creation was people. He gave them a
beautiful place to live, authority over all the other creatures, almost
complete freedom to do what they wanted. He talked with them, and
they with Him. That glorious beginning, however, was marred by
mankind’s disobedience, a pathetic attempt to take a course not
designed by God that brought terrible loss, to the earth, its creatures,
and man himself. Even so, God did not abandon His disobedient
creatures; He set out to reclaim fallen people, much as a shepherd sets
out to restore loss sheep to the fold.
So a pattern of God’s activity began, a pattern seen
throughout the Old Testament. God, being just, must punish sin
(rebellion against Him) but, being also loving He Himself provided the
way of escape. In time, God chose Abraham as the father of His people
Israel. To those people He gave the Law, an integral part of the divine
plan to bring Human beings back to God. The Law showed Israel (and
the whole world) that, because of the broken relationship between
God and man, it was impossible for people to please God or to meet
the requirements.
The Old Testament provides many references to a
special individual who would provide salvation for His people. Moses
spoke of a “prophet” like himself Who would be “an Israelite, a man to
Whom you must listen and Whom you must obey” (Deut. 18:15). King
David was promised that one of his sons would sit on an eternal
6
throne. Because of that promise, God’s deliverer was called the
“Messiah,” which in Hebrew means “the anointed one” (one of David’s
titles).
The special individual, the Messiah, was not to be
merely a man, however, for man could not mend the broken
relationship on His own. As Paul Said: “But I can’t help my-self … It is
sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do those evil
things” (Rom. 7:17-18). The Messiah was to be “Immanuel,” which in
Hebrew means “God with us” (Is. 7:14, 8:8). The Old Testament
pointed to a Messiah Who would be Both God and man, and those
prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born a descendant of King David (Luke, 2:4)
in David’s city Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). He was conceived by a virgin (Is.
7:14; Matt. 1:18; Luke, 1:35). He lived a totally blameless life (Hebr.
4:15; 7:26). Yet Jesus, the Son of God, was arrested like a common
criminal, tried on a trumped-up charge, and crucified and died, though
He had done nothing wrong (Matt.27; Mark, 15; Luke, 23; John, 18 and
19). He was buried in a tomb. On the third day God raised Him from
the dead and with that act the acceptable Sacrifice Himself for our sin
was completed (Matt. 28:5-7; Rom. 4:23-25), the relationship between
God and man, broken by Adam and Eve, was restored.
When Jesus Sacrifice Himself for our sin, He also
removed all guilt produced by sin. “But because Jesus lives forever, His
teaching last forever, Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save
those who come to God through him, He lives forever to intercede
with God on their behalf” (Hebr. 7:24-25). To receive the salvation,
“tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and
7
believe in your own heart that God has raised Him from the dead.”
Then, You will be saved. For it is by believing in his heart that a man
becomes right with God, and with his mouth he tells others of his faith,
confirming his salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10).
Salvation means that the new life, promised in the Bible
to those who trust Jesus, will be yours. As you read the Bible (and this
Book) you will find what God wants you to have–a life that is pleasing
to God and fulfilling for yourself. “My purpose is to give life in all its
fullness” (John, 10:10).
The Theological lodestar in this Book has been a rigid
Christian position.
8
PREFACE
“The Book you hold in your hands contains a fraction of
what is written in the Bible. So, please read the Bible. May God Bless
you through Jesus Christ, Amen.”
God wants each of us to experience a life that has
meaning, direction, love and peace. God makes this kind of life possible
through a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
9
TOPIC 1
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEOLOGY
Theology in a Christian context is a discipline that seeks
to understand the God revealed in the Bible, and to provide a Christian
understanding of reality. It seeks to understand God’s creation,
particularly human beings, and their condition, and God’s redemptive
work in relation to Human kind. Biblical Theology provide insights and
understandings that help lead toward a coherent whole. Theology has
practical value in providing guidance, for the Christian life and
teaching.
Theology is important, because, correct doctrinal
beliefs, are, essential to the relationship between the believer and
God. One of these beliefs deals with God‘s existence, and character.
The writer to the Hebrews, in describing those who, like Abel and
Enoch, pleased God, stated: “And without faith it is impossible to
please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He
exists and that He rewards those who seek Him, (Hebr. 4:4-11). The
author does not mean that one who attempts to approach God may be
rejected because of lack of such a faith in Him, but that one would not
even attempt to approach God without this belief. Belief in the deity of
Jesus Christ also seems essential to the relationship. After Jesus had
asked his disciples what people thought of Him, He also asked, “Who
do you say I am?” Peter’s response, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God,” met with Jesus’ resounding approval (Matt. 16:13-19). It is
10
not sufficient to have a warm, positive, affirming feeling toward Jesus.
One must have correct understanding and belief. Similarly, Jesus’
Humanity is important. First John’s letter was written to combat the
teachings of some who said that Jesus had not really become Human.
These “duettists” maintained that Jesus’ Humanity was merely an
appearance. John pointed out the importance of belief in the Humanity
of Jesus when he wrote: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of
God: Every Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God, (has the Spirit of God), but every Spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” (That spirit is not from God) (1
John, 4:2-3). Finally, In {Rom. 10:9-10} Paul ties “belief in Christ
resurrection (both a Historical Event and a doctrine) goes directly into
the Salvation experience”. “If you confess with your Mouth; Jesus is
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you
will be saved. For it is with your heart you believe and are justified and
it is with your Mouth that you confess and are saved”.
1.
George A Lindbeck. The Nature
of Doctrine Religion: and Theology in a
Postliberal Age (Philadelphia:Westminister, 1984).
2.
John Hich, God has Many Nations (Philadelphia Westminister, 1992).
.
11
TOPIC 2
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE BIBLE’S MESSAGE
The world of the Bible and this present world are very
different. It is important to state the Bible message in terms that will
be understood in today’s world. Many Theologians have tried to do
this in order to make the message palatable to the modern mind.
Some Theologians have not merely changed the form of expression,
but the substance as well. The goal for contemporizing the Christian
message is to retain the Content and Biblical doctrine while making the
message more understandable today. Five criteria are presented to
assess the integrity of the message.
The crucial task of Theology will be, to identify the
timeless truths, the essence of the doctrine, and to separate them
from the temporal form in which they were expressed, so that a new
form may be created. There are a number of criteria by which the
permanent factors or the essence of the doctrine may be identified: (1)
constancy across cultures,(2) universal setting, (3) a recognized
permanent factor as a base, (4) indissoluble link with an experience
regarded as essential, and (5) final position within progressive
revelation.
1.
One illustration of constancy across cultures
is the principle of sacrificial atonement, and with it the rejection of
works righteousness. We find this principle present in the Old
Testament sacrificial system. We also find it in the New Testament
teaching regarding the atoning death of Christ. Another example is the
12
centrality of belief in Jesus Christ, which spans any gap between Jew
and Gentile. Peter teaches it at Pentecost in Jerusalem to Jews from
various cultures. Paul declared it in a Gentile setting to the Philippian
jailer (Acts 16:31).
2.
Universal Setting, another criterion by which
to determine the essence of a doctrine is to note what elements are
put forth in a universal fashion. Baptism is mentioned not only with
reference to the specific situations where it was practiced, but also in
the universal setting of the Great Commission: “All authority in haven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). In John 13 Jesus did say, “you also should
wash one another’s feet (John, 13:14), He said, “I have set you an
example, that you should do as I have done for you” (John, 13:15). The
underlying reason for His action appears in His statement regarding the
servant’s not being greater than the master (John, 13:16). What He
was attempting to in still within His disciples was the attitude of a
servant; humility and a willingness to put others ahead of on self. We
conclude that the attitude of Humility is the permanent component in
Christ teaching.
3.
A Recognized Permanent Factor as a Base, a
teaching may itself be permanent. Jesus bases His teaching about the
permanence of marriage on the fact that God made man as male and
13
female and pronounced them to be one (Matt. 19:4-6, citing, Gen.
2:34). The antecedent is assumed to be a once for all occurrence
having permanent significance. From this, the permanent nature of the
marriage relationship is deduced. Similarly the priesthood of all
believers is based on the fact that our great High Priest has once for all
“gone through the heavens”. We therefore can “approach the throne
of grace with confidence” (Hebr.4:14-16). Moreover, because Jesus is a
priest forever (Hebr. 7:21, 34) it is always the case that all are saved
who draw near to God through Him (Hebr. 7:21-25).
4.
Indissoluble Link with an Experience
Regarded as Essential is independent of the History (the question of
whether Jesus actually was raised). But Paul asserts that the
experience is dependent on Christ’s resurrection. He says. If “Christ has
not been raised, your faith is futile: you are still in your sins” (1 Cor.
15:17). If our experience of the resurrection is real and permanent, the
resurrection of Christ must be factual, permanent, and universal.
Final Position within Progressive Revelation is the
sacrificial work of Christ. Whereas the Old Testament called for
continual offerings of sacrifice in the court, twice-daily offerings of
incense in the outer tent, and an annual sacrifice by the high priest in
the inner place, the Holy of Holies (Hebr. 9:1-10), Christ brought this
process to an end by fulfilling it (Hebr.9:12). His offering of His own
blood was once for all. Furthermore, Jesus often said, “You have heard
that it was said …but I say to you that …” In these instances Jesus was
making a statement of the essences of the doctrine to replace earlier
approximations of it. It is the Bible statements themselves from which
14
we must draw out the essence, and they are the continuing criteria of
the validity of that essence.
1.
Paul van Burren, The Secular Meaning of the Gospel (new York :
Macmillan,1963).
2.
3.
Fosdick, The Modern Use of the Bible.
Harry E. Fosdick, The Modern Use of the Bible (New York: Macmilan, 1933).
.
15
TOPIC 3
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GENERAL REVELATION OF GOD
God’s Revelation of Himself to Humanity has been
classified in two ways: general revelation and special revelation. The
general revelation of God has been found in three areas nature,
history, and Humanity. Theologians concerned with the
comprehensiveness of general revelation have developed what is
known as natural Theology. Theology is the way in which God’s
existence is known outside the Biblical source, specifically through the
use of reason. Philosophers, and later, certain Theologians rejected
natural Theology and general revelation. More recently, it has been
noted that their Biblical interpretation is questionable. There is general
revelation without natural Theology, but the effect of sin prevents the
unbeliever from coming to the knowledge of God. The salvation of the
individual through God’s general revelation can only be measured by
faith. There are two basic classifications of revelation. General
Revelation is God’s communication of Himself to all persons at all
times and in all places. Special Revelation involves God’s particular
communications and manifestations of Himself to particular persons at
particular times, communications and manifestations that are available
now only by consultation of certain sacred writings.
Nature Revelation: because Humans are finite and God
is infinite, if they are to know God it must come about by God’s
manifestation of Himself.
16
General Revelation of God, are: Nature, History, and
Humanity.
1.
The first General revelation is Nature:
The Bible itself proposes that there is knowledge of God available
through the created physical order. The psalmist says, “The heavens
are telling the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1) And Paul says, “Ever since the
creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His internal power
and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been
made. So they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).
2.
The second general revelation is History:
The Bible indicates in numerous places that God is moving the course
of history, controlling the destinies of nations (Job.12:23; Ps. 47:7-8;
66:7; Isa. 10:5-13; Dan. 2:21 and Acts. 17:26)
3.
The third general revelation is God’s highest
earthly creation, the Human: It is, however, in the moral and spiritual
qualities of Human kind that God’s character is best perceived. Paul
speaks of a law written on the hearts of persons who do not have the
specially revealed law (Rom. 2:11-16). The general revelation does not
enable the unbeliever to come to the knowledge of God. Paul’s
statements about general revelation (Rom. 1:2) must be viewed in the
light of what he says about sinful Humanity (Rom. 3), all persons are
under sin’s power; none is (righteous) and the urgency of telling
people about Christ (Rom. 10:14): “How, then, can they call on the one
they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of
whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without
someone teaching to them?” Thus in Paul’s mind the possibility of
constructing a full scale natural Theology seems seriously in question.
17
What is necessary, then, is what Calvin calls “the spectacles of faith.”
He draws an analogy between the condition of the sinner and a person
with a sight problem. The latter looks at an object, but sees it only
indistinctly. Spectacles clarify the view. Similarly, the sinner does not
recognize God in the creation. But when the sinner puts on the
spectacles of faith, spiritual sight improves and God can be seen in His
handiwork. But what of the judgment of Human kind, spoken of by
Paul in Romans 1 and 2 if it is just for God to condemn Humans, and if
they can become guilty without having known God’s special revelation,
does that mean that without special revelation they are able to avoid
God’s condemnation? In (Rom. 2:14), Paul says: “When Gentiles who
have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to
themselves, even though they do not have the law.” Is Paul suggesting
that they could have fulfilled the requirements of the law? But that is
not possible even for those who have the law (Gal. 3:10-11 as well as
Rom. 3). Paul also makes clear in (Gal. 3:23-24), that the law was not a
means of justifying us, but a (paidagogos) to make us aware of our sin
and to lead us to faith by bringing us to Christ. Now the internal law
unbelievers have perform much the same function as does the law
Jews have. From the revelation in nature (Rom. 1), people ought to
conclude that a powerful, eternal God exist. And from the revelation
within (Rom. 2), they should realize that they do not live up to the
standard. While the content of the moral code will vary in different
cultural situation, all Humans have an inner compulsion that there is
something to which they ought to adhere. And everyone should reach
the conclusion that he or she is not fulfilling that standard. The
knowledge of God which all Humans have if they do not suppress it
18
should bring them to the conclusion that they are guilty in relationship
to God. What if someone then were to throw himself or herself upon
the mercy of God, not knowing on what basis that mercy was
provided? Would not such a person in a sense be in the same situation
as the Old Testament believers? The doctrine of Christ and His atoning
work had not been fully revealed to these people. Yet they knew that
there was provision for the forgiveness of sins, and that they could not
be accepted on the merits of any works of their own. They had the
form of the Bible without its full content. And they were saved. Now if
the god known in nature is the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob (as Paul seems to asserts in (Acts, 17:23), then it would seem
that persons who come to a belief in a single powerful God, who
despair of any work righteousness to place this Holy God, and Who
threw themselves upon the mercy of this good God, would be
accepted as were the Old Testament believers. The basis of acceptance
would be the work of Jesus Christ, even though the person involved is
not conscious that this is how provision has been made for his or her
salvation. We should note that the basis of salvation was apparently
the same in the Old Testament as in the New Testament. Salvation has
always been appropriated by faith (Gal. 3:6-9); this salvation rest on
Christ’s deliverance of us from the law (Gal. 3:10-14, 19-29). Nothing
has been changed in that respect. What inference are we to draw,
then, from Paul’s statement in (Rom. 2:1-16)? Is it conceivable that one
can be saved by faith without having the special revelation? Paul
seems to be laying open this possibility. Yet we have no indication from
the Bible how many, if any, actually experience salvation without
having special revelation. Paul suggests in Romans 3 that no one does.
19
Paul urges the necessity of teaching the Bible so that people may
believe. Thus it is apparent that in failing to respond to the light of
general revelation which they have, Humans are fully responsible, for
they have truly known God, but have wilfully suppressed that truth.
That there is a possibility of somehow entering a relationship of favour
with God on this basis seems to be required by Paul’s words, “So that
[they] are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Thus in effect the general
revelation serves, as does the law, merely to make guilty, not to make
righteous.
1.Francis Schaeffer,The God who is there: (Downers Grove,iii: Inter Varsity, 1968).
.
2. Karl Barth, in Revelation, ed. John Basille and Hugh Martin (New York: Macmillan
1973).
20
TOPIC 4
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
Most people need a more personal understanding of
God than is available through nature, and general history. God has
provided particular revelation of Himself. The way by which personal
revelation of God is fashioned includes God’s dealing with persons,
everyday Human experience, and language and understanding that He
uses. The modalities that God uses included historical events, divine
speech, and the incarnation of God in Christ. Theologians have
disagreed as to whether special revelation is propositional or personal.
The Bible provides both cognitive and affective knowledge of God.
Historical Events; God‘s self-revelation is to be found in
His personal action in history or His “Mighty Deeds,” This is
appropriate, for God has been at work in concrete historical ways
within our world, affecting what occurs. The Bible emphasizes the
whole series of divine events by which God has made Himself known.
From the prospective of the people of Israel. The call of Abraham, to
whom they looked as the father of their nation. The major event for
Israel, still celebrated by Jews, was the deliverance from Egypt through
the series of plagues culminating in the Passover and the crossing of
the Red Sea. Revelation is not seen as the communication of
information to Humanity. Rather, it is God’s presentation of Himself.
Revelation is a personal encounter between God and Human. In the
incident of the burning bush (Exod. 3). Moses actually met with God
21
and new Him in a direct way. And in the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah
saw God in all His majesty and grandeur (Isa. 6). And a particular
striking occurrence is the incidence reported in (John 12). When the
Father spoke from heaven, some said that an angel had spoken to
Jesus. Some said it had thundered. Only a few actually met with God as
a result. Moreover, Jesus maintains that there was an objective
revelation associated with historical events. Thus He said in response
to Philip’s request to be shown the Father, “Anyone who has seen Me
has seen the Father” (John, 14:9). Furthermore, Jesus placed
responsibility on those who had heard Him (and had also seen His
miracles): “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15). He inveighed
against the Pharisees for attributing to Beelzebub the deeds he had
done, which were actually the Holy Spirit’s work through Him. Thus He
seemed to be saying that the historical events actually were revelation.
For that matter, the Psalmists and prophets speak as if they and the
people of Israel had actually seen God’s works (Ps. 78). In the New
Testament we find an example in Paul’s message (Acts 13: 16-41),
which begins with the patriarchs, continues through David to Jesus
Christ.
Divine Speech; is God’s speech. A very common
expression in the Bible and especially in the Old Testament is the
statement, “The word of the Lord came to me…” (Jer. 18:1; Ezek. 12:1,
8, 17, 21, 26, Hos. 1:1Joel.1:1; Amos 3:1).The Prophets had a
consciousness that their message was not of their own creation, but
was from God. In writing the Book of Revelation, John was attempting
to communicate God’s message. The writer to the Hebrews noted that
God has spoken often in times past, and now had particularly spoken
22
through His Son (Heb.1:1-2). God does not merely demonstrate
through His actions what He is like; He also speaks, telling us about
Himself, His plans, His will. Paul occasionally indicates that he “things”
he has the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 7:40), at other times he is more definite
that he has received his message from the Lord (1 Cor. 11:23). There
are also some cases where Paul does not indicate consciousness of
God’s directing his writing, although God was doubtless doing so.
The Incarnation here is that Jesus’ life and speech were
a special revelation of God; that God directly present in unmediated
form. But since God does not have a Human form, Christ’s Humanity
must represent a mediation of the divine revelation. It was the means
that conveyed the revelation of deity. The Bible specifically states that
God has spoken through His Son. (Hebr. 1: 1-2), Jesus even dared to
place His message over against what was written in the Scriptures, not
as contradicting, but as going beyond or fulfilling them. {Matt. 5:17).
When the prophets spoke, they were bearers of a message from and
about God. When Jesus spoke, it was God Himself speaking. There was
directness about His message. Here revelation as act and as word
come together Jesus both spoke the Father’s word and demonstrated
the Father’s attributes. He was the most complete revelation of God,
because He was God. John could make the amazing statement. “That
which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands toughed”
(1 John 1:1). And Jesus could say, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen
the Father” (John 14:9).
Special revelation, we mean God’s manifestation of
Himself to particular persons at definite times and places, enabling
23
those to enter into a redemptive relationship with Him. When Moses
asked who he should say had send him to the people of Israel, Jehovah
responded by giving His Name, “I AM WHO I AM [or I WILL I BE, WHO I
WILL I BE,]” (Exod. 3:14). Moreover, God entered into personal
covenants with individuals, Noah, Abraham and with the nation of
Israel. And note the benediction Aaron and his sons were to pronounce
upon the people: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His
face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face
toward you and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26). The psalms contain
numerous testimonies of personal experience with God: and the goal
of Paul’s life was a personal acquaintance with God: “I want to know
Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing
in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” (Phil. 3:10). And what
God reveals is primarily Himself as a person, and especially those
dimensions of Himself that are particularly significant for faith.
1.
G. Ernest Wright, God who acts; Biblical theology as Recital (London,
SCM. 152).
2.
3.
Revelation as History.
Bernard Ramm, Special Revelation and the Word of God (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1961).
24
TOPIC 5
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED
Inspiration is necessary because it confirms the nature
of God’s special revelation through the Bible. An important part of
Biblical Theology is the formulation of a theory of the extent to which
the Bible is inspired. A variety of theories have been propounded.
These are scrutinized and evaluated. Over centuries the Biblical writers
support a high view of inspiration. While in the proper sense,
inspiration is of the writers, in the derivative sense we may also say
that the writings themselves are inspired. By inspiration of the Bible we
mean that Supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit, on the Bible
writers, which rendered their writings on accurate record of the
revelation or which resulted in what they wrote actually being the
word of God. The Bible witnesses to its divine origin in several ways.
One of these is the view of New Testament authors regarding the Bible
of their day, which we would today term the Old Testament. (2 Peter,
1:20-21) “Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of the
Bible came about by the prophet’s own inspiration. For prophesy never
had its origin in the will of man, but man spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here Peter is affirming that the
prophecies of the Old Testament were not of Human origin. They were
not produced by Human will or decision. They were moved or borne
along (phenomenoi) by the Spirit of God. The impetus that led to the
25
writing was from the Holy Spirit. A second reference is that of Paul in
(2 Tim. 3:16): “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Paul assumes
Timothy is familiar with the “Holy Bible” (Tim. 3:15); and urges him to
continue in them since they are divinely inspired or “God breathed.”
The inspiration here is that they are divinely produced, just as God
breathed the breath of life into the Human (Gen. 2:7). They therefore
carry value for building up the believer into maturity in order to be
“thorough equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17).When we turn
to the early church’s teaching, we find a similar understanding of the
Old Testament. In (Act s, 1:16) Peter says, “Brothers, the Bible had to
be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ego through the mouth of
David…”and then proceed to quote from (Ps. 69:25 and 109:8).
Regarding the fate of Judas. The same thought, that God spoke by the
mouth of the prophets, is found in (Acts 3:18, 21, and 4:25). The
(kerigma), then, identifies “it is written in the Bible” with “God has said
it.” This fits well with the prophets’ own testimony. Again and again
they declared. “Thus says the Lord.” Micah wrote: “Every man will sit
under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make
them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken” (Micah, 4:4). Jeremiah
said: “These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah”
(Jer.30:4). Isaiah affirmed: “The Lord spoke to me…He said…” (Isa.
8:11). Amos declared: “Hear this word the LORD has spoken against
you. O people of Israel” (Amos, 3:1). And David said: “The Spirit of the
LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2).
Statements like these, which appear over and over again in the
prophets, indicate that they were aware of being “carried along by the
26
Holy Spirit” (2 Peter, 1:21; John 10:35). In His discussion and disputes
with His opponents, He (Jesus) repeatedly quoted from the Bible. He
spoke of the authority and permanence of the Bible; “the Bible cannot
be broken;” (John 10:35); “until heaven and earth disappear, not the
smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18).
Two objects were regarded as sacred in the Israel of Jesus day, the
temple and the Bible. He did not hesitate to point out the transiency of
the former, (Jerusalem) for not one stone would be left upon another
(Matt. 24:2). Paul wrote that the Good News received by the
Thessalonians had come by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5), and had been
accepted by them as what it really was, the word of God (1
Thess.2:13).
1.
James Martineau, A Study of Religion: Its Sources and Countents
(Oxford: Clarendon . 1889.
2.
Dewcy Beegle, Scriptur, Tradition and Infalliability (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans 1973).
27
TOPIC 6
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE FULL INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
Inerrancy is the doctrine that the Bible is fully truthful
in all of its teachings. Theologians have argued over the levels to which
the Bible is inerrant. If the Bible is not inerrant, then our knowledge of
God may be inaccurate and unreliable. Inerrancy is a corollary to the
full inspiration of the Bible. Theologians have employed a number of
strategies to explain the apparent discrepancies between Biblical
passages. While detailed scientific descriptions or mathematically
exact statements are not possible, inerrancy means that the Bible,
when judged by the usage of its time, teaches the truth without any
affirmation of error.
The term inerrancy means different things to different
people, who contend over which position properly deserves to be
called by that name. Absolute inerrancy holds that the Bible, which
includes rather detailed treatment of matters both scientific and
historical, is fully true. Full inerrancy also holds that the Bible is
completely true. Inerrancy of purpose holds that the Bible inherently
accomplishes its purpose. The purpose of the Biblical revelation is to
bring people into personal fellowship with Christ, not to communicate
truths. It accomplishes this purpose effectively. The Bible assertions
are fully true when judged in accordance with the purpose for which
they were written.
28
We often find approximations in the Bible. There is no
real conflict between the statement in (Numb. 25:9); that 24.000 died
by the plague and Paul’s statement in (1 Cor. 10:8); that 23.000 died.
There is a problem with the Bible’s chronology at several points as
well. The reigns of the kings of Israel, for example, are dated in terms
of the reigns of the kings of Judah, but here some real discrepancies
occur. The Israelites’ stay in Egypt (they were enslaved for four
hundred years (Acts, 7:6); does not coincide with the account in
Exodus. There are several problems with numbers as well. In parallel
passages, in (2 Samuel, 10:18); speaks of 700 chariots where in (1
Chronical, 19:18); has 7.000; in (2 Samuel, 8:4); refers to 1,700
horsemen and 20.000 foot soldiers where in (1 Chronical, 18:4); has
7.000 horsemen and 20.000 foot soldiers. All are approximations, and
for the purpose involved, are adequate and therefore may be regarded
as true.
1.
Harold Lindsell, The Battle for the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1976).
2.
Paul King Jewett, Man as Male and Female (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1975).
3.
Dewcy Beegle, Scripture, Tradition, and Infallibility (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1973).
4.
Orr, Revalation and Inspiration.
29
TOPIC 7
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD IS THE AUTHORITY
As Creator and Source of all Truth, God has the right to
command, belief and obedience from all Human beings. Although in
some cases God exercises authority directly, He normally uses other
means. One way He accomplishes this is through other Human beings.
God communicates His message to Human beings. He has the right to
command Human actions and speech. When appropriately
interpreted, this occurs through the Bible. Some persons have
attempted to separate the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit and the
objective content of the Bible. Rightly understood, the Holy Spirit
illuminates, convicts, and applies the teaching of the Bible to both the
Human understanding and the heart. The Bible is historically
authoritative, that is, it tells us correctly what God expected or
required from specific persons at particular times and places. Some of
the Bible is also normatively authoritative. That means that those parts
of the Bible are to be applied and obeyed in the same fashion in which
they were originally given.
From the Christian standpoint, God is the authority in
these matters because of Who He is. He is the highest being, the one
who always has been, who existed before we or any other being came
into existence. He is the only being having the power of His own
existence within Himself, not dependent on anyone or anything else
for His existence. He is the authority because of what He has done. He
30
has created us as well as everything else in the entire world and
redeemed us. He is also rightfully the authority, the one who has a
right to prescribe what we are to believe and how we are to act,
because of His continuing activity in the world and in our lives. He
maintains His creation in existence. He continues to give us life, cares
for us, and provides for our needs.
In (John, 1:1-5). John rights: In the beginning the Word
already existed. The Word was with God. He existed in the beginning
with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was
created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was
created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Paul, in (Philip. 2:611). Rights: Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to. Instead, He gave His divine privileges. He took
the humble position of a slave and was born as a Human being. When
He appeared in Human form. He humbled Himself in obedience to
God, and died a criminal- death in a cross. Therefore, God elevated
Him to the place of highest honour and gave Him the name above all
other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. In (Matt. 16:1316): When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His
disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? The disciples
replied: “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say
Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Jesus asked them, “Who do
you say I am?” Simon Peter answered. “The Christ the Messiah, the
Son of the Living God.” Jesus replied. “You are blessed, Simon son of
31
Jonah,” because My Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did
not learn this from any Human being. Now I say to you that you are
Peter (which means rock), and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the
keys of the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be
forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be
permitted in heaven.” In (John, 10:30) “The Father and I are one.” In
(John. 14:8-11) Philip said “Lord Shaw us the Father, and we will be
satisfied. Jesus replied. “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and
yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen
the Father. So why are you asking Me to show Him to you? Don‘t you
believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I
speak are not My own, but My Father Who lives in Me. Does His work
through Me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in
Me. Or at least believe because of the work you seen Me do. In (John,
10:31-38) Once again the people picked up stones to kill Him. Jesus
said. At my Father’s direction, I have done many good works for which
one are you going to stone Me? They replied. “We are stoning you not
for any good work, but for blasphemy. You a mere man, claim to be
God.” Jesus replied.”… Why do you call it blasphemy when I say, “I am
the Son of God?” After all…Then you will know and understand that
the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.
The Holy Spirit is needed if the Human is to understand
the meaning of the Bible and be certain of its truth. In (Matt. 13:13-15)
and (Mark, 8:18). Jesus speaks of those who hear but never
understand and see but never perceive. In (Matt.13:15). They know
God but do not Honour Him as God, and so they have become futile in
32
their thinking and their senseless minds are darkened. In (Rom. 1:21;
Rom. 11:8 and 1. Cor. 2:14) Paul tells us that the natural person has
not received the gifts of the Spirit of God. From all of these
considerations, it appears that Paul is not saying that unspiritual
person understand but do not accept. But this condition is overcome
when the Holy Spirit begins to work within us. There is also, however, a
continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, a work
particularly described and elaborated by Jesus in His message to His
followers. In (John, 14:16). Jesus promises the coming of the Holy
Spirit. In (John, 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 and 16:13). The Holy Spirit was to
take Jesus place and to perform His own functions. The Holy Spirit will
teach the believers all things and bring to their remembrance all that
Jesus had taught them (John, 14:26). The Holy Spirit will witness to
Jesus. The disciples will also be witnesses to Jesus, because they have
been with Him from the beginning. (John, 15:26-27). The Holy Spirit
will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John, 16:8).
In (John, 16:13) The Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth. He will
not speak on His own authority, but will speak whatever He hears. In
(John, 16:14) The Holy Spirit will also glorify Jesus. In (John, 14:17). The
Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.
1.
Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans , 1953).
2.
Bernand Ramm, The Pattern of Authority (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1957), pp. 10-12. Augustine, The City of God.
33
TOPIC 8
GOD IS IN COMMAND
QUALITIES OF GOD
We must make an important distinction between the
acts of God and the attributes of God. Several methods have been
employed to classify the attributes or qualities of God. We have chosen
to follow the classification that differentiates His greatness and His
goodness. Sometimes these attributes have been called His natural
attributes and His moral attributes, respectively. We concentrate on
His greatness, that is, that God is personal, all Powerful, Eternal, Spirit,
present everywhere within His creation, and unchanging in His
perfection. God is Spirit; that is, He is not composed of matter and
does not-possesses a physical nature. This is most clearly stated by
Jesus in (John, 4:24) “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in
Spirit and in Truth,” and is also implied in various references to His
invisibility, in (John, 1:18; 1 Tim. 1:17, and 6:15-16). One consequence
of God’s spirituality is that He does not have the limitations involved
with a physical body. For one thing He is not limited to a particular
location geographical or spatial location. This is location in Jesus’
statement, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither
on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John, 4:21). Also Paul’s statement
in (Acts, 17:24): “The God-who made the world and everything in it, is
the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by
hands.” Further- more, He is not destructible, as is material nature.
34
God has a personality, is indicated in several ways in
the Bible. One is the fact that God has a name, when Moses wonders
how he should respond when the Israelites will ask the name of the
God Who has sent him God identifies Himself as “I AM” or “I WILL BE”
(Yahweh, Jehovah, the Lord). (Exod. 3:14). God is characterized by life.
This is affirmed in the Bible in several different ways. It is found in the
assertion that He is. His very name “I AM” (Exod. 3:14). In (Hebr. 11:6),
says that anyone who “comes to Him must believe that He exist and
that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” In (John, 5:26), speaks
of God as having life in Himself, and in (1 Thess. 1:9), for they keep
talking about…how you turned away from idols to serve the living and
true God. God’s life is different from that of every other living being.
While all other being have their life in God, He does not derive His life
from any external source. He is never depicted as having been brought
into being. In (John, 5:26), says, that He has life in Himself. Further, we
are told that “in the beginning,” before anything else came to be, God
was already in existence (Gen.1:1). Thus, He could not have derived His
existence from anything else. Moreover, the continuation of God’s
existence does not depend on anything outside Him. All other beings,
insofar as they are alive, need something to sustain that life.
Nourishment, warmth, protection, all are necessary. In (Matt. 6:25-33),
Jesus notes that the birds and the flowers depend on the Father’s
provision. God, however, has no such need. God is infinite. This means
not only that God is unlimited, but that He is inimitable. In (Matt.
28:19-20 and Acts, 1:8) Thus He in effect indicated that He is not
limited either by space or by time. In (Acts, 17:24-25). Paul‘s statement
that God does not dwell in man-made shrines, because He is the Lord
35
of heaven and earth; He made the world and everything in it. In (Rev.
1:8) “I am the Alpha and the Omega”-“the beginning and the end” says
the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to
come-the Almighty One.”
1.
Charnock.Existence, and Attributes of God.
Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology, (Westwood, N.J. : Revell,
1907).
2.
Berkhol. Systematic Theology.
36
TOPIC 9
GOD IS IN COMMAND
HOLINESS OF GOD
The goodness of God may be discovered in all of His
relationships with His creations. It is most effectively demonstrated in
His moral attributes of purity, integrity and the entire complex of
characteristics that are identified as His love. Sometimes these
attributes are viewed as conflicting with each other, as in the case of
justice and love. When correctly viewed, however, this is not the case.
Some have suggested other methods for understanding the nature of
God. But the method of drawing inferences from Biblical statements
about God is the most satisfactory method.
Moral Purity we are referring to God’s absolute
freedom from anything wicked or evil. His moral purity includes the
dimensions of (1) Holiness, (2) Righteousness, and (3) Justice.
Holiness, there are two basic aspects to God’s Holiness.
The first is His uniqueness. He is totally separate from all of creation. In
(Exod. 15:11). “Who among the gods is like, You O Lord: In (1 Samuel,
2:2 and Isa, 57:15). Isaiah saw the Lord “seated on a throne, high and
exalted.” The foundations of the thresholds shook, and the house was
filled with smoke. The Seraphim cried out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord
Almighty” (Isa. 6:1-4). In the incident of the burning bush Moses was
told to take off his shoes since the ground on which he stood was holy
(Exod. 3). In like manner, when God came down on Mount Sinai, it was
separated from the Israelite encampment. No one but Moses was to
go up into the mountain or even touch the border of it (Exod. 19).
37
Similar restrictions applied to the tabernacle and later the temple. The
Most Holy Place was veiled off from the Holy Place (Exod. 26:33; 1
Kings, 6:16). Access was barred to all but the high priest, and he
entered only once a year. Proper reaction to God’s Holiness, His
separateness, is one of owe, reverence, and silence, “Let them praise
Your Great and Awesome Name He is Holy” (Ps. 99:3).
1.
The other aspect of God‘s Holiness is God’s
perfection: is the standard for our moral character and the motivation
for religious practice. The whole moral code follows from His Holiness.
The people of Israel were told, “I am the LORD your God; consecrate
yourselves and be holy because I am Holy. Do not make your selves
unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the
LORD Who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be
holy, because I am Holy” (Lev. 11:44-45). The same thought is
expressed in (Lev. 19:2 and Matt. 5:48); Because of God’s flawlessness,
a similar quality is expected of those objects or persons set apart unto
Him. Priests are to be without any physical blemish. The same is true of
sacrificial animals, but perfect ones without any blemish (Lev.1:3, 10;
3:1 and 6; 4:3). God’s absolute purity or goodness. This means that He
is untouched and unstained by the evil in the world. In Habakkuk:
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong.” In
(Matt. 5:48). God not only is personally free from any moral
wickedness or evil. He is unable to tolerate its presence.
The second dimension of God‘s moral purity is His
Righteousness: This is as it were, God‘s Holiness applied to His
relationships to other beings. The Lord Himself says, “I am the LORD,
38
who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for in this I
delight” (Jer. 9:24).
Justice is His official righteousness. The Bible makes
clear that sin has definite consequences, which must eventually come
to pass, whether sooner or later. In (Gen. 2:17), God’s warning to
Adam and Eve: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” In (Rom.
6:23). Paul states “The wages of sin is death.” In (Ps. 58:11 and Rom.
12:19). All indicate that God will punish sin, intrinsically deserves to be
punished. In (Sam. 8:3 and Amos, 5:12).The reason for the
condemnation was that they were greedy for money. They accepted
bribes and perverted justice.
Integrity relates to the matter of truth. There are three
dimensions of truthfulness; (1) genuineness being true; (2) veracity
telling the truth; and (3) faithfulness proving true.
God’s genuineness means that He is a real God. In
(John, 17:3). Jesus addresses the Father as the only true God. There are
similar references in (1Thess. 1:9; 1 John, 5:20; Rev.3:7 and 6:10).
Divine Veracity means that God represents things as
they really are. In (Titus. 1:2). Paul speaks of the God “Who does not
lie.” In (Hebr. 6:18). We read that when God added His Oath to His
promise, there were “two unchangeable things in which it is impossible
for God to lay.” In (John, 17:17) Jesus spoke of the word of God as
being the truth.
His faithfulness means that He proves true. God keeps
all His promises. In (1Thess. 5:24). Paul is more concise: “The One Who
calls you is faithful and He will do it.” Similar descriptions of God as
39
faithful are to be found in (1 Cor. 1:18-22; 2 Timothy 2:13; and 1 Peter
4:19).
Love, is the basic attribute, the very nature or definition
of God. In (1John, 4:8 and 16), we read: “Whoever does not love does
not know God, because God is Love… And so we know and rely on, the
love God has for us. God is love. Whoever, lives in love, lives in God,
and God in Him.” In (2 Cor. 13:11), speaks of “the God of love and
peace.”…love has always been present among the members of the
Trinity, even before here were any created beings. Jesus said, “but the
world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my
Father has commanded Me” (John, 14:31). And in (Matt. 3:17), reports
that a voice from heaven said of Jesus, “This is My Son, Whom I love;
with Him I am well pleased.” The basic dimensions of God’s love to us
are: (1) benevolence, (2) grace, (3) mercy, and (4) persistence.
Benevolence is a basic dimension of God’s love. He
unselfishly seeks our ultimate welfare. In (John, 3:16) “For God so
loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Grace is another attribute that is part of the manifold of
God’s love. He deals with them on the basis of His goodness and
generosity. In (Exod. 34:6) God says of Himself “The Lord, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness.” In (Eph. 1:5-8). Paul attributes our salvation to the grace
of God: “In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through
Jesus Christ. In accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of
His glorious grace, which He has freely given to us in the One He loves.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
40
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us
with all wisdom and understanding.”
The final dimension of the love of God is persistence. In
(Ps. 86:15; Rom. 2:4; 9:22; 1 Peter, 3:20; and 2 Peter, 3:15). In all of
those verses God is pictured as withholding judgment and continuing
to offer salvation and grace over long period of time. In (John, 2:7-11;
3:11-18). John insisted that the absence of practical acts of concern is
an indication that one supposed Christian experience is not genuine
and that God’s love does not abide in him.
God’s mercy is His tender hearted, loving compassion
for His people. It is His tenderness of heart toward the needy. In (Exod.
3:7). He heard their cry and knew their sufferings. In (Mark, 1:41). It is
also seen in the compassion Jesus felt, when people suffering from
physical ailments came to Him. In (Matt. 9:36). Their spiritual condition
also moved Him. In (Exod. 3:7), the attribute of mercy is seen in the
pitying concern of Jehovah for the people of Israel who were in
bondage to the Egyptians. He heard their cry and knew their sufferings.
In (Matt. 9:35-36). When Jesus saw the crowds were helpless like
sheep without a shepherd, He had compassion on them. So He went
about “teaching in their synagogues, the good news of the kingdom
and healing every disease and sickness.”
1.Strong, Systematic theology.
.
2. Nels Ferre, The Christian Understanding of God. (New York: Harper &Brothers, 1951.
3. Berhof, Systematic Theology.
41
42
TOPIC 10
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD’S PRESENCE
The Bible teaches that God is both immanent and
transcendent. God is present and active within His creation, but
superior to and independent of anything that He has created. These
Biblical ideas must be kept in balance. The tendency to emphasize one
or the other will lead to a faulty conception of God. While they are not
attributes of God as such, they both affect His greatness and His
goodness. There are significant practical implications that follow an
understanding of these doctrines.
By immanence we mean God’s presence and activity
within nature, human nature, and history. In (Jer. 23:24), emphasizes
God’s presence throughout the whole of the universe. “Can anyone
hide in secret places so that I cannot see him; declares the LORD. Do
not I fill heaven and earth; declares the LORD.” In (Acts, 17:27-28), Paul
told the philosophers on Mar’s Hill in Athens: “He is not far from each
one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our beings. As some
of your own poets have said. We are His offspring’s.” There are also
passages which note that God’s Spirit originates and/or sustains all
things; are dependent on Him The Book of Job includes several
references to the indwelling and sustaining Spirit or breath of God: “as
43
long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils” (Job,
27:3). “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty
gives me life” (Job, 33:4); “If it were, His intention and He withdraw His
Spirit and His breath, all mankind would perish together and man
would return to the dust” (Job, 34:14-15). And in (Gen. 1:2), The Spirit
of God is pictured as moving or brooding upon the face of the waters.
In (Gen. 2:7), we read that God breathed into the man, and he became
a living being. In (Micah, 3:8, and Haggai. 2:5), note that God’s Spirit
dwells within or among His people. In (Matt. 5:45; 6:25-30 and 10:2930). The sending of sunshine and rain, the feeding and protecting of
the birds of the air and the clothing of the flowers are all credited to
the Father.
A number of Biblical passages affirm to concept of
divine transcendence. In (Isa. 55:8-9)”For My thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your
ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” In (Isa. 6:1-5). The Lord is
depicted as “seated on a throne, high and exalted. “The seraphim call
out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD Almighty,” an indication of His
transcendence, and add,” the whole earth is full of His Glory,” In (Ps.
123:1). He is described as the one “whose throne is in heaven.” In
(John, 8:23). Jesus draws a contrast between Himself and His hearers;
“You are from bellow; I am from above. You are of this world I am not
of this world.” While God is never fully within our grasp since, He goes
far beyond our ideas and forms, yet He is always available to us when
we turn to Him.
44
1.
John A.T. Robinson, Honest to God (Philadelphia: Westminster,
1963).
2.
Rudolf Otto, The Idea of the Holy (New York: Oxford University Press,
1958).
3.
Martin Heinecken, The Moment Before God (Philadelphia:
Muhlenberg, 1956).
45
TOPIC 11
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE TRINITARIAN VIEW OF GOD
The Bible does not explicitly teach the Trinitarian view
of God, but the teaching that God is One and that three persons are
God clearly imply this view. Christianity is the only major religion that
makes this claim about God. Numerous attempts have been made to
understand this profound truth. Some have led to distortions of this
very important doctrine. While we may never fully comprehend this
difficult doctrine, there are analogies that can help us understand
more fully. Properly understood, this doctrine has profound practical
implications for the Christian life.
The unity of God: That God is one; was revealed to
Israel at several different times and in various ways. The Ten
Commandments, begin with the statement, “I am the LORD your God,
46
who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall
have no other gods before Me [or besides ME]” (Exod. 20:2-3). It is
clearly assumed throughout the Old Testament In that there is but one
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod.3:13-15). And in
(Deuteronomy, 6:4). “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is
one.” The teaching regarding God’s oneness is not restricted to the Old
Testament. In (James, 2:19), commends believe in one God. In (Cor.
8:4, 6). Paul writes: there is no God but one…the Father, from Whom
all things came and for Whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus
Christ, through Whom all things came and through Whom we live.
”Here Paul excludes idolatry on the ground that there is only one God.
Similarly, Paul writes to Timothy: (1 Tim. 2:5-6): “For there is one God
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who
gave Himself as a ransom for all men. ”All this evidence, if taken by it
would no doubt lead us to a basically monotheistic belief. What, then,
moved the church beyond this evidence? It was the additional Biblical
witness to the effect that three persons are God. The deity of the first,
the Father, is scarcely in dispute. In Paul’s writings, just cited (1 Cor.
8:4-6 and 1 Tim. 2:5-6), we may note the case where Jesus refers to
the Father as God. In (Matt. 6:26), He indicates that “your heavenly
Father feeds [the birds of the air].” In parallel statement He indicates
that “God cloths the grass of the field.” In (Matt. 6:30), and in verses
31-32, he states that we need not ask about what we shall eat or drink
or wear because “your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” It
is apparent that, for Jesus, “God” and “your heavenly Father” are
interchangeable expressions. And in numerous other references to
God, Jesus obviously has the Father in mind (Matt. 19:23-26; 27:46;
47
Mark 12:17, 24-27). A key reference to the deity of Christ Jesus is
found in (Phil. 2:5-11); Paul has taken what was in all likelihood hymn
of the early church and used it as the basis of an appeal to his readers
to practice Humanity. He speaks of Christ Jesus: “Who, being in very
nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped.” In (Phil.2:6). For Paul, an orthodox Jew trained in the
ribboning teaching of strict Judaism, is indeed an astonishing
statement. Reflecting the faith of the early church, it suggests a deep
commitment to the full deity of Christ. This commitment is indicated
not only by the use of (morfi) but by the expression (isa) equal, with
God.” And one Who is equal with God must be God. Another
significant passage is (Hebrews 1). He is writing to a group of Hebrew
Christians. He makes several statements that strongly imply the full
deity of the Son. A final consideration is Jesus’ own self-consciousness.
We should note, that Jesus never directly asserted His deity. Yet
several threads of evidence suggest that this indeed He understood
Himself. He claimed to possess what properly belongs only to God. He
spoke of the angels of God (Luke, 12:8-9; 15:10), as His angels
(Matt.13:41). He regarded the kingdom of God (Matt. 12:28; 19:14;
21:31, 43), and the elect of God (Mark, 13:20), as His own. Further, He
claimed to forgive sins, and they consequently accused Jesus of
blasphemy. He also claimed the power to judge the world (Matt.
25:31), and to reign over it (Matt. 24:30 and Mark, 14:62). 2. The
Deity of Jesus: In (John. 1:1-5). John says in the first verse of the book:
“The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the
beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing
was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that
48
was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Here is an
indication of the divinity of the Word; while the Son is distinct from the
Father, yet there is fellowship between them. There are other ways in
which this Bible stresses the closeness and unity between the Father
and the Son. In (Matt. 16:13-16), when Jesus came to the region of
Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the
Son of Man is…Then He asked them. ”But who do you say I am;”
Simon Peter answered. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed son of Jonah, because My Father
in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any
Human being.” In (John, 1:45-51), Philip went to look for Nathanael
and told him we have found the very person Moses and the prophets
wrote, His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.
“Nazareth?” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from
Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself” Philip replied. As they
approached Jesus said. ”Now here is a genuine son of Israel, a man of
complete integrity.” How do You know about me? Jesus replied “I
could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Exclaimed,
“Rabbi You are the Son of God the King of Israel.” Jesus asked him. Do
you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig
tree? You will see greater things than this Then He said “I tell you the
truth you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and
down on the Son of Man, the One who is the stairway between heaven
and earth.” In (John, 10:30) Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” And
in (John, 14:9): “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” In
(Matt. 26:63-64; and In Mark, 14:61-62; and In Luke. 22:70-71).Then
49
the High Priest asked Him. “Are You the Messiah, the Son of God?”
Jesus said “I am and you will see Me sitting at the right hand of God,
and returning to the earth in the clouds of heaven.” In (Matt.26:63-65
and John, 20:26-29). Eight days later (after the resurrection) the
disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.
The door’s, were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing
among them and greeting them. Then He said to Thomas. “Put your
finger into My hands. Put your hand into My side. Don’t be faithless
any longer. Believe.” My LORD and My GOD:” Then Jesus told him, you
believe because you have seen Me. But blessed are those who have
not seen Me and believe.” In (John, 17; 21). “I pray that they will all be
one; just as You and I are one as You are in Me, and I am in You. And
may they be in us so that the world will believe You sent Me.”
3. The Deity of the Holy Spirit as God: There are
passages where references to the Holy Spirit occur interchangeably
with references to God. In (Acts, 5:3-4). “Ananias and Sapphire held
back a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their property,
misrepresenting when they lay at the apostles feet, as the entirety.
Here, you are lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts, 5:3): You were not lying to
us but to God.”(Acts, 5:4). And in (John, 16:8-11).The Holy Spirit is also
described as having the qualities and performing the works of God. The
Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. In
(John, 3:8), regenerates or gives new life. In (1 Cor.12:4-11). It is the
Spirit who conveys gifts to the Church and who exercises sovereignty
over who receives those gifts. In addition, He receives the Honour and
Glory reserved to God. In (1 Cor.3:16-17). Paul reminds believers that
they are God’s temple and His Spirit dwells within them. In (1
50
Cor.19:20). He says that their bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit
within them. “God” and “Holy spirit” is put on an equal footing with
God. One is the baptismal formula of Matthew. In (2 Cor. 13:14). “May
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you All.” In (1 Peter, 1:2). Peter addresses his
readers as “chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by
the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His
blood.”
4. The Trinity is in (John, 5:7). “For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one.” One of these is the baptismal formula as
prescribed in the great Commission in (Matt. 28:19-20): baptizing in (or
into) the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Yet
another direct linking of the three names in unity and apparent
equality is the Pauline benediction in (2 Corinthians, 13:14). “The grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you All.” In (Luke, 1:5). The angel tells Mary that her
child will be called Holy, the Son of God, because the Holy Spirit will
come upon her. In (Matt. 3:16-17). At the baptism of Jesus, all three
persons of the Trinity are present. The Son is baptized, the Spirit of
God descends like a dove, and the Father speaks words of
commendation of the Son. “This is My beloved Son, and I am
wonderfully pleased with Him.” In (Matt. 12:28), Jesus relates His
doing of miracles to the power of the Spirit of God, and indicates that
this is evidence that the Kingdom of God has come. In (Luke, 24:49),
the threefold pattern can also be seen in Jesus statement that He will
send the promise of the Father upon the disciples. In (Acts, 2:33, 38).
51
Peter’s message at Pentecost also links all three: “Exalted to the right
hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit
and has poured out what you now see and hear… Repent and be
baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. Theodor Vriezen, An Outline of Old Testament Theology (Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1958).
3. Arthur W. Wainwright, The Trinity in the New Testament (London: SPCK, 1962).
4. George S. Hendry, The Holy Spirit in Christian Theology (Philadelphia: Westminster,
1956).
52
TOPIC 12
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD IS GUIDING HISTORY TO HIS GOAL
God has a definite plan for history. This is supported in
both the Old and New Testaments. A distinction needs to be made
between the term foreordain, which is the broader term, and the term
predestinate, which is the narrower term having to do with election or
reprobation or both. There are at least nine conclusions that may be
drawn both from the Biblical references to God’s plan. Calvinism and
Arminianism pose different solutions to the problem of whether God’s
plan or Human action is logically prior. From our analysis, we conclude
that a moderately Calvinist position is the most Biblically based. Finally,
there are a variety of views of history, but the Biblical view posits that
God is guiding history to His goal and that we can have assurance that
if we align ourselves with His purpose, we will be moving to an assured
outcome of history.
53
God’s plan is from all eternity. In (Ps. 139:16). The
Psalmist spoke of God’s having planned all of our days before there
were any of them. In (Isa. 22:11). Isaiah spoke of God’s having
“planned it long ago.” The Lord says, in (Isa. 14:24, 27): “Surely, as I
have planned, so will it be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand…For
the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is
stretched out, and who can turn it back?” In (Isa.46:10). He says, the
LORD. He will not change His mind, nor will be discover hitherto
considerations that will cause Him to alter His intentions. “My purpose
will stand, and I will do all that I please.” In (Ps. 33:11), because the
counsel of the Lord is from all eternity and is perfect, it will never fade
nor be replaced; it endures forever: “But the plans of the LORD stands
firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” The
plan and purpose of God are also prominent in the New Testament. In
(Luke, 21:20-22), Jesus saw the events of His life and events in the
future as necessarily coming to pass because of God’s plan. Jesus
affirmed that God had planned not only the large, complex events,
such as the fall and destruction of Jerusalem: But details as well, such
as the apostasy of and betrayal by Judas and the faithfulness of the
remaining disciples (Matt. 26:24; Mark. 14:21; Luke. 22:22 and John,
17:12; 18:9). The fulfilment of God’s plan and Old Testament prophesy
is a prominent theme in the writings of (Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14;
8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56 and of John, 12:38; 19:24, 28, 36). Paul
In (Eph. 1:4; 3:11), indicates that God “chose us in Him [Christ] before
the creation of the world.” And later in the same letter Paul speaks of
“His [God’s] eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” In (2 Tim. 1:9-10), Paul writes to Timothy that God has “saved us
54
and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but
because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in
Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” These decisions are not
made as history unfolds and events occur. God manifests His purpose
within history. But they have always been God’s plan, from all eternity,
from before the beginning of time.
In the Arminian view this aspect of God’s plan is
conditional on Human decision; and In the Calvinistic view, God’s plan
is unconditional.
Finally there is the Christian doctrine of the divine plan,
which affirms that, an all wise, all powerful, good God has from all
eternity planned what is to occur and that history carrying out His
intention. There is a definite goal toward which history is progressing.
History, then, is not moved merely by chance happenings, impersonal
atoms, or blind fate. The force behind it is, a loving God with Whom we
can have a personal relationship. We may look forward with assurance,
toward the attainment of the (telos-the end) of the universe. And we
may align our lives with the assured outcome of history.
1.Louis Berkfhol, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1953).
2. B. B. Worfield, “Predestination,” in Biblical Doctrines (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1929).
3. Henry C. Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1949).
55
TOPIC 13
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE CREATION
God created all things without the use of pre-existing
materials. There are at least five elements to the Biblical teaching on
creation. From the Biblical teaching we may deduce at least seven
Theological conclusions. Several theories have been proposed to
harmonize the age of creation and development within creation. The
age-day theory seems to be the most plausible answer to the age of
creation. The more adequate position of progressive creationism helps
explain development within creation. The Christian can have
confidence in the greatness of God in His creation of the universe and
all that is within it.
The very first statement of the Bible is. (Gen. 1:1). “In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It is one of the
first assertions in the Book of John, the most Theologically oriented of
the New testament Book. (John, 1:3), writes: “In the beginning was the
56
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without
Him nothing was made that has been made.”
The five elements are: 1.It is creation out of nothing. 2.
The creation was not direct and immediate. 3. Mediate, or derivative
creation. 4. God’s subsequent work development. 5. Fashioning what
He had originally brought in existence.
The seven Theological conclusions are: 1.The doctrine
of creation is first, a statement that there is no ultimate reality other
than God. 2. The original act of divine creation is unique. 3. The
doctrine of creation also means that nothing made is intrinsically evil.
Everything has come from God. In (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25,). And the
creation narrative says five times that He saw that it was good. Then,
when He completed His creation of the Human, we are told (Gen. 1:31)
That God saw everything He had made, and it was very good. There
was nothing evil within God’s original creation. 4. The doctrine of
creation also thrust a responsibility on the Human race. 5. The doctrine
of creation also guards against depreciating the incarnation of the
second person of the Trinity (Jesus Christ). 6. In (Matt. 6:26-30; 10:29),
Jesus indicates in an explicit statement that God loves and cares for all
of His creation. 7. According to the doctrine of creation, God simply
wills things into existence out of nothing. The individual elements of
the world are genuine creatures dependent on God their Creator.
Nothing other than God is self-sufficient or eternal.
Everything else, every object and every being, derives its existence
from Him. It exists to do His will. Only God deserves our worship.
Everything else exists for His sake, not He for its sake.
57
1.
Langdon Gilkey, Maker of Heaven and Earth (Garden City, N.Y. :
Doubleday, 1965).
2.
Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Westwood, N.J.: Revell,
1907).
TOPIC 14
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD MAINTAINS THE CREATION
The providence of God means the continuing action of
God in preserving His creation and guiding it toward His intended
purposes. Preservation means that God maintains the creation that He
brought into existence. Government means that God is actively
engaged in achieving His purposes in His creation and that sin cannot
thwart those purposes. There are at least seven features of God’s
governing activity. While prayer does not change God, it brings the
Christian in line with God’s purposes, thus enabling God to accomplish
those purposes. God does choose on occasion to counteract the
natural law to fulfil His purposes; this occurs in a miracle. For the
believer, God is ever present and active in caring for him or her.
Numerous Biblical passages speak of God’s preserving
the creation as a whole. In (Nehemiah, 9:6), Ezra says, “You alone are
the LORD God. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all
their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, seas and all that is in
them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven
58
worship You.” After a statement about the role of Christ in creation,
Paul links Him to the continuation of the creation as well: “He is before
all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). The writer to
the Hebrews speaks of the Son as “sustaining all things by His powerful
word” (Hebr. 1:3). The disciples concerned about the necessities of life
what they would eat and what they would wear. Jesus reassured them
that the Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the
fields…Jesus argument moves to Humans; they are of more value than
the birds (Matt. 6:26), and flowers (Matt.6:29-34). But what is the price
of two sparrows-one coin? Not one of them can fall to the ground
without the Father knowing it. Even the hairs of our heads are
numbered so great is the Father’s knowledge of what transpires within
His creation. (Matt.10:28-34). During a severe storm, He spoke only the
words, “Quiet. Be still.” And the storm abated. (Mark, 4:38-39). The
disciples asked themselves, “Who is this. He commands even the winds
and the water, and they obey Him.” (Luke, 8:22-25). And in (Ps. 104:2129)…God guides and directs the animal creation, the beasts from the
young lions to the teeming sea creatures, are depicted as carrying out
His will and as depending on Him for their provisions. In (1 Kings. 17:4),
Jehovah tells Elijah that He will provide for him during the coming
drought: “You will drink from the brook, and I ordered the ravens to
feed you there.” Paul in his Mars; Hill, in Athens address, said that
“From one man He [God] made every nation of men, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and
the exact places where they should live.” (Acts, 17:26), Paul asserts
that even before He was born God had set Him apart for His task (Gal.
1:15-16).
59
1.
God’s governing activity is universal. In
(Rom. 8:28). Paul wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to
His purpose.”
2.
God’s providence does not extend merely to
His own people. In (Matt. 5:45). Jesus said this quite openly. “He
causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous.”
3.
God is good in His government. In (Rom.
8:29). “The good is associated with God’s purpose, and that in turn
identified as the conforming of His children to the image of His Son.”
4.
God is personally concerned about those
who are His. In (Luke, 15:3-7).Because of the size and complexity of the
kingdom of God we might be tempted to draw this conclusion. But
various pictures Jesus gives us of the Father indicate the personal
dimension of His care. He cares about the one lost sheep. In (John,
10:3-6, 14, 27). And searches until He finds it. The good shepherd
knows His sheep and calls them by name. They recognize His voice and
come, whereas they would disregard the voice of a stranger. In (John,
10:11). The shepherd watches over His sheep, protects them, even
gives his life for them if needs be.
5.
Our activity and God’s activity are not
mutually exclusive. We have no basis for laxity, indifference, or
resignation in the face of the fact that God is at work accomplishing His
goals. As we have seen, His providence includes Human action. In
(Matt. 26:42). And (Luke, 2:1). Sometimes Humans are conscious that
their actions are fulfilling divine intention, as when Jesus said that He
60
must do the Father’s will. At other times there is an unwitting carrying
out of God’s plan.
6.
God is sovereign in His government. In (Judg.
6:36-40).This means that He alone determines His plan and knows the
significance of each of His actions. It is not necessary for us to know
where He is leading. We need to be careful, then, to avoid dictating to
God what He should do to give us direction.
7.
We need to be careful as to what we identify
as God’s providence. We have seen that the doctrine of providence is
not an abstract conception. It is the believer’s conviction that he or she
is in the hands of a good, wise, and powerful God Who will accomplish
His purpose in the world.
1. Strong, Systematic Theology.
2. C.S. Lewis, Miracles (New York: Macmillan, 1947).
3.
Berkourwer, Providence of God.
61
TOPIC 15
GOD IS IN CONTROL
EVIL UN THEWORLD
Probably the most difficult intellectual challenge to the
Christian faith is the problem of how there can be evil in the world. If
God is all-powerful and all-loving, how can evil be present in the
world? Although the problem will never be fully resolved within this
earthly life, there are Biblical teachings that help alleviate it.
A cardinal doctrine of the Theology is the fact of racial
sin. This does not mean the sin of race against race, but rather the fact
that the entire Human race has sinned and is now sinful. In its head,
Adam, the entire Human race violated God’s will and fell from the
state of innocence in which God had created the Human race.
Consequently, all of us begin life with a natural tendency to sin. The
Bible tells us that with the fall, the first sin, a radical change took place
in the universe. Death came upon Humanity (Gen. 2:7; 3:2-3, 19). God
pronounced a curse on Humanity, which is represented by certain
specifics: anguish in childbearing (Gen. 3:16), male domination over
the wife (Gen, 3:16), toilsome labour (Gen. 3:17), thorns and thistles
62
(Gen. 3:18), probably merely a sample of the actual effects on the
creation. Paul in (Rom. 8) says that the whole creation has been
affected by Human sin, and is now in bondage to decay. It waits for its
redemption from the bondage. Thus, it appears likely that a whole host
of natural evils may also have resulted from the sin of Humans. We live
in the world that God created, but it is not quit as it was when God
finished it; it is now a fallen and broken world. An important question
that must be asked here is how sin could have happened in the first
place. If Humans were created good, or at least without any evil
nature, made in the image of God, and if the creation God had made
was “very good” (Gen.1:31), then how could sin have occurred? What
could have motivated such sin? Here we have recourse to the account
of the Adamic fall. In (Genesis 3) we read that the serpent tempted
Eve. Apparently sometime between the completion of the creation,
which God pronounced, “very good” and the temptation of Eve, the
fall of Satan had occurred. Thus, an evil force was present within the
creation, whose appeal stirred. Within Adam and Eve the desire that
led them to sin. “God is in control of all that occurs.” He has a plan for
the entire universe, and all of time, and is at work, bringing about that
good plan.” “Then God looked over all He had made and he saw that it
was very good” (Gen. 1:31).And in (Rom. 8:29). For God knew His
people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that
His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. In
(2Cor. 4:17; Hebr. 12:2 and Peter, 1:6-7), writes: “For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all.” In (Gal. 6:7-8), “The one who sows to please his
63
sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows
to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
In a fair number of cases, we bring evil on ourselves by
our own sinful or unwise actions. We must be very careful here. Job’s
friends tended to attribute his misfortunes solely to his sins (Job.22).
But Jesus indicated that tragedy is not always the result of a specific
sin. When His disciples asked concerning a man who had been born
blind. “Rabbi who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned …but
this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”
(John, 9:2-3). Jesus was not denying that the man and his parents had
sinned, but He was refuting the idea that the blindness was the result
of a specific sin. It is unwise to attribute misfortunes as punishments
sent from God, and either to feel guilty or to blame God for being
unjust in sending a punishment we feel, we do not deserve. The
question “Why?” often reflects the mistaken idea that God sends each
event as a direct response to our actions. If God sends His sunshine
and rain on the unjust and the just alike, then in a world in which sin
has brought ravages of nature and disease, misfortune, may also fall on
the just and unjust alike. To be sure, God has rendered certain all of
what happens, but He has not necessarily targeted every specific ill as
a response to some specific sin. But having given caveat, we need to
note that there are instances of sin bringing unfortunate results on the
individual sinner. A case in point is David, whose sin with Bathsheba
and murder of Uriah resulted in the death of the child of David and
Bathsheba as well as conflict in David’s own household. This perhaps
should be thought of more in terms of the effects of certain acts than
64
in terms of punishment from God. We do not know what was involved,
but it may well be certain conditions pertaining at the time of the act
of adultery resulted in a genetic defect in the child. In the case of the
rape of Tamar by Amnon, and Absalom’s murder of Amnon and
sedition against David, it may well be that the seeds were sown by the
children’s knowledge of their father’s sin, or by the failure of David to
exercise discipline with his children in view of his own sense of guilt,
and the feeling that it would be hypocritical on his part to rebuke his
sons for doing what he had done. David’s sin may have led to
indulgence with his own children, which in turn let to their sins. Much
of the evil recounted in the Bible come upon people as a result of their
own sin, or that of someone close to them. A prime example is Achan
and his family, all of whom were stoned because of his sin, for hiding in
the ground beneath his tent, a gold bar and silver, at Jericho (Josh,
7:24-25).
1.
Alvin Plantinga, God, Freedom, and Evil (New York ; Harper & Row,
1974).
2.
John Hick, Evil and the God of love (New York : Harper & Row, 1966).
.
3.
Feinberg, Theologies and Evil.
65
TOPIC 16
GOD IS IN CONTROL
ANGELS
Angels are superhuman, but not divine beings who work within
Human history. Some of these, who remained faithful to God, carry
out His work. Others, who fell from their created state of holiness,
live to oppose God and His children, God’s care and concern for His
creation is evident in the ministrations of good angels. By contrast,
Satan and his minions seek to thwart the purpose of God. But God
has limited their powers. Medieval Christianity engaged in extensive
discussion about angels. The major impetus was provided by the
work of pseudonymous fifth or sixth-century writer claiming to be
Dionysius the Areopagite, who had been converted by Paul in Athens
(Acts, 17:34). He classified angels into three groups: (1) thrones,
cherubim, seraphim; (2) might’s, dominions, powers: (3)
principalities, archangels, angels. The first group, closest to God,
enlighten the second group, who in turn enlighten the third group,
Dionysius made a great deal of the concept of hierarchy, which he
believes to be inherent in all of reality. Basing his argument on Paul’s
66
statement that the law was given by angels (Gal. 3:19). Dionysius
maintained that Humans, as a lower order, have no direct access to
or manifestation of God, but only through the angels. Human orders,
and particularly the church, should reflect a similar hierarchical
structure. The Bible does not explicitly state that angels were created
nor are they mentioned in the creation account (Gen. 1:2). That they
are created is, however, clearly implied in (Ps. 148:2, 3, 4, 5). “Praise
Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His heavenly hosts…Let them
praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were
created.” The angels, as well as the celestial objects mentioned in
verses 3 and 4, are declared in (Col. 1:16). Paul seems to identify the
heavenly forces as invisible. “For though Him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and
authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him,
and for Him. Apparently the angels were all created directly at one
time, since they presumably do not have the power to propagate
themselves in the normal fashion and we are told of no new direct
creation by God after the original creative effort was completed
(Gen. 2:2-3). Jews and Christians have long believed and taught that
angels are immaterial or spiritual beings. On the other hand, angels
have appeared in the form of Human beings with material bodies.
Here, as with the matter of their creation, explicit evidence is not
abundant. Indeed, one might conclude that angels and spirits are
being distinguished from one another in (Acts, 23:8-9), although
angels may be part of the genus of spirit. The clearest statement
regarding the spiritual nature of angels is found in (Hebr. 1:14),
67
where the writer, obviously referring to angels (Hebr. 5:13), says:
“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will
inherit salvation?” In (Matt. 22:30): “For when the dead rise, they will
neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be
like the angels in heaven.” And they do not die (Luke 20:34-36). That,
angels are spirits seems to follow from Jesus assertion that angels do
not marry (Matt. 25:31). The angels will be involved in the second
coming. They will accompany the Lord at His return (Matt. 13:39-42).
Just as, they were present at other significant events of Jesus life,
including His birth, temptation, and resurrection. They will separate
the wheat from the weeds (Matt. 24:31 and 1 Thess. 4:16-17). Christ
will send forth His angels with a loud trumpet call to gather the elect
from the four winds. (Matt. 18:10). “See that you do not look down
on one of these little ones. For I tell you, that, their angels in heaven
always see the face of My Father in heaven.” Angels continually
praise and glorify God (Job 38:7; Ps. 103:20 and Rev. 5:11-12; 7:11;
8:14). While this activity usually takes place in God’s presence, on at
least one occasion it took place on earth at the birth of Jesus the
angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth” (Luke,
2:13-14). Angels reveal and communicate God’s message to Humans
of the Word. Angels were particularly involved as mediators of the
law (Acts, 7:53; Gal. 3:19 and Hebr. 2:2). The New Testament
frequently depicts them as conveyers of messages from God, Gabriel
to Zachariah (Luke, 1:13-20) and to Mary (Luke, 1:26-38). Angels also
spoke to Phillip (Acts, 8:26). Cornelius (Acts, 10:3-7). Angels minister
to believers. This includes protecting believers from harm. In the
earth church, it was an angel that delivered the apostles (Acts, 5:19).
68
When the maid Rhoda told the others in the house that Peter was at
the gate, they said, “It must be his angel” (Acts, 12:15, Genesis 2:1
and Job 38:7), indicate that the angels were part of the original
creation, but these texts are not sufficiently clear to be utilized as a
foundation for that belief. Apparently the angels were all created
directly at one time, since they presumably do not have the power to
propagate themselves in the normal fashion and we are told of no
new direct creation by God after the original creative effort was
completed (Gen. 2:2-3). And in (Luke, 16:22), Jesus could have called
twelve legions of angels; several angels carried Lazarus’s soul to
Abraham bosom.
1.
Billy Graham, Angels: God s secret Agents (Garden City, N.Y.
Doubleday.
2.
Wilson, “Angels,” p134.
69
TOPIC 17
GOD IS IN CONTROL
HUMANITY
There are five reasons the Christian view of Humanity is
important. The Christian view of Humanity holds that a Human being is
a creation of God, made in the image of God. This contrasts with seven
contemporary views of Humanity. The Biblical answer to the meaning
of Humanity is the most satisfying answer among the possible views. 1.
Since the Human is the highest of God’s earthly creatures. For only
Humans are said in the Bible to have been made by God in His own
image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27). Thus a direct clue to the nature of
God ought to emerge. 2. The doctrine of Humanity is a point where the
Biblical revelation and Human concerns converge. Theology is here
treating an object that everyone admits exist. 3. There is a heightened
interest in Human problems ethical issues dominate discussions,
particularly among the young. Is material prosperity more important
than good education? Is economic security to be valued more than
freedom of choice? These are issues that really pose the question,
“What is Human nature?” and “What is the good for Human beings?”
70
Because of the increasing number of academic discipline focusing on
Humanity, Christian Theology is an opportune position to enter into
dialogue with other scholarly perspective methodologies. Just as in a
highly personal discussion with an individual, it is also vital in academic
dialogue that we have a thorough and accurate understanding of
Human been from the standpoint of Theology. We must know how the
Human is perceived by these other approaches and how these views
compare and contrast with the Theological views.4. The doctrine of
Humanity is important because of the present crisis in Human selfunderstanding. The quest for identity has always been part of the
normal process of maturation, of forming one’s independent outlook
on life, one’s own values and goals. 5. The doctrine also affects how we
minister. Our conception of Human beings and their destiny will
greatly affect how we deal with them and what we seek to do for
them. The Bible, however, indicates that everyone is valuable and is
known to God: every hair of our head is numbered (Matt. 10:28-31).
Jesus spoke of the shepherd who, although he had ninety-nine sheep
safely in the fold, went and sought the one that was missing (Luke,
15:3-7). That is how each Human is regarded by God. We cannot
discover our real meaning by regarding ourselves and our own
happiness as the highest of all values, nor find happiness, fulfilment, or
satisfaction by seeking it directly. Our value has been conferred on us
by a higher source, and we are fulfilled only when serving and loving
that higher being. It is then that satisfaction comes, as a by-product of
commitment to God. We are contending here that the Christian view
of Human is more pertinent to them than is any competing view. The
image of Humanity accounts for the full range of Human phenomena
71
more completely and with less distortion than does any other view.
And this view more than any other approach to life enables us to
function in ways that are deeply satisfying in the long run. The Psalmist
asked: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the Son of Man that
you care for Him? You made Him a little lower than the heavenly
beings and crowned Him with Glory and Honour. You made Him ruler
over the works of your hands; You put everything under His feet” (Ps.
8:4-6).
1.
Paul Tillch, Systematic Theology (Chicago: Press, 1951), vol. 1.
2.
Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis (New York:
Norton, 1933).
3.
C. S. Lewis, Mrere Christianity {New York: Macmillan, 1962).
72
TOPIC 18
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE CREATION
The purpose for the placement of Humans on earth
goes beyond the simple explanation for the physical existence of
Human and is set forth in the Biblical revelation. In the light of
(Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15), we must view Adam and Eve as literal
persons. Of the five positions regarding Human beginning, progressive
creationism seems to present the fewest problems. Similarly, the
evidence seems to support a position that culture can be dated to
about thirty thousand years ago through the beginning of language.
There are five views of the Neolithic elements in Genesis 4. No
definitive answer may be given. Finally, nine conclusions were reached
about the Theological meaning of creation. Genesis contains two
accounts of God’s creation of Humans. The first, in (Gen. 1:26-27),
records (1) God’s decision to make Humans in His own image and
likeness, and (2) God’s action implementing this decision. Nothing is
said about the materials or method He used. The first account places
more emphasis on the purpose or reason for the creation of the
Humans; namely, they were to be fruitful and multiply. (Gen. 1:28),
73
and have dominion over the earth. The second account: In (Gen. 2:7).
Is quite different: “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
became a living being.” Here the emphasis seems to be on the way in
which God created. In (Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15), Paul relates
Human sinfulness to Adam in a way that makes it difficult to regard
“Adam” as merely a representative term, In (Rom. 5:12-21). Paul refers
several times to the trespass of “one man” He also refers to the
obedience, grace, and righteousness of “the one man Jesus Christ.”
Paul is drawing a parallel between the one man Adam and the one
man Jesus Christ. Note that the negative side of Paul’s doctrinal
exposition rest on the facticity of Adam. Sin, guilt, and death are
universal facts of Human existence; they are essential parts of Paul’s
doctrine of Humanity. “The heir to David’s throne will come and He will
rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on Him.”… The five
positions are: 1.The pre-Adamic theory says that Adam was the first
Human in the Biblical sense, but was not the first Human in
Anthropological sense. 2. Cain and Abel were not immediate
descendants of Adam. They may have been several generations
removed from him. 3, in the creation account (Gen. 1:26-27). The
Hebrew word (adam), Adam which is often used symbolically of the
entire Human race, refers to the first Human, who is anonymous. In
other passages (Gen. 4:1; 5:3) it is a proper noun pointing to a specific
individual who came later. 4. Perhaps Cain and Abel were not really
domesticators of plants and animals but in the language of Moses, and
particularly of our translations, would only appear to be such. 5. The
domestication of plants and animals may be much more remote in
74
time than the Neolithic period. Thus Adam and his descendants could
have practiced agriculture thirty thousand years ago.
First view Is, the Naturalistic Evolution: This is an
attempt to account, for the Human species as well other forms of life,
without appealing to a supernatural explanation. Immanent processes
within nature have produced Humans and all else that exist. There is
no involvement by any divine persons, either at the beginning or
during the process. All that is needed, according to naturalistic
evolution, is atoms in motion. A combination of atoms, motion, time,
and chance has fashioned what we currently have. No attempt is made
to account for these givens they simply are there, the basis of
everything else. 2. Fiat creationism: This is the idea that God, by a
direct act, brought into being virtually instantaneously everything that
is. Note two features of this view. One is the brevity of time involved,
and hence the relative regency of what occurred at creation. While
there were various stages of creation, one occurring after another, no
substantial amount of time elapsed from the beginning to the end of
the process.3. Deistic Evolution: God began the process of evolution,
producing the first matter and implanting within the creation the laws
its development has followed. Thus, He programmed the process and
then withdrew from active involvement with the world, becoming, so
to speak, Creator emeritus. The process of the created order is free of
direct influence by God. He is the Creator of everything, but only the
first component in the process was directly created. All the rest of
God’s creating has been done indirectly. God is the creator, the
ultimate cause, but evolution is the means, the proximate cause. Thus,
except for its view of the very beginning of matter, deistic evolution is
75
identical to naturalistic evolution, for it denies that there is any direct
activity by a personal God during the ongoing creative process.4.
Theistic evolution: has much in common with deistic evolution, but
goes beyond it in terms of God’s involvement in and with His creation.
God began the process by bringing the first organism to life. He then
continued by working internally toward His goal for the creation. At
some point, however, He also acted supernaturally, to modify the
process, but employing already existing materials. God created the first
Human being, but in doing so utilized an existing creature. God created
a Human soul, and infused it into one of the higher primates,
transforming this creature into the first Human. Thus, while God
specially created the spiritual nature of Adam, His physical nature was
a product of the process of evolution. 5. Progressive Creationism: Sees
the creative work of God as a combination of a series of de novo
creative acts and an immanent or progressive operation. On those
occasions He did not make use of previously existing life, simply
modifying it While He might have brought into being something quite
similar or one already existing creation, there were a number of
changes and the product of His work was a completely new creature.
According to progressive creationism, when the time came to bring the
first Human into existence, God made him directly and completely, not
out of some lower creature. Rather, both Adam’s physical and spiritual
nature, were specially created by God. The Bible tells us that God
made him from the “dust” of the ground.
Theological Meaning of Human Creation: several points
need special attention. 1. That Humans are created by means that they
have no independent existence. They came into being because God
76
willed that they should exist and acted to bring them into being and
preserve them. But their very life and each breath they continue to
take from God. 2. Humans are part of the creation. As different as they
are from God’s other created beings, they are not, so sharply
distinguished from the rest of them as to have no relationship with
them. Like the other creatures, the Human was brought into existence
on one of the days of creation, the same day as were the land animals.
3. The Human, however, has a unique place in the creation. As we have
noted, we are creatures and thus share much with the rest of the
creatures. They are all said to be made “according to their kind.” The
Human, on the other hand, is described as made in the image and
likeness of God. 4. There is a brotherhood among Humans. The
doctrine of creation and of the descent of the entire Human race from
one original pair means that we are all related to one and other. In a
sense, each of us is a distant cousin to everyone on this earth. 5.
Humanity is not the highest object in the universe. Our value is great,
for what we are, with the exception of the angels, the highest of the
creatures. This status is conferred upon us, however, by the highest
Being, God in (Exod. 20:3-11). Even love for fellow Humans must not
compete with love for God, for the first commandments pertain to our
relationship to God (Matt. 22:37-40; Mark, 12:28-34 and Luke, 10:2728). And the command to love one’s God with all one’s being precedes
the command to love one’s neighbour as one’s self. Indeed, love for
God is part of the motivation for love for Humans, who are created in
God’s image. 6. There are definite limitations upon Humanity. Humans
are creatures, not God, and have the limitations that go with being
finite. Only the Creator is infinite. 7. Limitation is not inherently bad.
77
There is a tendency to be moan the fact of Human finiteness. Same,
indeed, maintain that this is the cause of Human sin. If we were not
limited, we would always know what is wright and would do it. We are
Humans not encumbered by finiteness, they could do better (Gen.
1:31). The Bible indicates that having made the Human with the
limitations that go with creature hood, God looked at the creation and
pronounced it “very good.” 8. Proper adjustment in life can be
achieved only on the basis of acceptance of one’s own finiteness. The
fact of our finiteness is clear. Adam and Eve’s fall consisted at least in
part of an aspiration to become like God (Gen. 3:4-6), to know what
God knows (Jude 6). A similar aspiration underlay the fall of the evil
angels. We ought to be willing to let God be God, not seeking to tell
Him what is right and true, but rather submitting to Him and His plan
for us. 9. Humans are the highest among them, the only ones made in
the image of God. The fact that the Lord of the entire universe made us
simple, adds to the grandeur of Humanity by giving us a trademark as it
were. We are not simply, a chance production of a blind mechanism, or
a by product or scraps thrown off in the process of making something
better, but on expressly designed product of God. The Human has
been made by the best and wisest of all beings, God Who could make
such a wondrous creature as a Human being is a great God indeed (Ps.
100:3-5). For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His
faithfulness continues through all generations.
1.
2.
3.
August H. Strong, Systematic Theology, N.Y. : Revell, 1907),
Emil Brunner, Man in revolt (Philadelphia: Westminister, 1947).
Leonard Verduin, Samewhat Less Than God: The Biblical View of Man
78
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970)..
4.
Seeley, “Adam and Anthropology.
79
TOPIC 19
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE
The image of God in humanity is critical to our
understanding of what makes us Human. The substantive, relational,
and functional views of the image of God are not completely satisfying
explanations. We must reach our conclusions about the image of God
by making inferences from the Biblical data. The implications of the
image of God should inspire us and set the parameters for our view of
all Humanity.
Several Biblical passages speak of the image of God.
The best known is probably Genesis. In (Gen.1:26-27). “Then God said,
‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them.” Beyond this we find no other
explicit references in the Old Testament to the image of God, although
two passages in the Apocrypha mention it, (Wisdom of Solomon 2:23;
And Ecclesiasticus, 17:3).
Two New Testament passages mention the image of
God in connection with the creation of the Human (1 Cor. 11:7), Paul
80
says, “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and
glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” Paul does not say
that woman is the image of God, but merely points out that she is the
glory of man as man is the glory of God, and in (James 3:9), on the
grounds that Humans are made in the likeness of God. In (Acts, 17:28),
although the term is not actually used: ‘“For in Him we live and move
and have our beings.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘we are His
off springs.’” In addition, several passages in the New Testament refer
to the believers becoming the image of God through the process of
salvation (Rom. 8:29), note that they are being conformed to the
image of the Son: “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be
conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brothers.” In (2 Cor. 3:18), we read, “And we, who with
unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into
His likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord,
Who is the Spirit.” In (Eph. 4:23-24), Paul urges his readers, “to be
made new in the attitude of their minds; and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. ”Finally, in
(Col, 3:10), Paul refers to putting on “the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Jesus had perfect fellowship with the Father. While on
earth He communed with and frequently spoke to the Father. Their
fellowship is most clearly seen in the high teaching prayer (John, 17:2122). Jesus spoke of how He and the Father are one. He had glorified
and would glorify the Father. (John, 17:1, 4), and the Father glorified
and would glorify Him (John, 17:1; 5, 22. 24). Jesus obeyed the Father’s
will perfectly, In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, if
81
you are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but yours be
done” (Luke, 22:42). Indeed, throughout His teaching His own will was
subordinate: “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to
finish His work” (John, 4:34); “For I have come down from heaven not
to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me” (John, 6:38).
Jesus always displayed a strong love for Humans. Note, for example,
His concern for the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 9:36). His compassion for
the sick (Mark, 1:41), and the sorrowing (Luke, 7:13). His patience with
and forgiveness for those who failed. God intends that a similar sense
of fellowship, obedience, and love characterize Humans’ relationship
to God, and that Humans be bound together with one another in love.
We are completely Human only when manifesting these
characteristics.
Every Human being is God’s creature made in God’s
own image. God endowed each of us with the powers of personality
that make it possible for us to worship and serve Him.
1.Charles Ryder Smith, The Bible Doctrine of Man London: Epworth; 1956).
2. Cairns, Image of God.
3. Snaith “Image of God..
.
82
TOPIC 20
GOD IS IN CONTROL
HUMAN CONSTITUTION
There are three traditional views of the Human
constitution: trichotomies, dichotomies, and nomism. A careful
discussion of the Biblical and philosophical considerations would lead
one to reject the three traditional views. In place of these, an
alternative model provides for conditional unity of the person, which
has five implications.
Trichotomies: A human is composed of three elements.
The first element is the physical body, something Humans have in
common with animals and plants. But there is a difference of degree,
as Humans have a more complex physical structure. The second part of
the Human is the soul. This is the psychological element the basis of
reason, emotion, social interrelatedness, and the like. Animals have
rudimentary soul. Possession of the soul is what distinguishes Human
and animals; from plants. While the Human soul is much more involved
and capable than that of the animals, their souls are similar in kind.
What really distinguishes the Human from the animals is not a more
complex and advanced soul, but a third element, namely, a spirit. This
religious element enables Humans to perceive spiritual matters and
respond to spiritual stimuli. It is the seat of the spiritual qualities of the
individual, whereas personality traits reside in the soul. Actually the
83
major foundation of the trichotomies is certain the Bible passages that
either enumerate three components of Human nature or distinguish
between the soul and the spirit. A primary text is (1 Thess. 5:23). “May
God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through; May
your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Hebrews 4:12) describes the word of God as
“living and active.
Sharper than any double edged sword it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebr. 4:12). Beyond that, a
threefold division seems to be implied in (1 Cor. 2:14-3:4), where Paul
classifies Human persons as “of the flesh” (sarkikos), “unspiritual”
(psuchikos-literally, “of the soul” or “spiritual” “pneumatikos”). These
terms seem to refer to the different functions or orientations, if not to
different components, of Humans. (1 Cor. 15:44), also distinguishes
between the natural body and the spiritual body. Dichotomies: The
Human is composed of two elements a material aspect (the body) and
an immaterial component (the soul) or spirit. Dichotomism was
commonly held from the earliest period of Christian thought. Following
the Council of Constantinople in 381, however, it grew in popularity
(Luke 10:27). Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all yourmind.” Monism: The Humans are not to be thought of as in any sense
composed of parts or separate entities, but rather as a radical unity. In
the monistic understanding, the Bible does not view a Human as body,
soul, and spirit, but simply as self. A Human is never treated in the
Bible as a dualistic being. According to monism, to be Human is to be
84
or have a body. Consequently, to monism there is no possibility of post
death existence in a disembodied state. Immortality of the soul is quite
untenable. Not only, then, is there no possibility of a future life apart
from bodily resurrection, but any sort of intermediate state between
death and resurrection is ruled out as well.
We must now evaluate monism in the light of the
whole of the Biblical data. For there are some issues, especially in the
area of eschatology, that the total monistic view has difficulty dealing
with. Certain passages seem to indicate an intermediate state between
death and resurrection, a state in which the individual lives on in
conscious personal existence. One of these passages is Jesus’
statement to the thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will
be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Another is the parable of the
rich man and Lazarus (Luke, 16:19-31). Some have thought that this is
not a parable but the record of an actual event, since it would be
unique among parables in naming one of the characters within the
story. We are told that a rich man and a poor man died. The rich man
went to Hades, where he was in great torment in the flames, while the
poor man, Lazarus, was taken to Abraham’s bosom. Both were in state
of consciousness. A third consideration pointing to an intermediate
state is Paul’s reference to being away from the body and at home
with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). The apostle expresses a dread of this state of
nakedness (2 Cor. 5:3-4). Desiring to be reclothed (2 Cor. 5:4). A
prominent instance is Jesus’ statement in (Matt. 10:28): “Do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.”
85
The five implications are: 1. Humans are to be treated
as unities. Their spiritual condition cannot be dealt with independently
of their physical and psychological condition. 2. A Human is a complex
being, whose nature is not reducible to a single principle. 3. The
different aspects of Human nature are all to be attended to and
respected. There is to be no depreciating of the body emotions, or
intellect. 4. Religious development or maturity does not consist in
subjugating one part of Human nature to another. No part of the
Human makeup is evil per se. Total depravity means that sin infers all
of what a Human is, not merely the body or mind or emotions. Thus,
The Christian does not aim at bringing the body under the control of
the soul. 5. Human nature is not inconsistent with the Biblical teaching
of a personal conscious existence between death and resurrection.
1.Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953).
86
TOPIC 21
GOD IS IN CONTROL
CHARACTERISTICS OF RACE
The characteristics of race, gender, economic status,
age, the unborn fatal state, and marital status become incidental to
one’s basic Humanity. God has regard for all persons. Since God takes
that view, it is incumbent upon the believer to adopt a similar view and
to practice a godly reverence for all Humanity. This is especially true
for those who may be subject to discrimination.
The Human’s response or destiny is to know, love, and
serve God. God made Humans able to know Him and respond to Him.
This is the fundamental distinguishing characteristic shared by all
Humanity. The first point to be noted is that all races are included in
God’s Human family, and thus are objects of His love. One of the most
common pseudotheological arguments advanced was that the traits of
Noah’s three sons will characterize their descendants until the end of
time. It was contended that Ham was born black; hence his
descendants are the black race. A curse was placed upon Ham because
of his wickedness; this curse involved the servitude of his son Canaan
to the descendants of Shem and Japheth. Thus all blacks are to be
understood as under the curse of God, and slavery is justified because
God intended it. Another variety of this argument was the contention
87
that Cain, who was cursed for murdering his brother Abel, was placed
in servitude and turned black (Gen. 4:13-15). Ham supposedly married
a descendant of Cain, so that Ham’s son Canaan was doubly cursed.
Yet another contention was that the black is actually not part of
Adam’s race. An additional argument was that blacks are to be
understood as two–footed beast. Since blacks are present with us
today, they must have been in the ark. There were only eight souls
saved in the ark, however, and they are fully accounted for by Noah’s
family. As one of the beasts in the ark, the black has no soul to be
saved. Here we have the ultimate justification for racial discrimination
and even slavery: blacks are not Humans; consequently, they do not
have the rights that Humans have. Our response will consist of two
approaches: refuting the case made for such positions, and advancing
the positive Biblical evidence that God’s conferral of Humanness
extends to all races. There is no Biblical support for the position that
blacks (or any other race) are less than fully Human or inferior
Humans. There, is no evidence to suggest that Ham was black. The
same is true of the claim that the mark of Cain was blackness. In the
Bible especially in terms of Jewish and Gentile relationships; one might
conclude from Israel’s status as the chosen nation that God’s concern
for and interest in Humanity are limited to the Jewish people. Yet it is
apparent that the Jews were chosen not to be exclusive recipients of
God’s blessing, but to be recipients and transmitters of it. Even within
the Old Testament era, there was room for outsiders to become
proselytes to the faith of Israel, Rahab and Ruth the Moabites are
prominent instances and are even found in Jesus’ genealogy (Matt.
1:5). Within Jesus teaching, we find openness to those who were not
88
of the house of Israel. His concern for the Samaritan woman (John, 4)
and His offer of the living water to her indicate that salvation was not
restricted to Jews alone. The Syrophoenician woman’s request for the
deliverance of her daughter from demons possession was granted
(Mark, 7:24-30). Perhaps the most remarkable incident is the Roman
centurion, who came requesting healing for his paralysed servant
(Matt. 8:5-13). Jesus marvelled at this man’s faith, which exceeded
anything He had found in Israel. (Matt.8:10). Jesus granted the man’s
request, but before He did, He made a remarkable prediction: “I say to
you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take
their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom
of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into
the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matt. 8:11-12). Here is certainly anticipation of a time of extending
God’s grace to countless people regardless of their race. The
universality of God’s grace is most apparent. Peter’s vision (Acts, 10:916), in which he was commanded to eat not only clean but also
unclean animals, was the sign for him to extend the message of
salvation to Gentiles, first of all to the centurion Cornilius (Acts, 10:1733). Peter gave expression to the new understanding: “I now realize
how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men
from every nation who fear Him and do what is right” (Acts, 10:34-35).
When he taught the Good News to the group gathered at Cornilius’s
house, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He had previously fallen
upon the Jews (Acts, 10:44-48). This event gave impetus to the
teaching to the Gentiles, which was implemented particularly by Paul
and his associates. The teaching of Paul included many incidents that
89
are instructive for us in regard to the status of non-Jews. One of the
most significant is his encounter with the Athenian philosophers in
(Acts, 17). The basic thrust of his message to them is universalistic in
nature. God made the earth and everything in it (Acts, 17:24). He has
given life and breath and everything to all men (Acts, 17:25). Paul
particularly stresses the unity of the Human race when he states,
“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit
the whole earth; and He determined the time set for them and the
exact places where they should live” (Acts, 17:26). His declaration to
the Athenians that the “unknown god” whom they worship is actually
the God Whom he teaches (Acts, 17:23), is based upon the assumption
that all people are part of the Human race that God created and has
provided with the means of salvation. There is to be no division
between Jew and Gentile within the church (Eph. 2:14). Paul asserts
that. Christ has broken down the wall of partition between them. In
(Gal.3:6-9), Paul argues that all who have the faith of Abraham are
heirs of Abraham, regardless of nationality. Not only is salvation for
all, but there is to be no discrimination based on nationality (Rev. 5:9).
The Lamb is said to have redeemed persons from “every tribe and
language and people and nations.”
Sexes: In the creation account we find indication of
woman’s status. In (Gen. 1:26-27), there is a special emphasis,
seemingly to ensure our understanding that woman possess the image
of God, just as does man. The same emphasis is found In (Gen.5:1-2),
“When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He
created them male and female and blessed them. Jesus’ attitude
toward women, and His treatment of them, are also instructive
90
although a Jew ordinarily had no dealings with Samaritans, and
particularly not with the blatant sinners among them, Jesus engaged
the Samaritan woman in conversation because He cared about her
spiritual condition (John, 4). Jesus commended the woman with a
haemorrhage who touched the edge of His cloak for her faith (Matt.
9:20-22). Mary and Martha were among Jesus’ closest friends. The
woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany (Matt. 26:6-13), would be
remembered for her act of devotion whenever and wherever the Good
News were taught (Matt. 26:10-13). Mary Magdalene was the first
person to whom Jesus appeared following His resurrection, and He
instructed her to tell His disciples that He was risen (John, 20:14-18).
Indeed women played a significant role from the very beginning of
Jesus’ life and teaching. It was Mary, not Joseph, who gave expression
of praise to God in connection with the announcement of the coming
birth of Jesus (Luke, 1:46-55). Elizabeth also praised and blessed the
Lord (Luke, 1:41-45). Anna was probably the first woman disciple of
Jesus (Luke, 2:36-38). The faithfulness of the women around Jesus in
the time of crisis is striking. We see them at the cross (Luke, 23:49);
they sought to anoint Jesus’ body (Luke, 23:55-56); they discovered the
empty tomb, heard the message of the two angels, and told the news
to the apostles (Luke, 24:1-11). Even Paul, who is sometimes accused
of being rigidly opposed to the involvement of women in the work of
the church, speaks positively of women in positions of leadership. He
writes of Phoebe, “I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy
of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she
has been a great help to many people, including me” (Rom. 16:2).
Priscilla and Aquila are spoken of as “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.
91
They risk their lives for me” (Rom. 16:3-4). Although we know no
details about Mary (Rom. 16:6), and Persis (Rom. 16:12), we do know
that they “worked very hard in the Lord.” Paul also greets Tryphaena
and Tryphosa, “those women who work hard in the Lord” (Rom.
16:12), Rufus’s “mother, who has been a mother to me, too” (Rom.
16:13), Julia, and Nereus and his sister (Rom. 16:15). People of all
Economic Status: The Bible has a great deal to say about the poor. The
Old Testament indicates that God has a special concern for the poor, as
in His deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage and poverty they
experienced in Egypt. Jesus Himself was one of the poor. This is made
clear in the account of His being brought as an infant to Jerusalem for
the ritual of purification. The law prescribed that a lamb and a
turtledove or pigeon were to be sacrificed; however, “If she cannot
afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for
a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest
will make atonement for her, and she will be clean” (Lev. 12:6-8). The
fact that Jesus’ family offered “a pair of doves or two young pigeons”
(Luke, 2:24), than a lamb is an indication of their poverty, while Jesus in
His teaching apparently did not suffer actual hardship and deprivation,
He certainly did not have abundance and evidently depended often
upon the hospitality of others, such as Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He
referred to this lack of means when He said, “Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His
head” (Matt. 8:20). Jesus’ teaching include a great deal about the poor
and poverty, by quoting (Isa. 61:1-2), He indicated that He had come to
teach Good News to the poor (Luke, 4:18, 21). Concern for the poor lay
at the very core of His teaching. He spoke of the blessedness of the
92
poor (Luke, 6:20). Among the wonders He wanted to be reported to
John was the fact that the poor had the Good News teaching to them
(Luke, 7:22). Jesus also pointed out repeatedly the danger of wealth:
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark, 10:25). In the parable of
the rich man and poor Lazarus, the rich man after death is in the place
of torment, but Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham, Abraham says to the
rich man, “Son, remember that in your life time you received your
good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is
comforted here and you are in agony” (Luke, 16:25). It should be noted
that wealth per se is no more of a cause for discrimination than is
poverty. It is preoccupation with riches (Mark, 10:17-31; Luke, 8:14
and 1 Tim. 6:10), or the abuse of wealth that is the target of Jesus’
warnings and condemnation. The age: The Bible also makes clear that
all ages, including the very old, are fully Human and valuable to God.
The Hebrews held old age in honour. Respect for the age was
required: “Rise In the presence of the aged, show respect for the
elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:32). A sign of
Israel’s degradation at the time of Jeremiah was its disregard of the
elders “elders are shown no respect” (Lam. 5:12). In the Old Testament
era old age was not feared or despised but was greatly desired as a
sign of divine blessing. The Book of proverbs favourably contrasts the
assets of old age with those of the young man: “The glory of young
men is their strength, grey hair the splendour of the old” (Prov. 20:29).
Old age was considered a gift from God, additional opportunity to
serve Him. “With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation”
(Ps. 91:16). The believer was given the assurance of God’s presence
93
with Him to old age: “Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am
He who will sustain you” (Isa. 46:4). The promise of longevity (long life)
to those who honour their parents is found in both the Old Testament
(Exod. 20:12), and the New Testament (Eph. 6:1-3). One reason for the
high status accorded persons of old age was the belief that age carries
with it wisdom. This belief is reflected in (Job,12:30). “He [God]
silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of
elders.” The decline in the physical strength that had made men
valuable to their community was compensated for by an increase in
wisdom that contributed another type of value. For this reason Peter
advises: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are
older” (1 Peter, 5:5).
The unborn: For ethics, concerns the status of the
unborn or, more specifically, of the foetus still in the mother’s
uterus. Is the foetus to be regarded as Human, or merely as a mass
of tissue within the mother’s body; if the former, abortion is indeed
the taking of Human life and has serious moral consequences; If the
latter, abortion is simply a surgical procedure involving the removal
of an unwanted growth like a cyst or a tumour. A New Testament
passage thought by some to bear upon this issue is (Luke, 1:41-44),
Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, is greeted by her
kinswoman Mary, bringing the news that she, Mary, is to give birth
to the Messiah. Luke reports: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s
greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with
the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed…as soon as
the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy.’” Another New Testament passage sometimes cited
94
in connection with the issue of the status of the foetus is (Hebr. 7:910), the account of Abraham’s meeting and paying a tithe to
Melchizedek. The writer concludes by commenting: One might even
say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through
Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in
the body of his ancestor.” Taken at face value, this comment would
argue for the Humanity not only of an unborn foetus, but even of
person who have not yet been conceived, since Levi was a great
grandson of Abraham. The passage most discussed in connection
with the issue of the Humanity of the foetus is probably (Exod.
21:22-25). The bible regards the unborn child as a person, if no harm
is done in the case of a child born prematurely because its mother
was hurt by men struggling against one another there is no penalty
other than a fine. If, however, there is harm, the principle of a life
for life and an eye for an eye is to be enforced. The Unmarried:
There is a tendency in many societies to regard marriage as the
normal state of the Human being. While there has been a decline in
the popularity of marriage, with more and more persons choosing
not to marry or postponing marriage, our culture still regards the
marital state as more desirable and more natural. And within the
church, the unmarried person often does not fit Church programs
frequently are designed for families. The single person may be left
out or at least feel left out. The Bible, however, does not look upon
singleness as a second class condition. Our Lord never married,
although some have attempted to offer reconstruction of history to
establish that He did. Further, we have Paul’s personal example, and
direct teaching commending the unmarried state. He wishes that all
95
were as he is (1 Cor. 7:7). He advises the unmarried and the widows
to remain single as he does (1 Cor. 7:8). Those who are married
should remain married; the single should remain unmarried (1 Cor.
7:27). While it is certainly permissible for a widow to remarry, in
Paul’s judgment it is better to remain unmarried (1 Cor. 7:39-40).
The married person must be concerned about pleasing his or her
spouse as well as the Lord, whereas single people can devote
themselves totally to pleasing the Lord (1 Cor. 7:32-35). It may well
be that Paul’s recommendation to remain single was related to a
definite cultural situation of his time. A consideration sometimes
raised against the single state is Paul’s prescription that bishops (1
Tim. 3:2), elders (Titus, 1:6).and deacons (1 Tim. 3:12), be “the
husband of but one wife.” We have noted that the distinguishing
mark of Humanity, which is designed by the expression “the image
of God,” is far reaching, extending to all Humans. In the sight of God,
all Humans are equal. The distinction of race, social status, and sex
are of no significance to Him (Gal. 3:28). Salvation, eternal life, and
fellowship with God are available to all persons. And because this is
the case, Christians should show the same important interest in and
concern for all Humans, regardless of the incidentals of their lives
(James, 2:9).
1.
Paul King Jewett. Man as Male and female (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1975).
pp. 35-48.
2.
Karl Barth. Church Dogmatics. (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1958). Vol. 3. Part 1.
pp. 194-97.
3.
Josiah Priest, Bible Defence of Slavery: Origin, Fortunes and History of the Negro
96
.
97
TOPIC 22
GOD IS IN CONTROL
SIN
The doctrine of sin is important to us since it affects
and is affected by all other doctrines. The analysis of the Biblical data
provides the best understanding of sin and its consequences. The
causes of sin, character of sin, results of sin, the terms for sin, are set
forth in the Bible. Sin is any evil action or evil motive that is in
opposition to God. Simply stated, sin is failure to let God be God and
placing something or someone in God’s rightful place of supremacy.
We have seen that, there is a wide variety of terms for sin, each
emphasizing a different aspect. Sins are variously characterized in the
Bible as, unbelief, rebellion, perversity, missing the mark. But what is
sin? Sin is the idea that sinner has failed to fulfil God’s law. There are
various ways in which we fail to meet His standard of righteousness.
We may go beyond the limits imposed, or “transgress.” We may fall
short of the standard set, or not do at all, what God commands and
expects. In the Old Testament, sin is to a large extent a matter of
external actions or outward lack of conformity to the requirements of
God. Inward thoughts and motives are not completely ignored in the
Old Testament conception, but in the New Testament they become
especially prominent, being virtually as important as actions. So Jesus,
condemned anger and lust as vehemently as He did murder and
adultery (Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28). He also, condemned outwardly good
98
acts done primarily out of a desire to obtain the approval of Human
rather than to please God (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16).Yet sin is not merely wrong
acts and thoughts, but sinfulness as well, an inherent inner disposition
including us to wrong acts and thoughts. We are not simply sinners
because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. We offer, then, this
definition of sin: “Sin is any lack of conformity, active or passive to the
moral law of God. This may be a matter of act, of thought, or of inner
disposition or state.” Sin is failure to live up to what God expects of us
in act, thought, and being. In Paul’s famous catalogue of sins in (Gal.
5:19-21), many are indeed “works of the flesh” in the literal sense;
sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, drunkenness, and orgies. But
several are definitely more “spiritual” in nature; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy.
The view that sin is sensuality has to maintain that contact of the soul
or spirit with a corrupted body produces these “spiritual” sins. Other
sins may be present, including pride. The sinful nature repressed in one
area, simply forces expression in some other area. One, might ask what
is the major factor in our failure to love, worship, and obey God, is
unbelief. Anyone who truly believes God to be what he says he is.
Failure to do so is sin. The Ten Commandments begin with the
command to give God His proper place. “You shall have no other gods
before Me” (Exod. 20:3), is the first prohibition in the law. Similarly,
Jesus affirmed that the first and great commandment is. “Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all,
your mind and with all your strength” (Mark, 12:30).
1.
Charles Ryder Smith. The Bible Doctrine of sin and of the ways of God Sinners
(London : Epworth, 1953).
99
2.
Smith Doctrine of Sin.
100
TOPIC 23
GOD IS IN CONTROL
ASPECTS OF SIN
There are many theories about the source of sin. The
animal nature, anxiety of finiteness, Existential estrangement, struggle,
is the view of the liberation Theologians. Individualism and
competiveness. None of these views adequately represents the Biblical
perspective. Sin is sensuality, living merely in terms of some particular
impulses of one’s own nature. While these impulses may be of many
varieties, they all represent Human descent to the level of the animal,
or capitulation to nature’s determination of Human behaviour. In
either direction, denial of own finiteness or one’s freedom the sin is
occasioned, but not caused, by the state of anxiety. Human finitude in
itself is not sinful. But being finite and also being able to imagine and
aspire to the infinite places one in a position of tension which can
become either faith or sin. Those who place their trust in God will find
complete security. Thus, orthodoxy has regularly regarded unbelief,
lack of trust, as the root of sin. This is why Jesus said, “So do not worry,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’ For…Your heavenly Father knows that you need [all these
things]” (Matt. 6:31-32). To generate and maintain faith by one’s own
effort would require Human ability which experience belief, to say
nothing of the Bible. Even the most vital Christian frequently finds it
necessary to pray. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief”
(Mark, 9:24)!
101
It is important to note first that sin is not caused by
God. James very quickly dispose of, this idea, which would probably be
quite appealing to some: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is
tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt
anyone” (James, 1:13). Rather, responsibility for sin is placed squarely
at the door of Humans themselves: “Each one is tempted when, by his
own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; when it is full-grown, gives birth to
death” (James, 1:14-15). The desire to enjoy things, God has implanted
certain needs in each of us. Not only is the satisfaction of those needs
essential, but, it can also bring enjoyment. The need for food and drink
must be satisfied because life is impossible without them. When food
and drink are pursued, however, merely for the pleasure of
consumption, and in excess of what is needed, the sin of gluttony is
being committed. The sex drive is essential for sustaining and
continuing the Human race. Any improper satisfaction of a natural
desire is an instance of “the cravings of sinful man” (1 John, 2:16).
Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights and consequently was
hungry. This was a natural need that had to be satisfied if life was to be
preserved. It was right for Jesus to be fed, but not through some
miraculous provision and probably not before the completion of His
trial. It was proper for Jesus to desire to come down safely from the
pinnacle of the temple, but not to require a miraculous display of
power by the Father. It was right for Jesus to lay claim to all the
kingdoms of the earth. For they are His, He had created them (John,
1:3), and even now sustains them (Col. 1:17). For those of us who live
after the fall (of Adam and Eve) and are not Jesus, there is a further
102
complicating factor. There is something termed “the flesh,” which
strongly influences, what we do, Paul speaks of it in numerous
passages, (Rom. 7:18). “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in
my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot
carry it out” (Gal. 5:16-24), he speaks vividly of the opposition between
the flesh and the Spirit, and of the works of the flesh, which constitutes
a whole catalogue of evils. By “flesh” Paul does not mean the physical
nature of the Human being. There is nothing inherently evil about the
Human bodily makeup. Rather, the term designates the self-centred
life, denial or rejection of God. A second view is that sin is essentially
selfishness the “choice of self as the supreme end which constitutes
the antithesis of supreme love to God.” Selfishness may also appear as
unbelief, turning away from the truth of God. Or it may be manifested
as enmity to God. Thus, sin is whatever form is selfishness. It is,
preferring one’s own ideas to God’s truth. It is, preferring the
satisfaction of one’s own will to doing God’s will. It is, loving on selfmore than God. An alternative preferably to the views that sin is
basically sensuality or selfishness is that the essence of sin is simply
failure to let God be God. Sin might well be thought of as hatred,
bitterness, lack of love for the oppressor. For Jesus commanded us to
love our enemies. (Matt. 5:44). Sin is the choice of the person who
commits it.
1.
Frederic F. Tennant, The concept of sin (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1912); The Origin and Propagation of Sin (Cambrige: Cambridge University Press,
1902). The Sources of the Doctrine of the Fall and Original Sin (New York:
Schocken, 1968).
103
TOPIC 24
GOD IS IN CONTROL
CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
Sin has very serious consequences when it comes to the
relationship between the sinner and God. These results include divine
disfavour, guild, punishment, and death. Physical death, spiritual
death, and eternal death flow from the consequences of sin. Sin also
has consequences that affect the individual sinner. These include
enslavement, flight from reality denial of sin, self-decent, insensitivity,
self-centeredness, and restlessness. These effects on the sinner also
have social implications in competition, inability to empathize,
rejection of authority, and inability to love. Sin is a very serious matter
both to God and to Humanity.
Sin produced an immediate transformation in Adam
and Eve’s relationship with God (Gen.3:6-7). They had evidently been
on close and friendly terms with God. They trusted and obeyed Him,
on the basis of (Gen. 3:8), it can be concluded that they had
customarily fellowship with God. He loved them and provided
everything they needed; we are reminded of the friendship of which
Jesus spoke in (John 15:15). Now, because they had violated God’s
trust and command, the relationship became quite different. They had
placed themselves on the wrong side of God, and had in effect become
His enemies. It was not God, Who had changed or moved, but Adam
and Eve. In the Old Testament, God is said to hate sinful Israel. In
(Hosea, 9:15), God says, “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I
104
hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out
of My house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are
rebellious.” On two other occasions God is said to hate the wicked (Ps.
5:5; 11:5). The Old Testament frequently describes those who sin and
violate God’s law as enemies of God. Yet only very rarely does the Bible
speak of God as their enemy. (Exod. 23:22; Isa. 63:10 and Lament. 2:45). In the New Testament to sin is to make on self an enemy of God. In
(Rom. 8:7), and (Col. 1:21), Paul describes the mind that is set on the
flesh as being “Hostile to God.” In (James, 4:4) we read that
“Friendship with the world is hatred toward God.” God, however, is
not the enemy of anyone; He loves all and hates none. He loved
enough to send His Son to die for us while we were yet sinners and at
enmity with Him (Rom. 5:8-10). He epitomizes what He commands. He
loves His enemies. Although God is not the enemy of sinners nor does
He hate them, it is also quite clear that God is angered by sin. In (John,
3:36), Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but
whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on
him.” (Rom. 1:18), teaches that “the wrath is being revealed from
heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who
suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Another result of our sins that
affects our relationship with God is guilt. God has placed Humans in
charge of the creation and commanded them to rule over it (Gen.
1:28). As the Almighty and completely Holy one, God has asked for our
worship and obedience in return for His gifts. But we have failed to do
God’s bidding. Entrusted with the wealth of the creation, we have used
it for our own purposes, like embezzlers. (Rom. 1:21). We have
spurned God’s offer of friendship and love, and, in the most extreme
105
case, the salvation accomplished through the death of God’s own Son.
These offenses are magnified by Who God is? He is the Almighty
Creator. Further, we are ungrateful for all that God has done for us and
given us. Hence He has an absolute claim upon us. And the standard of
behaviour He expects us to emulate in His own Holy perfection. As
Jesus Himself said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is
perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Liability to God’s punishment, then, is another
result of our sin. There is definitely a dimension of divine retribution in
the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament. “There is no doubt that in
Hebrew thought punishment is retributive. The use of the death
penalty is enough to show that.” This is seen particularly in the
passage like (Gen. 9:6); “Whoever sheds the blood of a man, by man
shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
There are numerous references, particularly in the Major Prophets, to
the retributive dimension of God’s punishment of sinners. Found, in
(Isa. 1:24; 61:2; 63:4; Jer. 46:10; Ezek. 25:14 and Ps. 94:1). God is
spoken of as the “God Who avenges.” In these cases, the punishment
envisioned is to take place within historical time rather than in some
future state. Although less frequently than in the Old Testament, the
idea of retributive justice is also found in the New Testament. In (Rom.
12:19) and (Hebr. 10:30). “It is written: ‘It is Mine to avenge; I will
repay.”’ In Romans Paul’s purpose is to deter believers from
attempting to avenge wrongs done to them. God is a God of justice,
and wrongs will not go unpunished. The psalmist’s recalling of what
happened to the generation that perished in the wilderness (Ps. 95:811). The stoning of Achkan and his family was partly retribution for
what he had done. Indirect punishment may also take the form of
106
external conflicts issuing from one’s sin and the psychological laws God
has ordained. David may be a case in point. (Nathan the prophet came
to David after David had committed adultery with Basheba. David
wrote a psalm): (Have mercy on me O God, because of You’re an failing
love. Have pity upon me take away the awful stain of my sin. Wash me
clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my
shameful deed…I bring to sacrifice upon Your altar (Ps. 51:1-19).
Because of his sin of adultery with Basheba and his murder of Uriah,
David was told that trouble would come upon his house (2 Sam. 12:1012). The rape of Tamar, Absalom’s murder of Amnon, and Absalom’s
revolt against David were fulfilments of the prophecy. One of sin’s
obvious results is death. This truth is first pointed out in God’s
statement forbidding, Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil: “for when you eat of it you will surely
die” (Gen. 2:17). It is also found in (Rom. 6:23): “The wages of sin is
death.” The mortality of all Humans is both an obvious fact and a truth
taught by the Bible, in (Heb. 9:27), says, “Just as man is destine to die
once and after that to face judgment” Paul in (Rom.5:12), attributes
death to the original sin of Adam. Yet while death entered the world
through of Adam’s sin, it spread to all humans because all sinned. This
raises the question of whether Humans were created mortal or
immortal. Would they have died if they had not sinned? Calvinist havebasically taken the negative position, arguing that physical death
entered with the curse (Gen. 3:19). The Pelagian view, on the other
hand, is that Humans were created mortal. Just as everything about us
dies sooner or later, so it is and has always been with Humans. The
principle of death and decay is a part of the whole of creation. The
107
Pelagians point out that if the Calvinist view is correct, then it was the
serpent who was right and Jehovah was wrong in saying, “for when
you eat of it you will surely die,” for Adam and Eve were not struck
dead immediately upon committing their sin. Physical death, in the
Pelagian view, is a natural accompaniment of being Human. The
Biblical references to death as a consequence of sin are understood as
references to spiritual death, separation from God, than physical
death. The problem is not as simple as it might at first appear. The
assumption that morality began with the fall, and that in (Rom. 5:12),
and similar New Testament references to death are to be understood
as references to physical death, may not be warranted. A road block to
the idea that physical mortality is a result of sin is the case of Jesus.
Not only did He not sin Himself (Heb. 4:15), but He was not tainted by
the corrupted nature of Adam. Yet He died. First, we must observe that
physical death is linked to the fall in some clear way. In (Gen.3:19),
would seem to be not a statement of what is the case and has been
the case from creation, but a pronouncement of a new situation. “By
the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the
ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you
will return.” In Paul’s writings, (1 Cor. 15:55-56), is that physical death
has been defeated through Christ’s resurrection. Humans still die, but
death’s finality has been removed. Paul attributes to sin the power
that physical death possesses in the absence of resurrection. But with
Christ’s overcoming of physical death, sin itself is defeated. Spiritual
death is both connected with physical death and distinguished from it.
It is the separation of the entire person from God. God, as a perfectly
Holy being, cannot look upon sin or tolerate its presence. Thus sin is a
108
barrier to the relationship between God and Humans, bringing them
under God’s judgment and condemnation. The essence of spiritual
death can be seen in the case of Adam and Eve. “For when you eat of it
[the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you will surely
die” did not mean that they would experience immediate physical
death. It did mean that, their potential morality would become actual.
It also means spiritual death, separation between them and God. And
indeed, after Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they tried to hide from God
because of their shame and guilt, and God pronounced severe curse
upon them. Sin results in alienation from God. This is the wages of sin
of which Paul speaks in (Rom. 6:23). The Bible frequently states that
people apart from Christ are dead in trespasses and sin. Eternal death
is in a very real sense the extension and finalization of spiritual death.
If one comes to physical death still spiritually dead, separated from
God, that condition becomes permanent. As eternal life is both
qualitatively different from our present life and unending, so eternal
death is separation from God which is both qualitatively different from
physical death and everlasting in extent. In the last judgment the
person who appears before God’s judgment seat will be divided into
two groups. Those who are judged righteous will be sent into eternal
life (Matt. 25:34-40, 46).Those judged to be unrighteous will be sent
into eternal punishment or eternal fire.(Matt. 25:41, 46). In Revelation
20 John writes of a “second death.” The first death is physical death,
from which the resurrection gives us deliverance, but not exemption.
Although all will eventually die the first death, the important question
is whether in each individual case the second death has been
overcome. Those who participate in the first resurrection are spoken of
109
as “blest and holy,” Over such the second death is said to have no
power (Rev. 20:6), death and Hades are cast in to the lake of fire (Rev
20:13-14), into which the beast and the false prophets were earlier
cast (Rev. 19:20).This is spoken of as the second death (Rev. 20:14).
Anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be cast
into the lake of fire. This is the permanent state of what the sinner
chose in life.
1.Charles Ryder Smith. The Bible Doctrine of Sin and of the Ways of God with sinners
(London: Epworth, 1953), p. 43.
3. Smith, Doctrine of Sin..
110
TOPIC 25
GOD IS IN CONTROL
SIN IS UNIVERSAL
It is evident from both the Old and New Testament
descriptions of sin that sin is universal. Both Testaments further affirm
the depth and breadth of sin in all Humans. Three historical views of
original sin include Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Calvinism.
Pelagianism shows the list affinity to Scripture. The author presents a
contemporary understanding of the magnitude of sin that incorporates
a Biblical perspective and the best elements of traditional views.
In the time of Noah, the sin of the race was so great
and so extensive that God resolved to destroy everything (with the
exception of Noah, his family, and the animals taken on board the ark).
The description is vivid. “The LORD saw how great men’s wickedness
on the earth had become, that every inclination of the thoughts of His
heart was only evil all the time” (Gen. 6:5-11). God regretted having
made Humanity and resolved to blot out the entire Human race,
together with all other living things, for the corruption was world-wide:
“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence”
(Gen. 6:11). Noah appears to be on exception; he found favour in the
eyes of the LORD, being described as a “righteous man, blameless
among the people of his time” (Gen. 6:9). Yet while he stands out in
contrast to those surrounding him, he was guilty of the sin of
drunkenness (Gen.6:21) which is condemned elsewhere in the Bible
(Hebr. 2:15 and Eph. 5:18). Even after the flood, He destroyed the
111
wicked of the earth. God still characterizes “(every inclination of
[man’s] heart [as being] evil from childhood)” (Gen. 8:21). A categorical
statement about human sinfulness is found in (1 Kings, 8:46); “For
there is no one who does not sin” (Rom. 3:23). The same idea is
implied in (Ps. 130:3; 143:2); “If You O LORD kept a record of sins, O
LORD who could stand?” Ecclesiastes says, “There is not a righteous
man on earth who does what is right and never sins” (Eccles. 7:20).
Paul makes mention of the fact that “The Bible declares
that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.” (Gal. 3:22). Similarly in (1
John, 5:19), indicates that “the whole world is under the control of the
evil one.” Not only does the Bible frequently assert that all are sinners;
it also assumes it everywhere. The commands to repent relate to
everyone. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He
commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts, 17:30). Although
Jesus never needed to confess sin or repent, it is necessary for
everyone else to do so, for it is obvious that all sin. In speaking to
Nikodemus about being born again, Jesus made His statement
universal: “I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God
unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (John, 3:5). It is apparent that
in the New Testament each person, by virtue of being Human, is
regarded as a sinner in need of repentance and new birth. Every
speech in Acts, even Stephen’s and every epistle just assumes that
men have all sinned. But what is more impressive is that even the good
people, the righteous, the heroes of Bible, are presented as sinners.
We have already pointed to several Old Testament examples-Noah,
Abraham, Moses, David. And in the New Testament we read of the
shortcomings of Jesus disciples. Peter’s sin brought him several
112
rebukes from Jesus, the most severe being, “Get behind Me Satan! You
are a stumbling block to Me you do not have in mind the things of God,
but the things of men” (Matt. 16:23). An additional proof of the
universality of sin is that all persons are subject to the penalty for sin,
namely, death (Rom. 3:23). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God.” In ( Rom. 6:23); “The wages of sin is death.” In (Matt. 15:1819); “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” In Paul’s thinking, then, as
in Jesus’, sins are the result of Human nature. In every Human being
there is a strong inclination toward evil, an inclination with definite
effects (Rom. 7:19-21).
Pelagianism: The views of the relationship between
individual Humans and the first sin of Adam, is that of Pelagius. He was
a British monk, who had moved to Rome to teach. When, as a result of
Alaric’s invasion, he left Italy for Carthage in North Africa in 409,
conflict with Augustine’s teachings was almost inevitable. Pelagius was
moralist; his primary concern was people to live good and decent lives.
Pelagius strongly emphasized the free will. Humans were created free
of the controlling influence of the universe. Humans are free of any
determining influence from the fall. Pelagius maintained that the soul,
created by God especially for every person is not tainted by any
supposed corruption or guilt. Adam’s influence, if any, upon his
descendants is merely that of a bad example; there is no other direct
connection between Adam’s sin and the rest of the Human race.
Humans have no congenital spiritual fault. Hence, Baptism does not
remove the sin of adults. Pelagius spoke of “grace,” he meant free will,
apprehension of God through reason, and the law of Moses and Jesus’
113
instruction. There is also the grace of forgiveness given to adults in
Baptism. Grace is available equally to all persons. Pelagius rejected
anything even faintly resembling the predestination taught by
Augustine. Pelagius did not eliminate infant Baptism. Pelagius disciples
namely, Coelestius taught that children may have eternal life even
without Baptism, and Adam was created mortal and would have died
whether he sinned or not.
Arminianism: James Arminius was a Dutch Reformed
pastor and Theologian. Unlike Pelagianism, Arminianism holds that we
receive from Adam a corrupted nature. We begin life without
righteousness. Thus all Humans are unable, without special divine help,
to fulfil God’s spiritual commands. This inability is physical and
intellectual, but not volitional. Arminians say that, “guilt” is also part of
the original sin. Orton Wiley says, although that depravity is of the
essence of sin; its culpability, we maintain, was removed by the free
gift of Christ. This prevented grace is extended to everyone, and in
effect neutralizes the corruption received from Adam.
Calvinism: has given attention to Adam’s sin, his sin is
not just the sin of an isolated individual, but is also our sin.
Furthermore, all persons are guilty of Adam’s sin. Death, the penalty
for sin, has been transmitted from Adam to all Humans. Thus, whereas
in the Pelagian view God imputes neither a corrupted nature nor guilt
to Humanity, and in the Arminian view God imputes a corrupted
nature but not guilt, in the Calvinist scheme He imputes both a
corrupted nature and guilt. Augustine’s view is that is nothing unfair or
improper about our receiving a corrupted nature and guilt from Adam,
for we are receiving the just result of our sin.
114
1.Charles Ryder Smith, The Bible Doctrine of Sin and of the Ways of God with sinners
(London : Epworth , 1953).
2. Smith, Doctrine of Sin.
3. Strong, Systematic Theology.
4. Berkhof, Systematic Theology.
115
TOPIC 26
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE EVIL THAT COMES THROUGH THE WORLD
Social sin is prevalent in our society and exists alongside
individual sin. Persons who oppose sin on a personal level may be
drawn into the corporate nature of sin through the evil acts of
government, economic structures, or other forms of group
identification. The Bible identifies the evil that comes through the
world, the powers, and corporate personality which draws both
believers and nonbelievers into the evil of society. Our hope lies in
Christ, Who has overcome the world. But we also need to be proactive
in opposing social sin by finding strategies that will respond to social
sin. There are numerous references to the enmity, hostility, opposition
that the world displays toward Christ, the believer, and the Church,
Jesus said. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I
testify that what it does is evil” (John, 7:7). “If the world hates you,
keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it
would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but
I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you”
(John, 15:18-19). The same idea is repeated in Jesus’ prayer (John,
17:14). Paul says the world and the believer have totally different
understandings of things. The things of God are foolish to the world (1
Cor. 1:2, 27); they are low and despised in the world (1 Cor.27:28). God
has, on the contrary, made foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Cor.
1:20; 3:19). This is because different “spirits” are involved: “We have
116
not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that
we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Cor. 2:12). The
things and gifts of the Spirit of God are not received by the “unspiritual
man” because they must be spiritually discerned (1 Cor.2:14). They are
foreign to such a person, and therefore he or she cannot accept them.
The idea of inability to perceive or understand is also found in Jesus’
words about the world’s not receiving Him or the Spirit. Jesus
promised His disciples “the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept
Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him,
for He lives with you and will be in you” (John, 14:17). After a little
while the world would see Him no more, but He would manifest
Himself to His disciples and they would know Him (John, 14:19, 22);
This is in keeping with the fact that the world knew neither the Father
(John, 17:25) nor the Son when He came (John, 1:10-11); The world
represents an organized force, a power or order that is the
counterpoise to the kingdom of God. Paul in (Ephesians 2), describes
this structure that controls the unbeliever. The Ephesians had been
dead through the trespasses and sins in which they “used to live when
you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient”
(Eph. 2:2). In their former state, “All of us also lived among them at
one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its
desires and thoughts; like the rest, we were by nature objects of
wrath” (Eph. 2:3). There is a permeating order of the world, a structure
that affects and governs Human kind. This order is also referred to as
“the basic principles of this world” (Col.2:8); Paul urges the Colossians
not to let themselves be made a prey of these elemental spirits, or of
117
“hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on Human
tradition.” Having died with Christ to these elementals spirits, the
Colossians must not now submit to these forces, living as if they still
belonged to the world. These elemental spirits are the operating
principles according to which the world is governed. Paul also writes to
the Galatians of their having formally been “slaves to those who by
nature are not gods,” and then questions how they, who now know
God, can turn back again to become slaves of “those weak and
miserable principles” (Gal. 4:8-9). This cosmos or evil system is under
the control of the devil “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
John wrote that “the whole world is under the control of the devil one”
(1 John, 5:19); Just prior to His betrayal Jesus said to His disciples, “the
prince of this world is coming” (John, 14:30). Jesus proclaimed and
demonstrated Himself to be separated from the evil attitudes and
practices of the world. His followers are to do likewise. James lists both
positive and negative criteria of true religion: “Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and
widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the
world” (James, 1:27). There is a basic mentality associated with being
of the world: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred
toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes
an enemy of God” (James, 4:4). Perhaps the sharpest warning is in (1
John, 2:15-17). Here John commands his readers not to love the world
or the things in the world, for those who love the world do not have
love for the Father in them. “For everything in the world the cravings
of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and
does comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John, 2:15-16).
118
The warning is a sober one, for the issue is a matter of eternal destiny.
“The world and its desires pass a way, but the man who does the will
of God lives forever” (1 John, 2:17). The one whose loyalty is to that
which is permanent will also abide forever.
The believer need not and indeed will not be overcome
by the world. John says of the spirit of antichrist, of which there
already are many manifestations in the world, “You dear children, are
from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and
therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens
to them” (1 John, 4:4-5). It is by faith that the world is overcome. “For
everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has
overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the
world; only he, who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John, 5:45). This is not unlike Jesus’ command to His disciples to “let your light
shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven” (Matt.5:16). There is a basic mentality associated
with being with the world: “Don’t you know that friendship with the
world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the
world becomes an enemy of God” (James, 4:4). Paul speaks of the
cosmic character of sin. The whole creation was subjected to futility. It
is presently waiting for the time when it “will be liberated from its
bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the
children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. If the sin of
Humankind has distorted the entire creation, certainly its social
structures are included” (Rom. 8:18-25).
119
1.
2.
Berkhof. Christ and the Powers.
Yoder. Politics of Jesus.
120
TOPIC 27
GOD IS IN CONTROL
CHRISTOLOGY
In the history of the church, the most heated debate in
Christology has been over the understanding of the person and work of
Jesus Christ. Some recent Theologians have determined that Christ
cannot be both Human and God, and they try to historically research
the life of Jesus using the understanding. Certain researches, believe
that the story of Christ is surrounded by myth to find how Jesus
influenced His disciples and the people around Him. However, a
perspective utilizing faith to interpret the history of Jesus, found
through reason, may provide the most adequate Christological
methodology. The Bible tells us very little about Jesus’ early life. There
is a Biblical basis for this contention. For example, the Pharisees saw
Jesus perform miraculous healings through the power of the Holy Spirit
(Matt. 12:22-32; Mark 3:20-30 and Luke 11:14-23). Although they
certainly were familiar with the Jewish traditions and presumably had
observed Jesus for quite some time, their appraisal was, “By the prince
of demons He is casting out demons.” Even those closest to Jesus
failed to know Him fully Judas betrayed Him. The other disciples did
not realize the significance of His crucifixion and even His resurrection.
The religious authorities obviously knew that the tomb was empty, but
did not interpret this fact correctly. On a more positive note, for
example, when in response to Jesus’ question, “Who do people say the
Son of Man is?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living
121
God.” Jesus commented, “This was not revealed to you by man, but
My Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:15-17). Another case in point is John
the Baptist. In prison he began to wonder about Christ. And so he sent
two of his disciples to ask the Lord; “Are You the one Who was to
come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19). John may have
been expecting some concrete historical event (perhaps his own
release from prison?) as evidence that Jesus was indeed, as John knew
Him to be, the Christ. Jesus’ answer was to point to the deeds He had
been performing: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who
have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear the dead are raised and the
Good News is taught to the poor” (Luke, 7:22). The historical Jesus was
the confirmation of the Christ of faith.
1..Adolf von Harnack, What is Christianity? (New York : Harper & Brothers, 1957).
122
TOPIC 28
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE DEITY OF CHRIST
The deity of Christ sits at the pinnacle of controversy
and belief concerning the Christian faith. While some have
overemphasized the deity of Christ, others such as the Ebionites and
the Arians, have portrayed Christ as a unique Human not possessing a
divine nature. Relevant Biblical passages clearly indicate that this is not
the case. More recently, “functional Christology” has developed,
focusing on the actions of Jesus rather than His nature. Again, Biblical
evidence does not support this view. The deity of Christ has real value
to the believer concerning knowledge of God, new life, personal
relationship with God, and the ability to worship Christ for Who He is.
In looking at the Biblical evidence for the deity of Christ, we begin with
Jesus. It is true that Jesus did not make an explicit and overt claim to
deity. He did not say in so many words, “I am God.” What we do find,
however, are claims that would be inappropriate if made by someone
who is less than God. For example, Jesus said that He would send “His
angels” (Matt. 13:41); elsewhere they are spoken of as “the angels of
God” (Luke 12:8-9; 15:10). That reference is particularly significant, for
He spoke not only of the angels but also of the kingdom as His: “The
Son of man will send out His angels, and they will weed of His kingdom
everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” This kingdom is
repeatedly referred to as the kingdom of God, even in Matthew’s
Book, where one would expect to find “kingdom of heaven” instead.
123
More significant yet are the prerogatives Jesus claimed. In particular,
His claim to forgive sins resulted in a charge of blasphemy against Him.
When the paralytic was lowered through the roof by his four friends,
Jesus did not respond with a comment about the man’s physical
condition or his need of healing. Rather, His initial commend was,
“Son, your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 2:5). The reaction of the scribes
indicates the meaning they attached to His words: “Why does this
fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God
alone?” (Matt. 2:7). They interpreted Jesus’ comment “as exercising of
a divine prerogative, the power to actually forgive sins.” “Why are you
thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your
sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up take your bed and walk?” But
that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins…He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your bed
and go home”’ (Matt. 2:8-10). Jesus claimed other prerogatives as well.
In (Matt. 25:31-46); He speaks of judging the world. He will sit on His
glorious throne and divide the sheep from the goats. The power of
judging the spiritual condition and assigning the eternal destiny of all
people belongs to Him. Certainly this is the power only God can
exercise. Jesus made other direct claims. The authority Jesus claimed
and exercised is also clearly seen with respect to the Sabbath; God had
established the sacredness of the Sabbath (Exod. 20:8-11). Only God
could abrogate or modify this regulation. Yet consider what happened
when Jesus’ disciples picked heads of grain on the Sabbath, and the
Pharisees objected that the Sabbath regulations were being violated.
Jesus responded by pointing out David had violated one of the laws by
eating of the bread reserved for the priests. Then, turning directly to
124
the situation at hand, Jesus asserted: “The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the
Sabbath” (Mark, 2:27-28). He was clearly claiming the right to redefine
the status of the Sabbath, a right that belongs only to someone
virtually equal to God. We see Jesus also claiming an unusual
relationship with the Father, particularly in the saying reported in John.
For example, Jesus claims to be one with the Father (John, 14:7-9).
There is a claim to pre-existence in His statement in (John, 8:58). “I tell
you the truth,” Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, “I am.”
Note that rather, than saying, “I was,” He says, “I am.” It is quite
possible that Jesus is alluding to the “I Am formula” by which the Lord
identified Himself in (Exodus, 3:14-15). For in the case, as in Exodus,
the “I am” is a formula denoting existence. Another allusion to preexistence is found in (John, 3:13), where Jesus asserts, “No one has
ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son
of man,” There is also a claim to simultaneous and coterminous
working with the Father: “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My
teaching. My Father will love him and We will come to him and make
our home with him” (John, 14:23); “I tell you the truth, any- one who
obeys My teaching will never die.” The people said. “Now we know
you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died,
but You say; ‘Anyone who obeys My teaching will never die!’ Are You
greater than our father Abraham; He died and so did the prophets;
Who do You think You are;” Jesus answered. “I wand glory for My Self,
it doesn’t count, but it is My Father Who glorify Me; you say, ‘He is our
God, but you don’t even know Him. I know Him, if I said otherwise I
would be as great a liar as you.” But I do know Him and obey Him; your
125
father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to My coming he saw it
and was glad.” The people said. “You aren’t even fifty years old. How
can You say You have seen Abraham.” Jesus answered. “I tell you the
truth, before Abraham was born. I Am.” (John, 8:51-58), Jesus claiming
His pre-existence. Matthew reports at the entire high council, the high
priest to have said at the trial “I charge You under oath in the name of
the living God tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Matt.
26:63). Jesus replied. “it is as you say.” “But I say to all of you: In the
future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God and
coming on the clouds of heaven.” This is as clear a declaration of His
deity as one can find in the Bible (Matt. 26:64-66). Not only did Jesus
not dispute the charge that He claimed to be God, but He also
accepted His disciples’ attribution of deity to Him. The clearest case of
this is his response to Thomas statement, “My Lord and My God!”
(John 20:28). Perhaps the most emphatic statement is found in His
words to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes
in Me will live, even though he dies” (John, 11:25).
Jesus understood Himself as equal with the Father and
as possessing the right to do things that only God has the right to do.
One group, known as the Ebionism, was originally
applied to all Christians; later, only to Jewish Christians; and then, to a
particular sect of heretical Jewish Christians. (The ward Ebionite
derived from a Hebrew; word meaning “poor”). The roots of Ebionism
can be traced to Judaism movements within the apostolic or New
Testament period. Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written to counter
the activity of one of such group. Judaizers had come to the Galatian
Christians and were attempting to undermine Paul’s apostolic
126
authority. They taught that in addition to accepting by faith the grace
of God in Jesus, it was necessary to observe all regulations of Jewish
law, s such as circumcision. The Ebionites were a continuation of or
offshoot from the Judaism. Being strongly monotheistic, they focused
their attention upon the problematic deity of Christ. They rejected the
virgin birth, maintaining that Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in
normal fashion. Jesus was, according to the Ebionites, an ordinary
Human possessing unusual but not superhuman or supernatural-gifts
of righteousness and wisdom. He was the predestined Messiah,
although in a rather natural or Human sense. At the Baptism the Christ
descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. This was understood
more as the presence of God’s power and influence within the man
Jesus as a personal, metaphysical reality. Near the end of Jesus’ life,
the Christ withdrew from him. Thus Jesus was a primarily a Human.
Arianism, a much more thoroughly developed and
subtle view sprang up in the fourth century around the teaching of an
Alexandrian presbyter named Arius. It became the first major threat to
the views implicitly held by the church regarding Jesus deity. This
movement had a real chance of becoming the official view. Although it
was condemned by the church at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and at
subsequent Councils, it lingers on to our day in various forms, most
notably the movement known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. A central
conception in the Arian understanding of Jesus is the absolute
uniqueness and transcendence of God. God is the one source of all
things, the only uncreated existent in the whole universe. He alone
possesses the attributes of deity. Further, He cannot share His being or
essence with anyone else. Was He able to impart something of His
127
essence to any other being, He would be divisible and subject to
change; that is, He would not be God. If any other being participated in
the divine nature, it would be necessary to speak of a duality or
multiplicity of divine beings. But this would contradict the one absolute
certainty of monotheism, the uniqueness and oneness of God. Nothing
else that exists, then, can have originated as some sort of emanation
from the essence or substance of God. Everything other than God has,
rather, come into being through an act of creation by which He called it
into existence out of nothing. Only God (by which Arius meant the
Father) is uncreated and eternal. The Father, however, while creating
everything that is, did not directly create the earth. It could not bear
His direct contact. Rather, the Father worked through the Word, the
agent of His creation of and continuing work in the world. The Word is
also a created being, although the first and highest of the beings. He is
not an emanation from the Father, but a fiat creation out of nothing.
The Word must have had a beginning at some finite point. The Arians’
slogan therefore became, “there was a time when He was not.” It
seemed to the Arians that if the Word were co-eternal with the Father,
there would be two self-existent principles. This would be
irreconcilable with monotheism, the one absolute tenet of their
Theology. The Son has no communion with or even direct knowledge
of the Father. Although He is God’s Word and Wisdom, He is not of the
very essence of God; being a creature, He bears these titles only
because He participates in the word and wisdom of the Father. Totally
different in essence from the Father, the Son is liable to change and
even sin.
128
The function of Christology, by this is meant an
emphasis upon what Jesus did, rather, than upon what He is. Basically,
functional Christology claims to work on the basis of purely New
Testament grounds than the more metaphysical or speculative
categories of a later period of reflection. One clear example of
functional Christology is that concerned with the person or nature of
Christ. These concerns centred on two issues, first, the relationship
between the nature of Jesus and that of God; second, the relationship
between Jesus’ divine and Human natures. These, however, are not
the issues with which the New Testament is concerned. The fourth and
fifth century church was wrestling with problems resulting from the
Hellenising of the Christian faith, the rise of Gnostic doctrines, and the
views advocated by Arius, Nestorius, Eutychis and others. These
problems simply did not arise in New Testament times. The church
fathers had to combat the views of heretics, related primarily to the
nature of Christ or His person. Consequently the church fathers at the
Council of Nicaea in 325 formed the Creed (the Symbol of Faith), which
read as follows:
I believe in one God Father Almighty.
Maker of heaven and earth and all things visible and
invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ.
The only begotten Son of God.
Begotten of the Father before all ages.
Light from light.
True God from true God.
Begotten not made, of one essence with the Father.
129
Through Him all things were made.
Who for us and for our salvation.
Came down from heaven.
And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit.
And the Virgin Mary.
And became Human.
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate.
And suffered and was buried.
And rose on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven.
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
And will come again in glory.
To judge the living and the dead.
And His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the giver of life.
Who proceeds from the Father.
Who together with the Father and the Son,
Is worshiped and glorified.
And Who spoke through the prophets.
And in one Holy Catholic and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I expect the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the age to come
Amen.
Soon yet another religious controversy to rage across
the Byzantine world. On the surface it was a disagreement over the use
130
of icons, that is images. But at a deeper level it was a disagreement
over which things were sufficiently sacred or holy to deserve worship.
Christian clergy are set apart ordination; hence, they are. Church
buildings are set apart by dedication; they are holy. The martyrs and
heroes of the faith are set apart by their deeds, and they are normally
called ‘saints’ (which means ‘holy ones’). Do they not deserve the same
reverence as the clergy? And as the martyrs became holy by their selfsacrifice, so monks sacrificed the normal routines of everyday life. Do
they, too, deserve worship? The holiness of the saints was supported
by the miracles reported as taking place in connection with the saint’s
tomb, relics, or even icons. Examples include Saint Demetrius of
Thessalonica, the miraculous Christ-icon of Edessa, and the miracleworking icon of Mary, the Virgin Hodegetria, of Constantinople.
Disputes concerning the Person of Christ did not cease
with the council of 681, but were extended in a different form into the
eighth and ninth centuries. The struggle centred on the Holy Icons, the
pictures of Christ, the Mather of God, and the saints, which were kept
and venerated both in Churches and in privet homes. The Iconoclasts
or icon-smashers, suspicious of any religious art which represented
Human beings or God, demanded the destruction of icons, the
opposite party, the Iconodules or venerators of icons, vigorously
defended the place of icons in the life of the Church. The struggle was
not merely a conflict between two conceptions of Christian art. Deeper
issues were involved: the character of Christ’s Human nature, the
Christian attitude towards matter, the true meaning of Christian
redemption.
131
The Iconoclasts may have been influenced from outside
by the Jewish and Muslim ideas, But Iconoclasm was not simply
imported from outside; within Christianity itself there had always
existed a ‘puritan’ outlook, condemned icons because it saw in all
images a latent idolatry. When the Isaurian Emperors attacked icons
found plenty of support inside the Church.
The Iconoclast controversy, which lasted some 120
years, falls into two phases. The first period opened in 726, when Leo
III (717-41) launched an attack on the use of icons, perhaps motivated
by a sense of the nation’s guilt. Christianity taught that God punished
the children of Israel because of their idolatry; the humiliating defeats
and losses of the previous century, as well as the calamitous
earthquake early in Leo’s reign, intended to bring ‘God’s new chosen
people’ to their senses. Leo openly declared his opposition to icons for
the first time and ordered the icon of Christ over the Chalke Gate to be
replaced with a cross, Under Leo the III and his son Constantine V (74175), those supporting icons were vigorously persecuted. The pope at
Rome dared officially to condemn iconoclasm, that is, the destruction
of icons. The Emperor retaliated by removing Sicily, southern Italy, and
the entire western part of the Balkans and Greece from the
patriarchate of Rome and claiming these areas for the patriarchate of
Constantinople. This as much as anything else, forced the bishop of
Rome to seek the support and protection of the Franks. A synod of
bishops met at Hieria in 753 and described all use of icons in the area
as idolatry. All remaining icons were destroyed, and supporters of
icons in the area around Constantinople were excommunicated,
mutilated, and sent into exile. Constantine V deliberately destroyed
132
the reputation and influence of monks in general and the popular,
highly venerated ascetics in particular. An estimated 50,000 of these
holy men fled from the region immediately around Constantinople to
escape persecution and humiliation. The Emperor also attempted to
limit the practice of saint-worship by destroying relics and condemning
prayers made to saints.
The iconoclasts wanted to replace the religious icons
with the traditional Christian symbols of the cross, the Bible, and the
elements of the Lord’s Supper. These objects alone were to be
considered holy. Beyond this, only ordained clergy and dedicated
buildings possessed a kind of holiness. Constantine V argued that,
when consecrated, the elements of the Lord’s Supper were the true
icon of Christ, apparently believing that the consecrated bread and
wine were identical in substance with the flesh and blood of the divine
and Human Christ. A proper icon must consist of the same substance
as what it stands for.
Constantine V’s son and successor Leo IV (775-80), was
not an energetic iconoclast, and his widow Irene, regent for their son
Constantine VI (780-97), overturned the dynasty’s iconoclastic policy.
Under her instigation the seventh ecumenical council assembled at
Nicaea in 787 and condemned the whole iconoclastic movement,
affirming the position taken by John of Damascus.
Irene suspended the persecution. The Iconodule
position was upheld by the seventh and last Ecumenical Council (787),
which met, as the first had done, at Nicaea. Icons, the council
proclaimed, they are to be kept in Churches and honoured with the
same relative veneration as is shown to other material symbols, such
133
as the ‘precious and life-giving Cross and the Bible. A new attack on
icons, started by Leo V, the Arminian in (813-20), decided that
iconoclasm should again become the official policy of government. A
synod of Church leaders in 815 reaffirmed the position taken by the
anti-icon synod of 754-exept that they no longer regarded the icons as
idols. Theodora, widow of Theophilus and regent for their son Michel
III (842-67), determined that her son must abandon the iconoclastic
policy to retain the widest support for his rule. A synod early in 843
condemned all iconoclasts, this time permanently, by Empress,
Theodora. The final victory of the Holy Images in 843 is known as ‘the
Triumph of Orthodoxy’, and is commemorated in a special service
celebrated on ‘Orthodoxy Sunday’, the first Sunday in Lent. The chief
champion of the icons in the first period was St. John of Damascus
(675-749), in the second St. Theodore of Studios (759-826). John was
able to work more freely because he dwelt in Muslim territory, out of
reach of the Byzantine government.
One of the distinctive features of Orthodoxy is the
place which it assigns to icons. An Orthodox Church today is filled with
them: dividing the sanctuary from the body of the building, there is a
solid screen, the iconostasis, entirely covered with icons, while other
icons are placed in special shrines around the Church; and perhaps the
walls are covered with icons in fresco or mosaic. An Orthodox
prostrates himself before the icons, he kisses them and burns candles
in front of them; they are censed by the priest and carried in
processions.
When an Orthodox kisses an icon or prostrates himself
before it, he is not guilty of idolatry. The icon is not an idol but a
134
symbol, the veneration shown to images is directed, not towards
stone, wood and paint, but towards the person depicted. This had
been pointed out some time before the Iconoclast controversy by
Leontius Neopolis (died about 650): ‘We do not make obeisance to the
nature of wood, but we revere and do obeisance to Him Who was
crucified on the Cross … When the two beams of the Cross are joined
together I adore the figure because of Christ Who was crucified on the
Cross, but if the beams are separated, I throw them away and burn
them.’
1. Robert H Stein, The Method of Jesus’ Teaching (Philadelphia: Westmiinster, 1978).
2. George E. Ladd, The New Testament and Criticism Grand Rapids: Eerdman,1967).
3. Tim Dowley, Introduction to the History of Church, Second Edition.
4. Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church . New Edition..
5.
The History of
Christianity, Second Edition, Tim Dowley, pp. 209-213.
135
TOPIC 29
GOD IS IN CONTROL
CHRIST HUMANITY
While the doctrine of the Humanity of Christ is less
controversial than the doctrine of His divinity, there have been several
ancient heresies and more modern views that deny or diminish His
Humanity. The issue of the sinlessness of Jesus creates a special
problem. Some maintain that Jesus could not have been Human if He
did not sin. This conclusion does not necessary follow. There are
several implications that follow from accepting the orthodox position
of Jesus Humanity.
There is ample Biblical evidence that the man Jesus was
a fully Human person, not lacking any of the essential elements of
Humanity that are found in each of us. The first aspect is that He had a
fully Human body. He was born. He did not descend from heaven and
suddenly appear upon earth, but was conceived in the womb of a
Human mother and nourished prenatally like any other child. Not only
Jesus’ birth, but also His life indicates that He had a physical Human
nature. We are told that He grew “in wisdom and stature and in favour
with God and man” (Luke, 2:52). He grew physically, nourished by food
and water. He did not have unlimited physical strength. Yet His body
may have been more nearly perfect in some respects than ours,
because there was in Him none of the sin (neither original sin nor the
personal sin common to every Human) that affects health. Jesus had
the same physical limitations as other Humans. Thus He experienced
136
hunger when He was fasted (Matt. 4:2). He also experienced thirst
(John, 19:28). In addition, He experienced fatigue when He travelled
(John, 4:6), and presumably on many other occasions as well. Thus, He
was justifiably dismayed when His disciples fell asleep while He was
praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, for He experienced the same
type of weariness they did. He was asking of them nothing that He did
not require of Himself (Matt. 26:36, 40-41). Finally, Jesus suffered
physically and died, just like everyone else. This is evident in the entire
crucifixion story, but perhaps most clearly in (John, 19:34), where we
read that a spear was thrust into His side, and water and blood
mingled came out, indicating that He had already died. Surely He had
felt physical suffering (as genuinely as would you or I) when He was
beaten, the crown of thorns was placed on His head, and the nails
were driven through His hands (or wrists) and feet. That Jesus had a
physical body is evident in the fact that His contemporaries had a
genuine physical perception of Him. John puts it very vividly in (1 John,
1:1): “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands
have touched this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” John is
here establishing the reality of the Human nature of Jesus. He actually
heard, saw, and touched Jesus. When we examine His personality of
Jesus, we find the full gamut of Human emotions. He loved, of course.
One of His disciples is referred to as the disciple “whom Jesus loved”
(John, 13:23). When Lazarus was ill and Mary and Martha sent for
Jesus, their message was. “Lord, the one You love is sick” (John, 13:3).
When the rich young man asked about inheriting eternal life, Jesus
looked upon him and “loved him” (Mark, 10:21). Jesus had compassion
137
or pity on those who were hungry, ill, or lost (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32;
20:34). Jesus reacted to differing situations with appropriate emotions.
He could be sorrowful and troubled, as He was just before His betrayal
and crucifixion (Matt. 26:37). He also experienced joy (John, 15:11;
17:13 and Heb. 12:2). Jesus marvels at the faith of the centurion (Luke,
7:2-10). He could be angry and grieved with people (Mark, 3:5), and
even indignant (Mark, 10:14). He actually felt the necessity and
importance of His mission, “how distressed I am until it is completed”
(Luke, 12:50). Awareness of what it would entail troubled His soul
(John, 12:27). In the garden of Gethsemane, He was obviously in
struggle and in stress, and apparently did not want to be left alone
(Mark, 14:32-42). On the cross, His outcry, “My God, My God, why
have You forsaken Me?” (Mark, 15:34), was a very Human expression
of loneliness. One of Jesus most Human reactions occurred at the
death of Lazarus. Seeing Mary and her companions weeping, Jesus
“was deeply moved in spirit and troubled,” (John, 11:33); He wept
(John, 11:35); at the tomb He was “once more deeply moved” (John,
11: 38). Obviously Jesus possessed a Human nature capable of feeling
sorrow and remorse as deeply as we do.
He knew the past, present, and future to a degree not
available to ordinary Human beings. For example, He knew the
thoughts of both His friends (Luke, 9:47). And His enemies (Luke, 6:8).
He could read the character of Nathanael (John, 1:47-48). He “did not
need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man”
(John, 2:25). He knew that the Samaritan woman had five husbands
and was presently living with a man to whom she was not married
(John 4:18). He knew that Lazarus was already dead (John, 11:14). He
138
knew that Judas would betray Him (Matt. 26:25), and that Peter would
deny Him (Matt. 26:34). Indeed Jesus knew all that was to happen to
Him (John, 18:4). Truly He had a remarkable knowledge of the past, the
present, the future, Human nature and behaviour.
One further important issue concerning Jesus’
Humanity is the question of whether He sinned or, indeed, whether He
could have sinned. John said, “In Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Paul also
affirmed that Christ “had no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21).
His Humanity, true and unadulterated, is the standard
by which we are to be measured.
1. Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament (New York: Scribner, 1951).
2. James Orr, Revelation and inspiration (Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1952).
139
TOPIC 30
GOD IS IN CONTROL
UNITY OF THE TWO NATURES OF CHRIST
The doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ does not end at
the point of describing His divine and Human natures. The
unity of these two natures has extensive implications for the
understanding of Christian Theology. Through
anthropological understanding, Humans have attempted to
disclaim or overemphasize the view of the unity of Jesus
Christ. However, the Biblical and historical material supports
the view that Christ has both a Human and divine nature
united in one person. This does not come directly from a
Human perspective, for Humanity cannot comprehend such
a joining of two natures.
There are references in the Bible that allude to both the deity
and Humanity of Jesus, yet clearly refer to a single subject.
Among these are in (John, 1:14,) (“The Word became flesh
and made His dwelling among us…Full of grace and truth”);
In (Gal. 4:4), “(God sent His Son, born of a woman, born
under law;”) and in (1 Tim. 3:16). “He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was taught
among the nations, was believed in the world, was taken up
in glory.” There are other references that focus upon the
work of Jesus in such a way as to make it clear that it is the
function not of either the Human or the divine exclusively,
140
but of one unified subject. For example, Paul says of the
atonic work of Christ that it unites Jews and Gentiles and “in
this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the
cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and
taught peace to you who were far away and peace to those
who were near. For through Him we both have access to the
Father by one Spirit” (Eph. 2:16-18). And in reference to the
work of Christ, John says, “But if anybody does sin, we have
one Who speaks to the Father in our defence Jesus Christ,
the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and
not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1
John, 2:1-2). This work of Jesus, which assumes both His
Humanity (John, 4:2) and deity (4:15; 5:5), is the work of one
person, who is described in the same epistle as the Son
Whom the Father has sent as the Saviour of the world (John,
4:14). Throughout all of these references, one unified person
whose acts presuppose both Humanity and deity is in view.
Further, several passages in which Jesus is designated by one
of His titles are highly revealing, for example, we have
situations in the Bible where a divine title is used in reference
to Jesus’ Human activity. Paul says, “None of the rulers of
this age understood it [the secret and hidden wisdom of
God], for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord
of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8), in (Col. 1:13-14). Paul writes, “For He
[the Father] has rescued as from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in
Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” Here
141
the kingly status of the Son of God is juxtaposed with the
redemptive work of His bodily crucifixion and resurrection,
conversely, the title “Son of Man,” which Jesus often used of
Himself during His earthly teaching, appears in passages
pointing to His heavenly status; for instance, in (John, 3:13).
“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who
came from heaven the Son of Man.” Another reference of
the same type is in (John, 6:62): “What if you see the Son of
Man ascend to where He was before?” Nothing in any of
these references contradicts the position that the one
person, Jesus Christ, was both an earthly human and a preexistent divine being Who became incarnate. Nor is there
any suggestion that these two natures took turns directing
His activity.
The church denounced all the heresies that appeared
within the first four Christian centuries. They either deny the
genuineness (Ebionism) or the completeness (Arianism was
condemned at the Council of Nicaea in 325) of Jesus’ deity, deny the
genuineness (Docetism) or the completeness (Apollinarianism was
condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381) of the Humanity,
divide His person (Nestorianism was condemned at the Council of
Ephesus in 431), or confuse His nature (Eutychianism was denounced
at the standing Synod of Constantinople in 433). The succession of a
new Emperor sympathetic to the position that Jesus had two natures
led to the convening of yet another Council, in Chalcedon in 451.This
council affirmed the Nicene Creed, and issued a statement that was to
become the standard for all Christendom. Regarding the relationship
142
between the two natures, the statement speaks of one and the same
Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, made known in two natures without
confusion, without change, without division, without separation, the
difference of the natures being by no means removed because of the
union, but the property of each nature being preserved and coalescing
in one [prosopon] and one [hupostasis-not parted] or divided into two
[prosopa] but one and the same Son, only-begotten, divine Word, the
Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets of old and Jesus Christ Himself have
taught us about Him and the [creed of our fathers] has handed down).
All departures from the Orthodox Doctrine of the person of Christ are
simply variations of one of these heresies. The Councils declared that
“Jesus was fully God and fully Human.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Baillie. God was in Christ.
G. C. Berkouwer, The Person of Christ Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955).
Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines.
Donald Baillie, God Was in Christ (New York: Scribner, 1948).
143
TOPIC 31
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
After the resurrection the virgin birth is the most
contested event in the life of Jesus Christ. Near the turn of the
twentieth century, the virgin birth became an issue that tested
people’s belief in the supernatural. While the terminology “virginal
conception” more accurately explains the meaning of a conception
that is supernatural than does “virgin birth,” the latter has become the
most common expression in referring to this doctrine. The two Biblical
references that discuss the virgin birth, Matthew 1 and Luke 1, satisfy
Scripture’s consistency in the belief of the virgin birth. As a key
144
element of Christology, belief in the virgin birth is necessary for
Christian Theology.
The doctrine of the virgin birth is based upon two
explicit Biblical references Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-15). (“This is how
Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be
married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was
still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy
Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace
her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he
considered this an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
And she will have a Son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will
save His people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfil the Lord’s
message through His prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child.
She will give birth to a Son. And they will call Him Immanuel, which
means God with us.” When Joseph wake up he did as the angel of the
Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual
relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named Him
Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King
Herod. About that time three wise men from eastern lands arrived in
Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw
His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him. King Herod was
deeply disturbed when he heard this as was everyone in Jerusalem. He
called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law
and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” And you O
Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not least among the ruling cities of
145
Judah, for a ruler will come from you. Who will be the shepherd for My
people Israel. “Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise
men and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
Then he told them. Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child.
And when you find Him, come back and tell me so that I can go and
worship Him too.” After this interview the wise men went their way.
And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It
went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the
house and saw the child with His mother, Mary and they bowed down
and worshiped Him. When they opened their treasure chests and gave
Him gifts of gold, frankincense and mirth. When it was time to leave,
they returned to their own country by another route, for God had
worn them in a dream not to return to Herod. After the wise men were
gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up flee
to Egypt with the child and His mother, the angel said. Stay there until I
tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill
Him. That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary His
mother and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what
the Lord had spoken through the prophet. “I called My Son out of
Egypt.”) And (Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20). (“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, God send the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee.
To a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man
named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her
and said, “Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you.”
Confused and disturbed tried to think what the angel could mean.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her. “For you have found favour
146
with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son and you will name
Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of God. The
Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David. And He will
reign over Israel forever, His Kingdom will never end.” Mary asked the
angel. “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied.
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of God will
overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be Holy and He will be
called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has
become pregnant in her old age. People use to say she was barred, but
she has conceived a son and she is now in her sixth month. For nothing
is impossible with God. Mary responded. “I am the Lord’s servant. May
everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left
her…At that time the Roman Emperor, Augustus decreed that a census
should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. [This was the first
census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.] All returned to
their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because
Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in
Judea. David’s ancient home. He travelled there from the village of
Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancé who was now
obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her
baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a Son. She wrapped
Him swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn. That night there were-shepherds stain in the
fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the
Lord appeared among them and the radiance of the Lord’s Glory
surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. I bring you good news that will bring great
147
joy to all people. The Saviour yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born
today in Bethlehem, the city of David. And you will recognize Him by
this sign: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others the
armies of heaven-praising God and saying. “Glory to God in the
highest. And on earth peace and good will toward men.” When the
angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other.
“Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happen,
which the Lord has told us about. They harried to the village and found
Mary and Joseph, and there was the baby lying in the manger. After
seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and
what the angel had said to them about the child. All who heard the
shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her
heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their
flocks glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It
was just as the angel had told them”). There are other passages in the
New Testament which refer to the virgin birth. God sent the angel
Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary…Don’t
be frightened, Mary...very soon now, you will become pregnant and
have a baby, and you are to name Him ‘Jesus,’ He shall be very great
and shall be called the Son of God…Mary asked the angel, “But how
can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit
shall come upon you and the power of God shall overshadow you; so
the baby born to you will be utterly Holy and He will be called the Son
of God” (Luke, 1:28-35). Luke’s references to the story of Zechariah,
Elizabeth (Luke, 1:39-45), and the birth of John the Baptist (Luke, 1:5766). And in (Luke, 2:8-12), suddenly, the angel was joined by a host of
148
others the armies of heaven praising God and saying: “Glory to God in
the highest heaven and peace on earth” (Luke 2:13-14), the
presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple, and Jesus’ teaching
there at age twelve. Matthew, on the other hand, has the story of the
Magi’s being guided to the child by the star, (Matt. 2:1-12), the
slaughter of the infants by Herod, (Matt.2:14-16) and the flight into
Egypt (Matt.2:12). And there is the prophesy of (Isa. 7:14), which is
cited by (Matt. 1:23).
We might simply stop at this point and assert that since
the Bible affirms the virgin birth not once but twice, that is sufficient
proof. Since we believe that the Bible is inspired and authoritative (
Matthew 1 and 2, Luke 1 and 2), convince us that the virgin birth is
fact. We note, first, the basic integrity of the two pertinent passages.
Both of the explicit references, and specifically (Matt. 1:20-21 and Luke
1:34), are integrant parts of the narrative in which they occur; they are
not insertions or interpolations.
Miraculous icon of Axion Esti
Within discussions of Orthodoxy, the Holy Mountain of
Mt. Athos does get mentioned many times. Mt. Athos itself is what we
call a “Spiritual Republic.” It is an independent state which pledges
allegiance only to Almighty God. Mt. Athos which is perched on a
peninsula 20 miles long and seven miles wide is off the Macedonian
Coast. The monasteries there are among the oldest in Christendom.
Mongs, hermits and holy men have lived there since the third century.
During the Byzantine era, the total population
exceeded 50.000. No women have ever been allowed on Mt. Athos.
149
The Blessed Ever-Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the “Patron Saint”
of the Spiritual Republic of Mt. Athos. In one of the magnificent
monasteries there is a huge icon on the Blessed Virgin Mary which has
been titled “Axion Esti,” meaning “IT IS WORTHY TO BLESS THEE, THE
VIRGIN,” This beautiful icon was painted in the seventh century and
has since graced the sacred walls of the Cathedral of Mt. Athos.
Today we commemorate the anniversary of the miracle
which took place in front of the icon over 1,000 years ago, on June 11.
During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy every Sunday, we hear the
beautiful and inspiring hymn called “Axion Esti” which follows the
prayer (as we kneel) called the “Epiclesis.” This hymn was written
originally in the year 720 AD by St Cosmas, one of the greatest
hymnographies’ of the Christian Church. The hymn, however, began
with the words “Thee that art more honourable than the Cherubim
(Tin Timioteran ).” It was well over one hundred years later that this
hymn was added to the Divine Liturgy, but with an added beginning as
the result of the following miraculous event:
On June 11, 980 AD, as a group of monks were
conducting an all-night vigil before the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
they suddenly noticed a monk standing on the right of the icon whom
they did not recognise at all. He was unknown to the monks and no
one could explain his abrupt presence. This unidentified monk began
to chant the beautiful hymn written by St. Cosmas, but rather began
with the words “Axion Esti os Alethos Macarizin Se Tin Theotocon,”
which means “It is very meet to bless Thee, Theotokos the ever blessed
and most pure Virgin and Mother of God.” The monk then explained to
the others that he was the Archangel Gabriel and that these words
150
should be added to the hymn. The Archangel then vanished from their
sight, living the monks amazed at the power of God. Since that day on
June 11, 980 AD, the additional words to the hymn of St. Cosmas have
been sung by all Orthodox Christians around the world. The icon of the
Blessed Mother Axion Esti is still venerated today in the Cathedral of
Mt. Athos. “It is meet indeed to bless Thee, the ever-blessed and most
pure and Mother of our God. Thee that art more honourable than the
Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, who
without spot of sin didn’t bear God the Word; Thee, verily the Mother
of God, we magnify.”
1.Orr. Virgin Birth.
2.Brown, Birth of the Messiiah Bith=h of the Messiah.
3.Miraculous Icon of Axion Esti Commemorated June 11, 1980AD. By Fr. Poulos.
151
TOPIC 32
GOD IS IN CONTROL
CHRIST TEACHING
Christ work is uniquely suited for the role that He
maintains in the Trinity. Traditionally, the work of Jesus has been
classified in terms of three basic functions He performs: His revelatory
role, His rule, and His reconciling work. Temporally, there are two
main stages of Christ’s work: the humiliation and the exaltation. The
work of Christ is not limited to the areas, but these titles for the work
of Christ help us identify and give meaning to what Christ has done for
Humanity.
Many references to Christ teaching stress His revelation
of the Father and of heavenly truth. And indeed, Jesus clearly
understood Himself to be a prophet, for when His teaching, in
Nazareth was not received, He said, “Only in his hometown and in his
own house is a prophet without honour” (Matt. 13:57). That He was a
prophet was recognized by those who heard Him teaching, at least by
His followers. Moreover, at the time of His triumphal entry into
Jerusalem the crowds said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in
Galilee” (Matt. 21:11). When, at the end of a discourse later that, the
152
Pharisees wanted to arrest Him, they feared to do so because the
multitudes held Him to be a prophet (Matt. 21:46). The two disciples
on the road to Emmus referred to Jesus as “a prophet, powerful in
word and deed” (Luke, 24:19). The Book of John tells us that, the
people spoke of Jesus as “the prophet” (Luke, 6:14; 7:40). The blind
man whom Jesus had healed identifies Him as a prophet (Luke, 9:17).
And the Pharisees responded to Nicodemus, “Look into it, and you will
find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee” (Luke, 7:52). They
were evidently trying to refute the opinion that Jesus was a prophet.
That Jesus was a prophet was in itself a fulfilment of prophesy, Peter
specifically identifies Him with Moses’ prediction in (Deut. 18:15): “The
Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your
own people” (Acts, 3:22). Thus the prophesies about Jesus spoke of
Him as the successor not only to David as king, but also to Moses as
prophet. Jesus’ prophetic teaching was like that of the other prophets
in that He was sent from God. Yet there was a significant difference
between Him and them. He had come from the very presence of God.
His pre-existence with the Father was a major factor in His ability to
reveal the Father, for He had been with Him. So John says, “No one has
ever seen God, but God the One and Only, Who is at the Father’s side,
has made Him known” (John 1:18). Jesus Himself made the claim of
pre-existence: “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John, 8:58); When
Philip requested that to the disciples be shown the Father, Jesus
answered, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John,
14:9). He told Nicodemus, “No one has ever gone into heaven except
the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man” (John, 3:13). The
uniqueness of Jesus’ prophetic teaching not- withstanding, in a number
153
of respects it was similar to the work of the Old Testament prophets.
His message in many ways resembled theirs. There was declaration of
doom and judgment, and there was proclamation of good news and
salvation. In (Matt. 11:20-24), Jesus declares woes upon Corazon,
Bethsaida, and Capernaum, much like those of Amos against
Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Moapa, and other places, finally culminating in
the denunciation of Israel (Amos, 1-3). In Matthew 23 Jesus
pronounces judgment upon the scribes and Pharisees, calling them
hypocrites, serpents, vipers, Certainly His prophetic message of
condemnation of sin was prominent in His teaching. Jesus also
proclaimed good news. Among the Old Testament prophets Isaiah in
particular had spoken of the good tidings from God (Isa. 40:9; 52:7).
Similarly, in (Matthew 13) Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven in
terms that makes it indeed good news: the kingdom of heaven is like a
treasure hidden in a field (Matt. 13:44) and like a pearl of great price
(Matt.13: 46). But even in the midst of these glad tidings there is a
word of warning, for the kingdom is also like a net that gathers all kind
of fish to be sorted, the good being kept in the boat, but the bad
thrown away (Matt. 13:47:50).
There is also good news in Jesus’ comforting message in
(John 14): after going to prepare a place He will come and take His
followers to be with Him (Matt. 14:1-3); those who believe in Him will
do greater works than He does (Matt. 14:12); He will do whatever they
ask in His name (Matt. 14:13-14); He and the Father will come to those
who believe (Matt. 14:18-24); He will give them His peace (Matt.
14:27). The tone of this passage is very much like that of (Isaiah 40),
154
which begins with “Comfort, comfort my people,” and goes on to
assure them of the Lord’s presence blessing, and care.
Some have noted a similarly of style and type of
material between Jesus’ teaching and the utterances of the Old
Testament prophets. Jesus also followed and went beyond the Old
Testament prophets in the use of parables. In one case He even
adapted a parable of Isaiah (Isa. 5:1-7; Matt. 21:33-41).
Christ revealing work covers a wide span of time and
forms. He first functioned in a revelatory fashion even before His
incarnation. As the Logos, He is the light that has enlightened everyone
coming into the world; thus, in a sense all truth has come from and
through Him (John, 1:9). There are indications that Christ Himself was
at work in the revelations that came through the prophets who bore a
message about Him. Peter writes that the prophets who foretold a
coming salvation were “trying to find out the time and circumstances
to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted
the suffering of Christ and the glories that would follow” (1 Peter, 1:
11). Although not personally incarnate, Christ was already making the
truth known. It is also quite possible that the Second Person of the
Trinity was involved in the Theophany of the Old Testament. A second
and most obvious period of Jesus’ revelatory work was of course His
prophetic teaching during His incarnation and stay on earth. Here two
forms of revelation come together. He spoke the divine word of truth.
Beyond that, however, He was the truth and He was God, and so that
He did was an exhibition, not merely a proclamation, of the truth and
the reality of God. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews declares that
Jesus is the Highest of all the revelations of God (Hebr. 1:1-3). God,
155
Who had spoken by the prophets, had now in the last days, spoken by
His Son, Who is superior to angels (Hebr. 1:4) and even to Moses
(Hebr. 3:3-6). For Jesus not only has a word from God, but bears the
very stamp of His nature, reflecting the glory of God (Hebr. 1:3).
Christ’s continuing revealing teaching through His church. He promised
them His presence in the ongoing task (Matt. 28:20). He made clear
that in many ways His teaching would be continued and completed by
the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would be sent in Jesus name, and would
teach His followers all things and bring to remembrance all that He had
said to them (John, 14:26). The Spirit would guide them into all truth
(John, 16:13). But the revealing work of the Holy Spirit would not be
independent of the work of Jesus. For Jesus said that the Spirit “will
not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will
tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from
what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the
Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine
and make it known to you” (John, 16:13-15). In a very real sense, Jesus
was to continue His revelatory work through the Holy Spirit. Perhaps
this is why Luke makes the statement that his first Book pertained all
that Jesus “began to do and to teach” (Acts, 1:1), Another suggestion
of Jesus’ continue revelatory work is to be found in assertions like
“apart from Me you can do nothing” (John, 15:5), which occurs in
connection with the imagery of Jesus as the vine and His disciples as
the branches. We conclude that when the apostles proclaimed the
truth, Jesus was carrying out His work of revelation through them. The
final and most complete revelatory work of Jesus lies in the future. A
time is coming when He will return; one of the words for the second
156
coming of Christ is “revelation.” At that time we will see clearly and
directly (1 Cor. 13:12); we shall see Him as He is (1 John, 3:2). Then all
barriers to a full knowledge of God and of the truths of which Christ
spoke will be removed.
For if one examines with care the content of Jesus’
revelatory teaching, it becomes apparent that much of it deals with His
own person and teaching, and specifically with either His kingdom or
the reconciling death He was to undergo. At His trial He spoke of His
kingdom (John, 18:36). Throughout His teaching He had proclaimed,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt. 4:17). He said that
He had come “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark, 10:45).
Thus, in Jesus’ own view His revelatory function is inextricably bound
with His ruling and reconciling functions. It is true that there are some
teachings of Jesus that do not deal directly with His kingdom or His
atoning death ( the parable of the prodigal son speaks primarily of the
Father’s love); yet, the whole Biblical picture of Jesus is taken into
account, His work as revealed cannot be split from His work as ruler
and reconciler. Indeed, the work of Christ did not finish at the cross
and at the tomb, but there is a reference to a descent into hell or
Hades. On the basis of certain Biblical texts, primarily (Ps. 16:10; Eph.
4:8-10; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Peter, 3:18-19; 4:4-6 and the statement in the
creed), it maintains that an actual descent by Jesus into hell or Hades
during the period between His death on the cross on Friday and His
resurrection from the tomb on Sunday midnight (12 A.M). Jesus
descended into Hades; there He taught to the imprisoned spirits
before He was removed on the third day; declaring the Good News of
His victory over sin, and hell.
157
1.Dale Moody, The Word of Truth: A Summary of Chtistian Doctrine Based on Biblical
Revelation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981).
2. Adolf von Harnack, What is Christianity? (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957).
158
TOPIC 33
GOD IS IN CONTROL
ATONEMENT
The most recognizable symbol of Christianity is the
cross. Its significance is found in the atoning work of Christ. It is the
doctrine of the atonement that becomes the transition point from the
objective doctrines of God, Humanity, sin, and the person of Christ, to
the subjective doctrines. This transition point is the key element in
balancing Christian Theology to make it relevant to the believer.
Historically, the meaning of the atonement has been controversial.
Differing theories of the atonement have covered different elements.
Many of these theories do not integrate all of the elements. The
elements of truths that certain theories present include the following:
the example of Christ, the demonstration of the extent of God’s love,
the severity of God’s righteousness and the seriousness of sin, the
victory over sin and death, and the satisfaction for our sins. These
truths are all evident in the atonement, and should be included in the
explanation of the atonement.
In the atonement, we come to crucial point of Christian
faith, because it is the point of transition, as it were, from the objective
to the subjective aspects of Biblical Theology. Here we shift our focus
from the nature of Christ to His active work on our behalf; here
systematic Theology has direct application to our lives. The atonement
has made our salvation possible. Jesus’ resurrection is important
159
because it is the confirmation of His teaching and promises. For proof
that the meaning of Christ’s death rest in its effect as an example to us
(1 Peter, 2:21). “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for
you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps.” Other
passages appealed to include (1 John, 2:6). “Whoever claims to live in
Him must walk as Jesus did.” Only in (1 Peter, 2:21), however, do we
find an explicit connection drawn between Christ’s example and His
death. Jesus did not simply tell us that the first and great
commandment is to “Love your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength and with all, your mind” (Luke,
10:27); He also demonstrated what that involves, and has proven that
a Human being can do it. The death of Jesus is that, the perfect
illustration and realization of what He sought to teach throughout His
life. Jesus’ aim is found in His own Words: “For the Son of Man came to
seek and to save what was lost” (Luke, 19:10) “In fact, for this reason I
was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth”
(John, 18:37). Paul said that “God was reconciling the world to Himself
in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:19). Christ’ death makes it clear that God has
sensitivity to the pain that sin brings upon us.
1. Leon Morris, The cross In The New Testament (Grand Papids: Eerdmans, 1965). P. 5.
2. Fastus Socinus, De Jesu Christo Servatore.
160
TOPIC 34
GOD IS IN CONTROL
A VIEW OF THE ATONEMENT
The doctrine of the atonement relies heavily upon the
perspective of several background doctrines. The doctrines of the
nature of God, the status of the law, the Human condition, Christ, and
the Old Testament sacrificial system have great influence on a view of
the atonement. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ refers to Himself as
a ransom, a substitute, and the giver of life to Humanity. Paul
described Christ’s work of the atonement as propitiation or the
appeasement of God’s wrath for the sins of Humanity. Therefore, we
may understand the atonement to involve sacrifice, propitiation,
substitution, and reconciliation in the relationship of God to Humanity.
It is the penal substitution theory that best describes this relationship
for the atonement. Our understanding of Christ’s nature is crucial here.
He is the eternal pre-existent, Second Person of the Trinity. He is God
in the same sense and to the same degree as is the Father, a sense in
which no other Human has ever been or will ever be divine. To His
deity He added Humanity. He did not give up His deity in any respect.
In our understanding, Jesus’ Humanity means that His atoning death is
applicable to Human beings. Because Jesus was really one of us, He
was able to redeem us. He was not an outsider attempting to do
something for us. He was a genuine Human being representing the rest
of us. This is implied in what Paul says in (Gal. 4:4-5); “God sent forth
His Son … born under law, to redeem those under law.” Jesus’ death is
161
of sufficient value to atone for the entire Human race. The death of an
ordinary Human could scarcely have sufficient value to cover his or her
own sins, let alone those of the whole race. But Jesus’ death is of
infinite worth. As God, Jesus did not have to die. In dying He did
something God would never have to do. Because He was sinless, He
did not have to die in payment for His own sins. Thus, His death can
atone for the sins of all of Human kind. In (Isaiah, 53), the prophet
makes an allusion to Christ’s sacrifice: “We all like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). The iniquity of sinners is
transferred to the suffering servant just as in the Old Testament rites
the sins were transferred to the sacrificial animal. The laying on of
hands was an anticipation of the believer’s active acceptance of
Christ’s atonic work. The New Testament is much more detailed on the
subject of Christ’s atonement. Jesus had a profound sense that the
Father had sent Him to do the Father’s work. He declares in (John,
10:36), that the Father had sent Him into the world. In (John, 6:38): He
says. “For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do
the will of Him who sent Me.” The apostle John expressly relates the
sending by the Father to the Son’s redemptive and atoning work: “For
God did not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through Him” (John, 3:17). The purpose of the coming
was atonement, and the Father was involved in that work. Jesus had a
powerful conviction that His life and death constituted a fulfilment of
Old Testament prophesies. In particular, He interpreted His own life
and death as a clear fulfilment of (Isa. 53). At the last Supper He said,
“It is written: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell
162
you that this must be fulfilled in Me. Yes, what is written about Me is
reaching its fulfilment” (Luke, 22:37). He was citing (Isa. 53:12), thus,
identifying Himself as the suffering servant. His frequent references to
His suffering make it clear that He saw His death as the primary reason
for His having come. He plainly told His disciples that the Son of Man
must suffer many things, be rejected by the religious authorities, and
be killed (Mark, 8:31). Even early in His teaching He alluded to his
suffering by speaking of the time when the bridegroom would be taken
away (Matt. 9:15; Mark, 2:19-20). And indeed, upon descending from
the mount of transfiguration, at one of the high points in His teaching,
He said, “In the same way [like Elijah] the Son of Man is going to suffer
at their hands” (Matt. 17:12). Jesus saw His death as constituting a
ransom. Jesus indicated that His giving of His life was to be the means
by which many would be freed from bondage (Matt. 20:28 and Mark,
10:45) Christ also saw Himself as our substitute. Jesus said, “Greater
love has no one than this, that, He lay down His life for His friends”
(John, 15:13). He was of course, stating a principle of broad
application. There are other indications that Jesus saw Himself in the
role of a sacrifice. He said in His great high teaching prayer: “For them I
sanctify My self that they too may be truly sanctified” (John, 17:19).
John the Baptist’s statement at the beginning of Jesus’ teaching carries
similar connotations “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin
of the world!” (John, 1:29). The apostle John also records Caiaphas’s
sneering remark: “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is
better for you that one man dies for the people than that, the whole
nation perish” (John, 11:49-50). It is noteworthy that John calls
attention to this remark of Caiaphas a second time (John, 18:14). Jesus
163
had a profound sense that He was the source and giver of true life. He
says in (John, 17:3), “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent. “ The giving
of eternal life is here linked to both the Father and the Son. In (John,
6), He speaks of “the true bread” (John, 17:32), “the bread of life”
(John, 17:35, 48), “the bread that comes down from heaven” (John,
17:50). He then makes clear that He has been talking about: “I am the
living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread,
he will live for ever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life
of the world” (John, 17:51). To have eternal life, we must eat His flesh
and drink His blood (John, 17:52-58).
Jesus saw a close identification between Himself and
His Father. He spoke regularly of the Father’s having sent Him He and
the Father are one, and so the work that the Son did was also the work
of the Father. Jesus came for the purpose of giving His life as a ransom
a means of liberating those people who were enslaved to sin. He
offered Himself as a substitute for them. Paradoxically, His death gives
life; we obtain it by taking Him into ourselves. His death was a sacrifice
typified by the Old Testament sacrificial system. These various motifs
are vital elements in our construction of the doctrine of the
atonement.
1. Gustave F. Oehler, Theology of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1950).
2. C. K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John, 2
nd
. Ed. (Philadephia: Westminster,
1978).
3. George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1974).
164
TOPIC 35
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT
165
There has been some disagreement over the extent of
the atonement. For some, the atonement has a limited intent for those
whom God had chosen to be saved. The conflicting view states that
salvation is available for all through the atonement. In light of the
evidence for both arguments, it seems most reasonable to suggest that
God logically decides first to provide salvation for all of Humanity then
elects some to receive it. The question of what the atonement was
intended to accomplish has become more prominent in the twentieth
century. It is important to note, in the atonement, sickness and sin
were not both borne by Christ on the cross. Rather, healing is a
supernatural act introduced like any other miracle. It cannot be
expected that each instance of a request for healing will be granted in
the same manner as the forgiveness of sins. For the believer, the
earthly body is temporary.
First, there are the Bible passages that teach that
Christ’s death was “for His people;” from such passages particular infer
that Christ did not die for everyone. One of these is the angel’s
promise to Joseph in (Matt. 1:21): “She will give birth to a Son, and you
are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from
their sins.” There is also a whole collection of statement by Jesus
regarding His sheep, His people, His friends In (John, 10), Jesus says, “I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep” (John, 10:11); “I lay down My life for the sheep” (John, 10:15).
In verses (John, 10: 26-27), Jesus makes clear who “the sheep” are:
“but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep
listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” Jesus gives His
166
life for those who respond to Him. Moreover, in urging His disciples to
emulate His love, Jesus does not speak of dying for the whole world,
but for one’s friends: “Greater love has no one than this that He lay
down His life for His friends” (John, 15: 13). Christ is also spoken of as
having died for the church or for His church. Paul urged the Ephesian
elders: “Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His
own blood” (Acts, 20:28). The same apostle encouraged husbands to
love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for
her” (Eph. 5:25). And Paul wrote to the Romans that God “did not
spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32). It is
apparent from both the preceding (Rom. 8:28-29) and the following
(Rom. 8:33) contexts that those for whom God gave up His Son are
those who believe in Him, that is, the elect. John the Baptist
introduced Jesus with the words, “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes
away the sin of the world” (John, 1:29). The apostle John explains the
coming of Christ in universal terms: “For God so loved the world that
He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John
3:16-17). Paul speaks in a similar fashion of Jesus’ dying for all: “For
Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for
all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them
and was raised again.” (2 Cor. 5:14-15); and in (1 Tim. 4:10), he speaks
of the living God, “Who is the saviour of all men, and especially of
those who believe.” There are in (1 John) two statements reminiscent
of the Book of John in that they refer to Christ’s death as being for the
167
world: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anybody does sin, we have one Who speaks to the Father in our
defence Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for
our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”
(1 John, 2:1-3); “the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the
world” (1 John, 4:14). Two additional passages are to be noted as being
especially significant. The first class is the prophetic passage in (Isa.
53:6): “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to
his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” This
passage is especially powerful from a logical standpoint. It is clear that
the extent of sin is universal; it is specified that every one of us has
sinned. It should also be noticed that the extent of what will be laid on
the suffering servant exactly parallels the extent of sin. It is difficult to
read this passage and not conclude that just as everyone sins,
everyone is also atoned for, equally compelling is (1 Tim. 2:6), where
Paul says that Christ Jesus “gave Himself as a ransom for all men. ”This
is to be compared with the original statement in (Matt. 20:28), where
Jesus had said that the Son of men came “to give His life as a ransom
for many.”
A second class Biblical material is those passages that
seem to indicate that some of those for whom Christ died will perish.
Two passages speak of a brother’s being injured or ruined or destroyed
by the actions of a believer: In (Rom. 14:15), Paul says, “If your brother
is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.
Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.”
Similarly, in (1 Cor. 8:11), concludes, “So this weak brother, for whom
Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.” An even stronger
168
statement in (Hebrews, 10:29): “How much more severely do you think
a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God
under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the
covenant that sanctified Him, and who has insulted the Spirit of
Grace?” While there may be some dispute as to both the exact
spiritual condition of the person referred to in these verses and the
precise results for them of the acts therein described, in (2 Peter, 2:1),
seems to point out most clearly that people for whom Christ died may
be lost: “But there were also false prophets among the people, as
there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord Who bought
them bringing swift destruction on themselves.”
The third class of the Bible passages appealed to be the
proponents of universal or unlimited atonement consists of passages
indicating that the Bible is to be universally proclaimed. Prominent
examples are in (Matt. 24:14). “And this Bible of the kingdom will be
taught in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come,” and in (Matt. 28:19). “Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.” In (Acts, 1:18), two significant passages bear
upon this issue: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And in (Acts, 17:30);
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all
people everywhere to repent.” In (Titus, 2:11). Paul affirms that “the
Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Jesus said
in (Matt. 11:28). “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened,
169
and I will give you rest.” Peter describes the Lord as in (2 Peter, 3:9),
“not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone, to come to repentance.”
In (John 3:16): “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and
only Son, that who-ever believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life.”
In (Rom. 5:6-8).When we were utterly helpless, Christ
came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people
would not be willing to die for an upright person, though some one
might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” This love for one’s
enemies is seen particularly in Christ’s conduct on the cross when He
implored the Father, “Father Forgive them for they do not know what
they are doing” (Luke, 23:34).
1.
2.
3.
R. B. Kuiper, For Whom Did Chtist Die? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959).
Charles Hodge, Systematic: Theology (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1952).
Strong, Systematic : Theology.
170
TOPIC 36
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Because the Holy Spirit is not systematically described
in the Bible, the doctrine of the Third Person of the Trinity has been
controversial. The Spirit is important, since He provides contact
between the believer and God. This has led to difficulties in
understanding Him and His work. At various stages in history the
doctrine of the Spirit has ascended or waned in prominence. From the
Biblical evidence, we can discover His deity and personality.
We begin our closer examination of the nature of the
Holy Spirit with His deity. This is as easily established as is the deity of
the Father and the Son. It might well be said that the deity of the
Father is simply assumed in the Bible that of the Son is affirmed and
argued, while that of the Holy Spirit must be inferred from various
indirect statements found in the Bible. There are, however, several
bases on which one may conclude that the Holy Spirit is God in the
same fashion and to the same degree as are the Father and the Son.
First we should note that various references to the Holy Spirit are
interchangeable with references to God. In effect, then, these passages
speak of Him as God. A prominent instance is found in (Acts, 5:1-4).
Ananias and Sapphire had sold a piece of property and represented the
money they brought as the whole of what they had received. In
rebuking Ananias, Peter asked, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so
filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for
171
yourself some of the money you received for the land?” (Acts, 5:3). In
the next verse he asserts, “You have not lied to men but to God.” It
seems that in Peter’s mind “lying to the Holy Spirit” and “lying to God”
were interchangeable expressions. It could, of course, be argued that
two different referents were in view so that Peter was actually saying,
“You have lied both to the Holy Spirit and to God.” The statement in
verse 4, however, was apparently intended to make it clear that the lie
was told not to Humans, to someone less than God, but to God
Himself. Thus, we are led to the conclusion that the second statement
is an elaboration of the first, emphasizing that the Spirit to Whom
Ananias had lied was God. Another passage where “Holy Spirit” and
“God” are used interchangeably is Paul’s discussion of the Christian’s
body. In (1 Cor. 3:16-17), he writes, “Don’t you know that you
yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If
anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple
is sacred, and you are that temple.” In (1 Cor. 6:19-20), he uses almost
identical language: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, Who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are
not your own: you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with
your body.” It is clear that, to Paul, to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit is to
be inhabited by God. By equating the phrase “God’s temple” with the
phrase “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” Paul makes it clear that the Holy
Spirit is God.
Further, the Holy Spirit possesses the attributes or
qualities of God. One of these is omniscience: “but God has revealed it
to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things
of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the
172
man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts
of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:10-11). Also observe Jesus’
statement in (John, 16:13): But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak
only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
The power of the Holy Spirit is also spoken of
prominently in the New Testament. In (Luke, 1:35), the phrase “the
Holy Spirit” and “the power of the Most High” are in parallel or
synonymous construction. This is, of course, a reference to the virgin
conception, a miracle of the first magnitude. Paul acknowledged that
the accomplishments of His teaching were achieved “by the power of
signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit” (Rom. 15:19).
Moreover, Jesus attributed to the Holy Spirit the ability to change
Human hearts and personalities: it is the Spirit Who works conviction
(John, 16:8-11), and regeneration (John, 3:5-8), within us. Jesus had
elsewhere said with respect to this ability to change Human hearts:
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
(Matt. 19:25-26). While these texts do not specifically affirm that the
Spirit is omnipotent, they certainly indicate that He has power that
presumably only God has. Yet another attribute of the Spirit that
brackets Him with the Father and the Son is His eternality. In (Heb.
9:14), He is spoken of us “the eternal Spirit” through Whom Jesus
offered Himself up. Only God, however, is eternal (Heb.1:10-12), all
creatures being temporal. So the Holy Spirit must be God.
In addition to having divine attributes, the Holy Spirit
performs certain works that are commonly ascribed to God. He was
and continues to be involved with the creation, in both originating it
173
and providentially keeping and directing it. In (Gen. 1:2), we read that
the Spirit of God was brooding over the face of the waters. (Job,
26:13), notes that the heavens were made fair by the Spirit of God. The
psalmist says. “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you
renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 104:30); the most abundant Biblical
testimony regarding the Holy Spirit’s role concerns His spiritual
working upon or within Humans. We have already noted Jesus’
attribution of regeneration to the Holy Spirit (John, 3:5-8). This is
confirmed by Paul’s statement in (Titus, 3:5): “[God our Saviour] saved
us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit.” In addition, the Spirit raised Christ from the dead and will
also raise us, that is, God will raise us through the Spirit: “And if the
Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit, Who lives in you” (Rom. 8:11).
Giving the Bible is another divine work of the Holy
Spirit. In (2 Tim. 3:16), Paul writes, “All the Bible is God breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in
righteousness." ”Peter also speaks of the Spirit’s role in giving us the
Bible, but emphasizes the influence on the writer rather than the end
product: “For prophesy never had its origin in the will of man, but men
spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter,
1:21). Our final consideration arguing for the deity of the Holy Spirit is
His association with the Father and the Son on a basis of apparent
equality. One of the best known evidence is the Baptismal formula
prescribed in the great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples
174
of all nations; Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). The Pauline benediction in (2 Cor.
13:14), is another evidence. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all.” And in (1 Cor. 12:4-6), as Paul discusses spiritual gifts, he
coordinates the three members of the Godhead: “There are different
kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service,
but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same
God works all of them in all men.” Peter likewise, in the salutation of
his first epistle, links the three together, noting their respective roles in
the process of salvation: “[To the exiles of the dispersion] chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the
sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
sprinkling by His blood” (1 Peter, 1:2). The Bible makes clear in several
ways that the Holy Spirit is a person and possesses all the qualities
which that imply.
The first evidence of the Spirit’s personality is the use
of the masculine pronoun in representing Him. Since the word
(pneuma) is neuter and since pronouns are to agree with their
antecedents in person, number, and gender, we would expect the
neuter pronoun to be used to represent the Holy Spirit. Yet in (John,
16:13-14), we find an unusual phenomenon. As Jesus describes the
Holy Spirit’s teaching, He uses a masculine pronoun (ekeinos) where
we would expect a neuter pronoun. The only possible antecedent in
the immediate context is “Spirit of Truth” (John, 16:13). Either John in
reporting Jesus’ discourse made a grammatical error at this point (this
is unlikely since we do not find any similar error elsewhere in the
175
Bible), or he deliberately chose to use the masculine to convey to us
the fact that Jesus is referring to a person, not a thing. A similar
reference is (Eph. 1:14), where, in a relative clause modifying “Holy
Spirit,” the preferred textual reading is (hos)-“[Who] is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God’s possessions to the praise of the glory.” A second line of evidence
of the Holy Spirit’s personality is a number of passages where He and
His work are, in one way or another, closely identified with various
persons and their work. The term (paraklitos) (Paracletos) is applied to
the Holy Spirit in (John, 14:26; 15:26; and 16:7), in each of these
contexts it is obvious that it is not some sort of abstract influence that
is in view. Jesus is also expressly spoken of as a (parakletos) (1 John,
2:1). Most significant are his words in (John, 14:16), where he says that
He will pray to the Father Who will give the disciples another
(parakletos) the word for “another” here is (allos), which means
“another of the same kind.” In view of Jesus’ statements linking the
Spirit’s coming with His own going away (John, 16:7), this means that
the Spirit is a replacement for Jesus and will carry on the some role.
The similarity in their function is an indication that the Holy Spirit, like
Jesus, must be a person.
Another function which both Jesus and the Holy Spirit
perform, and which, accordingly, serves as an indication of the Spirit’s
personality, is that of glorifying another member of the Trinity. In
(John, 16:14), Jesus says that the Spirit “will bring glory to Me by taking
from what is mine and making it known to you.” A parallel is found in
(John, 17:4), where in His prayer Jesus states that during His teaching
on earth He glorified the Father.
176
The most interesting groupings of the Holy Spirit with
personal agents are those in which He is linked with both the Father
and the Son. Among the best known of these are the Baptismal
formula in (Matt. 28:19), and the benediction in (2 Cor. 13:14). There
are other instances, however, Jude enjoins. “But you, dear friends,
build yourselves up in your most Holy Faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (2 Cor. 13:20-21). Peter
addresses his readers as those who are “chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the
Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood” (1
Peter, 1:2). Earlier in His message at Pentecost, He had proclaimed,
“Exalted to the right hand of God, He [Jesus} has received from the
Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see
and hear…Repent and be Baptized, every one of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts, 2:33, 38). Paul also coordinates the
working of the three, for example, in (Gal. 4:6): “Because you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,
Abba, Father.” A similar reference is (2 Cor. 1:21-22): “Now it is God
Who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set
His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit
guaranteeing what is to come.” Other examples are (Rom. 15:16; 1
Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 3:14-17; and 2 Thess. 2:13-14).
The Holy Spirit is also linked with the Father and the
Son in various events of Jesus’. At the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:16-17),
all three persons of the Trinity were present. As the Son was Baptized
177
the Father spoke from heaven in commendation of the Son, and the
Holy Spirit descended on Him in visible form. Jesus said His casting out
of demons was related to the Father and the Spirit: “But if I drive out
demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon
you” (Matt. 12:28). The conjunction of the Holy Spirit with the Father
and the Son in these events is an indication that He is personal, just as
are they.
The Holy Spirit’s personality can also be seen in
passages that group Him with Humans. We will site but one example.
The letter from the apostles and elders at Jerusalem to the church at
Antioch contained a very unusual expression: “It seemed good to the
Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the
following requirements” (Acts, 15:28). This coordinated working of the
Spirit and Christian leaders is an indication that the Spirit possesses
some of the very qualities found in Human personality. And as a matter
of fact, the Spirit’s possession of certain personal characteristics is our
third indication of His personality. Among the most notable are
intelligence, will, and emotions, traditionally regarded as the three
fundamental elements of personhood. Of various references to the
Spirit’s intelligence and knowledge, we cite here (John, 14:26), where
Jesus promises the Spirit, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as
My representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-He will teach you everything
and will remind you of everything I have told you.” Similarly in (John,
15:26); “But I will send you the Advocate-the Spirit of truth, He will
come to you from the Father and will testify all about Me.” The will of
the Spirit is attested in (1 Cor. 12:11), which states that the recipients
of the various spiritual gifts are “the work of one and the same Spirit,
178
and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.” That the Spirit
has emotions is evident in (Eph. 4:30), where Paul warns against
grieving the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit can also be affected as is a person, thus
displaying personality passively It is possible to lie to the Holy Spirit, as
Ananias and Sapphire did (Acts, 5:3-4). Paul speaks of the sins of
grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30), and quenching the Spirit (1 Thess.
5:19). Stephen accuses his adversaries of always resisting the Holy
Spirit (Acts, 7:51). While it is possible to resist a mere force, one cannot
lie to or grieve something that is impersonal. And then, most notably,
there is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31) and
Mark, 3:29). This sin surely cannot be committed against something
impersonal.
In addition, the Holy Spirit engages in moral actions and
teachings that can be performed only by a person. Among these
activities are teaching regenerating, searching, speaking, interceding,
commanding, testifying, guiding, illuminating, revealing. One
interesting and unusual passage is (Rom. 8:26): “In the same way, the
Spirit helps us in our weakness .We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words
cannot express.” Surely, Paul has a person in view. And so does Jesus
whenever He speaks of the Holy Spirit, as, for example, in (John, 16:8):
“When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and
righteousness and judgment.” All of the forgoing considerations lead to
one conclusion. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force, and that person
is God just as fully and in the same way as are the Father and the Son.
179
1.Kendrick, Promise Fulfilled.
2. Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953).
3. Klaude Kendrick, The Promise Fulffiled: (Springfiejd, Mo. : Gospel, 1961).
180
TOPIC 37
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit was at work throughout the Old
Testament era. He was particularly evident in the life and teaching of
Jesus. He continues to work in the lives of persons whom God calls to
repentance and faith. He guides the believer from spiritual birth to
maturity. With the changes in attitude toward the gifts of the Spirit in
recent years, the miraculous gifts have assumed a significant role.
It is often difficult to identify the Holy Spirit within the
Old Testament. There are, however, some cases where the New
Testament makes it clear that an Old Testament reference to the
“Spirit of God” is a reference to the Holy Spirit. One of the most
prominent of these New Testament passages is (Acts, 2:16-21) where
Peter explains that what is occurring at Pentecost is the fulfilment of
the Prophet Joel’s statement. “I will pour out My Spirit on all people”
(Acts, 2:17). Surely the events of Pentecost were the realization of
Jesus’ promise. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
on you” (Acts, 1:8).In short, the Old Testament “Spirit of God” is
synonymous with the Holy Spirit.
There are several major areas of the Holy Spirit’s
working in Old Testament times. First is the creation. We find in the
creation account a reference to the presence and activity of the Spirit
of God: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over
the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
181
waters” (Gen. 1:2). God’s continued working with the creation is
attributed to the Spirit Job writes “By His breath [or spirit] the skies
became fair; His hand pierced the gliding serpent” (Gen. 26:13). Isaiah
looks to a future outpouring of the Spirit as a time of productivity
within the creation, there will be desolation “till the Spirit is poured
upon us from on High, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the
fertile field seems like a forest” (Isa, 32:15).
Another general area of the Spirit’s work is the giving of
prophecy and the Bible. The Old Testament prophets testified that
their speaking and writing were a result of the Spirit’s coming upon
them. (Ezekiel, 2:2; 8:3; 11:1; 24), offers the clearest example: “As He
spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard
Him speaking to me.” The Spirit even entered such unlikely persons as
Balaam (Num. 24:2). As a sign Saul was God’s anointed, the Spirit came
mightily on him and he prophesied (1 Sam. 10:6; 10). Peter confirmed
the testimony of the prophets regarding their experience: “For
prophesy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter, 1:21). In
addition, the Book of Acts gives witness that the Holy Spirit spoke by
the mouth of David (Acts, 1:16; 4:25).Since the Holy Spirit produced
the Bible, they can be referred to as “God breathed (Theopneustos-2
Tim. 3:16).
Yet another work of the Spirit of God in the Old
Testament was in conveying certain necessary skills for various tasks.
For example, we read that in appointing Bezalel to construct and
furnish the tabernacle, God said, “and I have filled him with the Spirit
of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make
182
artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set
stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship”
(Exod. 31:3-5). It is not clear whether Bezalel had previously possessed
this set of abilities, or whether they were suddenly bestowed upon him
for this particular task. Nor it is clear whether he continued to possess
them afterward. When the temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel after
Babylonian captivity, there was a similar endowment: “Not by might
nor by power, but by my Spirit, ’says the LORD Almighty” (Zech. 4:6).
Administration also seems to have been a gift of the
Spirit. Even Pharaoh recognized the Spirit’s presence in Joseph: So
Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in who is
the spirit of God?” (Gen. 41:38). When Moses needed assistance in
leading the people of Israel, part of the Spirit was taken from him and
given to others: “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke
with him, and He took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit
on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they
prophesied, but they did not do so again” (Num. 11:25). Here the gift
of administration was accompanied by or involved the gift of
prophesying. While it is not clear whether Joshua’s capacity for
leadership was especially related to the working of the Spirit of God,
there does seem to be an allusion to that effect: “Now Joshua son of
Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his
hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD
had commanded Moses” (Deut. 34:9).
In the time of the judges, administration by the power
and gifts of the Holy Spirit was especially dramatic. This was a time
when there was very little national leadership. Much of what was done
183
was accomplished by what we would-today call “charismatic
leadership.” Of Othniel it is said: ”The Spirit of the LORD came upon
him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave
Cushan Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who
overpowered him” (Judg. 3:10). There is a similar description of the call
of Gideon: “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he
blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him” (Judg. 6:34).
The Spirit’s working at the time of the judges consisted largely of
granting skill in waging war. The Spirit came upon Othniel, and he went
out to war. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he, having
deed assured that Israel would be delivered by his hand, went out to
war: His soldiers proved unusually effective, out of all proportions to
their numbers, Similarly, Samson was filled with extraordinary strength
when the Spirit came upon him, and he was able to perform
supernatural feats: “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in
power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men,
stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who
had explained the riddle” (Judg. 14:19). The Spirit also endowed the
early kings of Israel with special capabilities. We have already noted
that Saul prophesied when the Spirit came upon him (1 Sam. 10:10).
David’s anointing was likewise accompanied by the coming of the Spirit
of God: “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the
presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD
came upon David in power” (1 Sam. 16:13). The Spirit is seen not only
in dramatic incidents, however. In addition to the qualities of national
leadership and the heroics of war he was present in Israel’s spiritual
life. In this connection he is referred to as a “good Spirit.” Addressing
184
God, Ezra reminded the people of Israel of the provision made for their
ancestors in the wilderness: “You gave your good Spirit to instruct
them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You
gave them water for their thirst” (Nech. 9:20). The psalmist beseeches
God: “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good
Spirit lead me on level ground” (Ps. 143:10).The goodness of the Spirit
is seen also in two references to him as a “Holy Spirit.” In each of these
instances there is a contrast between the sinful actions of Humans and
the Holiness of God. Asking that his sin be blotted out, David prays,
“Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me”
(Ps. 51:11). And Isaiah refers to the people who have “rebelled and
grieved [the Lord’s] Holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:10). The good and Holy quality
of the Spirit becomes clearer yet in light of the work He does and its
results. He is described as producing the fear of the Lord and various
qualities of righteousness and judgments in the promised Messiah (Isa.
11:2-5). When the Spirit is poured out (Isa. 32:15), the result is justice,
righteousness, and peace (Isa. 11:16-20). Devotion to the Lord results
from outpouring of the Spirit (Isa. 44:3-5; Ezekiel, 36:26-28), a passage
that adumbrates the New Testament doctrine of regeneration, speaks
of a careful obedience and a new heart as accompaniments of God’s
giving His Spirit. The forgoing considerations from the Old Testament
depict the Holy Spirit as producing the moral and spiritual qualities of
holiness and goodness in the person upon whom He comes or in whom
He dwells. In cases in the Book of Judges, His presence seems to be
intermittent and related to a particular activity or teaching.
The Old Testament witness to the Spirit anticipates a
coming time when the teaching of the Spirit is to be more complete.
185
Part of this relates to the coming Messiah, upon Whom the Spirit is to
rest in unusual degree and fashion, as noted in (Isa. 11:1-5). Similar
passages include (Isa. 42:1-4 and 61:1-3). (“The Spirit of the Sovereign
LORD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to teach good
news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners…”) Jesus quotes the opening verses of Isaiah 61 and indicates
that they are now being fulfilled in Him (Luke, 4:18-21). There is a more
generalized promise, however, one that is not restricted to the
Messiah. This is found in (Joel, 2:28-29): “And afterward, I will pour out
My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on
My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.” At Pentecost Peter quoted this prophesy indicating that it had
now been fulfilled.
In Jesus’ life we find a pervasive and powerful presence
and activity of the Spirit. Even the very beginning of His incarnate
existence was a work of the Holy Spirit. Both the prediction and the
record of Jesus’ birth point to a special working of the Spirit. After
informing Mary that she was to have a child, the angel explained, “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the Holy one to be born will be called the Son of
God” (Luke, 1:35). After the conception had taken place, the angel
appeared to Joseph, who was understandably troubled, and explained,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your
wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matt.
1:20). The opening words of the narrative are: “This is how the birth of
186
Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married
to Joseph, but before they come together, she was found to be with a
child through the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). The announcement of Jesus’
teaching by John the Baptist also highlights the place of the Holy Spirit.
The Baptist had himself been filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his
mother’s womb (Luke, 1:15). His message emphasized that, unlike his
own baptism, which was merely with water, Jesus would baptize with
the Holy Spirit (Mark, 1:8; Matthew 3:11 and Luke, 3:16) add “and with
fire.” John does not himself claim to have the Spirit; and in particular,
he makes no claim to give the Spirit. He attributes to the coming
Messiah the giving of the Spirit. The Spirit is present in dramatic form
from the very beginning of Jesus’ public teaching, is identified with His
Baptism, when there was a perceivable coming of the Holy Spirit upon
Him (Matt. 3:16; Mark, 1:10; Luke, 3:22 and John, 1:32). John makes
clear that John the Baptist also saw the Spirit and bore witness to the
fact. None of the accounts mention any particular immediate
manifestations, that is, visible effects or anything similar. We do know,
however, that immediately afterward, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit”
(Luke, 4:1). The writers in effect leave us to infer from ensuing events
just what the works of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus were.
The immediate result of Jesus’ Being filled with the
Spirit was the major temptation, or series of temptations, at the
inception of His public teaching. Jesus was directed by the Holy Spirit
into the situation where the temptation took place. In (Matt. 4:1 and
Luke, 4:1-2), Jesus is described as being led by the Holy Spirit into the
wilderness. Mark’s statement is more forceful: “At once the Spirit sent
Him out into the desert” (Mark, 1:12). Jesus is virtually “expelled” by
187
the Spirit. What is noteworthy here is that the presence of the Holy
Spirit in Jesus’ life brings Him into direct and immediate conflict with
the forces of evil. The antithesis between the Holy Spirit and the evil in
the world apparently had to be brought to light.
The rest of Jesus’ teaching as well was conducted
through the Spirit’s power and direction. This was obviously true of
Jesus’ teaching Luke tell us that following the temptation “Jesus
returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him
spread through the whole countryside” (Luke, 4:14). He proceeded
then to teach in all the synagogues. Coming to His hometown of
Nazareth, He went into the synagogue and stood up to read. He read
from (Isa. 61:1-2), and asserted that it was now fulfilled in Him (Luke,
4:18-21), thus claiming that this teaching was a result of the working of
the Holy Spirit in and upon Him.
What is true of Jesus’ teaching is also true of His
miracles, particularly His exorcism of demons. Here the confrontation
between the Holy Spirit and the unholy forces at work in the world is
manifest. On one occasion the Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out
demons by the prince of demons. Jesus pointed out the internal
contradiction within this statement (Matt. 12:25-27), and then
countered, “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the
kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28). His condemnation
of the Pharisees’ words as “blasphemy against the Spirit” (Matt.
12:31), and His warning that “anyone who speaks against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matt. 12:32), are evidence that what He
had just done was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Not only His
teaching and miracles, but Jesus’ whole life at this point was “in the
188
Holy Spirit.” When the seventy returned from their mission and
reported that even the demons were subjected to them in Jesus’ name
(Luke, 10:17). Jesus was “full of joy through the Holy Spirit” (Luke,
10:21). Even His emotions were “in the Holy Spirit.” This is a
description of someone completely filled with the Spirit. There
certainly were times when He was seized by a sense of the urgency of
the task which was His as when He said, “As long as it is day, we must
do the work of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can
work” (John, 9:4).
In Jesus’ teaching we find an especially strong emphasis
on the work of the Holy Spirit in initiating persons into the Christian
life. Jesus taught that the Spirit’s activity is essential in both
conversion, which from the Human perspective is the beginning of the
Christian life, and regeneration, which from God’s perspective is its
beginning. Conversion is the Human’s turning to God. It consists of a
negative and a positive element repentance, that is abandonment of
sin; and faith, that is, acceptance of the promises and the work of
Christ. Jesus spoke especially of repentance, and specifically of
conviction of sin, which is the prerequisite of repentance. He said,
“When He [the Counsellor] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in
regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin because
men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am
going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and in regard to
judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned”
(John, 16:8-11). Without this work of the Holy Spirit, there can be no
conversion.
189
Regeneration is the miraculous transformation of the
individual and implantation of spiritual energy, Jesus made very clear
to Nicodemus that regeneration is essential to acceptance by the
Father. “I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless
he is born again…no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is
born of water and the Spirit. Flesh give birth to flesh, but the Spirit
gives birth to Spirit” (John, 3:3, 5-6). Clearly, regeneration is a
supernatural occurrence, and the Holy Spirit is the agent Who
produces it. The flesh is not capable of effecting this transformation.
Nor can this transformation even be comprehended by the Human
intellect. Jesus in fact likened this work of the Spirit to the blowing of
the wind: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but
you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with
everyone born of the Spirit” (John, 5:8).
The work of the Spirit is not completed when one
becomes a believer on the contrary, it is just beginning. He performed
a number of other roles in the ongoing Christian life. One of the Spirit’s
other roles is empowering. Jesus probably left His disciples
flabbergasted when He said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith
in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things
than these, because I am going to the Father” (John, 14:12). These
greater works were apparently depended on both His going and the
Holy Spirit’s coming, for the two events were closely linked. Indeed,
when the disciples were evidently grieved at the thought of His living,
Jesus said: “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going
away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go,
I will sent Him to you” (John, 16:7). It probably seemed incredible to
190
the disciples, who by now were very much aware of their own
weaknesses and shortcomings, that they would do greater works than
the Master Himself had done. Yet Peter taught on Pentecost Sunday
and three thousand believed. Jesus Himself never had that type of
response, as far as we know. Perhaps He did not gather that many
genuine converts in His entire teaching! The key to the disciples’
success was not in their abilities and strengths, however, Jesus had
told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts, 14:5), who
would give them the power that He had promised, the ability to do the
things that He had predicted: “you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts, 14:8).This
enabled them to succeed in their task at that time, and a resource still
available today to any Christian wishing to serve the Lord.
Another element of Jesus’ promise was that the Holy
Spirit would indwell and illuminate the believer: “And I will ask the
Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you foreverthe Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and
will be in you” (John, 14:16-17). Jesus had been a teacher and leader,
but His influence was that of external word and example. The Spirit,
however, is able to affect one more intensely because, dwelling within,
He can get to the very centre of one’s thinking and emotions, and lead
one into all truth, as Jesus promised. Even the name used for the Spirit
in this context suggests this role: “But when He, the Spirit of truth,
comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own;
He will speak only what He hears and He will tell you what is yet to
191
come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and
making it known to you” (John, 16:13-14). The Spirit evidently has a
teaching role. Earlier in the same discourse we read that He would
bring to mind and clarify for the disciples the words Jesus had already
given to them: But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father
will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you” (John, 14:26). Jesus also pledged that
“When the Councillor comes, Whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth Who goes out from the Father, He will testify
about Me” (John, 15:26). This teaching of the Holy Spirit was not
merely for that first generation of disciples, but also includes helping
believers today to understand the Bible. Illumining us is a role that falls
to the Spirit, for Jesus is now permanently at work carrying out other
functions mentioned in the same passage, He is preparing a place for
believers (John, 14:2-3).
Another point of particular interest is the intercessory
work of the Holy Spirit. We are familiar with Jesus’ intercession, as the
High Priest, on our behalf. Paul also speaks of a similar intercessory
prayer by the Holy Spirit: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And
He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Rom.
8:26-27). Thus believers have the assurance that when they do not
know how to pray, the Holy Spirit wisely intercedes for them that the
Lord’s will be done.
192
The Holy Spirit also works sanctification in the life of
the believer. By sanctification is meant the continued transformation
of the moral and spiritual character so that the believer’s life actually
comes to mirror the standing he or she already has in God’s side. While
justification is an instantaneous act giving the individual a righteous
standing before God, sanctification is a process making the person holy
or good. In the earlier part of (Romans 8), Paul duels on this work of
the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has liberated us from the law (Rom. 8:2).
Hence forth believers do not walk and live according to the flesh, their
old nature, but according to the Spirit (Rom, 8:4), having their minds
set on the Spirit (Rom. 8:5). Christians are in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9), and
the Spirit dwells in them, a thought that is repeated three times (Rom.
8:11 twice). As the Spirit indwells believers, He guides and leads them,
and the deeds of the flesh are, accordingly, put to death (Rom. 8:13).
All those who are thus “led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom.
8:14). The Spirit is now at work giving them life, witnessing that they
are sons rather than slaves, and thus supplying clear evidence that
they are truly in Christ (Rom. 8:15-17).
This life in the Spirit is what God intends for the
Christian. Paul contrasts life in the Spirit with life in the flesh. He
instructs his readers to walk by the Spirit instead of gratifying the
desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). If they heed this instruction, the Spirit
will produce in them a set of qualities collectively referred to as the
“Fruit of the Spirit” (Gal.5:22). Paul list nine of these qualities: “But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). These qualities
cannot in their entirety be produced in Human lives by unaided self193
effort. They are a supernatural work. They are opposed to the works of
the flesh-a list of sins in verses (Gal.5:19-21), just as the Spirit Himself
is in opposition to the flesh. The work of the Holy Spirit in
sanctification, then, is not merely the negative work of mortification of
the flesh (Rom. 8:13), but also the production of a positive likeness to
Christ.
The Spirit also bestows certain special gifts on believers
within the body of Christ. In Paul’s writings there are three different
lists of such gifts, there is also a brief one in (1Peter, 4:11), is really a
listing of various offices in the church, or of persons who are God’s
gifts to the church. (Rom. 12:6-8 and 1 Peter, 4:11). Paul made
regarding both the nature of the gifts and the way in which they are to
be exercised. In (1 Corinthians 12 and 14). (1).The gifts are bestowed
on the body (the church). They are for the edification of the whole
body, not merely for the enjoyment or enrichment of the individual
members possessing them (1 Cor.12:7: 1 Cor.14:5, 12).
(2). No one person has all the gifts (1 Cor.12:14-21), nor
is any one of the gifts bestowed on all persons (11 Cor.12:28-30).
Consequently, the individual members of the church need each other.
(3). Although not equally conspicuous, all gifts are important (1 Cor.
12:22-26). (4). The Holy Spirit apportions the various gifts to whom and
as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11).
1. Eduard Schweizer, The Holy Spirit, trans. Reginald H. and Ilee Fuller (Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1980).
2. Wood, Holy Spirit.
3. George Smeaton, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (London: Banner of Truyh Trust, 1958).
194
TOPIC 38
GOD IS IN CONTROL
SALVATION
Differing conceptions of salvation have developed over
many years, emphasizing various aspects of salvation. Five conceptions
of salvation are most prominent. Liberation theology emphasizes a
new social and economic order. Existential theology emphasizes a
change in the individual’s outlook on life. Secular theology believes
that salvation comes when individual separate from religion to solve
their own problems. Contemporary Roman Catholicism and Orthodox
have developed a much broader view of salvation over the traditional
view. The evangelical position holds that salvation is a total change in
an individual that progresses through sanctification toward
glorification.
Salvation is the application of the work of Christ to the
lives of Humans. Accordingly, the doctrine of salvation has particular
195
appeal and relevance, since it pertains to the most crucial needs of the
Human person. This is particularly apparent to those who understand
the Biblical teaching regarding sin. Indeed, because of the primacy of
this need within the life of the individual, some recent Theologies have
dealt first with salvation, and then have turned back to the person and
work of Christ. While this approach has a definite apologetic value in
teaching, it has limitations as a format for Theology, for it assumes that
the Human is the best judge of his or her own problem, and may even
lead to a situation in which the world dictates the terms on which its
dialogue with the church conducted.
The meaning of the term salvation may seem
somewhat obvious to persons familiar with it. Yet even within Christian
circles there are rather widely differing conceptions of what salvation
entails. There are various opinions as to how salvation is related to
time. It is variously thought of as a single occurrence at the beginning
of the Christian life, a process continuing throughout the Christian life,
or a future event. Some Christians regard salvation as basically
complete at the initiation of the Christian life. They tend to say, “We
have been saved.” Others see salvation as in process “We are being
saved.” Yet others think of salvation as something that will be received
in the future “We shall be saved.” It is of course, possible to combine
two or all these views. In that case, the separate aspects of salvation,
justification, sanctification, glorification, are understood as occurring at
different times.
The evangelical position on salvation is correlated
closely with the orthodox understanding of the Human predicament. In
this understanding, the relationship between the Human being and
196
God is the primary one. When that is not right, the other dimensions of
life are adversely affected as well. In the traditional view, the Human’s
basic deficiency is thought of as being vertical, as separation from God.
As violation of the will of God, sin results in enmity toward God. What
is needed is to restore the broken relationship between God and the
Humans. This is the evangelical view of salvation. It is characterized by
terms like “conversion,” “forgiveness,” “reconciliation,” and
“adoption.” A second view is that the primary Human problem is
horizontal. This may mean a deficient individual adjustment to others,
or a fundamental lack of harmony within society as a whole. Salvation
involves the removal of ruptures within the Human race, the healing of
personal and social relationships. “Relational Theology” is concerned
with this process on the level of individual maladjustments and small
group problems. The extent of salvation is an issue for those who think
of salvation as applying to individual persons rather than to society.
Liberation theologies are concerned with the conflicts between
different racial or economic classes, the fact that the whole of society
is so structured as to deny certain of its members some of the basic
necessities of life. The primary Human problem is also thought to be
internal. The individual is plagued with feelings that must be
eradicated, gilt, inferiority, insecurity; adjustment self- understanding,
self-acceptance, and growth in self-esteem are catchwords here. What
then, authentic existence or salvation? The word of God “calls man
away from his selfishness and from the illusory security which he has
built up for himself. It calls him to God, Who is beyond the world and
beyond scientific thinking. At the same time, it calls man to true self.”
The fact that people are outside the visible Christian church does not
197
mean that all of them are apart from the grace of God. Christ died for
them as well, and we should not deny this grace. Jesus made clear that
the eternal spiritual welfare of the individual is infinitely more
important than the supplying of temporal needs. Note, His advice in
(Matt. 5:29-30): “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and
throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for
your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” His
rhetorical question in (Mark, 8:36), makes the same point: “What good
is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” God’s
preoccupation with Human’ eternal spiritual welfare and the Biblical
picture of sin are compelling evidence for the Christian view of
salvation. The official Catholic and Orthodox position has long been
that the church is the only channel of God’s grace. This grace is
transmitted through the sacraments of the church. Those outside the
official or organized church cannot receive it. Basic also to this
traditional view is a clear distinction between nature and grace. Nature
in Humanity consist of two parts, a passive capacity for grace and a
desire or longing for grace. Humans, however, are quite unable to
satisfy these aspects of their nature by their own accomplishments.
That requires the grace of God, which is understood to be divine life
imparted to Humanity by God. The traditional Catholic and Orthodox
position has been that union with the church is necessary for salvation,
because the church possesses the means of salvation. If actual union is
not possible, God will accept in its stead a sincere desire for it. While
198
actual union with the church is not indispensable, complete separation
is not acceptable.
1. Walter Lowe, Christ and Salvation , (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982).
2. Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation, trans. (Meryknoll, N.Y. Orbis, 1973).
3. Paul van Baren, The Secular Meaning of the Gospel, (New York Macmillan, 1963).
199
TOPIC 39
GOD IS INCONTROL
PREDESTINATION
Predestination is God’s choice of persons for eternal life
or eternal death. Historically the doctrine originated with the
controversy between Augustine and Pelagius. It received new impetus
in the Reformation and continues to the present. A meaningful
solution is suggested and four implications of the doctrine are
identified.
Of all the doctrines of the Christian faith, certainly one
of the most puzzling and least understood is the doctrine of
predestination. It is necessary to define precisely what is meant by the
term “predestination.” Although some use it interchangeably with
“foreordination” and “election,” for our purposes here
“predestination” is midway in specificity between “foreordination” and
“election.” We will regard “foreordination” as the broadest term,
denoting God’s will with respect to all matters that occur, whether
that, be the fate of individual Human persons or the falling of a rock.
“Predestination” refers to God’s choice of individuals for eternal life or
200
eternal death. “Election” is the selection of some fore eternal life, the
positive side of predestination.
The doctrine, of predestination was held in somewhat
undeveloped form until Augustine. His personal experience of, God’s
grace enable him to see more clearly than did others the teaching of
the Bible on these matters. He stressed that Adam had begun life truly
free, the only limitation on his will and actions were the inherent
limitations imposed by the very nature of Humanity. Thus there was
the possibility of change, which included the possibility of turning away
from the good. When Adam sinned, his nature became tainted. Now
inclined toward doing evil, he transmitted this propensity for sin to his
descendants. As a result, the freedom to abstain from evil and do Good
has been lost. This is not to say that freedom of will in general is gone,
but rather, that freedom in ways contrary to God’s intention for us.
Without divine assistance we are unable to choose and do the good.
The views of Pelagius sharpened Augustine’s thinking,
forcing him to extend it beyond its previous bounds. He emphasized
the seriousness of Adam’s, blaming it solely on Adam’s own act of will.
But that sin was not merely Adam’s. All of us were one with him and
thus participated in his sin. Pelagius, a British monk, had relocated to
Rome and become a fashionable teacher there. He was primarily a
moralist rather than a Theologian per se. Pelagius developed his
system from this basic principle. His first tenet is that each person
enters the world with a will that has no bias in favour of evil. Adam’s
fall has no direct effect on each Human’s ability to do the right and the
good, for every individual is directly created by God and therefore does
not inherit from Adam either evil or a tendency to evil. Surely the God
201
who forgives each person his or her own sin would not hold any of us
responsible for the act of someone else. Augustine’s outspoken attacks
let to the condemnation of Pelagianism by the council of Ephesus in
431, A.D. one year after Augustine’s death.
Calvinists thing of the whole Human race as lost in sin.
The concept of total depravity means that every individual is so sinful
as to be unable to respond to any offer of grace. This condition, which
we fully deserve, involves both moral corruption and liability to
punishment (guilt). All persons begin life in this condition. For this
reason it is called “original sin.” Some hold that Adam was our
representative and that, accordingly, his sin is imputed or charged to
us. Others adopt Augustine’s view that the entire Human race was
actually present in Adam germenally or seminally, so that we did in fact
sin. Election, according to Calvinism, is God‘s choice of certain persons
for His special favour. It may refer to the choice of Israel as God’s
special covenant people or to the choice of individuals to some special
office. The sense that primarily concerns us here, however, is the
choice of certain persons to be God’s spiritual children and thus
recipient of eternal life. One Biblical evidence that God has selected
certain individuals for salvation is found in (Eph.1:4-5): “For He [the
Father] chose us in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be
adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His
pleasure and will.” Jesus indicated that the initiative had been His in
the selection of His disciples to eternal life. “You did not choose me,
but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will
last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name”
202
(John, 15:16). The ability to come to Jesus depends on the Father’s
initiative: “No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me
draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John, 6:44; 65).
Conversely, all who are given to Jesus by the Father will come to Him.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to
Me I will never reject him (John, 6:37). Furthermore, In (Acts, 13:48),
we read that “when the Gentiles heard this [the offer of salvation],
they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and all who were
appointed for eternal life believed.”
Arminius maintained that Humans are sinful and unable
to do Good in their own strength. Arminianism also includes
conventional Roman Catholicism and Orthodox with its emphasis on
the necessity of works in the process of salvation. There is a logical
starting point: the concept that God desires all persons to be saved.
Arminians point to some definite assertions of the Bible. In the Old
Testament God made clear that He did not desire the death of anyone,
including the wicked (Ezek. 33:11). Similarly, (2 Peter, 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:34).
Can we draw some conclusion regarding the nettle
some matter of the degree of God with respect to salvation? Logically
prior to the Bible’s teaching that God has specially chosen some to
have eternal life is its vivid picture of the natural lost, blindness, and
inability of Humans to respond in faith to the opportunity for salvation.
In (Rom. 3), Paul depicts the Human race as hopelessly separated from
God because of their sin. They are unable to do anything to extricate
themselves from this condition, and in fact, being quite blind to their
situation, have no desire to do so. Calvinist and conservative Arminians
203
agree on this. It is not merely that Humans cannot in their nature state
do, good works of a type that would justify them in God‘s sight.
Beyond that they are afflicted with spiritual blindness (John, 6:44;
Rom. 1:18-23; 2 Cor. 4:3-4) and insensitivity. Jesus described their
plight vividly when He explained that He spoke in parables to fulfil
Isaiah’s prophesy: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart
has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have
closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with
their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal
them” (Matt. 13:14-15): Quoting (Isa. 6:9-1). Paul makes clear that the
Bible is a universal condition true of Jews and Gentiles alike: “What
shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have
already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no
one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Rom. 3:9-11). Jesus
had asked the disciples who men said that He was, and they had
recited the varied opinions-John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of
the prophets (Matt. 13:14). Peter, however, confessed, “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Jesus’ comment is
instructive: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not
revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). It
was a special action of God that made the difference between the
disciples and the Spiritually blind and deaf. This is in accordance with
Jesus’ statement, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent
Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John, 6:44), and
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John, 15:16). Jesus also tells
204
us that this drawing and choosing are efficacious: “All that the Father
gives Me will come to Me and whoever comes to Me I will by no means
cast out” (John, 6:37). “Everyone who listens to the Father and learns
from Him comes to Me” (John, 6:45). The concept that our belief
depends
on God’s initiative also appears in the Book of Acts,
where Luke tells us that when the Gentiles at Antioch of Pisidia heard
of salvation, “they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and
all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts, 13:48).
1.E. g. Benjamin B Warfield “Predestination,” in biblical Doctrines (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1929).
2. Augustin, The City of God.
205
TOPIC 40
GOD IS IN CONTROL
GOD’S WORK OF SAVING US AND REGENERATING US
Salvation consists of three steps: effectual calling,
conversion, and regeneration. Through the Holy Spirit, God calls the
unbeliever to salvation. The Human response to that call involves
turning from sin to faith in Christ. Faith also includes belief. God
responds by regenerating the person to new life in Christ. We can only
stand in awe of God’s work of saving us and regenerating us as
Spiritual beings.
It is apparent from the Bible that there is a general
calling to salvation, an invitation extended to all persons. Jesus said,
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you
rest” (Matt. 11:28). There is a universal dimension to Isaiah’s “Turn to
Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth” (Isa. 45:22a). This passage
combines an emphasis on the exclusiveness of God and the
universality of His offer. Further, when Jesus said, “For many are
invited, but few are chosen” (Matt.22:14), He was probably referring
to God’s universal invitation. But note the distinction here between
calling and choosing. Those who are chosen are the objects of God’s
special or effectual calling.
Several New Testament references to God’s calling
imply that not everyone is being called. In (Rom. 8:30), Paul writes:
“And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also
206
justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” He also alludes to the
efficacy of this calling in (1 Cor. 1:9). “God, who has called you into
fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” Other
references to God’s effectual special calling include (Luke, 14:23; Rom.
1:7; 11:29; 1 Cor. 1:23-24; Eph. 1:18; Phil. 3:14; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Thess.
2:14; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:1; 2 Peter, 1:10). We see Jesus issuing special
invitations to those who became the inner circle of disciples (Matt.
4:18-22; Mark, 1:16-20; John, 1:35-51). He singled out Zacchaeus for
particular attention (Luke, 18:1-10). We see another approach by God
in the conversion of Saul (Acts 9:1-19). In this instance God made a
unique entreaty. Sometimes His calling takes a quieter form, as in the
case of Lydia: “One of these listening was a woman named Lydia, a
dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of
God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts,
16:14).
It also involves the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction, of
which Jesus spoke in (John, 16:8-10). This working of the Spirit is
necessary because the depravity characteristic of all Humans prevents
them from grasping God’s revealed truth. Commending on (1 Cor.
2:61-16), and in (2 Cor. 5:19), Paul writes: “For God was in Christ,
reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins
against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of
reconciliation.” And in (1 Cor. 12:3), Only by the illumination of the
Spirit can men understand the meaning of the cross; only by the Holy
Spirit can men therefore confess that Jesus Who was crucified is also
the Lord.
207
Nonetheless, the Biblical evidence favours the position
that conversion is prior to regeneration. Various appeals to respond to
the Bible imply that conversion results in regeneration. Among them is
Paul’s reply to the Philippian jailer (we are here assuming that
regeneration is part of the process of being saved): “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household” (Acts, 16:31).
Peter makes a similar statement in his Pentecost sermon: “Repent and
be Baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness
of you sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts, 2:38).
The image of turning from sin is found in both Old and New
Testaments. In the Book of Ezekiel we read the word of the Lord to the
people of Israel: “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each
one according to his ways, declare the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn
away from all your offences: then sin will not be your downfall. Rid
your selves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new
heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take
no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent and live!” (Ezek. 18:30-32). Later Ezekiel is told to warn the
wicked to turn from their way (Ezek. 33:7-11). In (Eph. 5:14), Paul uses
deferent imagery, but the basic thrust is the same: “Wake up, O
sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” In Acts, we
find Peter advocating a change in direction of life: “Repent, then, turn
to God, so that your sins may be wiped out. Then times of refreshing
may come from the Lord” (Acts, 3:19). For some people conversion
was something more of a process. Nicodemus probably came to
commitment to Christ in this fashion (John, 19:39). Similarly, the
emotional accompaniments of conversion can vary greatly. Saul’s
208
decision was under highly dramatic circumstances. He heard a voice
speaking to him from heaven (Acts, 9:4-7) and even became blind for
three days (Acts, 9:17-18). By contrast, as we observed earlier, Lydia’s
turning to Christ seems to have been very simple and calm in nature:
“The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts,
16:14). On the other hand again, just a few verses later we read of the
Philippian jailer who, still trembling with fear upon hearing that none
of the prisoners had escaped after the earthquake, cried out, “What
must I do, to be saved? (Acts, 16:30) The conversion experiences of
these two people were very different, but the end result was the same.
Repentance had a prominent place in the teaching of
Jesus. In fact, it was the opening note of His teaching: “From that time
Jesus began to teach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”
(Matt. 4:17). And at the close of His teaching He indicated that
repentance was to be paramount topic in the disciple’s teaching.
Shortly before His ascension He told them: “This is what is written: The
Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and
repentance and forgiveness of sins will be taught in His name to all
nations. Beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke, 24:46-47). Peter began to fulfil
this charge on Pentecost. And Paul declared in his message to the
philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens: “In the past God overlooked such
ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent”
(Acts, 17:30). It is not enough simply to believe in Jesus and accept the
offer of grace; there must be a real alteration of the inner person. If
belief in God’s grace were all that is necessary, who would not wish to
become a Christian? But Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me
he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke,
209
9:23). After Jesus gave assurance that the many sins of the woman
who had washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair
were forgiven, He made the comment that “he who has been forgiven
little loves little” Then Jesus said to the woman “Your sins are forgiven”
(Luke, 7:47-48).
Faith is at the very heart of the Bible, for it is the vehicle
by which we are enabled to receive the grace of God. Jesus’ Statement
to the Centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would”
(Matt. 8:13). Greatly impressed, Jesus rewarded the Centurion’s Belief
that his servant could be healed. Jesus bade Jairo’s believe that his
daughter would be well (Mark, 5:36; Luke, 8:50), and asked the blind
man who followed Him from Jairo’s’ house, “Do you believe that I am
able to do this [heal you]?” (Matt. 9:28). These and numerous other
instances establish that faith involves believing that something is true.
Indeed, the author of Hebrews declares that faith in the sense of
acknowledging certain truths is indispensable to salvation: “And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those
who earnestly seek Him” (Hebr. 11:6). On the basis of the foregoing
considerations, we conclude that the type of faith necessary for
salvation involves both believing that and believing in or assenting to
facts and trusting in a person. But faith, once engaged in, enables us to
reason and to recognize various supporting evidences. This means that
faith is a form of knowledge; it works in concert with, not against,
reason. Pertinent here is Jesus’ response to the two disciples whom
John the Baptist sent to ask, “Are You the one Who was to come, or
should we expect someone else?” (Luke, 7:19). Jesus responded by
210
telling them to report to John the miracles they had seen and the
message they had heard. Jesus in effect said to John, “Here is the
evidence you need in order to be able to believe.” A close inspection
reveals that the cases cited in arguing that faith does not rest on any
kind of evidence do not really support that conclusion. One is the case
of Thomas, who not having seen with the other disciples when the
resurrected Jesus appeared, did not believe. Thomas stated that unless
he could see the nail prints in Jesus’ hands, put his finger in the mark of
the nails, and place his hand in Jesus’ side, he would not believe (John,
20:25). When Jesus appeared, He invited Thomas to satisfy his doubts.
And when Thomas confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (John, 20:28),
Jesus responded, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John,
20:29). Had Jesus expected Thomas to believe blindly, without any
evidential basis? Remember that Thomas had lived with Jesus for three
years, had heard His teaching, and had seen His miracles; he knew of
Jesus’ promise and claim that He would rise from the dead, He already
had sufficient basis for believing the testimony of his fellow disciples,
whose integrity he had long experienced. He should not have required
additional evidence. Similarly, when Abraham was called on to offer
Isaac, he was not being asked to act blindly. True, there was no
sacrificial animal in sight; he simply had to trust God. But although
there was no visible evidence at the moment, Abraham had known
Jehovah for a long time. He had found in the past that God was faithful
in providing the land and the son that He had promised. The faith that
Abraham exercised in being willing to sacrifice his son was an
extrapolation into unknown future of his experience of God in the past
211
(Gen. 22:7-12). Although we have depicted conversion as a Human
response to divine initiative, even repentance and faith are gifts from
God. Jesus made very clear that conviction, which is presupposed by
repentance, is the work of the Holy Spirit: “When [the Spirit] comes,
He will convict the world of gilt in regard to sin and righteousness and
judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; in
regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you
can see Me no longer, and in regard to judgment, because the prince
of this world now stands condemned” (John, 16:8-11). Jesus also said,
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him,
and I will raise him up at the last day” (John, 6:44). This work of the
Father is effective: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and
whoever comes to Me I will never reject him…Everyone who listens to
the Father and learns from Him comes to Me” (John, 6:37, 45). Thus
Humanly exercised repentance and faith are also gracious works of
God in the life of the believer.
Conversion refers to the Human being’s response to
God’s offer of salvation and approach to the Human. Regeneration is
the other side of conversion. It is completely God’s doing. It is God’s
transformation of individual believers. He is giving a new spiritual
vitality and direction to their lives when they accept Christ.
The best known and most extensive exposition of the
concept of the new birth is found in Jesus’ conversation with
Nicodemus in (John, 3:12, 13-26), Jesus told to Nicodemus, “no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” At a later point
in the discussion He made the comment, “You should not be surprised
at My saying, ‘You must be born again.” That again or “anew” is the
212
correct rendering here, however, is seen from Nicodemus’s response,
“How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a
second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Nicodemus
understood Jesus to be saying that one must be born again. Although
the terminology varies, the idea is found elsewhere in the New
Testament. In the same conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus spoke of
being “born of Spirit” (John, 3:5-8). He had in mind a supernatural
work transforming the life of the individual. This work, which is
indispensable if one is to enter the kingdom of God, is not something
that can be achieved by Human effort or planning. It is also spoken of
as being “born of God” or “born through the word of God” (John, 1:1213; James, 1:18; 1 Peter, 1:3, 23; 1 John, 2:29; 5:1, 4). Whoever
undergoes this experience is a new creation: Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (1
Cor. 5:17). Paul speaks of the renewing in the Holy Spirit (Titus, 3:5), of
being made alive (Eph. 2:1, 5), and of resurrection from the dead (Eph.
2:6). The same idea is implicit in Jesus’ statements that He had come to
give life (John, 6:63; 10:10, 28). We ought not to be surprised that the
new birth is difficult to understand, however, Jesus indicated to
Nicodemus, who was having great difficulty grasping what Jesus was
talking about, that the concept is difficult. It is like wind although one
does not know where it comes from or where it goes, one hears it
sound (John, 3:8). For one side of regeneration involves putting to
death or crucifying existent qualities. Contrasting the life in the Spirit
with that in the flesh, Paul says: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we
live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:24-25).
213
Other references to the death of the individual or of certain aspects of
the individual include (Rom. 6:1-11) and (Gal. 2:20; 6:14). As a putting
to death of the flesh, the new birth involves a counteracting of the
effects of sin. This is perhaps most clearly seen in Paul’s statement in
(Eph. 2:1-10). The deadness that requires a transformation is a result
of the sin in which we live, being let by the prince of the power of the
air. The new birth is the restoration of Human nature to what it
originally was intended to be and what it in fact was before sin entered
the Human race at the time of the fall. It is simultaneously the
beginning of a new life and a return of the original life and activity.
The Bible speaks of believers as “born again” or “having
been born again” rather than “being born again” (John, 1:12-13; 2 Cor.
5:17; Eph. 2:1, 5-6; James, 1:18; 1 Peter, 1:3, 23; John, 2:29; 5:1, 4).
Regeneration is the beginning of a process of growth that continues
throughout one’s lifetime. In (Eph. 2:10), Paul adds, “For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.” He speaks in (Phil. 1:6), continuing
and completing what has been began: “being confident of this, that He
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus.” Regeneration is a beginning, but there is much
more yet to come. The manifestation of this spiritual ripening are
called “fruit of the Spirit.” They are the direct opposite of the fruit of
the old nature, the flesh (Gal. 5:19-23).
Christianity is very optimistic: with supernatural and
Humans can be transformed and restored to their original goodness. It
was in regard to God’s ability to change Human hearts, enabling us to
214
enter His kingdom, that Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
1.
George E. Ladd, A Theology of the new Testament (Grand Rapidds: Eerdmans,
1974).
2.
Charls M. Horn, Salvation (Chicago Moody, 1971).
215
TOPIC 41
GOD IS IN CONTROL
OBJECTIVE ASPECTS OFSALVATION
There are three essential elements among the objective
aspects of salvation: union with Christ, justification, and adoption.
Union with Christ is a generally inclusive term for all salvation. It is also
specific, referring to an intimate relationship with Christ, also to the
marriage relationship between husband and wife. In justification God
imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer, which cancels
God’s judgment on the believer. Finally, adoption means that the
justified believer actually receives favoured status with God and is
adopted into the family of God.
Union with Christ is an inclusive term for the whole of
salvation. The most basic references in this connection depict the
believer and Christ as being “in” one another. On the one hand, we
have many specific references to the believer’s being in Christ; in (2
Cor. 5:17): “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come!” There are two such phrases in (Eph.
1:3-4). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be
holy and blameless in His sight.” Two verses later we read “to the
praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He
216
loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished
on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:6-8); Paul tells us
that we have been created anew in Christ: “For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). The grace of God is given
to us in Christ: “I always thank God for you because of His grace given
you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way in
all your speaking and in all your knowledge” (1 Cor. 1:4-5). Deceased
believers are called “the dead in Christ” (1 Thess. 4:16), and our
resurrection will take place in Christ: “For as in Adam all die, so in
Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). The other side of this
relationship is that Christ is said to be in the believer. Paul says, “To
[the saints] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of the mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
(Cor. 1:27). There is also Jesus’ analogy of the vine and branches, which
emphasizes the mutual indwelling of Christ and the believer: “Remain
in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it
must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain
in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and
I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing”
(John 15:4-5). It is apparent that all that the believer has spiritually is
based on Christ’s being within. Our hope of glory is Christ in us. Our
spiritual vitality is drawn from His indwelling presence. Jesus’ promises
to be present with the believer (Matt. 28:20; John, 14:23). Finally the
believer is said to share a whole host of experiences “with Christ”:
suffering (Rom. 8:17); crucifixion (Gal. 2:20); burial (Rom. 6:4);
217
quickening (Eph. 2:5); resurrection (Col. 3:1); glorification and
inheritance (Rom. 8:17). In (Gal. 2:20), where Paul says, “I no longer
live, but Christ lives in me.” For Paul goes on to say, “The life I live in
the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave
Himself for me.” Here it is Paul who lives he lives by faith in Christ.
Jesus statement in (John, 14:12):“anyone who has faith in Me will do
what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father.” Similarly He said at the time of His
departure from the earth. “But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts, 1:8). Being one
with Christ also means that we will suffer. The disciples were told that
they would drink the cup that Jesus drunk, and be baptized with the
same baptism as He (Mark, 10:39). Jesus had told them not to be
surprised if they encountered persecution: “Remember the words I
spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they
persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My
teaching, they will obey yours also” (John, 15:20). Paul did not shrink
from this prospect; indeed, one of his goals was to share Christ’s
sufferings: “For whose sake I have lost all things…I want to know Christ
and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His
sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” (Phil. 3:8-10). Peter urged
his readers, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ,
so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed” (1 Peter,
4:13). We also have the prospect of reigning with Christ. The two
disciples who asked for positions of authority and prestige were
instead promised suffering (Mark, 10:35-39). But Jesus also told the
218
entire group that because they had continued with Him in His trials,
they would eat and drink at His table in His kingdom, “and sit on
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke, 22:30). Paul made a
similar statement: “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim.
2:12). And for those who suffer with Christ, a glorious future lies
ahead.
In the Old Testament, justification involves ascertaining
that a person is innocent and then declaring what is indeed that he or
she is righteous, that is, has fulfilled the law. In (Ps. 9:4; Jer. 11:20).
God is the Judge of Human beings. Those who have been acquitted
have been judged to stand in right relationship to God, that is, to have
fulfilled what was expected of them in that relationship. In (Gen.
18:25): God is the ruler of all and the source of all criteria of rightness.
As Abraham confessed, “Will not the judge of all the earth do right?”
In the New Testament, justification is God’s declarative
act by which, on the basis of the sufficiency of Christ’s atonic death, He
pronounces believers to have fulfilled all of the requirements of the
law that pertain to them. In (Rom. 8:33-34): “Who will bring any charge
against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is He
that condemns? Christ Jesus, Who died more than that, Who was
raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
A similar passage is (Matt. 12:37), where Jesus, speaking of the day of
judgment when everyone will give account for every careless word
uttered, says, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your
words you will be condemned.” Luke reports that upon hearing Jesus’
teaching, “all the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard
Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right” (Luke, 7:29).
219
Jesus used the term in the same way when He responded to the
attempts of the Pharisees and lawyers to justify their rejection of Him.
Numerous passages of the Bible indicate that
justification is the gift of God. One of the best known is (Rom.6:23):
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.” Another in (Eph. 2:8-9): “For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast,” Abraham, the
father of Jews, Paul points out that Abraham was not justified by
works, but by faith. He makes this point both positively and negatively.
He affirms that Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness” (Gal.3:6). [Paul] He rejects the idea that we can be
justified by works: All who rely on observing the law are under a
curse…Clearly no one is justified before God by the law” (Gal. 10:11).
So God has not introduced a new means of salvation. He has always
worked in the same way. Justification is intimately linked with union
with Christ. If we have become one with Christ, then we will not live
according to the flesh, but rather by the Spirit (Rom. 8:1-17). The union
with Christ that brings justification also brings the new life.
It is referred to in several passages in the New
Testament. Perhaps the best known is (John, 1:12): “Yet to all who
received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to
become children of God.” Paul notes that our adoption is a fulfilment
of part of the plan of God: He predestined us to be adopted as His sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will” (Eph.
1:5). And in (Gal. 4:4-5), Paul links adoption with justification: “But
when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman,
220
born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the
full right of sons.”
There are several important characteristics of our
adoption. This is made clear in the words that follow in (John, 1:12),
which is a key reference to the adopted children of God:” born not of
natural descent, nor of Human decision or a husband’s will, but born of
God.” Adoption involves a change of both status and condition. That
we are by creation God’s children is strongly implied in Paul’s
statement in (Acts, 17:24-29), culminating in verse 29; “Therefore since
we are God’s off springs…”It is also implied in (Hebr.12:5-9), where
God is pictured as a Father disciplining His sons. In (James, 1:17),
similarly views God as the Father of all Humans: “Every good and
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows.” Probably
the clearest and most strait forward of the texts in this regard is in
(Malachi, 2:10): “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create
us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith
with one another?” Malachi is here referring only to the people of
Israel and Judah. Despite the fact that they have one Father, having all
been created by one God, they have been faithless to one another and
the covenant. In (1 John, 3:1). “How great is the love, the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is
what we are.” The unbeliever simply does not have, and cannot
experience, the type of filial relationship the believer experience.
In light of the fact that God has forgiven us, in
(Eph.4:32). Paul urges us to forgive others: “Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
221
God forgive you.” In (Deut. 5:10; Ps. 103:8-14).We are to be kind and
tender hearted, since God our Father has not been grudging in
forgiving us. He delights in forgiving; He is merciful, tender hearted,
and kind. He is not a stern, harsh, or severe Father. He is not to be
feared, but trusted. In (Rom. 5:1): We have peace with God, as Paul
pointed out: Our adoption and God’s forgiveness are eternal.” In (Rom.
8:14-16). The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children.” And in (Gal. 3:10-11). A similar thought is expressed. We are
not obligated to the law in quite the way in which a slave or a servant
is. There are always some who pervert their freedom. Paul gave
warning to such people: in (Gal. 5:13-16). “You, my brothers, we are
called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful
nature rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summoning
up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ If you keep
on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed
by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the sinful nature.” Jesus said in (John, 15:14-15). “You are
My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have
called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have
made known to you.” And in (John, 14:15-21). “If you love Me, you will
obey what I command…Whoever has My commands and obeys them,
he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My
Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.”
Adoption means that the Christian is the recipient of
God’s fatherly care. In (Rom. 8:16-17). Paul noted that, “we are God’s
children. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and
222
co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His suffering in order that we
may also share in His glory.” As heirs we have available to us the
unlimited resources of the Father. In (Phil. 4:19), Paul pointed this, out
to the Philippians: “And my God will meet all your needs according to
His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The believer can pray confidently,
knowing that there is no limitation on what God is able to do. In (Matt.
6:25-34). According to Jesus, the Father Who feeds the birds of the air
and clothes the lilies of the fields cares even more for His Human
children. In (Luke, 11:11-13).His provision is always wise and kind. He is
ours and we are His, and He through adoption extends to us all the
benefits His measures love can bestow.
1. Murray, Redemption.
2. George E, Ladd; A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rappids: Eermans,
1977.
223
TOPIC 42
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE CONTINUATION OF SALVATION
After the miraculous work of salvation, God continues
the transforming process to make the believer into the image of Christ.
Sanctification is the process of being set apart from sin toward
becoming holy and toward the goal of leading a sinless life. While this
is not realized in this life, it is the goal. God’s sanctifying work is carried
out through several processes, including union with Christ and
separation.
Sanctification is found in the New Testament. Peter
refers to his readers as “a chosen people, a holy nation a people
belonging to God” (Peter, 2:9). Paul addresses the persons in the
church at Corinth in this way: “To the church of God in Corinth, to
those sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be holy, together with all
those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ their
Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). Jesus emphasized that, we are children of
God. We belong to God and consequently should show a likeness to
Him. We should share His Spirit of love: “You have heard that it was
said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt.
5:43-45). To Jesus, who is My mother? Who are My brothers? Then He
looked at those around Him and said: Look these are My mother and
224
brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is My brother and sisters and
mother” (Mark, 3:33-35). We must first emphasize that sanctification is
a supernatural work: it is something done by God, not something we
do our selves. Thus it is not reform that we are speaking of. Paul wrote,
“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and
through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23). Other references
stressing that it is God Who works our sanctification include (Eph. 5:26;
Titus, 2:14; and Hebr. 13:20-21). When we say that sanctification is
supernatural, we mean that it is something nature cannot produce or
account for. It is also supernatural in the sense that it is a special,
volitional work or series of works by the Holy Spirit. It is not just a
matter of His general providence as universally manifested. Further,
this divine working within the believer is a progressive matter. This is
seen, in Paul’s assurance that God will continue to work in the life of
the Philippians: “being confident of this, He who began a good work in
you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil.
1:6). Paul also notes that the cross is the power of God “to us who are
being saved” (1 Cor. 1:18). That this activity is the continuation and
completion of the newness of life began in regeneration is evident not
only from (Phil. 1:6), but also from (Col. 3:9-10). “Do not lie to each
other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have
put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image
of its creator.”
The aim of this divine working is likeness to Christ
Himself. This was God’s intention from all eternity: “For those God
foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His
225
Son, That He might be firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:25).
Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. In (Gal.5:27), Paul speaks of
the life in the Spirit: “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the sinful nature” (Rom. 8:16); “Since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Rom. 8:25). He also lists a group of
qualities He designates collectively as “the fruit of the Spirit”-“love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol” (Rom. 8:22-23). Similarly, in (Rom. 8:27), Paul says much
about the Spirit and the Christian. Christians walk according to the
Spirit (Rom. 8:14) set their minds on the things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5),
are in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9); the Spirit dwells in them (Rom. 8:9); by the
Spirit they have put to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13); they
are led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14); the Spirit bears witness that they are
children of God (Rom. 8:16); the Spirit intercedes for them (Rom. 8:2627). It is the Spirit Who is at work in the believer, bringing about
likeness to Christ.
The believer is constantly exhorted to work and to grow
in the matters pertaining to salvation. Paul writes to the Philippians :
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who
works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil.
2:12-13). Paul urges both practice of virtues and avoidance of evils
(Rom. 12:9; 16-17). We are to put to death the works of the body
(Rom. 8:13), and present our bodies a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2). So
while sanctification is God’s work, the believer has a role as well,
entailing both removal of sinfulness and development of holiness.
Ample Biblical texts support such a view, that it is
possible not to sin, and that some believers actually do abstain from all
226
evil. One of them is (Matt.5:48), Jesus tells His hearers. “Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Paul notes that leaders
will be provided to equip the saints for building up the body of Christ
“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of
God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). He prays for the Thessalonians, “May
God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May
your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ” (Thess. 5:23). The writer to the Hebrews similarly
prays that “the God of peace…equip you with everything good for
doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through
Jesus Christ” (Heb. 13:20-21). Certain passages indicate that we cannot
escape sin. One of the more prominent of these passages is (1 John,
1:8-10): “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim
we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no
place in our lives.” That this passage was written to believers tenders
the statement that there is sin in all of us the more cogent. In (Rom.
7:18-19), where Paul describes his own experience. On the assumption
that Paul has in view his life after conversion this passage appears to
be a vivid and forceful testimony to the effect that the believer is not
free from sin. Paul puts it powerfully: “I know that nothing good lives in
me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do;
nor, the evil I do not want to do that I keep on doing,” This word came
from one of the greatest of all Christians, indeed, many would say, the
227
greatest Christian of all time. If even he confessed having great
difficulty with sin, certainly we must conclude that perfection is not to
be experienced in this life.
We begin by noting again the nature of sin. It is not
merely acts of one external nature. Jesus made it quite clear that even
the thoughts and attitudes that we have are sinful if they are less than
perfectly in accord with the mind of the Almighty and completely Holy
God. (Matt. 5:21-28). Thus, sin is of a considerably more pervasive and
subtle character than we might tend to think. Jesus made this quite
evident in His imagery of the vine and the branches: “Remain in Me,
and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must
remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
I am the vine; you are the branches, If a man remains in Me and I in
him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John,
15:4-5). Jesus viewed union with Him, which is closely linked to
keeping His commandments (John, 5:10), as the key to the believer’s
whole Christian life. Fruit bearing (John, 5:5), Prayer (John, 5:7), and
ultimately joy (John, 5:11) depend on it.
The idea of the law came to overshadow the covenant.
Observance of the law came to be regarded as the basis on which God
passes judgment upon Humanity. It was said to be the grounds of
hope, justification, righteousness, salvation, resurrection, and life. It
was maintained that obedience to the law would bring in the kingdom
and transform the world. “Thus the law attains the position of an
intermediary between God and man.” Jesus Himself says, “Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the Prophets; I have not come to
abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matt. 5:17). Similarly, Paul speaks of
228
the law as “God’s law” (Rom. 7:22-25). It is not sin (Rom. 7:7): it is holy,
just, and good (Rom. 7:12); it is spiritual (Rom. 7:14). In (Gal. 5:3); He
insisted, that to be righteous one has to obey the law in all of its
particulars. Failure to keep any part of it is violation of all of it (Gal.
3:10). On this point he was in agreement with the teaching of James.
For the same God Who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also
said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but not
commit adultery, you have still broken the law (James, 2:11).By
revealing Humans’ sinful condition, the law establishes them as
sinners. The law does not actually cause us to sin, but it constitutes our
actions sin by giving God’s evaluation of them. Thus we cannot in
ourselves fulfil the law and thus be justified by it, does not mean,
however, that the law is now abolished. (Rom.3:20; 5:13; 20; Gal.
3:19). For in Christ, God has done what the law could not do: sending
His own Son for sin, He has condemned sin in the flesh, so that what
the law requires is now fulfilled by those who walk by the Spirit (Rom.
8:3-4). As faith in Christ frees us from the law, we are actually being
enabled to uphold the law (Rom. 3:31). The law, then, continues to
apply. In (John, 15:14); Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I
command.” We are not at liberty to reject such commands; to do so
would be an abuse of Christian freedom. Paul notes that we can fulfil
several specific commandments of the law by love (Rom. 13:8-10). He
reiterates the importance of the command to love one’s father and
mother, which is the first commandment with promise (Eph. 6:1-2).
The promise of Moses in (Deut. 30:1-6). “The LORD your God will
circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descent, so that you may
love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” The
229
contrast is between those who are circumcised of heart and those who
are not. Paul clarifies this expression: In (Rom.2:28-29); “A man is not a
Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward
and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision
is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such
a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.”
It is significant that in the Old Testament we find
prominent cases of what the New Testament terms “the fruit of the
Spirit.” Note, that Noah and Job were both righteous men, blameless in
conduct (Gen. 6:9; Job, 1:1, 8). Special attention is given to Abraham’s
faith, Joseph’s goodness, Moses’ meekness, Solomon’s wisdom,
Daniel’s self-control. While these men did not experience the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, were certainly under His influence. The
presence of God was visibly represented by the Holy Place and the
Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and temple. The law was an external
written code rather than the Spirit’s imparting of truth to the heart, as
would later be the case (John, 14:26). The Holy Spirit did not dwell
within, but exerted an external influence, through the written and
spoken word.
1.Horset Secbass, “Holy Consecrate, Sanctify, Saints, Devout,” in the New International
Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown (Grand Rappids: Zondervan, 1976).
.
2. Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Westwood, N.J. : Revell, 1907).
230
TOPIC 43
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE COMPLETION OF SALVATION
The Completion of salvation is found in the two
doctrines of perseverance and glorification. Perseverance means that
God will enable the believer to remain in the faith through the
remainder of his or her life. It also means that the believer needs to
demonstrate salvation through becoming more like Christ. Glorification
231
will be accomplished in the life to come, when we will become all that
God intends us to be.
Two major topics remain, related to the completion of
the Christian life on earth and into the life to come. First, the Christian,
kept by the grace of God, will successfully endure all the trials and
temptations of this life, and remain true to the Lord until death. This
we term “perseverance.” The doctrine of perseverance is important to
the faith of the believer. The question arises: Will the believer who has
genuinely been regenerated, justified, adopted by God, and united
with Jesus Christ persist in that relationship? Will a person who
becomes a Christian always remain such? And if so, on what-basis? The
issue is of considerable importance from the standpoint of practical
Christian living. If, on the one hand, there is no guarantee that
salvation is permanent, believers may experience a great deal of
anxiety and insecurity that will detract from the major tasks of the
Christian life. On the other hand, if our salvation is absolutely secure, if
we are preserved quite independently of our lives or actions, then
there may well be, as a result, a sort of lassitude or indifference to the
moral and Spiritual demands of the Bible; the end result may even be
libertinism. Therefore, determining the Biblical teaching concerning
the security of the believer is worth the necessary time and effort.
Second, the life beyond will not be merely an extension of the current
quality of life but the perfecting of it. The limitation we currently
experience will be removed. This we term “glorification.” Glorification
provides hope, encouragement, and joy to the believer.
The Bible does not justify identifying every person who
makes an outward profession of faith as genially regenerate. Jesus
232
warned of false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, but who are
ravenous wolves (Matt. 7:15). They are to be evaluated by their fruits
rather than by their verbal claims (Matt. 7:16-20). In the day of
judgment such people will call Him “Lord, Lord,” and claim to have
prophesied, cast out demons, and done many mighty works in His
name (Matt.7:22). All of these claims will presumably be true. It will
not, however, be these individuals who enter the kingdom of heaven,
but rather those who do the Father’s will (Matt. 7:21). Jesus’ final word
regarding the shame believers will be, “I never know you. Away from
Me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:23). The parable of the sower (Matt. 13:19, 18-23), is another indication that what appears to be genuine faith
may be something quite different. It may be but a superficial and
temporary response: In light of what Jesus says in (Matt. 7: 16-20), it
appears that the only ones who are truly regenerate believers are
those who bear fruit, whether thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold (Matt.
13:23). Similarly, in speaking of eschatology matters, Jesus indicated
that endurance is the distinguishing mark of the true believer:
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow
cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:12-13;
also in Matt. 10:22; and Mark, 13:13). Finally, we note that Jesus never
regarded Judas as regenerate. For to Peter’s confession of faith, “Lord
to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe
and know that You are the Holy One of God” (John, 6:68-69), Jesus
responded, “Have I not chosen you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a
devil!” (John, 6:70). From the foregoing consideration it is clear that, in
Jesus’ view not all who appear to be believers are truly that. We
233
conclude that those who appear to have fallen away were never
regenerate in the first place.
Glorification: In (Rom. 8:29-30), Paul’s words, those
whom God “foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of His Son…And those He predestined, He also called; those He
called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
Glorification is the point at which the doctrine of
salvation and the doctrine of the last things overlap, for it look beyond
this life to the world to come. It also involves the perfecting of the
bodies of all believers, which will occur at the time of the resurrection
in connection with the second coming of Christ. It even involves
transformation of the entire creation (Rom. 8:18-25). In the New
Testament, we find glory attributed to Jesus Christ, just as it was to
God in the Old Testament. Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify
Him as He had glorified the Father (John, 17:1-5). It is especially in the
resurrection of Christ that we see His glory. Peter proclaimed that in
rising Jesus from the dead God has glorified Him whom the Jews had
rejected (Acts, 3:13-15). Similarly, Peter wrote in his first letter:
“Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from the dead and
glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21)
Paul asserted that: “We were therefore buried with Him through
Baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom.
6:4). He also spoke of Christ’s glorious resurrection body (Phil. 3:21).
Paul saw Christ’s glorification in the ascension as well He was “taken
up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16). In addition, the apostles taught that Christ is
new exalted at the right hand of God (Acts, 2:33; 5:31).
234
The second coming of Christ is also to be an occasion of
His glory, Jesus Himself has drawn a vivid picture of the glorious nature
of His return: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
the sky, with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30); “When the Son of
Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His
throne in heavenly glory” (Matt. 25:31). One petition in Jesus’ teaching
prayer was that His disciples might see His coming glory: “the glory you
have given Me because you loved Me before the creation of the
world” (John, 17:24). Paul spoke of “the blessed hope the glorious
appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Titus, 2:13). Paul
writes in (Rom. 8:18): “I consider that our present suffering is not
worth compering with the glory that will be revealed in us.” He makes
a similar statement, in (2 Cor. 4:17): “For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them
all.” Peter also in (1 Peter, 5:1-4), links present suffering with the
future revelation of glory. As “a witness of Christ’s suffering and one
who also will share in the glory to be revealed,” he exhorts his fellow
elders to tend the flock of God so that,“ when the Christ Shepherd
appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Paul contemplates the future judgment and asks who
will bring any charge against the elect; in view of the fact that Christ
died for us and now intercedes for us, no one will (Rom.5:33-34).
Neither things present nor things to come can separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom.5:38-39). The judgment will be the
final declaration of the believer’s justified status (Matt. 25:31-46). In
glorification the individual will also be perfected, morally and
spiritually. Several Biblical references point to a future completion of
235
the process began in regeneration and continued in sanctification. One
of the most direct of these statements is (Col. 1:22); “But now He has
reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you
holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” The
concept of future flawlessness or blamelessness is also found in (Eph.
1:4 and Jude 24). In (Rev. 20:7-10). Our moral and spiritual perfection
will be attained in part through the removal of temptation, for the
source of sin and evil and temptation will have been conclusively
overcome. The future glorification will also bring fullness of
knowledge. In (1 Cor. 13:12), Paul contrasts the imperfect knowledge
we now have with the perfect which to come: “Now we see but a poor
reflection as in a mirror: then we shall see face to face…the Lord; and
as John says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we
will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He
appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John,
3:2). In (Phil. 3:20-21), Paul says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And
we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by
the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will
transform our powerfully bodies so that they will be like His glorious
body.” In (2 Cor. 5:1-5), Paul envisions the body that we will have, a
body eternal in nature, not made by Human hands but coming from
God. It will be our heavenly dwelling. That which is mortal will be
swallowed up by life (2 Cor. 5:4). The third passage is (1 Cor. 15:38-50).
Paul draws a comparison between the body we are to have and our
present body. The present body is perishable, subject to disease and
death. The present body is sown in dishonour; the resurrection body
will be glorious. The present body is weak; the resurrection body is
236
powerful. The present body is physical; the resurrection body will be
spiritual.
The nature of the transformation that is to take place is
stated more specifically in (Rev. 21:1-2): “Then I saw a new heaven and
a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as bride
beautifully dressed for her husband.” At that time God will declare, “I
am making everything new!” (Rev. 21:6). Humanity’s original dwelling
was in the paradisiacal setting of the Garden of Eden; his final dwelling
will also be in a perfect setting, the New Jerusalem. Part of the
glorification of the Human will be the provision of a perfect
environment in which to dwell. It will be perfect, for the glory of God
will be present.
The doctrine of glorification promises that something
better lies ahead. We will be everything that God has intended us to
be. In part our glorification will take place in connection with death
and our passage from the limitations of this earthly existence; in part it
will occur in connection with Christ’s second coming. That we will
thereafter be perfect and complete is sure.
1.SamuelWakefield, A Comlete System of Christian Theology (Cincinnati: Hichcock &
Wilson, 1869).
2. Marshall, Power of God.
237
TOPIC 44
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE MEANS AND EXTENT OF SALVATION
There are two issues. The first is the means by which
salvation is obtained. There are three Theological views: Liberation,
Sacramental, and Evangelical. The second issue is the question of the
extent of salvation. Universalists claim that all will eventually be saved.
The Bible refutes the Universalist position.
One’s view of the means by which salvation is obtained
depends to a considerable extent on one’s understanding of the nature
of salvation. Yet even among people with basically the same
understanding of the nature of salvation, there are different views of
the means.
238
To understand liberation, we must first look at its view
of the nature of Theology. Originally, Theology was simply a meditating
on the Bible; its aim was wisdom and spiritual growth. Then Theology
came to be viewed as rational knowledge, a systematic and critical
reflection on the content of the Christian faith. Love is at the centre of
the Christian life and of Theology. Spirituality is not monastic
contemplation, in the world, with emphasis placed on the profane
dimensions of life. Political freedom, economic sufficiency, and
physical health, are important as they are, secondary to spiritual
destiny. This is an implication of Jesus’ statement: “If your right eye
causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown in to
hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your
whole body to be thrown in to hell” (Matt. 5:29-30). If our analysis is
correct, the shortcoming of liberation Theology is not in what it says,
but in what it does not say. Not nearly enough is said about what the
New Testament clearly indicates to be the primary dimension of
salvation. We must also comment on liberation Theology’s advocacy of
violence by the deprived and down trotted. It is notable that this
position appears to conflict with some of Jesus’ statements, such as His
exhortations to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39; Luke, 6:29), and love
one’s enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke, 6:27, 35).While it is possible to make
a sound case for the use of force in a good cause, the liberation
Theologians have not established an adequate argument for using
force in the present situation.
239
A second major view of the means of salvation is that
salvation is transmitted and received through the sacraments of the
Church. Several important characteristics of sacraments are noted in
this brief statement. These acts are necessary for the justification of
the sinner. Justification is not merely an internal and invisible
occurrence, but it depends on and requires particular external rites.
These rites are actual means of grace. They symbolize the changes that
take place within the individual, but they are not merely symbols. They
actually effect or convey grace. They are, in other words, efficacious
signs. Proponents of the position of the Council of Trent argue that the
Bible gives evidence of an essential causal connection between
sacramental signs and grace. A most prominent example is (John, 3:5):
“no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and
the Spirit.” Other texts cited as supporting the contention that the
water of Baptism cleanses sin include (Acts, 2:38; 22:16; Eph.5:26; and
Titus, 3:5). Moreover, on the basis of various texts, efficacy is claimed
for the other sacraments as well; confirmation (Acts, 8:17), the
Eucharist (John, 6:56-58); penance (John, 20:22-23); extreme unction
(James, 5:14-16); holy orders (2 Tim. 1:6). In addition, the testimony of
the church fathers is cited as support for the view that the sacraments
are means of grace.
The type of faith that is required in order to receive the
grace of God is much more active, (James, 2:18-26), where faith that
involves only mental assent without accompanying works is termed
dead. The faith for which the apostle’s appeal in the Book of the Acts
is: They call for a positive seizing upon God’s promises and for total
commitment.
240
According to Evangelical construction of Theology, are
the means of salvation or, more broadly put, the means of grace. In the
Evangelical view, the Word of God plays an indispensable part in the
whole matter of salvation. In (Rom. 3:9-20); Paul describes the
predicament of persons apart from Christ. They have no righteousness;
they are totally unworthy of His grace and salvation. How, then, are
they to be saved? They are to be saved by calling upon the name of the
Lord (Rom. 3:13). For them to call, however, they must believe, but
they cannot believe if they have not heard; therefore someone must
tell them or teach to them the good news (that is the church); Greek
Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Protestant Church and other
denominations. (Rom. 3:14-15). Paul also writes to (2 Tim. 3:15-17);
regarding the importance of the Word of God. The sacred writings
known to Timothy from his youth “are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The whole Bible is God breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work.” Peter also speaks of this instrumental role of the
Word of God: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed
but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of
God…And this is the word that was taught to you” (1 Peter, 1:23-25). In
(Ps. 19); David extols the virtues and values of the law of the LORD: it
revives the soul (Ps. 7): it informs (Ps. 7, 8); it warns against wrong (Ps.
11). There is a rich series of images depicting the nature and function
of the Word of God.
The issue of who will be saved. And specifically, will all
be saved? The church’s usual position throughout history has been
241
that while some or even many will be saved, some will not. The church
took this position not because it did not want to see everyone saved,
but because it believed there are clear statements in the Bible to the
effect that some will be lost. Universalism has had a long history;
Origen was properly its first major proponent. He conjectured that the
punishment of the wicked of which the Bible speaks will not be some
form of eternal external suffering inflicted upon them by God, but a
temporary eternal anguish occasioned by their sense of separation
from Him. Its purpose is to be purification. That end can be realized
without eternal punishment. The theory of universal conversion holds
that all persons will be saved via the route stipulated by the Bible
repentance and faith. The theory of universal atonement holds that
Christ died not merely for a certain portion of the Human race, but for
all Humans. This is not true universalism, although it is sometimes
regarded as such by those who hold to particular or limited
atonement. The theory of universal opportunity holds that every
person within his or her lifetime has an opportunity to respond in a
saving fashion to Jesus Christ. The opportunity to be saved is not
limited to those who actually hear the Bible proclaimed, who have
been afforded some knowledge of the content of the special
revelation. Rather everyone, discussed in (Psalms, 19, Romans 1 and
2), and else whare in the Bible, may exercise implicitly the requisite
faith in Jesus Christ. The theory of universal explicit opportunity holds
that everyone will have an opportunity to hear the Bible in an overt or
explicit fashion. Those who do not actually hear it during their lifetime
here upon earth will have an opportunity in the future. There will be a
second chance. After death, they will be enabled to hear some
242
proponents of this theory believe that even those who have heard and
have rejected will be confronted with the claims of Christ in the life
hereafter. This view is difficult to reconcile with Jesus’ teaching about
afterlife (Luke, 16:19-31), especially (Luke. 16:26). The theory of
universal reconciliation maintains that Christ’s death accomplished its
purpose of reconciling all Humankind to God. The death of Christ made
it possible for God to accept Humans and He has done so. The theory
of universal pardon maintains that God, being Loving God, will not hold
unswervingly to the conditions He has laid down. While this might
seem unfair to those who have believed and acted to accept the offer
of salvation, they should remember Jesus’ parable of the labourers in
the vineyard. Those who came late in the day received the same pay as
did those who began to work early in the morning. The theory of
universal restoration is the view put forth by Origen. At some point in
the future, all things will be restored to their original and intended
state: there will be full salvation. Existing reality will be altered or
transformed.
It will not be possible to examine and evaluate each of
the varieties of universalism we have just sketched. Insofar as they are
theories of universal salvation, however, they are built on similar
arguments of the belief that salvation is universal. Some are based on
or relate to a particular text of the Bible. Others more Theological in
nature. The latter type of argument is presented by Nels Ferre. He built
his own Theology on the central thought of divine love. In his
consideration of eschatology, this concept is powerful and
determinative. Ferre rest his perception of God on but one divine
attribute. Asking why some people insist on teaching and preaching
243
the concept of one eternal hell, he suggests that those who do so have
never really understood the love of God. He bases his conclusion on
the assumption that love and punishment, heaven and hell, joy and
grief, are mutually exclusive. He cites certain specific texts as teaching
that all Human beings will be saved: “God is the Saviour of all men,
especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10); “every knee should bow
and…every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:10-11);
“God has bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have
mercy on them all” (Rom. 11:32). It was not any specific verses that led
to his ultimate conclusion on the matter. Ferre arrived at a Universalist
position. His exposition of eschatology appears in a treatise on the
doctrine of God, for it is his understanding of God as love. He does not
claim to understand how universal salvation will be brought about. But
whatever the means, God’s sovereign love will bring the process to
complete victory. There are many texts that seem to contradict
universalism. “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life” (Matt. 25:46); “For God so loved the world
that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life” (John, 3:16); “Do not be amazed at
this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His
voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live, and
those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John, 5: 28-29);
“What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known,
bore with great patience the objects of His wrath prepared for
destruction?” (Rom. 9:22). Numerous other passages could be cited,
among them (Matt. 8:12; 25:41; 26:24; Mark, 3:29; Rom. 2:5; 2Thess.
1:9; Rev. 21:8). Indeed, simply on the basis of numbers, there appear
244
to be considerably more passages teaching that some will be eternally
lost than that all will be saved. One possibility advanced by
Universalists is to regard those passages which suggest that the wicked
will be lost as descriptions of a hypothetical rather than actual
situation. They are descriptions of what would happen if we were to
reject Christ. Paul is talking about Israel’s rejection of God and the
subsequent offer of salvation to the Gentiles. God’s mercy has been
Shawn to all Humans, but only those who accept it will experience and
profit from it. Indeed, Paul points out that some have rejected God’s
mercy and, accordingly, have not received His salvation. Thus, although
salvation is universally available, it is not universal. Not everyone will
be saved. This is not a conclusion we state with satisfaction, but it is
most faithful to the entirety of the Biblical witness.
1.Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation; History, Politics, and Salvation, trans.Sister
Caridad Inda and John Eagleson (Maryknoll, N,Y. Orbis, 1973).
2.Joseph Pohle, The Sacraments: A Dogmatic Treatise, ed. Arthur Preuss (St. Louise: B.
Herder. 1942).
3. Donald Bloesch, Essential Evangelical Theology (New York: Harper&Row, 1978).
4. Origen, De principiis..
5. Nels Ferre, The Christian Understanding of God (New York: Harper&Brothers, 1951.
245
TOPIC 45
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE NATURE OF THE CHURGH
The church is one of the few visible forms of a
corporate relationship among believers. It is best defined by the
Biblical-philological method. The Bible employs a number of images to
describe the church. Among the more important are the people of
God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Each
contributes to our understanding. Four special problems, related to the
church, were noted as well.
The word {Church] and cognate terms in other
languages (e. g. Kiriche) are derived from the Greek word (Kuriakos),
“belonging to the Lord.” They are, however, to be understood in light
of the New Testament Greek term (ekklesia). Paul uses the word
(ekklesia) more than does any other New Testament writer. Paul’s
letters addressed to “the church of God in Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2; 2; Cor.
1:1). “The church in Galatia” (Gal. 1:2) “the church of the
Thessalonians” (1 Thess.1:1). In Acts also use the term (ekklesia). The
church of a city such as Jerusalem (Acts, 5:11; 8:1); or Antioch (13:1).
Paul wrote of God’s decision to make believers His
people: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their
246
God and they will be My people” (2 Cor. 6:16). The church is
constituted of God’s people. They belong to Him and He belongs to
them. The concept of the church as the people of God emphasizes
God’s initiative in choosing them. In the Old Testament, He did not
adopt as His own an existing nation, but actually created a people for
Himself. He chose Abraham and then, through him, brought into being
the people of Israel. In the New Testament, this concept of God’s
choosing a people is broadened to include both Jews and Gentiles
within the church. So Paul writes to the Thessalonians: “But we ought
always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from
the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work
of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this
through our teaching, that you might share in the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-14; and also 1 Thess. 1:4). Among the Old
Testament texts in which Israel is identified as God’s people (Exod.
15:13, 16). Singing to the Lord after the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses
notes that God has redeemed Israel and they are His people: “In your
unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your
strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling (Numb. 14:8). Paul
applies the statement in Hosea to God’s taking in of Gentiles as well as
Jews: but also from the Gentiles. As He says in (Hosea, 1:10), ‘I will call
them “My people” who are not My people; and I will call her “My
loved one” who is not My loved one,’ and “It will happen that in the
very place where it was said to them “You are not My people,” they
will be called “sons of the living God.’’” The concept of Israel and the
church as the people of God contains several implications. God takes
247
pride in them. He cares for and protects His people; He keeps them “as
the apple of His eye” (Deut. 32:10).
Paul writes, “No a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly;
and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the
written code” (Rom. 2:29; Phil. 3:3). Whereas in the Old Testament, or
under the old covenant, the people of God was not, in the New
Testament, based upon nation identity: “For not all who are descended
from Israel are Israel” (Rom. 9:6). It is inclusion within the covenant of
God that distinguishes the people of God; they are made up of all
those “whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the
Gentiles” (Rom.9:24). For Israel the covenant was the Abrahamic
covenant; for the church it is the new covenant wrought and
established by Christ (2 Cor. 3:3-18).
A particular quality of holiness is expected of the
people of God. God had always expected Israel to be pure or
sanctified. As Christ’s bride the church must also be holy: “Christ loved
the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her
by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to
Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph.5:25b-27).
The most extended image of the church is its
representation as the body of Christ. Indeed, some apparently regard
the image as virtually a complete definition of the church. While it is a
very full and rich statement, it is not the whole of the account.
This image emphasizes that the church is the locus of
Christ’s activity now just as was His physical body during His earthly
teaching. The image is used both of the church universal and of
248
individual local congregations. In (Eph. 1:22-23), illustrates the former:
“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be
head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of
Him Who fills everything in every way.” Paul’s statement to the
Corinthians in (1 Cor. 12:27), illustrates the latter: Now you are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” The image of the
body of Christ also emphasizes the connection of the church, as a
group of believers, with Christ. Salvation, in all of its complexity, is in
large part a result of union with Christ. Christ in the believer is the
basis of belief and hope. Paul writes, “To them God has chosen to
make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this teaching,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27; and Gal. 2:20).
Christ is the head of this body (Col. 1:18), of which believers are
individual members or parts. For through Him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and
authorities in the unseen world. All things were created in Him,
through Him, and for Him (Col. 1:16). Christ is the visible image of the
invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme
over all creation (Col. 1:15). “God purported to bring at the write time
all things in heaven and on earth together under the authority of Christ
(Eph. 1:10). Believers, united with Him, are being nourished through
Him, the head to which they are connected (Col. 2:19). This image is
virtually parallel to Jesus’ image of Himself as the vine to which
believers, as the branches, are connected (John, 15:1-11). As the head
of the body (Col. 1:18), He also rules the church: “For in Christ all the
fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given
249
fullness in Christ, Who is the head over every power and authority”
Col. 2:9-10). Christ is the Lord of the church.
Paul develops the concept of the interconnectedness of
the body, especially in terms of the gifts of the Spirit. Here He stresses
the dependence of each believer upon every other. He emphasizes
that “through all its parts are many, they form one body” (1 Cor.
12:12). They all, whether Jew or Greek, have been Baptized by one
Spirit into one body, and have been made to drink of one Spirit (1Cor.
12:13). All of the various members have been given gifts not for
personal satisfaction, but for the edification of the body as a whole (1
Cor. 14:4-5, 12). Paul also wrote on another occasion: There is one
body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you
were called one Lord, one faith, one Baptism; one God and Father of
all, is over-all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6). The body of Christ
is also universal. All barriers have been removed, as Paul indicated:
“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian. Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” Col.
3:11). The same idea, with special reference to eliminating divisions
between Jews and Gentiles within the body, is found in (Rom. 11:2526, 32; Gal. 3:28 and Eph. 2:15). As the body of Christ, the Church is
the extension of His teaching. Having indicated that all authority in
heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matt. 28:18), Therefore,
go and make disciples of all the nations, Baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach, promising them that
He would be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matt.
28:19-20). He told them that they were to carry on His work, and
would do so to an amazing degree. «I tell you the truth, anyone who
250
has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater
things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John, 14:12).The
work of Christ, then, if it is done at all, will be done by His body, the
church.
Filling out Paul’s Trinitarian concept of the church is the
picture of the church as the temple of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who
brought the church into being at Pentecost, Where He Baptized the
disciples and converted three thousand, giving birth to the church. And
He was continued to populate the church: “For we were all baptized by
one Spirit into one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we
were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor.12:13). The church is now
indwelt by the Spirit, both individually and collectively. Paul writes to
the Corinthians, “Don’t you know that you, your selves are God’s
temple, (1Cor. 3:16-17). Paul later tells them, “Do you not know that
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have
received from God? You are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19). Paul
describes believers as “a holy temple in the Lord…a dwelling in which
God lives by His Spirit” (Eph. 2:21-22). And in a context where we find
the image of Christ as the cornerstone of the temple, Peter speaks of
believers as “a spiritual house” (1 Peter, 2:5). Dwelling within the
church, the Holy Spirit imparts His life to it. Those qualities which are
His nature and which are spoken of as the “fruit of the Spirit” will be
found in the church: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). The presence of
such qualities is indicative of the activity of the Holy Spirit and thus, in
a sense, of the genuineness of the church. It is the Holy Spirit who
conveys power to the church. Jesus so indicated in (Acts, 1:8): “But you
251
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.” Because of the imminent coming of the Spirit with
power Jesus could give His disciples the incredible promise that they
would do even greater works than He had done (John, 14:12). Thus
Jesus told them, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go
away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will sent Him to
you” (John, 16:7). It is the Spirit who does whatever is necessary to
convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John, 16:8). The
promise was very soon fulfilled. Not only did three thousand persons
respond to Peter’s teaching at Pentecost (Acts, 2:41), but the Lord daily
added to their number people who were being saved (Acts, 2:47).
Filled with the Spirit, the disciples testified to Jesus’ resurrection with
boldness and great power (Acts, 4:31. 33). One simply cannot account
for the effectiveness of those early believers’ teaching on the basis of
their abilities or efforts. They were not unusual persons. The results
were a consequence of the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, dwelling within the church, also creates
a sensitivity of the Lord’s leading, Jesus had promised to continue to
abide with His disciples (Matt. 28:10; John, 14:18, 23). Yet He had said
as well that He had to go away so that the Holy Spirit could come
(John, 16:7). We conclude that the indwelling Spirit is the means of
Jesus’ presence with us. So Paul wrote: “You, however, are controlled
not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in
you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not
belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of
sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:9-10).
252
Paul uses interchangeably the ideas of Christ’s being in us and the
Spirit’s dwelling in us. As the Spirit indwelt Jesus’ disciples, He brought
to their remembrance the Lord’s teachings (John, 14:26), and guided
them into all truth (John, 16:13). This work of the Spirit was
dramatically illustrated in the case of Peter. In a vision Peter was told
to kill and eat certain unclean beast that had been led down to earth in
something like a great sheet (Acts, 10:11-13). Peter’s first response
was, “Surely not Lord” (Acts, 10:14), for he was well aware of the
prohibition upon eating unclean animals. Tradition told him to abstain.
Peter soon realized, however, that the essence of the message of the
vision was not that he should eat unclean animals, but that he should
bring the teaching to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews (Acts, 10:1748). The Holy Spirit renders believers who are set in their ways
responsive and obedient to the leading of the Lord. The Spirit is in one
sense also the sovereign of the church. For it is He who equips the
body by dispensing gifts, which in some cases are persons to fill various
offices and in other cases are special abilities. He decides when a gift
will be bestowed, and upon whom it is to be conferred. Paul writes,
“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them
to each one, just as He determines” (1 Cor. 12:11).
Finally the Holy Spirit makes the church holy and pure.
For just as the temple was a holy and sacred place under the old
covenant because God dwelt in it, so also are believers sanctified
under the new covenant because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit
(1 Cor. 6:19-20).
There is obviously a close connection between the
kingdom and the church. In fact, Jesus, having announced that He
253
would build His church and that the powers of death would not prevail
against it, immediately went on to say to Peter: “I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 16:18-19). From this one might infer
that the church is a synonym for the kingdom.
The issue concern the relationship of Israel to the
church: Paul stressed this point in Romans and Galatians, he writes “A
man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision meanly
outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and
circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the
written code” (Rom. 2:28-29). To the Galatians he wrote, “If you
belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise” (Gal. 3:29). Other pertinent passages include (Rom. 4:11,
16, 18; and 9:7-8).
Peter and the others were asked, “Brothers, what shall
we do?” (Acts, 2:37), the reply was, “Repent and be Baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”
(Acts, 2:38). Peter’s message was the same in (Acts, 3:12-26 and 4:712). Paul’s reply to the Philippian jailer’s question, “Sirs, what must I do
to be saved?” (Acts, 16:30), was straightforward: “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household” (Acts, 16:31). In
none of these instances is there any suggestion that relationship to a
group is determinative, Jesus’ statement to the Samaritan woman
indicates that worshiping in a particular place is of less importance
than worshiping in spirit and truth (John, 4:20-24). While perfect purity
of the membership is an ideal that cannot be realized within this life
(Matt. 13:24-30), open unbelief and sin are not to be tolerated.
254
1. Schmidt, ekklesia.
2. Coenen, Church.
3. E. G. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1953).
255
TOPIC 46
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
The church has been charged to carry out Christ’s
teaching in the world. To accomplish this, certain functions must be
met. A balance of these functions is essential to the spiritual health
and well-being of the body. The Bible is at the very heart of the
teaching of the church and is implicit in all of the functions of the
church. When the Bible is modified, the church ceases to be balanced.
To continue its existence, it is necessary for the church to be willing to
serve, be adaptable in methodology, and be adaptable to its
environment.
The one topic emphasized in both accounts of Jesus’
last words to His disciples is to teach the Bible; in (Matt. 28:19-20); He
instructed them: “Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations,
Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all the
commands I have given you; and be sure of this-that I am with you
always, even to the end of the world.” In (Acts, 1:8), He says: “But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be
My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.” This was the final point Jesus made to His disciples.
It appears that He regarded the teaching of the Bible as the very
reason for their being. The call to teach the Bible is a command. Having
accepted Jesus as Lord, the disciples had brought themselves under His
256
rule and were obligated to do whatever He asked. For He had said, “If
you love Me, you will obey what I command” (John, 14:15); “Whoever
has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me”
(John, 14:21); and “You are My friends if you do what I command”
(John, 15:14). If the disciples truly loved their Lord, they would carry
out His call to teach the Bible. It was not an optional matter for them.
The disciples were not sent out merely in their own strength, however,
Jesus prefaced His commission with the statement, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt. 28:18).
The major function of the church is the edification.
Jesus laid greater emphasis on teaching, the edification of believers is
logically prior, Paul repeatedly spoke of the edification of the body. In
(Eph. 4:12), he indicates that God has given various gifts to the church
“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up.” Believers are to grow up into Christ. From Him
the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting
ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”
(Eph. 4:16). The potential for edification is the criterion by which all
activities, including our speech, are to be measured: “Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those
who listen” (Eph. 4:29). The church also edifies its members through
instruction or teaching. This is part of the broad task of disciplining.
One of Jesus’ commands in the Great Commission was to teach
converts “to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20).
To this end, one of God’s gifts to the churches is “priests and teachers”
(Eph. 4:11), to prepare and equip the people of God for service. A
257
beautiful picture of this truth is seen in (Acts, 18:26). Apollos, a learned
and eloquent Jew who had come to the knowledge of Jesus, was
speaking powerfully in the synagogue of Ephesus. There Priscilla and
Aquila heard him, where upon they invited him to their home and
“explained to him the way of God more adequately.” He then
continued his teaching with even greater effectiveness. To the end of
mutual edification God has equipped the church with various gifts
apportioned and bestowed by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11). The Holy
Spirit in His wisdom has given just what is needed, so that the body as
a whole may be properly built up and equipped.
The early church came together to worship on a regular
schedule, a practice commanded and commanded by the apostle Paul.
His direction to the Corinthians to set aside money on the first day of
every week (1 Cor. 16:2)., intimates that they regularly gathered for
worship on that day. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts his readers not
to neglect the assembling of themselves together as was the habit of
some (Hebr. 10:25). Although worship emphasizes God, it is also
intended to benefit the worshipers. This we infer from Paul’s warning
against prayers, songs. And thank giving’s that fail to edify because no
one is present to interpret their meaning to those who do not
understand (1 Cor. 14:15-17). Worship, the praise and exaltation of
God, was a common Old Testament practice, as can be seen
particularly in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere, the people of
God are represented as recognizing and declaring his greatness. In this
aspect of its activity, the church centres its attention on Who and what
God is, not on itself. It aims at appropriately expressing God’s nature,
not at satisfying its own feelings.
258
Cutting across the various functions of the church is its
responsibility to perform acts of Christian love and compassion for
both believers and non-believers. It is clear that Jesus cared about the
problems of the needy and the suffering. He healed the sick and even
raised the dead on occasion. If the church is to carry on His teaching, it
will be engaged in some form of teaching to the needy and the
suffering. That Jesus expects this of believers is evident in the parable
of the Good Samaritan (Luke, 10:25-27). Jesus told this parable to the
lawyer who, understanding that one can inherit eternal life by loving
God with one’s whole being and one’s neighbour as oneself, asked
who his neighbour was. In answering the question, Jesus also
explained what it means to love one’s neighbour as one self. Jesus
suggests in (Matt. 25:31-46), that the one sign by which true believers
can be distinguished from those who make empty professions is acts of
love done in Jesus’ name and emulating His example. Concern for the
fatherless, the widow, and the so journey is appropriate for those who
worship a God who himself displays such concern (Deut. 10:17-19).
James is particularly strong in stressing practical Christianity. Consider,
his definition of religion: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure
and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep one self from being polluted by the world” (James, 1:27).
He speaks out sharply against showing favouritism to the rich, an evil
that occurred even within the church (James, 2:1-11). He excoriates
verbal encouragement unaccompanied by action:” Suppose a brother
or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him,
‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about
his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it
259
is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James, 2:15-17). John is equally
pointed: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in
need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear
children, let as not love with words or tongue but with action and
truth” (1 John, 3:17-18). The half-brother of Jesus and the beloved
disciple had learned well what Jesus had taught to be the meaning of
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Jesus entrusted to the believers the good news that
had characterized His own teaching from the very beginning. It is
significant that, in the book of Mark, the first recorded activity of Jesus
after His Baptism and temptation is His teaching the Bible in Galilee:
After John was put in prison. Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the
good news of God. “The time has come,’ He said, the kingdom of God
is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark, 1:14-15). Similarly,
Luke records that Jesus inaugurated His teaching in Nazareth by
reading from (Isaiah, 61:1-2) and applying the prophecy to Himself:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me because He has anointed Me to teach
good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18-19). And when
John the Baptist inquired whether Jesus was really the one who had
been prophesized. Jesus’ reply included as evidence the fact that “the
good news is taught to the poor” (Luke, 7:22). Matthew characterizes
the teaching of Jesus as “teaching in their synagogues, teaching the
good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness”
(Matt. 9:35). Furthermore, Jesus linked fidelity to the Bible very closely
with commitment to Him: “I tell you the truth,’ Jesus replied, ’no one
260
who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or fields for Me and the Bible will receive a hundred times as
much in the present age and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark,
10:29-30). He also declared that the good news must be taught to all
nations, throughout the world so that all nations will hear it, and then
the end will come (Matt. 24:13-14; Mark, 13:10).
1.michael Green, Evangelism in the Local Church (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970)..
2. James E. Carter, The mission of the Church (Nashaville: Broadman, 1974).
TOPIC 47
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH
As the church has developed, several forms of church
government have appeared. The four most basic forms include:
episcopal, Presbyterian, congregational, and a form of nongovernment. While the Episcopal and Presbyterian forms both hold
offices of authority within their structure, the offices differ in the
number of persons holding that office. In a congregational church, the
261
congregation is the authority of government. A nongovernment church
claims the authority of the Holy Spirit as its form of government.
Considering that most national democracies are representative forms
of democracy, the Presbyterian and congregational models of church
government would seem to work best and most efficiently in the local
church.
In the episcopal form of church government, authority
resides in the bishop (episcopos). There are varying degrees of
episcopacy, that is to say, the number of levels of bishops varies. The
simplest form of episcopal government is found in the Methodist
church, which has only one level of bishops, somewhat more
developed is the governmental structure of the Anglican or Episcopal
Church, while the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church
has the most complete system of hierarchy. In the Roman Catholic
Church authority being vested in the supreme pontiff based in Rome
(Italy). Whereas in the Orthodox Church authority being vested on five
Patriarchate of the old order. The Canon xxviii of Chalcedon confirmed
Canon iii of Constantinople, assigning to New Rome the place next in
honour after Old Rome. Leo the IX repudiated this Canon. Indeed, the
two churches of Rome and Constantinople had been drifting apart
since 800 Hundred, before the final Schism (Split), chief causes of the
break are: 1 Belief in Father Son and Holy Spirit, was defined by the
Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381.
Declaring that the Son of the same essence as the Father and that the
Son comes from the Father and that the three Persons are One God.
The two Churches Rome and Constantinople disagreed as to how the
Holy Spirit proceeds. 2 The phrase called (Filioque) that the Roman
262
church added to the Nicene Creed [that the Holy Spirit proceeds from
both the Father and the Son. Where the Nicene Creed read the Holy
Spirit proceed from the Father. (John, 15:26, 14:26 and 14:16-17). The
East Church has ever since recognized its validity]. 3 The Roman Papal
claims to authority over the entire church. 4 In 1054 delegates from
Rome Leo IX issued an anathema (excommunication) against the
Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. The Patriarch summoned a
Council that excommunicated the Papal delegation. In 1964 Patriarch
Athenagoras I met Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem and in 1965 the two
religious leaders lifted the mutual anathema of 1054. The council of
Constantinople freed Jerusalem from the jurisdiction of Caesarea and
gave it the fifth place among the great sees. The system later known
among Orthodox as the ‘Pentarchy’ was now complete, whereby five
great sees in the Church were held in particular honour, and a settled
order of precedence was established among them: Patriarch of
Alexandria Egypt, Patriarch of Jerusalem Israel, Patriarch of Antioch
Syria, Patriarch of Rome Italy, who is now called Pontiff or Pope, and
Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul) Turkey, who is the Oecumenical
Patriarch today. All five claimed Apostolic foundation. The bishop in
each of these cities received the title ‘Patriarch.’ The five Patriarchates
between them divided into spheres of jurisdictions the whole of the
known world, apart from Cyprus, which was granted independence by
the Council of Ephesus and has remained self-governing ever since.
There are also five Patriarchate of the new order, these are: Patriarch
of Moscow Russia, Patriarch of Bucharest Romania, Patriarch of Sofia
Bulgaria, Patriarch of Belgrade Serbia and Patriarch of Tbilisi Georgia.
263
The episcopal system is that authority is fixed in a
particular office, that of the bishop.
The most common Liturgy in the Orthodox Church
today is: of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil.
Orthodox priests are divided into two distinct groups
the ‘white’ or married clergy, and the ‘black’ or monastic, Ordinands
must make up their mind before ordination to which group they wish
to belong, for it is a strict rule that no one can marry after he has been
ordained to a Major Order. Those who wish to marry must therefore
do so before they are made deacon. Those who do not wish to marry
are normally expected to become monks prior to their ordination; but
in the Orthodox Church today there are now a number of celibate
clergy who have not taken formal monastic vows. These celibate
priests, however, cannot afterwards change their minds and decide to
get married. If a priest’s wife dies, he cannot marry again.
Unlike, the Orthodox Church, in the Catholic Church
clergy do not marry, they stay celibate.
The Presbyterian system of church government places
primary authority in a particular office as well, but there is less
emphasis on the individual office and office holder than on a series of
representative bodies that exercise that authority. The key officer in
the Presbyterian structure is the elder, a position with a background in
the Jewish synagogue.
The Congregational church government stresses the
role of the individual Christian and makes the local congregation the
seat of authority. Two concepts are basic to the congregational
scheme: autonomy and democracy. By autonomy we mean that the
264
local congregation is independent and self-governing. By democracy
we mean that every member of the local congregation has a voice in
the affaires. In the congregational system is that decisions within
interchurched associations are made on a representative basis. Among
the major denominations that practice the congregational form of
government are the Baptists, Congregationalists, and most Lutheran
groups.
Nongovernment groups, such as the Quakkas (Friends)
emphasize the concept of “inner light.” Since church membership has
strictly minimal significance, and the Plymouth Brethren, virtually
eliminate the visible church. They hold that the church exists on earth
primarily in its invisible form, deny that the church has a need for a
concrete or visible form. Accordingly, they have virtually eliminated all
governmental structure. They stress instead the inner working of the
Holy Spirit, who exerts His influence upon and guides individual
believers in a direct fashion rather than through organizations or
institutions.
1.A.G. Hebet, The Form of the Church(London: Faber & Faber, 1944).
2. S. L. Greenslade, “The Ministry of the Church,” in the Ministry of the Church (London:
Canterbury, 1947).
3. The World Book Encyclopaedia, 2016. Pp.45-46; 446.
4. The Story of Christianity, Jean-Pierre Isbouts, pp.135-143,
5. The Hiustory of Christianity Second Edition, Tim Dowley 1988, pp.209-213.
265
TOPIC 48
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE RITE OFTHE CHURCH BAPTISM
Since all Christian churches perform the rite of Baptism,
Baptism plays a significant role in the life of the church. Three basic
views are maintained by different groups of Christians. The first group
maintains that salvation comes through Baptism. The second group
views Baptism as a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham.
The third group takes the position that Baptism is a token of salvation.
In resolving these issues, it is important to consider the meaning of
Baptism, the subjects of Baptism, and the mode of Baptism.
Virtually all Christian churches practice the rite of
Baptism. They do so in large part because Jesus in His final commission
commanded the apostles and the church to “go and make disciples of
all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). It is almost universally agreed
that Baptism is in some way connected with the beginning of the
Christian life, with one’s initiation into the universal, invisible church as
well as the local, visible church.
The act of Baptism in water conveys grace to the
person Baptized. Baptism is the Holy Spirit’s work of initiating people
into the church. “For we are all Baptized by one Spirit into one body
266
whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we were all given the one
Spirit to drink” (1 Cor. 12:13). And in (Rom. 6:1-11), is crucial to the
sacramentalists’ view of Baptism. In their interpretation of this passage
Baptism is not simply a picture of our being united with Christ in His
death and resurrection. It actually unites us with Christ. When Paul
says: “All of us who were Baptized into Christ Jesus were Baptized into
His death” (Rom. 6:3), he means that Baptism unites us with Christ’s
death and His resurrection (Rom. 6:5). The sacrament of Baptism has
an effect on the believer. This effect will last throughout life, even
though Baptism is administered only once. Believers will often be
reminded of it. This in fact, is what Paul is doing in (Rom. 6:3-5, and
Gal. 3:26-27). And in Mark, 19:13-16), children were brought to Jesus
to be touched. In (Acts, 2:41, and 8:36-38), “Those who believed what
Peter said were Baptized and added in the church that day about 3.000
in all.” In addition, we read in (Acts, 11:14, 16:15, 31-34 and 18:8), that
whole households were Baptized, in these households were not
composed exclusively of adults. Children are part of the people of God,
just as surely as, in the Old Testament they were part of the nation of
Israel.
To maintain that, it is the faith of the parents that is
involved, when a child is baptized. Some would even say that, the
church has faith, on behalf of the child.
Baptism as a sign of the covenant is significant, the
subject of Baptism are in many ways the same as in the sacramentalists’ view. On the one hand, all believing adults are to be
Baptized. In the Bible are those who responded to Peter’s invitation at
Pentecost, believed, and were Baptized (Acts, 2:41), and the Philippian
267
jailer (Acts, 16:31-33). On the other hand, the children of the believing
parents are also to be Baptized. The Baptism of children is implicitly
taught. God made a spiritual covenant with Abraham and with his seed
(Gen. 17:7). Also of significance is the all-embracing character of the
Old Testament conception of Israel. Children were present when the
covenant was renewed (Deut. 29:10-13).
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant in the Old
Testament, so is Baptism in the New Testament. It is clear that
circumcision has been put away; it no longer avails (Acts, 15:1-2 and
21:22; Gal. 2:3-5; 5:2-6 and6:12-15). Baptism has been substituted for
circumcision as the initiatory rite into the covenant. It was Christ who
made this substitution. He commissions His disciples to go and make
disciples and Baptized (Matt. 28:19).
Baptism as a token of salvation. The Bible makes it clear
that personal, conscious faith in Christ is prerequisite to Baptism. In
the Great Commission, the command to Baptize follows the command
to disciple (Matt. 28:19). John the Baptist required repentance and
confession of sin (Matt. 3:2, 6). In the conclusion of his Pentecost
sermon, Peter called for repentance, then Baptism (Acts, 2:37-41).
Belief followed by Baptism is the pattern (Acts, 8:12; 18:8; and 19:1-7).
All these considerations lead to the conclusion that responsible
believers are the only people who are to be Baptized.
The means of Baptism, in (Mark, 16:16), we read:
“Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved, but whoever does not
believe will be condemned.” Also In (John, 3:5), “no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” Note that
the emphasis throughout the passage is on the Spirit, the key factor is
268
the contrast between the supernatural (Spirit) and the natural (flesh):
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John,
3:6). Jesus explains that to be born anew is to be born of the Spirit.
This working of the Spirit, like the blowing of the wind, is not fully
comprehensible (John, 3:7-8). Peter writes, in (1 Peter, 3:21): “this
water symbolizes Baptism that now saves you not the removal of dirt
from the body but the pledge of good conscience toward God. It saves
you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” A number of passages in the
Book of Acts link repentance and Baptism. Probably the most crucial is
Peter’s response on Pentecost, “Brothers what shall we do?” (Acts,
2:37). He replied, “Repent and be Baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). And three thousand
received his word then they were Baptized (Acts, 3:17-26). Baptism is a
symbol, not a mere sign, for it actually pictures the believer’s death
and resurrection with Christ.
The subject of Baptism: the issue here is whether to
hold to infant Baptism or believer’s baptism, the position that Baptism
should be restricted to those who have confessed faith in Christ’s
atonic work. With regard to (Acts, 11:14; 10:48; 16:15; 16:31-34; 18:8;
and 1 Cor. 1:16), he states: “In all five cases, it shows plainly that it is
the complete family including all its members which receives Baptism.”
No doubt the meaning of (Acts, 10:44-48): all the house of Cornelius
heard the word, all received the Spirit, all spoke with tongues, all were
Baptized; the infants present also heard the word, received the Spirit,
spoke with tongues and were Baptized. To this no exception is
permissible! In support of infant Baptism is that the children who were
269
brought to Jesus that He might lay His hands on them (Matt. 19:13-15;
Mark, 10:13-16 and Luke, 18:15-17), were actually being brought to be
Baptized. Jesus’ expression “little ones who believe in Me” (Matt. 18:6)
signifies that they had been “Baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27). The
report further sought to demonstrate that (Matt. 18:3; Mark, 10:15;
and Luke, 18:17), are parallel to (John, 3:3 and 3:5), and that all have
reference to Baptism. The meaning of Baptism requires us to hold to
the position, as does the fact the New Testament nowhere offers a
clear case of one individual’s being Baptized before exercising faith.
The mode of Baptism: it is not possible to resolve the
issue of the proper mode of Baptism on the basis of linguistic data
alone. We should note, however, that the predominant meaning of
(baptizo) is “to dip or to plunge under water.” There are several
considerations that argue that immersion was the Biblical procedure.
John the Baptist at the Aenon “because there was plenty of water” (
John, 3:23). When Baptized by John, Jesus came “up out of the water”
(Mark, 1:10). Upon hearing the good news, the Ethiopian Eunurch said
to Phillip, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be Baptized?” (Acts,
8:36). Then they both went down into the water. Phillip Baptized him,
and they came up out of the water (Acts, 8:38-39). And in (Rom. 6:3-5)
Paul appears to be contending that there is a significant connection
between how Baptism is administered (one is lowered into the water
and then raised out of it) and that symbolizes (death to sin and new life
in Christ and beyond that, Baptism symbolizes the basis of the
believer’s death to sin and new life: the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ).
1.Frenz Pieper, Christian dogmatics (St. Louis: Concordia, 1953).
270
2.Louis Barkhof, Systematic Theology(Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1953).
3.Hodge, Systematic Theology.
271
TOPIC 49
GOD IS IN CONTROL
RITE OF THE CHURCH THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Lord’s Supper is vital to all Christian groups. It
continues what Baptism began in initiating one into the Christian faith.
There are at least six points of essential agreement among Christian
groups and at least five points of disagreement. A resolution for each
of these issues is proposed.
The establishment of the Lord’s Supper goes back to
Jesus Himself. The evidence includes the fact that the three Synoptic
Books all attribute to Him the words inaugurating the practice (Matt.
26:26-28; Mark, 14:22-24 and Luke, 22:19-20). Although there are
some variations in the details, the common core in the Synoptic argues
for an early inclusion in the oral tradition. Paul in (1 Cor. 11:23-29),
gives a similar account of the instituting of the Lord Supper. He states
that he received from the Lord (paralambano) what he now passes on
(paradidomi) to his readers.
It is reasonable to infer that they included the Lord’s
Supper in their Bible because Jesus intended it to be a continuing
practice for future generations. In that case, the inclusion of the Lord’s
Supper in the narratives of Matthew and Mark is evidence that the rite
is to be repeated regularly, even though those two writers record no
command to that effect.
272
Paul specifically indicated that the Lord’s Supper is a
form of proclamation: For, whenever, you eat this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
A Spiritual benefit to the believer: All agree, however,
that we do not take the bread and the cup merely because the Lord’s
command obligates us to do so. Believing leads to salvation.
Restriction to Followers of Christ: restriction of the
Lord’s Supper to believers is also borne out by Paul’s statement about
self-examination, which we noted. It is necessary for a person to
examine himself, so, anyone who eats this bread and drinks this cup of
the Lord. Must be not only a believer but a practicing believer,
anything less is a sin (1 Cor. 11:27-34).
The Lord’s Supper represents the Lord’s body. It is also
for the body, that is, the church. In (1 Cor. 10:15-17), Paul argues that
since we all partake of one loaf, which is Christ’s body they are all one
body. This is the background to Paul’s statement in (1 Cor. 11:17-22).
The presence of Christ has been the most prominent
point of discussion. The issue pertains to whether, and in what sense,
the body and blood of Christ are actually present in the communion.
That is, how are we to interpreted the statements “This is My body”
and “This is My blood”? Several answers have been given.
1. The bread and wine are the physical body and blood
of Christ.
2. The bread and wine contains the physical body and
blood.
3. The bread and wine contain spiritually the body and
blood.
273
4. The bread and wine represent the body and blood.
The efficacy of the rite, is actually conveys grace to the
communicant. The rite has within it the power to effect spiritual
changes that would not otherwise occur. The Lord’s Supper serves to
bring the believer in contact with the living Christ. He is present
spiritually, and we benefit from, thus encountering Him.
When the Lord’s Supper is observed; it is necessary to
have a priest an ordained person for the rite to be valid.
Sacramentalism is the doctrine that, the sacraments in and of
themselves convey grace and can even accomplish to the believer
salvation. In Greek Orthodox and Roma Catholic dogma, only a priest
ordained into apostolic succession can administer the Eucharist. If any
other person should take the same physical communion and
pronounce the same words over them, they would remain bread and
wine. Those who receive the communion would be partaking not of
the Eucharist, but simply a meal.
The appropriate Recipients are, only those who are
Baptized and a particular state of spiritual readiness is often required,
it may be necessary to go to confession or to fast before taking
communion.
Major Views: The Greek Orthodox and the Roman
Catholic views are: Transubstantiation is the doctrine as the
administering priest consecrates the communion, an actual
metaphysical change take place. The substance of the bread and wine
what they actually are changed into Christ’s flesh and blood,
respectively. The whole of Christ is fully present within each of the
particles of the host. All the believers who participate in the Lord’s
274
Supper, or Eucharist as it is termed. Literally take the physical body and
blood of Christ into themselves.
In the Orthodox Church, communion is given to the
laity in a spoon, containing a small piece of the Holy Bread together
with a portion of the Wine; it is received standing. The priest mentions
the Christian name of each person as he administers the sacraments.
When giving Holy Communion, he says: ‘The servant of God … [name]
partakers of the Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord’. Orthodox Church
insists on strict fast before communion, and nothing can be eaten or
drunk after waking in the morning. Many Orthodox at the present day
receive communion infrequently – perhaps only three or four times a
year – not from any disrespect towards the sacrament, but because
they have been taught from childhood to approach only after lengthy
and careful preparation.
The Lutheran view is that, differs from the Catholic
view. Luther retained the Catholic conception that Christ’s body and
blood are physically present in the communion. Luther is reputed to
have repeatedly stressed the words “This is My body.” He took the
words of Jesus quite literally at this point. What Luther denied was the
molecules are not changed into flesh and blood, they remain bread
and wine. But the body and blood of Christ are present.
The Reformed View is that: The Lord’s Supper is the
Calvinistic or Reformed view. While the term Calvinism usually stirs up
images of a specific view of predestination that is not what we have in
mind here. We are referring to Calvin’s Supper. Calvin’s emphasis on
the dynamic or influential presence of Christ is not far different from
Luther’s view. Zwingli, on the other hand, taught that Christ is merely
275
spiritually present. Calvin held that Christ spiritually present in the
elements, Zwingli maintained that the elements are merely symbols of
Christ; He is neither physically nor spiritually present. If this
interpretation of their respective positions is correct, it was Calvin’s
view that was accepted by the reformed churches. The reformed view
holds that Christ is present in the Lord’s Supper but not physically. His
presence in the sacrament is spiritual or dynamic. Calvin asserted that
Christ is present influentially.
The Zwingli’s View is that: The Lord’s Supper is merely a
commemoration. What is prominent is his strong emphasis on the role
of the sacrament in bringing to mind the death of Christ and its efficacy
on behalf of the believer. While Zwingli spoke of a spiritual presence of
Christ, some who in many respects adopted his position. Denied the
concept of a physical or bodily presence so energetically as to leave
little room for any type of special presence. They pointed out that
Jesus is spiritually present every-where. There is little difference
between the views of Zwingli and Calvin.
1.Joachim Jeremias, The Eucharist Words of Jesus (New York: Macmillan,1955).
2. Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Westwood, N.J. Revel, 1907).
276
TOPIC 50
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH
There are many sound Biblical Theological, and
practical reasons for the church to be unified. But serious problems
arise when we begin to define the type of unity envisioned. This is
particularly true for any type of “Organing unity.” The Ecumenical
movement has been one attempt over the years to achieve unity.
Evangelicals have raised a number of substantive issues that oppose
Ecumenism. Guidelines help a believer respond appropriately.
Biblical Teaching Regarding the Unity of the Church:
Among the reasons why the church must strive for unity are didactic
passages in the New Testament that specifically teach that the church
ought to be, actually is, or will be one. Probably the most persuasive is
the prayer of Jesus. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them
may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they
also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I
have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as
277
We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved
them even as You Me” (John, 17:20-23). The unity between the Father
and the Son is a model for the unity of believers with one another. The
unity of believers with each other and with God will testify to the
world that the Father has sent the Son, Paul in (Eph. 4:1), begging his
readers to lead a life worthy of their calling. He urges them to be
“make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace” (Paul, 4:3). He follows this appeal with a list of fundamentals
that unite believers. “There is one body and one Spirit just as you were
called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one Faith, one
Baptism, one God the Father of all, Who is over all and through all and
in all” (Paul, 4:4-6). Since all believers confess the same body, Spirit,
Hope, Lord, faith, Baptism, God and Father, they ought to display a
unity of the Spirit. As Paul concludes his case, he urges his readers to
grow up into Christ. “From Him the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work” (Paul, 4:16). When the church unites
under Christ as its head, there is a maturing Christian experience. Thus
Paul’s appeal for unity undoubtedly circulated over a large area. Paul
makes a somewhat similar appeal in (Phil. 2:2), where he urges his
readers to be “one in spirit and purpose.” The key to developing this
attitude is humility and concern for others (Phil. 2:3-4). And the perfect
model is Christ’s self-emptying action (Phil. 2:5-8). Following His
example will lead to true unity among the members of the church.
Spiritual unity: emphasizes that all Christians are one by
virtue of being committed to and serving the same Lord. They are
278
jointed together in the invisible church, of which Christ is the head.
One day there will be an actual gathering of this body in visible church.
In the meantime, the unity of the church consists in the fact that there
is no hostility among believers. All believers love other believers, even
those with whom they have no actual contact or interaction. The
existence of separate denominations of the visible church, even in the
same area, does not constitute a challenge to the unity.
Organic unity: is what we referred to the merging of
differing denominations. The final view is that church unity means the
actual creation of one organization in which separate identities are
surrendered. Membership and ordination are joint. When
denominations unite in this fashion there is often a merging of local
congregations as well. Here there is an agreement to allow diversity of
practice or to base the union on some lowest common denominator. A
prime example is the United Church of Canada, a single denomination
formed in 1925 by the uniting of Methodist, Presbyterians, and
Congregationalists. Another example is the Church of South India In
the early 1960s, the Consultation on Church Union began to plan the
merger of several denominations into what they decided to call the
Church of Christ uniting. The ultimate goal was the combination of all
Christian churches. Greek-Orthodox, Roman-Catholic and Protestant,
into one common church. The National Council of the churches of
Christ has seemed to alternate between conciliar and organic unity.
We have noted that rather major mergers of this type have occurred in
Canada and India. More limited mergers that have taken place in the
United States are those of the Congregational Church, Evangelical and
Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ, and of the
279
Methodist Episcopal Church and the Evangelical United Brethren to
form the Methodist Church. More people face the issue of organic
unity at this level than at any, of the others.
Issues Raised by Evangelicals are: Evangelist will not
consider union with any group that fails to subscribe to certain basic
doctrines, the supreme authority of the Bible as the source of faith and
Christian practice; the deity of Jesus Christ, including the miracles,
atoning death, and bodily resurrection; salvation as a supernatural
work of regeneration and justification by grace through faith, the
second coming of Christ. It appears to the Evangelical that with regard
to the Theological basis fellowship, the Ecumenical movement has
often settled for the lowest common denominator. As a result, the
Evangelical group suspects that some members of the fellowship may
not be genuine Christians. There is also the question of what doctrinal
standards, if any, are to be followed, and their status or authority.
The Methodist Issue is that: Since a major reason for
founding the Ecumenical monument was to overcome the drawbacks
of a divided witness, there is real pertinence to a pragmatic question
raised by Evangelicals: Just how effective is the Ecumenical movement
in carrying out the task of evangelizing the world? The United Church
of Canada was characterized by declining membership and a reduction
of missionaries at a time when other denominations were showing
growth and progress in these areas. In light of the origin of the
Ecumenical movement, its failure in the area of world mission is
particularly significant. Evangelicals have frequently criticized the
World Council of Churches on this score.
280
The Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe Russia: About
the year 860, Rostislav, Prince of Moravia requested the Byzantine
Emperor Michael III to send missionaries to instruct its people in the
ways of Christ. The Moravians, of the modern Chechs, belonged to the
Slavic race, which had come from Asia and spread throughout the
eastern plains of Europe. Rostislav wrote a letter to the Byzantine
Emperor Michael III saying: “we Slaves are a simple people.”
“Therefore,” Rostislav suggested, “we pray you send us someone
capable of teaching us the whole truth.” In response, to Prince
Rostislav: Patriarch Photius provided two Greek brothers Cyril (827869) and Methodius (815-885), who were both clerics, were promptly
dispatched to Moravia. The two brothers had grown up near Slavs who
had settled in Macedonia (Thessalonica) and therefore they knew the
Slavic language. Before embarking upon their mission, the Evangelists
and ‘Apostles of the Slavs’, began to prepare an Alphabet for the
hitherto unwritten language, to that, the converts could have the Bible
and liturgy in their native tongue. This script, known as Cyrilic, after the
younger brother. Soon a veritable Slavic Church began to emerge. By
this means, Orthodox Christianity, and with it the culture of Byzantium
spread among the Slavic tribes. King Boris (852-889), succumbed to
Byzantine and agreed to be Baptized according to the eastern rite but
on one condition that the Bulgarian Church would be fully
autonomous, governed by an Archbishop. Boris son Simeon I (893927), took the next step in 917, when he declared the Bulgarian Church
to be fully independent from Constantinople, giving the Archbishop the
title of “Patriarch”. Simeon was the first ruler to take the title of Tsar –
meaning “Caesar.” The Serbian Church gained a partial independence
281
under St. Sava (1176-1235), the greatest of Serbian national saints,
who in 1219 was consecrated at Nicaea as Archbishop of Serbia. In
1346 a Serbian Patriarchate was created, which was recognized by the
Church of Constantinople in 1375. The Romanian people were
apparently converted to Christianity by the Bulgarians in the late nine
or ten century. But the full conversion of the two Romanian
principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia did not occur until the
fourteenth century. The Georgian Church broke away from the
Arminian Church and reunited with the Eastern Orthodoxy in the 7th
century, and the Georgian Patriarchate was created. The Armenian
Apostolic Orthodox Church rejected monophysitism and promoted
mia-physitism, which holds that both Divinity and Humanity are
equally present in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Coptic Church,
observes the liturgy and sacraments of the ancient Alexandrian rite. In
950, Queen Olga ruler of Kiev, Russia, allowed herself to be baptized by
German missionaries, but proselytizing efforts were limited. It was her
grandson Vladimir I (956-1015), to send emissaries on a fact finding
mission. The envoys to Muslim lands reported that these nations were
devoid pleasure, for the people could neither drink alcohol nor eat
pork (one of Kiev’s great culinary specialists). Those sent to the
European north also came back with disappointing news reporting the
rather dry and joyless nature of German liturgy. But the emissionaries
to Byzantium brought back enthusiastic reports of the splendour of the
Byzantine court and the breath taking beauty of the Agia Sophia.
Impressed Vladimir, agreed to embrace Byzantine Christianity. By the
report of those who returned from Constantinople,
(missionaries).Vladimir was converted to Christianity and married
282
Anna, the sister of the Byzantine Emperor. Orthodox became the State
Religion of Russia. The (emissionaries), declaring that when they
attended the mass in the great Church of Agia Sophia: We did not
know whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no
such splendour, nor such beauty, that we are at loss to describe. The
year 988 is still celebrated as the founding year of the Russian
Orthodox Church. Next, the population of Kiev was converted en
masse. When Kiev was conquered by the Mongols in the 13th Century.
The leaders of of the Russian Church fled north to Moscow. As a result,
Moscow became the undisputed centre of the Russian Orthodox
Church. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, killing the Byzantine
Emperor and making the Ecumenical Patriarch a virtual prisoner of the
Muslim conquerors. Shortly after Ivan the III of Moscow married
Sophia Palaiologina, niece of the last Emperor. Ivan adopted the
Byzantine double –headed eagle as the symbol of his power. The
Russian rulers declared themselves to be the legitimate heirs of the
Byzantine Empire. Russian Church theorists saw profound Theological
significance in the events. Moscow, they declared, had become “The
Third Rome”. They claimed that the Church of Rome fell because of its
heresy and was succeeded by Constantinople, the Second Rome. But
the city, too, was punished by God by means of the infidel Turks. The
monk Philotheus wrote to Ivan’s son: The church of Moscow, the new
‘third Rome’, shine throughout the entire world more brightly than the
sun … Two Rome’s have fallen, but the third stands and a fourth can
never be.
The new thoroughly national Russian Church thus
claimed to be chief protector of Eastern Christianity: PAUL D. STEEVES.
283
Byzantine emblem of the double headed eagle,
representing the fusion of Church and State, was incorporated in the
Russian Imperial Standard.
1.stig Hanson, The Unity of the Church in the New testament: Colossians and Effecians
(Lexingcton, Ky: American Theological Library Association, 1963).
2. World Book of Encyclopedia, 2016, pp718a-718b, 1045.
3. Hanson, Unity of the Church.
4. Penguin Encyclopedia New Edition,
284
TOPIC 51
GOD IS IN CONTROL
ESCHATOLOGY
Eschatology has evoked a variety of responses among
believers, ranging from virtual avoidance to total preoccupation with
the doctrine. Neither extreme is desirable. A balanced view is
advocated. A variety of systems exist, including modernized, DE
modernized, realized, existentialized, politicized, and systematized. At
least nine conclusions may be drawn about eschatology.
Eschatology as the word indicates, deals with the last
things. Questions concerning the consummation of history, the
completion of God’s working in the world. At times eschatology has
become a topic of debate, resulting in accusations and acrimony
among Christians. This is not the purpose for which God revealed
eschatological truths. Paul indicates his reason for writing about the
second coming. Some believers whose loved ones had died were
experiencing a grief that was, at least to a degree, unhealthy and
unnecessary. Paul did not want them to sorrow like unbelievers, who
have no hope for their departed loved ones (1 Cor. 4:13). After
describing the second coming and assuring his readers of its certainty,
he counsels; “Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1
Thess. 4:18). It is sometimes easy to forget that the eschatological
285
truths in God’s Word, like the rest of His revelation, are intended to
comfort and assure us.
Modernized Eschatology: Jesus message was really
quite simple, Jesus emphasized the Fatherhood of God, Who has
created all Humans and Who watches over and protects them, as He
does all parts of His creation. The infinite value of a Human soul was
another major teaching of Jesus. God has made Human the highest
object of His creation and His love, so we should love our fellow
Humans. The kingdom of God was another basic topic of Jesus’
teaching. Whereas this kingdom had traditionally been understood as a
future earthly reign of Christ that would be established by His dramatic
second coming. Liberals pointed out, that Jesus had said to His
disciples, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set
before you. Heal the ones who are there and tell them, “The kingdom
of God is near you” (Luke, 10:8-9). The kingdom then is not something
far removed, either spatially or temporally. It is same thing near,
something into which Humans can enter. It is not something external
imposed from without. It is simply the reign of God in Human hearts
wherever obedience to God is found.
DE modernized Eschatology: Jesus was thoroughly
eschatological, futuristic, and even apocalyptic in His outlook. Jesus did
not look for a gradual spread of the kingdom of God as an ethical rule
in the hearts of Humans, but for a future kingdom to be introduced by
a dramatic action of God. A key factor in Jesus’ message was His future
coming. Not only was this eschatological teaching basic and central to
Jesus’ teaching; it was also the original plan.
286
Realized Eschatology: Jesus’ message was not of a
future coming and a future kingdom; rather, with the advent of Jesus
the kingdom of God had already arrived. The triumph of God was
evident when Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven (Luke, 10:18). With the
coming of Christ, the judgment has already taken place (John, 3:19).
Eternal life is already our possession (John, 5:24). The New Testament
writers saw the end times as having already come. Peter’s witness at
Pentecost is also of significance: “So, this is what was spoken by the
prophet Joel ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will
see visions, your old men will dream dreams”’ (Acts, 2:16-17). There
really is no need to look ahead for the fulfilment of prophesies like
Joel’s. They have already been fulfilled.
Existential Eschatology: The New Testament does not
tell us primarily about specific occurrences but about the very nature
of existence. The same is true of eschatology, which does not refer to
literal events that will occur. Paul in particular writes of current
experience rather than future events. He thinks of salvation as bearing
upon present existence: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor.5:17).
Resurrection, too, is a present existence: “Death has been swallowed
up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). John tells us that Jesus spoke of judgment
as a present phenomenon as well: “Now is the time for judgment on
this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John,
12:31). John likewise reports similar words of Jesus regarding eternal
life and resurrection: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but
whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on
287
him” (John, 3:36). “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now
come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those
who listen will live” (John, 5:25). “For John the resurrection of Jesus,
Pentecost and the parousia of Jesus are one and the same event, and
those who believe have already eternal life.” Even a purely
eschatological event like the coming of the spirit of antichrist is
existentially true at all times; “but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,
which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world
(1 John, 4:3). The next verse declares that the children of God have
overcome these spirits.
When we speak of the Systematizing of Eschatology, we
have in mind not only that the data have been organized to facilitate
understanding, but also that conclusions in some areas automatically
follow from tenets in others. The Bible is to be interpreted literally.
This does not mean obviously metaphorical passages are to be taken
literally, but that if the plain meaning makes sense, one must not look
further. Application of this principle leads to rejection of both
allegorical interpretations and the liberal attempts to explain away the
supernatural elements in the Bible, for example, the miracles. It also
means that prophesy is interpreted very literally and often in
considerable detail. Specifically, “Israel” is always understood as a
reference to national or ethnic Israel, not the church. Despite the
stress on literal interpretation, however, there is also a tendency
toward a typological understanding of some narrative and poetical
portions that at times approaches the old allegorizing method. An
example is the frequent explanation of the Song of Solomon as a
288
picture of Christ’s love for the church, in spite of the fact that the book
says nothing explicit about either Christ or the church. Proceedings of
the principle of literal interpretation, puts great stress on the
distinction between Israel and the church. Conclusion Regarding
Eschatology:
1.
Eschatology
is a major topic in Systematic Theology. Consequently, we dare not
neglect it as we construct our Theology. It is one doctrine among
several, not the whole of Theology. We must not convert our entire
doctrinal system into Eschatology, nor allow our Theology to be
distorted by an undue emphasis on it.
2. The truths of eschatology deserve careful, intense,
and thorough attention. At the same time, we must guard against
exploring these matters merely out of curiosity. And when striving to
understand the meaning of difficult and obscure portions of God’s
Word, we must also avoid undue speculation.
3. We need to recognize that eschatology does not
pertain exclusively to the future. Jesus did introduce a new age, and
the victory over the powers of evil has already been won, even though
the struggle is still to be enacted in history.
4. We must pair with this insight the truth that there
are elements of predictive prophesy, even within Jesus’ teaching which
simply cannot be regarded as already fulfilled. We must live with an
openness to and anticipation of the future.
5. The Biblical passages regarding eschatological events
are far more than existential descriptions of life. They do indeed have
existential significance, but that significance is dependent upon, and an
289
application of, the factuality of the events described. They really will
come to pass.
6. We as Humans have a responsibility to play a part in
bringing about those eschatological events which are to transpire here
upon earth and within history. Some see this responsibility in terms of
teaching; we must also be mindful that eschatology pertains primarily
to a new realm beyond space and time, a new heaven and a new earth.
This kingdom will be inhered in by a supernatural work of God; it
cannot be accomplished by Human effort.
7. The truths of eschatology should arouse in us
watchfulness and alertness in expectation of the future. But
preparation for what is going to happen will also entail diligence in the
activities that our Lord has assigned to us. We must not become
impatient nor prematurely abandon our tasks. We should study the
Bible intensively and watch developments in our world carefully, so
that we may discern God’s working and not be misled. We must not
become so brash, however, as to dogmatically identify specific
historical occurrences with Biblical prophecy or predict when certain
eschatological events will take place.
8. As important as it is to have convictions regarding
eschatological matters, it is good to bear in mind that they vary in
significance. Agreement is essential on such basic matters as the
second coming of Christ and the life hereafter. A specific position on
less central and less clearly expounded issues, such as the millennium
or the tribulation, should not be made a test of orthodoxy or a
condition of Christian fellowship and unity. Emphasis should be placed
on the points of agreement, not the points of disagreement.
290
9. When we read the doctrines of eschatology, we
should stress their spiritual significance and practical application, they
are incentives to purity of life, diligence in service, and hope for the
future. They are to be regarded as resources for teaching, not topics
for debate.
1.Hames Orr, The Progress of Dogma (Grand Rappids: Eerdmans, 1952, reprints ).
2. Harnack, What is Christianity.
291
TOPIC 52
GOD IS IN COTROL
INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
For all people there exists the personal eschatological
reality of death. While all persons participate in physical death, only
those who are not believers will also experience spiritual death. The
difficult problem of the intermediate state is addressed from the
perspective of three contemporary views. A solution to the difficulties
is proposed. Implications and conclusions about death and the
intermediate state are drawn and should provide some answers
surrounding death and the intermediate state.
The Reality of Death: An undeniable fact about the
future of every person is the inevitability of death. There is a direct
assertion of this fact in (Hebr. 9:27): “Just as man is destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment.” The thought also runs through
the whole of (1 Cor. 15:54-56), where we read of the universality of
death and the effect of Christ’s resurrection. While death is said to
have been defeated and its sting removed by His resurrection, there is
no suggestion that we will not die. In (2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:19-26): Paul
certainly anticipated his own death. Death is simply the end of the
process, the final stage of life, and we must accept it.
The Christian agrees as to its reality and inescapability.
Paul acknowledges that death is ever present in the world: “For we
who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so
that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at
292
work in us, but life is at work in you” (2 Cor. 4:11-12). Death does not
come upon us suddenly. It is the end of the process of decay of our
mortal, corruptible bodies. We reach our physical peak and then
deterioration begins. In little ways we find our strength ebbing from
us, until finally the organism can no longer function.
What is death, however? How are we to define it?
Various passages in the Bible speak of physical death, that is, cessation
of life in our physical body. In (Matt. 10:28), for example, Jesus
contrasts death of the body with death of both body and soul: “Do not
be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The
same idea appears in (Luke, 12:4-5): “I tell you, my friends, do not be
afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I
will show you Whom you should fear: Fear Him Who, after the killing
of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.”
Several other passages speak of loss of the (Greek- psyche-“life”-soul).
An example, is in (John, 13:37-38); “Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I
follow you now? I will lay down my life for You.’ Then Jesus answered,
‘Will you really lay down your life for Me?’” Other references of this
type include (Luke, 6:9 and 14:26). Finally, death is referred to in (Eccl.
12:7), as separation of body and soul (or spirit): “and the dust returns
to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
This passage is reminiscent of (Gen. 2:7), (the Human originated when
God breathed the breath of life into dust from the ground) and in (Gen.
3:19), (the Human shall return to dust). In the New Testament, (James,
2:26); also speaks of death as separation of body and spirit: “As the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
293
What we are dealing with here is cessation of life in its
familiar bodily state. This is not the end of existence, however. Life and
death, according to the Bible, are not to be thought of as existence and
non-existence, but as two different states of existence. Death is simply
a transition to a different mode of existence; it is not, as some tend to
think, extinction.
In addition to physical death, the Bible speaks of
spiritual and eternal death. Physical death is the separation of the soul
from the body; spiritual death is the separation of the person from
God; eternal death is the finalizing of that state of separation-one is
lost for all eternity in his or her sinful condition. The Bible- clearly
refers to a state of spiritual deadness, which is an inability to respond
to spiritual matters or even a total loss of sensitivity to such stimuli.
This is what Paul has in mind (Eph. 2:1-2): “As for you, you were dead
in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you
followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the
air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” When
the Book of Revelation refers to the “second death,” it is eternal death
that is in view. An example is found in (Rev. 21:8): “But the cowardly,
the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those
who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all others their place will be
in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.” This
second death is something separate from and subsequent to normal
physical death. We know from (Rev. 20:6), that the second death will
not be experienced by believers: “Blessed and holy are those who
have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over
them. But they will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with Him
294
for a thousand years.” The second death is an endless period of
punishment and of separation from the presence of God, the
finalization of the lost state of the individual who is spiritually dead at
the time of physical death.
It is our position that physical death was not an original
part of the Human condition. But death was always there as a thread
should the Human sin, that is, in (Gen. 3:3), “God said, you must not
eat of or touch the forbidden tree you will die.” While the death which
was threatened must have been at least in part spiritual death, it
appears that physical death was also involved, since the man and
woman had to be driven out of the Garden of Eden lest they also eat of
the tree of life, and live for ever (Gen. 3:22-23).
Some of the Bible passages that have been offered as
evidence that physical death is the result of Human sin actually prove
no such thing. A case in point is (Ezekiel, 18:4, 20): “The soul who sins
is the one who will die.” The reference here is to spiritual or eternal
death, for the text goes on to say that if the sinner turns from his
wicked ways, he shall live and not die (Ezekiel, 18:21-22). Since both
believer and unbeliever experience physical death, the reference here
cannot be to physical death. The same holds true of (Rom. 6:23): “For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” That it is eternal life which is contrasted with death
suggests that the result of sin in view here is eternal death, not
physical death. In (1 Cor. 15:21), however, Paul is clearly referring, at
least in part, to physical death when he says, “For since death came
through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a
man.” For physical death is one of the evils countered and overcome
295
by Christ’s resurrection. He was Himself delivered from physical death.
This verse then is proof that physical death come from Humans sin; it
was not part of God’s original intention for the Human race.
Since physical death is a result of sin, it seems probable
that the Humans were created with the possibility of living forever.
They were not inherently immortal, however, that is they would not by
virtue of their nature have lived forever. Rather, if they have not
sinned, they could have partaken of the tree of life and thus have
received everlasting life. They were mortal in the sense of being able to
die; and when they sinned, that potential or possibility became a
reality. We might say that they were created with contingent
immortality. They could have lived forever, but it was not certain that
they would. Upon sinning they lost that status, death, then, is not
something natural to Humans. It is something foreign and hostile. Paul
pictures it as an enemy (1 Cor. 15:26).And there is little doubt that God
Himself sees death as an evil and a frustration of His original plan. God
is Himself the giver of life; those who thwart His plan of life by
shedding Human blood must forfeit their own lives (Gen. 9:6). His
sending death is an expression of His disapproval of Human sin, our
frustrating His intention for us. This was the case with the flood that
God sent to do away with all flesh (Gen. 6:13), the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:1-29), the punishment of Korah and
those who rebelled with Him (Numb.16:1-50), and the numerous other
instances of the death penalty. In each case, this was the unnatural
consequence which they had to pay for their sin. The psalmist vividly
depicts death as an expression of God’s anger: “You sweep men away
in the sleep of death, they are like the new grass of the morning,
296
though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and
withered. We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your
indignation” (Ps. 90:5-7). Yet God is also compassionate. Jesus wept at
the death of Lazarus (John, 11:35), and on other occasions as well
restored the dead to life.
For the unbeliever death is a curse, a penalty, an
enemy. For although death does not bring about extinction or the end
of existence, it cuts one off from God and from any opportunity of
obtaining eternal life. But for those who believe in Christ, death has a
different character. The believer still undergoes physical death, but its
curse is gone. Because Christ Himself became a curse for us by dying
on the cross (Gal. 3:13), believers, although still subject to physical
death, do not experience its fearsome power, its curse. As Paul put it,
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the
mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death is your
victory?’ ‘Where, O death is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and
the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:54-57). Looking on
death as indeed an enemy, the non-Christian sees nothing positive in it
and recoils from it in the fear: Paul, however, was able to take an
entirely different attitude toward it. He saw death as a conquered
enemy, a foe that now is forced to do the Lord’s will. So Paul regarded
death as desirable, for it would bring him into the presence of the
Lord. He wrote to the Philippians: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will
in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as
always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
297
For to me, to live as Christ and to die is gain…I desire to depart and be
with Christ, which is better by far” (Phil.1:20-23). This was the Paul
who, as Saul of Tarsus, had heard the dying Stephen exclaim that he
could see heaven and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God
(Acts, 7:56). Stephen had been prayed simply, “Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit” (Acts, 7:59). And Paul had undoubtedly been told the tradition
of the Lord Himself, who had said at the end of His life. “Father into
Your hands I commit My Spirit” (Luke, 23:46). For Paul, as for Stephen
and Jesus, death was no longer an active enemy, but a conquered
enemy who now serves not to condemn and destroy, but to free us
from the dreadful conditions, sin has introduced the believer can thus
face the prospect of death with the knowledge that its effects are not
final, for death itself has been destroyed. Although the final execution
of this judgment upon death is yet in the future, the judgment itself is
already accomplished and assured. Even the Old Testament contained
prophesies regarding the victory over death: “He will swallow up death
forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He
will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has
spoken” (Isa. 25:8). “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I
will redeem them from death. Where, O death is your plagues? Where,
O grave is your destruction? I will have no compassion” (Hos. 13:14).
And in (1 Cor. 15:55), Paul cites the latter passage, and in (Rev. 21:3-4),
John picks up the former: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with
them, They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and
be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things
298
has passed away.” In (Rev. 20:14), John writes, “Then death and Hades
were thrown into the lake of fire.” Passages such as these make it clear
that death has been defeated and will ultimately be destroyed.
Death is the culmination of the chastisements God uses
to sanctify His people. While acknowledging that death evidently is not
indispensable to the accomplishment of sanctification, since Enoch and
Elijah did not die, nonetheless we see it as a means by which believers
can identify with their Lord, Who also went through sufferings and
death on the way to His glory.
It is necessary to distinguish here between the
temporal and the eternal consequences of sin. Although the eternal
consequences of our own individual sins are nullified when we are
forgiven, the temporal consequences, or at least some of them, may
linger on. This is not a denial of the fact of justification, but merely
evidence that God does not reverse the course of history. What is true
of our individual sins is also true of God’s treatment of Adam’s sin or of
the sin of the race as well. All judgment upon and our guilt for original
and individual sin are removed, so that spiritual and eternal death are
cancelled. We will not experience the second death. Nonetheless, we
must experience physical death simply because it has become one of
the conditions of Human existence. It is now a part of life, as much as is
birth, growth, and suffering, which also ultimately takes its origin from
sin. One day every consequence of sin will be removed, but that day is
not yet. The Bible, in its realism, does not deny the fact of universal
physical death, but insists that it has different significance for the
believer and the unbeliever, death is like birth.
299
Soul sleep: rest in large measure on the fact that the
Bible frequently uses the imagery of sleep to refer to death. Stephen’s
death is described as sleep: “When he had said this he fell asleep”
(Acts, 7:60). Paul notes that “when David had served God’s purpose in
his own generation, he fell asleep” (Acts, 13:36). Paul uses the same
image four times in (1 Cor. 15:6, 18, 20, 51), and three times in (1
Thess. 4:13, 14, 15). Jesus Himself said of Lazarus, “Our friend Lazarus
has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up” (John, 11:11),
and then indicated clearly that He was referring to death (John, 11:14).
Literal understanding of this imagery has led to the concept of soul
sleep.
There are several Biblical references to personal,
conscious existence between death and resurrection. The most
extended is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke, 16:19-31).
While it was not Jesus’ primary intent here to teach us about the
nature of the intermediate state, it is unlikely that He would mislead us
on this subject. Another reference is Jesus’ words to the thief on the
cross. “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke
23: 43). In addition dying persons speak of giving up their spirits to
God. Jesus Himself said, “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit”
(Luke, 23:46); and Stephen said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts,
7:59).
Instantaneous Resurrection, An Instant Reclothing: This
is the belief that immediately upon death; the believer receives the
resurrection body that has been promised. Paul had two different
conceptions concerning our resurrection. In (1 Corinthians 15) Paul is
thinking of future resurrection of the body. In (2 Corinthians 5),
300
however, we have more advanced understanding of the subject. The
initial stages of the age to come had already appeared in the
resurrection of Jesus. Paul realizes that, having died and raised with
Christ, he is already being transformed and will receive his new or
heavenly body at the moment of physical death. The fear of being
unclothed, which he speaks of in verse (2 Cor.5:3), has been
supplanted by the realization that on both this side and the other side
of death, he will be clothed.
Death is to be expected by all, believers and
unbelievers, except those who are alive when the Lord returns. We
must take this fact seriously and live accordingly.
Although death is an enemy (God did not originally
intend for the Humans to die), it has now been overcome and made
captive to God. It therefore need not be feared, for its curse has been
removed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It can be faced
with peace, for we know that it now serves the Lord’s purpose of
taking to Himself those who have faith in Him.
There is between death and resurrection an
intermediate state in which believers and unbelievers experience,
respectively, the presence and absence of God. While these
experiences are less intense than the final states, they are of the same
qualitative nature.
In both this life and the life to come, the basis of the
believer’s relationship with God is grace, not works. There need be no
fear then, that our imperfections will require some type of post death
purging before we can enter the full presence of God.
301
Purgatory: is a Roman Catholic teaching, in that
Theology, immediately upon death, the individual’s eternal status is
determinant. The soul becomes aware of God’s judgment upon it. This
is not so much a formal sentence as it is a clear perception of whether
one is guilty or innocent before God. The soul is then “moved of its
own accord to hasten either to Heaven or to Hell, or to Purgatory,
according to its deserts.” The text on which this view rest is (Hebr.
9:27): “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face
judgment.” The juxtaposition of these two events is understood as an
indication that immediately after death there is a judgment that
determines the destination of each individual. Those who have died in
a state of wickedness go directly to hell, where they immediately
realize that they are irrevocably lost. Their punishment, eternal in
nature, consists of both the sense of having lost the greatest of all
goods and actual suffering. The suffering is in proportion to the
individual’s wickedness and will intensify after the resurrection. On the
other hand, those who are in a perfect state of grace and penitence,
who are completely purified at the time of death, go directly and
immediately to heaven, which, while it is described as both a state and
place, should be thought of primarily as a state. Those who, although
in a state of grace, are not yet spiritually perfect go to Purgatory. But
there are also three means by which the souls in Purgatory can be
assisted in which progress toward heaven by the faithful still on earth,
the Mass, prayers, and good works. These three means reduce the
period of time necessary for Purgatorial suffering to have its full effect.
When the soul arrives at spiritual perfection, no venial sin remaining, it
is released and passes into heaven.
302
Orthodox is convinced that Christians here on earth
have a duty to pray for the departed, and they are confident that the
dead are helped by such prayers. The Orthodox Church holds ritual in
commemoration for the departed (dead) called (coleva-KOLIBA). Boiled
wheat symbolizing death and resurrection. (Matt.13:1-24, 13:25-30,
13:1-32and 13:36-45). But precisely in what way do our prayers help
the dead? What exactly is the condition of souls in the period between
death and the Resurrection of the Body at the Last Day? Here
Orthodox teaching is not entirely clear, and has varied somewhat at
different times. In the seventeenth century a number of Orthodox
writers - most notably Peter of Mochila, and Dositheus in his
Confession – upheld the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, or
something very close to it.’ (According to the normal Roman teaching,
at least in the past, souls in Purgatory undergo expiatory suffering, and
so render ‘satisfaction’ for their sins.) Today most if not all Orthodox
Theologians reject the idea of Purgatory, at least in this form. The
majority would be inclined to say that the faithful departed do not
suffer at all. Another school holds that perhaps they suffer, but if so,
their suffering is of a purification but not an expiation character; for
when a person dies in the grace of God, then God freely forgives him
all his sins and demands no expiatory penalties: Christ, the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world, is our only atonement and
satisfaction. Yet a third group would prefer to leave the whole
question entirely open: let us avoid detailed formulation about the life
after death, they say, and preserve instead a reverent and agnostic
reticence. When St. Antony of Egypt was once worrying about divine
providence, a voice came to him, saying: ‘Antony, attend to yourself;
303
for these are the judgements of God, and it is not for you to know
them.’
1.Berkhof, Systematic Theology..
2. Emil Brunner, The Christian Doctrine of the Church, Faith and the Consummation
(Philadelphia: Westminsrer, 1962).
304
TOPIC 53
GOD IS IN CONTROL
THE SECOND COMING AND THE CONSEQUENTS
The Bible has outlined three specific events that will
occur at the time of the second coming. Besides the event of the
second coming itself, there will also be a resurrection that precedes
the event of the final judgment. The purpose and guidance of these
events are under the care of God alone. However, the hope that
believers hold in the knowledge of God will be realized at the time of
these events.
The Bible indicates clearly that Christ is to return. In His
great discourse on the end times (Matt. 24:25), Jesus Himself promises
that He will come again: “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will
appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will
see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and
great glory” (Matt. 24:10). Several other times in the same speech He
mentions the “coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:27, 37, 39, 42, 44).
Toward the end of the discussion we read: “And He will send His angels
with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four
winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt. 24:30-31 and
Mark, 13:26-27). All of these teachings in His speech, including the
parables, presuppose the second coming. Indeed, Jesus delivered the
discourse in response to His disciple’s request. “Tell us, when will this
happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming end of the end of the
age?” (Matt. 24:3). Later that week, in His hearing before Caiaphas,
305
Jesus said, “It is as you say. But I say to all of you; In the future you will
see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the
clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). While Matthew records more than do
the other Book writers, Mark, Luke, and John also include some of
Jesus’ comments on the second coming. We find in (Mark, 13:26, and
Luke, 21:27), for example, almost identical declarations that the people
living in the last days will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with
power and glory. And John tells us that in the upper room Jesus
promised His disciples, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I
am” (John, 14:3).
In addition to Jesus’ own words, there are numerous
other direct statements in the New Testament regarding His return. As
Jesus’ ascension, two men in white robes, presumably angels, said to
the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the
sky? The same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will
come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts,
1:11). The second coming was part of the apostolic Kerygma: “Repent
then…that [God] may send the Christ, Who has been appointed for you
Messiah Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God
to restore everything, as He promised long a go through His holy
prophets” (Acts, 3:19-21). Paul wrote of the second coming on several
occasions. He assured the Philippians, “But our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who,
by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control,
will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious
body” (Phil. 3:20-21). Paul gives the clearest and most direct statement
306
in (1 Thess. 4:15-16): “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you
that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord
Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
in Christ will rise first.” Other direct statements are found in (2 Thess.
1:7, 10 and Titus, 2:13). In addition, we find in Paul many less elaborate
references to the second coming: (1 Cor. 1:7; 15:23; 1 Thess. 2:19;
3;13; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8; 1 Tim. 6:14 and 2 Tim. 4:1-8). Other authors
also mention the second coming: (Hebr. 9:28; James, 5:7-8; 1 Peter,
1:7, 13; 2 Peter, 1:16; 3:4, 12 and 1 John, 2:28). Certainly the second
coming is one of the most widely taught doctrines in the New
Testament.
While the fact of the second coming is very
emphatically and clearly asserted in the Bible, the time is not. Indeed,
the Bible makes it clear that we do not know and cannot ascertain the
exact time when Jesus will return. Although God has set a definite time
that time has not been revealed. Jesus indicated that neither He nor
the angels knew the time of His return, and neither would His disciples:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not
know when that time will come. Therefore keep watch because you do
not know when the owner of the house will come back whether in the
evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn” (Mark,
13:32-33, 35 and Matt. 24:36-44). Apparently the time of the return
was one of the matters to which Jesus was referring when, just before
His ascension, He responded to His disciples’ question, whether He,
307
would now restore the kingdom of Israel: “It is not for you to know
the time or dates the Father has set by His own authority” (Acts, 1:7).
Instead of satisfying their curiosity, Jesus told the disciples that they
were to be His witnesses worldwide. That the time of His return is not
to be revealed explains Jesus’ repeated emphasis on its
unexpectedness and the consequent need for watchfulness (Matt.
24:44, 50; 25:13 and Mark, 13:35).
That Christ’s second coming will be personal in
character is not the subject of any extensive discussion. Rather, it is
simply assumed throughout the references to His return. Jesus says,
for example, “I will come back and take you to be with me, that you
also may be where I am” (John, 14:3). Paul’s statement that “the Lord
Himself will come down from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16), leaves little
doubt that the return will be personal in nature. The word of the
angels at Jesus’ ascension, “The same Jesus, Who has been taken from
you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go
into heaven” (Acts, 1:11), establishes that His return will be just as
personal as was His departure.
Although the second coming will be preceded by
several signs-the desolating sacrilege (Matt. 24:15), great tribulation
(Matt. 24:21), darkening of the sun (Matt. 24:29), they will not indicate
the exact time of Jesus’ return. Consequently, there will be many for
whom His return will be quite unexpected. It will be as in the days of
Noah (Matt. 24:37). Although Noah spent some time in the
construction of the ark, none of his contemporaries, except for his own
family, prepared themselves for the flood. People will be feeling
secure, but sudden description will come upon them (1 Thess. 5:2-3).
308
Jesus’ teaching-suggest that because of a long delay before the second
coming, some will be lulled into inattention (Matt. 25:1-13; 2 Peter,
3:3-4). When the (Parousia) finally occurs, however, it will happen so
quickly that there will be no time to prepare (Matt. 25:8-10).
Jesus will come on the clouds with great power and
great glory (Matt. 24:30; Mark, 13:26 and Luke, 21:27). He will be
accompanied by His angels and heralded by the archangel (1 Thess.
4:16). He will sit on His glorious throne and judge all the nations (Matt.
25:31-46).
The Bible clearly promises resurrection of the believer.
The Old Testament gives us several direct statements, the first being
(Isa. 26:19): “But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who
dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew
of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.” (Daniel, 12:2),
teaches resurrection of both the believer and the wicked: “Multitudes
who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake some to everlasting life,
others to shame and everlasting contempt.” The idea of resurrection is
also asserted in (Ezekiel, 37:12-14): “Therefore prophesy and say to
them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O My people, I am going
to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back
to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the
LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put
My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.
Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken and I have done it,
declares the LORD.”’
In addition to direct statements, the Old Testament
intimates that we can expect deliverance from death. (Ps. 49:15), says,
309
“But God will redeem my life from the grave He will surely take me to
Himself.” (PS. 17:15), speaks of awaking in the presence of God: “And I
in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied
with seeing your likeness.”
While we must exercise care not to read too much of
the New Testament revelation into the Old Testament, it is significant
that Jesus and the New Testament writers maintained that Old
Testament teaches resurrection. When questioned by the Sadducees,
who denied the resurrection, Jesus accused them of error due to lack
of knowledge of the Bible and of the power of God (Mark, 12:24), and
that went on to argue for the resurrection on the basis of the Old
Testament: “Now about the dead rising have you not read in the Book
of Moses, in the account of the bush, what God said to him, ‘I am the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He is not the
God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” (Matt.
22:29-32; Mark, 12:24-27; Luke, 20:34-38; Peter, Acts 2:24-32; Paul,
Acts, 13:32-37; saw Ps. 16:10), as a prediction of the resurrection of
Jesus (Hebr. 11:19), comments Abraham’s belief in God’s ability to
raise persons from the dead: “Abraham reasoned that God could raise
the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from
death.” [Abraham-reason that, if Isaac died, God was able to bring him
back to life again. Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
Hebrew, 11:19].
The New Testament, of course, teaches the
resurrection much more clearly. John, reports several occasions when
Jesus spoke of the resurrection. One of the clearest declarations is in
(John 5:25 and 28-29): “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has
310
now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and
those who hear will live…Do not be amazed on this , for a time is
coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come
out those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have
done evil will rise to be condemned.” Other affirmations of the
resurrection are found in (John, 6:39-54), and the narrative of the
raising of Lazarus (John, 11:24-25 and 11:44).
Paul clearly believed and taught that there is to be a
future bodily resurrection. In (1 Cor. 15:51-52): “Listen, I tell you: We
will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will
be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” The resurrection is
also clearly taught in (1 Thess. 4:13-16 and implied in 2 Cor. 5:1-10).
And when Paul appeared before the council, he created dissension
between the Pharisees and Sadducees by declaring. “My brothers, I am
a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, I stand on trial because of my hope in
the resurrection of the dead” (Acts, 23:6): he made a similar
declaration before Felix (Acts 24:21). John also affirms the doctrine of
resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6, 13).
All of the members of the Trinity are involved in the
resurrection of believers. Paul informs us that the Father will raise
believers through the Spirit: “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus
from the dead is living in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will
also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, Who lives in you”
(Rom. 8:11). There is a special connection between the resurrection of
Christ and the general resurrection a point Paul particularly
emphasized in (1 Cor. 15:12-14): “But if it is taught that Christ has been
311
raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no
resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then
not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our
teaching is useless and so is your faith.” And in (Col. 1:18), Paul refers
to Jesus as “The head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and
the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might
have the supremacy.” And in (Rev. 1:5), John similarly refers to Jesus as
the firstborn from the dead.” Paul in (Col. 1:15): Christ is the visible
image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and
is supreme over all creation.” The resurrection of Christ is the basis for
the believer’s hope and confidence. Paul writes, “We believe that Jesus
died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in Him” (1 Thess. 4:14). Peter ties the
new birth and the living hope of the believer to Christ’s resurrection
and then looks to the second coming when genuine faith will result in
praise, glory and honour (1 Peter, 1:3-9).
Several passages in the New Testament affirm that the
body will be restored to life. One of them is (Rom. 8:11): “And if the
Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He Who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit Who lives in you.” And in (Phil. 3:20-21), Paul writes,
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by the power that enables Him to
bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so
that they will be like His glorious body.” In (1 Cor. 15:44), he says, “It is
sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural
body, there is also a spiritual body.” Paul also makes clear that the
312
view that resurrection has already occurred, that is in the form of a
spiritual resurrection not incompatible with the fact that the bodies
are still lying in the graves, is a heresy. He makes this point when he
condemns the views of Hymenaeus and Philetus, “who have wandered
away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken
place, and they destroy the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18).
In addition, there are inferential or indirect evidences
of the bodily nature of the resurrection. The redemption of the
believer is spoken of as involving the body, not merely the soul: “We
know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves,
who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom.
8:22-23). In (1 Cor. 6:12-20), Paul points out the spiritual significance of
the body. This is in sharp contrast to the view of the Gnostics who
minimized the body, that the body being evil is spiritually irrelevant,
and hence engaged in licentious behaviour. Paul, however, insists that
the body is holy. Our bodies are members of Christ (1 Cor. 6:15). The
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19). “The body is not meant
for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body” (1
Cor. 6:13). “By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He
will raise us also” (1 Cor. 6:14). “Therefore honour God with your
body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Jesus’s resurrection was bodily in nature. When Jesus
appeared to His disciples they were frightened, thinking that they were
seeing a spirit. He reassured them by saying, “Why are you troubled,
and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at My hands and My feet.
313
It is I Myself! Touch Me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and
bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:38-39). And when He later appeared
to Thomas, who had expressed scepticism about the resurrection.
Jesus said, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand
and put it into My side, Stop doubting and believe” (John, 20:27). That
Jesus was seen and heard and recognized by the disciples suggests that
He had a body similar to the one He had possessed before. The fact
that the tomb was empty and the body was never produced by the
opponents of Christ is a further indication of the bodily nature of His
resurrection. The special connection which, as we have already noted,
exists between the resurrection of Christ and that of the believer
argues that our resurrection will be bodily as well. Lazarus and the
others restored to life by Jesus eventually died again and were buried.
Yet Paul speaks of the new body as “imperishable,” in contrast to
“perishable” body that is buried (1 Cor. 15:42). “Natural body” that is
sown and the “spiritual body” that is raised (1 Cor. 15:44). There is a
significant difference between the two, but we do not know the
precise nature of that difference. Further, there are explicit statements
that exclude the possibility that the resurrection body will be purely
physical. Paul says near the end of his discussion of the resurrection
body, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does
the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50).Jesus’ retort to
the Sadducees, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be
given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matt. 22:30).
It should be borne in mind that Jesus’ exultation was not yet complete.
The ascension, involving a transition from this space-time universe to
the spiritual realm of heaven, may well have produced yet another
314
transformation. Our resurrection body will be like Jesus’ present body,
not like that body He had between His resurrection and ascension. The
same will have the living like Jesus, at the second coming of Jesus.
Jesus pictured Himself as sitting on a glorious throne
and judging all nations (Matt. 25:31-33). Although God is spoken of as
the judge in (Hebrews, 12:23), it is clear from several other references
that He delegates this authority to the Son. Jesus Himself said,
“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment
to the Son…And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the
Son of Man” (John, 5:33, 27). Peter told the gathering in Cornelius’s
house, “[Jesus] commanded us to teach to the people and to testify
that He is the one Whom God appointed as to judge of the living and
the dead” (Acts 10:42). Paul informed the Athenians that God “has set
a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has
appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from
the dead” (Acts, 17:31). And Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what-ever we deserve for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). And in (2 Tim.4:1), states that
Christ is to judge the living and the dead. In (Matt. 19:28, and Luke,
22:28-30), Jesus says that the disciples will judge the twelve tribes of
Israel. We are also told that believers will sit on thrones and judge the
world (1 Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 3:21 and Rev. 20:4).
All Humans will be judged (Matt. 25:32; 2 Cor. 5:10 and
Heb. 9:27). Paul warns that “For we will all stand before God’s
judgments seat” (Rom. 14:10). Every secret will be revealed; all that
has ever occurred will be evaluated.
315
In addition, the evil angels will be judged at this time.
Peter writes that “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,
but sent them to hell [Tartarus] putting them into gloomy dungeons to
be held for judgment” (2 Peter, 2:4 and Jude 6), makes an almost
identical statement. The good angels will participate in the judgment
by gathering together all who are to be judged (Matt. 13:41 and Matt.
24:31).
Those who appear will be judged in terms of their
earthly lives. Paul said that we will all appear at the judgment, “For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what-ever we deserve for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Jesus said that at the resurrection
all will “come out those who have done good rise to live, and those
who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John, 5:29). And in
(Matt. 25:31-46), that it is the doing of good deeds that makes the
difference, Jesus indicated that some who claim and who even appear
to have done good deeds will be told to depart (Matt. 7:21-23). The
standard on the basis of which the evaluation will be made is the
revealed will of God. Jesus said, “There is a judge for the one who
rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I
spoke will condemned him at the last day” (John, 12:48). Even those
who have not explicitly heard the law will be judged: “All who sin apart
from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under
the law will be judged by the law” (Rom. 2:12).
Once passed, the judgment will be permanent and
irrevocable. The righteous and the ungodly will be sent away to their
respective final places. There is no hint that the verdict can be
316
changed. In concluding His teaching about the last judgment. Jesus said
that those on His left hand “will go away to the eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life” (Matt. 25”46).
Bishop Kallistos Ware, writes: There are, however, at
least three things that we are entitled to affirm without ambiguity, that
Christ will come again in glory; that at His coming we shall be raised
from the dead and judged; and that “of His kingdom there shall be no
end” (Luke, 1:33).
The Second Coming according to Orthodox Church: The
world will grow gradually better and better until mankind succeeds in
establishing God’s Kingdom upon earth. The Christian view of world
history is entirely opposed to this kind of evolutionary optimism. What
we are taught to expect are disasters in the world of nature,
increasingly destructive warfare between men, bewilderment and
apostasy among those who call themselves Christians (Matt. 24:3-27).
This period of tribulation will culminate with the appearance of “the
man of sin” ( 2 Thess. 2:3-4) or Antichrist, who, according to the
interpretation traditional in the Orthodox Church, will not be Satan
himself, but a Human being, a genuine man, in whom all the forces of
evil will be concentrated and who will for a time hold the entire world
under his way. The brief reign of Antichrist will be abruptly terminated
by the Second Coming of the Lord, this time not in a hidden way, as at
His birth in Bethlehem, but” sitting on the right hand of power, and
drawing near upon the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). So the course
of history will be brought to a sudden and dramating end, through a
direct intervention from the divine realm. First, then, the Bible and
Holy Tradition speak to us repeatedly about the Second Coming. The
317
precise time of the Second Coming is hidden from us: “It is not for you
to know the times and the seasons, which the Father has determined
by His own decision” (Acts, 1:7). The Lord will come “as a thief in the
night” (1 Thess. 5:2). This means that, while avoiding speculation about
the exact date, we are to be always prepared and expectant. “What I
say unto you I say unto all: Watch” (Mark, 13:37). For, whether the End
comes late or soon in our Human time-scale, it is always imminent,
always spiritually close at hand. We are to have in our hearts a sense of
urgency. In the words of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete,
recited each lent:
My soul, O my soul, rise up! Why art thou sleeping? The
End draws near, and soon shall thou be troubled. Watch, then, that
Christ thy God may spare thee. For He is everywhere present and fills
all things.
1. Harold DeWolf, A Theology of the living Christ (New York: Harper &Row, 1960).
2. Ladd Blest hope.
3. Berkhof, Systematic Theology..
4. Walvoord, Return of the Lord.
5. Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete: In the Lenten Triodion.
6. Bishop Kallistos Ware, Orthodox.
318
TOPIC 54
GOD IS IN CONTROL
MILLENNIAL AND THE TRIBULATIONAL VIEWS
The millennium refers to the earthly reign of Jesus
Christ. Three main millennial views have developed concerning the end
times. A millennial view takes the position that there will be no earthly
reign of Christ, and that the Bible passages that are debated only
concerned the individuals at the time of the writer. The postmillennial
view regards the millennium to be in progress preceding the second
319
coming of Christ. The final view, premillennialism, has gained the most
respect among current Christians. This view holds that the second
coming will precede the millennium (earthly rule of Christ). The
premillennial view has also created controversy about the role of the
tribulation and the church. Those who advocate pretribulationism
believe that Christ will rapture the church before the great tribulation
on earth. Another view is the postribulationism view, which maintains
that Christ’s coming will occur after the great tribulation. Other views
have been offered, but the evidence of the Bible seems to agree most
with the posttribulationist view.
Postmillennialism: rest on the belief that the teaching
of the Bible will be so successful that the world will be converted. The
reign of Christ, the locus of which is Human hearts, will be complete
and universal. The petition, “Your kingdom come, your will be done as
it is in heaven and on earth,” will be actualized. Peace will prevail and
evil will be virtually banished. Then, when the Bible has fully taken
effect, Christ will return.
In the Old Testament, (Ps. 47, 72, 100; Isa. 45:22-25 and
Hosea, 2:23), makes it clear that all nations will come to know God. In
addition, Jesus said on several occasions that the Bible would be taught
universally prior to His second coming. A prime example, of this
teaching is found in (Matt. 24:14). Inasmuch as the Great Commission
is to be carried out in His authority, Jesus came and told His disciples. “I
have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go
and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples
320
to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am
with you always even to the end of the ages” (Matt. 28:18-20).
Premillennialism: is committed to the concept of an
earthly reign by Jesus Christ of approximately a thousand years Unlike
postmillennialism, premillennialism sees Christ as physically present
during this time; it believes that He will return personally and bodily to
commence the millennium. The key passage for premillennialism is
(Rev. 20:4-6)…”And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded…They come to life and reined with Christ a thousand years.
This is the first resurrection…The second dead has no power over
them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with
Him for a thousand years.”
A millennialism: is the idea that there will be no
millennium, no earthly reign of Christ. The great final judgment will
immediately follow the second coming and issue directly in the final
states of the righteous and the wicked. A millennialism is a simpler
view than either of the others that we have been considering.
(Postmillennialism and Premillennialism). Its advocates maintain that it
is built on a number of relatively clear eschatological passages,
whereas premillennialism is based primarily on a single passage, and
an obscure one at that.
We must now address the question of which millennial
view to adopt. We note here that there are no Biblical passages with
which premillennialism cannot cope. We have seen, that the
references to two resurrections (Rev. 20), gives a millennialism
difficulty. Their explanations that we have here two different types of
resurrections or two spiritual resurrections strain the usual principals
321
of hermeneutics. The premillennialist case appears stronger at this
point. Paul writes, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
alive. But each in his own turn; Christ, the first fruits; then, when He
comes, those who belong to Him; then the end will come, when He
hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all
dominion, authority and power” (1 Cor. 15:22-24). It appears that just
as the first coming and resurrection of Christ were distinct events
separated by time, so will there be an interval between the second
coming and the end. There are other passages that hint at either a
resurrection of a select group (Luke, 14:14; 20:35; 1 Cor. 15:23;
Phil.3:11 and 1 Thess. 4:16), or a resurrection in two stages (Dan. 12:3
and John, 5:29). In (Phil. 3:11), Paul speaks of attaining “the
resurrection from the dead.” These texts fit well with the concept of
two resurrections. Accordingly, we judge the premillennial views to be
more adequate than a millennialism.
Tribulation: is the relationship of Christ’s return to the
complex of events known as the great tribulation. The question is
whether there will be a separate coming to remove the church from
the world prior to the great tribulation or whether the church will go
through the tribulation and be united with the Lord only afterward.
The view that Christ will take the church to Himself prior to the
tribulation is called pretribulationism; the view that He will take the
church after the tribulation is called posttribulationism.
Pretribulationist: hold that it will be a period of
transition concluding God’s dealings with the Gentiles and preparing
for the millennium and the events that will transpire therein. The
tribulation is not to be understood as in any sense a time for
322
disciplining believers or purifying the church. A second major idea of
pretribulationism is the rupture of the church. Christ will come at the
beginning of the great tribulation (or just prior to it), to remove the
church from the world. This coming in a sense will be secret. No
unbelieving eye will observe it. The rupture is pictured in (1 Thess.
4:17): “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with [the dead in Christ] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Note that in the rapture
Christ will not descend all the way to earth, as He will when He comes
with the church at the end of the tribulation. pretribulationism, then,
maintains that there will be two phases in Christ’s coming or one could
even say two comings. There will also be three resurrections. The first
will be the resurrection of the righteous dead at the rupture, for Paul
teaches that believers who are alive at the time will not precede those
who are dead. Then at the end of the tribulation there will be a
resurrection of those saints who have died during the tribulation.
Finally, at the end of the millennium, there will be a resurrection of
unbelievers. This all means that the church will be absent during the
tribulation. We can expect deliverance because Paul promised the
Thessalonians that they would not experience the wrath, God will pour
out upon the unbelievers: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath
but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9);
Jesus…rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10). In (Matt.
24:3), which indicate that some of the elect will be present during the
tribulation. The disciples asking what would be the sign of Jesus’
coming and of the end of the age. Also (Acts, 1:6), occurred within a
Jewish framework. And accordingly, Jesus’ discussion here pertains
323
primarily to the future of Israel. There is, finally, within
pretribulationism a strong emphasis that the Lord’s return is imminent.
Jesus urged watchfulness upon the hearers, since they did not know
the time of His return (Matt. 25:13). The parable of the ten virgins
conveys this message. Just as in the time of Noah, there will be no
warning signs (Matt. 24:43), or like the master who returns at an
unexpected time (Matt. 24:45-51). There will be sudden separation.
Two men will be working in the field; two women will be grinding at
the mill. In each case, one will be taken and the other left. What
clearer depiction of the rapture could there be? Since it can occur at
any moment, watchfulness and diligent activity are very much in order.
There is another basis for the belief that Christ’s return is imminent.
The church can have a blessed hope (Titus 2:13), only if the next major
event to transpire is the coming of Christ. If the Antichrist and the
great tribulation were the next items on the eschatological agenda.
Paul would have told the church to expect suffering, persecution,
anguish. But instead he instructs the Thessalonians to comfort one and
other with the fact of Christ’s second coming (1 Thess. 4:18). Since the
next event, to which the church is to look forward with hopeful
anticipation, is the coming of Christ for the church, there is nothing to
prevent it from happening at any time.
Posttribulationism: maintain that the coming of Christ
for His church will not take place until the conclusion of the great
tribulation. They avoid use of the term rapture because (1) it is not a
Biblical expression and (2) it suggests that the church will escape or be
delivered from the tribulation, a notion that runs contrary to the
essence of posttribulation.
324
According to posttribulation, the church will be present
during and experience the great tribulation. The term elect in (Matt.
24), after the tribulation, the angels will gather the elect (Matt.24:2931), should be understood in the light of its usage elsewhere in the
Bible, where it means “believers.” Since Pentecost, the term elect has
denoted the church. The Lord will preserve the church during, but not
spare it from, the tribulation. Posttribulation draw a distinction
between the wrath of God and the tribulation. The wrath (orge) of God
is spoken of in the Bible as coming upon the wicked “whoever rejects
the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remain on him” (John, 3:36).
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the
godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their
wickedness” (Rom. 1:18; 2 Thess. 1:8; Rev. 6:16-17; 14:19; 16:19 and
19:15). On the other hand, believers will not undergo the wrath of God
“we [shall] be saved from God’s wrath through [Christ]” (Rom. 5:9);
“Jesus…rescues us from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:10); “God did not
appoint us to suffer wrath” (1 Thess. 5:9). The Bible makes it clear,
however, that believers will experience tribulation. The noun (thlipsis)
refer to tribulation saints endure. The noun is used to denote
persecution of the saints in the last times (Matt. 24:9, 21, 29; Mark,
13:19, 24 and Rev. 7:14). This is not God’s wrath, but the wrath of
Satan, Antichrist, and the wicked against God’s people.
Tribulation has been the experience of the church
throughout the ages. Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble”
(John, 16:33). Other significant references are (Acts, 14:22; Rom. 5:3; 1
Thess. 3:3; 1 John, 2:18, 22; and 2 John, 7). Posttribulationism:
acknowledge that the Bible speaks of believers who will escape or be
325
kept from the impending trouble. In (Luke, 21:36), Jesus tells His
disciples, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to
escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand
before the Son of Man.”
Posttribulationists also see the complex of events at the
end as basically unitary. They believe that this complex of events is
imminent, although they usually do not mean that the coming itself is
imminent in the sense that it could occur at any moment. Their blessed
hope is not an expectation that believers will be removed from the
earth before the great tribulation, but rather a confidence that the
Lord will protect and keep believers regardless of what may come.
1.Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Grand Rabids: Eerdmans, 1952).
2. Floyd Hamilton, The Basis of Millenial Faith Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1942).
3.Walvoord, Rapture Question.
4. George E. Ladd, “Historic Premillennialism,” in meaning of the Millnnium.
5. Gundry, Church and the Tribulation.
326
TOPIC 55
GOD IS IN CONTROL
FINAL STATES
The future condition of the Human individual is largely
determined by the decision made in the present life. These decisions
affect the outcome for each individual for all eternity. For the
righteous, eternal life in the presence of the Lord will be the result. For
the wicked, eternal punishment constituting the banishment from the
presence of God will be the consequence. The judgment of both the
righteous and the wicked will also include degrees of reward and
punishment.
The term “Heaven,” In the creation account we are
told, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen.
1:1). Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear,
not even the smallest detail, of God’s law will disappear, until its
purpose is achieved” (Matt. 5:18; 24:35 and Luke, 16:17). He referred
to the Father as “Lord of heaven and earth” (Matt. 11:25). Heaven
327
(ouranos) is the firmament in which the stars are set (Matt. 24:29), the
air (Matt. 6:26), the place where lightning (Luke, 17:24) and rain (Luke,
4:25) originate. Second, “heaven” is a virtual synonym for God. Among
examples are the prodigal son’s confession to His father, “I have sinned
against heaven and against you” (Luke, 15:18, 21); Jesus’ question to
the Pharisees, “John’s Baptism where did it come from? Was it from
heaven, or from men?” (Matt. 21:25) and John the Baptist’s
declaration. “To this John replied: “No one can receive anything unless
God gives it from heaven” (John, 3:27). Most notable is Matthew’s
repeated use of the expression “Kingdom of heaven” where Luke in
parallel passages has “Kingdom of God,” Writing to a Jewish audience,
who would not pronounce the name Yahweh Matthew used “heaven”
as a synonym for God. The third meaning of the word heaven and the
one most significant for our purposes is the abode of God. Thus, Jesus
taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven may Your name be
kept Holy. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done as in
heaven and on earth. Give us the daily bread, and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t bring us into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen. (Matt. 6:9). He
often spoke of “Your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, 45; 6:1; 7:11
and18:14), and “My Father Who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21; 10:32-33;
12:50; 16:17 and 18:10-19). The expression “heavenly Father” conveys
the same idea (Matt. 5:48; 6:14, 26, 32; 15:13 and 18:35). Jesus is said
to have come from heaven: “No one has ever gone into heaven except
the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man” (John, 3:13; 3:31;
6:42-51). Angels come from heaven (Matt. 28:2 and Luke, 22:43), and
return to heaven (Luke, 2:15). They dwell in heaven (Mark, 13:32),
328
where they behold God (Matt. 18:10), and carry out the Father’s will
perfectly (Matt. 6:10). They are even referred to as a heavenly host
(Luke, 2:13). It is from heaven that Christ is to be revealed (1 Thess.
1:10; 4:16 and 2 Thess. 1:7). He has gone away to heaven to prepare
an eternal dwelling for believers. We do not know the precise nature
of this activity, but it is apparent that He is readying a place where
believers will fellowship with Him. “In My Father’s house are many
rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I
am” (John, 14:2-3). As God’s abode, heaven is obviously where
believers will be for all eternity. For Paul said: “After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with [the dead in
Christ] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will be with the
Lord forever” (1 Thess. 4:17). We know that this Lord with Whom we
shall ever abide in the heaven, in the presence of the Father: “I am
returning to My Father and your Father, To My God and your God”
(20:17; Acts, 1:10-11). He is now there: “For Christ did not enter a
man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered
heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” (Heb. 9:24).
Consequently, to be with Christ is to be with the Father in heaven. The
believer is to make preparation for heaven: “Do not store up for your
self’s treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do
not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19-20). Peter writes that believers
have been both anew “and into one inheritance that can never perish,
329
spoil or fade kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by
God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). Paul similarly speaks of “the
hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Co. 1:5), and of a future time
when all things in heaven and on earth will unite in Christ: God has a
will “to be put into effect when the times will have reached their
fulfilment to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the
authority of Christ” (Eph. 1:10).
Heaven is the first and foremost, the presence of God.
In (Rev. 21:3), the new heaven is likened to the tabernacle, the tent
where God had dwelt among Old Testament Israel, a great voice from
the throne said: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live
with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.” God’s intention from the beginning, to have
fellowship with Humans, led first to His creating the Human race, then
to His dwelling in the tabernacle and temple, then to His coming in the
incarnation, and finally to His taking Humans to be with Him (heaven).
Sometimes, especially in popular presentations, heaven is depicted as
primarily a place of great physical pleasures, a place where everything
we have most desired here on earth is fulfilled to the ultimate degree.
Thus heaven seems to be merely earthly (and even worldly) conditions
amplified. The correct perspective, however, is to see the basic nature
of heaven as the presence of God, from which all of the blessings of
heaven follow.
Paul makes the comment that at present “we know in
part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the
imperfect disappears…Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;
330
then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know
fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:9-12). John speaks of the
effect God’s presence will have on the believer: “Dear friends, now we
are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made
known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for
we shall see Him as He is” (1 John, 3:2).
Heaven will also be characterized by the removal of all
evils. Being with His people, God “will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old
order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4). The very source of evil,
the one who tempts us to sin, will also be gone: “And the devil, who
deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the
beast and the false prophets had been thrown. They will be tormented
day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). The presence of the
perfectly Holy God and the spotless Lamp means that there will be no
sin or evil of any kind.
Since glory is of the very nature of God, heaven will be
a place of great glory. The announcement of Jesus’ birth was
accompanied by the words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom His favour rests” (Luke, 2:14). Similar words
were spoken at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem: “Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest” (Luke, 19:38). The second coming of Christ
will be in great glory (Matt. 24:30), and He will sit on His glorious
throne (Matt. 25:31). Jesus told the multitude that He would come “in
His Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark, 8:38). Images suggesting
immense size or brilliant light depict heaven as a place of unimaginable
splendour, greatness, excellence, and beauty. The New Jerusalem that
331
will come down out of heaven from God is described as made of pure
gold (even its streets are pure gold) and decorated with precious
jewels (Rev. 21:18-21). It is likely that while John’s vision employs as
metaphors those items which we think of as being most valuable and
beautiful, the actual splendour of heaven far exceeds anything that we
have yet experienced. There will be no need of sun or moon to illumine
the new Jerusalem, for “The city does not need the sun or the moon
to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb its lamp”
(Rev. 21:23).
Our life in heaven: Rest, Worship, and Service. Rest, is
the term is used in Hebrews, is not merely a cessation of activities, but
the experience of reaching a goal of crucial importance. Thus, there are
frequent references to the pilgrimage through the wilderness end
route to the “rest” of the Promised Land (Hebr. 3:11, 18), attainment
of which was the completion of an extremely difficult and toilsome
endeavour. A similar rest awaits believers: “There remains, then, a
Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest
also rest from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by
following their example of disobedience” (Hebr. 4:9-11). The people
being addressed here are the “holy brothers, who share in the
heavenly calling” (Hebr. 3:1). Heaven, then, will be the completion of
the Christian’s pilgrimage, the end of the struggle against the flesh, the
world, and the devil. There will be work to do, but it will not involve
fighting against opposing forces.
Another facet of life in heaven is worship. A vivid
picture is found in (Rev. 19:1-4). After I heard what sounded like the
332
roar of a great multitudes in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation
and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His
judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the
earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His
servants.” And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her
goes up for ever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living
beings fell down and worshiped God, Who was sitting on the throne.
And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
Then a voice from the throne exhorted the multitude to
praise God (Rev.19:5), and they did so. “Praise our God, all His servants
all who fear Him, from the least to the greatest” (Rev. 19:6-8). In (Isa.
6:3), Isaiah recounts a vision he had of the Lord sitting on a throne,
high and lifted up. One seraph called to another, saying, “Holy, holy,
holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” From
these sketches of heaven it appears that its inhabitants regularly praise
and worship God. Consequently, we may expect that the redeemed
will be engaged in similar activity following the Lord’s coming, the
great judgment, and the establishment of His heavenly kingdom. In this
sense, genuine believers will continue activity they engaged in while on
earth. Our worship and praise here and now are preparation and
practice for future employment of our hearts and voices.
There will evidently be an element of service in heaven
as well. For when Jesus was in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan,
He told His disciples that they would judge with Him: “I tell you the
truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His
glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28). Later, at the
333
last Supper, He said, “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials.
And I confer on you a kingdom, just as My Father conferred one on
Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit
on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke, 22:28-30). It is
not clear just what is involved in this judging, but apparently it is
service or work done on behalf of the king. There may well be a
parallel here to the dominion the Humans were originally intended to
exercise in the Garden of Eden. They were to serve as under lords or
vicegerents, carrying out God’s work on His behalf. In the parable of
the three Servants, in (Matt. 25:14-30), the reward for work done
faithfully is greater opportunity for work. Because that parable occurs
in an eschatological setting, it may well is an indication that the reward
for faithful work done here on earth will be work in heaven. (Rev. 22:3)
tells us that the Lamb will be worshiped by “His servants.”
There is also a suggestion that in heaven there will be
some type of community or fellowship of among believers: “But you
have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the
living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in
joyful assembly, to the church of the first born, whose names are
written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the
spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than
the blood of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24). Note also the reference to “the
spirits of righteous men made perfect” heaven is a place of perfected
spirituality.
The question regarding heaven is whether it is a place
or a state. On the one hand, it should be noted that the primary
334
feature of heaven is closeness and communion with God, and that God
is pure spirit (John, 4:24). Since God does not occupy space, which is a
feature of our universe, it would seem that heaven is a state, a spiritual
condition, rather than a place. On the other hand, there is the
consideration that we will have bodies of some type (although they will
be “spiritual bodies”) and that Jesus presumably continues to have a
glorified body as well. While placelessness may make sense when we
are thinking of immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body
seems to require place. In addition, parallel references to heaven and
earth suggest that, like earth, must be a locale. The most familiar of
these references is, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your kingdom come, Your Will be done as in heaven and on earth”
(Matt. 6:9-10). We must be mindful, that heaven is another realm,
another dimension of reality, so it is difficult to know the features of
the world apply as well to the world to come, and what the term
(place) means to the eschaton.
The question of physical pleasures: Jesus indicated that
there will be in the resurrection, presumably the life hereafter, no
marrying or giving in marriage (Matt. 22:30; Mark, 12:25 and Luke,
20:34-36). Jesus replied, Marriage is for people here on earth. But in
the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will
neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again,
in this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and
children of the resurrection. What of eating and drinking? (Rev. 19:9)
refers to the “wedding supper of the Lamb.” And Jesus said to His
disciples at the Last Supper: “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of
the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in
335
My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). In view of the fact that the
references to Christ and the church as bridegroom and bride are
symbolic, as is Christ as the Lamb, the marriage supper is presumably
symbolic as well. Although Jesus ate in His resurrection body (Luke,
24:23 and John, 21:9-14), it should be borne in mind that He was
resurrected but not yet ascended, so that the transformation of His
body was probably not yet completed. It should be understood that
the experiences of heaven will far surpass anything experienced here.
Paul said, ‘“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him’ but God has revealed
it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things
of God” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).
There also is the question of how much the redeemed
in heaven will know or remember. Will we recognize those close to us
in this life? Will we remember sinful actions done and godly deeds
omitted in this life? If so, will not all of this lead to regret and sorrow?
With regard to these questions we must necessarily plead a certain
amount of ignorance. It does not appear, from Jesus’ response to the
Sadducees’ question about the woman who had outlived seven
husbands, all of them brothers (Luke, 20:27-40), that there will be
family units as such. On the other hand, the disciples were evidently
able to recognize Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8;
Mark, 9:2-8 and Luke, 9:28-36). This fact suggests that there will be
some indicators of personal identity by which we will be able to
recognize one another. But we may infer that we will not recollect past
failures and sins and missing loved ones, since that would introduce
sadness incompatible with. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
336
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old
order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
A question is whether there will be varying rewards in
heaven. That there apparently will be degrees of reward is evident in,
the parable of the talants (Luke, 19:11-27). Ten servants were each
given one talant by their master. Eventually they returned differing
amounts to him and were rewarded in proportion to their faithfulness.
Supporting passages include (Dan. 12:3). (“Those who are wise will
shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to
righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever”), and in (1 Cor.3:14-15)
(“If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned
up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one
escaping through the flames”).
The Bible employs several images to depict the future
state of the unrighteous. Jesus said, “Then He will say to those on His
left. ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41). He likewise
described their state as outer darkness: “But the subjects of the
kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12). The final condition of the
wicked is also spoken of as eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46), torment
(Rev. 14:10-11) the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:1-2, 11), the wrath of God
(Rom. 2:5), second death (Rev. 21:8), eternal destruction and exclusion
from the face of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:9).
The Finality of the future Judgment. Indeed, there are
some passages of the Bible that seem to indicate that all will be saved.
Paul, wrote, “And He made known to us the mystery of His will
337
according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put
into effect when the time will have reached their fulfilment bring all
things in heaven and on earth together under the authority of Christ”
(Eph. 1:9-10). And speaking of the future, He declared “that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
In addition, there are several instances where words
like “everlasting,” “eternal” and “forever” are applied to nouns
designating the future state of the wicked: fire or burning (Isa.33:14;
Jer. 17:4; Matt. 18:8; 25:41 and Jude, 7), contempt (Dan. 12:2),
destruction (2 Thess. 1:9), chains (Jude, 6), torment (Rev. 14:11 and
20:10), and punishment (Matt.25:46). “Then they will go away to
eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” God does not
send anyone to hell. He desires that none should perish (2 Peter, 3:9).
God created Humans to have fellowship with Him and provided the
means by which they can have that fellowship. It is a Human’s choice
to experience the agony of hell.
We should observe, finally, that Jesus’ teaching
suggests that there are degrees of punishment in hell. He upbraided
those cities that had witnessed His miracles but fail to repent: “Woe to
you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! ... If the miracles that were
performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have
remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for
Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you” (Matt. 11:21-24). There
is a similar hint in the parable of the faithful and faithless servant:
“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or
338
does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment
will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given
much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been
entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke, 12:47-48).
The principle here seems to be, the greater our
knowledge, the greater our responsibility, and the greater will be our
punishment if we fail in our responsibility. It may well be that the
different degrees of punishment in hell are not so much a matter of
objective circumstances as of subjective awareness of the pain of
separation from God. This is parallel to our conception of the varying
degrees of reward in heaven. To some extent, the different degrees of
punishment reflect the fact that hell is God’s leaving a sinful Human
with the particular character that the person fashioned for himself or
herself in this life. The misery one will experience from having to live
with one’s wicked self eternally will be proportionate to one’s degree
of awareness of precisely what one was doing when choosing evil.
King of Heaven, prepare the table of Your Word, that
we may hear Your invitation to come in, and sit in Your Presence,
together with Jesus Christ,
Your Son
Amen
1. Leon Morris, The Lord from Heaven (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1958).
2. Bernand Ramm, Them He Glorified: A Systematic Study of the Doctrine of
Glorification (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963),
3. J. A. Motyer, After Death: A Sure and Certain Hope? (Philadelphia: Westminster ,
1965)..
339
4. Simon. Heaven.
5. Leon Morris, The Biblical Doctrine of Judgment (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960).
340
341
INDEX
A
Abraham, 126, 310
Adam’s race, 88
Adam was the first Human, 74
Adoption, 222-223
Actual descent by Jesus into Hell or Hades, 157
Agia Sophia, 283
All authority in Heaven and on Earth, 13
All Scripture is God’s breathed, 26
All Humans will be judged, 315
Ananias and Sapphire, 171
Angels, 66-68, 91, 146-149, 150-151, 166, 334
Angels are spirits, 68
Approximation in the Bible, 29
Arians, 123, 128
Arianism, 127
Arminianism, 114, 203
Arminius, 203
Aspects of sin, 101
Atonement, 159-161
Authority resides in the Bishop, 262
Axion Esti, 149-150-151
B
Baptism in water conveys grace, 266
Baptized into Christ, 267
Baptizing them, 175-178, 250, 320
Before the Creation, 235
Believers, 214, 226, 260
Benediction, 24
Biblical Message, 28
Biblical Support, 88
Birth to the Messiah, 95
Bishop Kallistos, 317
Burning Bush, 22
342
C
Cain and Abel, 74
Calvinism, 114
Calvinist, 114
Catholic Church, 241, 262, 274
Catholic Priests, 264
Cessation of Life, 294
Change of human Hearts, 173
Characteristics of Race, 87
Children of God, 120
Christian view of Humans, 71
Christ’ Humanity, 136
Christology, 121, 129
Christ’s Bride the Church, 248-249, 250, 258
Christ’ Teaching, 152
Christ will Suffer, 209
Circumcision of the Heart, 254, 268
Coleva, 303
Come to the knowledge of Jesus, 258
Congregational Church, 264, 279
Conveyers of Messages, 68
Conversion, 212
Could Read the Character of Nathanael, 138
Creation, 73
Creed, 129
D
David and Bathsheba, 64-65
Death is to be Expected, 301
Degrees of Punishment338-339
Dichotomies, 84
Dionysius the Areopagite, 66-67
Distorted the Entire Creation, 120
Divine Speech, 22
E
343
Eastern Orthodox Church, 281-282
Ebionism, 123, 126-127
Election, 201
Enemy of God, 118-119
Eschatology, 285, 289, 290-292
Eschaton, 335
Eternal Death, 109
Eternal Life, 109, 164, 205, 261
Eternal Punishment, 327, 337
Evangelical Church, 196-198, 241, 279-280,
Every Human is God Creature, 82
Evil in the World, 62
Existential Eschatology, 287
Extent of the Atonement, 165-166
F
False Prophets, 169
Filioque, 262
Forgiving Each Other, 221
Full Salvation, 243
Future Judgment, 235
G
General Revelation of God, 16-17
Glorification, 234, 237
Glory to God in the Highest, 148-149
God and Human, 22
God does not Dwell, 36
God has a Personality35
God is a God of Justice, 106
God is Guiding History to His Goal, 53
God is Infinite, 78
God is Present, 43
God is the Authority, 30
God is the Savour of all men, 244
God Keeps all Promises, 40
God’s Ability to Change Hearts, 214
God’s Creation, 73
344
God’s Law, 229
God’s Mercy245
God’s Spirit, 44
God’s Temple, 172
God’s Work, 206
God will Raise us through the Spirit, 174
Great Glory, 331
Greek Orthodox Church, 241, 262, 274
H
Heaven is Worship, 332
Holiness of God, 37
Holy Communion, 275
Holy Spirit, 207, 212, 218, 252-253, 262
Holy Spirit Personality, 178
Humans are Creatures not God, 77
Human Constitution, 83
Humanity, 70-71
Human’s Relationship to God, 82
I
Icons, 131-135
Iconoclasts, 132-133
Iconodules, 132-134
Idolatry, 133
I Know that Nothing Good Lives in me, 227
I Lay Down My Life for the Sheep, 166
In Heaven Will Know or Remember336
In Him is no Sin, 139
Instantaneous Resurrection, 300
Intermediate State, 301
Introduction, 6
It is Written, 162
J
Jesus as the Vine, 156
Jesus Describes the Kingdom of Heaven, 154
345
Jesus Did Not Have to Die, 162
Jesus had a Physical Body, 137
Jesus had Perfect Fellowship with the Father, 81
Jesus has the Father in Mind, 47
Jesus is Lord, 11
Jesus Suffered Physically, 137
Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray, 328
Jesus Teaching, 189
Jesus was a Prophet, 153
Jesus was Full God and Full Man, 143
John the Baptist, 187, 210-211
K
Kingdom of God, 112, 178-188, 190, 240
Kingdom of Heaven, 124, 154
King of Heaven, 339
L
Last Supper, 163
Leontius Neopolis, 135
Liberation, 239
Little Ones Who Believe in Me, 270
Liturgy, 264
Living Water, 89
Logos, 155
Lord is from all Eternity, 54
Lord of Heaven and Earth, 327
Lord’s Supper, 133
Love Your God, 160
Lutheran View, 275
M
Man in Our Image, 89-81
Marriage, 95-96
Mary and Martha, 96, 137
Millennialism, 321
Millennium, 319, 321
346
Modernized Eschatology, 286
Monism, 85
Moral Purity, 39
Mother of God, 151
My Brothers and My Sisters, 225
My God My God Why Have You Forsaken Me, 138
My Teaching will Never Die, 125
Mt. Athos, 149
N
Naturalistic Evolution, 75
Nels Ferre, 243
New Birth, 214-214
Nicodimus, 112, 208, 213
Noah’s Family, 87
No Branch Can Bear Fruit by Itself, 228
Not to Condemn the World, 167
Not Wanting Anyone to Perish, 170
O
Organic Unity, 279
Original Sin, 107
Orthodox Church, 281, 317-318,
Orthodox Kisses, 135
Orthodox Priests, 264
Orthodox Priests, 264
Orthodox Prostrates, 135
Our Life in Heaven, 332
Our Moral and Spiritual Temptation, 236
Our Salvation is Absolutely Secure, 232
P
Paracletos, 176
Patriarch, 263
Pelagius, 200-201
Pelagianism, 108, 111-114, 202
Pentarchy, 262
347
Pentecost, 13
Perfection of God, 38
Permanence of Marriage, 13
Peter the Apostle, 10, 31-32, 113-114
Physical Death, 108-109, 110, 294-299
Physical Pleasures, 330, 335
Pope, 262
Postmillennialism, 320-326
Powerful God Exist, 18
Praise Our God, 333
Predestination, 200-201
Preface, 9
Premillennialism, 320-323
Pretribulationism, 323-324
Prodigal Son, 332
Prophecy, 182
Prophetic Teaching, 155
Pseudotheological Arguments, 87
Pure Gold 332
Purgatory, 302-303
R
Raised to Life, 210
Ransom, 168
Reality of Death,
Realized Eschatology, 287
Redemption, 217
Regenerate Believers, 233
Reigning with Christ, 218
Remain in Me, 217
Repent Turn to God, 208-209
Responsibility for Sin, 102-103
Reward in Heaven, 339
Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of God, 93
Ritual of Purification, 92
Russian Orthodox Church, 282-284
348
Q
Quakkas, 265
Qualities of God, 34
S
Sacraments, 240
Sacrificial Work of Christ, 14
Salvation, 195-198, 205, 216, 224-229
Salvation appropriated by Ffaith, 10, 231
Samaritan Woman, 254
Sanctification, 224
Second Death, 110, 294-295
Second Coming of Christ, 235, 305-309, 317-318
Service in Heaven, 333
Sexes in the Creation, 90, 96
Stn, 98-99, 194, 154-166
Sinful Deeds, 105
Single Person, 96
Sin is Universal, 111
Son of God, 147
Son of Man, 72
Soul Sleeps, 300
Sovereign Lord, 208
Spiritual Death, 109
Split or Schism, 262
St. Andrew of Crete, 318
St. Antony of Egypt, 303
St. Cyril and St. Methodius, 281
St, Demetrius of Thessalonica, 131
St. Vladimir and St. Olga, 282
T
The Bible is Inspired, 25
The Bible Massage, 12
The bible States, 23
The Birth of Christ, 144
349
The Black Race, 87
The Case of Thomas, 211
The Church 24-28, 25-226, 261
The Church Denounced All the Heresies, 142
The Creation, 56-57, 63
The Cross, 159
The Deity and Humanity of Christ, 140
The Deity of Christ, 123
The Deity of the Holy Spirit, 50
The Divine Plans, 55
The Father’s Knowledge, 59
The Glory of God The Father, 338
The Grace of God, 232, 240, 303
The Holy Spirit, 32,m171-179, 181-189, 190, 234-236, 256
The Holy Spirit Ability to Change Human Hearts, 173
The Holy Spirit Must Be God, 173
The Holy Spirit Proceed From The Father, 263
The Judge of All Men, 334
The Kingdom of God, 48
The Kingdom of Heaven is Near, 157
The Lamb of God, 163
The Lord’s Body, 273
The Lord’s Supper, 271-272
The Messiah, 49, 126
The Man Jesus was Fully Human Person, 136
The most Recognized Symbol of Christianity is the Cross, 159
Theology, 10
The Rite of the Church’ Baptism, 266
The Power of The Holy Spirit, 173
The Plan of God, 220
The Presence of Christ, 273
The Presence of God, 330
The Present Body, is Perishable, 236
The Resurrection Body Will be Glorious, 236, 313
The Sabbath, 124
The Sacrament of Baptism, 267
The Samaritan Woman, 138-139
The Shepherd Watches Over His Sheep, 60
The Son of God, 126
The Son of the Living God, 10, 122
The Son of Man, 49, 72, 121-124, 160-163, 298, 306,
350
The Spirit of God, 117
The Spirit of the Lord, 26
The Spirit of the Lord, 26
The Spirit of the Lord, 26
The Spirit’s Personality, 176
The Spirit Searches, 336
The Symbol of Faith, 129
The Trinitarian View of God, 31, 46
The Trinity, 51, 311
The Unbeliever’s Death, 297
The Unborn, 94
The Unity of The Church, 277
The Virgin Birth, 145
The World and Its Desires, 119
The Work of the Holy Spirit, 181
Tribulation, 322-325
Trichotomies, 83
Trinitarian Concept, 251
Triumph of Orthodoxy, 134
U
Understanding of God, 21
Unity of the Two Natures of Christ, 140
Universalism, 242
Union With Christ, 198-199, 216
Until Heaven and Earth Disappear, 27
V
Varying Rewards, 337
Virgin Named Mary, 146, 149, 150
W
What is Death, 293
When Adam Sinned, 201
When the Church Unites Under Christ as Its Head, 278
Who Raised Him From The Dead, 230
Withholding Judgments, 41
351
Women in the Work of the Church, 91-92
Z
Zwingli’s View, 276
352