2.4.3.3.2 Christ and Creation: A Trinitarian Mediation in Time and Space
Gunton's emphasis on Christ and creation comes from his critique on Barth's theology which, according to Gunton, gives more importance to redemption than creation, and is inadequate on the discussion of Christ's mediating work. Gunton opines that tradition removed Jesus Christ in their doctrine of creation, so there is a need to restore the doctrine of creation with Christology. In his doctrine of creation, therefore, Gunton stresses Christ's mediating role in creation.
In his theology, the reality of the Trinitarian God's involvement in time and space takes shape in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. Gunton maintains Christ's role as imperative in God's creation plan. He says, “Apart from
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Taking from Irenaeus, Gunton says that the Spirit is one of the complementing “two hands” with which the Trinitarian God the Father is carrying out all his works in creation to eschatology. He argues for the Spirit as the particularising and perfecting Spirit.2
Gunton's concern for the Spirit stems from the fact that in most church traditions the Spirit is not talked of as person, and his work is often neglected (Gunton, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 79). He claims that the Western tradition stressed God's action as the action of One God rather than the work of three persons in one Godhead, leading to the incomplete doctrine of the Spirit. He maintains therefore that the solution to this problem is found in the concept of particularity or articulating the Spirit as the person (Gunton, The One, the Three 203), and an understanding “of the Spirit's part in a unified conception of God's action” (Gunton, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
...nity. The Holy Spirit allows human beings to become closer to God, and the relationship between the Father and the Son. After writing about both the Trinity and Salvation, I have learned that they are immensely interconnected. The Trinity allows human beings to find Salvation. All in all, the Trinity is not three separate parts, but one part with three different essences.
Spirit), the nature of man and the need for salvation, and sin and the means of atonement.
However, God lives apart from time; all times and places in all of history are the present for God. Even though there are millions of people praying to God at the same time in our world, God has all of eternity to listen to those prayers because of his infinite attention for each person. When you pray, you are as much alone with God as if you were the only person praying to Him. Humans have free will even though God already knows what decisions we will make. This is the case because God is outside and above our lives. God views our lives as a timeline. He does not look in the past or foresee the future. He simply sees every moment as the present. Some assume that Christ’s life as God was in time and that his time on earth was a part of his life as a whole. However, Christ’s time on earth has no relationship to His life as God because his life as God is beyond all space and
Over the years, writers such as Bill McKibben have raised up their voices to give their personal opinion on polemic topics that involve Christianity. McKibben is a writer, educator, environmentalist, and currently a scholar at Middlebury College in Vermont. He served as an editor of important articles for the Harvard Crimson, and, in 2005, he wrote “The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong” (264). All of his background information gives the impression that McKibben is an educated and environmentally conscious person who has envisioned a better future for America. As a member of the Christian community, McKibben has received direct insight into the problems of the Church. In his article, McKibben argues his standpoint that,
Taylor’s “From God’s Determinations” and Wheatley; s “Thoughts on the Work of Providence” project the feelings of love, faith, and dedication they have toward their religion. Both texts are fine examples of two men writing how they feel, giving accounts of what they believe, and explaining how God, a supernatural being, has played an important role in the shaping their lives through the many acts of miracle He has performed such as creating the Earth. To explain in further detail, both Taylor and Wheatley are constantly inserting examples of what their God has done throughout each text. It is made obvious to the reader that both men are very spiritual
The Jesuit astrophysicist finds himself in a mental conundrum; is the universe really the creation and the will of God? He tries to convince himself by stating, “God has no need to justify His actions to man.” (Clarke 81) But the divide between religion and science begins to drift farther apart in his consciousness. If the situation were inevitable, then God would have prevented their destruction but instead chose not to. He cannot shake the feeling that God is not the purest being as he so believes, as someone with a good heart would not allow the annihilation of such a peaceful civilization to occur. As he questions his religion he views the crucifix and begins to see it as nothing more than “an empty symbol” of something he once believed to be
In the fifth discourse, the Son of God is described to further reflect himself about his unique and intimate eternal activity. First the author describes the production of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is said to be the bond between the divine persons. And the Son of God wanted his own person to be the producer. This would be the bond between the human and the divine being. The author describes the Holy Spirit as being a person that proceeds from the Holy Trinity. It is the bond that creates a sense of unity among the divine Persons and that they are perfectly united in the “unity of the Holy Spirit” yet they still are able to maintain their distinct natures (pg 134). The author also mentions two mysteries. The first mystery is described as having a divine person whom we adore, uniting two persons. And the second mystery is described as having a divine person whom we adore by uniting the two natures, one which is divine and the other being human. “He contemplates, adores and imitates the unity of the Holy Spirit, who is the third Person in the order of the Holy Trinity and who, by his nature, is the eternal bond between the two Persons from whom he proceeds.” (pg 135). All together the Son of God is our personal love and sacred unity. He is uniquely expressed and distinctly represented by “the states and qualities of this divine mystery, which is in a perfect relationship with what is ineffable in eternity, as well as being a living portrait of God” (135).
I ask a lot of questions; I’m a curious person. I once asked my mom why people die, why there are bad things in the world if God is so good and all-powerful. Her response was that we just couldn’t really understand why God does anything because we can’t comprehend God’s “master plan.” I’m sure that she was right, but that response is not very satisfying to a curious little boy. I saw an inconsistency in my understanding of reality, and I wanted to get things straight.
...ipture it is specifically shown that God has a one-ness, that though it is not directly stated, it is implied that there is a Trinity, and it is also specifically stated that Christ was fully human (his humanity) and fully God (his deity) at the same time.
The doctrine of the Trinity, as seen in the Christian bible, is primary to the Christian faith. The word “Trinity” does not actually appear in the bible; it is a theological label meant to summarize certain teachings of certain passages of scripture, and is crucial to properly understand what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him. It may also raise many difficult questions including what does it mean that God is a Trinity? While it is difficult for us to fully understand everything about the trinity, it is quite possible to answer questions like this one and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.
Charles Ryrie defines the pre-existence of Christ as meaning that; “He existed before his birth” (Basic Theology, 273). This is an essential part of Christology in the sense that if Christ did not exist before the virgin birth, then what can we believe of the Bible? The Bible gives us direct statements concerning Christ’s pre-existence. Through these statements one can see the meaning of the preexistence, the importance of the preexistence, and the evidence for the preexistence.
Since the dawn of man, humans have always wanted to seek out the truth. Man has pondered and explored great thoughts and concepts that have caused much confusion. Perhaps the one question that has plagued man the most is what exactly is a soul. During the Roman Era, people believed in many gods, spirits, and life after death. As time progressed, different religious beliefs arose, and new sects of faith were established. The belief in one God replaced the belief in many gods and the belief of one's soul transforming into the after life was established. God was known as a Supreme Being, who gave his creations a soul and free will. But what does this mean? The problem of what exactly one's soul is has been a battle between people throughout time. Although this struggle caused people to abandon their beliefs, great authors like Augustine and Hildegard stuck to their visions and ideas in order to put faith back into our community.
To attempt to address these questions, Gundry compiles a collection of responses from the views of five scholars representing the Weslyan (Melvin E. Dieter), Reformed (Anthony A. Hoekema), Pentecostal (Stanley M. Horton), Keswick (J. Robertson McQuilkin), and Augustinian-Dispensational (John F. Walvoord). Each contributor provides an overview and introduction to their specific evangelical position and at the same time compare and critique as they response to the other views presented. This is an excellent study as it helps to clarify the essentials as well as the distinctiveness of each position.
Pneumatology is the doctrine that focuses on the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Through out the New Testament the Holy Spirit is granted specific characteristics and duties. Following the resurrection, Jesus said “another” is coming in my place. In John Jesus says, “Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.” During the ministry of Christ, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the encourager, comforter and enabler. This paper will discuss the multidimensional portrayals of the work of the Holy Spirit as it applies to global missions. In the Old Testament the Spirit of God is described in terms of God’s efficacious authority and in the New Testament Jesus refers to the spirit of God as another advocate who was sent from the Father. While the Holy Spirit does not pose a physical body it contains the characteristics of a person. “In accordance with Scripture the “personality” of the Holy Spirit is confessed and defined in the Creeds and in all the Church’s doctrinal judgments concerning the divine Trinity.” The Hoy Spirit embodies the essence of both the Father and the Son.
Did God create the world? Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” I do believe that God did create the world and listed below are a few of my contentions: