Learning more on the Trinity – New Books!

In my quest in studying the humanity of Christ I ran into a lot more questions, and also new terminology that I was not acquainted with.  I have done studies in the Trinity, & Christology, but I must confess that they have not been in-depth studies.  The most I had ever read on the Trinity or Christology had been from Wayne Grudem’s book Systematic Theology, and other introductory Systematic Theology books.  Honestly if that is all one ever understands about the Trinity, they are far more ahead than most Christians.

This is my first time really digging deep into into these subjects, and I am having a great time in the process.  In addition to Gordon Fee’s Christology, I am adding the following books to my study on the topic.

Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective: An Introductory Christology
By Scott Horrell, Donald Fairbairn, Garrett DeWeese, Bruce Ware

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #495892 in Books
Published on: 2007-10-01
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
244 pages

Read Nick Norelli’s review on this book

The Person of Christ
(Contours of Christian Theology)
By Donald MacLeod

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #321080 in Books
Published on: 1998-12
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
303 pages

The God Who Is Triune: Revisioning the Christian Doctrine of God
By Allan Coppedge

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #134091 in Books
Published on: 2007-10-30
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
345 pages

Read Nick Norelli’s review on this book

Wondering what type of Blog you have?

Well wonder no more.  Go to “Typealyzer – what type is that blog” You can use this to analyze any of your posts.  It does not analyze your entire blog, just individual postings.

My blog results for Understanding the humanity of Christ – Part 1 were:

INTP – The Thinkers

The logical and analytical type. They are especially attuned to difficult creative and intellectual challenges and always look for something more complex to dig into. They are great at finding subtle connections between things and imagine far-reaching implications.They enjoy working with complex things using a lot of concepts and imaginative models of reality. Since they are not very good at seeing and understanding the needs of other people, they might come across as arrogant, impatient and insensitive to people that need some time to understand what they are talking about.

Analysis

This show what parts of the brain that were dominant during writing.
You can check out the cool widget and full results that they generate here TheInquiringMinds

Understanding the humanity of Christ – Part 1

What does it mean that He made himself nothing?

Philippians 2:7 “but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (ESV)

TNIV “he made himself nothing”; NLT “he gave up his divine privileges (footnote: Greek he emptied himself.) “; CSB “He emptied Himself”

Some thoughts on the various translations

Each of these translations give us something to think about, but I think that the ESV and TNIV translated this in the best possible way.  The NLT does have in the footnotes “Greek he emptied himself”.  However, I think it has the least desirable wording.  The phrase “gave up his divine privileges” gives implication that Jesus stop being God either in whole or in part.  According to the ESVSB “Greek kenoō can mean “empty, pour out” or also (metaphorically) “give up status and privilege.”  Although the ESVSB notes add some clarity here to the meaning, and I understand what the NLT is trying to communicate, I still think that the NLT makes it difficult to understand, rather than providing clarification.  I don’t know if it is the words “gave up” or “divine” that bug me.  It may be that combination.  The NLT first edition had “He made himself nothing” which maybe they just should have left it that way.

The NLT translation raises further questions such as, what divine privileges that he give up?  Did he give up all of his divine attributes, or just some of them?  I think that the average English reader may find themselves thinking just that.  Where as the ESV or the TNIV would not invoke such ideas, rather they allow you to follow the flow of thought that Paul is attempting to stress to us.

Gordon Fee “Pauline Christology”

Gordon Fee’s opening remarks on this verse start off trying to understand what Paul meant by such language.

…we also come to a major crux in the Pauline corpus, as to what Paul intended with this language.  At issue is whether the verb ἐκένωσε to be understood literally or metaphorically.  Did Paul understand the divine Christ (literally) to have “emptied himself of something” in taking the “form” of a slave?  Or is this a strong metaphor, giving pictorial expression to what is otherwise inexpressible and thus meaning something like “he made himself nothing” in becoming human?  These questions cannot be answered definitively, but it is at least arguable, on the basis of the parallel structure of the two sentences in vv.6-8 that the participles very likely carry the same sense in both instances (vv.6 and 8).  And here, it would seem, one can make more sense of both of them when understood as having a modal relationship to the main verb in each clause.  That is, this is the way Christ emptied himself and humbled himself: by “becoming human” and by “becoming obedient”. pg 383

Here the NLTSB correctly says “…(literally he emptied himself): The rest of 2:7-8 explains this ultimate expression of divine self-denial”

I think this is the correct meaning of this verse, that Christ made himself nothing by humbling himself through his self-denial, by “becoming human” and by “becoming obedient”, which is the mind set (self-denial) that Paul is attempting to get us as Christians to have.  This affirms my initial thoughts that this verse is best translated as the TNIV and ESV have it. Donlad Macleod also makes the same conclusion:

…it was himself he emptied and, secondly, that the way he emptied himself was by taking the form of a servant…It is what Christ assumes that humbles and impoverishes him: hence the justice of Augustine’s comment that he emptied himself ‘not by changing His own divinity but by assuming our changeableness’ Donald Macleod “The Person of Christ” IVP 1998 pg 215-216

Fee Further says:

The question, then is not what Christ emptied himself of, but how else Paul could possibly have expressed the divine mystery of God incarnate except by this kind of powerful imagery. pg384

That is a great thought that Fee has, how else can Paul explain the divine mystery without using this sort of imagery?  Paul has what I think a clear understanding of this divine union, and is doing his best to properly communicate what he knows to be true.  This passage exemplifies “the selflessness of God” (Fee) and not only depicts the mind set that we should have (self-denial), but it also demonstrates God’s immense love for humanity.  This causes me to have a deeper appreciation for verses like John 15:13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

Christ did not empty himself of anything: he simply “emptied himself” poured himself out, as it were.  Thus, the issue for Paul is the selflessness of God, expressed by the preexistent divine Son, whereby in “becoming human” he took the μορφῇ of a slave – one who expressed his humanity in lowly service to others.  Gordon Fee “Pauline Christology” pg384

Summary

Jesus, did not empty himself of any divine attributes, but rather he:

did not consider being equal with God as something to be taken selfish advantage of, Rather, he “poured himself out”, with the salvation of humankind as his goal…From Paul’s perspective, this is how divine love manifests itself in its most charateristic and profuse expression…He entered our history not as κύριος (Lord), which name he acquires at his vindication (vv. 9-11), but as (slave), a person without advantages, with no rights or privileges but in servanthood to all” Gordon Fee “Pauline Christology” pg. 385

This understanding causes me to have a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  Jesus made himself nothing by becoming human, and denying himself the divine rights and privileges that he had.

In becoming incarnate God not only accommodates himself to human weakness: he buries his glory under veil after veil so that it is impossible for flesh and blood to recognize him.  As he hangs on the cross, bleeding, battered, powerless and forsaken, the last thing he looks like is God.  Indeed, he scarcely looks human.  He looks like nothing but a hell-bound, hell deserving derelict.  Everything about him says ‘An atheist and a blasphemer!’  At last, his identity was obscured even from himself.  Donald Macleod “The Person of Christ” IVP 1998 pg. 218

References:

Understanding the humanity of Christ – Introduction

Gordon Fee Pauline Christology – Philippians 2

Gordon Fee “Pauline Christology” 2007 Hendrickson

Donald Macleod “The Person of Christ” IVP 1998

4TH & 5TH CENTURY DEVELOPMENTS IN CHRISTOLOGY

Understanding the humanity of Christ – Introduction

My goal is to have better understand the humanity of Christ.  Most of us spend a great deal of time understanding his divinity which is understandable, but I think that all too often we neglect his human side.  I realize the dangers and incorrect conclusions one can come to when approaching this topic.  But I have taken every precaution to avoid any such errors.

However, from the preliminary studies that I have done, I have come to a much deeper appreciation of who God is, and just how deep his love is for humanity.  Understanding his humanity gives us a better picture of how great his sacrifice truly was.  I hope that I will be able to successfully communicate my findings, and I am blogging because I yearn for the interaction, and look to my friends for correction, and guidance.  This will be a four part series, but if certain sub points cause the post to get to long, I will break it up.

The areas that I am workings towards a better understanding are:

1. What does it mean that He made himself nothing?
2. Was Jesus truly tempted as we are?
   1. Or was He just tested, and not tempted, or both?
   2. And if He was tempted, and not just tested, then was Jesus truly capable of sinning?
3. To what degree was Jesus Spirit led?
   1. Where the miracles Jesus preformed done through his divinity, or through the power of the Holy Spirit?
   2. Was his life of obedience accomplished through his submission to the Holy Spirit?
4. Should the Spirit directed humanity of Christ be the paradigm for us to follow?

Background:

1. Understanding the humanity of Christ – Philippians 2:6
   
2. Similar post on Pauline Christology – Philippians 2

I want to be perfectly clear that I affirm that Jesus is fully and completely God, & fully and completely human. Also,  The divine and human natures of Christ are distinct, and the divine and human natures of Christ are completely united in one person. (ESVSB)

In addition to the various books (I will cite them as I go along) that I am consulting, the primary book that I am working with is: Gordon Fee “Pauline Christology” 2007 Hendrickson

I will also be referencing the NLTSB & the ESVSB online editions for every scripture I reference.  This will also serve as a benchmark on the usefulness of the study notes, and how user friendly the online versions are.  I will make an effort to take notes and will summarize at the end of this series.

The four major translations that I will be consulting will be ESV, TNIV, CSB, & NLT

I hope to have the first post ready within the week, and the others will follow.  I am taking my time as to ensure proper research, and to double check my conculsions.  I do hope that those following long will contribute, learn, and leave with a deeper apprication for the Great Mighty God that we serve.

To all his Glory! Amen

Robert Jimenez

Friday’s with Fee – The Spirit is the key to all of Christian Life

Gordon Fee “Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God” 1996 Hendrickson

Paul does not see life in the Spirit as the result of a single experience of the Spirit at the entry point.  He simply did not have the static view of the Spirit that so many later Christians seem to have – that the Spirit is “given” once for all at conversion, and after that we are pretty much left to our own devices to live out the Christian life.  For Paul the Spirit is the key to all of Christian life, and he implies , frequently there are further, ongoing times of receiving the Spirit’s empowering.  pg 201

Why Zondervan bought Biblegateway.com

Read the full article at Christianity Today

We have a vision that if we create a lot of synergy across all Christian content providers, we can have more impact on the Internet. As part of this vision, we felt we had to have the best Bible reference in the world. BibleGateway has a very publisher-independent solution and is the most widely-used Bible reference site in the world, so we thought it would be a great starting point to build something even more spectacular for online access to Christian biblical content.

I am proud to be an American

Today Barack Obama became the first black American to be voted in as the 44th President of the United States.  I cannot express how proud I feel at this moment to be alive to witness this historic event, and even more proud that I am an American.  Although I hold to a conservative world view and did not vote for Senator Obama, I am nonetheless still very proud to be an American today.

I cannot shake the profound sense of history that I feel at this moment.  My wife called me as I was at church teaching a theology course.  We all stopped and prayed for President Obama,  that he would seek God’s counsel, and that God would guide him in all matters.

As President Lincoln so proudly declared at the Gettysberg address, I echo that as well, today marks a “new birth of freedom!”  As historian Willam Bennett writes in his book “America – The last best hope” speaking of President Lincoln “If all men are not created equal, then they have no God-given right to freedom and no claim to self-goverment.  For Lincoln, this was axiomatic.”

I’ll end with a reminder of the price that President Lincoln paid with his life, and not just his but all of the brave men that fought and laided down their lives for such a day as this.

President Abraham Lincoln – Thursday, November 19, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.