Hints for a Christology (Contd):
John: It is the Gospel according to John that brings clearly to the fore the true significance of the designation 'Son of God' applied to Jesus as against the same applied to Adam by Luke. It is achieved by means of the pre-existing Word with God incarnating in flesh and blood in Jesus of Nazareth. Thus Jesus is Son of God by means of his identification with God the Father Himself, whereas Adam became son of God being the first human to be created by God. John's reflections on the Word of God took him beyond the earthly origin of Jesus and unraveled the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Similarly, in the Book of revelations, John reveals the role of Lamb of God in heaven and things yet to come at the end of the world. From all these attempts to understand the mystery of Jesus Christ, we have useful hints to make him relevant to the diverse conditions of the changing world. Our understanding of Jesus Christ need not be imprisoned by stereotypes like concepts of 'nature' and 'person' developed as an antidote to the Arian heresy. At that period of time it was a very useful devise to define language appropriately in order to avoid pitfalls adversely affecting the faith of the Church. Keeping in mind the intent of those definitions on the nature of Jesus Christ, we should be free to use language suitable to our times without compromising on faith itself.
Paul: The Epistles of Paul tell us how to understand Jesus Christ in various ways depending on the changing milieu. Unlike the other Apostles, Paul was witness neither to the public ministry nor to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He received the Gospel he preached not from men but through revelation of Jesus Christ, which proves that it was not merely human (See Galatians, 1:11-12). Paul was specifically chosen by Christ for his mission to the Gentiles. "His grace has made me a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles; my priestly service is the preaching the Gospel of God, and it falls to me to offer the Gentiles to him as an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit" (Romans, 15: 16). The nature of the Gospel of God consists in the nature of Jesus Christ himself. Hence the importance of a correct understanding of Jesus Christ for a genuine view of the Gospel Proclamation cannot be made light of. The true content of the Gospel Proclamation necessarily flows from the above considerations. Paul sums up his Christology in his Letter to the Colossians thus: "He is the image of the invisible God; his is the primacy over all created things. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, not only things visible but also the invisible orders of thrones, sovereignty, authorities, and powers: the whole universe has been created through him and for him. And he exists before everything , and all things are held together in him. He is, moreover, the head of the body, the Church. He is its origin , the first to return from the dead, to be in all things alone supreme. For in him the complete being of God, by God's own choice, came to dwell. Through him God chose to reconcile the whole universe to Himself, making peace through the shedding of his blood upon the cross - to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, through him alone" (Colossians, 1: 15-20).
Universal Savior: From the above passage of the Letter of Paul it is clear that Jesus Christ and his mission should not be restricted by a narrow self-definition of the Church. For, it is tempting to bring down Christ to our level of understanding especially because he is also the head of the Church. But, let us not forget the very wide perspective on Christ extending up to the dimensions of the entire universe encompassing everything in heaven and on earth. The sacramental and administrative systems in the Church are very useful for the faithful in as far as the Church is both a home and a school of communion. This communion results in the Body of Christ, although the latter is not entirely a result of the former seen as a visible communion. The reason for this qualification is to be seen in the invisible element in the church where even some of those who are outside the visible Church may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and offered to God as a sacrifice (See Romans, 15:16). Paul went so far as to subordinate the duty of administering baptism to that of proclaiming the Gospel. "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the Gospel; and to do it without relying on the language of worldly wisdom, so that the fact of Christ on his cross might have its full weight" (1 Corinthians, 1: 17). This was said in the context of people fighting over positions of authority in the Church of Corinth citing their allegiance to different leaders. "Surely Christ has not been divided among you! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Was it in the name of Paul that you were baptized?" (1 Corinthians, 1: 13). With a brief reference to the very few people Paul happened to baptize, he asserts that the mission entrusted to him by Christ was not for baptizing anyone but for proclaiming the Gospel. This shows that the Proclamation of the Gospel is not necessarily ordained to baptizing those who hear the Good News.
The Good News: What, then. is exactly the function of Gospel Proclamation? The Gospel of God being the Word of God, concretized and manifested in Jesus Christ, must be allowed to function as the Word of God. Now, the Word of God is a double-edged sword. "For the Word of God is alive and active. It cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the place where life and spirit, joints and marrow, divide. It sifts the purposes and thoughts of the heart. There is nothing in creation that can hide from him; everything lies naked and exposed to the eyes of the one with whom we have to reckon" (Hebrews, 4: 12-13). Therefore, the Proclamation of the Gospel is meant not only for the hearers, but also for the speaker who cannot be an effective proclaimer unless the Word has already transformed his or her heart. A transformed person in Jesus Christ proclaims the Gospel by the very presence, words and actions wherever he or she goes. In case someone wants to know more about such a person, a chance to openly proclaim the crucified Christ is available to him or her. Since the Spirit of God is working in this entire process, the way to proceed ahead will be shown by the Spirit at the right time. The guidance of the Holy Spirit required for the Gospel Proclamation is also required for a genuine Christology of the 21st Century. [We shall conclude our Study with the next two Posts summarizing the salient features of 'The Gospel Proclamation in the 21st Century'].
John: It is the Gospel according to John that brings clearly to the fore the true significance of the designation 'Son of God' applied to Jesus as against the same applied to Adam by Luke. It is achieved by means of the pre-existing Word with God incarnating in flesh and blood in Jesus of Nazareth. Thus Jesus is Son of God by means of his identification with God the Father Himself, whereas Adam became son of God being the first human to be created by God. John's reflections on the Word of God took him beyond the earthly origin of Jesus and unraveled the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Similarly, in the Book of revelations, John reveals the role of Lamb of God in heaven and things yet to come at the end of the world. From all these attempts to understand the mystery of Jesus Christ, we have useful hints to make him relevant to the diverse conditions of the changing world. Our understanding of Jesus Christ need not be imprisoned by stereotypes like concepts of 'nature' and 'person' developed as an antidote to the Arian heresy. At that period of time it was a very useful devise to define language appropriately in order to avoid pitfalls adversely affecting the faith of the Church. Keeping in mind the intent of those definitions on the nature of Jesus Christ, we should be free to use language suitable to our times without compromising on faith itself.
Paul: The Epistles of Paul tell us how to understand Jesus Christ in various ways depending on the changing milieu. Unlike the other Apostles, Paul was witness neither to the public ministry nor to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He received the Gospel he preached not from men but through revelation of Jesus Christ, which proves that it was not merely human (See Galatians, 1:11-12). Paul was specifically chosen by Christ for his mission to the Gentiles. "His grace has made me a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles; my priestly service is the preaching the Gospel of God, and it falls to me to offer the Gentiles to him as an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit" (Romans, 15: 16). The nature of the Gospel of God consists in the nature of Jesus Christ himself. Hence the importance of a correct understanding of Jesus Christ for a genuine view of the Gospel Proclamation cannot be made light of. The true content of the Gospel Proclamation necessarily flows from the above considerations. Paul sums up his Christology in his Letter to the Colossians thus: "He is the image of the invisible God; his is the primacy over all created things. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, not only things visible but also the invisible orders of thrones, sovereignty, authorities, and powers: the whole universe has been created through him and for him. And he exists before everything , and all things are held together in him. He is, moreover, the head of the body, the Church. He is its origin , the first to return from the dead, to be in all things alone supreme. For in him the complete being of God, by God's own choice, came to dwell. Through him God chose to reconcile the whole universe to Himself, making peace through the shedding of his blood upon the cross - to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, through him alone" (Colossians, 1: 15-20).
Universal Savior: From the above passage of the Letter of Paul it is clear that Jesus Christ and his mission should not be restricted by a narrow self-definition of the Church. For, it is tempting to bring down Christ to our level of understanding especially because he is also the head of the Church. But, let us not forget the very wide perspective on Christ extending up to the dimensions of the entire universe encompassing everything in heaven and on earth. The sacramental and administrative systems in the Church are very useful for the faithful in as far as the Church is both a home and a school of communion. This communion results in the Body of Christ, although the latter is not entirely a result of the former seen as a visible communion. The reason for this qualification is to be seen in the invisible element in the church where even some of those who are outside the visible Church may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit and offered to God as a sacrifice (See Romans, 15:16). Paul went so far as to subordinate the duty of administering baptism to that of proclaiming the Gospel. "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the Gospel; and to do it without relying on the language of worldly wisdom, so that the fact of Christ on his cross might have its full weight" (1 Corinthians, 1: 17). This was said in the context of people fighting over positions of authority in the Church of Corinth citing their allegiance to different leaders. "Surely Christ has not been divided among you! Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Was it in the name of Paul that you were baptized?" (1 Corinthians, 1: 13). With a brief reference to the very few people Paul happened to baptize, he asserts that the mission entrusted to him by Christ was not for baptizing anyone but for proclaiming the Gospel. This shows that the Proclamation of the Gospel is not necessarily ordained to baptizing those who hear the Good News.
The Good News: What, then. is exactly the function of Gospel Proclamation? The Gospel of God being the Word of God, concretized and manifested in Jesus Christ, must be allowed to function as the Word of God. Now, the Word of God is a double-edged sword. "For the Word of God is alive and active. It cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the place where life and spirit, joints and marrow, divide. It sifts the purposes and thoughts of the heart. There is nothing in creation that can hide from him; everything lies naked and exposed to the eyes of the one with whom we have to reckon" (Hebrews, 4: 12-13). Therefore, the Proclamation of the Gospel is meant not only for the hearers, but also for the speaker who cannot be an effective proclaimer unless the Word has already transformed his or her heart. A transformed person in Jesus Christ proclaims the Gospel by the very presence, words and actions wherever he or she goes. In case someone wants to know more about such a person, a chance to openly proclaim the crucified Christ is available to him or her. Since the Spirit of God is working in this entire process, the way to proceed ahead will be shown by the Spirit at the right time. The guidance of the Holy Spirit required for the Gospel Proclamation is also required for a genuine Christology of the 21st Century. [We shall conclude our Study with the next two Posts summarizing the salient features of 'The Gospel Proclamation in the 21st Century'].
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