Lent Course 2015 – The 39 Articles -
Session 2 – Handout 1
Articles 2-5: God (continued)
Article 2: Of the
Word or Son of God, which was made very Man
The Son, which is
the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal
God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man's nature in the womb of the
blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that
is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never
to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly
suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and
to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of
men.
The true divinity and the true humanity of Christ - Cf.
the creeds in the Prayer Book & the Chalcedonian Definition (451)
“Son” – 2nd
person of the Trinity – not physically, biologically but relationship to the
Father – Lk 1:35; Jn 1:34; Rm 1:4; Heb 1:2-5 – the Father could not be Father
without his Son
“Word” – John
1:1,14; Rev 19:13 – OT: the Word by which God creates, saves, reveals himself
etc.; logos, logic, reason, principle, self-expression, self-communication of
God
“very” = Latin
“verus” = true, truly God
“begotten from
everlasting” – John 1:14; Col 2:9 – The eternal Son is uncreated, “begotten
not made” - not physically – the Son is
the heir of all things – Jn 5:26, 6:57; Heb 1:3
“one substance”
– sharing the same divine nature, both equally God – cf. homousious (same) and
homoiousios (like) – one iota’s difference
The virgin birth - Is 7:14; Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:34-35 see
also Mk 6:3; Jn 1:13, 6:41-42; Gal 4:4; Phil 2:7 – not especially unbelievable,
cf. creation, miracles, resurrection. Jesus had a sinless humanity (Heb 4:15;
Rom 8:3). It may be that by his virgin birth he avoided inheriting Adam’s guilt
and sinful nature (Lk 1:35). Highlights human inability – salvation is the work
of God alone which human begins receive from outside themselves.
2 natures (true God and true man) in 1 person, 1 self
(Christ) – Jesus not a 3rd kind of mixture – union of natures
without confusion
The true humanity of Christ – The Second Adam, fulfilment
of God’s plan for creation Ps 8, Heb 2:5-12 – essential to our salvation – real
body, Jesus hungry (Mt 4:2), weary (Jn 4:6), heavy and sorrowful (Mk 14:33),
grew in stature and knowledge (Lk 2:52), died, tempted (Heb 2:7, 4:15) – Christ
sympathises with us, knows what it’s like to be human from the inside out, by
personal experience not just divine omnipotence
“never to be
divided” – incarnation not temporary – after the incarnation, Jesus remains
the God-Man
“truly suffered”
– God suffered as a man in Christ; the Son suffered according to the human
nature – God cannot suffer (in his divine nature) – see Article 1
On original guilt
see Article 9 on original sin. Some Roman Catholics apparently taught that
Jesus died only for original sin and the Mass made atonement for actual sin
(Augsburg Confession XXIV). Distinguish sinful nature and sinful acts which
flow from it.
On the atonement see also Articles 15 and 31.
Christ’s death as reconciling – Rm 5:10-11; 2 Cor
5:18-20; Eph 2:16; Col 1:19-20 – note reconcile the Father to us, not just us
to the Father – a propitiation dealing with the wrath of God – Rm 1:18; 3:28;
Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10 – of course not the nice Son reconciling the mean
Father to us – God the Father in his love sends the Son who comes willingly –
God satisfies the wrath of God
Christ’s sacrifice
for sin – Jn 1:29; Rm 3:25; 1 Cor 5:7; Eph 5:2; Heb 9:26; 1 Pt 1:19
Further reading: Donald MacLeod, The Person of Christ (IVP, 1998)
Article 3: Of the
going down of Christ into Hell
As Christ died for
us, and was buried; so also it is to be believed, that he went down into Hell.
The phrase “he descended into hell” is not found in the
earliest known versions of the Apostles’ creed. It first appeared in AD 390
when it was understood to mean simply that Christ really died and was buried. The
Greek form of the creed has the word “hades” which can mean the grave / place
of the dead not just hell. The phrase reappeared referring to hell in AD 650.
We may say that Christ suffered hell on the cross as he
bore the punishment for sin. Calvin, Institutes
2.16.8-12.
Even if Jesus did go to hell after his death (which I’m
not convinced he did!) we’d certainly want to say that he was just visiting! He
finished his saving work on the cross (Jn 19:30). Hell could have no claim on
the sinless Son of God. It is best to think that when Jesus died his Spirit
went directly to be with his Father in Paradise (Lk 23:43, 46). Heb 9:24-26
speaks of Jesus entering heaven on our behalf, rather than hell. After his
death Jesus’ body remained in the grave while his spirit was in heaven and then
on Easter Sunday his body and soul were reunited at his resurrection (as ours
will be on the great final day).
Some people have found support for the idea that Jesus
descended into hell in Acts 2:27 (KJV/AV has “hell” for the Greek hades, OT
sheol, grave / death), Rm 10:6-7 (abyss, depths or grave is a better
translation here, though Paul is saying we should not ask that question!), Eph
4:8-9 (though this verse is probably speaking of Jesus coming to earth not
going to hell) and 1 Pt 4:6 (though the dead here seems to mean those who were
alive but are now dead, as the NIV takes it). It is probably best to think that
1 Pt 3:18-20 refers to Christ speaking (by the Spirit) through the preaching of
Noah to the people of Noah’s day when they were alive, who are now spirits in
prison in hell (see also 1 Pt 1:11; 2 Pt 2:5) though some think that Christ did
go to hell and proclaim his victory to the fallen angels / demons (cf. ? the
sons of God of Gen 6:1-4).
Article 4: Of the
Resurrection of Christ
Christ did truly
rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all
things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended
into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last
day.
Bodily resurrection – the empty tomb, Mt 28:1-8; Mk
16:1-8; Lk 24:1-11; Jn 20:1-8; Jesus is specifically said not to be a ghost, Lk
24:36-43 see also Lk 24:30; Mt 28:9; Jn 20:26-28, 21:9-14 – the risen Jesus can
be seen, talk, eat and be touched. On the resurrection body see 1 Cor 15. The
Christian hope is for a New (re-newed) Creation – Rom 8:18-25
“Heaven” -
Heaven is God’s space, realm or dwelling place (Ps 33:13-14; Mt 6:9; Ps 2:4). In
Hebrew and Greek the Bible uses the same word for heaven and for the sky
(something we can do in English too, “the heavens” can be the skies). Jim
Packer suggests that “the sky, which, being above us and more like infinity
than anything else we know, is an emblem in space and time of God’s eternal
life.”
Jim Packer argues: “To think of heaven as a place is more
right than wrong, though the word could mislead. Heaven appears in Scripture as
a spatial reality that touches and interpenetrates all created space.” Since
Jesus’ physical-spiritual glorified resurrection body is in heaven, that would
suggest it is a place. We need not think of heaven as “up there”. We can’t say
where heaven is, even if that’s a sensible question.
Jesus’ resurrection and ascension amount to his
vindication, the Father’s seal of approval on him and acceptance of his
finished saving work. “sitteth” –
enthroned (Rev 3:21), a man on the throne of the universe - Heb 1:3; 10:11-14;
12:2
Ascension - Acts 1:6-11, 2:33-34, 3:21; Jn 6:62, 20:17;
Eph 4:8-10; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 4:14, 9:24; 1 Pt 3:22; Rev 5:6
Heavenly reign of Christ – Ps 110:1; 1 Cor 15:25; Rom
8:34; Heb 7:23-26; 9:24; 1 Jn 2:1-2
Christ’s return as judge – Mt 25:31-46; Jn 5:25-29; 1 Cor
15:51-52; 2 Cor 5:0-10; 2 Thess 1:7-10; Rev 1:7; 20:11-15; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Thess
4:13-5:11
Article 5: Of the
Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost,
proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and
glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
“Holy” - means
special or separate / set apart. The Holy Spirit is unique and as God is set
apart from all evil and sin.
“Ghost” =
Latin, “Spiritus”, Spirit, not ghosts as we might think of them (e.g. spirits
of the dead)
“proceeding from
the Father and the Son” – The Great Schism between East and West 1054 – The
East rejects the filioque clause, “and the Son”, whereas the West teaches
“double procession”. Whatever exactly “proceeding” means? The Spirit is uncreated and not begotten,
i.e. he has a unique relationship the Father and Son proper to him as Spirit.
Cf. Spirit = breath – Gen 2:7; Ps 33:6; Ez 37:1-14; Jn 20:22
The Spirit of the Father: Mt 10:20; Rm 8:11; Lk 11:13; Jn
14:16, 26; 15:26; Act 2:33. The Spirit of the Son: Rm 8:9; Phil 1:19; 1 Pt
1:11; Gal 4:6; Acts 2:33; 16:17; Jn 15:26; 16:7; 20:22
The divinity of the Spirit: Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor 3:18; Lk
11:20 and Mt 12:28; Acts 28:25-28 with Is 6:9-10; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Mk 3:29;
Heb 9:14; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Ps 139:7-10; Gen 1:2; Ps 33:6; Is 61:1; 2 Pt 1:21; Lk
1:35; Jn 3:5-7; Tit 3:5; 1 Jn 3:9 as well as Trinitarian passages
Personal, like Father and Son, not merely a “force”- Jn
14-17; Rm 8:26-27; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Gal 5:18; Eph 4:30; Acts 5:4; Mk 3:29. He not
it!
Further reading: Sinclair Ferguson, The Holy Spirit (IVP, 1996)
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