According
to Migliore (2004), “Theology arises from the freedom and responsibility of the
Christian community to inquire about its faith in God” (p.1). As someone with an intellectualist bent, I am
personally drawn to such inquiry. As the
Director of Christian Education at a United Methodist Church, I am tasked with
helping Christians from my faith community personally enter into the process of
theology. Migliore (2004) rightly
posits, “Christian faith is not a blind faith, but a ‘thinking faith.’” (p.
5). From this perspective, theology, or
the study of God, is a task that every Christian should partake in. My personal call to ministry includes a
responsibility to help those I minister to, both as individuals, and as a faith
community, enter into the process of theology.
The
Unite Methodist Church has a rich theological heritage tracing back to John
Wesley. The Methodist Church has held
traditional “orthodox” views pertaining to the triune God, atonement and etc.,
but also has a particular focus on certain themes, such as sanctification. As someone ministering at a United Methodist
church, I feel called to revisit this heritage individually, and with those I
disciple, to recapture this rich tradition, as well as explore what these
theological focuses mean for Christians living in West Michigan in the 21st
Century.
God
God
Knowing God.
According to
Migliore (2004), “The starting point of inquiry for the Christian is not
self-consciousness but awareness of the reality of God, who is creator and
redeemer of all things” (p. 5).
Knowledge of God begins with God’s revelation, not with theological or
other rational inquiry. As a Christian
my knowledge of God begins with the belief that Scripture has been inspired by
God, and that God has directed the early church in the formation of Christian
doctrine. That God has revealed himself,
and that we can know God in part through these revelations, is the foundation
that theological inquiry builds upon.
God’s Qualities.
It
is through God’s self-revelation that we can know some of God’s attributes, as
well as reject attributes assigned to God that are inconsistent with the
witness of Scripture. Logic has been
used to ascribe qualities to God that ultimately contradict the revelation of
God. Attributing impassability (immunity
to pain) to God, for example, seems logical.
However, scripture paints a picture of a suffering God on multiple
occasions (John 11 as an obvious example).
Moreover, according to the Christian faith, the salvation of the world
hinges on the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. Migliore (2004) states, “The suffering of the
triune God is not a sign of helplessness but a promise of the final victory of
compassionate love” (p. 86). Barth
(1959) posits, “The life of Jesus is not a triumph but a humiliation…but it
also reveals the mercy in which God has made His own man’s business and
consequently his humiliation, failure and suffering, so that it need no longer
be (humanity’s) business” (p. 101). The
salvation of God’s creation is not possible in light of a God who would be
impassible. Only in the willful vulnerability of the triune God can sin and
death be defeated, and creation restored.
The insistence of
the immutability (unchanging) of God is also inconsistent with scripture. Surely God changed in the process of the
incarnation, and what about interaction between God and individuals like Moses,
and Abraham? Clearly, then, God’s true
qualities are found in his revelation and not the philosophical inquiry of
humans. Scripture and Creeds are the
starting point of discerning the attributes of God. From these sources we learn that God is
eternal, present from the beginning of time.
God is revealed as creator, the giver of life. God is love, and God is relationship.
Trinity.
The most
substantial quality of God affirmed by the Christian faith is that God is
triune, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
According to Migliore, “The starting point or root of Trinitarian faith
is the good news of the love of God in Christ that continues to work in the
world by the Holy Spirit. The doctrine
of the Trinity is the church’s effort to give coherent expression to this
mystery of God’s grace announced in the gospel and experienced in Christian
faith” (p. 67). To say that God is triune is not to say that we worship three
Gods (tritheism) nor is to say simply state that God has three roles
(modalism). The doctrine of the trinity
states that there is one God, and that this God has three distinct
“personas”. According Migliore (2004)
though the triune God has three distinct personas, and though each persona has
traditionally been assigned specific roles (Father – creation, Son – salvation,
Holy Spirit – sanctification, for example), “Every act of God is the act of one
triune God” (p. 71).
God’s Creation
Goodness of Creation.
In Genesis chapter
one God is pleased with his creation, “it is good”. It is this understanding of the goodness of
creation that calls us to not only value fellow humanity, but creation as a
whole. Migliore posits, “Scripture
presents nonhuman creatures as the inseparable companions of humanity in
creation, reconciliation, and redemption” (p.97). All of creation is good in the eyes of God,
and all of Creation is called into a dependent relationship with God.
Reality and
Consequence of Sin.
Just as the
goodness of creation is universal, so too is the consequences of sin. The consequence of sin is not just personal
condemnation (Romans 6:23) but also systemic evil and natural disaster. As Migliore (2004) states “Tyranny, injustice,
social breakdown, war and other evil events are not caused by God but have
their origin in the creatures’ misuse of their freedom” (p.122). The reality of evil and the consequence of
sin must, however, also be viewed in light of the life, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Karl Barth (1959)
eloquently states,
In the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ (humanity) is once for all exalted, and appointed
to discover with God (their) right against all (their) foes and thus set free
to live a new life, in which (they) no longer (have) sin and therefore the
curse too, death, the grave and hell, in front of (them) but behind (them)
(p.121).
God ultimately has
control over evil, not by forcing his will on creation but through
vulnerability and suffering on the cross.
A day will come when evil and pain no longer plague God’s creation
Jesus Christ
Migliore (2004) states, “While Christian theology has many
topics to explore, the decisive basis and criterion of all that is says is the
person and work of Jesus Christ” (p.163).
The entire Christian faith hinges on the person and work of Christ.
Person of Christ
Incarnation of
Christ.
The incarnation of Christ is a clear starting point for an
adequate Christology. Tennent (2007)
rightly points out, “In Jesus Crist God has stepped into real history and into
the world he had created as the redeeming Savior” (p.155). Barth (1959) adds, “The heart of the object
of Christian faith is the word of the act in which God from all eternity willed
to become (human) in Jesus Christ for our good, and become (human) in time for
our good, and will be and remain (human) in eternity for our good” (p.
65).
This emphasis on a true and complete incarnation of Jesus
Christ holds a place of prominence in the Christian faith because the gospel
message depends on it. Migliore posits,
“If God in Christ is not present to us in the depths of our human finitude,
misery, and godforsakeness then whatever this person may have said or done, he
cannot be the Savior of human beings,
who know finitude, misery, and godforsakeness all too well” (p. 175). Only in true humanness can Christ redeem
humanity.
The Divinity of Christ.
The
first chapter of John’s Gospel reminds us that though Jesus did come to earth
in human form, Jesus is also the eternal Word of God, the co-creator of the
universe. Migliore (2004) states, “In
Jesus Christ we do not have less than God’s very own presence in our humanity”
(p. 177). Once more, “The concern here
is again soteriological. No human being
alone can save us” (Migliore, 2004, p.178).
Christ’s humanity is needed for the redemption of creation, but so too
is his divinity. Additionally, the
divinity of Christ also insists that through Christ’s earthly ministry,
humanity is given insight into the very character of God. When Jesus wept for Lazarus’ loved ones (John 11:35), and
when he pardoned the adulterous woman (John 8:11) he was revealing attributes
of the triune God.
Life of Christ.
That
Christ did become human and dwell among us through the incarnation means that
Christian theology must address the life of Christ. As a human in a specific time and place means
that the context of Christ’s life must be considered. Jesus was also fully God at the time of his
incarnation meaning that Jesus in human history was still inherently different
than the rest of humanity. He was, to
begin with, without sin. It also means
that in spite of his finitude there was something divine about his teaching and
his earthly example.
Milgiore (2004)
argues that even scripture is subject to the revelation of God through the
life, death and resurrection of his son (p.40-41). Jesus’ teaching about the Sabbath, the law
and grace are to govern how we understand these themes in scripture. What Jesus shows us about love and
compassion, and what he teaches through stories like the prodigal son, dictates
how we understand the triune God, over and above Old Testament scriptural
witness. The life of Christ illuminates
both what it means to live faithfully, and the very characterstics of God.
Work of Christ
Atonement.
According
to Migliore (2004), “Some of the New Testament metaphors of the work of Christ
have been expanded into elaborate theories of atonement” (p. 182). Migliore (2004) highlights three theories: Christ the Victor, satisfaction, and moral
influence, concluding that none of these theories are sufficient in and of
themselves (p. 182-186). John Calvin’s
three offices of Christ (prophet, priest, king) offer a more complete
understanding of atonement. Through
these three offices atonement includes Christ’s teaching (prophet), crucifixion
(priest), and future reign (king). A
complete understanding of atonement must include all these aspects of the son
of God.
Resurrection of Christ.
Atonement
through Christ rests on his resurrection.
Migliore (2004) rightly proclaims “The resurrection of Christ stands at
the center of the New Testament witness…the Christian faith stands or falls
with the truth of the resurrection of the crucified Jesus” (p. 191). This is because all of creation is in need of
a savior, a savior who must conquer sin and death. If Christ were not resurrected than God’s
creation is damned to eternal separation from the Creator. Barth (1959) notes, “(The Resurrection)
asserts that not in vain did God humble Himself in His Son” (p. 121). In the Resurrection sin, death, and defeat
are swallowed in victory. Christ’s
Resurrection sets in motion the coming of Christ’s reign.
Holy Spirit
The Resurrection of Jesus also marks the coming of the
great helper, the Holy Spirit. God’s
Spirit sets in motion a great many things, including the saving work that takes
place in the lives of Christ’s disciples.
Soteriology
Justification.
According to
Migliore (2004), “justification is
God’s gracious forgiveness of sins that
is received by faith alone…That we are justified means that our broken
relationships with God has been restored by an act of free grace and
forgiveness…God’s act of justification is a free gift and is no way dependent
upon us, although it calls for our response” (p. 236). Justification by faith alone brings up
the question, if we are justified, does it matter how we live? The Apostle Paul addresses this question in
Romans 13:1-6:
Well then, should we keep on sinning so
that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since
we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten
that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his
death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may
live new lives. Since we have been
united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves
were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We
are no longer slaves to sin (NLT).
Sanctification.
It is helpful for
us to address the inseparable nature of justification and sanctification. Migliore (2004) highlights Calvin’s
understanding of a two-fold grace through Christ; justification and
sanctification. Sanctification, like
justification requires a response. What
does that response look like? Does it
mean that sanctification comes by our best efforts to live as God intends? We can once again turn to Paul’s writings to
address these questions. In Galatians 5:3-6
Paul responses to the belief that gentile Christians need to be circumcises by
stating:
I’ll say it again. If
you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every
regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves
right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have
fallen away from God’s grace. But we who
live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has
promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no
benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith
expressing itself in love (NLT).
Sanctification, like justification, is
received by grace through faith. The
response needed is not change created by our effort, but rather, an intentional
act of being receptive to God’s transformational grace. Addressing the spiritual disciplines Foster
(1998) states, “The Disciplines are God’s way of getting us into the ground;
they put us where he can work within us and transform us…We must always
remember that the path does not produce the change; it only places us where the
change can occur. This is the path of
disciplined grace” (p. 7-8).
Ecclesiology
The
Holy Spirit’s work goes beyond the saving work of sanctification and
justification in the life of the individual.
The Spirit’s work is also ecclesial.
The Spirit empowers the church to do its work.
The Nature of the Church.
According
to Migliore (2004), “The church is called to be the beginning of new human life
in relationship, solidarity, and friendship beyond all privatism, classism,
racism, and sexism” (p.251). The church
is the revelation of God and his redemptive plan. It calls us into communion with the triune
God and fellow creation. It is within
the context of Christian community that Christians learn to love God and fellow
humanity (Matthew 22:37-38).
The Spirit’s work within the
individual and within the community is simultaneous. It is within the context of the church that
the believer is best suited to worship and serve God. The Christian life comes most naturally
within the context of community.
Bonhoeffer (1954) points out, “The physical presence of other Christians
is the source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer” (19). It is the church that both calls and empowers
the individual to be a part of God’s mission.
The Church’s Mission.
Migliore (2004)
states, “The church is called to mission.
The church does not exist for itself alone any more than God has chosen
to exist for God alone. Because the
triune God is a missionary God, the church is called to be a mission church
rooted in the Trinitarian missions” (p. 265).
Tennent (2007) seconds the connection between God’s mission and the
mission of the church stating, “we must not forget that we cannot have a
Christ-centered theology of mission that does not place the church at the
center of Christ’s redemptive plan” (p.
215). Jesus Christ broke into human history
to set God’s mission into motion. Before
returning to the Father he revealed that his followers also had a role in God’s
mission (Matthew 28:19-20). It was that
call and the working of the Holy Spirit that brought the church into existence
(Acts 2). The church exists, at least
in part, to be a part of God’s redemptive work until its completion, at the
return of Christ.
The church’s role
in God’s mission serves as an indictment every time a local congregation is
more interested in being comfortable and “homey” – what I like to call, “church
as country club” – than in making disciples.
The church is called to a mission, not called to customer service and
self-help. The church’s mission reminds
the church that we our “resident aliens” and that we are called to live
counter-culturally (Hauerwas and Willimon, 1989).
Tennent (2007)
stresses, “the importance of the relationship between soteriology and
ecclesiology” (p. 214). Scriptural
witness will not allow us to deny the connection between soteriology and
ecclesiology. The triune God will not
allow us to deny the church’s role in God’s mission. God created us to be in relationship with one
another, and a natural interaction of these relationships is communicating
(sharing) the good news of Jesus Christ.
God’s mission is the revelation of the ultimate good news, the
redemption of creation. The church’s
mission is to do what comes naturally to those created in God’s image and
redeemed by God’s grace. Scripture,
history, reason, and personal experiences of conversion all attest to this
reality.
Sacraments and the Church.
Migliore
(2004) states, “Sacraments are ‘visible words,’ embodiments of grace, enacted
testimonies to the love of God in Jesus Christ… Sacraments are palpable
enactments of the gospel by means of which the Spirit of God confirms to us the
forgiving, renewing, and promising love of God in Jesus Christ and enlivens us
in faith, hope, and love” (p.279-280).
The sacraments remind the individuals of the church of their identity
and mission. The sacraments invite
individuals into the ecclesial community and a life of discipleship and into
the saving work of the triune God.
The
sacraments serve as a tangible revelation of God’s love and work. God’s story is filled with examples of such
tangible revelation. It can be seen in
God’s walks in the garden (Genesis 3:8), God’s visit with Abraham (Genesis 18),
the burning bush (Exodus 3), and ultimately in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Faith may be belief in the things unseen, but
God graces us with physical symbols of the unseen world.
Eschatology
One of the most powerful unseen
hopes that is symbolized by the sacraments is the triune God’s work in the
eschaton. The church is called to take
part in God’s mission, but God’s mission is brought to completion by God alone.
Return
of Christ.
The
church is not able to bring God’s work to completion; this is only possible
with Christ’s return to earth. So the
church waits expectantly for Christ to finish what he set in motion. Barth (1959) states, “The Church’s
recollection is also its expectation, and its message for the world is also the
world’s hope” (p. 153). The Christ that
the church professes is the same who will come again to redeem all of
creation.
Resurrection
of the Body.
The so called
“Christian” understanding of eternal life is clearly more Hellenistic than
Hebrew. The scripture witness of the
resurrection of the dead has been tainted by the patristic fathers’ attempts to
justify that Christian faith by drawing parallels between Christianity and the
philosophy of the day. I also know that
the Hebrew word that we translate as soul (nephesh), actually means hunger, or
more literally throat. According to
God’s written Word, our eternal nature is our innate desire to be connected
with God, not a floating, glowing orb.
Both the Apostles’ Creed and the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 15:35-44)
clearly state that the resurrection of the dead is a bodily one. Migliore (2004) posits, “Resurrection is an
apocalyptic image symbolizing the holistic and inclusive character of Christian
hope” (p. 344). We will be perfected
spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically
when Christ returns. Our existence will
be a completed one, but not necessarily an entirely new one.
Dwelling
with the Triune God.
There is scriptural support for our
eternal existence to place on earth. According
to Revelation 21:2 The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, implying that it
comes to earth. The third verse of
Revelation 21 states that at the eschaton God’s home will be with his people,
again implying somewhere else than in heaven.
The crucial point, however, is not the specifics of eternal life, but
rather who it is spent with. Migliore
posits, “The symbols of the consummated reign of God, or the new heaven and new
earth point to the fulfillment of reconciliation and the everlasting life in depth
of fellowship with the triune God” (p. 346).
The triune God will dwell among us, for eternity. This is the fulfillment of what is promised
in the gospel though Jesus Christ. This is the good news that we expectantly
wait for.
Conclusion
According to Migliore, “Human life ceases to be human not
when we do not have all the answers, but when we no longer have the courage to
ask the really important questions” (p. 6).
Of the utmost importance are the questions “Who is God” and “what does
that mean for the individual and the community of faith.” Seeking understanding does not in itself draw
us closer to God and into God’s work, but it is a necessary step to do just
that. It is for this reason that
everyone who seeks to follow God must engage in theology.
References
Barth, K. (1959). Dogmatics in outline. New York, NY:
Harper.
Bonhoeffer, D.
(1954). Life Together. New York, NY:
Harper & Row.
Haurerwas, S.
and Willimon, W. H. (1989). Resident
Aliens. Nashville, TN: Abingdon
Press.
Migliore, D.L.
(2004). Faith seeking understanding: An introduction to Christian
theology. 2nd Ed.
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Tennent, T. C.
(2007). Theology in the
context of world Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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