The Creed is a set of beliefs that unites the Christian Church. Unity in the Church concerning their core views and practices has been an issue for hundreds of years. In the 4th century, the Church was faced with the task of reconciling the belief that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God with the commitment to monotheism. There were many different methods to dealing with this issue, so the Council of Nicea met in 325 to decide the correct approach. They then created the first draft of the Nicene Creed which was later finalized at the Council of Constantinople in 381. Much like in the 4th century, the Christian churches of today across always in agreement with one another. There are many different practices and the Church is quickly becoming more individualistic. The Creed therefore provides unity and gives the churches a set of basic beliefs and practices to follow. It speaks of two specific practices, baptism and the forgiveness of sins. Additionally, this unity helps to establish the Christian Church across the world. If the Church can clearly state its ideas, then this makes its presence much stronger and helps it to gain more followers. This allows for a distinction to be made between Christianity and other religions.
Additionally, the Creed guides Christians in their worship of God and the reading of the Scriptures. There is a division amongst Christians on how to interpret the Scriptures. The Fundamentalists believe that the Scripture is accurate on every point while the Modernists say that it is inaccurate on most points. On the other hand, Creedal Christians have found a middle ground by viewing the Scriptures as a tool for learning and enhancing their spirituality.
Finally, the Creed is comprised of many powerful statements. It gives the world a meaning by telling of its origin. There is no other document that can tell the world about itself. Also, the Creed can be applied to everyone. God is the God of all people, and he created all of humanity.
As a judge for Wednesday’s debate, I must pretend that I am a bishop attending the Council of Nicea who does not have a strongly formed opinion of the issues at hand. This Council met to reconcile the belief that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God with a commitment to monotheism. There were many different theologies at this time that tried to answer this question. Arius, a well-liked priest in Alexandria, viewed Christ as a creature created by God who was not equal with God. He considered Jesus a tertium quid, or a hybrid between something human and divine. I would like to know why Jesus is not considered equal with God if God created him to perform an important task on Earth. It seems as though Jesus is more of an extension of God than anything else.
On the other side of the argument, Alexander and Athanasius thought that Arian teaching can’t explain how Jesus saves human persons. He also believed that the Son is homoousios with the Father meaning they are of the “same substance.” I would like to hear a bit more about what the Arian teaching is lacking. This counterargument is very important since Arius has an extensive theory about Jesus and his relationship to God. Since I am undecided, the distinctions between the arguments will best help me to choose a side. Also, from either side, I think it is important that they site references from the Bible to support their argument. Without quoting the Bible, these theories about Jesus appear more like personal opinions.
The film Of Gods and Men tells the story of a group of 8 French monks living in a monastery in Algeria in 1996. When the country breaks into civil war, the monks are threatened by terrorists and are faced with the difficult decision of whether or not they should leave and return to France. The soundtrack of this movie consists mainly of hymns and songs sung by the actors. The music is an integral part of life in the monastery, and it also greatly enhances the film. The chanting of the psalms is basically the only form of prayer that the monks do communally. Also, after a scene of great turmoil the monks are always shown in the next scene singing, so they use music to speak to God in hopes that he will hear their prayers. Additionally, the meanings of the psalms are related to the current situation in the film, so in this way the music furthers the plot and helps to tell the story. For example, the monks sing prayers for those that they know who have died as a result of the civil war.
Worship plays a huge role in the lives of the monks. They have been called by God to devote their lives to serving him and praying. They must spend a great deal of their time in prayer. When the monks are discussing whether or not to leave, one of the monks remarks that he prayed all morning while he was cooking. The chanting of the psalms is a way that they can incorporate prayer into their lives at any moment of the day. Also, the chanting of the psalms gives them strength and reassurance during this uncertain time. When the monks hear a helicopter approaching, they become worried and begin to sing to give them strength.
This film shows many examples of different types of worship. Elements of desert prayer can be seen easily in the monastery. The monks spend a great deal of time praying in solitude. Brother Christian is shown at the beginning of the film reading religious texts at his desk. It is quiet and he is all alone in the room. Also, even when they are in the same room they often pray individually. At dinner, the monks eat their meal in silence while one monk reads the scriptures. Elements of city prayer can be found when the townspeople hold a religious service at the beginning of the movie. They pray together rather than individually. Also, the monks hold a Christmas mass at the monastery and praise the birth of Jesus communally.
The story of the Christian martyr Polycarp contains many elements that can be found in the story of Jesus’s death on the cross. Like Jesus, Polycarp is betrayed to the authorities by his own people: “For it was really impossible for him to remain hidden, since the very persons who betrayed him were people of his own household” (6,2). Additionally, the captain of the police is named Herod and wants Polycarp dead quite like King Herod wanted Jesus dead. Also, Polycarp is captured on Friday evening “about suppertimes” (7,2) just like Jesus. This story also creates an image of a last supper quite like in Passion narratives. When Polycarp is arrested, “he immediately ordered that a table be set for them to eat and drink as much as they wished at that hour, and he asked them to grant him an hour so that he might pray undisturbed” (7,2). Though Polycarp is not having a final meal with his followers, I think that this image is meant to allude to the Last Supper. Finally, just like a large crowd told Pilot to release Barabbas and kill Jesus, a crowd also asks for Polycarp’s death: “They shouted aloud and asked Philip the Asiarch to let the lion loose upon Polycarp” (12,2).
Polycarp is not at all afraid of dead. He saw his death by fire in a vision and accepts that this must happen. He says, “‘It is necessary that I be burned alive’” (12,3). When he speaks of his impending death, there is not a trace of fear on his face: “As he spoke these and many words, he was inspired with courage and joy, and his face was filled with grace” (12,1). He also considers himself lucky to be a martyr. He cries out to God saying, “‘I bless you because you have considered me worthy of this day and hour, that I might receive a place among the number of martyrs in the cup of your Christ’” (14,2). This courage in the face of death would have certainly given comfort and inspiration to other Christians facing potential martyrdom. It would have showed them that dying in the name of God is a noble cause.
Though Polycarp is put in a fire, his body could not be consumed in the fire. His body was like “bread baking or like gold and silver being refined in a furnace” (15,2). He had to be stabbed to death instead. As the crowd watched this, “The whole crowd was amazed that there should be so great a difference between the unbelievers and the elect” (16,2). His death showed the audience the power of God.
The four gospels of the New Testament, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, provide four accounts of Jesus’ baptism. Though they are each unique, they share many common elements. In all of the stories, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, and John also alludes to the coming of the Messiah. In Luke’s gospel, John says, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals” (Luke 3:16) and he makes a very similar statement in the other gospels. The evangelists would have of course been concerned with showing that Jesus is the Son of God though they use different approaches throughout each of the gospels. Additionally, after Jesus is baptized, the Heavens break open in all of the baptismal stories and a dove descends from the open Heavens. In the synoptic Gospels, this dove is meant to symbolize the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God, and the dove proclaims to Jesus something along the lines of, “You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11). However in John’s gospel, the image of the dove is meant to be a sign to John that the man he is baptizing is the Son of God. John’s gospel is concerned with showing how Jesus is the glorious savior of the world which explains why the dove was meant to announce the arrival of God’s Son to John rather than be meant to convey God’s message to Jesus. Also, Luke’s baptism account is the only story that puts the baptism of Jesus in context with what is going on in the rest of the world. He begins the story by saying, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee” (Luke 3:1). A main theme of Luke’s gospel is that all history is salvation history with Jesus at the center, so it is the only gospel that portrays Jesus in the context of the rest of the world.
Soteriology is the branch of theology that is concerned with salvation as it was effected by Jesus Christ. Soteriological ideas are present in many of Paul’s letters, but his soteriology changes from his early letters to his later letters as his understanding of salvation change as well. In the earliest letters, he addresses the idea that salvation and Jesus’ death on the cross are connected. Then as he gains a greater depth of understanding, Paul presents Jesus’ death as part of God’s larger plan to save the human race.
In Romans 10:1-12, a letter that was undisputedly written by Paul, Paul explains his views on salvation. He stresses the importance of Jesus Christ saying, “For Christ is the end of the law for the justification of everyone who has faith” (Romans 10:4). He then continues by explaining that anyone who believes that Jesus really was raised from the dead will achieve salvation in heaven: “For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Finally, Paul concludes by touching upon the idea that Jesus was part of God’s plan to save his people saying “the same Lord is the Lord of all” and “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13). This shows a deep understanding about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as the power of God.
In Ephesians 1:3-14, a disputed Pauline letter, the author does show a similar understanding, but does not present it with the same depth. This letter also addresses the idea that Christ was meant to spread the word of God and save his people, “In [Christ] we had redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions” (Ephesians 1:7). The author touches upon the idea that blessings were bestowed on all people when Jesus died saying, “In [Christ] you also…were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13). This letter simply lacks the clarity of the previous letter. It does not state how Jesus specifically saved his people, both those alive and dead, by dying and then rising again.
The differences between these letters can most likely be attributed to a difference in the time periods in which they were written. The Ephesians letter was probably written before the letter to the Romans when they church did not have a deep understanding of soteriological ideas.
The Word of God came to the Earth and took human form through the birth of Jesus Christ. According to the early Christian theologian Athanasius of Alexandria, the Word assuming human form is quite significant. He notes that this is the closest that God has ever been to his people. God always watches over his people from above, but never had the World of God come down to the Earth in human form (Athanasius, 8). He then saw that death was inevitable for all of creation and realized that this should not be so. Athanasius explains, “He saw how unseemly it was that the very things of which He Himself was the Artificer should be disappearing” (Athanasius, 8). The Word took human form so that Jesus could be vulnerable to death and sacrifice his own body to save the rest of the world. Athanasius notes, “Thus, taking a body like our own, because all our bodies were liable to the corruption of death, He surrendered His body to death instead of all, and offered it to the Father” (Athanasius, 8). Also, God saw that the human race was full of corruption and that they were not following the word of God. They worshipped idols and false gods instead, and only God could save and renew his people. To save his people he first had to destroy death by assuming human form. Therefore, when Christ sacrifices his body, he saves the human race. He puts an end to death and gives the hope of resurrection. He also renews our faith in God through his many divine acts such as healing the sick.
I believe that the significance of incarnation is limited only Jesus Christ and does not affect our perception of human bodies. I believe that God does act through Saints and Prophets but that Jesus is a special case. Jesus is the Son of God and is therefore on a much different level than the rest of mankind including those who are divinely inspired. Also, Jesus had a special mission to die to save the entire human race, and this sets him apart as well.
A central theme in the Gospel According to John is the idea of Jesus as an authoritative teacher. He spends a great deal of time spreading the word of God through his teachings. He teaches people wherever he goes about the power of the Lord. He does this through public speeches and by using his heeling and other extraordinary powers. Not all are impressed with what he has to say, though, and many were skeptical. For example, a Pharisee named Nicodemus questions Jesus’ teachings saying, “‘How can a person once grown old be born again?’” (John 3:4). Jesus attempts to explain about the concept of everlasting life, but Nicodemus continues to pose questions. Jesus also receives opposition from the Jews when he breaks the Sabbath by curing a sick man on the Sabbath and when he calls God his own father. For this reason, the Jews begin to persecute him.
The most evidence of Jesus as an authoritative teacher can be found in Chapter 7 of this Gospel. In this chapter, the Jews are having a feast and they had expected him to come. At this point, the Jews are still trying to kill him so Jesus goes to the feast in secret. The crowd at the feast was much more divided on their stance than the Jews. Some think that he is “‘a good man’” while others think that he “‘misleads the crowd’” (John 7:12). Halfway through the feast, Jesus begins to teach saying, “‘My teaching is not my own but from the one who sent me’” (John 7:16). He then goes on to say that they must stop trying to kill him for healing a man on the Sabbath because this is a good deed. He then repeats that God sent him, and some of the crowd begins to believe that he is the Messiah. Nevertheless, the chief priests and the Pharisees sent guards to arrest him because they are sure that Jesus is a fraud. The guards however would not arrest him because they were so amazed by Jesus.
A prominent theme in the Gospel of Mark is the idea that Jesus did not want people to know that he is the Son of God. This is referred to as the “messianic secret.” Throughout the Gospel, Jesus performs miracles and other unearthly deeds, but he does not wish for the news of his achievements to spread. After Jesus cures the leper, he warns this man, “‘See that you tell no one anything’” (Mark 1:44). Similarly, when Jesus opens the ears of a deaf man, he orders the surrounding crowd not to tell anyone of this, but “the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it” (Mark 7:36). As the word began to spread of Jesus’s healing powers, “those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God’” (Mark 3:10). Though Jesus warns them “not to make him known” (Mark 3:12), he can no longer travel anywhere without people begging him to cure them of their diseases or forgive their sins. The gospel reads, “Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak” (Mark 6:56). It is clear that Jesus wanted to avoid this type of publicity. He came to the Earth with the mission to serve God and then prepare to die on the cross. Jesus says, “‘For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” (Mark10:45). Therefore, accomplishing all that he had to do was made somewhat more difficult by the crowds that would flock to him wherever he would go.
The Book of Amos is meant to be a warning to the people Israel that God is highly displeased with their actions and that Judgment Day is approaching. Amos begins by describing the state of other nations that the Lord has already ruined for various injustices; therefore, the relationship between God and the entire world is strained. In Tyre, for example, the Lord says, “Because they delivered whole groups captive to Edom, and did not remember the pact of the brotherhood, I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre, to devour her castles” (Amos 1:9-10). He inflicts similar destruction on surrounding nations, and this serves as foreshadowing for what Israel should expect from God. He will not simply punish Israel as he has in the past, but rather he will, “destroy it from of the face of the earth” (8:8).
The Book of Amos gives many reasons for God’s displeasure with Israel, among them that some people have become wealthy at the expense of others saying, “They trample the head of the weak into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way” (1:7). He also reminds the Israelites that he brought them out of slavery in Egypt and provided them land to farm but yet they are not faithful enough to him. He has saved them time and time again when they call for his help, and they have not learned from the past. However, the Book of Amos concludes with the message that though the Lord will destroy Israel on Judgment Day, he will someday return the nation to her former glory saying. The Lord will never completely abandon his people.
Throughout the Book of Amos, contrasting imagery of light and darkness is used to describe the gloom that will be inflicted on the Israelites on Judgment Day saying, “On that day…I will make the sun set at midday and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight” (8:9). There are also several similes and metaphorical situations used to convey to the people how the Lord will destroy them such as, “Beware, I will crush you into the ground as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves” (2:13). This clearly proclaims his message to the Israelites so that they understand the severity of their punishment.
cackley 