CREED; I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD
This declaration, while introducing the paragraph which follows is much more than just a statement saying, "Now I am going to tell you about Jesus". We would get more of the import if we said: "I believe in 'The New Testament JOSHUA, anointed Messiah, and unique Son of God who Reigns over us'". "Jesus" was not a new name reserved just for the son of Mary, and probably no one called him that until Scripture was written into Greek. He was named Joshua, or the Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent, and literally meant Jehovah Saves, or Jehovah's Salvation. It served both as a reminder of the Old Testament "deliverer" who brought the Hebrews into the promised land, and prophesied his Delivering the people from their sins. And the name or title "Christ" did not indicate a sir-name, but is a descriptor of his "office" or role. Again, THE Anointed One. Anointed of God for a specific ministry, in this case, the long awaited Messiah. Then his special status as not just "a son of God", but the uniquely divine, ONLY son of God is declared. The importance of this, in the Creed is that it is clarifying a controversy. Whereas the term "son of God" or "sons of God" might have referred to angels, or even prominent judges in the Old Testament, and to adopted "sons of God"- that is "believers" in the New Testament, this speaks of Jesus being the (to quote from the Nicene Creed) Very God or True God. So Jesus did not become a son of God at some point in History, but was Eternally the Son in the same sense that God was Eternally the Father. God didn't somehow exist as an "Arch deity" and then create the Son as a lesser deity, but Jesus as the Son existed in the Godhead for as long as God existed. In other words---Forever! The implications of this truth weave themselves throughout the rest of the Creed, and ought to weave themselves throughout the life of any believer taking the Creed as their own statement of faith. When we next look at the subsequent phrases speaking of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection we will constantly see his "humanness" or nature as "son of Man" but it is his Divine Sonship, and his relationship to the Father, that makes all the Humaness have meaning.
And because I believe in Jesus, the Anointed one who is the Divine Son of God, then it follows that he is "our Lord". The Sovereign Maker and Ruler of the Universe whose wish is,(ought to be) my Command. Whose word is Law to me. Again, He cannot be Saviour and not Lord. And He must be Lord OF all, or not Lord AT all.
So what? If I profess such a belief with my mouth, does my life show it?
This declaration, while introducing the paragraph which follows is much more than just a statement saying, "Now I am going to tell you about Jesus". We would get more of the import if we said: "I believe in 'The New Testament JOSHUA, anointed Messiah, and unique Son of God who Reigns over us'". "Jesus" was not a new name reserved just for the son of Mary, and probably no one called him that until Scripture was written into Greek. He was named Joshua, or the Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent, and literally meant Jehovah Saves, or Jehovah's Salvation. It served both as a reminder of the Old Testament "deliverer" who brought the Hebrews into the promised land, and prophesied his Delivering the people from their sins. And the name or title "Christ" did not indicate a sir-name, but is a descriptor of his "office" or role. Again, THE Anointed One. Anointed of God for a specific ministry, in this case, the long awaited Messiah. Then his special status as not just "a son of God", but the uniquely divine, ONLY son of God is declared. The importance of this, in the Creed is that it is clarifying a controversy. Whereas the term "son of God" or "sons of God" might have referred to angels, or even prominent judges in the Old Testament, and to adopted "sons of God"- that is "believers" in the New Testament, this speaks of Jesus being the (to quote from the Nicene Creed) Very God or True God. So Jesus did not become a son of God at some point in History, but was Eternally the Son in the same sense that God was Eternally the Father. God didn't somehow exist as an "Arch deity" and then create the Son as a lesser deity, but Jesus as the Son existed in the Godhead for as long as God existed. In other words---Forever! The implications of this truth weave themselves throughout the rest of the Creed, and ought to weave themselves throughout the life of any believer taking the Creed as their own statement of faith. When we next look at the subsequent phrases speaking of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection we will constantly see his "humanness" or nature as "son of Man" but it is his Divine Sonship, and his relationship to the Father, that makes all the Humaness have meaning.
And because I believe in Jesus, the Anointed one who is the Divine Son of God, then it follows that he is "our Lord". The Sovereign Maker and Ruler of the Universe whose wish is,(ought to be) my Command. Whose word is Law to me. Again, He cannot be Saviour and not Lord. And He must be Lord OF all, or not Lord AT all.
So what? If I profess such a belief with my mouth, does my life show it?
posted by Mister A Muses | 3:19 PM
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