The Relationship Between Incarnation and Atonement The incarnation and atonement of Jesus Christ are the enduring elements of the Christian theology. Many theologians have spent their time discussing and developing these Christian doctrines on how they came about, and how relevant they might be. According to Anselm, incarnation is a central doctrine of Christianity, followed by atonement. In order to ponder on the relationship between atonement and incarnation focusing on Anselm’s idea of satisfaction, we are supposed to look at the meanings of atonement, as well as incarnation. However, the doctrines of incarnation and atonement are interrelated as elucidated by many theologians.
Atonement is a Christian theory that explains the reconciliation of human beings with God (Torrance 6). In simple words, it is the redemption/forgiveness of sins through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians were forgiven their sins and reconciled with God. The bible in the book of John 3:16 say that, “For God so loved the world, and gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish” (King James Version, John 3.16). According to the bible, whoever believes in the son of God, shall not perish but will have everlasting life, and this is the atonement, since through the death of the son of God, Christians were forgiven their sins, and received eternal life. According to the doctrine of
In the first discourse we learn about the excellence and singularity of the sacred mystery of the incarnation. The author states that the most important lesson that we are taught in the school of wisdom and salvation it the hole mystery of Incarnation. This mystery is so powerful that it exceeds even the highest thought of men
Difficulty 41 was written by St. Maximos the Confessor during the seventh century and was part of a larger body of work titled, The Ambigua. The Ambigua answered difficult theological questions faced by the early church fathers, such as St. Gregory Nazianzus, using Greek philosophical methods. Difficulty 41 explains how the incarnation of Christ restores man to his proper function granted to him before the fall, for Christ unites all of creation in him by overcoming the divisions of being. St. Maximus’ writing draws on St. Gregory Nazianzus’ homily on the Theophany and on Gregory of Nyssa’s writings concerning the divisions of being. St. Maximus’ Christology would forever influence Christian doctrine and thought and as the last link between the theology of the East and West, as he is considered the last church father accepted in both churches.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines salvation as “deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ” .
This discussion begins by placing its roots in their proper foundation, historic Christian orthodoxy. The reality of the incarnation informs and is informed by all of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. Without an orthodox understanding of any of these aspects, one cannot see the robust, beautiful and awe inspiring truth of the Gospel. Thus, the question surfaces, why have we in the modern church all but completely abandoned the discussion and teaching of the doctrine of the incarnation? The book delves into each of these areas of orthodoxy mentioned thus far, pulling out the intricacies that are brought to fullness in light of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
In reaction to the article on "Incarnational Apologetics," how does this approach impact the way evangelism is taught and acted out in daily life? How do you balance "incarnational" and "informational" approaches to evangelism? Is there a connection? In addition, based on McRaney Chapter 8, how would the distinction between "Informational" and Incarnational" approaches to evangelism relate to the barriers you have in witnessing? For instance, do your struggle relating to people on an "incarnational" level; or are you afraid on an "informational" level that people might ask a question that you cannot answer? What barriers need to be removed in your life in order for you to balance these approaches? Respond in 225 words. Be VERY thorough,
There is far reaching agreement among researchers today over a wide religious spectrum that the resurrection of Jesus is the focal point of Christianity, asserted by conventional believers in light of New Testament passages like 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. However, it is also declared by secular analytical intellectuals also. One of the major confrontational arguments facing Christian theology or apologetics is the resurrection of Jesus being a significant part; therefore, if the
Introduction In his work, On the Incarnation of the Word, Athanasius of Alexandria provides a systematic approach to explaining why the Incarnation was needed and how to interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Athanasius seeks to clear up any misconceptions as to why the Son of God needed to humble himself to become man, only to die a humiliating death, that would later be scorned. Athanasius ends with evidence as to the truth of which all Christians celebrate and seek to share with all who will listen. I will explain Athanasius logical approach to the Incarnation by explaining the need for God to respond to man’s sin, the manner in which God brought redemption, and the grace that can now be celebrated.
Saint Augustine, one of the best scholars of the early church, portrayed the Trinity as practically identical to the three sections of an individual: personality, soul, and will. They are three unmistakable viewpoints, yet they are conjoined and together constitute one bound together individual. The purpose of this research paper is to further emphasize, highlight, and defend St. Augustine’s conclusion that the Holy Trinity is one God existing in three persons according to the meeting at the Council of Nicea 325.
As creatures created by God and who share in His life, we all have “inestimable value” (JP II 2). By virtue of the fact that He sent His Son to die for us on the cross in order to bridge what was broken in the Garden, God shows how much He really loves humanity. The Incarnation is proof positive how important human life is in the eyes of the Trinity. Jesus Christ could have taken on any form, yet as Philippians 2:7 teaches us, He took the form of a human servant and died a human death on the cross in order to provide salvation for humankind. Because of this relationship, all humans are valuable and share a divine dignity with one another and with God.
St. Athanasius’ On the Incarnation was written to Marcarius. It is an apologetic work in which Athanasius considers “the Word’s becoming Man and His divine Appearing in our midst.” His work is not meant to be a doctrinal clarification of the incarnation, but instead a defense of it against its 4th century critics.
It can be said that in God's eyes, Christians are only dirty glasses which are stained inside and out with their own sin. These glasses were once clean, not plagued with stains. Now the glasses bear with them these ugly stains, the stains of sin and wrongdoing. The dirty glasses had to accept their punishment for becoming dirty, and the punishment was being destroyed by a hammer. The hammer is God's instrument against sinners. As the hammer made its decent on the glass, a pan covered the glass and took the blow of the hammer to save the glass. This pan represents Jesus because Jesus sacrificed himself to God so that God would forgive us for our sins.
Over the centuries, Christianity has organised its beliefs into a systematic theology that draws from its sacred writing and tradition. While the main beliefs of Christianity are shared by all Christian variants, there are degrees of different in the interpretation of these beliefs and how they are lived out in everyday life. This can be seen in the important of sacred text, principle belief of the concept of salvation in John 3:16, principle belief of divine and humanity in ‘John 1:14’, principle belief of resurrection in ‘Mark 16:1-8’, principle belief of revelation in ‘1 corinthians14:6’, and beliefs through the Trinity in ‘2 Corinthians 13:14’. This essay will explain the important of the sacred text and the principal beliefs of Christianity.
An angel appeared before a woman named Mary and stated to her that she would give birth to a son. She would name her son Jesus. Mary being a virgin gave birth to a child, conceived by God through his Spirit. Jesus being conceived in a supernatural manner became man and God in one creation. God became incarnate in this child who became known by the name of Jesus (Mathew 1:18-25) . Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, born in a town south of Jerusalem, raised in Nazareth in a small village in Galilee. Jesus was not any ordinary child. Jesus was the son of the living God. Not only was He the son of Mary, He was foremost the Son of God. He was incarnated sent to us for the redemption of all mankind. So how do we handle the incarnation of God?
Saint Augustine is undoubtedly one, if not, the most important theologian in church history. His writings have greatly influenced Christian theology and understanding of God. Saint Augustine laid out some theological doctrine that has helped shaped Christian’s perceptions of sin, grace and salvation. Ironically, some of his theological postulation emerges from his controversies with different opposing camps on the aforementioned subjects. However, in this paper, the primary focus will be on his controversy with the Pelegians. The Pelagians taught that God’s given grace before the fall, combined with the willingness of man to choose good over evil, is enough to earn man salvation. The Pelagius position places emphasis on man’s ability to work out his own salvation,
This paper will provide an understanding the theories of theology of the history of the church, the celebration of the atonement; Jesus Christ being the vicarious substitutionary lamb slain for the sins of mankind.