SURVEY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
by Andrew Corbett

JESUS CHRIST

The study of Christ is the most important topic in the Bible. It is the foundation for all of our doctrine. A wrong understanding of Christ will result in errors in the most fundamental of beliefs and practices. The Bible presents Christ in three spheres: His pre-incarnate state, His humanity, and His glorious divinity. Even recently there has been attacks made against the Biblical presentation of Christ from the most unlikely of supposedly evangelical sources. While not intentional, they are still attacks. Any doctrine which states that Christ is not the divine, eternal Son of God, is automatically opposing the Bible's clear declarations. This issue was widely discussed in the early centuries of Christianity being touched on in two major Church Council meetings (Nicea, and Chalcedon). While not being the central issue, it certainly was the dividing point for heresy or orthodoxy.

HIS PREINCARNATE STATE

The Scriptures clearly present Jesus the Christ as having existed before His time on earth. Jesus Himself declared that "before Abraham was, I am " (Jn. 8:58). The Jews understood what Christ was saying because they wanted to stone Him then and there for blasphemy. If Christ was pre-existent, then it can be shown that He must logically also be eternal. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) concluded that- "there never was a time when He was not."

1. How do these Scriptures confirm or deny Christ's eternal nature?

a) Isa. 9:6____________________________________________________

b) Micah 5:2___________________________________________________

c) Col. 1:17___________________________________________________

The Gospel of John starts off the same way as Genesis does. Yet the implication in the Gospel of John is that it is talking about a "beginning" that goes back further than the one mentioned in Genesis. In his account of the beginning, which appears to be what some call "eternity past", he describes the existence of the Logos (Word). In verse fourteen he says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Developing this point he quotes Christ using the expression to describe Himself, leaving no room to doubt that Christ was the Word that was existent in the very beginning.

2. How is it possible for some to conclude that Christ existed before His birth at Bethlehem, yet deny that He was eternal, as Arius did?

a) By saying that Christ had always existed, but was not eternal.

b) By saying that Christ was created just before coming to earth.

c) By saying that Christ was the first created being, therefore He has existed for a long time but is not eternal.

3. What part of these verses affirms Christ's pre-existence?

a) Jn. 3:17__________________________________________________

b) Jn. 8:58_____________________________________________________

c) Jn. 17:5____________________________________________________

CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY

Despite the belief by some that Christ had little to do with the Old Testament, the reverse is quite evidently the case. Not only is the expression 'Son of God ' used at least three times in the Old Testament (Ps. 2:7-13; Prov. 30:4; Dan. 3:25), but there are numerous references to the Second Person of the Trinity.

4. Examine Zechariah 12:1-10. Who is being referred to in the last part of vs. 10?

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5. What are the titles ascribed to the 'Me ' portions of this passage?

_____________________________________________________________

"After the Christ is killed, He will be revealed to the House of David. They will mourn for Him as an only Son".

There have been many varied ideas about why Jesus is called the Son of God. Some suggest this is because He was the first created being God made and thus took a special place in God's kingdom as His Son. Others have suggested that He was not the Son of God until He was actually born at Bethlehem.

6. How does John 3:16 refute this last idea?

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The word angel in both the Greek and Hebrew means-messenger. In the Old Testament there were angels and there was The Angel of the Lord. This last expression was used to describe the pre-existent Christ. From the context of each individual Old Testament passage we can determine whether or not it is referring to Christ as the Angel of the Lord. If that person performed deeds of deity, or accepted titles of deity and was described as the Angel of the Lord, then we can be assured that this was the pre-incarnate Christ.

7. Read Genesis 31:11; 32:24-32. Who is this angel?

_____________________________________________________________

The Jews referred to this particular Angel as "Metatron".

CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT TYPOLOGY

When studying the Old Testament, there are three popular approaches to interpretation:

A. LITERAL - look for the context and cultural implications of the passage. This can also apply to interpreting prophecies. Some prophecies have a literal fulfilment while others don't.

B. TYPOLOGICAL - this is where an Old Testament character or article represents something in the New. This type of interpretation is good for devotional study and sharing, but can not be used as a basis for a doctrine. A New Testament sanctified example is Paul's use of Abraham's wives. Hagar represents those under the Law, while Sarah, represents those under faith (Gal. 4:24-25).

C. SPIRITUALISE - by taking a passage of Old Testament Scripture and making it apply to you. This is done with passages that have a direct implication to a specific time/place/person/event but may have some devotional value for the reader today for their particular situation.

The Old Testament is filled with pictures, or types, of Christ and His work which support His pre-existence. Abel offered the best firstling lamb of his flock. This was a type of Christ offering His best. Then Abel was murdered. So with Christ.

8. Think of the Old Testament character of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). What similarities are there between Joseph and Jesus?

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Joshua (which in the Greek translates as "Jesus") was a type of Christ, as the Deliverer. Boaz was a type of Christ, as the Redeemer. Melchizedek was a type of King and Priest. Moses was a type of Christ as the Intercessor.

As well as persons being typical of Christ, there were also events that were typical of His work.

Noah's Ark- Christ delivers the faithful from God's wrath.

Adam's covering by God- Christ's death provides the payment for our sin, thus hiding our shame.

Offering of Isaac- Christ bearing His own Cross to provide the sacrifice for our sins.

Levitical offerings- Each type of offering represented some aspect of Christ's work.

The Tabernacle- Nearly everything in the Tabernacle represents Christ.

The fact that there were so many types pointing to the One Person, suggests that Christ was already in existence prior to Bethlehem.

CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

The Old Testament abounds with predictions of a coming Messiah. Through some of these predictions even the Messiah Himself is recorded as talking, thus adding weight to the doctrine of His pre-existence. Nearly all aspects of His life were either predicted or forshadowed.

9. What do the following Scriptures predict about Christ?

a) Deut. 18:18_______________________________________________

b) Zech. 6:13________________________________________________

c) Zech. 9:9_________________________________________________

d) Isa. 53___________________________________________________

e) Isa. 35:5-6_______________________________________________

Christ was not only existing before Bethlehem, He was active in the Old Testament, foreshadowed in the Old Testament, and predicted in the Old Testament. He is not just a New Testament idea, or founder of a new religion- He is the logical continuation of the presentation of the Second Person of the Godhead from the Old Testament into the New.

Amen.

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