The text below was taken from Franklin Ferreira’s book Christian Theology
Just as the most brutal of all wars was reaching its climax in Europe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggested perhaps the most important question for the Christian faith: “Who is Christ really for us today?” This question was asked while he was in the Berlin-Tegel Armed Forces Pretrial Detention, a time when, in the German writer’s perception, the world was heading towards “a totally non-religious age. ” But, perceptibly, he also warned that even among religious people in particular, it is the term “religious. ” refers to something quite different. These two images that, according to Bonhoeffer’s interpretation, mark the middle of the 20th century in Europe? on the one hand, an irreligious age, on the other hand, the very reinterpretation of religion? they are revealed in the interpretation of the person of Christ in Brazil. In short, they portray Jesus in different ways: as a harmless baby in the manger, as a superhuman being who ends up overshadowed by Mary, as a kind of magician or guru, as a defenseless figure bleeding on the cross or even as a revolutionary. socialist leader. From these cartoons, we can understand why the Brazilian church does not experiment with living water. (Jn 7,38), in which the Christian faith is experienced in purely religious categories. So the question that arises is: “Who really is Christ for us today?”
- We must begin by declaring that the only authoritative source for bearing witness to Jesus Christ is Holy Scripture.
- Especially the Gospels.
- As the authoritative source for rebuilding the person.
- Life.
- And work of Christ.
- The contemporary attempt to portray Christ through false extra-biblical sources is not new.
- In the middle of the second century.
- Ireneu of Lyons turned to the Scriptures against Gnostic claims of the authority of their supposed secret traditions.
- After stating that the Gnostics taught a theory.
- Neither the prophets nor the prophets preached.
- Nor did the Lord teach.
- Nor did the apostles transmit.
- Thanks to her they boasted of having a better and more abundant knowledge than the others? and they tried “to add to their words others worthy of faith.
- Such as the words of the Lord or the oracles of the prophets or the words of the apostles.
- So that their fantasies are not presented without foundation.
- ” They neglected the order and the text of the Scriptures.
- Distorting all the apostolic teaching about the Lord Jesus.
- After mentioning the famous mosaic analogy of a king transforming into a fox mosaic and after saying and confirming that “this was the authentic image of the king made by the talented artist”.
- The Gnostics sewed “fables of old women and.
- Taking from here and taking from there words and phrases and parables.
- They try to adapt God’s words to his fables.
Thus, when one considers what the scriptures teach about Jesus Christ, it is obvious that three themes are firmly established: the first is the coherent biblical testimony of our Savior’s divinity, the idea that Jesus became Christ or was divinized at some point in His mortal ministry must be dismissed as a crude rationalist attempt to overcome the tension present in the rich biblical picture. Similarly, the assumption that there was a time when there was no Son and the suggestion that the Father and the Son are equal aspects of the same reality must also be rejected. According to the biblical image, the Son has always existed as a Son with his eternal and beloved Father, a communion revealed in the Holy Spirit. Was this Son, who always existed, promised and desired in the Old Testament as the Messiah?Christ? who would save his people from sins (cf. Mt 1, 21).
A second aspect to note is that Scripture affirms exactly the full humanity of one who reveals himself as God incarnate, the Lord who assumes humanity. Throughout the biblical account present in the Gospels, Christ presents himself as a man. From the Virgin Mary she was miraculously born, by the work of the Holy Spirit, she grew, learned, was baptized and judged, was hungry, thirsty and tired, saddened, saddened, suffered and died. All these experiences are recorded as real, as a deep identification with humanity. At the same time, similar experiences coexist with others in which our Savior reveals himself knowing what is going on in the hearts of men, healing, exorcising, ordering the elements of creation, resurrecting them. dead and forgiving of sins. As the author of Hebrews says: “He for whom all things are and for whom everything exists, who brings many children to glory, perfects the author of his salvation through suffering?”(2,10). Did Christ deliberately choose the way of suffering, death, and the cross?and all his earthly ministry was a preparation for the cross.
An important third aspect of the biblical image is Christ’s relationship with the Holy Spirit, on the one hand, the Spirit descends upon the Submissive Son, acting upon his life and ministry; on the other hand, we learn that Jesus is the one who sends. the Spirit with the Father, and the disciples are sent under the authority of Jesus to baptize others with the Holy Spirit.
By: Franklin Ferreira. Website: www. teologiabrasileira. com. br. Extract from the book Christian Theology. © 2011 Copyright Edis Vida Nova. Used with authorization.