Discuss: The power of Christ's resurrection is manifested in the suffering of the believer

The sufferings of the believer and the church are a witness to the world of the power of Christ's resurrection. The death of Jesus is carried by the sufferings of the believer, so that His resurrection life is shown to the world (2 Cor 4:10). The believer experiences suffering, life Christ, as they are pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down (2 Cor 4: 8-9), but not crushed in despair, abandoned or destroyed (2 Cor 4: 8-9). For like Christ we too have the promise of resurrection life to be procured by his suffering, exemplified by ours so that the world might see the glory of God. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of this glory to come with a heavenly tent, that though we suffer not it is for a and in Christ. We live by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), so our present sufferings only hasten the day of judgment to come when as glorified we stand before our most righteous judge.

Discuss: Gaffin: "The basic duality of the eschatological fulfillment taught in Scripture."

The basic duality taught in Scripture of the eschatological coming and fulfillment of Christ's life is that it was and is one event with two parts. Christ entering the world and entering into redemptive history was the fulfillment of the promise made to Adam and Abraham. Jesus would come to take the punishment of sin for Adam's transgression, passive obedience and to be perfect and make righteous the people of Abraham, active obedience. This is one event in history; however, has a two part implication in what has already been procured, bought and paid for a the Cross, death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost for the church and the covenant people in the past and present. But there is also a not yet or a still greater fulfillment of these promises to Adam and Abraham to come at the judgment and glorification of the Body of Christ, in the second coming. The covenant community possesses in reality the first fruits of Christ at present, and yet still looks toward the future, the duality, of the fulfilled covenant promises and blessings to come that the inner man may experience now, but then the outer man will experience in fullness (2 Cor 4: 16-18).

Final - Indentify

1. Death is unnatural

Death is not God's desire for creation and specifically man. It requires an explanation because death breaks into life and causes disharmony where life is natural and continues. Death is unnatural to man as our souls are promised immortality, our bodies experience death.

2. The New Testament notion of paradise, or heaven.

The Old testament refers to the garden and the promise land as the dwelling place of God. While paradise in the New Testament dwelling place of God is in heaven that the covenant people are called to.

3. Purgatory.

Purgatory is derived from the Catholic doctrine as a place of punishment for temporal sins, and purification from them. Accordingly, the Church can reduce this punishment by interceding with good works and indulgences, etc. There is no such place in reformed doctrine as the dead are either delivered to paradise or await the final judgment apart from God.

4. Distinction between the resurrection of the body and the resurrection of the flesh.

The resurrection of the body is the promised recreation and redemption fulfilled before the day of judgement. This is a recreative act of God that does not rely upon the particles of the flesh. Whereas the resurrection of the flesh is the belief that the totality of matter must be gathered and reassembled.

5. Premil, postmil, amil, preterist.

Premillennialism believes that Christ will return before the 1,000 year literal reign of an earthly kingdom. Postmillennialism believes that Christ will return after a 1,000 year literal reign of the church. Amillennialism believes in the inaugurated kingdom that Christ brought about in his first coming, as He still reigns in a non-literal 1,000 years currently until his final and triumphant return. Preterists believe all prophecy of judgment and the second coming occurred in the past and specifically 70 AD with the destruction of the temple. All millennial views place the judgement and return of Christ in the future.

6. Intermediate corporeality.

Intermediate corporeality is the belief that when the body dies it receives a temporary body, in which contact with the living world is still possible.

7. Invocation of the saints.

Invocation of the saints is the belief that the dead can make intercession on behalf of the living, and so they are prayed to, invoked and venerated by the church in hopes of blessing. There is no biblical foundation for this, but Catholics use 2 Mac 15 as a proof text.

8. Waltke: "The dross of the Old covenant."

Waltke refers "the dross of the Old covenant" as the shadow, precursor and temporal reality of the greater spiritual everlasting truth to come in the New Covenant.

9. Waltke: "Spiritual Israel today."

To Waltke, "Spiritual Israel today" is the current community of the church as the true, real, everlasting, spiritual Israel promised to endure forever.

10. Soul-sleep.

Soul-sleep is the belief that upon death there is a complete separation and break with the psychic power of the mind to interact with knowledge and therefore must sleep, rest without interaction until judgment. This creates a false dualism between mind and matter, soul and spirit.

Speak Love Part 2

Assignment:
Students will prepare an exegesis paper on a passage of their choice. This is a substantial paper that could be used, if the student so desires, to pass presbytery. The purpose of this paper is to help the student gain familiarity with the process of exegesis and with the basic syntax of the NT Greek.

Speak Love

Assignment:
This presentation should take no more than 15 minutes. Specifics of the presentation will be discussed in class. Because a significant portion of our experience as preachers and teachers involves presenting our arguments orally to our listeners, this exercise will help the student better understand how to communicate concisely the substance of his or her exegesis.