The Letter of Paul to the Colossians contains six verses which form a hymn or poem in praise of Christ. This Christ Hymn is a densely packed statement of Paul’s Christological monotheism. Christ is exalted as sovereign over creation, the church and new creation. The letter was written in response to the false philosophy that the church in Colossae was in danger of following.
Jesus
Words made flesh: What important insights are there for the practical theologian in the conviction that Jesus Christ is ‘God Incarnate’?
The study of the nature and person of Jesus Christ, known as Christology, has provoked much debate and controversy from the early Christian period up to the present day. To answer the question whether Jesus was only human or whether he was divine or both is the task for the practitioner of the Gospel when faced with those who challenge the historical understanding of Jesus. To illustrate this task, the position of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and contemporary writers on the identity of Jesus will be compared to the Arian heresy.
Summarise the contribution of Jesus of Nazareth to an understanding of leadership today
Jesus of Nazareth was a leader. Blanchard and Hodges call him the “one perfect leadership role model you can trust.” The public ministry of Jesus lasted for three years; his training has been estimated at thirty years. However, his influence has lasted two-thousand years.
The ‘glory’ of Christ on the Cross (cf. ‘lifted up’ / ‘glorified’ – esp. John 17)
In his final prayer with his disciples, Jesus Christ prays for the mutual glorification of the Father and the Son. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is glorified when he is lifted up on the cross at his crucifixion. John employs a double meaning of lifted up throughout the Gospel, demonstrating that the crucifixion is also the exaltation of Jesus.
Jesus’ message/John’s purpose in the Samaritan Woman story (John 4:1-42)
In this pericope from John’s Gospel Jesus meets a Samaritan woman, the traditional enemy of the Jews and a social outcast, at the OT setting for a matrimonial encounter. This dialogue reveals the truth of Jesus’ identity as Messiah and leads to the Samaritans’ confession that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. After discussing the historical, canonical and theological background I will present an exegesis of the story, describing Jesus’ actions and finish by providing some of the ways John intended the passage to be used and how it may be applied by the reader today.
Drawing from Jesus’ ministry as portrayed in the Gospels and contemporary practices, what is the place of healing and deliverance in advancing the Kingdom of God through missions?
At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the prophet Isaiah: 4 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering […]
