Advent 2019 Session Five
The Incarnation in Paul’s Theology.
Paul, in his letters, shows little interest in the earthly life of Jesus. When he speaks of Jesus t is always as the risen Lord. The reason for this is perhaps undestandable in that he was a Christian missionary who preached the good news of what Christ’s death and resurrection had achieved.
His focus is to show how faith in Christ can bring each of us into a new relationship with God. Thus he does not concentrate on what Jesus said or did during his ministry but on what his life and death has made possible.
So, although Paul does not mention the birth of Jesus he does have two particular passages which have a bearing on it. The first in Philipians and the second in Colossians which are often described as Hymns to Christ and which we will look at today.
Read Philippians 2: verses 5 – 11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
1. In this passage what do you learn about Jesus?
2. What do you learn about God?
3. What lessons for living as a Christian do you learn from this hymn?
4. How would you interpret this hymn in particular, do you think that “being in very nature God” means the same as “being God” or that “being made in human likeness” means being fully human?
5. Do you think that this lack of a birth narrative matters or does the being made in human likeness give us enough of an understanding that Jesus was born and lived a normal life before the start of his ministry?
6. It is of course easier for us to read this in the knowledge of the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth but if you were not familiar with those stories would this impact your understanding of the nature of Jesus as fully human and yet fully God?
7. How does this declaration of God’s desire that every tongue should acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord affect the way that you think about your responsibility for spreading the good news?
We can think of the familiar words of the Hymn “At the name of Jesus” which expand this passage.
1 At the name of Jesus ev’ry knee shall bow,
ev’ry tongue confess him King of glory now.
‘Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
2 Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious, when from death he passed.
3 In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
all that is not holy, all that is not true;
crown him as your Captain in temptation’s hour:
let his will enfold you in its light and pow’r.
4 Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Father’s glory, with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.
8. Do you find this “expansion” helps your understanding of the passage and its context?
9. Do you feel confident that you can “let his will enfold you” as you make the decisions you have to make in your daily life and as you seek to be a servant of the King?
Now let us look at the Hymn in Colossians.
Read Colossians 1 verses 15-23
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Some of the questions which we have discussed on the Pilippians reading could be repeated alongside this reading from Colossians and it is worth doing so but within the time available to us let us expand our thoughts further.
10. Why is it important that Christ has “the supremacy”?
11. Do you find it easy or hard to come to Jesus and be open and honest about your relationship with him? Perhaps we think about our doubts and our fears. Our excitement and vision in our calling to his service. Our feelings that we will be inadequate in our abilities.
12. Does this passage encourage you that, through Jesus, all we do will be sufficient if we do it in faith?
The Bible is a wonderful book which we often choose to take verses or passages from to study or use to explain things. Sometimes it is good to read it widely to gain more insight into the teachings it has for us.
13. Having gone through the range of different explanations of the incarnation of Jesus are there any which you find more helpful than others?
14. Have you found the gathering together of these different elements of the narrative helpful? Is the phrase “the sum is greater than the parts” applicable to these very different aspects of the story of Christmas?
Chris
