In Christianity , the " exterior darkness " or " outer darkness " ( Greek : τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον , romanized : to skotos to exōteron ) is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew (8:12, 22:13, and 25:30) into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is " weeping and gnashing of teeth ". Generally, the outer darkness is thought to be hell ; however, many Christians associate the outer darkness more generally as a place of separation from God or from the metaphorical " wedding banquet " that Jesus is expected to have upon his Second Coming .
71-516: The phrase first occurs in Jesus ' comment concerning the faith of the Centurion of Capernaum: And I say to thee that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The use of the term exterior darkness
142-511: A "life-giving spirit", the last Adam is risen from the dead and will transform us through resurrection into a heavenly, spiritual existence (1 Cor. 15:22, 45, 48–9). Thus Paul's Adam Christology involved both the earthly Jesus' obedience (Rom. 5) and the risen Christ's role as giver of the Spirit (1 Cor. 15). The same symbol, used to express Christ as the corporate, representative personality (and Adam as his foreshadow or "type" , per Rom. 5:14),
213-527: A "new man" who undid the damage caused by the fall of the first man, Adam. Just as the Johannine view of Jesus as the incarnate Logos proclaims the universal relevance of his birth, the Pauline perspective emphasizes the birth of a new man and a new world in the birth of Jesus. Paul's eschatological view of Jesus counter-positions him as a new man of morality and obedience, in contrast to Adam. Unlike Adam,
284-608: A contradiction in Jesus' genealogies: Matthew saying he is the son of Solomon and Luke saying he is the son of Nathan —Solomon and Nathan being brothers. John of Damascus taught that there is no contradiction, for Nathan wed Solomon's wife after Solomon died in accordance with scripture, namely, yibbum (the mitzvah that a man must marry his brother's childless widow). Jesus grew up in Galilee and much of his ministry took place there. The languages spoken in Galilee and Judea during
355-651: A man of obedience, in contrast to Adam 's disobedience. According to the New Testament, after God raised him from the dead, Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father , with his followers awaiting his return to Earth and God's subsequent Last Judgment . According to the gospel accounts, Jesus was born of a virgin , and he taught other Jews how to follow God (sometimes using parables ), performed miracles and gathered disciples . Christians generally believe that this narrative
426-415: A teaching which usually relates the physical world to the spiritual world. In the 19th century, Lisco and Fairbairn stated that in the parables of Jesus, "the image borrowed from the visible world is accompanied by a truth from the invisible (spiritual) world" and that the parables of Jesus are not "mere similitudes which serve the purpose of illustration, but are internal analogies where nature becomes
497-494: A wedding garment?" the man was silent (Matt 22:12); therefore, the king said: "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matt. 22:13-14, D-R .) The third use occurs in the last line of parable of the talents : "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30). Both Luther , who taught soul sleep till
568-410: A witness for the spiritual world". Similarly, in the 20th century, calling a parable "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning", William Barclay states that the parables of Jesus use familiar examples to lead others' minds towards heavenly concepts. He suggests that Jesus did not form his parables merely as analogies but based on an "inward affinity between the natural and the spiritual order." One of
639-536: Is historically true . While there has been theological debate over the nature of Jesus , Trinitarian Christians believe that Jesus is the Logos , God incarnate (God in human form), God the Son, and " true God and true man "—fully divine and fully human. Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin . Although Christian views of Jesus vary, it
710-542: Is and accept him, he purposely did this to make provision for Gentiles to be part of the children of God. Believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father . — John 10:38 In Christian teachings, the miracles of Jesus were as much a vehicle for his message as were his words. Many of the miracles emphasize the importance of faith, for instance in cleansing ten lepers , Jesus did not say: "My power has saved you" but says "Rise and go; your faith has saved you." Similarly, in
781-399: Is called "the image ( eikōn ) of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation". In isolation, this verse could be taken merely in an Adamic sense as referring to Christ as the first created being, the archetypal human being who visibly reflects God, the invisible Creator. However, the context suggests finding the background in personified wisdom, the perfect image of God ( Wisdom 7:26 ) and
SECTION 10
#1732790763631852-417: Is in Jesus ' parable of the wedding feast (also known as the parable of the marriage of the king's son). In this parable, a king arranged a wedding for his son, but the normal guests did not come; therefore, the king sent his servants to gather guests from off the street. One of these guests, however, appeared without the proper wedding attire. When the king asked, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having
923-519: Is mediator, but […] the title means more than someone between God and man. He is not just a third party between God and humanity. [...] As true God he brings God to mankind. As true man he brings mankind to God. Most Christians generally consider Jesus to be the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah , as well as the one and only Son of God. The opening words in the Gospel of Mark ( 1:1 ), "The beginning of
994-738: Is possible to summarise the key elements of the beliefs shared by major Christian denominations by analysing their catechetical or confessional texts. Christian views of Jesus are derived from various biblical sources, particularly from the canonical gospels and New Testament letters such as the Paul epistles . Christians predominantly hold that these works are historically true. Those Christian groups or denominations which are committed to what are considered biblically orthodox Christianity nearly all agree that Jesus: Some groups considered to be Christian hold beliefs that are considered to be heterodox . For example, believers in monophysitism reject
1065-520: Is the teaching that Jesus (The Word of God) came from the bosom of God the Father and became a living being who then translated into a foetus in the womb of (Virgin Mary) through a supernatural means, as professed by believers in Christ . The pre-existence of Christ refers to the existence of Christ before his incarnation as Jesus. One of the relevant New Testament passages is John 1:1-18 where, in
1136-589: The Annunciation up to the Crucifixion . The declaration that Jesus is the Son of God is made by many individuals in the New Testament, and on two occasions by God the Father as a voice from Heaven, and is asserted by Jesus himself. In Christology , the concept that Christ is the Logos (i.e., "The Word") has been important in establishing the doctrine of the divinity of Christ and his position as God
1207-521: The Apostolic Age , from the 2nd century forward, several controversies developed about how the human and divine are related within the person of Jesus. Eventually in 451, the concept of a hypostatic union was stated at the Council of Chalcedon, namely that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. However, differences among Christian denominations continued thereafter, with some rejecting
1278-590: The Canonical Gospels are the major source of the teachings of Jesus, the Pauline epistles, which were likely written decades before the gospels, provide some of the earliest written accounts of the teachings of Jesus. The New Testament does not present the teachings of Jesus as merely his own teachings, but equates the words of Jesus with divine revelation, with John the Baptist stating in John 3:34 : "For
1349-684: The Farewell Discourse delivered after the Last Supper , the night before his Crucifixion. Although some of the teachings of Jesus are reported as taking place within the formal atmosphere of a synagogue (e.g., in Matthew 4:23 ) many of the discourses are more like conversations than formal lectures. The Gospel of Matthew has a structured set of sermons, often grouped as the Five Discourses of Matthew which present many of
1420-570: The Gospel of John it was impossible to narrate all the miracles performed by Jesus, the Catholic Encyclopedia states that the miracles presented in the Gospels were selected for a twofold reason: first for the manifestation of God's glory, and then for their evidential value. Jesus referred to his "works" as evidences of his mission and his divinity, and in John 5:36 he declared that his miracles have greater evidential value than
1491-564: The Recapitulation theory of atonement . Paul the Apostle contrasted Adam and Christ as two corporate personalities or representatives ( Rom 5:12–21 ; 1 Cor. 15:20–3, 45–9) and saw human beings as bearing the image of both Adam and Christ (1 Cor. 15:49). Where Adam's disobedience meant sin and death for all, Christ's obedience more than made good the harm due to Adam by bringing righteousness and abundance of grace ( Rom 5:12–21 ). As
SECTION 20
#17327907636311562-561: The Walking on Water miracle, Apostle Peter learns an important lesson about faith in that as his faith wavers, he begins to sink. One characteristic shared among all miracles of Jesus in the Gospel accounts is that he delivered benefits freely and never requested or accepted any form of payment for his healing miracles, unlike some high priests of his time who charged those who were healed. In Matthew 10:8 he advised his disciples to heal
1633-494: The disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19, NIV ). In 1 Corinthians 15 :22, Paul writes that "as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive," while in verse 45 he calls Jesus the "last/ultimate/final Adam". In terms of implicit portrayals of Jesus as the new Adam in the New Testament, it has been argued that John
1704-431: The early Christians there was no need to claim that Jesus was Christ, for that was considered widely accepted among them. Hence Paul could use the term Christos with no confusion about who it referred to, and as in 1 Corinthians 4:15 and Romans 12:5 he could use expressions such as "in Christ" to refer to the followers of Jesus. In the New Testament, the title "Son of God" is applied to Jesus on many occasions, from
1775-568: The resurrection of the dead , and Calvin , who taught the immortal soul , considered the "outer darkness" references in Matthew to refer to the last judgment . Today, interpretation of these "outer darkness" verses are a subset of Protestant discussion on hell and annihilationism . Other views include those of Zane C. Hodges who controversially suggested that it represents a place for those who make it to heaven based on their faith , but have failed to perform good works during their time on
1846-560: The 1st century AD include Jewish Palestinian Aramaic , Hebrew , and Greek , with Aramaic being predominant. There is substantial consensus that Jesus gave most of his teachings in Aramaic in the Galilean dialect . The canonical gospels describe Jesus wearing tzitzit – the tassels on a tallit – in Matthew 14:36 and Luke 8:43–44 . Besides this, the New Testament includes no descriptions of Jesus' appearance before his death and
1917-518: The 2nd century Church Father Irenaeus writes: "When He became incarnate and was made man, He commenced afresh the long line of human beings, and furnished us, in a brief, comprehensive manner, with salvation; so that what we had lost in Adam—namely to be according to the image and likeness of God- that we might recover in Christ Jesus." In patristic theology, Paul's contrasting of Jesus as
1988-569: The Evangelist portrays Jesus as one who recapitulates Adam's life and death in his Gospel. John Henry Newman used the phrase "Second Adam" in his hymn "Praise to the Holiest in the height", first appearing in The Dream of Gerontius : O loving wisdom of our God ! When all was sin and shame, A second Adam to the fight And to the rescue came. The title "New Adam" is emphasised in
2059-484: The Father who dwells in me does his works. — John 14:10 In the New Testament the teachings of Jesus are presented in terms of his "words and works". The words of Jesus include several sermons, in addition to parables that appear throughout the narrative of the Synoptic Gospels (the gospel of John includes no parables). The works include the miracles and other acts performed during his ministry. Although
2130-492: The Father, Jesus began a "new harmony" in the relationship between God the Father and man. The nativity and resurrection of Jesus thus created the author and exemplar of a new humanity. In this view, the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus brought about salvation, undoing the damage of Adam. As the biological son of David , Jesus would be of the Jewish race, ethnicity, nation, and culture . One argument against this would be
2201-618: The River Jordan, he returns to the area where he was baptized. The final ministry in Jerusalem is sometimes called the Passion Week and begins with the Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem . The gospels provide more details about the final ministry than the other periods, devoting about one third of their text to the last week of the life of Jesus in Jerusalem . The words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but
Outer darkness - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-607: The Son in the Trinity as set forth in the Chalcedonian Creed . This derives from the opening of the Gospel of John , commonly translated into English as: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." λόγος in the original Koine Greek is translated as Word and in theological discourse, this is often left in its English transliterated form, Logos . The easiest way to understand this
2343-594: The Trinitarian view, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos or Word. This doctrine is reiterated in John 17:5 when Jesus refers to the glory which he had with the Father "before the world was" during the Farewell Discourse . John 17:24 also refers to the Father loving Jesus "before the foundation of the world". Nontrinitarian views about the pre-existence of Christ vary, with some rejecting it and others accepting it. Following
2414-524: The Twelve Apostles , and covers most of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee. The final Galilean ministry begins after the death of John the Baptist as Jesus prepares to go to Jerusalem. In the later Judean ministry Jesus starts his final journey to Jerusalem through Judea. As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, in the later Perean ministry, about one third the way down from the Sea of Galilee along
2485-518: The absolute "pre-eminence" of Christ in the orders of creation and salvation history; he is pre-eminent both cosmologically and soteriologically . He through whom the universe was created is the same Christ who formed the Church by rising from the dead. He has been active in both creation and redemption. In the hymn in Philippians 2 , any Adamic interpretation of Christ's prior state of being "in
2556-428: The agent of creation ( Prov 8:22–31 ). The verses which follow speak of "all things" being "created through him and for him", of his being "before all things", of "all things holding together" in him, and of the plenitude of deity dwelling in him ( Colossians 1:16–17,19 ). Any parallelism with Adam, who was simply made in the divine image and likeness, gets left behind here. On the contrary, every created thing, including
2627-508: The angelic "thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities" ( Col 1:16 ), is said to have originated through Christ (as creative agent) and for Christ (as final goal), who likewise is the principle of cohesion in holding the universe together. Further, it strains plausibility to argue that a mere Adamic model does justice to the language of "the fullness of God" dwelling in Christ ( Col 1:19–20 ; cf. Col 2:9 ). The context of Colossians 1:15 , therefore, prompts one to interpret "the image of
2698-597: The character of the people of the Kingdom of God , expressed as "blessings". The Beatitudes focus on love and humility rather than force and exaction and echo the key ideals of Jesus' teachings on spirituality and compassion. The other discourses in Matthew include the Missionary Discourse in Matthew 10 and the Discourse on the Church in Matthew 18 , providing instructions to the disciples and laying
2769-410: The community of human beings and their collective image, Adam. Christ belonged to the eternal sphere of divine existence ( Philippians 2:6 ) and joined the human (and Adamic) sphere only when he assumed another mode of existence ( Philippians 2:7 ) which concealed his proper (divine) being. Nevertheless, in talking of Christ as refusing to use for his own advantage or exploit for himself the godhead which
2840-486: The dead, he restored humanity's right relationship with God with the blood of the New Covenant . His death on a cross is understood as a redemptive sacrifice: the source of humanity's salvation and the atonement for sin which had entered human history through the sin of Adam . But who do you say that I am? Only Simon Peter answered him: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God — Matthew 16:15-16 Jesus
2911-489: The earth. In the Latter Day Saint movement , "outer darkness" can refer to hell (the place where the spirits of the wicked reside after death but before the resurrection) or to the place where the sons of perdition will reside. The latter meaning is a place where the glory of God is completely absent, and is the place where Satan and his angels will reside. Latter Day Saint beliefs on hell are connected with
Outer darkness - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-425: The form of God" and enjoying "equality with God" ( Philippians 2:6 ) seems to be made doubtful by what follows. This divine status and mode of existence stand in counterpoint (the emphatic "but" of "but he emptied himself") to the subsequent state of "assuming the form of a slave", "being born in human likeness", and "being found in human form" ( Philippians 2:7 ). It is what is said in v. 7 that first puts Christ with
3053-450: The foundation of the codes of conduct for the anticipated community of followers. The parables of Jesus represent a major component of his teachings in the gospels, the approximately thirty parables forming about one third of his recorded teachings. The parables may appear within longer sermons, as well as other places within the narrative. Jesus' parables are seemingly simple and memorable stories, often with imagery, and each conveys
3124-509: The fruit in disobedience, Jesus drinks the sour wine in obedience." Makowiecki also claims that, in addition to recapitulating Adam's life, Jesus recapitulates his death as well. Whether one accepts the wider circle of references to Adam or limits oneself to the clear references in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 , the New Testament used Adamic language to express the being of Jesus and, even more, his task and goal. In post-New Testament times,
3195-456: The gospel narratives are generally indifferent to people's racial appearance or features. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). —John 10:10 (Ampl) Jesus seemed to have two basic concerns with reference to people and the material: (1) that they be freed from the tyranny of things and (2) that they be actively concerned for
3266-477: The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God", provide Jesus with the two distinct attributions as Christ and as the Son of God. His divinity is again re-affirmed in Mark 1:11 . Matthew 1:1 which begins by calling Jesus the Christ and in verse 16 explains it again with the affirmation: "Jesus, who is called Christ". In the Pauline epistles, the word Christ is so closely associated with Jesus that apparently for
3337-425: The hypostatic union in favor of monophysitism. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible . — Colossians 1:15-16 The above verse from Colossians regards the birth of Jesus as the model for all creation. Paul the Apostle viewed the birth of Jesus as an event of cosmic significance which brought forth
3408-467: The idea that Christ has two natures, one human and one divine. The five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus are his baptism , transfiguration , death by crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to Heaven . These are usually bracketed by two other episodes: his nativity at the beginning and the sending of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit) at the end. The gospel accounts of
3479-470: The invisible God" as pointing to Christ being on the divine side and being the perfect revealer of God — a thought paralleled by John 1:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. Like the hymn or poem in Colossians , Hebrews also portrays Christ as the exact (divine) counterpart through whom the Father speaks and is revealed, and who is the one that sustains the entire universe: "He reflects the glory of God and bears
3550-571: The key teachings of Jesus. Each of the five discourses has some parallel passages in the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Luke . The five discourses in Matthew begin with the Sermon on the Mount , which encapsulates many of the moral teachings of Jesus and which is one of the best known and most quoted elements of the New Testament. The Sermon on the Mount includes the Beatitudes which describe
3621-466: The language of Genesis 1:26–7 about Adam being created in the divine image. If so, Paul would be thinking here of Christ as the ideal Adam, with his humanity perfectly expressing the divine image. But this exegesis is not fully convincing. One may likewise be less than fully convinced by those who find a reference to Adam in two hymnic or at least poetic passages: Colossians 1:15–20 and Philippians 2:6–11 . Colossians 1:15 In Colossians 1:15 , Christ
SECTION 50
#17327907636313692-520: The latter reversing the failure of the first. In a typical passage of his Adversus haereses , he wrote: The Son of God ... was incarnate and made man; and then he summed up in himself the long line of the human race, procuring for us a comprehensive salvation , that we might recover in Christ Jesus what in Adam we had lost, namely the state of being in the image and likeness of God" (3. 18. 1) The Quran directly compares Jesus to Adam in terms of how he came into existence. Sura Al-Imran says, "Verily,
3763-532: The major reasons why Jesus spoke in parables to the Jews was explained to the disciples of Jesus by Jesus himself. It is found in Matthew 13:13-14; there Jesus explains why he used much of parables to the people of Israel . Jesus explained that it was so for the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet, and this is found in Isaiah 6:9-10. This was for the people of Israel not to understand and realize who Jesus
3834-416: The miracles were evidences of his deity. Christian authors also view the miracles of Jesus not merely as acts of power and omnipotence, but as works of love and mercy: they were performed to show compassion for sinful and suffering humanity. Authors Ken and Jim Stocker state that "every single miracle Jesus performed was an act of love". And each miracle involves specific teachings. Since according to
3905-406: The most important of Jesus' teachings is his second coming in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 . There Jesus explained the signs of the last days , popularly known as the end-time . These are the days that precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ , there he spoke of the signs of the end of days and what will happen to the believers in Christ, the persecution and the troubles that will come upon
3976-645: The movement's doctrines of the plan of salvation , the degrees of glory and the telestial kingdom . Jesus in Christianity In Christianity , Jesus is the Son of God as chronicled in the Bible 's New Testament , and in most Christian denominations he is held to be God the Son , a prosopon (Person) of the Trinity of God . Christians believe him to be the messiah (giving him
4047-578: The needs of others. In the canonical gospels, the Ministry of Jesus begins with his baptism in the countryside of Judea , near the River Jordan and ends in Jerusalem , following the Last Supper . The Gospel of Luke ( 3:23 ) states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry. The date of the start of his ministry has been estimated at around AD 27 to 29 and the end in
4118-413: The new man born in Jesus obeys God and ushers in a world of morality and salvation. In the Pauline view, Adam is positioned as the first man and Jesus as the second: Adam, having corrupted himself by his disobedience, also infected humanity and left it with a curse as its inheritance. The birth of Jesus counterbalanced the fall of Adam, bringing forth redemption and repairing the damage done by Adam. In
4189-491: The new man versus Adam provided a framework for discussing the uniqueness of the birth of Jesus and the ensuing events of his life. The nativity of Jesus thus began to serve as the starting point for "cosmic Christology" in which the birth, life and resurrection of Jesus have universal implications. The concept of Jesus as the "new man" repeats in the cycle of birth and rebirth of Jesus from his nativity to his resurrection: following his birth, through his morality and obedience to
4260-401: The one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit." and Jesus stating in John 7:16 : "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me". In Matthew 11:27 Jesus claims divine knowledge, stating: "No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son", asserting the mutual knowledge he has with the Father. One of
4331-458: The range AD 30 to 36. Jesus' early Galilean ministry begins when after his baptism, he goes back to Galilee from his time in the Judean desert . In this early period he preaches around Galilee and recruits his first disciples who begin to travel with him and eventually form the core of the early Church. The major Galilean ministry which begins in Matthew 8 includes the commissioning of
SECTION 60
#17327907636314402-601: The sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons without payment and stated: "Freely you have received; freely give". Christians in general believe that Jesus' miracles were actual historical events and that his miraculous works were an important part of his life, attesting to his divinity and the Hypostatic union , i.e., the dual natures of Christ's humanity and divinity in one hypostasis. Christians believe that while Jesus' experiences of hunger, weariness, and death were evidences of his humanity,
4473-399: The steps and corrects the missteps of Adam, but from the opposite direction: Adam departed the garden, Jesus enters the garden; Adam hid, Jesus comes forward; Adam blamed the companion God had given him, Jesus has the companions God has given him spared; Adam, who was naked, clothed himself with an apron of sewn fig leaves, Jesus, who was clothed with an unsewn tunic, is stripped naked; Adam ate
4544-480: The symbol of Adam proved a valuable foil for Clement of Alexandria , Origen (d. c. 254), St Athanasius of Alexandria ( c. 296–373), St Hilary of Poitiers ( c. 315–367), St Gregory of Nazianzus (329–389), St Gregory of Nyssa ( c. 330–395), and other Church Fathers , when they presented and interpreted the person and work of Christ. St Irenaeus ( c. 130–200), in particular, did much to elaborate further Paul's antithetical parallelism between Adam and Christ,
4615-547: The teachings of Jesus are often presented in terms of specific categories involving his "works and words", e.g., his ministry , parables and miracles . Christians not only attach theological significance to the works of Jesus, but also to his name . Devotions to the name of Jesus go back to the earliest days of Christianity . These exist today both in Eastern and Western Christianity . Christians predominantly profess that through Jesus' life, death, and rising from
4686-596: The testimony of John the Baptist . Last Adam The Last Adam , also given as the Final Adam or the Ultimate Adam , is a title given to Jesus in the New Testament . Similar titles that also refer to Jesus include Second Adam and New Adam . Twice in the New Testament an explicit comparison is made between Jesus and Adam . In Romans 5:12–21, Paul observes that "just as through
4757-571: The title Christ ), who was prophesied in the Bible's Old Testament . Through Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection , Christians believe that God offers humans salvation and eternal life , with Jesus's death atoning for all sin . These teachings emphasize that as the Lamb of God , Jesus chose to suffer nailed to the cross at Calvary as a sign of his obedience to the will of God, as an "agent and servant of God". Jesus's choice positions him as
4828-509: The very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power" ( Heb 1:3 ). The whole context of Colossians 1:15–20 suggests a more than Adamic and human interpretation of "the first-born of all creation". Christ is the "first-born" in the sense of being prior to and supreme over all creation, just as by virtue of his resurrection from the dead he is supreme vis-à-vis the Church ( Col 1:18 ). The emphatic and repeated "kai autos" ( Gr. for "and he") of Colossians 1:17,18 underline
4899-574: The world. The second coming of Jesus is mainly divided into two, namely; the Rapture and the Second Coming . The rapture being the time Jesus comes in the air to take up his saints to Heaven for a period of seven years and the second coming, being a time he comes with the saints to rule the earth for a thousand years. It is also referred to as the millennial reign. The gospels include several discourses by Jesus on specific occasions, such as
4970-527: Was his, v. 6 might also be contrasting his humility (in becoming human and dying the death of a slave) with the presumptuous aspiration of Adam (and Eve) to enjoy illegitimate equality with God and become "like God" ( Gen 3:5–6 ). According to Makowiecki, Jesus performs a series of five redemptive actions in John 18-19 which methodically reverse Adam's five fallen actions in Genesis 3. He writes, "Jesus retraces
5041-401: Was taken up to express Christ's being: he is "the last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45), or the "second man from heaven", and one not made "from earth, of dust" (1 Cor. 15:47; see Gen. 2:7). Some scholars detect an Adamic reference in several other New Testament passages: for example, in the language about "the glory of Christ, who is the image ( Gr. : eikōn ) of God" (2 Cor. 4:4). Perhaps this is an echo of
#630369