DOCSLIB.ORG

Alien Righteousness? a Re-Examination of the Idea That Believers Are Clothed in the Righteousness of Christ

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Alien Righteousness? a Re-Examination of the Idea That Believers Are Clothed in the Righteousness of Christ ¯Title Page Alien Righteousness? A Re-examination Of The Idea That Believers Are Clothed In The Righteousness Of Christ Roderick Graciano And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19.8 i Copyright Notices King James Version of the English Bible, © 1997 by the Online Bible Foundation and Woodside Fellowship of Ontario, Canada. The New American Standard Bible, © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. The Holy Bible: New International Version, © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. The New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All Scripture citations are from The New American Standard Bible, © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, (abbreviated NAU in the narrative) unless otherwise noted. Other versions are normally identified in superscript abbreviation at the verse citation. Because The New American Standard Bible uses italics to identify words and phrases that are not in the original language text, emphasis is occasionally added in this work by using bold type. Permission Permission is hereby given to quote, copy and distribute all or a portion of Alien Righteousness? so long as no portion of it is sold nor used in a work that is for sale, and so long as the author is credited along with www.timothyministries.info as the source, and 2011 is indicated as the copyright date. Any use of all or part of Alien Righteousness? in a work or collection involving, or sold for, a monetary charge requires the express permission of the author who can be contacted at [email protected] . ii Dedication To the glory of our Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In appreciation of R. C. Sproul, John Piper and Wayne Grudem, three of my favorite contemporary theologians, men whose hearts are wholly dedicated to the glory of Jesus, and whose teachings and writings have the clarity that makes them wonderfully amenable to testing by the scriptures. And in recognition of N. T. Wright for his part in rocking the theological boat and confirming our need to resubmit our Evangelical presuppositions about justification to the lens of holy writ. In Memory Of George Eldon Ladd who first drew my attention to the relational aspect of righteousness through his book, A Theology Of The New Testament. iii Acknowledgements I offer a special thank you to my longsuffering wife, Kaaren Joy; not a football widow, but often a “writer’s widow.” I also wish to express my deep appreciation to the handful of friends, particularly to Rob Firman, Jeff Reed and Sally Sternard, who proofread the draft of this book and helped me make dozens of corrections and improvements. Finally, to all the friends of Timothy Ministries who make my research, writing and teaching possible, I offer my heartfelt gratitude with the prayer that God will return the blessing to you a hundredfold. iv Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................... VII PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ........................................................................... X PREFACE .................................................................................................. XI SYNOPSIS ................................................................................................. 1 SOME IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS .............................................................. 5 THE DOCTRINE OF ALIEN RIGHTEOUSNESS AS CURRENTLY TAUGHT ......... 9 1. JUSTIFICATION IS BASED UPON WORKS (ETHICAL PERFECTION). 9 2. JUSTIFICATION BY OUR OWN WORKS IS IMPOSSIBLE. 10 3. AS OUR FEDERAL HEAD, JESUS WAS ALSO OUR ETHICAL REPRESENTATIVE. 10 4. OUR SINS WERE IMPUTED TO CHRIST. 11 5. CHRIST’S DEATH AND RIGHTEOUS LIFE ARE IMPUTED TO THE BELIEVER. 12 6. GOD DECLARES THE SINNER JUDICIALLY NOT ETHICALLY RIGHTEOUS. 15 7. NEITHER FAITH NOR GOOD WORKS HAVE INTRINSIC WORTH BEFORE GOD. 17 SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF ALIEN RIGHTEOUSNESS 18 ARGUMENTS FOR THE DOCTRINE OF ALIEN RIGHTEOUSNESS ................. 21 1. GOD OBLIGATES US TO BE ETHICALLY PERFECT AS WE COME TO HIM. 21 2. JUSTIFICATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE NECESSARILY FORENSIC. 22 3. JUSTIFICATION HAS TO DO WITH DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE. 23 4. JUSTIFICATION CANNOT OCCUR BY INFUSED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 5. OUR SINS WERE IMPUTED TO CHRIST. 25 6. SCRIPTURE TEACHES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 27 7. PAUL HAD A RIGHTEOUSNESS NOT HIS OWN. 28 8. BELIEVERS ARE “IN CHRIST.” 28 9. IMPUTED GUILT IMPLIES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. 30 10. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS GIVEN TO ALL WHO BELIEVE. 31 MORE ARGUMENTS FOR THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS 32 PROBLEMS WITH THE DOCTRINE OF ALIEN RIGHTEOUSNESS .................. 35 10. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS HIS OWN ATTRIBUTE AND ACTION. 35 9. ROMANS 5.12-19 IS INADEQUATE AS IMPUTATION’S PROOF TEXT. 44 v 8. “IN CHRIST” REFERS TO FAMILIAL SOLIDARITY. 47 7. SCRIPTURE TEACHES THE PURSUIT OF PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. 58 6. IMPUTATION OF CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A REFORMATION NOVELTY. 71 5. SIN-BEARING REQUIRES NO IMPUTATION. 80 4. IMPUTATION VS. INFUSION IS A FALSE DILEMMA. 85 3. DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AWAITS THE FINAL JUDGMENT. 99 2. JUSTIFICATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE RELATIONAL. 103 1. CHRIST CALLS US TO BE PERFECT AFTER WE COME TO HIM. 105 PORTRAYING GOD AS SELF-DELUDING PRESENTS AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM. 109 WHAT SCRIPTURE TELLS US EXPLICITLY ................................................. 123 ADAM’S DISOBEDIENCE BROUGHT UNIVERSAL SIN AND DEATH TO MANKIND. 123 THERE ARE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, NEVERTHELESS! 125 NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD HAS BEEN REVEALED. 127 GOD IS THE ONE WHO JUSTIFIES. 130 WHAT THEN IS JUSTIFICATION? 133 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 135 1. JUSTIFICATION IS BASED UPON FAITH, NOT WORKS. 135 2. JUSTIFICATION BY OUR OWN WORKS IS IMPOSSIBLE. 135 3. AS OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER, JESUS INTERVENED AS OUR SUBSTITUTE. 135 4. CHRIST BORE THE SINS OF MANY. 136 5. IN CHRIST, WE HAVE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD. 136 6. GOD RECEIVES THE REPENTANT BELIEVER AS FACTUALLY RIGHTEOUS. 136 7. GOD HIGHLY VALUES OUR FAITH AND SUBSEQUENT GOOD WORKS. 137 EPILOGUE ............................................................................................. 139 THE GLORY OF GOD IS AT STAKE. 139 THE HEALTH OF BELIEVERS IS AT STAKE. 141 WHY HAS THE DOCTRINE OF ALIEN RIGHTEOUSNESS PERSISTED? 143 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................ 145 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES .......................................................................... 157 SCRIPTURE INDEX ................................................................................. 167 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 175 APPENDICES ......................................................................................... 181 vi Abbreviations Abbreviations For Bible Versions CJB Complete Jewish Bible, © 1988 by David H. Stern. CSB Holman Christian Standard Bible, © 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. ESV The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. GNT The Greek New Testament, 4th Edition, © 1975 by the United Bible Societies. KJV King James Version of the English Bible, © 1997 by the Online Bible Foundation and Woodside Fellowship of Ontario, Canada. LXX The Septuagint (ancient Greek version of the OT) NAS The New American Standard Bible, © 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. NAU The New American Standard Bible, © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. NIrV The Holy Bible: The New International Readers Version, © 2010 by Zondervan. NIVO The Holy Bible: New International Version, © 1984 by International Bible Society. NKJV The New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. NLT Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Second Edition, © 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. VUL The Vulgate (ancient Latin version of the Bible). vii Abbreviations For Bible Books 1Ch 1 Chronicles Jam James 1Co 1 Corinthians Jdg Judges 1Jo 1 John Jer Jeremiah 1Ki 1 Kings Job Job 1Pe 1 Peter Joe Joel 1Sa 1 Samuel Joh John 1Th 1 Thessalonians Jon Jonah 1Ti 1 Timothy Jos Joshua 2Ch 2 Chronicles Jude Jude 2Co 2 Corinthians Lam Lamentations 2Jo 2 John Lev Leviticus 2Ki 2Kings Luk Luke 2Pe 2 Peter Mal Malachi 2Sa 2 Samuel Mar Mark 2Th 2 Thessalonians Mat Matthew 2Ti 2 Timothy Mic Micah 3Jo 3 John Nah Nahum Act Acts Neh Nehemiah Amo Amos Num Numbers Col Colossians Oba Obadiah Dan Daniel Phil Philippians Deut Deuteronomy Phm Philemon Ecc Ecclesiastes Pro Proverbs Eph Ephesians Psa Psalms Est Esther Rev Revelation Ex Exodus Rom Romans Eze Ezekiel Rut Ruth Ezr Ezra Song The Song of Solomon Gal Galatians Tit Titus Gen Genesis Zec Zechariah Hab Habakkuk Zep Zephaniah Hag Haggai Heb Hebrews Hos Hosea Isa Isaiah viii Bibliographic Abbreviations ACCOS Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture Diog Epistle To Diognetus NT New Testament OT Old Testament Sir Wisdom Of Ben Sira, aka The Book Of Sirach TDNT Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament TDNTA Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament: Abridged In One Volume Miscellaneous Abbreviations Ch. Chapter et al and others Grk Greek Heb Hebrew Ibid. in the same place Ms, Mss Manuscript, Manuscripts op cit in the work cited V., vv. Verse, verses Words and phrases in blue are terms that appear in the Abbreviations lists, the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Five Points of Calvinism
    • TULIP The Five Points of Calvinism instructor’s guide Bethlehem College & Seminary 720 13th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55415 612.455.3420 [email protected] | bcsmn.edu Copyright © 2007, 2012, 2017 by Bethlehem College & Seminary All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. • TULIP The Five Points of Calvinism instructor’s guide Table of Contents Instructor’s Introduction Course Syllabus 1 Introduction from John Piper 3 Lesson 1 Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace 5 Lesson 2 Total Depravity 27 Lesson 3 Irresistible Grace 57 Lesson 4 Limited Atonement 85 Lesson 5 Unconditional Election 115 Lesson 6 Perseverance of the Saints 141 Appendices Appendix A Historical Information 173 Appendix B Testimonies from Church History 175 Appendix C Ten Effects of Believing in the Five Points of Calvinism 183 Instructor’s Introduction It is our hope and prayer that God would be pleased to use this curriculum for his glory. Thus, the intention of this curriculum is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. This curriculum is guided by the vision and values of Bethlehem College & Seminary which are more fully explained at bcsmn.edu. At the Bethlehem College & Semianry website, you will find the God-centered philosophy that undergirds and motivates everything we do.
    [Show full text]
  • Incorporated Righteousness: a Response to Recent Evangelical Discussion Concerning the Imputation of Christ’S Righteousness in Justification
    JETS 47/2 (June 2004) 253–75 INCORPORATED RIGHTEOUSNESS: A RESPONSE TO RECENT EVANGELICAL DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN JUSTIFICATION michael f. bird* i. introduction In the last ten years biblical and theological scholarship has witnessed an increasing amount of interest in the doctrine of justification. This resur- gence can be directly attributed to issues emerging from recent Protestant- Catholic dialogue on justification and the exegetical controversies prompted by the New Perspective on Paul. Central to discussion on either front is the topic of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, specifically, whether or not it is true to the biblical data. As expected, this has given way to some heated discussion with salvos of criticism being launched by both sides of the de- bate. For some authors a denial of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness as the sole grounds of justification amounts to a virtual denial of the gospel itself and an attack on the Reformation. Others, by jettisoning belief in im- puted righteousness, perceive themselves as returning to the historical mean- ing of justification and emancipating the Church from its Lutheranism. In view of this it will be the aim of this essay, in dialogue with the main pro- tagonists, to seek a solution that corresponds with the biblical evidence and may hopefully go some way in bringing both sides of the debate together. ii. a short history of imputed righteousness since the reformation It is beneficial to preface contemporary disputes concerning justification by identifying their historical antecedents. Although the Protestant view of justification was not without some indebtedness to Augustine and medieval reactions against semi-Pelagianism, for the most part it represented a theo- logical novum.
    [Show full text]
  • Righteousness of God: Ability to Live Christian Holiness
    D. Matijević: Righteousness of God: Ability to Live Christian Holiness Righteousness of God: Ability to Live Christian Holiness Dalia Matijević Church of the Nazarene in Zagreb, Croatia [email protected] UDK 27-1;2-184;2-426 Review paper DOI: https://doi.org/10.32862/k.12.2.5 Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide insight to what extent our concep- tualization of the dikaiosyne theou shapes our way of understanding our- selves as Christians being the Body of Christ and living holy lives. Strongly influenced by the epistle to the Romans, we perceive holiness as being in right relation to God and righteousness being a practical consequence of this relati- onship. Holiness as the inner nature of God brings fruits of His righteousness, which is God’s saving activity. However, in the light of Christ and his sacrifi- cial death and resurrection, relational, and eschatological perspectives of the dikaiosyne theou concept become crucial. This concept stands at the heart of Paul’s gospel and anticipates several layers of meaning, primarily God’s redeeming and saving activity, but also covenan- tal faithfulness and restorative justice brought by God and made available for all. Wider perspective is provided through the faithfulness of Jesus and his obedience to the Father in fulfilling salvific purposes. For us, it means a tran- sformational and relational way of living in an eschatological perspective. Christian ethics are deeply grounded in the concept of dikaiosyne theou, and Christian conduct represents its practical and necessary expression. People living in genuine Christian community are marked by the righteousness of God expressed as agape and progressively transformed by the presence and involvement of his Holy Spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Martin Luther and Justification by Faith
    July 31, 2011 Martin Luther and Justification by Faith His life 1483 Born 1501 Luther begins study at University of Erfurt 1502 Receives Baccalaureate in the Liberal Arts 1505 Receives Master of Arts; plans for law school 1505 Caught in a thunderstorm, pledges to become a monk 1505 Enters Augustinian monastery at Erfurt 1506 Takes monastic vows 1507 Ordained priest 1512 Begins work as Professor of Theology at University of Wittenburg 1514 Becomes priest of Wittenberg's City Church 1517 October 31- Posts 95 Theses on the castle church door 1518-20 Inquisition on Luther in Rome 1520 Papal bull Exsurge Domine issued (June 15) 1520 Luther burns bull and canon law with students 1521 Excommunicated in Rome 1521 Diet of Worms 1521 Kidnapped and taken to Wartburg Castle 1546 Death Justification by Faith Alone “This doctrine is the head and the cornerstone. It alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and defends the church of God; and without it the church of God cannot exist for one hour." “Whoever departs from the article of justification does not know God and is an idolater . For when this article has been taken away, nothing remains but error, hypocrisy, godlessness, and idolatry, although it may seem to be the height of truth, worship of God, holiness, etc.” “If the article of justification is lost, all Christian doctrine is lost at the same time.” If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (Psa 130:3) "The righteous shall live by faith." (Rom 1:17) The Roman Catholic view of justification “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.” - There are two steps to justification o The first (initial) justification occurs at baptism, which eradicates both the guilt and corruption of original sin.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture
    The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture The Word That Comes from God and Speaks of God for the Salvation of the World Pontifical Biblical Commission Translated by Thomas Esposito, OCist, and Stephen Gregg, OCist Reviewed by Fearghus O’Fearghail Foreword by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org This work was translated from the Italian, Inspirazione e Verità della Sacra Scrittura. La parola che viene da Dio e parla di Dio per salvare il mondo (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2014). Cover design by Jodi Hendrickson. Cover photo: Dreamstime. Excerpts from documents of the Second Vatican Council are from The Docu- ments of Vatican II, edited by Walter M. Abbott, SJ (New York: The America Press, 1966). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2014 by Pontifical Biblical Commission Published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 123456789 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014937336 ISBN: 978-0-8146-4903-9 978-0-8146-4904-6 (ebook) Table of Contents Foreword xiii General Introduction xvii I.
    [Show full text]
  • “Christ Our Righteousness: Paul's Theology of Justification”
    “Christ our Righteousness: Paul’s Theology of Justification” By Mark A. Seifrid Inter Varsity Press, New Studies in Biblical Theology, 2000 $ 19.99, 222 pages (paper) ________________________________________ Readers of Modern Reformation certainly will be interested in any book which sets forth Paul’s doctrine of justification and its relationship to the law of God. This is especially true when such a study is conducted in light of the challenges raised to traditional Protestant formulations of this critical doctrine by proponents of the so-called “New Perspective on Paul” (NPP) such as E. P. Sanders and James D. G. Dunn. Christ our Righteousness by Mark Seifrid is such a book. Associate professor of New Testament at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Dr. Seifrid is among a group of evangelical scholars widely hailed for their substantial contributions to Pauline studies. Other names which come to mind in this regard are: Douglas Moo, Frank Thielman and Thomas Schreiner. Seifrid has already written a substantial volume on Paul, Justification by faith: The Origin and Development of a Central Pauline Theme (E. J. Brill, 1992), and an important essay on the subject of Romans 7:14-25 in Novum Testamentum (Vol. 34, 1992). He is the author of an insightful review of The Gift of Salvation which originally appeared in First Things (1997) as the fruit on the ongoing evangelical-Roman Catholic discussion about the nature of the gospel (Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Vol. 42). When someone with Seifrid’s pedigree weighs in on Paul, justification and the law, it is important to take notice.
    [Show full text]
  • Righteousness and Redemption in the Epistles of Paul
    Avondale College ResearchOnline@Avondale School of Ministry and Theology (Avondale Theology Book Chapters Seminary) 2015 Righteousness and Redemption in the Epistles of Paul Bryan W. Ball Avondale College of Higher Education, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://research.avondale.edu.au/theo_chapters Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Ball, B. W. (2015). Righteousness and redemption in the Epistles of Paul. In B. Ball, & R. McIver (Eds.), Grounds for assurance and hope: Selected biblical and historical writings of Bryan W. Ball (pp. 201-211). Cooranbong, Australia: Avondale Academic Press. This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Ministry and Theology (Avondale Seminary) at ResearchOnline@Avondale. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology Book Chapters by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@Avondale. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Selected Writings of Bryan Ball 195 Chapter 12: Righteousness and Redemp- tion in the Epistles of Paul1 Bryan W. Ball It would be stating the obvious to say that this brief study of Paul’s use of the word ‘righteousness’ as it relates to redemption is not intended to be exhaustive. That would require an in-depth study and a full-length book, akin, for example, to Leon Morris’s New Testament study The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross which, since its first publication in 1955, has not been surpassed, perhaps not even equalled. The first word which Morris examined was one of the words in the title above, ‘redemption’, an investi- gation which took up more than 50 pages in the book – more than four times the length of this entire chapter.2 That should not deter us, however, for it will still be possible to establish the substance of what Paul means by these words, to see how they relate to each other and to other crucial words which Paul uses in conjunction with them.
    [Show full text]
  • Justification by an Imputed Righteousness
    Justification by an Imputed Righteousness JOHN BUNYAN (1628-1688) Justification by an Imputed Righteousness or No Way to Heaven but by Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (1628-1688) Contents Sinners Justified by Imputation of Righteousness of Christ ..................................... 3 I. Men Are Justified before God while Sinners ......................................................... 6 I.A The Mysterious Act of Our Redemption ......................................................... 6 I.B Men Are Justified while Sinners in Themselves ........................................... 11 I.C More Reasons Men Must Be Justified while They Are Sinners .................. 26 II. Men Can Be Justified Only by the Righteousness of Christ ............................. 39 II.A The Righteousness that Justifieth Was Performed by Christ .................... 39 II.B The Righteousness which Justifieth Is Only Inherent in Christ ............... 40 III. The Uses of Justifying Faith ............................................................................... 44 III.A Take Heed of Seeking Justifying Righteousness in Ourselves ................. 44 III.B Have Faith in Christ ..................................................................................... 46 © Copyright 1999 Chapel Library: compilation, annotations. Published in the USA. Permission is ex- pressly granted to reproduce this material by any means, provided 1) you do not charge beyond a nominal sum for cost of duplication; 2) this copyright notice and all the text on this page are included. Chapel
    [Show full text]
  • In Defense of the Development of Augustine's Doctrine of Grace By
    In Defense of the Development of Augustine’s Doctrine of Grace by Laban Omondi Agisa Submitted to the faculty of the School of Theology of the University of the South in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Sacred Theology January 2020 Sewanee, Tennessee Approved ____________________________ _______________ Adviser Date ____________________________ _______________ Second Adviser Date 2 DECLARATION I declare that this is my original work and has not been presented in any other institution for consideration of any certification. This work has been complemented by sources duly acknowledged and cited using Chicago Manual Style. Signature Date 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My study of theology was initiated in 2009 by the then Provost of St. Stephens Cathedral, Nairobi, the late Ven. Canon John Ndung’u who was a great encouragement to me. This was further made possible through my bishop the Rt. Rev. Joel Waweru and the Rev. Geoffrey Okapisi who were sources of inspiration. My studies at Carlile College (Church Army Africa) and St. Paul’s University laid a strong theological foundation and I appreciate among others the influence of the Rev. Dr. John Kiboi who introduced me to Philosophy, Systematic Theology, Ethics, and African Christian Theology that eventually became the foundation for my studies at the University of the South. I also appreciate the encouragement of my lecturers Mrs. Tabitha Waweru and Dr. Scholarstica Githinji during my Study of Education at Kenya Technical Trainers College and at Daystar University respectively. My interest in this topic came as a result of many sittings with two professors at the University of the South, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacred Pathways
    Chi Alpha Discipleship Tool Sacred Pathways Do you find yourself envious of the way that some other people connect with God? This resource helps you understand all the different ways that people can connect to God, and shows you the value of each and every path. Instead of trying to imitate another person’s walk with God, you should focus on bettering your own “sacred pathway.” This resource is based on the book, Sacred Pathways, written by Gary Thomas. Broken into two parts, the first section of this resource describes each of the nine Sacred Pathways. The second section is the assessment that you can take to find out which pathways you most easily connect with God. TABLE OF CONTENTS PATHWAY DESCRIPTIONS NATURALISTS ..............................................2 SENSATES .....................................................3 TRADITIONALISTS .......................................4 ASCETICS .....................................................5 ACTIVISTS .....................................................6 CAREGIVERS ................................................7 ENTHUSIASTS ..............................................8 CONTEMPLATIVES ......................................9 INTELLECTUALS .......................................10 PATHWAY ASSESSMENT YOUR PATHWAY ASSESSMENT ...............11 RESPONSE SHEET .....................................14 Chi Alpha Discipleship Tool Page 1 Chi Alpha Discipleship Tool NATURALISTS Loving God Out of Doors Who Are We? We find God in His “cathedral” - the out-of-doors. God’s first dwelling with us was in a garden. Genesis 2 God will speak to us through creation. Consider our spiritual lessons learned in observing the metamorphosis a caterpillar encounters in becoming a butterfly. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities are clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Romans 1:20 More than God’s beauty is revealed outside.
    [Show full text]
  • The Doctrines of Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo – Died A.D
    The Doctrines of Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo – died A.D. 430) Purgatory “That there should be some fire even after this life is not incredible, and it can be inquired into and either be discovered or left hidden whether some of the faithful may be saved, some more slowly and some more quickly in the greater or lesser degree in which they loved the good things that perish, through a certain purgatorial fire.” Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Charity 18:69. A.D. 421 "We read in the books of the Maccabees [2 Maccabees 12:43] that sacrifice was offered for the dead. But even if it were found nowhere in the Old Testament writings, the authority of the Catholic Church which is clear on this point is of no small weight, where in the prayers of the priest poured forth to the Lord God at his altar the commendation of the dead has its place" The Care to be Had for the Dead 1:3 A.D. 421 Old Testament Canon of Scripture "The whole canon of the scriptures, however, in which we say that consideration is to be applied, is contained in these books: the five of Moses . and one book of Joshua [Son of] Nave, one of Judges; one little book which is called Ruth . then the four of Kingdoms, and the two of Paralipomenon . [T]here are also others too, of a different order . such as Job and Tobit and Esther and Judith and the two books of Maccabees, and the two of Esdras . Then there are the prophets, in which there is one book of the Psalms of David, and three of Solomon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel Wars Lesson #10 Justification & Imputation of Righteousness
    The Gospel Wars Lesson #10 Justification & Imputation of Righteousness I. Lesson Introduction The imputation of Christ’s righteousness to we saints is part of the broader act of “Judicial or Forensic Justification” before the face of God. God in a judicial act of grace declares those who have been born again to be righteous based on the accomplished righteousness of Jesus, the Messiah, the God man who lived entirely without sin, fully obedient to the Law of God in all ways. This righteousness of Christ is imputed to His saints. “A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. Once Martin Luther realized the truth of justification by faith alone, he became a Christian and overflowed with the new-found joy of the gospel. The primary issue in the Protestant Reformation was a dispute with the Roman Catholic Church over justification.” Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology; p. 722. II. Definitions Forensic: “A term that means ‘having to do with legal proceedings.’ This term is used to describe justification as being a legal declaration by God that in itself does not change our internal nature or character.” . Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, p. 1242 Imputation: “To think of as belonging to someone, and therefore to cause it to belong to that person. God ‘thinks of’ Adam’s sin as belonging to us, and it therefore belongs to us, and in justification He thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us and so relates to us on this basis.” Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, p. 1245 There are 3 distinct, but related concepts of imputation mentioned in Scripture.
    [Show full text]