Drawing on modern physics and ancient metaphysics, Stephen H. Webb constructs a philosophy of Christian materialism based on the unity of matter and spirit in the incarnation.
The early Christian Gnosis did not spring up in isolation, but drew upon earlier sources. In this book, many of these sources are revealed for the first time. Special emphasis is placed on the Hellenistic doctrine of the "Solar Logos" and the early Christian symbolism which depicted Christ as the Spiritual Sun, the illumination source of order, harmony, and spiritual insight. Based on 15 years of research, this is a unique book which throws a penetrating light on the secret traditions of early Christianity. It clearly demonstrates that number is at the heart of being. Jesus Christ, Sun of God, illustrates how the Christian symbolism of the Spiritual Sun is derived from numerical symbolism of the "ancient divinities."
New York Times bestselling author and Bible expert Bart Ehrman reveals how Jesus’s divinity became dogma in the first few centuries of the early church. The claim at the heart of the Christian faith is that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God. But this is not what the original disciples believed during Jesus’s lifetime—and it is not what Jesus claimed about himself. How Jesus Became God tells the story of an idea that shaped Christianity, and of the evolution of a belief that looked very different in the fourth century than it did in the first. A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman reveals how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty, Creator of all things. But how did he move from being a Jewish prophet to being God? In a book that took eight years to research and write, Ehrman sketches Jesus’s transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus’s followers had visions of him after his death—alive again—did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God. And what they meant by that was not at all what people mean today. Written for secular historians of religion and believers alike, How Jesus Became God will engage anyone interested in the historical developments that led to the affirmation at the heart of Christianity: Jesus was, and is, God.
Jesus as God stands as one of the significant exegetical-theological contributions of the century. With linguistic and exegetical skill befitting his ranking as a leading international scholar, Murray J. Harris discusses the New Testament us of the Greek term theos ("God") as a christological title.
Billy Graham shares God's gentle, reassuring promise of spiritual calm and authentic peace in a world falling apart at the seams. In a culture that values "quality of life" and personal happiness above all else, why are so many of us unhappy, anxious, lonely, on the brink of despair? Why do so many of us feel empty, even though we live surrounded by plenty? In Peace with God, Reverend Graham takes you on a great quest to find the answers to life's purpose. Along the way, he answers essential questions to understanding the true hope at the foundation of the Christian faith—questions like: What is God like? Why did Jesus come? What is repentance? How can I be sure of salvation? How should a Christian live? "God's peace can be in your heart—right now . . .Whatever the circumstances, whatever the call, whatever the duty, whatever the price, whatever the sacrifice—His strength will be your strength in your hour of need. It's all yours, and it's free." Peace with God is a timeless message of hope for all those struggling with despair and loneliness. Billy Graham will beckon you on the path to lasting peace as he describes the basics of the biblical message, the problem of sin, the tenets of the Christian way of life, and the glorious hope for the future.
The orderliness of the universe and the existence of human beings already provides some reason for believing that there is a God - as argued in Richard Swinburne's earlier book Is There a God ? Swinburne now claims that it is probable that the main Christian doctrines about the nature of God and his actions in the world are true. In virtue of his omnipotence and perfect goodness, God must be a Trinity, live a human life in order to share our suffering, and found a church which would enable him to tell all humans about this. It is also quite probable that he would provide his human life as an atonement for our wrongdoing, teach us how we should live and tell us his plans for our future after death. Among founders of religions, Jesus satisfies uniquely well the requirement of living the sort of human life which God would need to have lived. But to give us adequate reason to believe that Jesus was God, God would need to put his 'signature' on the life of Jesus by an act which he alone could do, for example raise him from the dead. There is adequate historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. The church which he founded gave plausible interpretations of his basic message. Therefore Christian doctrines are probably true.
There is now a substantial scholarly consensus for the emergence of a high or divine Christology very early and from a Jewish context, but the questions of "how" and "why" need further study. Within the framework of traditional Jewish monotheism, Paul and other early Christians used the language of deity to describe Jesus. To investigate their view of Jesus, the author examines Paul's discourse in 2 Cor 3:16–4:6, employing insights from rhetorical criticism and Oneness Pentecostal Christology. He explains how early Christians proclaimed the deity of Jesus within their monotheistic Jewish context. He then identifies socio-rhetorical reasons for and practical consequences of the monotheistic deification of Jesus.
Of the life and work of Jesus, the apostle John said, "Even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25). Acknowledging the size of the task, as well as its importance, Dr. John F. Walvoord has written this systematic presentation of the Person and work of Christ from eternity past to eternity future. Beginning with an analysis of modern trends in the study of Christology, Dr. Walvoord shows that "contemporary Christology has in many respects confused rather than clarified the extended revelation of the Word of God." The Word of God forms the solid basis for Dr. Walvoord's entire study. Analyzing the Old Testament, he shows Christ in its history, typology, and prophecy. Then, in the New Testament, he examines the life and work of the incarnate Christ. The doctrines of atonement, redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation are thoroughly and clearly discussed. The book concludes with an examination of the present and future work of Christ, thus giving the reader a comprehensive study of Christology