Read more about the article Is Romans 1:3-4 Proof Jesus Has Dual Natures?
St. Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, ca 1618
Dual Natures of Christ / Paul's Christology and Theology / Who is Jesus

Is Romans 1:3-4 Proof Jesus Has Dual Natures?

Many scholars consider Paul's letter to the church in Rome to be his greatest doctrinal treatise. It is no wonder that Trinitarians search its pages for proof of the dual natures of Christ and, by implication, the doctrine of the Trinity. One passage that is often presented as textual evidence is found in chapter 1:Romans 1:1-4 (NASB) Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy…

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December 29, 2023
Read more about the article Does “Born of a Woman” in Galatians 4:4 Support the Incarnation or Dual Natures of Christ?
Nativity, Antonio Correggio,16th century
Dual Natures of Christ / Paul's Christology and Theology / Preexistence / Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ

Does “Born of a Woman” in Galatians 4:4 Support the Incarnation or Dual Natures of Christ?

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes to Gentile believers (who were being persuaded to be circumcised according to the law) about what it means to be children and heirs of God. In chapter four, the apostle writes:  Galatians 4:1-7 (NASB) Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So…

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January 21, 2023
Read more about the article The Creed of 1 Timothy 3:16: God Revealed in the Flesh?
Church History / Dual Natures of Christ / Paul's Christology and Theology / Who is Jesus

The Creed of 1 Timothy 3:16: God Revealed in the Flesh?

There are many examples in Scripture of what scholars consider to be the earliest creeds, that is, concise statements of faith.  For example, Moses taught the Jews that God is one:Deuteronomy 6:4 (NASB) "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!This foundational creed is known as the Shema because the first word of the creed in Hebrew is shema (or shama), which means to hear.  Jesus adhered to this creed and said that to love this singular God was the foremost…

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September 6, 2021
Read more about the article The Rock That Followed Them Was Christ
Moses and water from a rock
Paul's Christology and Theology / Preexistence / Who is Jesus

The Rock That Followed Them Was Christ

There are a handful of verses that are used by some to try and prove the preexistence of Jesus, which, according to modern orthodoxy, equates with Jesus being God.  One of those verses is found in Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NASB) For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2  and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the…

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June 16, 2021
Read more about the article Did God Purchase the Church With His Own Blood?
Lamb of God by Francisco de Zurbaran, c.1635-1640, San Diego Museum of Art
Book of Acts / Paul's Christology and Theology

Did God Purchase the Church With His Own Blood?

An Examination of Acts 20:28When Paul was en route to Jerusalem, he stopped in the city of Miletus long enough to call for the elders in neighboring Ephesus to come to him that he might exhort them to be on guard against savage wolves:Acts 20:28-30 (NASB) "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  29  "I know that after my departure…

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December 7, 2020
Read more about the article Paul’s Theology in Athens
Paul in Athens, Sir James Thornhill's copy of Raphael's painting
Book of Acts / Paul's Christology and Theology

Paul’s Theology in Athens

If the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ is the bedrock of the Christian faith, as modern orthodoxy insists, then we should be able to find these foundational teachings in Scripture.  In particular, the book of Acts should include such doctrine as it records the spread of the gospel message and the growth of the Church in the first century.  This post will examine Paul's teaching in Athens, as recorded in Luke's historical account, to determine if the apostle's theology included Trinitarian…

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November 29, 2020
Read more about the article Paul’s Theology in Thessalonica
Paul Preaching to the Thessalonians, Gustave Dore, c. 1850
Book of Acts / Paul's Christology and Theology

Paul’s Theology in Thessalonica

The book of Acts provides us with important insight into what first century Christians believed and taught. In this post, we'll examine portions of Acts chapter 17 to discover what Paul taught the citizens of Thessalonica about God. More specifically, we will look to see if the apostle taught the doctrine of the Trinity or the deity of Christ, both said to be foundational to the Christian faith.Thessalonica, located in what is now Turkey, was the capital of one of four districts in Macedonia.  Paul…

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November 15, 2020
Read more about the article The Gods Have Become Like Men
Paul and Barnabas at Lystra, Johann Heiss, 1678
Book of Acts / Paul's Christology and Theology / Preexistence / Who is Jesus

The Gods Have Become Like Men

The book of Acts should play a key role in the development of our theology because it demonstrates what the early Church believed and taught.  In other words, the book of Acts offers a firsthand look at how the disciples implemented Jesus' mandate to go into all the world "teaching them all that I have commanded you."[1]  If the doctrine of the Trinity and Jesus' incarnation are foundational teachings, as modern orthodoxy claims, we should find them in abundance in the book that records the…

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October 25, 2020
Read more about the article Saul of Tarsus’ Damascus Road Christology
The Conversion of St. Paul, by Bartolome Esteban Murillo c. 17th century
Book of Acts / Paul's Christology and Theology / Who is Jesus

Saul of Tarsus’ Damascus Road Christology

One of the most dramatic events in Luke's historical account of the birth and development of the early Church is Saul of Tarsus' conversion from Christian persecutor to Christ follower.  Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus as the zealous Pharisee was en route, having been given authority by the high priest to arrest Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.[1] How did Saul's view of Jesus change after he encountered the resurrected and exalted king?  Did he realize that not…

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October 11, 2020