Christology

Question 1

Metanarrative

Answer 1

The idea that there is an overarching, all-embracing story of humankind into which all the more particular narratives fit.

Question 2

Orthodoxy

Answer 2

Literally “right praise” or “right belief” (as opposed to heresy). Being orthodox implies being characterized by consistency in belief and worship with the Christian faith.

Question 3

Adoptionism

Answer 3

The theory that asserts that God adopted Jesus of Nazareth as His son. In other words, Jesus was born human but became Gods son later in life.

-Busted (John 17:5)

Question 4

Advent

Answer 4

Literally meaning “coming” or “arrival”, this term refers to the coming of Jesus Christ to earth to provide *salvation by his life, death, resurrection, and Ascension.

-Christmas celebrates the first advent, and Christians look forward to the second advent.

Question 5

Apollinarianism, Apollinarius

Answer 5

The teaching of the fourth century bishop of Laodicea Apollinarius (c. 310-391), who declared that in His incarnation Christ took on a human body and soul but not a human mind or spirit (nous).

He argued a human spirit will cause sin so Christ could not have one.

Question 6

Arianism, Arius

Answer 6

An early heretical teaching about the identity of Jesus Christ. Arianism was founded primarily on the teachings of Arius (d. 335/336). The central characteristic of Arian thought because God is one, Jesus could not have also been truly God; Christ was considered fully human, but not fully God.

Question 7

Ascension

Answer 7

When Christ had finished his earthly ministry, he entered the presence of the Father (Mk 16:19, Lk 24:51, Acts 1:9).

This is significant for three reasons:

1. Ended the earthly ministry of Christ and prepared the way for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit to minister through the church.
2. Exalted Christ to the right hand of the Father, where he now reigns as Lord and serves as the Great High Priest.
3. Reminds us that Christ will come again in the second coming.

Question 8

Athanasius (c. 296-373)

Answer 8

An early church apologist, theologian, and bishop of Alexandria. His greatest contribution to Christian theology was his bold stance against Arianism.

Question 9

Cappadocian fathers

Answer 9

A group of theologians writing between the Council of Nicaea (ad 325) and the Council of Constantinople (ad 381). They responded to the Arian heresy and formulated the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.

Question 10

Chalcedonian Formula

Answer 10

The theological conclusion of the Ecumencial Council held in Chalcedon (ad 451), which attempted to delineate the relationship between Christ’s humanity and his deity.
This formula confesses “one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, made known in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation, the difference of the natures being by no means removed because of the Union.

Question 11

Creed

Answer 11

Derived from the Latin word credo (I believe), a creed is a summary statement of Christian faith and belief.

Question 12

Docetism

Answer 12

The early church teaching that Jesus was fully God but only appeared to be human. The early church deemed Docetism as heretical.

Question 13

Doctrine

Answer 13

A theological formulation that attempts to provide a summary statement of the teaching of scripture on a particular theological topic.

Question 14

Economic Trinity

Answer 14

Refers to the manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity in relationship to the world, particularly in regard to the outworking of God’s plan of salvation.

Question 15

Eternal generation of the Son

Answer 15

A phrase used to describe the relationship that exists between the first and second persons of the Trinity. God the father is said to generate the son eternally. In other words, the Son’s identity is defined eternally by His relationship with His father and vise Versa.

Question 16

Filioque

Answer 16

A Latin term literally meaning “and the son”, and it became significant because of its addition to the description of the Holy Spirit in the Niceno-Constantinopolitian Creed by the western churches in the 6th century.

Question 17

Gnosticism

Answer 17

“Knowledge”
An early Greek religious movement of broad proportions that was particularly influential in the second-century church. Gnostics believed that devotees had gained a special kind of spiritual enlightenment, through which they had attained a secret or higher level of knowledge not accessible to the non initiated.
Tended to put spiritual realm over material, claiming the latter to be evil and must be escaped.

Question 18

Heresy

Answer 18

Any teaching rejected by the Christian community as contrary to Scripture and hence to orthodox doctrine.

Term is generally reserved for any belief that claims to be Christian and scriptural but has been rejected by the church for being anti scriptural.

Question 19

Homoiousis,

Homoousis

Answer 19

Two Greek terms used in the third and fourth centuries in the debate surrounding the relationship of Jesus the Son to God the Father.
Homoiousis: of similar substance
-used by semi-Arians
Homoousis: same in substance
-used by Athanasius and others. Eventually became orthodox teaching.

Question 20

Hypostatic Union

Answer 20

The doctrine is an attempt to describe the miraculous bringing together of humanity and divinity in the same person, Jesus Christ, such that He is both fully divine and fully human.

Question 21

Immaculate conception

Answer 21

The Roman Catholic teaching that Mary the mother of Jesus was supernaturally prevented from being tainted by original sin so that she could give birth to Jesus as God’s own Son.

Question 22

Immanent Trinity

Answer 22

The term used to explore and, to an inadequate degree, explain the internal working and relationships among the three persons of the Trinity

Question 23

Impeccability

Answer 23

The characteristic of being unable to sin or being completely free from sin.

Question 24

Incarnation

Answer 24

Fundamentally a theological assertion that in Jesus the eternal Word of God appeared in human form (Jn 1).

The orthodox doctrine asserts that in taking humanity upon himself, Christ did not experience a loss of divine nature in any way but continued to be fully God (see hypostatic Union)

Question 25

Kenosis

Answer 25

Refers to the self emptying of Christ in the incarnation, as well as his conscience acceptance of obedience to the divine will that led him to death by crucifixion.

Question 26

Marcionism

Answer 26

The movement which rejected the validity of the OT witness for Christians because the God of the OT was believed to be incompatible with the loving God revealed through Jesus.

Question 27

Nesorianism

Answer 27

Condemned by the council of Ephesus, the view stated that although Jesus Christ was one person (God and man united), his two natures (one human and one divine) existed side by side and hence were separable. One consequence of this view was that Jesus’ suffering for mankind was seen as an act of Jesus in his humanity but not his deity.

Question 28

Nicene Creed

Answer 28

Theological confession convened by emperor Constantine to resolve church divisions related to the Arian controversy. The Creed reflects the Son is one substance from the Father.

Question 29

Origen (A.D. 185-254)

Answer 29

A theologian and biblical scholar of the early Greek church, he vigorously defended the orthodox Christian faith. However some of his theological speculations to scripture led him to be declared a heretic.
His conflicting views paved the way for Arianism and future orthodox trinitarian theology. Best known for his idea of “eternal generation of the son”.

Question 30

Ousia

Answer 30

Greek for “substance” or “being”

Question 31

Procession

Answer 31

A term in Christian Trinitarianism thought that designates the Son and Spirit originate from the Father.

Question 32

Resurrection

Answer 32

The central, defining doctrine and claim of the Christian faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom God brought from the dead.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus, that all believers will one day join Christ in the resurrection. Believers will be transformed, that is, renewed both morally and physically with “spiritual” bodies adapted for eternal life with God.

Question 33

Subordinationism

Answer 33

A second and third century heresy that held because the Son and the Spirit proceed from the Father, they are not equal to the Father and therefore not fully divine.