Month: February 2015

Revelation, The Daily WordLeave a comment

An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 3: Atonement and Advent (Revelation 1:5–7)

georgepwood

John follows his statement about revelation (Revelation 1:1–3) and his trinitarian greeting (verses 4–5) with a doxology to Jesus Christ (verses 5–7). A doxology is a word (logos) in praise of the glory (doxa) of God, or in this case, of Jesus Christ. There are several doxologies in Revelation (e.g., 4:6–11, 5:9–13, 7:12, 19:1–2). The sequence of verses 1–7 is instructive. Theology gives rise to doxology, faith to praise. A man or woman who thinks correctly about God but fails to worship him wholeheartedly has not understood him at all. Why praise Jesus Christ? Two reasons: Atonement and advent. Atonement: … Continue reading An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 3: Atonement and Advent (Revelation 1:5–7)

Revelation, The Daily WordLeave a comment

An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 2: Trinity (Revelation 1:4–5)

georgepwood

As we have seen, the primary source of the Christian faith is revelation. Now we turn to the primary content of the Christian faith: Who God is and what he does. Revelation 1:4-5 touches on both topics. Before examining these topics, however, notice the literary context of John’s remarks. Ancient letters begin with the sender’s name followed by the recipient’s name and a short greeting (e.g., Jas. 1:1, 1 Pet. 1:1–2)—just like John does here. But the greatness and goodness of God so overwhelm John that he transposes an ordinary greeting into an extraordinary declaration of God’s doing and being. … Continue reading An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 2: Trinity (Revelation 1:4–5)

Revelation, The Daily WordLeave a comment

An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 1: Revelation (Revelation 1:1–3)

georgepwood

The message of John’s Apocalypse is complex and simple: Complex because it uses figurative language, which is capable of multiple interpretations. Simple because one person dominates throughout. The key to understanding Revelation is Jesus Christ. If we see him clearly, we will interpret it correctly. In chapter 1, as a prologue to the whole book, John presents us with an outline of the Christian faith. Revelation (Verses 1–3) Over the years, I have accumulated many volumes of systematic theology (and even read some of them). Usually, they begin with a section on the sources of Christian faith: the Bible, tradition, … Continue reading An Outline of the Christian Faith, Part 1: Revelation (Revelation 1:1–3)