Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Jonathan Edwards Does Not Have an Evangelical Christology

Many evangelicals worship Christ, sometimes the Father and rarely the Spirit. Many of these doxological binitarian evangelicals are monotheistic (not trinitarian) in practice. Many of these Christ-worshipping monotheists only know Christ as "Savior." They love and worship and follow Jesus because of his substitutionary, reconciling death and resurrection. A few know him more intimately and can explain the treasures of redemption in Christ by pointing out our Lord's work of expiation, propitiation, imputation, reconciliation, etc. Such christology is narrow. The gospel of Christ and the Christ of the gospel are so much more, but certainly not less. To be sure, Christ is a mediator, the Mediator (1 Tm 2.5), but he is mediator of more than "salvation." Jesus Christ is mediator of creation, redemption and consummation. He is mediator on behalf of God and on behalf of man, between the Spirit and God and man and God. Perhaps teh most overlooked aspect of christology today is Christ as consummator. We all agree that he is coming back to wrap things up and "take us home." However, Christ as consummator is infinitely more. Jonathan Edwards knew this well and explains the necessity of Jesus as consummator in a previously unpublished sermon on 1 Tm 2.5. Read it. Re-read it. Think about it. Think about him. Worship him afresh; worship him in unison with Father and Spirit:

"God had a design before the foundation of the world of gathering all things to himself. Since all things are of him and through him, so he intended they should be to him and also of uniting all chosen creatures one to another in one society in perfect union, one unto another. When he made the world, it was with this purpose. When he made heaven an d made the angels in it, it was with this design. When he made this lower world and made man in it, it was with this design. His Son was the person pitched upon and chosen of God, by whom and in whom this great event should be brought about. He was to be the head of the union, that all might be united in him and by him to himself. Therefore, God created all things by Jesus Christ (Eph 3.9-11)."

Taken from "Jesus Christ isteh Great Mediator and Head of Union," in The Blessing of God, ed. Michael D. McMullen

4 Comments:

At 9:27 AM , Blogger Dave said...

gotta love the God that Edwards worshipped!

 
At 6:34 AM , Blogger Jonathan Dodson said...

There's tons of stuff by Edwards not published at Yale. He was prolific, plus all the manuscripts have to be edited and transcribed, which is McMullen's labor of love. See also the new entry for only Edwards.

 
At 9:53 AM , Blogger Hacksaw Duck said...

In the devotional realm, old trinitarianism forces the adherent to adopt a virtual polytheism. We divide our devotion among three objects, careful to give each His due. This differs from polytheism only in the underlying technicality that a Person is not a distinct god. But our minds can't help but function as if each really is a distinct god. How can this be spiritually healthy or, in the final analysis, monotheistic?

 
At 5:04 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is very interesting site...
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