A N.T. Wright Sermon Summary Paul ventured beyond Jerusalem to convert non-believers to Christ. To the Gentiles, Paul was crazy because Christ was crucified. To the Jews, treating Christ as their Messiah was scandalous. Paul forced both groups to ask themselves who God was, what His purpose was, and what that meant for them.
Those who accepted his message became renewed creations[1], with new eyes and new minds, growing and maturing in their new knowledge of the Creator[2]. No longer enslaved by foolish things, they saw the importance of love[3]. Their new lives centered on Christ. These transformed individuals formed a united and holy community focused on God, not on earthly things[4]. Through this community, people would see Christ as Lord[5]. Paul rooted the above in the Old Testament. Regarding the concept of only one God, as shown in Shema, the Jewish daily prayer: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one,” Paul refreshed this concept into one God, the Father (we live for Him), and one Lord, Christ (we live through Him)[6]. Just as Christ humbled Himself despite being God, we should also humble ourselves in our relationships with others[7]. In light of this, God the Father shares His glory with Christ; compare this to the Jewish concept of God never sharing His glory[8]. Regarding being God’s people, Jews in Exodus were freed from Egyptian slavery with God living among them, just as we, slaves of sins, become God’s children through Christ, with the Holy Spirit living in us[9]. But Paul placed knowing Christ above all his Jewish privileges[10]. Instead of Jews alone being God’s people, Jews and Gentiles alike are justified through Christ as one people under God. As to our future, it is analogous to how the Israelites left Egypt and inherited the promised land. Through Christ, we become part of the new heaven and earth. Paul teaches us to live according to the Spirit, with our minds set on what the Spirit desires. But we still live in a fallen world. Fortunately, in our weakness, we can rely on the Spirit, who helps us and intercedes for us before the Father[11].What we do in Christ won’t be in vain but instead will be part of God’s new creation. So let us give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord[12]. Summary of a sermon titled “How Paul invented Christian theology,” by N.T. Wright https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkcjFHYIugY 1 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:18-22 2 John 3:7, Romans 8:5-8, Romans 12:2, 1Corinthians 14: 20, Colossians 3:10 3 Galatians 4:8-9, Corinthians 8:1-3 4 Philippians 2:1-2, 3:19; Galatians 2:11-14; Romans 8; Colossians 3:2 5 Ephesian 3:10 6 1 Corinthians 8:6 7 Philippians 2:5-11 8 Philippians 2:10-11, Isaiah 45:23 9 Galatians 4:1-11 10 Philippians 3:2-11 11 Romans 8:5-8, 26, 27; 1 Corinthians 15; Isaiah 11; Revelation 21 12 1 Corinthians 15:58
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|
© 2024 Insightfulsermons. All rights reserved. Insightfulsermons® is a registered trademark.