Before the great and awesome day
The past few weeks, we have been looking at the transfiguration. Last week we looked at the question of why Moses was at the transfiguration. This week we look at the question of why Elijah was at the transfiguration. This is the question the disciples asked following the event in verse eleven. I have often pointed out the many things we take for advantage as we read the Bible. We are blessed to live with the complete Bible from Genesis
Who spake by the prophets
Trinitarian theology is more than an academic discussion. Sadly, as I have mentioned before, Christians only see their need for Jesus. However, we need the true living God, who exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Take, for example, the doctrine of adoption; the Father adopts us through the Son by the Spirit (Gal 4:4-6). Many doctrines have recently been questioned that quite possibly come back to a failure to understand Trinitarian theology and I might argue more specifically
Beginning in Moses
Last week we looked at the Transfiguration of Jesus on the high mountain. Jesus is transfigured before the three disciples, Peter, James, and John. John explains in the prologue to his gospel account that, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The three disciples beheld the glory of God on the mountain that day. As Peter described
Worshiped and glorified
The Holy Spirit is God (Heb 2:4, 9:14; Eph 4:30; Gen 1:2; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the same essence as the Father and the Son because of his procession. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is to be worshiped and glorified. As we mentioned when we began the section on the Holy Spirit, the major reason for expanding this section in 381 AD was that the Macedonians
Transfiguration
The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes a picture can simply remove the need for words. In some ways, words can carry more than a picture can. A picture cannot describe the emotion as well as words can. With a movie, you are an onlooker, however, in a book, it pulls you into the pages, and you use your imagination to be in the story. However, even with words and pictures, some things cannot be
And from the Son
The Filioque clause, comes from the Latin phrase which means “and from the Son” was added in the 6th century. This was not in the original creed as written in 325 in Nicaea or 381 in Constantinople. This was officially incorporated into the liturgical practice of the Latin speaking churches in the West (Centered around Rome) in 1014. Although this was not the sole reason for the East and the West to separate, it was a piece of the puzzle.
Suffer Many Things
Peter has made the glorious confession that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). However, now comes the teaching about what the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, had come to do. Many people believed he would be a military leader who would come and establish the kingdom of Israel as David had done. They would be set free from the oppression of the Roman Empire, they would have their own land again, and their own King. They saw the promises of God
Who proceedeth from the Father
The line of the Nicene creed comes straight from John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” Just as we discussed regarding the Son, the second person of the Trinity is eternally begotten (not made) Son of God. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son (more on
