The Early Christians Make The Early Christians Make the Casethe Case

A purpose of the New Testament A purpose of the New Testament writings is to enable early writings is to enable early

Christians to make the case for Christians to make the case for the gospel with their lips and in the gospel with their lips and in

their livestheir lives

Early Christians were encouraged to Early Christians were encouraged to make the case in challenging make the case in challenging

circumstancescircumstances

Difficulty for converts:Difficulty for converts:

““After you were enlightened, you endured a hard After you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated….you joyfully being partners with those so treated….you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property” (Heb. accepted the plundering of your property” (Heb. 10:32-34)10:32-34)

Cont’dCont’d

Early Christians were encouraged to Early Christians were encouraged to make the case in challenging make the case in challenging

circumstancescircumstancesAfflictions of evangelists:Afflictions of evangelists:

““I am a better [servant of Christ]….with far I am a better [servant of Christ]….with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” churches” (2 Cor. 11: 23-28 ).(2 Cor. 11: 23-28 ).

The convictions and lifestyle The convictions and lifestyle that the earliest convert are that the earliest convert are instructed to have in order instructed to have in order to make the case are fitting to make the case are fitting

in and for difficult in and for difficult circumstancescircumstances

Making the case effectively Making the case effectively in difficult circumstances in difficult circumstances requires a rich, broad and requires a rich, broad and

deep Christologydeep Christology

Christ is the inaugurator of Christ is the inaugurator of the kingdom of Godthe kingdom of God

Obedient Son of GodObedient Son of God

Jesus’ life is attached to Jesus’ life is attached to thethe

long-standing purposes of long-standing purposes of God.God.

Jesus’ life is attached to theJesus’ life is attached to thelong-standing purposes of God.long-standing purposes of God.

““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord….Today this scripture has been Lord….Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk. 4:18-21)fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk. 4:18-21)

Christ conquers deathChrist conquers death ““I myself conquered I myself conquered

and sat down with and sat down with my Father on his my Father on his throne” throne” (Rev. 3:21)(Rev. 3:21)

““Weep not; lo, the Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of Judah, the Root of David, has David, has conquered” conquered” (Rev 5:5).(Rev 5:5).

Christ’s death mortally Christ’s death mortally wounded the power of Sinwounded the power of Sin

Christ’s death mortally Christ’s death mortally wounded the power of Sinwounded the power of Sin

““Therefore…sin Therefore…sin came into the came into the

world through one world through one man and death man and death

through sin, and so through sin, and so death spread to all death spread to all humanity because humanity because all sinned” all sinned” (Rom 5:12).(Rom 5:12).

““As one man’s As one man’s trespass led to trespass led to

condemnation for condemnation for all, so one man’s all, so one man’s

act of righteousness act of righteousness leads to acquittal leads to acquittal

and life for all” and life for all” (Rom (Rom 5:18).5:18).

Believers can re-enact the Believers can re-enact the unique event of Christ’s unique event of Christ’s

conquering sin and deathconquering sin and death

““Consider yourselves dead to sin and Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11)(Rom 6:11)

Consequence of Christ’s life, Consequence of Christ’s life, death and resurrection is death and resurrection is

deliverancedeliverance ““[God] has delivered us from the dominion of [God] has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14).(Col. 1:13-14).

““When you were slaves of sin, you were free in When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness, but …what return did regard to righteousness, but …what return did you get from the things of which you are now you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:20-23).(Rom 6:20-23).

Christ is more than the answer Christ is more than the answer to a problemto a problem

““In the beginning was the Word and In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the the Word was with God, and the Word was God; he was in the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2)beginning with God” (John 1:1-2)

Christ is divineChrist is divine

““[God’s Son] reflects the glory of God [God’s Son] reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his and bears the very stamp of his nature (hypostasis)” (Heb. 1:3)nature (hypostasis)” (Heb. 1:3)

““In [Christ] the whole fullness of God In [Christ] the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19)was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19)

Christ is instrumental in Christ is instrumental in creationcreation

““All things were made through All things were made through him, and without him was not him, and without him was not anything made that was made” anything made that was made” (John 1:3)(John 1:3)

““[Christ] is the image of the [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities – all principalities or authorities – all things were created through him things were created through him and for him” and for him” (Col 1:15-16)(Col 1:15-16)

““In many and various ways God In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son he has spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed the heir of whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he all things, through whom also he created the world” created the world” (Heb. 1:1-2)(Heb. 1:1-2)

Christ now sustains creationChrist now sustains creation

““In him all things hold together” In him all things hold together” (Col (Col 1:17)1:17)

Christ is “upholding the universe by Christ is “upholding the universe by his word of power” his word of power” (Heb 1:3)(Heb 1:3)

Christ will return as God’s Christ will return as God’s agent of deliveranceagent of deliverance

Christ will return as God’s Christ will return as God’s agent of deliveranceagent of deliverance

““You turned to God from idols, to serve a living and You turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:9-10)(1 Thess 1:9-10)

““The high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the The high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you Son of the blessed?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark (Mark 14:61-62)14:61-62)

““I consider that the sufferings of this present time are I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us…the creation will be set free from its revealed to us…the creation will be set free from its bondage to decay…in this hope we were saved” bondage to decay…in this hope we were saved” (Rom (Rom 8:18-24)8:18-24)

Christ’s body is the Christ’s body is the churchchurch

Christ’s body is the churchChrist’s body is the church

““[Christ] is before all things, and in him [Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together, he is the head all things hold together, he is the head of the body, the church” of the body, the church” (Col 1:17-18)(Col 1:17-18)

““[God] has put all things under Christ’s [God] has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him the head over feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his all things for the church, which is his body” body” (Eph 1:22-23)(Eph 1:22-23)

The writers of the NT did not The writers of the NT did not make the gospel flat or simple; make the gospel flat or simple;

they took time with their they took time with their churches to unravel the glories churches to unravel the glories of what God had done in Christ of what God had done in Christ and of the very being of Christ.and of the very being of Christ.

Making the case with Making the case with integrityintegrity

Making the case with Making the case with integrityintegrity

““I count everything as loss because of the I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may obtain the death, that if possible I may obtain the resurrection from the dead” resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:8-11)(Phil 3:8-11)

Making the case through Making the case through lovelove

““By this it may be seen who are the children By this it may be seen who are the children of God; and who are the children of the devil; of God; and who are the children of the devil; whoever does not do right is not of God, nor whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother” he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10)(1 John 3:10)

““The one who does not love abides in death”The one who does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14)(1 John 3:14)

““Beloved, let us love one another, for love is Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and those who are born of God and of God, and those who are born of God and know God….we love because he first loved know God….we love because he first loved us” us”

(1 John 4: 7f, 19)(1 John 4: 7f, 19)

In order to make the case In order to make the case for the gospel, it is essential for the gospel, it is essential

that believers both think that believers both think deeply about Christ and live deeply about Christ and live lives that reflect the gospel lives that reflect the gospel

they proclaimthey proclaim

Making the case inMaking the case inchallenging circumstanceschallenging circumstances

““Worthy art thou, …for you were slain and by your Worthy art thou, …for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed humanity for God from every blood you ransomed humanity for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9)(Rev. 5:9)

““Though [Christ] was in the form of God, he did not Though [Christ] was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of humanity, and being found in born in the likeness of humanity, and being found in human form he humbled himself and became human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross; obedient unto death, even death on a cross; therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heave the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heave and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”the Father”

(Phil 2:6-11)(Phil 2:6-11)

Making a convincing case Making a convincing case for the gospel can only be for the gospel can only be done if “the love of Christ done if “the love of Christ

controls us” controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14)(2 Cor. 5:14)