Jaehyun Kwon said… The book of The Cosmic Christ of Scripture
I think chapter 3 is more interesting that chapter 1,2. Of course, I could understand the Scripture principle. I also read that scripture provides the principles that should guide the Christ-centered reading of God’s three books in relation t each other. The meaning of the three scripture like this; Tota scripture is all of scripture, Sola scripture is scripture alone, Pirma scripture is scripture first. And Dr. Hanna explained more about above theme. Scripture alone has its unique primacy as the written word which points to the living word-Jesus-as Source of life (Jn 5:39-40) within the cosmic context. We can confirm in John 1:3-4; “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He is “the life” (Jn 1:4), and” Light of the world” (Jn 8:12). Scripture also supports the sols and prima christus principles. Christ alone has His unique primacy because he created all things and in Him all things consist (Col 1:16-17). Christ is supreme as the unique and primary Son of God who brings many sons to glory. So, I thank Jesus Christ for given us to be done another son of God.
I think his comment about Psalms and wisdom. we can see the revelation of God many times through that scripture. Especially, he revealed His revelation by cosmotic view of God. "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Allthings in heavens reveal Him. so I as impressed when seening the creature of God. Especially, night... when seeing the heaven.
I think his comment about Psalms and wisdom. we can see the revelation of God many times through that scripture. Especially, he revealed His revelation by cosmotic view of God. "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Allthings in heavens reveal Him. so I as impressed when seening the creature of God. Especially, night... when seeing the heaven.
In the book as well as in the classes of Dr. Hanna I learned that there is a proper "methodology" to understand scripture , and if we follow these"rules" we are going to be able to see the big picture .I think as Adventist we have a "veil" we hear things and we assume because somebody said it before that , that is what it means .But In this class I learned to be open to listen other views and listen , I learned so much just listening other people who seem to have a different views, many times we are defending the same truth but we see it from different poles , we might not agree on the same but if we use the right principles our conversations we will learn more , to do this I believe that we need to have Humility and don't assume that we have the truth 100%., we are in a learning process that will last for eternity .
In my reading of Dr. Hanna’s book, The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, I have enjoyed his model of the three revelations of God: Scripture, Jesus Christ, and the cosmos. I believe that they make great sense within the framework of the book, but I have started to ponder why there is another aspect in our class lectures and discussions. Dr. Hanna has introduced us to the methods of revelation by sharing with us 4 types: Scripture, Jesus Christ, the cosmos, and the church. I believe that this fourth one is an important one that allows Christians to feel a part of the movement of God’s revelation, but why was it not incorporated into the book in the first place?
I happen to believe that the three portions together wrap things up nicely, and the church tends to leave a lot of room for explanation. The traditions of the church are not given up very easily. In fact, that is the main challenge to new truth in many Christian denominations. Perhaps, for the sake of not confusing anyone that has some misconceptions about the authority of the church, Dr. Hanna decided that it was best to leave it to three types of revelation in his book! What do you think? -Michael Paradise
Concerning the remark, “even though the Bible is commonly present in our homes and churches it is sometimes not allowed to speak for itself. We often treat the Bible like a child instead of treating it like the word of our divine Father.” In my humble opinion, we tend to deal Holy Scripture with thoughtlessness. When we share our daily talk, there come Holy words without any attention. Acting out like people who do not know Jesus is the other way showing we are treating His words heedlessly. What about ignoring somebody’s preaching? We easily look up other verses, thinking of him as anyone who do not know much about Bible. More than often, we memorize Bible verses and do not follow the way of teaching what we must go with our mind. If there is no change in our lives, couldn’t that mean we are not showing our respect to His words? Bible can work far more in us when we live in accordance with our beliefs. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40)
There is much discussion and debate over the place of the writings of Ellen G. White in our church. My eyes have been opened to that debate in a deeper perspective as I have studied here at the seminary. There appear to be many misconceptions as to her authority within our student body, and some of those have come to light in our discussions.
There are those that have a dislike for Sister White’s messages, and they do not care to hear her writings read from the pulpit as she is just like any other author. They feel as though they have had a heavy dose of her teachings over the course of their lives, and do not wish to receive the messages anymore. “Sola scriptura” is the chant for this school of thought. However, there are also those that have held her writings up to the point in which they are revered as in the canon. Neither side can be correct with such radical and imbalanced views. Over the course of our study in this class, I believe that we have learned to assess these differences through holistic principles. With this type of perspective, we are somewhat protected from taking such extreme stances on topics such as this one.
On the topic of revelation and inspiration, Dr. Fernando Canale writes, “Revelation is historical, primarily because God executes His plan of redemption historically from within the spatio-temporal flow of human history.” This statement comes from the bold position of a historicist interpretation of the scriptures. Most protestants will flee from the idea, and many Adventists shy from the notion as well. To say that God’s revelation works within the flow of history is not say, however, that it was written based solely on cultural trends. The Bible had tremendous truth for those who lived within its time, and it certainly does the same for us today.
I believe that what Dr. Canale is inferring here is that the Bible must be interpreted with a basis of the historical context of the original writing. It is mature and responsible to assess the historical factor when applying hermeneutics to a passage. God is great enough to present truths in one age that will also apply to another one. If we are to truly accept God’s messages to us, we must look at them through the eyes of the first ones to have read it. God does not wish for us to be limited to our presuppositions, but to endeavor to understand more fully His Word.
In Understanding Scripture: An Adventist Approach, Dr. Frank Hasel gives us an interesting item to consider and discuss. In his chapter, “Presuppositions in the Interpretation of Scripture,” he discusses an issue that is important to me personally: the interpretation of the Bible by the Catholic Church. He mentions that Adventists believe in the primacy of Scripture, but Catholics also believe it to be true. This makes me wonder how it can be true, given the fact that so much precedence is placed on papal authority and church tradition.
The truth is that the Catholics believe that they have a very high view of Scripture, but their viewpoint on its interpretation is what truly sets them apart from Adventists. They believe that the church has all of the authority in how to interpret the scriptures, so it is a completely different perspective in hermeneutics. What we have to do in our connections with Catholics is find a common ground to stand upon to discuss hermeneutical principles. The frustrating fact is that it is difficult to find that common ground when something as foundational as the interpretation of scripture is the very thing that is in question.
In Response to The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Chapter 3 by Dr. Martin Hanna “In the time of the end, just before the Second Advent of Christ, those who increase/share knowledge are not only the sinners, but also God’s saints. The knowledge that will be increased is both secular knowledge and sacred knowledge. God’s saints integrate faith and learning.”
There is no doubt that knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have, the more power you have. It has come to the point in our society however that only empirical knowledge is considered meaningful. In the face of all of that dismissive opposition, it would seem that Christians then need to be on the cutting edge of discovery, thought and academic pursuits. As knowledge is increasing in dramatic ways, we have to be willing to accept new thoughts, new thoughts even on the things that we may feel are such timeless truths that there is nothing left unfold. However, if your studies in this class have taught us anything, it is that even what we think we’ve come to understand, we’ve merely begun to grasp and uncover. New revelations, new inspiration, new hermeneutics, will all be poured out with God’s wisdom to His people. The great levels of learning that mankind can pursue combines the truths revealed in the Bible and what the Cosmos is teaching us. “To and Fro” from both of them lie greater depths of wisdom and understanding than we are yet capable of comprehending.
In Response to The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Chapter 5 by Dr. Martin Hanna
“…the best way to avoid confusion is to study the genuine Christ of scripture…” “…the heart of Christian Theology is the doctrine of the Divine-Human Christ…”
To know Christ, to know the genuine Christ as he is revealed throughout the entire Bible is not just important for us because we’re his people, but it’s an important epistemological pursuit because it protects us from all the other false information that would detract us. When we are reading about the Christ who will forever impress and humble us, we cannot come to the end of what we discover, but every truth that jumps from the page into our minds, is one tool, one block from the endless barge of imposters that have come and will continue only more ferociously in the last few pages that remain in our earths history. The imposters count on those who don’t yet know Christ, or those who discovered something they couldn’t handle, places there were schisms of doubt in their minds leaves a red carpet of welcome to those which would imitate but never be a shadow of the authentic type. The doubt of those who cannot accept the Jesus they read, or find reasons to outright oppose him, this is the catalyst that Satan needs, it is only where ignorance lies that he can thrive. But if we are not only committed to Christ, but also well informed about his true nature, than we will be more able to spot the fakes when they claim to be our Jesus.
REVELATION, INSPIRATION AND HERMENEUTIC – Iakopo Fuao’s comments on The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, by Martin F Hanna; and Understanding Scripture, by the Biblical Research Institute Studies of the General Conference. Iakopo Fuao... Understanding Scripture, Chapter 1. Historical Background of Adventist Biblical Interpretation. Mr. Timm provided a prominent hermeneutical history of the Christian Church since apostolic period to the twenty first century. This historical view has highlighted some of the major turning points within the Christian Church that provide the larger background for the development of the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of Scripture. The allegorical method by the Hellenistic Jews adopted by the Alexandrians later on allowed many Scriptural teachings to be influenced by the Greco-Roman culture. In the Medieval church non biblical teachings were treated as canonical. But God raised the heroes of the Protestant Reformation to restore the basic hermeneutical principles of sola and tota scriptura, the historical grammatical method of interpreting Scriptures and historicists approach on Bible prophecies. Mr. Timm pointed out the significance contribution of the Seventh-day Adventist, though the Reformers did not go far toward restoring several major doctrines, but their hermeneutic was later implemented and developed by the Seventh-day Adventist and resulted in the restoration of many major doctrines of the Apostolic Church and the discovering of new doctrines since 1844. However, Mr. Timm mentioned the danger that Seventh-day Adventist traditional hermeneutical principles of sola, and tota scriptura, and the historical grammatical method is facing since early 1970’s when a small number of scholars has tried to modify our traditional method of studying scripture with the Historical critical method, and incorporate modern methods of prophetic interpretation of preterist, futurist and postmodern components. This has generated tensions among scholars because Historical critical presupposition denies the supernatural elements of Scriptures, and the authority of the Word. And it’s a major challenge to our traditional Adventist teachings based on the sola and tota scripture principles, especially our distinctive teachings on the sanctuary, Investigative Judgment, incarnation, Sabbath and the spirit of prophecy. And as any other SDA, I believe with Timm that we are called by God to restore and uplift the authority and the reliability of His Word (that the enemy is has ever trying to destroy) and also call for the proper interpretation of Scripture.
Understanding Scripture – Chapter 2. Faith, Reason, and the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics – John T. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin’s focus on this chapter is on the biblical that theological principles that relate to the place of faith, reason, spiritual powers and the Holy Spirit in the hermeneutical process. I find this chapter very interesting and informative in the role of these tools in interpreting the will of God in Scripture. Faith and reason are both God given gifts to be endorsed strongly and engaged rigorously as useful tools in Hermeneutical process. Deep contemplation and reflection on scripture are proven to be effective ways that God speaks to us. The Holy Spirit must not replace the importance of human rational powers, but the Holy Spirit sanctified the fallen human reason, transformed and renewed it to become fitted to comprehend the will of the Spirit and Word of God. Faith on the other hand helps us in the proper use of our reason in understanding scripture. Though these two principles are complementary in hermeneutics, faith will elevate over reason at times when they appear to clash in hermeneutics. I agree with the author because without faith our reason is blind. Faith connects us to the Holy Spirit the primary author of Scripture and Christ the theme of the Scripture. For proper interpretation of Scripture Baldwin recommended in this chapter the proper use of these tools, - the renewed mind like the mind of God, to think like God, and the personal faith that is in the Holy spirit that guides the hermeneutical process, and illuminates the mind of the interpreter with fresh meaning, and the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit and the heavenly angels.
Understanding Scripture, Chapter 7 – Guidelines For the Interpretation of Scripture. Mr. Muller provides some general guidelines and specific exegetical steps to help any Bible student to interpret and understand God’s word. His goal for interpretation is to create a burning heart in both the expositor and the audience and draws them closer to God. The guidelines he gives are very informative and useful for any Bible Student or any ordinary Christian who wants to master the art of interpreting the Bible properly especially at this time when there are a lot of alternatives hermeneutics that promotes the improper use of the Word of God. Right at the beginning he introduces his readers to the Historical-Biblical Method or Historical Grammatical Method of Studying the Bible. I feel that very appropriate because of the influence and dominant nature of the Historical Critical method in the Christian Church today not excluding the Seventh-day Adventist. And I really appreciate him spending time to list down the four main presuppositions of the Historical-Biblical Method because they are contrary to the Historical Criticism’s presuppositions, and also for the reason that proper interpretation should be guided by our presuppositions. For example, the bible should be a test of truth, not philosophy, tradition or science, etc. In interpreting a Biblical text, Muller gives 10 basic exegetical steps in chronological order. From these ten keys or steps I feel that they should all be used in a Christ-centered way. Prayer for example is positioning my-self in the direction where Jesus will reveal Himself to me in scripture. Even going in the Bible, we listen and focus where we can find Christ in the text. Listening and studying the Bible inductively takes time, and Muller put that as his final step. I appreciate the way he concludes this chapter by emphasizing the importance of the community of believers’ role in evaluating any new light, and also my willingness to abandon interpretation if the community of believers feels that my interpretation is questionable. I believe that if all intelligent scholars of our Church recognized the role of the community of believers in the context of new light, they would have remained in the church and provided a positive contribution to the mission of the Church.
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, How to read God’s three books: A Christ-centered Introduction. Hanna introduces his book to the general readers with an intention to find this book a blessing to further develop their skills for reading God’s three books. He identifies God’s three Books as, 1. The Book of Inspiration or the Old and New Testaments; 2. The Book of incarnation is about the life and ministry of Christ and; 3. The Book of Nature or the Cosmos. The incarnated Christ predicted in Scripture is the Creator of the universe. This book points to the truth that Christ takes away the veil of misunderstanding scripture. The thesis of Hanna’s book is that scripture provides the principles that should guide that Christ-centered reading of God’s three books in relation to each other. The three scripture principles are, 1. Tota scriptura, 2. Sola scriptura and, 3. Pima scriptura. Hanna believes that the three scripture principles illuminate the relations among God’s three revelations and the need for reading then I in the light of each other. The wheel illustration illustrates this biblical concept of reading God’s books in the light of each other. I like the illustration because it shows that these three divine revelations of God are closely related and complement each other. Christ in the middle of the wheel has ontological primacy because He’s the Creator God, the outer circle represents the contextual primacy of the Cosmos (the context where Inspiration and incarnation are given) and the spikes that connects the inner circle and the outer circle represents the epistemological primacy of Scripture as the source of the principles of the principles that keep theology Christ-centered and relevant to the world in which we live. I agree with this concept, because it acknowledges the authority in other divine revelations and there and illuminations among them for unveiling any misunderstanding in one of them. Hanna’s authority for the Christ-centered and the cosmic reading of Scripture is the Scripture itself and Ellen G White’s writings. But Ellen G White as lesser light is evaluated in the light of Scripture Principles.
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Let the Holy Scriptures Speak! The author states in this chapter the fundamental Protestant presupposition of prima scriptura. All Scripture (OT and NT) is the only rule for Christian faith, practices and Hanna’s new development of Christian knowledge. This authority of Scripture is based on the fact that it is all divinely inspired and therefore it has infallible authority. The rise of Historical criticism is the SDA church makes me agree with Hanna’s holistic definition of scripture principles that recognizes the authority of scripture because critical methods and the new age philosophy of making truth instead of discovering it really challenge the authority and the reliability of the Bible. The scripture itself teaches from the book of Daniel the progressive unveiling of the old, yet ever new revelations of Christ, Scripture and the Cosmos. After comparing texts with texts within the book of Daniel, the result indicates that Daniel’s end time prediction of the increased of both the secular and the sacred knowledge illuminate the holistic model for the theology method of going ‘to and fro’ to increase knowledge of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture. Such theology of going ‘to and fro’ points us to the need of going ‘to and fro’ within Scripture, and from Scripture to Christ and from Scripture to the cosmos to acquire a better knowledge of Christ. Though Scripture provides the only reliable knowledge because our minds and nature are affected by sin, the fact remains the same that Scripture is not a textbook for knowledge. Therefore we should go ‘to and fro’ between Scriptures and Christ to increase the knowledge of the light from God. Christ Himself says, it is useless to search Scripture, they will not come to Him (John 5:39,40) for light and eternal life. It is also required for us to go ‘to and fro’ between Scripture and the cosmos for light from God. Hanna suggests that divine authority cannot reduce to Scripture, each divine revelation has authorizes and all these authorities are united in the one divine authority of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture…
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, The theme of the Bible is Jesus. This chapter focuses on the Jesus of the Scripture. The author’s holistic model of the Scripture principles leads us to the understanding that Christ is not Scripture and Scripture is not Christ, however Scripture testifies about Christ and he is the theme of Scripture. I was reading this chapter in the light of Mr. Webter’s reply to the question about Christ as being God and man. “If I could comprehend him, He would be no greater than myself. I feel that I need a superhuman Savior.” But though we cannot fully comprehend God because He is God, this chapter is very inspiring and informative to me about my Lord and Savior. It is amazing to know that He is really fully God in every aspect of authority, essence and attributes as other members of the Trinity. How the three become one and one in three, I do not really know, but the OT and NT provides us with Scripture evidences, of the three divine persons. Two of many texts that Hanna uses are the ‘Shema’ slogan in Duet. 6:4 and Matt. 3:16-17. Matthew talks about the manifestation of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. Jesus form eternity shared the social nature of the God-head as well as their divine titles. The theme of the OT is about Jesus coming as a Messiah, and the NT is full of the story of his incarnation, ministries and His return. In other words, Jesus merges the Old and New Testament. Many are still arguing today about His divine and human nature, but the fact remains that He is the only full and complete human that has ever walked on this planet earth besides the un-fallen Adam, the Bible says that ‘He knew so sin’ and ‘without sin’. He came in the likeness of man and tempted in all points like as we are. I am grateful to have a Savior who knows what I am going through. But at the same time while He was a fully human, He was fully God. We saw some of the divine nature in His earthly life when He commanded the tempest lake and sea to be still; and when He commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave after three days. Satan knew this, so his constant temptation was for Jesus to misuse this divine power. And as Hanna said, unveiling of the Jesus of Scripture gives us the clear light about God that is worthy of our praise and service of thanksgiving. He is the climatic revelation and the final Word of God to man.
1st Comment on Chapter 1 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
I couldn’t agree more with Dr. Hanna: Jesus is the hermeneutical key to understanding the Scriptures. Unfortunately, today many people fail to read the Bible through the lens of Christ. We fail to do so experientially and propositionally. Reading Scriptures experientially through the lens of Christ means to accept Christ in our hearts as the ultimate revelation of God. Reading Scripture propositionally through the lens of Christ means to intellectually understand every text in light of the person and work of God’s Son. I personally believe that the Seventh-day Adventist church is currently undergoing a crisis of enormous proportions over the person and work of Christ. According to a study carried out by Roger Dudley, young adult Christians are leaving our denomination in droves. My sanctified assessment is that they are packing their bags and leaving due to a failure on the part of the grown-ups to have exalted Jesus at the center of the law. I cannot help but overemphasize the point that every subject matter must be understood in light of Jesus. Because Jesus has been eclipsed, young adults have come to view the commandments as a bag of heavy burdens to carry on their way to heaven. This view sadly supports the idea that we are in charge of our justification, sanctification, and glorification. But according to Christ, this is false. In a similar context where the Jewish people were burdened by a heavy load of rules and regulations, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." When the law is properly understood in Christ, we find rest for our souls rather than exhaustion. This thematic statement of Christ is then exemplified in the following narrative. Though the law clearly forbid people to pick heads of grain on the Sabbath, Jesus permits his hungry disciples to “break the law”. The Law Giver understood that the ultimate purpose of the law was to do good rather than harm; So Jesus correctly understood the law by placing people over rules and regulations. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were so concerned about the law they would have been glad even if the law demanded others to starve to death. The Pharisees were not reading the Scriptures through the lens of Christ and consequently promoted an unhealthy picture of the law. My desire is for my church to see Jesus as the Perfect Revealer of God's heart and God's ways.
2nd Comment on Chapter 1 of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
All 3 Scripture principles are important because they provide a Christocentric understanding (and therefore proper understanding) of God’s three books as they relate to each other. These are the principles of sola, tota, and prima scriptura. Today, biblical scholarship unintentionally and intentionally disregards these 3 principles in its interpretation of selected portions of Scripture or entire biblical books. Some disregard the principle that the Bible alone is our creed. Consequently Bible scholars exalt extrabiblical sources over Scripture or at the same level of Scripture. Psychology, History, and Science are some of the fields students of Scripture have used inappropriately. If we look carefully at Scripture through the lens of Christ, we find that Christ supported the uniqueness of God’s word. Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus prayed, “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17, NKJV). Jesus said that the key to staying set apart in an evil world is a life that is based on truth, which is nothing more than the word of God. We see Him exemplify these words in His life when on three occasions, Jesus uses Scripture as the means to discern truth from error. So today, if our scholars and theologians would be willing to truthfully exegete the biblical text, they must abide by the principle of sola scriptura. The principle of tota scriptura is also debated in scholarship. There are certain Bible students who would suggest that Paul's writings are not all on the same degree of inspiration. For example, some would interpret 1 Timothy 2:12 (I do not permit a woman…) purely as Paul's opinion. This was not inspired in the divine sense of the word. Christ exalted the principle of tota scriptura on the road to Emmaus. The Bible says that "He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27, NKJV). Lastly, we have the principle of prima scriptura. It states that the Bible is first among all revelations. Jesus exemplified this by placing Scripture above experience on the road to Emmaus. After listening to his disciples express their sorrow, the son of God explains from Scripture His death and resurrection; but only later does He allow their eyes to be opened that they might recognize Him.
1st Comment on Chapter 2 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
Like Dr. Hanna, I believe that the Bible provides the proper outlook we should have on every extra biblical subject matter. This view has become quite unpopular in our age. Human reason outrules divine revelation in a much more stronger way. Given the fact that man has made remarkable progress over the years in the domain of scientific research, the proud heart will constrain the mind to argue more vigorously for its cause rather than God's. But a proper outlook at science must absolutely integrate faith and reason. Humankind relies on reason but God asks us to believe before we can understand. Reasoning is based on the 5 senses of taste, sight, hearing, touch, & feelings. Faith supersedes this realm and can rightly be called the sixth sense. This faith must not be confused with blind faith; for God never asks us to trust Him without providing evidence. God reveals Himself to us in an understandable way, which creates the basis for us to believe in His existence or the 6-day creation. The core problem today is the pride of man, which refuses to admit that the human mind is finite and that God's mind is infinite. Now and throughout the span of eternity, God's answers to our questions will create more questions because of His infinite nature. Job 11:7-8 echoes this truth: "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven-what can you do? Deeper than Sheol-what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea" (NKJV). Only One Man has known God infinitely: Jesus Christ. He is the God-Man. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus says "[…] and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son" (NKJV). It is through the Son that we may receive a divine revelation of the Father that will continue to expand through eternity unlike Jesus Himself. I see the need, as a church, to make an effort towards the integration of faith and reasoning in the field of educational science. Up to this point in time, there lies a need for Christian science textbooks to be used in our elementary, secondary, and collegiate/university institutions. This need is of a particular importance to our kids, whose minds are much more receptive to the things of God.
2nd Comment on Chapter 2 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
According to chapter 2 of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture, "the authority of the divine revelation in the book of Scripture defines the theological authority of the divine revelations in the books of Christ and the cosmos". The point, being made here, is that God has appointed the Bible as the authoritative source by which we may properly understand how Jesus and the cosmos relate to Scripture. The Bible is the basis by which we may have a proper outlook on life. Though I broadly agree with this statement, I would propose a change in the wording, less our theological lenses worsen rather than improve. I believe that Jesus is greater than Scripture in the domain of Bible study, because Jesus is the One who reveals, through his Spirit, the understanding we must gain from His word. To paraphrase the words of Dr. John Piper, Bible study before submission to a Person is not submission to the Scriptures. Our faith must first rely in Christ so that His Spirit may enlighten our minds to the truths of Scripture. I would therefore reword the statement in the following manner: "The authority of Christ defines the theological authority of the divine revelations in the books of Scripture, Christ, and the cosmos." The reason I am making a stress on this matter is because I am aware of the deceptive charms of Bible idolatry, which exalts Scripture above God Himself. This should especially be of pivotal importance to Seventh-day Adventist Christians, whose long heritage has tended to exalt the Law over the Lawgiver in our preaching and teaching. In his letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul does not define wisdom as a set of propositional ideas but rather defines wisdom as a Person. He writes that "Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). By this, the apostle does not mean that wisdom does not stand as a set of godly ideas; rather what it means is that this set of godly ideas is not firstly derived from the blessing itself (Scripture), but from the Blesser Himself (Christ). Paul clarifies this important truth in Colossians 2:3, where he writes that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in Him. All of this strongly implies that our spirituality is key to developing a proper theology on the relationship between Christ, Scripture, & the Cosmos. This is what prevented the Pharisees from properly understanding Scripture. In John 10:26, Jesus clearly states "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you." As the guardians of the law, they had placed Scripture above its Giver and consequently misread what the Old Testament taught. It was their faith in the Bible rather than in Christ that caused them to crucify the Author of Scripture. It is a sad story that each one of us may individually repeat in our lives less we take heed. But my most important point is that Jesus Christ not only provides the understanding of Scripture but Jesus points out to us what is and what is not Scripture. There lies many views regarding what books should the Bible be constituted of. Yet it was not left to us to appoint the books of Scripture but this work was left for the Son. Before his ascension, Jesus said these words: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). This point overemphasizes the supremacy of Christ over Scripture.
In chapter 3, Dr. Hanna makes the point that there are certain Bible students who tend to focus on Scripture alone while undermining the important role of other theological revelations, which Scripture itself supports! I find that this view of Scripture is in fact very dangerous because it prevents the holder of this belief to have a proper outlook on life. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, we may look to Him that we may receive a perfect understanding of these matters and enjoy life as we should. Jesus points indeed to Scripture as the final authority by which every question is answered. In Luke 10, the lawyer's question regarding eternal life is answered by a question from Jesus: “what is written in the law?” But Jesus does not restrict his outlook on life merely to the Scriptures. In fact, to do so would be to be a harm to ourselves. In John 5:39-40, Jesus tells the Pharisees of His day that the Scriptures which they study to point to Him, from whom they may have life. By stating this, Jesus lets them know that there exists a Revelation who is far greater than Scripture: Himself. Jesus lets his Jewish brethren know that the Scriptures are unable to give them the eternal life that they so desire. But the Bible they read point to Him, as the Desire of their hearts. It is by trusting in Him that they may receive the life they desire. Trusting in data is trusting in ideas that have no eyes, no ears, and no heart. But trusting in Jesus satisfies the soul because Jesus is a Person, from whom all blessings we need originate. Lastly, Jesus holds to importance the cosmos in which we live by pointing to commerce and nature in a teaching on the fear of God. He says to his disciples, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29). Jesus says that we can have assurance that God will take care of us if God cares for sparrows, who are less valuable than we are! So Jesus, by His perfect example, encourages us to draw lessons from the world around us.
In Chapter 3, it is mentioned that The Bible exhorts us to go back and forth from Scripture to the cosmos and from the cosmos back to Scripture. I believe that this is absolutely true. This, I believe, plays a very important part in our evangelism to certain educated classes of people. Science and theology can be integrated as one that Christ may be ultimately seen. I realize that everything, including science, ultimately points to the Person and Work of God’s Son, because Jesus is the Ultimate Revelation of God. The gospel of God can be preached through scientific data as we seek to ultimately reveal Christ! This communication of the gospel will gain attention because it connects recent scientific news with a Man, known to have lived 2,000 years ago. When the gospel is preached through science, it exalts Jesus Christ as Relevant for our time. This is an attention grabber that can go a long way as the Spirit convicts the individual and seeks to give him or her a new heart. There is amazing and intriguing data regarding the human body, nature, and the universe. Christian and non Christian scholars alike have published papers on such topics. The Seventh-day Adventist pastor-evangelist may use this information wisely to preach the gospel and present other Bible teachings as revealed in Jesus Christ. When the listener or reader sees His relevance for this age, he or she will trust in Him.
224 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 224 of 224Jaehyun Kwon said…
The book of The Cosmic Christ of Scripture
I think chapter 3 is more interesting that chapter 1,2. Of course, I could understand the Scripture principle. I also read that scripture provides the principles that should guide the Christ-centered reading of God’s three books in relation t each other. The meaning of the three scripture like this; Tota scripture is all of scripture, Sola scripture is scripture alone, Pirma scripture is scripture first. And Dr. Hanna explained more about above theme. Scripture alone has its unique primacy as the written word which points to the living word-Jesus-as Source of life (Jn 5:39-40) within the cosmic context. We can confirm in John 1:3-4; “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He is “the life” (Jn 1:4), and” Light of the world” (Jn 8:12). Scripture also supports the sols and prima christus principles. Christ alone has His unique primacy because he created all things and in Him all things consist (Col 1:16-17). Christ is supreme as the unique and primary Son of God who brings many sons to glory. So, I thank Jesus Christ for given us to be done another son of God.
about Kenton's comment
I think his comment about Psalms and wisdom. we can see the revelation of God many times through that scripture.
Especially, he revealed His revelation by cosmotic view of God.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Allthings in heavens reveal Him. so I as impressed when seening the creature of God. Especially, night... when seeing the heaven.
about Kenton's comment
I think his comment about Psalms and wisdom. we can see the revelation of God many times through that scripture.
Especially, he revealed His revelation by cosmotic view of God.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Allthings in heavens reveal Him. so I as impressed when seening the creature of God. Especially, night... when seeing the heaven.
In the book as well as in the classes of Dr. Hanna I learned that there is a proper "methodology" to understand scripture , and if we follow these"rules" we are going to be able to see the big picture .I think as Adventist we have a "veil" we hear things and we assume because somebody said it before that , that is what it means .But In this class I learned to be open to listen other views and listen , I learned so much just listening other people who seem to have a different views, many times we are defending the same truth but we see it from different poles , we might not agree on the same but if we use the right principles our conversations we will learn more , to do this I believe that we need to have Humility and don't assume that we have the truth 100%., we are in a learning process that will last for eternity .
In my reading of Dr. Hanna’s book, The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, I have enjoyed his model of the three revelations of God: Scripture, Jesus Christ, and the cosmos. I believe that they make great sense within the framework of the book, but I have started to ponder why there is another aspect in our class lectures and discussions. Dr. Hanna has introduced us to the methods of revelation by sharing with us 4 types: Scripture, Jesus Christ, the cosmos, and the church. I believe that this fourth one is an important one that allows Christians to feel a part of the movement of God’s revelation, but why was it not incorporated into the book in the first place?
I happen to believe that the three portions together wrap things up nicely, and the church tends to leave a lot of room for explanation. The traditions of the church are not given up very easily. In fact, that is the main challenge to new truth in many Christian denominations. Perhaps, for the sake of not confusing anyone that has some misconceptions about the authority of the church, Dr. Hanna decided that it was best to leave it to three types of revelation in his book!
What do you think?
-Michael Paradise
Concerning the remark, “even though the Bible is commonly present in our homes and churches it is sometimes not allowed to speak for itself. We often treat the Bible like a child instead of treating it like the word of our divine Father.” In my humble opinion, we tend to deal Holy Scripture with thoughtlessness. When we share our daily talk, there come Holy words without any attention. Acting out like people who do not know Jesus is the other way showing we are treating His words heedlessly. What about ignoring somebody’s preaching? We easily look up other verses, thinking of him as anyone who do not know much about Bible. More than often, we memorize Bible verses and do not follow the way of teaching what we must go with our mind. If there is no change in our lives, couldn’t that mean we are not showing our respect to His words? Bible can work far more in us when we live in accordance with our beliefs. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40)
There is much discussion and debate over the place of the writings of Ellen G. White in our church. My eyes have been opened to that debate in a deeper perspective as I have studied here at the seminary. There appear to be many misconceptions as to her authority within our student body, and some of those have come to light in our discussions.
There are those that have a dislike for Sister White’s messages, and they do not care to hear her writings read from the pulpit as she is just like any other author. They feel as though they have had a heavy dose of her teachings over the course of their lives, and do not wish to receive the messages anymore. “Sola scriptura” is the chant for this school of thought. However, there are also those that have held her writings up to the point in which they are revered as in the canon. Neither side can be correct with such radical and imbalanced views. Over the course of our study in this class, I believe that we have learned to assess these differences through holistic principles. With this type of perspective, we are somewhat protected from taking such extreme stances on topics such as this one.
But what do you think?
-Michael Paradise
On the topic of revelation and inspiration, Dr. Fernando Canale writes, “Revelation is historical, primarily because God executes His plan of redemption historically from within the spatio-temporal flow of human history.” This statement comes from the bold position of a historicist interpretation of the scriptures. Most protestants will flee from the idea, and many Adventists shy from the notion as well. To say that God’s revelation works within the flow of history is not say, however, that it was written based solely on cultural trends. The Bible had tremendous truth for those who lived within its time, and it certainly does the same for us today.
I believe that what Dr. Canale is inferring here is that the Bible must be interpreted with a basis of the historical context of the original writing. It is mature and responsible to assess the historical factor when applying hermeneutics to a passage. God is great enough to present truths in one age that will also apply to another one. If we are to truly accept God’s messages to us, we must look at them through the eyes of the first ones to have read it. God does not wish for us to be limited to our presuppositions, but to endeavor to understand more fully His Word.
But what do you think?
-Michael Paradise
In Understanding Scripture: An Adventist Approach, Dr. Frank Hasel gives us an interesting item to consider and discuss. In his chapter, “Presuppositions in the Interpretation of Scripture,” he discusses an issue that is important to me personally: the interpretation of the Bible by the Catholic Church. He mentions that Adventists believe in the primacy of Scripture, but Catholics also believe it to be true. This makes me wonder how it can be true, given the fact that so much precedence is placed on papal authority and church tradition.
The truth is that the Catholics believe that they have a very high view of Scripture, but their viewpoint on its interpretation is what truly sets them apart from Adventists. They believe that the church has all of the authority in how to interpret the scriptures, so it is a completely different perspective in hermeneutics. What we have to do in our connections with Catholics is find a common ground to stand upon to discuss hermeneutical principles. The frustrating fact is that it is difficult to find that common ground when something as foundational as the interpretation of scripture is the very thing that is in question.
What do you think?
-Michael Paradise
RIH Blog # 3
Massiel Davila
In Response to The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Chapter 3 by Dr. Martin Hanna
“In the time of the end, just before the Second Advent of Christ, those who increase/share knowledge are not only the sinners, but also God’s saints. The knowledge that will be increased is both secular knowledge and sacred knowledge. God’s saints integrate faith and learning.”
There is no doubt that knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have, the more power you have. It has come to the point in our society however that only empirical knowledge is considered meaningful. In the face of all of that dismissive opposition, it would seem that Christians then need to be on the cutting edge of discovery, thought and academic pursuits. As knowledge is increasing in dramatic ways, we have to be willing to accept new thoughts, new thoughts even on the things that we may feel are such timeless truths that there is nothing left unfold. However, if your studies in this class have taught us anything, it is that even what we think we’ve come to understand, we’ve merely begun to grasp and uncover. New revelations, new inspiration, new hermeneutics, will all be poured out with God’s wisdom to His people. The great levels of learning that mankind can pursue combines the truths revealed in the Bible and what the Cosmos is teaching us. “To and Fro” from both of them lie greater depths of wisdom and understanding than we are yet capable of comprehending.
R.I.H Blog #4
In Response to The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Chapter 5 by Dr. Martin Hanna
“…the best way to avoid confusion is to study the genuine Christ of scripture…”
“…the heart of Christian Theology is the doctrine of the Divine-Human Christ…”
To know Christ, to know the genuine Christ as he is revealed throughout the entire Bible is not just important for us because we’re his people, but it’s an important epistemological pursuit because it protects us from all the other false information that would detract us. When we are reading about the Christ who will forever impress and humble us, we cannot come to the end of what we discover, but every truth that jumps from the page into our minds, is one tool, one block from the endless barge of imposters that have come and will continue only more ferociously in the last few pages that remain in our earths history. The imposters count on those who don’t yet know Christ, or those who discovered something they couldn’t handle, places there were schisms of doubt in their minds leaves a red carpet of welcome to those which would imitate but never be a shadow of the authentic type. The doubt of those who cannot accept the Jesus they read, or find reasons to outright oppose him, this is the catalyst that Satan needs, it is only where ignorance lies that he can thrive. But if we are not only committed to Christ, but also well informed about his true nature, than we will be more able to spot the fakes when they claim to be our Jesus.
REVELATION, INSPIRATION AND HERMENEUTIC – Iakopo Fuao’s comments on The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, by Martin F Hanna; and Understanding Scripture, by the Biblical Research Institute Studies of the General Conference.
Iakopo Fuao...
Understanding Scripture, Chapter 1. Historical Background of Adventist Biblical Interpretation.
Mr. Timm provided a prominent hermeneutical history of the Christian Church since apostolic period to the twenty first century. This historical view has highlighted some of the major turning points within the Christian Church that provide the larger background for the development of the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of Scripture. The allegorical method by the Hellenistic Jews adopted by the Alexandrians later on allowed many Scriptural teachings to be influenced by the Greco-Roman culture. In the Medieval church non biblical teachings were treated as canonical. But God raised the heroes of the Protestant Reformation to restore the basic hermeneutical principles of sola and tota scriptura, the historical grammatical method of interpreting Scriptures and historicists approach on Bible prophecies. Mr. Timm pointed out the significance contribution of the Seventh-day Adventist, though the Reformers did not go far toward restoring several major doctrines, but their hermeneutic was later implemented and developed by the Seventh-day Adventist and resulted in the restoration of many major doctrines of the Apostolic Church and the discovering of new doctrines since 1844. However, Mr. Timm mentioned the danger that Seventh-day Adventist traditional hermeneutical principles of sola, and tota scriptura, and the historical grammatical method is facing since early 1970’s when a small number of scholars has tried to modify our traditional method of studying scripture with the Historical critical method, and incorporate modern methods of prophetic interpretation of preterist, futurist and postmodern components. This has generated tensions among scholars because Historical critical presupposition denies the supernatural elements of Scriptures, and the authority of the Word. And it’s a major challenge to our traditional Adventist teachings based on the sola and tota scripture principles, especially our distinctive teachings on the sanctuary, Investigative Judgment, incarnation, Sabbath and the spirit of prophecy. And as any other SDA, I believe with Timm that we are called by God to restore and uplift the authority and the reliability of His Word (that the enemy is has ever trying to destroy) and also call for the proper interpretation of Scripture.
Understanding Scripture – Chapter 2. Faith, Reason, and the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics – John T. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin’s focus on this chapter is on the biblical that theological principles that relate to the place of faith, reason, spiritual powers and the Holy Spirit in the hermeneutical process. I find this chapter very interesting and informative in the role of these tools in interpreting the will of God in Scripture. Faith and reason are both God given gifts to be endorsed strongly and engaged rigorously as useful tools in Hermeneutical process. Deep contemplation and reflection on scripture are proven to be effective ways that God speaks to us. The Holy Spirit must not replace the importance of human rational powers, but the Holy Spirit sanctified the fallen human reason, transformed and renewed it to become fitted to comprehend the will of the Spirit and Word of God. Faith on the other hand helps us in the proper use of our reason in understanding scripture. Though these two principles are complementary in hermeneutics, faith will elevate over reason at times when they appear to clash in hermeneutics. I agree with the author because without faith our reason is blind. Faith connects us to the Holy Spirit the primary author of Scripture and Christ the theme of the Scripture. For proper interpretation of Scripture Baldwin recommended in this chapter the proper use of these tools, - the renewed mind like the mind of God, to think like God, and the personal faith that is in the Holy spirit that guides the hermeneutical process, and illuminates the mind of the interpreter with fresh meaning, and the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit and the heavenly angels.
Understanding Scripture, Chapter 7 – Guidelines For the Interpretation of Scripture. Mr. Muller provides some general guidelines and specific exegetical steps to help any Bible student to interpret and understand God’s word. His goal for interpretation is to create a burning heart in both the expositor and the audience and draws them closer to God. The guidelines he gives are very informative and useful for any Bible Student or any ordinary Christian who wants to master the art of interpreting the Bible properly especially at this time when there are a lot of alternatives hermeneutics that promotes the improper use of the Word of God. Right at the beginning he introduces his readers to the Historical-Biblical Method or Historical Grammatical Method of Studying the Bible. I feel that very appropriate because of the influence and dominant nature of the Historical Critical method in the Christian Church today not excluding the Seventh-day Adventist. And I really appreciate him spending time to list down the four main presuppositions of the Historical-Biblical Method because they are contrary to the Historical Criticism’s presuppositions, and also for the reason that proper interpretation should be guided by our presuppositions. For example, the bible should be a test of truth, not philosophy, tradition or science, etc. In interpreting a Biblical text, Muller gives 10 basic exegetical steps in chronological order. From these ten keys or steps I feel that they should all be used in a Christ-centered way. Prayer for example is positioning my-self in the direction where Jesus will reveal Himself to me in scripture. Even going in the Bible, we listen and focus where we can find Christ in the text. Listening and studying the Bible inductively takes time, and Muller put that as his final step. I appreciate the way he concludes this chapter by emphasizing the importance of the community of believers’ role in evaluating any new light, and also my willingness to abandon interpretation if the community of believers feels that my interpretation is questionable. I believe that if all intelligent scholars of our Church recognized the role of the community of believers in the context of new light, they would have remained in the church and provided a positive contribution to the mission of the Church.
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, How to read God’s three books: A Christ-centered Introduction. Hanna introduces his book to the general readers with an intention to find this book a blessing to further develop their skills for reading God’s three books. He identifies God’s three Books as, 1. The Book of Inspiration or the Old and New Testaments; 2. The Book of incarnation is about the life and ministry of Christ and; 3. The Book of Nature or the Cosmos. The incarnated Christ predicted in Scripture is the Creator of the universe. This book points to the truth that Christ takes away the veil of misunderstanding scripture. The thesis of Hanna’s book is that scripture provides the principles that should guide that Christ-centered reading of God’s three books in relation to each other. The three scripture principles are, 1. Tota scriptura, 2. Sola scriptura and, 3. Pima scriptura. Hanna believes that the three scripture principles illuminate the relations among God’s three revelations and the need for reading then I in the light of each other. The wheel illustration illustrates this biblical concept of reading God’s books in the light of each other. I like the illustration because it shows that these three divine revelations of God are closely related and complement each other. Christ in the middle of the wheel has ontological primacy because He’s the Creator God, the outer circle represents the contextual primacy of the Cosmos (the context where Inspiration and incarnation are given) and the spikes that connects the inner circle and the outer circle represents the epistemological primacy of Scripture as the source of the principles of the principles that keep theology Christ-centered and relevant to the world in which we live. I agree with this concept, because it acknowledges the authority in other divine revelations and there and illuminations among them for unveiling any misunderstanding in one of them. Hanna’s authority for the Christ-centered and the cosmic reading of Scripture is the Scripture itself and Ellen G White’s writings. But Ellen G White as lesser light is evaluated in the light of Scripture Principles.
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, Let the Holy Scriptures Speak! The author states in this chapter the fundamental Protestant presupposition of prima scriptura. All Scripture (OT and NT) is the only rule for Christian faith, practices and Hanna’s new development of Christian knowledge. This authority of Scripture is based on the fact that it is all divinely inspired and therefore it has infallible authority. The rise of Historical criticism is the SDA church makes me agree with Hanna’s holistic definition of scripture principles that recognizes the authority of scripture because critical methods and the new age philosophy of making truth instead of discovering it really challenge the authority and the reliability of the Bible. The scripture itself teaches from the book of Daniel the progressive unveiling of the old, yet ever new revelations of Christ, Scripture and the Cosmos. After comparing texts with texts within the book of Daniel, the result indicates that Daniel’s end time prediction of the increased of both the secular and the sacred knowledge illuminate the holistic model for the theology method of going ‘to and fro’ to increase knowledge of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture. Such theology of going ‘to and fro’ points us to the need of going ‘to and fro’ within Scripture, and from Scripture to Christ and from Scripture to the cosmos to acquire a better knowledge of Christ. Though Scripture provides the only reliable knowledge because our minds and nature are affected by sin, the fact remains the same that Scripture is not a textbook for knowledge. Therefore we should go ‘to and fro’ between Scriptures and Christ to increase the knowledge of the light from God. Christ Himself says, it is useless to search Scripture, they will not come to Him (John 5:39,40) for light and eternal life. It is also required for us to go ‘to and fro’ between Scripture and the cosmos for light from God. Hanna suggests that divine authority cannot reduce to Scripture, each divine revelation has authorizes and all these authorities are united in the one divine authority of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture…
The Cosmic Christ of Scripture, The theme of the Bible is Jesus. This chapter focuses on the Jesus of the Scripture. The author’s holistic model of the Scripture principles leads us to the understanding that Christ is not Scripture and Scripture is not Christ, however Scripture testifies about Christ and he is the theme of Scripture. I was reading this chapter in the light of Mr. Webter’s reply to the question about Christ as being God and man. “If I could comprehend him, He would be no greater than myself. I feel that I need a superhuman Savior.” But though we cannot fully comprehend God because He is God, this chapter is very inspiring and informative to me about my Lord and Savior. It is amazing to know that He is really fully God in every aspect of authority, essence and attributes as other members of the Trinity. How the three become one and one in three, I do not really know, but the OT and NT provides us with Scripture evidences, of the three divine persons. Two of many texts that Hanna uses are the ‘Shema’ slogan in Duet. 6:4 and Matt. 3:16-17. Matthew talks about the manifestation of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. Jesus form eternity shared the social nature of the God-head as well as their divine titles. The theme of the OT is about Jesus coming as a Messiah, and the NT is full of the story of his incarnation, ministries and His return. In other words, Jesus merges the Old and New Testament. Many are still arguing today about His divine and human nature, but the fact remains that He is the only full and complete human that has ever walked on this planet earth besides the un-fallen Adam, the Bible says that ‘He knew so sin’ and ‘without sin’. He came in the likeness of man and tempted in all points like as we are. I am grateful to have a Savior who knows what I am going through. But at the same time while He was a fully human, He was fully God. We saw some of the divine nature in His earthly life when He commanded the tempest lake and sea to be still; and when He commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave after three days. Satan knew this, so his constant temptation was for Jesus to misuse this divine power. And as Hanna said, unveiling of the Jesus of Scripture gives us the clear light about God that is worthy of our praise and service of thanksgiving. He is the climatic revelation and the final Word of God to man.
1st Comment on Chapter 1 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
I couldn’t agree more with Dr. Hanna: Jesus is the hermeneutical key to understanding the Scriptures. Unfortunately, today many people fail to read the Bible through the lens of Christ. We fail to do so experientially and propositionally. Reading Scriptures experientially through the lens of Christ means to accept Christ in our hearts as the ultimate revelation of God. Reading Scripture propositionally through the lens of Christ means to intellectually understand every text in light of the person and work of God’s Son. I personally believe that the Seventh-day Adventist church is currently undergoing a crisis of enormous proportions over the person and work of Christ. According to a study carried out by Roger Dudley, young adult Christians are leaving our denomination in droves. My sanctified assessment is that they are packing their bags and leaving due to a failure on the part of the grown-ups to have exalted Jesus at the center of the law. I cannot help but overemphasize the point that every subject matter must be understood in light of Jesus. Because Jesus has been eclipsed, young adults have come to view the commandments as a bag of heavy burdens to carry on their way to heaven. This view sadly supports the idea that we are in charge of our justification, sanctification, and glorification. But according to Christ, this is false. In a similar context where the Jewish people were burdened by a heavy load of rules and regulations, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." When the law is properly understood in Christ, we find rest for our souls rather than exhaustion. This thematic statement of Christ is then exemplified in the following narrative. Though the law clearly forbid people to pick heads of grain on the Sabbath, Jesus permits his hungry disciples to “break the law”. The Law Giver understood that the ultimate purpose of the law was to do good rather than harm; So Jesus correctly understood the law by placing people over rules and regulations. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were so concerned about the law they would have been glad even if the law demanded others to starve to death. The Pharisees were not reading the Scriptures through the lens of Christ and consequently promoted an unhealthy picture of the law. My desire is for my church to see Jesus as the Perfect Revealer of God's heart and God's ways.
2nd Comment on Chapter 1 of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
All 3 Scripture principles are important because they provide a Christocentric understanding (and therefore proper understanding) of God’s three books as they relate to each other. These are the principles of sola, tota, and prima scriptura. Today, biblical scholarship unintentionally and intentionally disregards these 3 principles in its interpretation of selected portions of Scripture or entire biblical books. Some disregard the principle that the Bible alone is our creed. Consequently Bible scholars exalt extrabiblical sources over Scripture or at the same level of Scripture. Psychology, History, and Science are some of the fields students of Scripture have used inappropriately. If we look carefully at Scripture through the lens of Christ, we find that Christ supported the uniqueness of God’s word. Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus prayed, “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17, NKJV). Jesus said that the key to staying set apart in an evil world is a life that is based on truth, which is nothing more than the word of God. We see Him exemplify these words in His life when on three occasions, Jesus uses Scripture as the means to discern truth from error. So today, if our scholars and theologians would be willing to truthfully exegete the biblical text, they must abide by the principle of sola scriptura.
The principle of tota scriptura is also debated in scholarship. There are certain Bible students who would suggest that Paul's writings are not all on the same degree of inspiration. For example, some would interpret 1 Timothy 2:12 (I do not permit a woman…) purely as Paul's opinion. This was not inspired in the divine sense of the word. Christ exalted the principle of tota scriptura on the road to Emmaus. The Bible says that "He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27, NKJV).
Lastly, we have the principle of prima scriptura. It states that the Bible is first among all revelations. Jesus exemplified this by placing Scripture above experience on the road to Emmaus. After listening to his disciples express their sorrow, the son of God explains from Scripture His death and resurrection; but only later does He allow their eyes to be opened that they might recognize Him.
1st Comment on Chapter 2 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
Like Dr. Hanna, I believe that the Bible provides the proper outlook we should have on every extra biblical subject matter. This view has become quite unpopular in our age. Human reason outrules divine revelation in a much more stronger way. Given the fact that man has made remarkable progress over the years in the domain of scientific research, the proud heart will constrain the mind to argue more vigorously for its cause rather than God's. But a proper outlook at science must absolutely integrate faith and reason. Humankind relies on reason but God asks us to believe before we can understand. Reasoning is based on the 5 senses of taste, sight, hearing, touch, & feelings. Faith supersedes this realm and can rightly be called the sixth sense. This faith must not be confused with blind faith; for God never asks us to trust Him without providing evidence. God reveals Himself to us in an understandable way, which creates the basis for us to believe in His existence or the 6-day creation. The core problem today is the pride of man, which refuses to admit that the human mind is finite and that God's mind is infinite. Now and throughout the span of eternity, God's answers to our questions will create more questions because of His infinite nature. Job 11:7-8 echoes this truth: "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven-what can you do? Deeper than Sheol-what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea" (NKJV).
Only One Man has known God infinitely: Jesus Christ. He is the God-Man. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus says "[…] and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son" (NKJV). It is through the Son that we may receive a divine revelation of the Father that will continue to expand through eternity unlike Jesus Himself. I see the need, as a church, to make an effort towards the integration of faith and reasoning in the field of educational science. Up to this point in time, there lies a need for Christian science textbooks to be used in our elementary, secondary, and collegiate/university institutions. This need is of a particular importance to our kids, whose minds are much more receptive to the things of God.
2nd Comment on Chapter 2 from the Cosmic Christ of Scripture
According to chapter 2 of the Cosmic Christ of Scripture, "the authority of the divine revelation in the book of Scripture defines the theological authority of the divine revelations in the books of Christ and the cosmos". The point, being made here, is that God has appointed the Bible as the authoritative source by which we may properly understand how Jesus and the cosmos relate to Scripture. The Bible is the basis by which we may have a proper outlook on life. Though I broadly agree with this statement, I would propose a change in the wording, less our theological lenses worsen rather than improve. I believe that Jesus is greater than Scripture in the domain of Bible study, because Jesus is the One who reveals, through his Spirit, the understanding we must gain from His word. To paraphrase the words of Dr. John Piper, Bible study before submission to a Person is not submission to the Scriptures. Our faith must first rely in Christ so that His Spirit may enlighten our minds to the truths of Scripture. I would therefore reword the statement in the following manner: "The authority of Christ defines the theological authority of the divine revelations in the books of Scripture, Christ, and the cosmos." The reason I am making a stress on this matter is because I am aware of the deceptive charms of Bible idolatry, which exalts Scripture above God Himself. This should especially be of pivotal importance to Seventh-day Adventist Christians, whose long heritage has tended to exalt the Law over the Lawgiver in our preaching and teaching.
In his letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul does not define wisdom as a set of propositional ideas but rather defines wisdom as a Person. He writes that "Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). By this, the apostle does not mean that wisdom does not stand as a set of godly ideas; rather what it means is that this set of godly ideas is not firstly derived from the blessing itself (Scripture), but from the Blesser Himself (Christ). Paul clarifies this important truth in Colossians 2:3, where he writes that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in Him. All of this strongly implies that our spirituality is key to developing a proper theology on the relationship between Christ, Scripture, & the Cosmos. This is what prevented the Pharisees from properly understanding Scripture. In John 10:26, Jesus clearly states "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you." As the guardians of the law, they had placed Scripture above its Giver and consequently misread what the Old Testament taught. It was their faith in the Bible rather than in Christ that caused them to crucify the Author of Scripture. It is a sad story that each one of us may individually repeat in our lives less we take heed.
But my most important point is that Jesus Christ not only provides the understanding of Scripture but Jesus points out to us what is and what is not Scripture. There lies many views regarding what books should the Bible be constituted of. Yet it was not left to us to appoint the books of Scripture but this work was left for the Son. Before his ascension, Jesus said these words: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). This point overemphasizes the supremacy of Christ over Scripture.
In chapter 3, Dr. Hanna makes the point that there are certain Bible students who tend to focus on Scripture alone while undermining the important role of other theological revelations, which Scripture itself supports! I find that this view of Scripture is in fact very dangerous because it prevents the holder of this belief to have a proper outlook on life. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, we may look to Him that we may receive a perfect understanding of these matters and enjoy life as we should. Jesus points indeed to Scripture as the final authority by which every question is answered. In Luke 10, the lawyer's question regarding eternal life is answered by a question from Jesus: “what is written in the law?” But Jesus does not restrict his outlook on life merely to the Scriptures. In fact, to do so would be to be a harm to ourselves. In John 5:39-40, Jesus tells the Pharisees of His day that the Scriptures which they study to point to Him, from whom they may have life. By stating this, Jesus lets them know that there exists a Revelation who is far greater than Scripture: Himself. Jesus lets his Jewish brethren know that the Scriptures are unable to give them the eternal life that they so desire. But the Bible they read point to Him, as the Desire of their hearts. It is by trusting in Him that they may receive the life they desire. Trusting in data is trusting in ideas that have no eyes, no ears, and no heart. But trusting in Jesus satisfies the soul because Jesus is a Person, from whom all blessings we need originate. Lastly, Jesus holds to importance the cosmos in which we live by pointing to commerce and nature in a teaching on the fear of God. He says to his disciples, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29). Jesus says that we can have assurance that God will take care of us if God cares for sparrows, who are less valuable than we are! So Jesus, by His perfect example, encourages us to draw lessons from the world around us.
In Chapter 3, it is mentioned that The Bible exhorts us to go back and forth from Scripture to the cosmos and from the cosmos back to Scripture. I believe that this is absolutely true. This, I believe, plays a very important part in our evangelism to certain educated classes of people. Science and theology can be integrated as one that Christ may be ultimately seen. I realize that everything, including science, ultimately points to the Person and Work of God’s Son, because Jesus is the Ultimate Revelation of God. The gospel of God can be preached through scientific data as we seek to ultimately reveal Christ! This communication of the gospel will gain attention because it connects recent scientific news with a Man, known to have lived 2,000 years ago. When the gospel is preached through science, it exalts Jesus Christ as Relevant for our time. This is an attention grabber that can go a long way as the Spirit convicts the individual and seeks to give him or her a new heart. There is amazing and intriguing data regarding the human body, nature, and the universe. Christian and non Christian scholars alike have published papers on such topics. The Seventh-day Adventist pastor-evangelist may use this information wisely to preach the gospel and present other Bible teachings as revealed in Jesus Christ. When the listener or reader sees His relevance for this age, he or she will trust in Him.
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