There are cosmic and trans-cosmic dimensions of the biblical title “Christ” which means “anointed person.” The Old Testament refers to the anointing of priests (Exod 29:1-9 ), kings (1 Sam 10:1; 2 Sam 2:4; 1 Kings 1:34), and prophets (19:16). However, the New Testament refers to Jesus alone as “the Christ” (Acts 2:27, 31). The Samaritans looked for Christ (Jn 4:25) and the Jews expected him to perform miracles (Jn 7:31). Claiming the title of Christ, Jesus announced a universal worship of God which is not limited to the religious centers of the Samaritans or the Jews (4:21-26). The cosmic and trans-cosmic scope of Christ is also manifest in his ascension to God’s right hand to pour out the Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17, 32-33) to empower the preaching of the gospel to all nations (2:1-5).
The scope of Christ may be further clarified by a study of the biblical use of the word cosmos [translated as “world” in English Bibles].
“Christ, the Savior of the cosmos” (Jn 4:42), is trans-cosmic since “the cosmos was made by him (Jn 1:10). Christ is also cosmic in that “he was in the cosmos” (Jn 1:10). As the trans-cosmic Christ, he says: “I am not of the cosmos” (Jn 8:23; 17:14, 16). As the cosmic Christ, he says: “I am the light of the cosmos” (Jn 8:12). Christ is cosmic in that “God . . . sends His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom 8:3). Christ is trans-cosmic in that he is “separate from sinners, and . . . higher than the heavens” (Heb 7:26).
The trans-cosmic “God was in [the cosmic] Christ reconciling the cosmos to himself” (2 Cor 5:19; cf. Rom 11:15). “In him dwells the [trans-cosmic] fullness of the Godhead bodily [that is, within the cosmos]” (Col 2:9). Christ, who was trans-cosmic “in the form of God” and “equal with God” (Phil 2:6), became part of the cosmos in “the form of a bondservant” “in the likeness” and “appearance as a man” and “became obedient to” “the death of the cross” (Phil 2:7-8).
Biblical texts on the relation of Christ to “all things”also indicate the cosmic and trans-cosmic scope of his ministry. “There is . . . one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things” (1 Cor 8:6). God will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth” (Eph 1:10). “God . . . created all things through Jesus Christ” (3:9) who is “head over all things” (1:22) and “head of all principality and power” (Col 2:10). He “is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (1:17). “In the beginning was the word (logos). . . and the word was God [trans-cosmic]. All things [in the cosmos] were made by him . . . . and the word was made flesh [in the cosmos]” (Jn 1:1, 14).
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REFLECTION ON READINDG REPORT.
REVELATION, INSIPIRATION AND HEMENEUTICS
NAME OF THE BOOK READ: THE COSMIC CHRIST OF SCRIPTURE assignment one
CHAPTER ONE: HOW TO READ GOD’S BOOKS
God has three books, namely; the book of Incarnation, the book of inspiration, the book of and Creation.
In the book of Incarnation, God revealed Himself to human being in a form man”Col.2:9”.In other words, Jesus is the supreme revelation of God”Ontology”, the ruler of the church and the universe at large. Jesus was fully 100% God and at the same time He was fully 100% human. He is a creator of The Universe, all things were made up by Him, John1:1-3; Col.1:16-17.
In the book of inspiration “epistemology” this is God’s special revelation to human being through the holy writings or scriptures. God used human being to write the scriptures, He inspired them then they wrote what God had commanded them to write. They His word using human languages. There is divine dimension and human dimension in the word of God, 2timothy3:16-17; 2peter1:19-21.
The scripture is not supposed to be interpreted any how as some one wants. We have to follow the principles of interpretation that is biblical hermeneutics’ His principle which should govern us when interpreting the scripture is known as SOLAR SCRIPTURA-scripture alone, TOTA SCRIPTURA-all of scripture, and PRIMA SCRIPTURA-Scripture first. Thus the scripture interprets itself.
T he third book of God is creation. God reveals Himself through Creation, this is normally known as general revelation of God. God is the creator of all livings things and the non living things .Since science is the study of living things and non living things, that is to say God is the creator of Science too. He is the ruler of science, He is the eternal past and eternal future scientist, and thus he is the omniscience.
True science doesn’t contradict true theology and likewise true theology can’t contradict true science, thus theology and science should be in harmony with one another. Theology is God talks through scriptures/words buts science is God talks through nature or general revelation
Thus the light of creation can lead us to the church and the illumination through the church will lead us to scriptures, and the revelation through scriptures will lead us to Christ who the supreme ruler of the entire universe.
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