If you've had much engagement with Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), you've likely been confronted with the Watchtower interpretation of Colossians 1:15: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." The JW translation of the Bible (The New World Translation, NWT) reads the same as any standard English version of Scripture at … Continue reading Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of all Creation
Christ as the Centerpiece of Theology
It's not a matter of Christ should be the center of our theology. Scripture shows us that he simply is the center of our theology. Herman Bavinck is certainly right when he says, “The doctrine of Christ is not the starting point, but it certainly is the central point of the whole system of dogmatics. All … Continue reading Christ as the Centerpiece of Theology
Christology from Nicea to Chalcedon: A Brief History
Almost immediately following Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the church found herself subject to infiltration by heretics and false doctrine. While these heresies did not focus exclusively on the person of Christ, most of them did, and early Christian theologians labored to respond to these challenges in order to articulate a logically coherent, biblically faithful … Continue reading Christology from Nicea to Chalcedon: A Brief History
Christ Alone as the Center of the Reformation Distinctives
Is there a "center" of the Reformation distinctives (Scripture alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ Alone, Glory of God alone)? Yes, there is, according to Michael Reeves in his foreward to Steve Wellum's excellent book, Christ Alone: The Uniqueness of Christ as Savior. Reeves argues that we must keep Christ at the center of these Reformation … Continue reading Christ Alone as the Center of the Reformation Distinctives
Christ as the Image of God: Biblical-Theological Reflections on Colossians 1:15-18
Colossians 1:15-20, the immediate context in which the phrase “image of God” is found, is one of the most exalted Christological passages in the New Testament. It is located toward the beginning of the Paul's letter, preceded only by a brief introduction to the epistle (1:1-3), a note of thankfulness from the apostle for the Colossians’ … Continue reading Christ as the Image of God: Biblical-Theological Reflections on Colossians 1:15-18
