Thursday, November 15, 2007
New Testament faith in providence
The saints of the Old Testament could have prayed the Lord's prayer on the basis of the memory of God’s historical acts and the witness of the prophetic word. Their faith was not in a different Lord. But the New Testament adds to the history of God’s people the decisive appearance of the Son of God (Heb 1:1-3; 11:39-40). In his death and resurrection, the kingdom of God inaugurated. We have from the story of Abraham and Isaac the view of divine providence as not merely the provision of sustenance but the provision of a sacrifice that God himself demands of his creatures. God himself is the provider of what he requires of men and women. On the other hand, Jesus’ own teaching about the kingdom of God points to its eschatological nature. The world and its history as they are lie under the judgement of God. Its destiny, as things stand, is to be wound down, unravelled and subject to destruction. The testimony of the New Testament authors, on the basis of the resurrection of Christ from the dead in the power of the Spirit, is that Jesus Christ was the sacrifice provided by God to meet his just requirement and reconcile fallen humankind to himself. This was not only decisive for individuals, but indeed for the destiny of the whole created order (Col 1:19-20; Rom 8:19-23).
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Hi Michael (dipping my toe in the blogosphere - been reading your posts with interest for a while now). I've been thinking similar thoughts this week – that the gospel is the foundation for providence not the other way around. Yet I, like you, minister in conservative evangelical circles and forever hear Jesus presented in terms of a predetermined sovereignty rather than presenting sovereignty in terms of Jesus. The former all too easily results in a Jesus saved from victim-hood and a salvation whose Agent is basically Almighty Providential Ordering. The latter actually deepens our understanding of providence – here is the God who takes even godforsaken-ness into His life – the God who reconciles the world (Col 1 - even His enemies) to Himself. This God truly comprehends all things. There is a way from the gospel to true providence but not a way from providence to the true gospel.
Wow, that's really well put. Thanks! But I warn you: I got this from Barth ;-).
that's probably why I like it!!
http://www.christthetruth.org.uk/preachingandbarth.htm
I don't care where you got it from, we don't give enough emphasis to the cosmic aspects of Jesus' death and resurrection.
You are right on de money EP. I have though passages like Col 1:15-23 should be more prominent in our discussions of the atonement.
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