Cruciformed

A lecture that is a wonderful summary of the Bible's own theology by N. T. Wright.

He takes us on a tour of the 'according to the scriptures' in 1 Corinthians 15:4

It starts, as all good theology must, in Genesis 1 and 2. Then, 3, of course:



Genesis 1 & 2: creation is heaven and earth as the temple of the presence of God, with mankind the 'image' of God in it gathering the praises and communicating the presence of God to those around.

[I think this is a very interesting understanding of the Creation, but the fly in the ointment is that Wright follows Walton's approach to the text: he dissociates it from the created world as it is and removes it by the old theological technique of analogical distancing. However, the creation account only makes its point because it occurred, not because something else occurred. A few reviews for your delectation: Creation, Themelios, Wingnut.]

Wright correctly points out that the NT (no relation) springs back to Genesis 1 and 2 (and 3) -- and as real events in space-time continuity of historical flow. Wright naturally didn't point out that, he's in some Idealist club here, and I'm with Stove on Idealists!

He sees this as part of the thread of human vocation that weaves wonderfully through the Bible.

Romans 5 is next.

He then takes us to Revelation 1, 5 and 20. Christ rescues us to enjoy (and present to God) us in our genuine created humanity.

The human plight (Romans 1) points us back to Genesis 3 where A&E (real people with a real function in real time and pace Walton, real functions can only occur in real time). Here A&E took the knowledge of good and evil to displace the superior knowledge of God: idolatry had started. Idolatry is the sin that separates us from God as we reject him for a poor substitute.

Genesis 12 then is the promise to Adam redux: an act of almighty grace as Adam is refreshed as progenitor or a race.

This picks up in Genesis 15.

Then off to Exodus 40: the wilderness tabernacle as a foreshadowed place of the fellowship of God and man, mediated here by Aaron being Adam & Eve...redux.

The tabernacle is an eschatological sign, full of God's glory: Psalm 72, Isaiah 11, Habakkuk 2.

The tabernacle takes us back to the place that the creation was to be, but for Genesis 3.

Abraham's fulfillment of God's promise is not just for Israel, but for the whole creation, in prospect: Psalms 2 and, again, 72.

Romans 8, John 20, Revelation 21, 22.

Read these in the light of Deuteronomy 27-30 and 32 - 32 depicts the puzzle of the OT, the promise of God that the whole creation is redeemed.

The exiles of Israel keep re-enacting  Genesis 3. Also Isaiah 40-55, Daniel 9, Ezekiel. Is. 52, 53: the promise deferred; also Malachi.

Deuteronomy 30: go to Romans 10

In Yeshua choosing the crucifixion at Passover brings together Passover and Atonement (answering the dilemma of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Lamentations.

Hope has renewed Christ is King with a new covenant (Isaiah 54 and a new creation Isaiah 55)

Now, it's very tricky to capture the whirlwind of Wright's talk, so this is but an approximation.