Understanding Early Christianity: Gospels, Paul's Letters, and the Trinity

Dr. Cover's Rationales for the Four Gospels

Humanistic Rationale

It's impossible to capture the fullness of a person in a single portrayal. Each Gospel offers a unique perspective on Jesus, highlighting different aspects of his life, teachings, and personality.

Historical Rationale

Memories and interpretations of events vary within different communities. The Gospels reflect the diverse experiences and understandings of early Christian groups.

Theological Rationale

The number four holds symbolic significance. Just as there are four living creatures in Revelation 4:6-8, the four Gospels offer four distinct testimonies to Jesus's existence and significance.

The Apostle Paul

Uniqueness of Romans

Unlike other letters written to existing congregations, Paul addressed Romans to a community he hadn't met. This letter served as an introduction to his teachings and aimed to clarify any misrepresentations of his"gospel"

Relevance of Paul's Letters

Reading Paul's letters offers a glimpse into the early Christian church. Structured with salutations, thanksgivings, body, exhortations, and closings, these letters address Christians throughout time, providing insights into their faith, struggles, and triumphs.

Paul's View on Circumcision

Paul condemned those who attempted to elevate personal preferences, like circumcision, to the level of divine law. He emphasized the importance of faith in Christ over adherence to specific rituals.

Paul's Anger in Galatians

Paul expressed anger towards those imposing unnecessary requirements for Christian conversion. He advocated for an inclusive baptism message, emphasizing that in Christ, distinctions of ethnicity, social status, and gender become insignificant.

Paul's Central Message and the Covenant

Paul's central message, his"gospel" proclaimed Christianity as a universal religion, extending the covenant to Gentiles. While retaining Jewish scriptures and narratives, Christianity evolved to encompass this new era ushered in by Jesus's resurrection.

Trinity and Incarnation

·Define the terms Trinity, person, homoousios, incarnation.

-Trinity: father son and holy spirit.

-Person: one person, two natures

-Homoousios: same substance

-Incarnation: a person who embodies in the flesh of diety.

·conclusions of the councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Chalcedon? Who were the significant figures on each side of the debates and what did they believe?

-The Priests came to the conclusion that Jesus was the incarnate son which suggested that he was homoousious with both humanity and God the father.

-Arius believed that the father created the sun out of nothing, which emphasized the fathers divinity over the son.

-Whereas Athanasius believed the sun is begotten, a technical term for the natural process of procreation, which would suggest that the father and the son were of the same substance “Homoousious"