We believe in

the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ,

In pre-medieval times, God's were created by man.
Such an action takes literally the comment that
" God created man and man returned the favour."
Perhaps we need to consider our ideas of divinity
more seriously than this!

*

in His virgin birth, in His virgin birth,

It is blatantly impossible for a virgin to give birth,
even though it was a common mark of divinity
in the Greco/Roman world.

Today such a statement merely undermines the message
of Jesus that we may want to tell.

It seems more likely that Mary was the object of rape
by the occupying power as part of their reprisals.
This fate must have been common in those days.
However such an origin would not suit
the glorious founder of our faith.

in His sinless life, in His sinless life,

A sinless life is important to those who are focussed on sacrifice;
the place of the perfect lamb in placating the wrath of God.
Religious leaders have to be beyond reproach!

Yet in the eyes of his contemporaries
many actions of Christ were sinful;
a concept to be overcome!

Yet could that not make him truly human?

in His miracles, in His miracles,

In medieval days the miraculous was a foundation of hope
for those without recourse or cure to their condition.

Since the age of reason people have come to a new understanding.

Certain sects within the church hold onto the ancient worldview,
seeing a Godly hand when things go their way and
ignoring the times that prayer is ineffective.

Once again, holding on to an ancient world-view
undermines the reality of Christianity,
but supports priestly power.

in His vicarious and atoning death in His vicarious and atoning death

"Vicarious" meaning "done for another" -- dying for another?
The temptation of eternal life looms large!
Jesus has died for us, in my place.
We need not die again.

It is a concept that carries little sense or reality<
though abounding in unjustified hope.

"Atoning" implies making amends for things done wrong
which is a doctrine at the heart of the evangelical doctrine.
For Jesus died that "we" might be forgiven
but first "you" need to become part of "we"
to "give your heart to Jesus";
your allegiance to the church.

through His shed blood on the cross,
through His shed blood on the cross,

Evangelicals place a lot of emphasis on the blood.
The Bible says that the life of the flesh is in the blood;
for it is the life of all flesh (Leviticus 17);
…for blood is the life (Deuteronomy 12:23).

The shedding of blood is seen as the sacrifice of life,
be that of man or animal, to purge sin.

In this doctrine, unless redeemed by sacrifice,
all men are lost to sin,

in His bodily resurrection, in His bodily resurrection,

Something happened to inspire
the group of frightened disciples
to spread and promote the message of Jesus.
This was the truth of Resurrection.

Bodily Resurrection is another thing entirely;
especially when the body passes through walls
and disappears at will.

The spiritual children love a magic story
rather than investigating the truth
of practical reality.

in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father,

Here we are faced with the ancient image of a three part universe.
Heaven lies above and hell below with earth suspended between.
It makes metaphoric sense, but church imagery
has always portrayed this as literal truth
with God on a throne in heaven above,
and Jesus sat beside him.

Today it is untenable imagery.
A better metaphore is needed
if any.

and in His personal return in power and glory. and in His personal return in power and glory.

At different stages in the history of the Christian church
there has been great focus on the teaching of the Second Coming of Christ.
Many have preached upon it for it is a great vehicle
for encouraging the church to more immediate efforts.
Each Christian generation, including the first,
has promoted and expected it.
Yet it has not happened.

Perhaps it is time to conclude that this is a false trail,
and that we need to think again; for surely the dead do not really rise,
despite the wishes and fervent prayers of the church leadership.

**

Matthew 1:23 ; Matthew 1:23 ;

Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
And shall bring forth a son.
They shall call his name Immanuel;
Which is, being interpreted, "God with us".

John 1: 1-4 ; John 1: 1-4 ;

1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.
1:2The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3All things were made through him.
Without him was not anything made that has been made.
1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1 : 29 ; John 1 : 29 ;

1:29The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Acts 1:11 ; Acts 1:11 ;

"You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?
This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky
will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."

Acts 2:22 ; Acts 2:22 ;

2:22"Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth,
a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs
which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know,
2:23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God,
you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
2:24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death,
because it was not possible that he should be held by it

See also ; See also ;

Romans 8 : 34
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
2 Corinthians 5:21
Philippians 2:5-11
Hebrews 1:1-4
Hebrews 4:15

COMMENT
The process of cherry-picking "proof texts" from the Bible
is hard to come to grips with
and even harder when the texts selected
do not directly support the concepts presented.

Many of these ideas are medieval, constructs;
developed to support a very dubious theology.
They are concepts which have consoled many,
though Jesus never claimed divinity.

It is these concepts which deny the reality of the life of Jesus,
ignore the example that we are called to follow
to focus instead on a dogma without veracity,
except through constant repetition.

Yet we dare not bridge the bubble of metaphore and sacrament
to expose the frailty that shields reality from common view.
It is this shield which supports church authority
and humanity's hope of an eternal purpose.

Yet it is lack of reality and practical purpose,
that stands between most of mankind
and divinity.