Countryside Baptist Church, Pasig City
Sunday School Series 2017
The Doctrine of Christ (Christology)
Lesson 1: Introduction March 19, 2017
Read: 1 Corinthians 2.2
Explanation of Christology
Etymology: Christos = Christ + Logos = word, study. . .Study of Christ. . .
Coverage: The Person (Deity and Humanity; Union of natures; etc.) and Work (Christ in
His threefold office)
Evangelical Weakness in Christology
1. As evangelical faith becomes secularized, its interests have been blurred with those
of the culture.
2. The result is the loss of absolute values, permissive individualism and a substitution
of wholeness for holiness, recovery for repentance, intuition for truth, feeling for
belief, chance for providence, and immediate gratification for enduring hope.
3. Christ and His cross have moved from the center of our vision.
 We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the
historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are
sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
 We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is not
declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.
- Cambridge Declaration, 1996
Christology in our Personal Life and Pastoral Ministry
1. The Authentic Christ of Biblical Revelation
Read: 2 Cor. 11.1-4
 Context: Paul’s boasting (= “folly”) is forced by the danger posed by false
apostles and teachers. . .
 Note: allos denotes another of the same kind: While referring to the Jesus of
history, the false teachers have given him another identity. . .
 Point: In presenting another Jesus, they altogether altered the gospel. . .heteros
= altogether different
 Beware: There is a tendency to shape Jesus after the mold of subjectively
defined relevance
 Conclusion: The only authentic Christ is the Christ of apostolic documentation
2. The Central Christ of Evangelical Preaching
Read: 2 Cor. 4.5, 6; Phil. 1.12-18
Countryside Baptist Church, Pasig City
Sunday School Series 2017
The Doctrine of Christ (Christology)
Lesson 1: Introduction March 19, 2017
Read: 1 Corinthians 2.2
Explanation of Christology
Etymology: Christos = Christ + Logos = word, study. . .Study of Christ. . .
Coverage: The Person (Deity and Humanity; Union of natures; etc.) and Work (Christ in
His threefold office)
Evangelical Weakness in Christology
1. As evangelical faith becomes secularized, its interests have been blurred with those
of the culture.
2. The result is the loss of absolute values, permissive individualism and a substitution
of wholeness for holiness, recovery for repentance, intuition for truth, feeling for
belief, chance for providence, and immediate gratification for enduring hope.
3. Christ and His cross have moved from the center of our vision.
 We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the
historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are
sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
 We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is not
declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.
- Cambridge Declaration, 1996
Christology in our Personal Life and Pastoral Ministry
1. The Authentic Christ of Biblical Revelation
Read: 2 Cor. 11.1-4
 Context: Paul’s boasting (= “folly”) is forced by the danger posed by false
apostles and teachers. . .
 Note: allos denotes another of the same kind: While referring to the Jesus of
history, the false teachers have given him another identity. . .
 Point: In presenting another Jesus, they altogether altered the gospel. . .heteros
= altogether different
 Beware: There is a tendency to shape Jesus after the mold of subjectively
defined relevance
 Conclusion: The only authentic Christ is the Christ of apostolic documentation
2. The Central Christ of Evangelical Preaching
Read: 2 Cor. 4.5, 6; Phil. 1.12-18
  Note: The most important concern for Paul is the content of preaching (=
Christ)... To this, even reprehensible motives are secondary
 Point: The choice of preaching Christ as Lord involves the deliberate denial of
putting oneself forward. . .
 Pastoral Assessment: What place does Christ as Lord occupy in our preaching?
 Beware: There is a sort of 'lreaching Christ" that transpires today that is not truly
preaching Christ
 Conclusion: Christ is only tuly cental where His Lordship is proclaimed, and the
self is denied
3. The Pre-eminent Christ in Church Order
Read: Col. 1.18
 Point: The church exists by virtue of Christ's rule (headship) in the new
Creation... In all things (old and new Creations), He will have pre-eminence
 Pastoral Application: There is a tendency in the position we occupy to love
preeminence (3John 9)
 Beware: There are subtle ways of a Diotephes-ike ruling by a pastor/church
leader - heavy shepherding
 Conclusion: Christ is recognized as pre-eminent in the church where His Word
rules, and not man's authority
4. The Experienced Christ in Christian Living
Read: Eph. 3.14-19
 Exegetical Note: v. 17 is to be taken as the defining content of the request of v.
16: 'that is,' rather than 'so that' (NIV)... "sfengthened with might through the
Spirit in the inner man" : "Christ may dwell in your hearts ttrough faith
 Point: This is a description ofthe believer's present experience of Christ
 Beware: There is the tendency to master the dockine of Christ without a growing
experience of the real Divine Person of Christ in our inner man.
 Conclusion: There is a genuine experience of Christ which is by the Holy Spirit,
not mere impression-emotion
 Pastoral Application: Preach Christ, not only from ow text, but One Who is real
to us
Resolve: Let us study Christology as real and zealous disciples of Jesus Christ.
Read: 2 Peter 1.8
Assign for Lesson 2: Make a research of the following Christological heresies:
Ebionism, Adoptionism, Gnosticism, Apollinarianism, Arianism, Nestorianism,
Eutychianism,
 Note: The most important concern for Paul is the content of preaching (=
Christ)... To this, even reprehensible motives are secondary
 Point: The choice of preaching Christ as Lord involves the deliberate denial of
putting oneself forward. . .
 Pastoral Assessment: What place does Christ as Lord occupy in our preaching?
 Beware: There is a sort of 'lreaching Christ" that transpires today that is not truly
preaching Christ
 Conclusion: Christ is only tuly cental where His Lordship is proclaimed, and the
self is denied
3. The Pre-eminent Christ in Church Order
Read: Col. 1.18
 Point: The church exists by virtue of Christ's rule (headship) in the new
Creation... In all things (old and new Creations), He will have pre-eminence
 Pastoral Application: There is a tendency in the position we occupy to love
preeminence (3John 9)
 Beware: There are subtle ways of a Diotephes-ike ruling by a pastor/church
leader - heavy shepherding
 Conclusion: Christ is recognized as pre-eminent in the church where His Word
rules, and not man's authority
4. The Experienced Christ in Christian Living
Read: Eph. 3.14-19
 Exegetical Note: v. 17 is to be taken as the defining content of the request of v.
16: 'that is,' rather than 'so that' (NIV)... "sfengthened with might through the
Spirit in the inner man" : "Christ may dwell in your hearts ttrough faith
 Point: This is a description ofthe believer's present experience of Christ
 Beware: There is the tendency to master the dockine of Christ without a growing
experience of the real Divine Person of Christ in our inner man.
 Conclusion: There is a genuine experience of Christ which is by the Holy Spirit,
not mere impression-emotion
 Pastoral Application: Preach Christ, not only from ow text, but One Who is real
to us
Resolve: Let us study Christology as real and zealous disciples of Jesus Christ.
Read: 2 Peter 1.8
Assign for Lesson 2: Make a research of the following Christological heresies:
Ebionism, Adoptionism, Gnosticism, Apollinarianism, Arianism, Nestorianism,
Eutychianism,