The Orthodox Study Bible: Christology
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
Christology
The Orthodoxy text explains: 'The center of Christianity is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, He is the centerpiece of all history. But the world struggles with His identity.' (210).
Christ + theology = Christology
The text explains that Jesus Christ, biblically and especially according to the New Testament, is eternal God.
(paraphrased)
1. The Word was with God, and the Word was God, from the Gospel of John 1: 1 (210). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (210). In other words, he is eternal, infinite, God the Word, now as well, God incarnate.
2. He is the Son of God, 'without beginning' (210). He was always, eternally God the Son (210) within the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. As incarnate, Jesus Christ took upon himself a finite, human nature. 'He is also man, for He "became flesh." (210). 'He has become one of us, being as in all things, but without sin.' (210).
4. He acts as both God and man. (210). There is an appropriate unity of each nature. (210). Key the text correctly writes: 'Never does divine nature and activity become changed into human nature and activity.' (210). 'The two are in union without confusion.' (210). The two natures, the divine nature and the human nature, do not mix. The infinite nature and the finite human nature remain always distinct.
Interestingly, the text states that Christ does energize human nature with divine nature. (210). This Orthodoxy bible states that Christ 'deifies humanity', from sin and death. (210). I can understand the theological idea, but instead would state that within the atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ applied to believers, an aspect of salvation is to make the believer holy in sanctification. To be set apart for God, and therefore be Godly. This is a process via the Holy Spirit, which culminates in the resurrection of each believer (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20-22).
By this I am not denying continued spiritual advancement within the recapitulated world and universe for citizens of the Kingdom of God, but from this present, temporal realm, human sinful nature and sin will have ended in the body at the resurrection, and I assume in spirit. The believer shall be holy while waiting for the resurrection in paradise (Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12: 4).
Paradise
Image one: Strong, page 1035
Image two: Strong page 72.
Image three: Marshall page 257 from Luke 23
Image four: Marshall page 545 from 2 Corinthians 12: 4
Image five: Marshall page 727 from Revelation 2: 7
Image six: Bauer page 214
There is also the issue of Paul's 2 Corinthians reference and his willingness to consider departing the body to be with the Lord in Philippians 1.
Bauer on page 614 describes paradise from Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12 and Revelation 2 as a place above the earth. Now from my philosophical/theological perspective I do not take this plain literally, as in some place in the clouds, or above the clouds, or even beyond the solar system or beyond the physical Universe, as in a place that can be physically found via space/travel.
The Bible teaches that paradise is a place where spirits in Christ go after death, and Old Testament/Hebrew Bible saints went to spiritually after death. The Bible teaches this using figurative literal language. Therefore, I would conclude paradise is a place of the non-physical spiritual realm.
The Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12: 4 and Philippians 1 sections to me read as a spiritual, non-physical environment.
However, for balance, the Revelation 2: 7 reference might be in the context of the future, restored, recapitulated creation (Revelation 20-22), as in a new restored Eden. This would be a different 'paradise' than in Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12: 4 and Philippians 1.
Paradise may consist of, and I state may consist of, a simulated physicality that seems like earth to the persons that are there. On the other hand there is the school of thought that when one dies in Christ he or she may almost immediately awaken in the resurrected body making the paradise references strongly metaphorical as opposed to figurative literal. This will not be immediate, but will seem to be. This is certainly orthodox and possible, but I question whether Jesus meant this by the use of 'today' to the criminal on the cross. Strong notes that it has to do with now and present. Strong (1890)(1986: 87).
References from archives
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Paradise Revisited
BLOESCH, DONALD G. (1987) Freedom for Obedience, San Francisco, Harper and Rowe Publishers.
BAUER, W (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
CAIRNS, EARLE E. (1981) Christianity Through The Centuries, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
ERICKSON, MILLARD. (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
GRENZ, STANLEY J. DAVID GURETZKI and CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.
MARSHALL, ALFRED (1975)(1996) The Interlinear KJV-NIV, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
STEEVES, P.D. (1996) 'Orthodox Tradition, The' in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.
THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.
WEBER, OTTO (1955)(1981) Foundations of Dogmatics,Volumes 1 and 2, Translated and annotated by Darrell L. Guder, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
WILLIAMS, ROWAN (2007) Wrestling with Angels, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids.
