A BOTH/AND APPROACH A THEOLOGY OF GOD AT WORK IN OUR WORLD

THE DOVE AND THE OLIVE BRANCH

THEOLOGY Good/orthodox theology is normally about holding two truths in tension Error/heresy/ bad theology is normally about getting hold of one part of the truth and taking it out of balance

THE DOVE AND THE OLIVE BRANCH

GENESIS 8 8 Then [Noah] sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

THE DOVE AND THE OLIVE BRANCH

THREE STAGES The dove finds nowhere to land The dove finds buds of new life The dove finds a flourishing place to dwell/rest/land

THE HOVERING DOVE

THE BUDDING BRANCH

OLIVE TREE

THEOLOGY Olive TreeDove

THEOLOGY OF KNOWING GOD General Revelation Special Revelation

THEOLOGY OF GOD’S ACTION CreationRedemption

THEOLOGY OF GOD’S PRESENCE ImmanentTranscendent

HERESY ABOUT JESUS DoceticArian

DOCETIC CHRIST

THE HOVERING DOVE

DON RICHARDSON (B.1935)

1981

DON RICHARDSON Melchizedek factor Abraham factor

GENESIS Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High (El Elyon), 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High (El Elyon), Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High (El Elyon), who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the L ORD, God Most High (El Elyon), Creator of heaven and earth,

EXODUS Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the L ORD had brought Israel out of Egypt… 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the L ORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the L ORD had saved them. 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God…. 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

ACTS At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

TRANSLATABILITY OF THE GOSPEL TheosYHWH θε ὸ ς יְהוָ ֥ ה

CHUCK SMITH, CALVARY CHAPEL (JUNE OCTOBER )

BAPTISM OF JESUS

MATTHEW 3 5 People went out to [John] from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River… 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

BAPTISM OF JESUS

BAPTISM OF JESUS: IDENTIFICATION Jesus identified with: His people Their story Their plight

THE DOVE AND THE OLIVE BRANCH

THREE STAGES The dove finds nowhere to land The dove finds buds of new life The dove finds a flourishing place to dwell/ land/rest

THE DOVE AND THE OLIVE BRANCH