Epiphany Catechism

Definition: Christology is the study of who Jesus is, fully human and fully divine, and what he came to do. It explores how Jesus reveals the nature of God, fulfills the hopes of Israel, and redeems the world through his life, death, and resurrection.

Orthodox Definition: Chalcedonian Christology

The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) affirmed:

Jesus Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human, without confusion, change, division, or separation.

BCP pg. 864-5

Homoousios (identical substance) vs. Homoiousios (similar substance)

Objectives:

1. Ways of seeing Jesus divinity in the Gospel

Accessible Jesus / Always maintains our freedom

2. Ways of seeing Jesus humanity in the Gospel

Aspirational Jesus / Models how to employ God-given capacity

3. Why the Christology of Jesus matters to humanity right now
   • Grounds human dignity 
   • Centers God’s love in action
   • Protects mystery against reductionism
   • Pathway into full humanity

Definition: Soteriology is the theology of salvation, how human beings are rescued from sin and death and brought into the right relationship with God. This is a Process Theology that moves in a dynamic helical ascension (Epektasis) closer and closer to God’s intention for the person (or community) without ever quite getting there.

Why does humanity require Salvation?

Humanity requires salvation because, though created out of love for loving communion with God and with neighbor, we are captive to sin and death and cannot extricate ourselves from either of these states of being. In Jesus Christ, God freely reconciles, forgives, and re-creates us through the Spirit into the royal priesthood we were made for.

What is sin? Loving things in the wrong order.

Why is sin? God is love, and there is no love if there is no freedom to not choose love. 

What is death? Living as if the body is the end purpose. Loving things in the wrong order.

Why is death? To reveal equality of all souls. To set a boundary on human freedom. To give perspective beyond self through generational affiliation.

Salvation is a lifestyle where sin and death are lesser influences than the love of God.

Salvation unfolds as process in pattern (personally and historically):

1. Grace – The beginning, present and eternal outpouring of God’s love upon God’s creation 
2. Mercy – God continuing to pour out this love despite human rejection of it
3. Hope – God is persistently optimistic that humanity will choose God’s love
4. Revelation – Humanity is awakened to this love 
5. Reconciliation – Humanity begins to seek God’s love through practices and patterns of life.  
6. Atonement – When love is habitually sought it triggers an asymptotic (approaching a state without ever reaching it) movement toward wholeness, health, and holiness
7. Faith – When humanity backslides, God’s persistent mercy is relied upon and trusted in
8. Transformation – Humanity, through the process of salvation, reflects more and more their divine nature (aka: no longer living under the fear and pall of death).

The goal of Salvation?

To reveal the Kingdom of God more and more as new (intended) creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation

Revelation 21:1–5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth

Luke 17:21 For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you

What is the Kingdom of God?

It is where God has chosen to reside, and where what God (as king) wants to have happen always happens the way God wants it to happen.

The pattern of Salvation is an operating principle (HR policy) in the Kingdom of God.

1. Grace – The beginning, present and eternal outpouring of God’s love upon God’s creation 

Ephesians 2:8–9 saved through faith
Titus 2:11 bringing salvation to all
John 1:16–17 grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

2. Mercy – God continuing to pour out this love despite human rejection of it

Romans 5:8 God proves his love for us
Titus 3:5 He saved us … according to his mercy
Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful

3. Hope – God is persistently optimistic that humanity will choose God’s love

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise
Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

4. Revelation –  Humanity is awaken to this love and seeks it 

Ephesians 1:17–18 A spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him
Matthew 11:25 revealed them to infants
2 Corinthians 4:6 Let light shine out of darkness

5. Reconciliation – Humanity begins to seek God’s love through practices and patterns of life

2 Cor 5:18–20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself 

1 Peter 2:9 You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation Revelation 1:5–6 Made us to be a kingdom, priests serving God 

6. Atonement – When love is habitually integrated it triggers an asymptotic movement toward wholeness, health and holiness

Romans 5:10–11 While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God 

Colossians 1:20–22 God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things

Hebrews 10:14 A single offering he has perfected for all time those for who are sanctified

7. Faith – When humanity backslides God’s persistent mercy is relied upon and trusted in

2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, he remains faithful

Romans 3:3–4 Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!

Luke 22:32 I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail 

8. Transformation – Humanity through this process reflects more and more their divine nature

2 Corinthians 3:18 And all of us… are being transformed 

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 

Philippians 1:6 The one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion

Definition: Ecclesiology is the study of the church: what it is, how it began, what its purpose is, and how it should continue on. The New Testament presents the church as the Body of Christ, called to worship, serve, and bear witness to God’s Kingdom in the world.

Central Thesis: At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit transformed the relationship between God and humanity. It was an evolutionary jump, the initial activation in moving humanity into a more sophisticated and purposeful state of being (Homo Amina, soul-beings). Suddenly humanity was no longer limited to partner (as indicated by the Abrahamic covenant) with the Holy Spirit, for now, carved into the heart (pneuma) of humanity was a God-shaped space ready to be occupied by the Holy Spirit herself. This indwelling capacity when realized, chosen and pursued individually resulted in a collective coherence developing… known as the church. The emergence of the church, organized around following the teachings of Jesus, quickly revealed how the expression of individual gifts coalesced into a collective force called the Body of Christ. The core activity, then, of this body was first and foremost gratitude to God for allowing it to be. This was expressed, and continues to be expressed, through worship.

Key Scriptures:

1. Acts 2:1–4 – The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
2. Ezekiel 36:26–27 – Prophecy of a new heart and the indwelling Spirit
3. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 – Unity in diversity in the Body of Christ

Part 1: The Holy Spirit and the Birth of the Church
The Church begins not as an institution but as a spiritual reality, birthed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marks the moment God’s Spirit no longer simply walks beside humanity, but opens a place within each human heart into which humanity can invite the Holy Spirit to indwell, creating a new kind of unity and mission.

A. From Accompaniment to Indwelling

• 1 Samuel 16:13 – David anointed; Spirit rests upon him (Old Covenant)
•  John 14:17 – “…he will be in you” (New Covenant)
  

B. The Baptism of Fire and the Spirit

• Romans 5:5 – The Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts
• 2 Corinthians 3:3 – Spirit writes on human hearts, not stone

Part 2: The Church as the Body of Christ
The Church is not merely an organization or a place; it is the Body of Christ, made up of unique individuals, each solicited by the Spirit. This body reflects divine unity through human diversity and continues Christ’s work in the world.

A. Unity in Diversity

• 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 – Varieties of gifts, one Spirit

• Romans 12:4–5 – Many members, one body in Christ

B. The Church as Christ’s Ongoing Presence

• Colossians 1:18 – Christ is head of the body

• John 20:21–22 – “As the Father sent me, so I send you…”

Part 3: The Mission of the Church
The Church’s purpose is threefold: to worship God in gratitude, to form the hearts 

of believers through shared learning and practice, and to carry out Christ’s mission in the world. It is not static, but actively participates in God’s redemptive work.

1. Worship as the Soul’s Response to Mercy

The Church gathers first and foremost to give thanks. Worship centers our lives in God’s mercy, nourishes us through the sacraments, and affirms the radical equality of all people before God.

• Hebrews 12:28 – Worship as thankful response
• Revelation 7:9–12 – Worshiping with all nations
• John 6:51 – Eucharist as spiritual nourishment
  

2. The Church as a Spiritual Gym (Heart Formation)

The Church is where Christians are made. Here we are taught how to worship, pray, sabbath, pilgrimage, fast, tithe, study, meditate, and serve. We learn and practice together, growing into the likeness of Christ individually in a way that forms the body of Christ communally.

• Matthew 28:19–20 – Teach them to obey all I have commanded
• Colossians 3:16 – Let the Word dwell richly; teach one another
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17 – Scripture trains in righteousness
  

3. The Church as the Activity of the Kingdom of God

The Church exists for the sake of recreating the world. Empowered by the Spirit, it carries Christ’s presence into the streets, homes, and hearts of others. It lives out the justice, mercy, and joy of God’s Kingdom.

• Matthew 5:14–16 – Let your light shine before others
• James 1:27 – Pure religion: care for the vulnerable
• Ephesians 4:11–13 – Equip the saints for ministry