Make Up: February 13th

Theology of the Cross and Theology of Glory

We began a new three week series on Theology. The Cross is the first in the series.

Make-Up:

We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.

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Lesson Highlights


Bible Text:
1 Corinthians 2:1–13

Lesson Focus:
God overturns human expectations.

Big Question:
What's so great about the cross?

Key Words:
THEOLOGY, THEOLOGY OF GLORY, THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS, EGOTISM, GRACE

Definitions of Key Words

THEOLOGY: thinking about God.

THEOLOGY OF GLORY: thinking about God that emphasizes human effort and conforms to cultural expectations of God and believers.

THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS: thinking about God that emphasizes God's work—rather than human work—and overturns cultural expectations of God and believers.

EGOTISM: the excessive use of "I."

GRACE: unearned love and acceptance.


The Message
In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul speaks of his personal weakness (and even his fear and trembling!) as he preaches about the mighty work of God accomplished through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Paul makes it clear that his preaching is not about him and any thoughts of personal glory, but it is all about Jesus Christ and what he did for humanity by dying on the cross. Paul also says that God's wisdom is "secret and hidden" and that it is the Spirit alone who reveals God's intentions for humanity. The bottom line is that Paul is preaching from a theology of the cross. He isn't seeking to glorify himself in any way. In fact, he fully acknowledges his weakness here and in his other writings. He realizes that his preaching should focus solely on the cross of Christ, and it does. He knows that it is not about him and what he can do. It's all about what Christ did for us in his death. Christ alone can reconcile us with God.

Our contemporary culture is steeped in a theology of glory in which the individual is celebrated as the master of his or her own fate. Worldly success and riches are elevated and seen as "proof" of God's favor. Just watch TV and see how frequently sports and movie stars are the focus of news stories. In our culture, suffering, of any kind, is viewed as a grave weakness. Phrases like "If you really believed in Jesus, you wouldn't have gotten sick" or "Have you found Jesus and welcomed him into your heart as your personal savior?" are not uncommon among Christians whose focus is a theology of glory. They put the emphasis not on Jesus' saving death on the cross but on the actions of the believer. Judgments are often made whether or not others are acceptable to be in God's presence or in the company of believers, as if any human could make that decision.

Luther and his followers addressed this type of thinking that was present in his day, too. The Augsburg Confession states "our works cannot reconcile God or merit grace and forgiveness of sins, but we obtain this only by faith when we believe that we are received into grace on account of Christ, who alone has been appointed mediator and atoning sacrifice through whom the Father is reconciled" ("The Augsburg Confession," Latin, Article XX, Faith, 55.9 from The Book of Concord edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert).

This may be a difficult concept for you to comprehend. You have the drive to achieve, which is thrust on you at an early age in school and through the media. Our culture is based on a theology of glory. It's everywhere we look. The theology of the cross acknowledges that God alone is in charge of our salvation and we rely on God's grace. Our culture expects God to conform to societal expectations of power and authority; instead, we find God in a manger, eating with outcasts, and suffering on a cross?in the last places humans would reasonably expect to find a deity. Theology of the cross is inherently counter-cultural.