Mentor's Manual

200 For the Nex t Generat i on: The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute ’ s Mentor Manua l

2. Define carefully the topic of Christology and speak of its general importance in our training as leaders in the Church. 3. Show precisely how the Nicene Creed helps frame our thinking about a study of the biblical materials on Jesus, especially in the sense of helping us view Christ’s work as two movements, his humiliation (i.e., his becoming human and dying on the cross for our sakes) and his exaltation (his resurrection, ascension, and the hope of his return in power). 4. Outline the ways in which a study of Christology can be of very special help today for those like us who work in urban communities, seeing how a new understanding of Christ can enable us to better communicate God’s love to humankind, and his glorious kingdom promise. 5. Detail precisely the key elements of the nature of Jesus before he came to earth, as preexistent Word or Logos , using the Nicene Creed as a key to understanding Jesus’ deity. 6. Lay out the three different ways in which Jesus’ preexistence is seen in the Scriptures, first as God the Son, a divine person equal with God, as the Expected One in OT Messianic prophecy, and then as the Incarnate, the Word of God made flesh, God in human form. 7. Provide details and refute two of the central historical heresies regarding Christ’s divinity, and comment on the significance of Jesus’ divinity for our faith and discipleship. 1. Articulate the general purpose for Jesus’ coming to earth: to reveal to us the Father’s glory and redeem us from sin and Satan’s power. 2. Outline the creedal language regarding Jesus’ humanity, his conception by the Holy Spirit and birth to the Virgin Mary. 3. Summarize two of the prominent historical errors that have arisen from contesting Jesus’ becoming a human being: Nestorianism – that Christ was two distinct persons , and Eutychianism – that Christ has one blended nature . The Councils of Nicea (325) and Chalcedon (381) settled these questions, affirming that Jesus was fully God and fully human . 4. Evaluate and refute errors associated with misreading Jesus’ humanity: Docetism which asserted that Jesus was not human

Teaching Objectives for Capstone, by Module

After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to:

Objectives for Lesson 2 Jesus, the Messiah and Lord of All: He Lived