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The Heidelberg Catechism in Questions and Answers (13)

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The Heidelberg Catechism in Questions and Answers (13)

4 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

Lord's Day 18

46. How dost thou understand these words, “He ascended into heaven”?

That Christ, in sight of His disciples, was taken up from earth into heaven; and that He continues there for our interest until He comes again to judge the quick and the dead.

1. What is the subject of this Lord's Day? It speaks of the second step of Christ's exaltation—His ascension into heaven.

2. Why did He still remain forty days upon the earth? It was to manifest the certainty of His resurrection and to instruct His disciples further.

3. How do we describe His ascension into heaven? It was actual, visible, and local.

4. Were there witnesses to His ascension into heaven? Yes, Christ was taken up from earth into heaven in the sight of His disciples.

5. Did His divine nature also participate in His ascension? His divine nature fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24), but it was no longer hidden behind the veil of His human nature.

6. What was the purpose of Christ's ascension? It was that He there would rule as King and pray as Intercessor, and also that one day He might receive His people unto Himself.

7. How long will He remain in heaven? Until He comes again to judge the quick and the dead.

47. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as He hath promised?

Christ is very man and very God; with respect to His human nature, He is no more on earth; but with respect to His Godhead, majesty, grace, and spirit, He is at no time absent from us.

1. What apparent difficulty does Matthew 28:20 present regarding His ascension? In Matthew 28:20 He said, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

2. How can this apparent contradiction be solved? According to His human nature He is in heaven, but His divine nature is omnipresent.

3. How is He then with His people? With respect to His Godhead, majesty, grace, and spirit, He is at no time absent from them.

4. Who can comfort themselves with Christ's ascension? Those who are risen with Christ (Colossians 3:1).

48. But if His human nature is not present, wherever His Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?

Not at all, for since the Godhead is illimitable and omnipresent, it must necessarily follow that the same is beyond the limits of the human nature He assumed, and yet is nevertheless in His human nature, and remains personally united to it.

1. What do Lutherans teach regarding the two natures in Christ? They teach that the human nature of Christ is everywhere present, just as is His divine nature.

2. What does God's Word teach? It teaches that the divine nature is omnipresent and not excluded from any place, but the human nature is only in one place.

3. Are the two natures then not separated from each other? No, for the human nature always remains united to the divine nature.

4. What is meant when it is said that the divine nature is incomprehensible? The divine nature is beyond human comprehension, cannot be limited, and is infinite.

5. To what does all this direct us? To the unsearchable greatness and majesty of God and to the great mystery of godliness.

49. Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension into heaven?

First, that He is our Advocate in the presence of His Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He, as the Head, will also take up to Himself, us, His members; thirdly, that He sends us His Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we “seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth.”

1. How many advantages of the ascension are mentioned by the catechism? Three:

(a) He is the Advocate in the presence of His Father for His people;

(b) Our flesh is in heaven as a sure pledge;

(c) He sends His Spirit as an earnest.

2. What is meant by His being an Advocate? That in heaven He, in the presence of His Father, requires the salvation of His people on the basis of His merits.

3. Why is our flesh in heaven a pledge? It is because Christ has assumed our flesh and has brought it into heaven as a guarantee that His people would follow.

4. What does Christ send as an earnest? He sends His Spirit, who was poured out on the day of Pentecost and was personally given to the church.

5. What do God's people do through this Earnest? They seek and consider those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not the things on the earth.

6. For what is the church thus being prepared? For eternal glory.

— to be continued —

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van woensdag 1 augustus 2001

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

The Heidelberg Catechism in Questions and Answers (13)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van woensdag 1 augustus 2001

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's