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The Creed Study Guide Lesson 3

This document is a lesson outline about Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son from God. It discusses: 1) The meaning of Jesus' name and his identity as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. 2) Jesus being the Son of God and one in being with God the Father, as expressed in the Nicene Creed formulations against Arianism. 3) Jesus becoming incarnate through the Virgin Mary to save humanity and allow people to share in God's divine life.

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80 views9 pages

The Creed Study Guide Lesson 3

This document is a lesson outline about Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son from God. It discusses: 1) The meaning of Jesus' name and his identity as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. 2) Jesus being the Son of God and one in being with God the Father, as expressed in the Nicene Creed formulations against Arianism. 3) Jesus becoming incarnate through the Virgin Mary to save humanity and allow people to share in God's divine life.

Uploaded by

mlammercado_1011
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE

CREED

LESSON THREE
Je s u s C h r i s t , t h e O n l y B e g o t t e n S o n

Fresco depicting Christ surrounded by angels, interior, Church of St. Augustine, 13th century,
San Gimignano, Siena, Alamy.
•
Jesu s Chri s t, th e Only Begot ten So n
L ESSON T H R EE V IDEO OU T L IN E
(Chapter 3, Parts I & II, “The Sons of God” and “The Sons of Man,”
in Light From Light book)

I. “I BELIEVE IN ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST”


A. Meaning of the name “Jesus” and of “Savior”
B. Meaning of the name “Christ”
C. In the Old Testament, Messiah referred to as a human figure and also as God

L ES S ON T H R EE
himself saving his people. Jesus fulfills both these expectations.

II. “THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD”


A. Jesus, as Son of God, speaks and acts in the very person of the God of Israel.
B. Other children or “sons” of God have a close rapport and friendship with God,
but are not God.
C. “I am” statements in the Gospel of John show Jesus as one with the God of
Israel
D. Jesus is “sent” on a mission by God the Father.

III. “BORN OF THE FATHER BEFORE ALL AGES. GOD FROM GOD, LIGHT
FROM LIGHT, TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD, BEGOTTEN, NOT MADE,
CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE FATHER; THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS
WERE MADE.”
A. Council of Nicaea summoned to respond to Arius’ Christology
1. Arius: “There was a time when he was not.”
2. The phrases added to the Creed were included as a direct condemnation
of the Arian view.
B. “Begotten, not made” confirms the full divinity of Jesus and speaks to his
relationship to the Father
C. “Consubstantial” means “one in being” with the Father
D. St. Augustine’s analogy of the Trinity characterizes God as a relationship of love
1. “Elemental mind”—mens in Latin
2. Self-knowledge—notitia sui
3. Self-love—amor sui

T H E C REE D 19
4. Father is mens; Son is notitia sui; and Holy Spirit is amor sui

IV. “FOR US MEN AND FOR OUR SALVATION HE CAME DOWN FROM
HEAVEN”
A. Israel expected God to act
1. To set things right and establish a lasting peace
2. Life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus meets this expectation
B. Salvation is be-all and end-all of human endeavor; “ultimate concern”
1. Forgiveness of sin
2. Being raised up in Christ to participate in the divine life of the Trinity
C. “Came down from heaven” speaks to God entering into human history

V. “AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS INCARNATE OF THE VIRGIN MARY,


AND BECAME MAN”
A. Virginity of Mary indicates God, not man, is involved in Mary’s pregnancy and
that she is a fit vessel for the divine Messiah
B. Son of God becomes incarnate (“enfleshed”) through the power of the Holy
Spirit
C. God the Son took to himself a human nature, so he is one person with two
natures: fully human and fully divine
D. Implication: humans now can participate in the divine life of the Trinity

20 ©2021 Word on Fire Catholic Ministries


•
Jesu s Chri s t, th e Only Begot ten So n
L ESSON T H R EE
QU EST IONS fo r U N DER STA N DING

1. How does St. Augustine define “sin”? When tempted by the serpent, how did Adam and
Eve’s actions characterize this definition and what was the result? (CCC 1849–1850; Gen.
3:1–6, 17–19)

L ES S ON T H R EE
2. Why can’t we fix the consequences of sin ourselves? What is needed? What was promised in
the Old Testament? (Ps. 51:10–12, Ps. 79:9; CCC 430–431)

T H E C REE D 21
3. How is Jesus different from others who are in close friendship with God
and often called sons or children of God? How is this difference reflected
in the Creed’s phrase “only begotten Son of God”? (Exod. 3:14; John 3:16,
18; 10:36; Matt 26:63–64; CCC 444, 454)

4. Why were these lines of the Creed included: “. . . born of the Father
before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true
God”? (CCC 465)

22 ©2021 Word on Fire Catholic Ministries


5. How does the belief that “God is love” support the doctrine of the Trinity? (CCC 221)

L ES S ON T H R EE
6. What is the meaning of “salvation”? (Eph. 1:7–10, CCC 1066)

T H E C REE D 23
7. What belief are we stating when we say “and by the Holy Spirit he was
incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man”? (Luke 1:26–35; CCC
467, 484–485)

24 ©2021 Word on Fire Catholic Ministries


L ESSON T H R EE
QU EST IONS fo r A PPL IC AT ION
1. What would you say to someone who does not believe he/she needs salvation?

L ES S ON T H R EE
2. What in your life is a tangible experience of the Christian belief that “God is love”?

T H E C REE D 25
3. Does your perspective on Jesus’ identity skew toward his humanity or
to his divinity? If so, for what reasons? Reflect in prayer about both the
divine and human natures of Jesus.

26 ©2021 Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

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