TCID III
August 7, 2021
Participants
Pastor Joseph Spurgeon, Presbyterian Panelist
Fr. Lucas Rice, Eastern Orthodox Panelist
Pastor Thomas Elbert Jr., Lutheran Panelist
Question 01
What is believed to be united in the person of Christ Jesus? Does it suffice to confess that He is perfect in manhood, or must we conclude that He is additionally Divine? If both, to what degree is He each? If also Divine, Is His essence divergent from that of His Father’s, or are they truly consubstantial? Regarding His humanity, does the Incarnate One possess a rational (human) soul alongside His fleshly constitution, or is He man in body alone? How many natures (human/divine) are present within our Messiah? If two, are they divisible or changeable? Why is Christ’s unity as man and deity so significant? (briefly explain)
Question 02
In light of the development of church history, the formulation and solidification of the denominations in which each representative here hath sprung, and of all applicable creeds, confessions, and traditions therein, how might one look back and exposit the following excerpt from the Apostle’s Creed: “He descended into Hades”. Should this line be understood symbolically, or as an authentic plunge into the underworld enacted by the Son of God before His triumphant resurrection? If figurative, does Christ’s descent describe His soul’s anguish on the cross, or is it merely synonymous with His burial? If literal, what part (body, soul, or divinity) of the Lord descended, and what was His purpose for doing so? Does the term Hades imply Hell, the Lake of Fire, or some other location residing beyond the boundaries of damnation? Could this doctrine be understood plainly as a mystery of the Trinity, one without adequate explanation, to be devoured as a simple act of faith? Or is its explication a sermon unto the Gospel?
The Church in Dialogue 