ROUGHLY EDITED COPY CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY EDUCATION NETWORK CUENET LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS 2-11 DR. ROBERT KOLB CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY: CAPTION FIRST, INC. P.O. BOX 1024 LOMBARD, IL 60148 800-825-5234 *** THIS TEXT IS BEING PROVIDED IN A ROUGH DRAFT FORMAT. COMMUNICATION ACCESS REALTIME TRANSLATION (CART) IS PROVIDED IN ORDER TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBILITY AND MAY NOT BE A TOTALLY VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS. *** LC2-15 >> OKAY. THAT MAKES SENSE. IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW THE CREED COMMUNICATES WHAT GOD DOES. BUT WHAT ABOUT WHO GOD IS? DOES THE CREED TELL US ABOUT THAT? WHAT KIND OF GOD DOES THE CREED INTRODUCE? DOES THE CREED DEFINE SOME CHARACTERISTICS? >>DR. ROBERT KOLB: WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THE CREEDAL FAITH THAT IS VERY MUCH REFLECTED IN LUTHER'S WAY OF DOING THEOLOGY IS THAT THERE'S NO SPECULATION ABOUT THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE TRINITY. IN THE NICE EVEN CREED YOU HAVE LANGUAGE THAT PROTECTS THE DIVINE NATURE OF CHRIST, THAT TALKS ABOUT BEING BEGOTTEN AND SO FORTH. IN THE THIRD ARTICLE WE TALK ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PROCEEDING FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON. BECAUSE THAT PROCEEDING LANGUAGE, ALTHOUGH IN JOHN'S GOSPEL IT TALKS ABOUT COMING TO US, THAT PROCEEDING LANGUAGE WAS USED FROM THE EARLY CHURCH ON TO TALK ABOUT THE INNER RELATIONSHIPS THAT DISTINGUISH FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. BUT THE BIBLE JUST DOESN'T LET US PEAK INSIDE THE TRINITY. AND HERE AT LUTHER'S DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE HIDDEN GOD AND THE REVEALED GOD IS VERY HELPFUL. HE SAID THAT WE CAN BE CERTAIN THAT WHAT WE KNOW OF GOD AND WHAT HE HAS REVEALED OF HIMSELF IS NOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM THE HIDDEN GOD. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE INTRICACIES OF THE RELATIONSHIPS OF FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. WE KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN RELATIONSHIP TO US. WE KNOW THE SO-CALLED ECONOMIC TRINITY. THAT IS GOD AS HE MAKES HIS HOME AMONG US. GOD AS HE RELATES TO US. WE DON'T KNOW HIS INNER ESSENCE, HIS INNER SUBSTANCE OR HOWEVER WE MIGHT DESCRIBE WHAT GOD REALLY IS. AND THAT'S WHY LUTHER ABANDONED THE MEDIEVAL SPECULATIONS THAT GOD HAS TO BE FAIR HOLDING EVERYTHING IN ORDER. THE ANCIENT GREEKS DIDN'T HAVE A STRONG CREATOR GOD SO THEY NEEDED SOMEBODY OR SOME SYSTEM THAT WAS GOING TO HOLD EVERYTHING IN ORDER. BUT LUTHER KNEW THAT GOD WOULD HOLD EVERYTHING IN ORDER SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS THE FAITHFUL GOD WHOSE VERY ESSENCE IS STEADFAST LOVING KINDNESS, WHOSE ESSENCE IS GRACE, MERCY AND FAVOR SHOWN TOWARD US. AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE CREED AND ALSO THROUGHOUT LUTHER'S WRITINGS IS A PICTURE OF GOD ON THE STREET. A PICTURE OF GOD ON THE CROSS, IF YOU WILL. GOD COMING INTO OUR WORLD. THE GOD WHO CREATES US. THE GOD WHO DIES ON THE CROSS AND RISES FROM THE DEAD IN A REAL HUMAN BODY WITH HOLES IN THE HANDS. A HOLY SPIRIT WHO DWELLS WITH HIS CHURCH AND FORMS US AS A COMMUNITY BY FORGIVING US INDIVIDUALLY OF OUR SINS AND BESTOWING UPON US LIFE AND SALVATION. AND SO THAT'S THE PICTURE OF GOD WE HAVE. AND LUTHER WARNS AGAINST THE KINDS OF SPECULATION THAT TRIED TO GET TO THE INNER NATURE OF GOD. THE TRUE NATURE OF GOD IS THE GOD WE SEE CRUCIFIED. THE GOD WE SEE COMING OUT OF THE TOMB. THE GOD THAT MEETS DEATH ON ITS OWN TERMS. AND THE GOD WHO RECLAIMS LIFE AS HE CREATED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SHAPED IT FOR US IN EDEN AND RESTORES US TO THAT KIND OF LIFE THROUGH THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. *** THIS TEXT IS BEING PROVIDED IN A ROUGH DRAFT FORMAT. COMMUNICATION ACCESS REALTIME TRANSLATION (CART) IS PROVIDED IN ORDER TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBILITY AND MAY NOT BE A TOTALLY VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS. ***