The Contrast Between Faith And Works In The Pauline Epistles

• Surveying Paul's Epistle To The Romans:

          -A freely received gift and an earned wage are mutually exclusive concepts (Romans 4:4). A man who works receives only what is owed to him for the time that he gives.

          -Justification in the sight of God is not earned as a result of what one has done, but is received by those who have no good works to prove claims of personal merit (Romans 4:5).

          -Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith rather than his circumcision (Romans 4:9-12). Faith is contrasted with circumcision, which is a type of good work.

          -The promise of God to Abraham and his descendants comes not through the Law but by faith (Romans 4:13).
          -The promises of God to those who have faith would be made of no effect, if righteousness came through the Law (Romans 4:14).

          -Faith is consistent with grace in order that the promises of God to Abraham and his descendants be brought to fulfillment (Romans 4:16). The Law brings forth condemnation (Romans 4:15).

• Surveying Paul's Epistle To The Galatians:

          -The Holy Spirit is received by faith, not "works of the Law" or "the flesh" (Galatians 3:2-3). Him residing in a believer's heart is not a product of one's own labor.

          -Those who depend on faith, not works of the Law, are regarded as children of Abraham in the sight of God (Galatians 3:6-9).

          -Dependence on works of the Law for salvation brings about the curse of eternal condemnation (Galatians 3:10-14).

          -The inheritance that we receive through the promises of God depends on His grace, not Law (Galatians 3:15-18).

• Surveying Paul's Epistle To The Ephesians:

          -We have been saved by grace through faith, not as a result of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul used the terms "works" and "works of the Law" interchangeably, thereby giving them both the same meaning.

• Surveying Paul's Epistle To The Philippians:

          -We serve God in the Spirit, placing no confidence in the flesh or our own efforts at getting right with Him (Philippians 3:3).

          -Even though the Apostle Paul could point to the deeds of the flesh that he performed in his days as a Pharisee (Philippians 3:4-6), he gave all that up for faith in Christ (Philippians 3:7).

          -Paul regarded his fleshly works done under the Law as rubbish in order that he be known by Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8).

          -We receive righteousness from God on the basis of faith, not by deeds performed under the Law (Philippians 3:9).

• Surveying Paul's Second Epistle To Timothy:

          -We are saved and called to serve God by His grace through our faith in Him, not because of our own righteousness (2 Timothy 1:9). When He commissioned Paul to a life of divine service, it was not because of anything that he did to deserve that position. In fact, his persecution of the people of God made him a most unworthy candidate for working among them. Divine grace played a role in his life, and often works in ways that we would not expect. Zechariah 4:6 says, "...Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."

• Surveying Paul's Epistle To Titus:

          -We are saved by the grace and mercy of God, not on the basis of good works (Titus 3:5). It would only make sense for the apostle to make that statement here because he emphasized godly living, and would not want his message to be confused with that of the legalists.

A Commentary On Shekinah Glory

Shechinah. This term is not found in the Bible. It was used by the later Jews, and borrowed by Christians from them, to express the visible majesty of the Divine Presence especially when resting or dwelling between cherubim on the mercy-seat in the Tabernacle and in the temple of Solomon; but not in Zerubbabel's temple, for it was one of the five particulars which the Jews reckon to have been wanting in the second Temple. The use of the term is first found in the Targums, where it a frequent periphrasis for God, considered as dwelling amongst the children of Israel, and is thus used, especially by Onkelos, to avoid ascribing corporeity to God Himself. In Ex. xxv. 8, where the Hebrew has "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them," Onkelos has, "I will make my Shechinah to among them." In xxix. 45, 46, for the Hebrew "I will dwell among the children of Israel," Onkelos has, "I will make my Shechinah to dwell," &c. In Ps. lxxiv. 2, "for this Mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt," the Targum has "wherein thy Shechinah hath dwelt." In the description of the dedication of  Solomon's Temple (1 K. viii. 12, 13), the Targum of Jonathan runs thus: "The Lord is to make His Shechinah dwell in Jerusalem. I have built the house of the sanctuary for the house of thy Shechinah forever." And in 1 K. vi. 13, for the Heb. "I will dwell among the children of Israel," Jonathan has "I will make my Shechinah dwell." In Is. vi. 5, he has the combination, "the glory of the Shechinah of the King of ages the Lord of Hosts;" and in the next verse he paraphrases "from off the altar" by "from before His Shechinah on the throne of glory in the lofty heavens that are above the altar." Compare also Num. v. 3, xxxv. 34; Ps. lxviii. 17, 18, cxxxv. 21; Is. xxxiii. 5, lvii. 15; Joel iii. 17, 21, and numerous other passages. On the other hand, it should be noticed that the Targums never render "the cloud" or "the glory" by Shechinah. Hence, as regards the use of the word Shechinah in the Targums, it may be defined as a periphrasis for God whenever He is said to dwell on, Zion amongst Israel, or between the cherubims, and so on, in order as before said, to avoid the slightest approach to materialism. Our view of the Targumistic of the Shechinah would not be complete if we did not add, that though, as we have seen, the Jews reckoned the Shechinah among the marks of the divine favor which were wanting to the second Temple, they manifestly expected the return of the Shechinah in the days of the Messiah. Thus Hagg. i. 8, "Build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord," is paraphrased by Jonathan, "I will cause my Shechinah to dwell in it in glory." Compare also Ez. xliii. 7, 9; Zech. ii. 10, viii. 3. As regards the visible manifestation of the Divine Presence dwelling amongst the Israelites, to which the term Shechinah has attached itself, the idea which the different accounts in Scripture convey is that of a most brilliant and glorious light, enveloped in a cloud, and usually concealed by the cloud, so that the cloud itself was for the most part alone visible; but on particular occasions, the glory appeared. The allusions in the NT to the Shechinah are not unfrequent. Thus in the account of the Nativity, the words, "Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and, the glory of the Lord shone round about them" (Luke ii. 9), followed by the apparition of "the multitude of the heavenly host," recall the appearance of the divine glory on Sinai, when "He shined forth from Paran, and came with ten thousands of saints" (Deut. xxxiii. 2; comp. Ps. lxviii. 17; Ezek. xliii. 2; Acts vii. 53; Heb ii. 2). The "God of glory" (Acts vii. 2, 55), the "cherubims of glory" (Heb ix. 5), "the glory" (Rom. ix. 4), and other like passages, are distinct references to the manifestations of the glory in the O.T. When we read in John i. 14, that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory" or in 2 Cor. xii. 9, "that the power of Christ may rest upon me;" or in Rev. xxi. 3, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them,"-we have not only references to the Shechinah, but are distinctly taught to connect it with the incarnation and future coming of Messiah, as type with antitype. It should also be specially noticed that the attendance of angels is usually associated with the Shechinah. These are most frequently called (Ez. x., xi.) cherubim; but sometimes, as in Is. vi., seraphim (comp. Rev. iv. 7, 8). The predominant association, however, is with the cherubim, of which the golden cherubim on the mercy-seat were the representation.

William Smith, A Dictionary Of the Bible Comprising Its Antiquities, Biography, Geography, and Natural History, p. 878-879

Hebrews 1:3 And The Deity Of Christ

        "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:3)

        This text is very clearly supportive of the deity of Jesus Christ, brimming with depth as to its meaning. The phrase "exact representation" can be illustrated using an ideal cut diamond as an analogy. The glory of Christ transcends the effulgence of even the most precious gems. The imagery of "exact representation" carries with it the idea of an imprint on a coin.

        God the Son possesses the same divine nature as God the Father. He has the same divine glory as God the Father. Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. He is wisdom incarnate (1 Corinthians 1:24; 30; Colossians 2:3). As a side issue, if Christ is the wisdom of God, yet is a created being, would that not mean God had no wisdom prior to creating Him? 

        Jesus represents God perfectly in every way. That is because He is very God in the flesh. Christ makes known to us God the Father (John 14:9). No men or angels can say this about themselves without telling a lie and committing blasphemy. Christ makes known the Father to us because He shares the same divine nature.

        We know from the Old Testament that God will not give His glory to another (Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 42:8; 48:11). Thus, Christ is again affirmed to be God in the flesh. This passage is one of the strongest affirmations of a high Christology in the whole New Testament. The author of Hebrews drew from the Wisdom of Solomon in asserting the divinity of Christ:

        "She is a breath of God's power—a pure and radiant stream of glory from the Almighty. Nothing that is defiled can ever steal its way into Wisdom. She is a reflection of eternal light, a perfect mirror of God's activity and goodness. " (Wisdom 7:25-26) 

        Wisdom is personified in the above excerpt. Wisdom is a prominent exhibition of the divine glory of God. This wisdom and glory shines forth in Jesus Christ. The way that such things show forth through Him is unparalleled. The author of Hebrews says, in effect, "Jesus is God." The fullness of deity is articulated perfectly in His person.

Is Mary The Mother Of The Church?

          One of the Marian dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church is that Mary is the spiritual mother of all Christians. This belief, formally affirmed by Pope Paul VI in 1964, stems from her role as the mother of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church. The title “Mother of the Church” has deep historical roots, appearing as early as the fourth century in the writings of Ambrose of Milan. It reflects the idea that just as Mary gave birth to Christ in the flesh, she also plays a maternal role in the spiritual life of the church, which is His mystical body.

          This concept is often linked to the moment at the crucifixion when Jesus, seeing his mother and the beloved disciple, said, “Woman, behold your son,” and to the disciple, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26–27). John, traditionally understood to represent faithful discipleship, was entrusted with Mary’s care. His presence at the cross, his unwavering belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and his spiritual kinship with Christ (Luke 8:21) made him a fitting recipient of this responsibility. At that time, Jesus’ biological brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5), which further underscores the appropriateness of entrusting Mary to John. Some have even seen this moment as subtle support for the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity, suggesting that if Jesus had no other siblings to care for her, it may reflect her unique and singular role in salvation history.

          Jesus Christ often challenged conventional interpretations of Jewish Law when they conflicted with deeper spiritual truths. He healed on the Sabbath, touched the ritually unclean, and dined with sinners, actions seen as violations by some, yet none constituted sin. There is no Torah command requiring a dying son to entrust his mother to a biological sibling. To infer that Jesus had no siblings based solely on this act is speculative and circular. More importantly, Jesus redefined family in spiritual terms, emphasizing obedience to God over blood relations (Mark 3:33–35). This reorientation of familial bonds is central to His ministry, especially in light of believers being rejected by blood relatives over their newfound religious convictions.

          His own family, at one point, did not believe in Him and even tried to restrain Him, thinking He was “out of His mind” (Mark 3:21). While Jewish law emphasizes honoring and caring for parents, it does not prescribe how that care must be arranged, especially in cases of spiritual estrangement. The notion that only biological children can fulfill this duty is not supported by Scripture. John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” was likely the most trusted person to care for Mary. Some traditions even suggest that they may have been cousins, further strengthening the familial bond.

          Interestingly, John’s gospel mentions Mary only twice, at the wedding in Cana and at the crucifixion, yet he took her into his home, a gesture that speaks volumes. His epistles, however, do not mention her, which complicates the image of the extent of her role in early Christian theology.

          The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 4:26, refers to the heavenly Jerusalem as the mother of the church: “But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.” This metaphor spiritualizes the covenantal history of Israel, but Paul never applies the concept of spiritual motherhood to Mary. Even when referencing the virgin birth, he simply says, “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), without naming Mary or attributing any special ecclesial role to her.

          In Romans 16:13, Paul greets Rufus and his mother, saying she had been like a mother to him: “Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.” If Mary were universally recognized as the mother of the Church, it would seem unusual for Paul to omit her entirely in this context, especially given his theological depth and influence.

        "The Fathers of the Church and early Christian writers did not so interpret the words of the dying Christ [John 19:25-27]. Development of the idea of Mary's spiritual motherhood was slow and did not enter the consciousnesses of the Church until medieval times. During those early centuries, the sacred text did not immediately convey the notion. Lengthy reflection was needed to reach it." (Michael O'Carroll, cited in Cult of the Virgin: Catholic Mariology and the Apparitions of Mary, Elliot Miller and Kenneth R. Samples, p. 44)