The God Who Became Human

Preaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible Reference for 2014 (Theology)

Seeking an answer to Anselm's timeless question, "Why did God become man?" Graham Cole follows Old Testament themes of preparation, theophany and messianic hope through to the New Testament witness to the divinely foretold event. This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume concludes with a consideration of the theological and existential implications of the incarnation of God.

CONTENTS

Series preface
Author's preface
Abbreviations

Introduction
Why this book?
Assumptions
Praeparatio evangelica
The Plan of the book

1. God prepares the way from the beginning
God and God's image
The portrayal of God in the beginning
Some early Christian commentary
God prepares the way to what end?
God prepares the way by promise
Conclusion
Excursus: Would the incarnation have taken place irrespective of the Fall?

2. God prepares the way in his dealings with Abraham and Abraham's Old Testament children
The patriarchal story and the 'embodied' God
Abraham and the three visitors
Jacob and the wrestler
The Mosaic story and the 'embodied' God
The Judges story and the 'embodied' God
The former prophets and the 'embodied' God
The latter prophets and the 'embodied' God
Conclusion

3. God prepares the way in Israel's hope
The hope for a divine Messiah
Israel's hope and the incarnation: key texts revisited
Intertestamental hopes
Typology and incarnation
Conclusion

4. The great mystery
In retrospect
But incarnation?
Conclusion
Excursus: the pre-incarnate Christ, theophany and the Old Testament debate

5. Cur Deus homo
New Testament answers
The timing of the incarnation: insight from Thomas Aquinas
Conclusion
Excursus: Did the divine Son assume fallen or unfallen human nature?

6. The significance of the incarnation
Theological significance
Existential significance
Conclusion

7. Conclusion

Appendix: The theological interpretation of Scripture
Bibliography
Index of authors
Index of Scripture references
Index of ancient sources