Pastor Terrie Beede led session 14 of the "Studies in Theology" series at Calvary Chapel Milwaukee, focusing on "The Doctrine of the Son, Part 2: The Humanity of Christ in the New Testament". This series continues to be guided by 1 Timothy 4:16, where Paul instructs Timothy to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee". This charge emphasizes the minister's personal adherence to doctrine and its faithful public teaching to nourish the congregation in truth.
This session built upon previous studies, including an introduction to theology, the existence of God, a multi-part discussion on the Trinity, the doctrine of Scripture, the attributes of God, and the doctrine of God the Father. Session 13, "The Doctrine of the Son, Part 1," had explored the person of Christ in the Old Testament, covering His deity and humanity as foretold, including the pre-incarnate Son of God (the Angel of the Lord), and Old Testament prophecies of His divine and human nature. The current session acknowledged an intentional overlap, as the person and work of Christ are often inseparable.
The study of God the Son aligns with Article Four of the Calvary Chapel Milwaukee statement of faith, which affirms belief "in the person of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son, conceived by the Holy Spirit," His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, teachings, substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, perpetual intercession, and personal visible return to Earth.
The primary focus for this session was on the humanity of the Son of God as revealed in the New Testament. A key aspect discussed was Jesus's identity as a descendant of man, notably through the virgin birth, which was also foretold in the Old Testament. Specific New Testament passages highlighted for this include:
• Matthew 1:24-25, which describes Joseph taking Mary as his wife after an angel's instruction, but not knowing her "until she had brought forth her firstborn son," Jesus. This demonstrates his human lineage through Mary while maintaining the miraculous nature of his conception.
• Luke 1:35, where the angel explains to Mary that the "Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee," leading to the birth of the Son of God.
The session reiterated the principle of allowing the Bible to speak for itself when formulating doctrine, rather than imposing preconceived ideas. It also emphasized the sufficiency of the Old Testament alone to establish faith in Christ's finished work, as Jesus himself "expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" starting from Moses and the prophets after his resurrection.
Future sessions were noted to cover the deity of the Son of God in the New Testament and, subsequently, the work of Christ, including His offices and the atonement.