Wednesday Evening Conversations

Devotion to Jesus

An eight-session study on the subject of "Jesus Devotion" in earliest Christianity. For us this will be more like 12-16 sessions as we break materials down to fit our Wednesday evening one hour time slot. Course materials are adaptable to different class lengths. For example, each lesson can easily be split in two to accommodate shorter sessions, such as a 45-minute class.

Quote from the author

"I emphasize that the worship of Jesus reflected in the NT did not involve a diminution of the place of God (the Father).  Nor was Jesus accorded his own times or places of worship apart from God.  In short, this was not the addition of a new deity in some pantheon.  Instead, Jesus was worshipped both in response to God's own exaltation and designation of him as rightful recipient of such devotion; and Jesus' divine status and significance was expressed with reference to God the Father.  Thus, e.g., Jesus is referred to as God's "Son", "Word", "Image", and as bearing/sharing God's glory, name and throne. That is, the worship given to Jesus was clearly intended as obedience to the one God, and as the divinely-mandated way of worshipping aright the one God.  In sum, the devotional stance was recognizably monotheistic, in the rejection of all deities but the one God, and also in the evident concern to situate the worship of Jesus within the worship of, and commitment to, the one God of the Bible."