Matrix goes to Brazil
Victor from Brazil has wrapped his head around Totus Christus with lightning speed and sent a couple of insightful applications to the New Testament. As with my stuff, no one is being dogmatic. But the continued evidence for this is overwhelming. The big question is, was Paul doing this deliberately?
Victor has some sublime observations in here. As always, these will make sense (or more sense) to you if you have read the book.
The Philippian Hymn (Philippians 2:5-11)
Creation – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Division – But made himself of no reputation, [He “emptied Himself” – it’s the kenosis of God.]
Ascension – And took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [Christ descends from heaven and draws near to God as servant/man. (Compare Hebrews 10:5-7)[1]
Testing – And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Maturity – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Conquest – That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth
Glorification – And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The First Seven Epistles (Romans-Colossians) – Development of Christ’s Body
Creation – Romans maximizes the number of occurrences of “creation/creature” in the first seven Epistles.
Division – 1 Corinthians greatly speaks of the divisions in the Church. It maximizes the word “division/divide”.
Ascension – 2 Corinthians reveals that we approach God as a “sweet savour of Christ.” The word “ministration/ministry” is thereby maximized. God loves the cheerful giver.
Testing – Galatians depicts what was maybe the greatest test of the early church – the influence of the Judaizers, who persuaded them to cling to the stoicheia (the four elements) and enslaved them to “observe days, and months, and times, and years” (fourfold echo of the fourth day). Paul – representative of the Body – is crucified with Christ.
Maturity – Ephesians is a sublime Epistle. Its overall majestic tone differs from the first four. We were raised up together as Church and sit together in the heavenly places. The Bride appears resplendent, fully fledged. The “ascension” theme mirrors Step 3. (Eph 4:8-10)
Conquest – Philippians explains how God became in the likeness of men just as man was created in the likeness of God on Day 6. Christ conquers the cosmos as every knee bows before Him. We join Christ in His resurrection; on that topic, Paul speaks as representative of the Body: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize [the next step!] of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (2:10-14)
Glorification – Colossians shows how God’s Plan finds completion in the Whole Christ – All in All. The entire Body is glorified through Christ, “the hope of glory.” In Christ now all Fulness dwells. Words such as perfection and fulness abound in this epistle, cohering with the symbolic meaning of the Number 7. Just like the first step (Romans) was linked to “Creation,” this word now reappears with emphasis in Colossians. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (3:1-4)
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[1] Victor notes the correspondence between Steps 3 and 6 in the Creation week: man was created “in the likeness of” God on Day 6; now God was made in the likeness of men. I would also align this with the “grain and fruit plants” Table of Showbread, corresponding to the blood of the “standing Lamb” presented as worthy before the throne in Revelation 5.
