While paging through Plantinga’s second chapter on creation I found one concept that I had never paid any attention too and now I’m questioning if this new concept will change my viewpoint on everything else dealing with Jesus. In chapter two Plantinga tells about how we often forget that Jesus was always around even before his physical birth. I never really thought of Jesus as existing as a separate part of the trinity before his physical birth. He even mentions the sons role in the creation of the universe. Saying “we find it difficult to think of him acting as the mediator of creation.” So far the implications of this to me make it even more amazing that Jesus gave up his divine power if only for a short time. St. Paul says in Philippians 2:5-11 “did not cling to his divine prerogatives but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” Thinking of Jesus as the separate chosen part of God to dwell among us makes what he did even more amazing to me. Another concept that I found interesting was Plantinga’s viewpoint on General and special revelation. By that, I mean our ability as the created to learn about the creator through natural things (general revelation) and through God’s holy word (special revelation) learn as well. When we approach general revelation we must remember eight things because we view creation through an impure looking glass. Here are a few of my favorite viewpoints that Plantinga gives concerning creation. First all creation is savable there is nothing that is too far gone that it can’t be saved by Gods love. This includes all of the sinners that we consider the worst like murderers and rapists. Even they are redeemable. Another viewpoint was that God created everything from nothing, I can’t really ever wrap my mind around this because I’m not very artsy I can’t make something from something else so what God does utterly confounds me. Finally I liked the illustration that because he are all image bearing creations he have an obligation to bring out the image of God in other because in turn it will help us bring out the image in ourselves.
I liked how you admitted that you hadn't really thought of Christ's role before his incarnation into this world. I think its easy for us to forget about the Son and the Spirit's work in the world. Although they were working in different ways the persons of the Trinity are all timeless and unchanging. Though the Son was mediating creation then, he continues to mediate between God and creation by his death on the cross that allows us to talk to God through his mediation.
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