“The Mediatorial Work of Christ” Research Paper: Outline
Jacob G. McClung
THEO 530: Systematic Theology II
January 31, 2024
Research Topic
The focus of this paper is on “the Mediatorial work of Christ.”
Research Question
What atonement theory provides the most sufficient evidence for “the Mediatorial work
of Christ”?
Thesis Statement
This paper will argue that the atoning work of Christ was sufficient in providing a
Mediatorial connection between God and humanity.
Outline
I. Introduction (1 page)
A. Main idea.
B. Various atonement theories.
C. The most compelling atonement theory.
D. “The Mediatorial work of Christ.”
E. Conclusion.
II. Overview of “the Mediatorial work of Christ” (2 pages)
A. Doctrine of atonement1
a. Ethical implications of Christ’s Mediatorial work (Verhagen, 2020, p. 1).
b. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s account of Christ as the Mediator (Verhagen, 2020,
p. 3).
1 Koert Verhagen, “God, the Middle Term: Bonhoeffer, Kierkegaard, and Christ’s Mediation in Works of Love,”
Religions 11, no. 2 (2020): 78, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11020078.
1
B. Priestly duties of Christ2
a. A critique of John Calvin and other Reformed scholars (Ralston,
2022, p. 89).
b. Foundational theological assertions for Reformed scholars (Ralston,
2022, p. 89).
C. God’s demonstration of love3
a. The primary principle is divine love (Crawford, 2019, p. 563).
b. The Son’s righteousness (Crawford, 2019, p. 571).
D. Unification with Christ 4
a. The importance of unification with Christ (Christensen, 2018, p. 339).
b. Peter’s moral persuasion (Christensen, 2018, p. 339).
E. Priestly holiness5
a. The ministry of Christ (Ryan, 2016, p. 173).
b. Christological and ecclesiological priesthood (Ryan, 2016, p. 173).
F. Christological monotheism 6
a. Pro-Nicene doctrine (Butner, 2020, p. 679).
b. Canon principle and inspiration principle (Butner, 2020, p. 679).
2 Joshua Ralston, “Rewriting Calvin: Schleiermacher on the Atonement and Priestly Office of Christ,” Scottish
Journal of Theology 75, no. 2 (2022): 89–103, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0036930622000230.
3
Brandon James Crawford, “Divine Love as the Organizing Principle of Jonathan Edwards’s Doctrine of
Atonement,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62, no. 3 (September 2019): 563–581.
4
Sean Christensen, “Reborn Participants in Christ: Recovering the Importance of Union with Christ in 1 Peter,”
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 61, no. 2 (June 2018): 339–354.
5
Fáinche Ryan, “Holiness as Priesthood,” New Blackfriars 97, no. 1068 (2016): 173–186,
https://doi.org/10.1111/nbfr.12193.
6
D. Glenn Butner, “Probing the Exegetical Foundations of Consubstantiality: Worship, Mediatorial Figures, and the
Homoousion,” Modern Theology 37, no. 3 (November 20, 2020): 679–702, https://doi.org/10.1111/moth.12665.
2
c. Athanasius’s diversified Christological perspective of Mediation, his focus
on Christ’s excellence, and the call to worship (Butner, 2020, p. 679).
G. The incarnation of Christ 7
a. Would the incarnation have happened separately from sin? (Lindholm,
2015, p. 19).
b. The teachings of Jerome Zanchi, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and
Francis Turretin (Lindholm, 2015, p. 19).
H. The Trinity 8
a. The duties of prophecy, priesthood, and royalty (Ryken et al, 2015, p.
116).
b. The incarnation according to 1 John (Ryken et al, 2015, p. 142).
I. The teleology of Christ9
a. The mission of Christ (Wittman, 2016, p. 1).
b. Aquinas’s Summa theologiae (Wittman, 2016, p. 1).
J. The doctrine of Scripture 10
a. The second edition of Christian Faith as a theological textbook (Nimmo,
2015, p. 60).
7 Stefan Lindholm, “Would Christ Have Become Incarnate Had Adam Not Fallen?,” Journal of Reformed Theology
9, no. 1 (2015): 19–36, https://doi.org/10.1163/15697312-00901016.
8
Philip Ryken et al., “Christ-Centered Presidency: The Threefold Office of Christ as a Theological Paradigm for
Leading a Christian College/Response/Response/Response/Response/Author’s Response to Comments,” Christian
Scholar’s Review 47, no. 2 (2018): 107–161.
9
Tyler Wittman, “The Logic of Divine Blessedness and the Salvific Teleology of Christ,” International Journal of
Systematic Theology 18, no. 2 (March 21, 2016): 132–153, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12143.
10
Paul T. Nimmo, “Schleiermacher on Scripture and the Work of Jesus Christ,” Modern Theology 31, no. 1 (January
2015).
3
b. Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher's understanding of Scripture
(Nimmo, 2015, p. 62).
K. The heavenly realms 11
a. Peter Lombard’s assertion that Christ earned exaltation (Baylor, 2015, p.
152).
b. Calvin’s continually advocacy for Christ’s mission (Baylor, 2015, p. 152).
L. Matthew 13 12
a. The meaning of the four parables (Scholtz, 2015, p. 1).
b. The prophetic work of Christ (Scholtz, 2015, p. 1).
M. Communicatio operationum13
a. The Christological idea of communication operationum in relation to the
need for the Son of God (Duby, 2015, p. 284).
b. The analytical objective and doctrinal outline (Duby, 2015, p. 284).
N. Theology and science14
a. Ian Barbour’s terminology can reconcile the theology of the Mediatorial
work of Christ with a scientific perspective (Chino, 2018, p. 335).
11
T. Robert Baylor, “‘With Him in Heavenly Realms’: Lombard and Calvin on Merit and the Exaltation of Christ,”
International Journal of Systematic Theology 17, no. 2 (March 2, 2015): 152–175,
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12104.
12
Jacob J. Scholtz, “Reading Matthew 13 as a Prophetic Discourse: The Four Parables Presented in Private,” In die
Skriflig/In Luce Verbi 49, no. 1 (March 4, 2015), https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v49i1.1887.
13
Steven J. Duby, “Atonement, Impassibility and the Communicatio Operationum,” International Journal of
Systematic Theology 17, no. 3 (June 2, 2015): 284–295, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12108.
14
Taido Chino, “Theology’s Munus Triplex? Reconsidering Theology’s Relationship to the Sciences,” International
Journal of Systematic Theology 20, no. 3 (July 2018): 335–358, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12310.
4
b. The threefold roles of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King from a
Mediatorial perspective (Chino, 2018, p. 336).
O. God’s divine will15
a. The incompatibility of EFS and the character of Jesus Christ (Butner,
2015, p. 131).
b. Dyothelite Christology (Butner, 2015, p. 132).
P. Hebrews 6:13-2016
a. Endurance (Heavin, 2023, p. 220).
b. Doctrine of divine simplicity (Heavin, 2023, p. 220).
c. Theological interpretation (Heavin, 2023, p. 220).
d. Resources for hope (Heavin, 2023, p. 220).
Q. Sin and salvation17
a. Property ownership (Colacurcio, 2020, p. 1).
b. Political legitimacy (Colacurcio, 2020, p. 1).
R. The obedience of Christ18
a. Milton’s Paradise Lost (Urban, 2015, p. 817).
b. Milton’s “Upon the Circumcision” (Urban, 2015, p. 817).
15
D. Glenn Butner, “Eternal Functional Subordination and the Problem of the Divine Will,” Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society 58, no. 1 (March 2015): 131–149.
16 Joshua Roy Heavin, “Hope for Faithful Endurance: Divine Simplicity in Hebrews 6:13–20,” Journal of
Theological Interpretation 17, no. 2 (December 2023): 220–254, https://doi.org/10.5325/jtheointe.17.2.0220.
17
Michael J. Colacurcio, “Inheritance, Repetition, Complicity, Redemption: Sin and Salvation in the House of the
Seven Gables,” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 46, no. 1 (October 2020): 1–29,
https://doi.org/10.5325/nathhawtrevi.46.1.0001.
18
David V. Urban, “John Milton, Paradox, and the Atonement: Heresy, Orthodoxy, and the Son’s Whole-Life
Obedience,” Studies in Philology 112, no. 4 (September 2015): 817–836, https://doi.org/10.1353/sip.2015.0030.
5
c. Milton’s Paradise Regained (Urban, 2015, p. 817).
d. Milton’s De Doctrina Christiana (Urban, 2015, p. 817).
S. The Holy Spirit and humanity of Christ19
a. John Owen’s historical context according to Pneumatologia (Kieser, 2022,
p. 93).
b. Owen’s context of a wider compilation according to Pneumatologia
(Kieser, 2022, p. 93).
c. Owen’s instant context according to Pneumatologia (Kieser, 2022, p. 93).
T. Justification by faith20
a. The crossing of gender, ethnic or societal boundaries (Van Aarde, 2017, p.
1).
b. Betterment, amendment, and alteration (Van Aarde, 2017, p. 1).
III. The Death of Christ (3 pages)
A. Jesus’ three predictions.
B. The betrayal of Judas.
C. The abandonment of the disciples.
D. The denial of Peter.
E. The meaning of the cross.
IV. The Burial (3 pages)
A. Joseph’s tomb.
19
Ty Kieser, “The Holy Spirit and the Humanity of Christ in John Owen: A Re‐examination,” International Journal of
Systematic Theology 25, no. 1 (January 21, 2022): 93–113, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12537.
20
Andries G. Van Aarde, “‘By Faith Alone’ (Undivided Loyalty) in Light of Change Agency Theory: Jesus, Paul and
the Jesus-Group in Colossae,” HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 73, no. 3 (February 8, 2017),
https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v73i3.4355.
6
B. The lives of the disciples.
C. The anticipation of stealing Jesus’ body.
V. The Resurrection (3 pages)
A. The symbolic foreshadowing of Lazarus.
B. Implications of the Resurrection.
C. Road to Emmaus.
D. Evidence of the Resurrection according to 1 Corinthians 15 (Nelson, 2018, p.
1,554).21
E. Martyrdom of the disciples.
VI. Conclusion (1 page)
A. Various atonement theories.
B. The most compelling atonement theory.
C. “The Mediatorial work of Christ.”
D. Additional commentary.
Bibliography
The Holy Bible: Containing Old and New Testaments. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2018.
Verhagen, Koert. “God, the Middle Term: Bonhoeffer, Kierkegaard, and Christ’s Mediation in
Works of Love.” Religions 11, no. 2 (2020): 78.
21 The Holy Bible: Containing Old and New Testaments (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018).
7
Ralston, Joshua. “Rewriting Calvin: Schleiermacher on the Atonement and Priestly Office of
Christ.” Scottish Journal of Theology 75, no. 2 (2022): 89–103.
Crawford, Brandon James. “Divine Love as the Organizing Principle of Jonathan Edwards’s
Doctrine of Atonement.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62, no. 3
(September 2019): 563–581.
Christensen, Sean. “Reborn Participants in Christ: Recovering the Importance of Union with
Christ in 1 Peter.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 61, no. 2 (June 2018):
339–354.
Ryan, Fáinche. “Holiness as Priesthood.” New Blackfriars 97, no. 1068 (2016): 173–186.
Butner, D. Glenn. “Probing the Exegetical Foundations of Consubstantiality: Worship,
Mediatorial Figures, and the Homoousion.” Modern Theology 37, no. 3 (November 20,
2020): 679–702.
Lindholm, Stefan. “Would Christ Have Become Incarnate Had Adam Not Fallen?” Journal of
Reformed Theology 9, no. 1 (2015): 19–36.
Ryken, Philip, Gayle D. Beebe, Roger Parrott, Shirley A. Mullen, and William Robinson.
“Christ-Centered Presidency: The Threefold Office of Christ as a Theological Paradigm for
Leading a Christian College/Response/Response/Response/Response/Author’s Response to
Comments.” Christian Scholar’s Review 47, no. 2 (2018): 107–161.
Wittman, Tyler. “The Logic of Divine Blessedness and the Salvific Teleology of Christ.”
International Journal of Systematic Theology 18, no. 2 (March 21, 2016): 132–153.
Nimmo, Paul T. “Schleiermacher on Scripture and the Work of Jesus Christ.” Modern Theology
31, no. 1 (January 2015).
Baylor, T. Robert. “‘With Him in Heavenly Realms’: Lombard and Calvin on Merit and the
Exaltation of Christ.” International Journal of Systematic Theology 17, no. 2 (March 2,
2015): 152–175.
Scholtz, Jacob J. “Reading Matthew 13 as a Prophetic Discourse: The Four Parables Presented in
Private.” In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi 49, no. 1 (March 4, 2015).
Duby, Steven J. “Atonement, Impassibility and the Communicatio Operationum.” International
Journal of Systematic Theology 17, no. 3 (June 2, 2015): 284–295.
Chino, Taido. “Theology’s Munus Triplex? Reconsidering Theology’s Relationship to the
Sciences.” International Journal of Systematic Theology 20, no. 3 (July 2018): 335–358.
Butner, D. Glenn. “Eternal Functional Subordination and the Problem of the Divine Will.”
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 58, no. 1 (March 2015): 131–149.
8
Heavin, Joshua Roy. “Hope for Faithful Endurance: Divine Simplicity in Hebrews 6:13–20.”
Journal of Theological Interpretation 17, no. 2 (December 2023): 220–254.
Colacurcio, Michael J. “Inheritance, Repetition, Complicity, Redemption: Sin and Salvation in
the House of the Seven Gables.” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 46, no. 1 (October 2020): 1–
29.
Urban, David V. “John Milton, Paradox, and the Atonement: Heresy, Orthodoxy, and the Son’s
Whole-Life Obedience.” Studies in Philology 112, no. 4 (September 2015): 817–836.
Kieser, Ty. “The Holy Spirit and the Humanity of Christ in John Owen: A Re‐examination.”
International Journal of Systematic Theology 25, no. 1 (January 21, 2022): 93–113.
Van Aarde, Andries G. “‘By Faith Alone’ (Undivided Loyalty) in Light of Change Agency
Theory: Jesus, Paul and the Jesus-Group in Colossae.” HTS Teologiese Studies /
Theological Studies 73, no. 3 (February 8, 2017).
9
