Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro Book 4 - Beyond Personality: or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity Summary of Chapters: 1 - Making and Begetting (Jn 1:1-5, 1 Pe 1:20, Col 1:15-22) 2 - The Three-Personal God (1 Jn 3:1-10; 5:1-20; 2 Tm 1:6-14) Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis

Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro Making and Begetting Theology: As a Map Less Real, But Essential Christians: We are all Missionaries and Theologians Religious Experience Based on Emotions (Charismatic) Feelings (New Age) Popular Understanding (Nominalism) Christianity (Integral Religion) is Based on Faith Reason Experience Emotions, Feelings A discussion about life and how it relates to God.

Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro Making and Begetting Christ is the Son of God Those who give Him their confidence can also become Sons of God His death saved us from our sins Man as Pictures or Statues of God Bios versus Zoe Material versus Spiritual This world is a great sculptor’s shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life. Before all worlds Christ is begotten, not created.

Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro Questions for Guiding the Discussions 1 What does the word theology mean and are you interested in having the clearest and most accurate ideas about God? 2 Lewis makes an analogy between theology and a map, can you describe this analogy? 3. Do you think a person can gain eternal life by experiencing some kind of feeling of the presence of God? What are the criticisms that Lewis has regarding feelings about God? 4. Lewis describes the popular religion of his day as being an acknowledgment of the excellent moral teachings of Jesus. Why does Lewis say that this religion is unable to make any difference in the world? 5. What is the difference between begetting and creating? 6. Think of some things (objects biological or non-biological) in the Universe. How are they like God? 7. How is the life of man different from the life of God? 8. Lewis uses the terms Bios and Zoe. Can you describe the meaning of these terms?

Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro The Three-Personal God A discussion of the divine personality, it's qualities, and how it works in our lives. God beyond Personality The Wrong idea - God as something impersonal The Christian Idea - God as Super-Personal / Three-Personal Life God is Father Son Spirit is is not

Rivermont Presbyterian Church P. Ribeiro The Three-Personal God When you come to know God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another. The whole Christian community = the adequate instrument for learning about God, waiting for Him together. Christian brotherhood is the technical equipment for this science - the lab outfit. Questions for Guiding the Discussions 1. With respect to concepts of God and personality, how is Christianity "the only one on the market" as seen by Lewis? 2. Lewis describes God's personality as being on a divine level. How is the divine level of personality different than the human level of personality? 3. Why does Lewis say it isn't any good talking about a three-personal being? 4. Lewis says that when a Christian kneels down in his bedroom to pray he is being caught up into Zoe, what does he mean by this? 5.Why is the Christian community the one really adequate instrument for learning about God?