Beware of the bad theology in verse 2. He did NOT "empty himself of all but love." It may be poetic and I am willing to grant artistic license, but it's not true that Christ gave up everything but love. He retained his divinity, his power, his grace, his justice, etc. etc.
However, I think it might be a reference to the idea that he, "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Phil 2:7 ESV)." Note the Greek "kenosis" means "emptying". The NRSV and the Holman Christian Standard Bible render it "emptied himself". So I don't think the line in the song is out of Reformed bounds.
This being said I wouldn't say that we should build a theology off of one verse in the Bible rather what the whole counsel of God brings to bear on the topic. In my opinion I don't think this means we can't use that phrase...we should use it in the context of our overall understanding of what Scripture teaches. This is similar to how we can give a free offer of the gospel to all people knowing that only the elect will come. Vice versa with being able to say, "If you sin you will go to hell." That's when we hold out the gospel...
So I can freely say, "He left His Father’s throne above So free, so infinite His grace—Emptied Himself of all but love,And bled for Adam’s helpless race:"
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2 comments:
Beware of the bad theology in verse 2. He did NOT "empty himself of all but love." It may be poetic and I am willing to grant artistic license, but it's not true that Christ gave up everything but love. He retained his divinity, his power, his grace, his justice, etc. etc.
It is still one of my favorite hymns.
Dude, good point.
However, I think it might be a reference to the idea that he, "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Phil 2:7 ESV)." Note the Greek "kenosis" means "emptying". The NRSV and the Holman Christian Standard Bible render it "emptied himself". So I don't think the line in the song is out of Reformed bounds.
This being said I wouldn't say that we should build a theology off of one verse in the Bible rather what the whole counsel of God brings to bear on the topic. In my opinion I don't think this means we can't use that phrase...we should use it in the context of our overall understanding of what Scripture teaches. This is similar to how we can give a free offer of the gospel to all people knowing that only the elect will come. Vice versa with being able to say, "If you sin you will go to hell." That's when we hold out the gospel...
So I can freely say, "He left His Father’s throne above So free, so infinite His grace—Emptied Himself of all but love,And bled for Adam’s helpless race:"
In Christ
Noah
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