The life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
What this domain tests
This domain covers the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus as presented in the Gospels. You need to use Gospel evidence carefully and explain doctrinal terms such as incarnation and hypostatic union.
Core rules and concepts
- Incarnation: the Word became flesh (John 1:14). The Council of Chalcedon (451) defines one person in two natures, divine and human, without confusion or separation.
- Jesus' public ministry: baptism by John, temptation, proclamation of the kingdom, parables, miracles, table fellowship, and calls to discipleship.
- Titles such as Messiah, Son of Man, Son of God and Lord carry Old Testament and royal meanings; they are not interchangeable slogans.
- Passion: Last Supper, arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. Resurrection: the empty tomb and appearances (1 Cor 15:3-8), understood as bodily transformation, not mere revival.
Worked example
Why does Paul say the resurrection is 'first fruits' (1 Cor 15:20)? Reasoning: first fruits in Israel's harvest was a pledge that the rest would follow. So Jesus' resurrection is not an isolated miracle but the beginning of the general resurrection. This connects Christology with eschatology and explains why the resurrection is essential to salvation, not just a happy ending.
Traps
Confusing resurrection with resuscitation (Lazarus); treating parables as moral fables with one-to-one codes; denying Jesus' real humanity (docetism) or real divinity (adoptionism); reducing the kingdom to a social programme.