The opening pages of the Bible show us God’s good plan to rule with humanity as his image in heaven and on earth. Later characters in the story experience apocalyptic moments where they glimpse this ideal world and gain perspective to bring comfort and challenge to the world. Listen in as Tim and Jon discuss how this all points us to Jesus.View full show notes from this episode → Additional ResourcesHeaven and Earth Podcast SeriesMore on the divine counsel in podcast episode Spiritual Warfare: God E3Image of God Podcast SeriesOur video Image of GodCrispin Fletcher-Louis, “God’s Image, His Cosmic Temple, and the High Priest,” Heaven on Earth: The Temple in Biblical Theology, pp. 83-84.S. Dean McBride Jr, Divine Protocol: Genesis 1:1-2:3 as Prologue to the Pentateuch, pp. 16-17.Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation, pp. 6-7. Show MusicDefender Instrumental by TentsMind Garden by 
leavvWhite Oak by dryhopeCinnamon Sugar by Philanthrope x G Mills

Crispin Fletcher-Louis, a world-leading scholar in early Christology and author of 'The Divine Heartset,' shares his insights on Philippians 2:6-11. He dives into the theological intricacies of Paul's identity, exploring themes of divine transformation and Christ's unique nature. The discussion highlights ancient myths versus Christian incarnation, alongside a critical look at Paul's metaphysical elements. Crispin passionately advocates for a deeper understanding of Christ’s supreme name, urging listeners to blend intellect with empathy in their spiritual journeys.

Crispin points out that in modern academia, it is often assumed that Christ didn’t consider himself divine. Instead, academics consider that Christ’s divinity was later imposed on him by the early church. Crispin points to some weaknesses in this argument and offers some refreshing critiques. Included in his points are: • The high priest is a new Adam. • The high priest as “God’s image” is tied to the idea of the temple as a microcosm. • The high priest is, in a sense, “Israel.” • Because the high priest is a representative of Israel, he is also a royal figure, because one of the tribes of Israel is the royal line (the tribe of Judah). • The high priest is an office, not a person. About Dr. Fletcher-Louis: Dr. Crispin Fletcher-Louis is a biblical scholar and teacher. He studied at Keble College, Oxford as an undergraduate when E.P. Sanders and N.T. Wright were University lecturers, and for his doctorate, under Chris Rowland (on angelology in Luke’s Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles). He then taught in the Theology and Religious Studies departments of King’s College, London, Durham University, and Nottingham University. From 2004–2006 he served as Resident Theologian at St Mary’s Bryanston Sq., a thriving church in Central London. With growing demand for deeper theological teaching across the region, in 2006 he spearheaded the creation of Westminster Theological Centre (WTC). In July 2012 Crispin stepped down as Principal of WTC and is now engaged in research, writing, and the development of new teaching material. He continues to provide informal teaching to local churches and consultancy to businesses interested in the optimization of material and spiritual value creation. His research and teaching focuses on the overarching shape of the biblical story (its key themes and theological questions). In particular, he writes about the nature of our human identity and purpose, temple worship and spirituality, apocalyptic and Jewish mysticism, Jesus’ identity (Christology) and the Gospel accounts of his life. Crispin is currently engaged in a four-volume book writing project on Jesus and the origins of the earliest beliefs about him (Jesus Monotheism). The first volume (Jesus Monotheism. Volume 1. Christological Origins: The Emerging Consensus and Beyond) (hard copy: Eugene, Or: Wipf & Stock; digital copy: Whymanity) appeared in 2015. There is a blog dedicated to the Jesus Monotheism project. For more on Crispin’s academic work you can visit his webpage at academia.edu. Crispin is married to Mary and has two children, Emily and Reuben. Resources: • http://www.whymanity.com/ • http://www.crispinfl.com • http://jesusmonotheism.com/usd/ • https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Monotheism-Christological-Emerging-Consensus/dp/1620328895 Show Produced by: Dan Gummel Show music: • Defender Instrumental by Tents • Acquired in Heaven by Beautiful Eulogy Powered and distributed by Simplecast.