At the Limit of Reason, On the Threshold of Worship

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 The Mystery of Faith ==================

At the Limit of Reason, On the Threshold of Worship

Introduction

In the journey of Christian faith, every lover of truth will reach a point where reason says, "I do not understand." It is there that we stand on the threshold of a mystery. Our discussion on the nature of Christ and the event of the cross has brought us to an uncommon conclusion: that to understand correctly, we must know when to stop understanding and begin to worship. This article is a summary of the art of acknowledging mystery without sacrificing truth.

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1.  Mystery is Not Ignorance, But an Acknowledgment of a Reality Beyond Us

    Mystery in theology is not a dark hole we must cover with speculation. Mystery is a luminous space where God dwells, so brilliant that the eyes of our creation are unable to look upon it directly.

       We stop when we have reached the fence of biblical truth. For example, the Bible states Jesus is 100% God and 100% human (Chalcedon). How is this possible? It is a mystery. We stop here, not out of laziness, but out of obedience.

       We stop when every explanation begins to erode one of the truths. If our explanation of the cross diminishes either the divinity or humanity of Christ, that is a sign we have stepped too far and must retreat into the acknowledgment of mystery.

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2.  "With and Through": Not a Final Answer, but a Protective Fence

    The formulation "with and through" that we explored is not a key that unlocks all the doors of the mystery of the Incarnation. Its function is more like a protective fence that prevents us from getting lost into the abyss of heresy.

       This phrase fences us in from saying "only the man died" (Nestorianism) or "His divinity died" (Theopaschitism).

       This phrase honestly acknowledges: "We know Who died (the Divine Person) and how He could experience it (through the human nature), but the mechanism of that perfect divine-human union is God's secret."

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3.  Signs We Must Stop and Worship

    Here are indicators that we have reached the limit of reason and must switch from speculation mode to worship mode:

    1.  When the Explanation Becomes More Complex than the Reality Itself: If our theological explanation requires more words to defend itself than to worship, we have overstepped the bounds.

    2.  When We Say "No" More Than "Yes": Healthy theology is marked by what it affirms, not just what it denies. If we can only say "it's not A, not B, not C," but fail to portray its wonder, we must stop and worship.

    3.  When Curiosity Turns into Arrogance: When our search to "solve" the mystery makes us feel smarter than others or even than God's own revelation, that is the time to kneel.

    4.  When Faith is Replaced by Logic Alone: Faith is not the enemy of logic; faith is the agreement that human logic is not the supreme authority for all things.

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4.  From Solving Mystery to Encountering a Person

    The ultimate goal of theology is not to have all the answers, but to be introduced to a Person.

       The cross was not designed first to be understood, but to be believed in and taken refuge in.

       We do not trust an explanation about atonement; we trust the Person who atoned.

       The question changing from "How is this possible?" to "Who are You, Lord, that You would love me so?" is a sign that we have passed the limit of reason and entered the space of worship.

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Conclusion: Standing at the Limit with Humble Faith

A mature Christian faith is one that can stand comfortably at the edge of the cliff of mystery, without having to throw itself into the abyss of heresy or retreat into the fortress of skepticism.

We stop not because we have failed, but because we have arrived. We arrive at the acknowledgment that God is unfathomable, yet knowable; that He is beyond understanding, yet reveals Himself.

We stop explaining, and begin to worship.

Therefore, let us approach the cross not primarily with the question "How?", but with the cry, "My Lord and my God!". There, in reverent awe, the mystery no longer remains a problem to be solved, but an invitation to know God more deeply.

==================== The Mystery of the Cross ====================

Who Actually Died for Our Sins?

Introduction

The question "Who died on the cross?" is not merely a theological question, but the heart of the Christian faith. The answer determines whether our redemption is truly perfect or just an illusion. However, this answer often gets stuck between two extreme poles: was it only the "human Jesus" who died, or did "God" die? Both answers risk falling into heresy. Through a careful understanding of the nature of Christ, who possesses two natures (divine and human) in one Person, we find the correct lens: the phrase "with and through".

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1. Why is This Question So Critical?

If only the "human Jesus" died, then our redemption lacks infinite divine value. Conversely, if "God" died directly, then the eternal and unchanging essence of God is called into question. The Bible explicitly states that Jesus Christ, the Second Divine Person of the Trinity, died on the cross (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 2:8). But how can the eternal God die? This is where the phrase "with and through" becomes key.

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2. "With and Through": Understanding the Two Natures without Heresy

This phrase is not just wordplay, but an effort to faithfully state biblical truth:

-   "With" explains WHO:  

    The humanity of Jesus was not a separate entity. When we say "He experienced death with His human soul", we affirm that His human soul and body are His own, an integral part of the incarnate Divine Person. This rejects Nestorianism, which separates the human Jesus from the Divine Person.

-   "Through" explains HOW:  

    This word indicates the means or capacity. The eternal and immortal Person experienced death "through" His mortal human nature. This rejects Docetism, which denies His real humanity, and also rejects Theopaschitism, which claims His divinity died.

The combination "with and through" is what maintains the balance of truth.

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3. An Enlightening Analogy

We understand the world "with and through" our bodies. We see with our eyes, and through those eyes we experience visual reality. The eyes are not a foreign "tool," but part of ourselves. If the eyes hurt, we hurt.

Likewise, Christ suffered and died with His whole self (including His humanity) and through the capacity of His humanity which could feel pain and death. That experience was truly experienced by the Divine Person Himself with and through His human nature.

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4. Biblical Language Support

The principle of "with and through" is not a human invention but has roots in biblical language. The Greek of the New Testament uses the construction διὰ (dia) + Genitive, meaning "through," to express means or instrument. Examples:

-   Hebrews 2:14: Christ destroyed the devil "through His death" (διὰ τοῦ θανάτου).

-   1 Peter 1:3: We are reborn "through Jesus Christ" (διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ).

The phrase "with and through" is an attempt to translate this instrumental meaning into Indonesian, while adding the nuance of personal ownership ("with").

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5. Answering Objections and Doubts

Some might say, "This is too mysterious, it can't be explained!" Precisely, that is the point. "With and through" is an honest acknowledgment of the mystery of the Incarnation. Our faith does not depend on a mechanistic explanation, but on God's revelation: that the Divine Person truly died for us, with and through His true humanity.

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6. Implications for Redemption

If Christ only died as a man, our redemption is limited. If His divinity died, then God changed and our faith collapses. But if the Divine Person died with and through His humanity, then:

-   Redemption has infinite value (because it was accomplished by God with His whole self).

-   His suffering was real (because it was experienced through a true human).

-   God does not change (because His divine nature did not die).

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Conclusion: Faith Rooted in Mystery

The cross is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be worshipped. The phrase "with and through" directs us to focus on Who died (Jesus Christ, our Lord) with His whole self, and What He experienced through His perfect humanity (real death for our sins), without getting caught in speculation about "how".

This is biblical faith: humbly acknowledging the limitations of reason, but believing in revealed truth. The one who died on the cross was God who became man, who experienced death with His whole self and through His humanity, to save us all.

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This article is dedicated to every truth-seeker who is not afraid to delve into the depths of the love of the crucified Christ.

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God Bless,  

8 September 2025  

Mantiri AAM