On the Ascension

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Order of Contents

Articles  10+
Books  2
Latin  1


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Articles

See also ‘Commentaries on the Apostles’ Creed’ on ‘He ascended into heaven’.

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1500’s

Beza, Theodore

A Brief & Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith made in Form of a Confession  (London, 1565)

25. How Jesus Christ being ascended into heaven is nevertheless here on earth with his flock

pp. 8-9  in A Book of Christian Questions & Answers… (London, 1574)

Viret, Pierre – A Christian Instruction…  (d. 1571; London: Veale, 1573), A Familiar Exposition of the Principal Points of the Catechism, and of the Christian Doctrine, made in Form of Dialogue

18th Dialogue: Of the Presence of Jesus Christ in Heaven, & in the Supper & in his Church

Whether the Ascension of Jesus Christ be a True Ascension or No, or else if he made himself only Invisible

Olevian, Caspar – An Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed  (London, 1581), pt. 2

’He ascended into heaven’

Testimonies out of the prophets and apostles
The meaning of these words, ‘He ascended into heaven’
How Christ being absent is yet present
Of the fruit of the ascension
How the death, resurrection, ascension and sitting of Christ at the right hand of God make to the justification of faith
Of the second fruit of the ascension
Of the third fruit

Olevian (1536–1587) was a significant German reformed theologian, and has been said to be a co-author of the Heidelberg Catechism along with Zacharias Ursinus (though this has been questioned).

Zanchi, Girolamo – ‘Of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus from the Dead, his Ascension into Heaven & Sitting at God’s Right Hand, out of Eph. 1 [On Theandric Operations & Against Ubiquity]’  (1581)  in ‘Certain Positions’  appended to Confession of the Christian Religion…  (1586; Cambridge, 1599), pp. 397-419

Ursinus, Zachary – The Sum of Christian Religion: Delivered…  in his Lectures upon the Catechism…  tr. Henrie Parrie  (Oxford, 1587), pt. 2, Apostles’ Creed

‘He Ascended into Heaven’

1. Whither Christ Ascended
2. How Christ ascended into Heaven
3. Wherefore Christ ascended into Heaven
4. What is the difference between Christ’s Ascension & ours
5. What are the fruits of Christ’s Ascension

Beza, Theodore, Anthony Faius & Students – 46. ‘Of his Ascension into Heaven’  in Propositions & Principles of Divinity Propounded & Disputed in the University of Geneva by Certain Students of Divinity there, under Mr. Theodore Beza & Mr. Anthony Faius…  (Edinburgh: Waldegrave, 1591), pp. 125-28

Perkins, William – ’Christ’s Ascension’  in An Exposition of the Symbol, or Apostles’ Creed…  (Cambridge, 1595), p. 333

Perkins (d. 1602) was an influential, puritan, Anglican clergyman and Cambridge theologian.

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1600’s

Bucanus, William – 27. ‘Of the Ascension of Christ’  in Institutions of Christian Religion...  (London: Snowdon, 1606), pp. 265-76

What is the history of Christ’s ascension?
What must be understood by ‘ascension’?
Is the word ‘ascension’ used properly or figuratively in this place?
Seeing (in that saying of Paul, Eph. 4:10, ‘He that descended is also the same that ascended’) the word of ‘descending’ does figuratively signify the humiliation of Christ, why is not also the word of ‘ascending’ taken figuratively for the same Christ’s exaltation & glorification?
Who ascended?
Who is the efficient cause or author of Christ’s ascension?
From whence is the reason and certainty of the ascension to be taken?
What time did He ascend?
From what place did He ascend?
Why did He choose to Himself this place?
What was the manner of his ascension?
Whither did He ascend?
But Paul, Eph. 4:10, says that ‘He ascended above all heavens.’
By what names is that heaven called?
But if Christ be ascended above all worldly heavens, therefore his body is no longer in place, because (as Aristotle proves in his first book, De coelo) above all the heavens there is no place
Does not the ascension of Christ imply a contrariety to his saying, Mt. 28:20, ‘I will be with you until the consummation of the world’?
What therefore is that which Paul says, Eph. 4:10, that Christ ‘ascended above all heavens that He might fulfill all things’?
What witnesses were there of his ascension?
Who were the foretellers of this ascension?
But how does the ascension of Elijah differ from Christ’s ascension?
What is the end of this triumph?
What are the effects and fruits of the Lord’s ascension?
What is the use of this?
What is against this doctrine of Christs ascension?

Turretin, Francis – 18. ‘Did Christ ascend properly by a local movement from the lower places to the supreme heaven of the blessed; or metaphorically by disappearance?  We affirm the former and deny the latter against the Lutherans.’  in Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr.  (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 13th Topic, pp. 366-69

van Mastricht, Peter – ch. 16, ‘The Ascension of the Mediator’  in Theoretical Practical Theology  (2nd ed. 1698; RHB), vol. 4, pt. 1, bk. 5, pp. 535-62


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Books

1600’s

Love, Christopher – ‘The Saint’s Advantage by Christ’s Ascension’  on Jn. 14:3  184 pp.  in The Soul’s Cordial in Two Treatises: I. Teaching how to be Eased of the Guilt of Sin. II. Discovering Advantages by Christ’s Ascension  (London, 1653)

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1800’s

Milligan, William – The Ascension & Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord  (1891)  370 pp.  6 Lectures  repr. by Klock & Klock

Milligan (1821-1893)

“He masterfully blends Biblical truth and theological perception, with the result that he has produced a work of rare merit.” – Cyril J. Barber


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Latin Article

1600’s

Voet, Gisbert – Of the Ascension of Christ  in Syllabus of Theological Problems  (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 2, tract 2   Abbr.

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Related Pages

On the Session of Christ at God’s Right Hand