Foundations Final Exam

According to the chart given in class, what characterized the four periods in Christian history (30 - mid-90, etc.)? Be able to identify the four periods and distinguish them from each other.

(1) Apostles (30-mid 90s) Emphasis: Establish and extend (2) Apostolic Fathers (mid 90's - 150) Emphasis: Exhort and edify the church Issues: Passing the baton of church leadership to the new generation. Events: Persecution. Key figures: Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias. Key writings: Letters of Clement, Shepherd of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache. (3) Apologists (150 - 300) Emphasis: defend the faith. Issues: defend against charges from the outside (accused of atheism, incest, unsocial, cannibalism). Events: continued persecution; growing presence in the church of classically educated thinkers. Key figures: Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Cyprian. Key writings: Legal speech in defense and literary dialogue. (4) Theologians (300-600) Emphasis: Clarify, develop the faith. Issues: move from persecuted minority > reflective majority and from Philosophical defense > theological reflection. Events: Constantine becomes christian in 312 therefore there is an edict of toleration; official religion in Rome 392; 397 council of carthage agrees on an exact list of NT books. Key figure: (west) Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, (Africa) Clement, Origen, Athanasius, Cyril, (east) Cappadocians (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus), Theodore, John Chrysostom. Writings: "Nicene Creed"- Constantinople (381)

What is a creed?

- A creed is a concise, formal, memorable, and universally accepted and authorized statement of the main points of the Christian faith.

"Creed" comes from which Latin word?

- Creed "credo" - "I believe"

What did the professor say about fences, orthodoxy and heresy, and freedom?

- Creeds and councils build fences in order to clarify what the Scriptures teach as what is clear and fundamentally important. They set up a clear "fence" between what is orthodox belief and heresy. Yet within the fence there is openness to explore and agree to disagree about the non-fundamentals.

What are the two big ideas we (repeatedly) focused on in our study of the Bible, under which falls everything else?

- Doctrine of Scripture: big question/idea is what is it? it is the Word of God.(revelation) 2nd idea: the role it should play in our lives... it should be the authority. (what should we do about it, how should we live)

The word "catholic" in the early Christian creeds referred to what?

- Universally recognized or "according to the whole"

Why are creeds needed? Do creeds give us more than the Bible—new information? Are creeds incompatible with viewing the Bible as "sufficient"?

- Yes and no: The bible is enough to give me all the info I need in order to know God and follow him. A creed does not give me more than the Bible. However, a creed distills and summarizes biblical teachings. i.e. concise version of core ideas in the Bible, but no new info.

How did the professor describe (an) authority? What are the three elements of authority?

-"A source of knowledge about what is true in a given area." That is, someone who can offer beliefs in correspondence to reality about a field not as studied by the one listening. -An authority is a source of knowledge, it tells the truth; this involves a cognitive aspect, character aspect, and skill aspect (ex: Albert Einstein)

What (from the professor's point of view) is a bad argument for the authority and inspiration of the Bible?

-"It's the word of God because it says so in the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17)" -Circular reasoning

What went wrong in the Galileo incident?

-"Religion and science are at war" -Bad science, Misinterpretation of the data led to incorrect assumptions -Bad Theology, Church interpreted the scriptures incorrectly -Scientific community came to the church to stop Galileo from telling them that were wrong in their assumptions.

What is a worldview? What kinds of beliefs are central to a worldview?

-A worldview is the lens through which a person interprets the world. - Core beliefs are central to a worldview -Set of beliefs (core and non-core) that relate to each other in a rough unity or structure

How does the "ultimate reality" issue distinguish all the different worldviews (except postmodernism)?

-Answers the question of whether there is a God, a material and immaterial world, and whether people are personal or non-personal beings.

Which key Apostolic Father was the Bishop of Smyrna (Turkey), studied by Dr. Berding of Biola? What point did the professor make about the two earliest, post-NT Christian documents (Epistle of Barnabas, Didache)?

-Apostolic father studied by Berding: Polycarp (69-160) -Emphasis of two earliest documents: ? -It talks about issues that the Bible does not directly address (abortion and infanticide), this shows the early Christian view of these things even though they were not directly stated in the Bible

What are the three tests for truth in evaluating worldviews?

-Ask these about every worldview. And it will filter out the bad world views. 1. Is it consistent? 2. Is it factual? 3. Is it livable?

Psalm 19 discusses which kind(s) of revelation?

-Both general and special revelation

According to the professor, the creeds and councils do what?

-Build fences to protect but give freedom, not bridges.

How does this relate to the closing of the canon?

-By the Bible being the closed and authorized word of God, and Jesus thinking it is complete for this generation of believers, the implication then must be that Scripture is sufficient for us.

The professor listed three purposes of creeds. What are they?

-Clarify the faith -Unify Christians around the central truths of the faith. -Educate people as to what the Christian faith really is.

What are core beliefs? How do they differ from non-core beliefs? Why is it important to distinguish between the two?

-Core beliefs are the beliefs that most shape a worldview. They essentially determine whether the worldview is true or false. Non-core beliefs are ones that stem from core beliefs (other than defining ones). -Distinguishing between the two is important because core beliefs act as a function of the truth of the worldview as a whole.

What are the four "chapters" of the Christian story that serve as answers to the four questions?

-Creation (origin) -Fall (Problem) -Solution (redemption) -Consummation or glorification (Destiny)

How should Christian believers think about people who embrace worldviews or religions other than Christian theism? What theological commitment supports this conclusion?

-Find common ground with them. (ex. Muslims believe in a God, the rest may be wrong, but that is a good starting point for dialogue) -Extension of Common Grace. (General Revelation)

What are the two major turning points of the church identified by Lane and discussed in class? According to Lane (and discussed in class), when was the Nicene Creed as we know it formulated (at which Council)?

-First: 70 AD- Christian Jews scattered from Jerusalem-No longer in the safe haven of Judaism, they became their own religion. -Second: 313 AD-Constantine converts to Christianity and issues the edict of toleration-Christianity becomes legal.

What are "fourteeners," as the professor used the term? How does this relate to the Christian worldview? Why is it important to study Christian history?

-Fourteeners are the big ideas that give shape to everything else in the world. It relates to the Christian worldview because ideas have consequences.

How do general and special revelation relate to each other?

-General Revelation is enough to know God exists, is not enough to offer salvation. -Special Revelation is enough to know God's plan for humanity, and for the salvation of the believer.

What is the basis of the authority of the canon of the NT?

-Gives us rationally justified belief. -The authority was in the books themselves. They looked for the clues that it was an authority. Not giving manmade books authority. (The view of Horner/Biola)

What is historical relativism? Why is it a temptation? What are the problems with historical relativism? What are the two objective criteria that the early church thinkers used to formulate the creeds and council definitions, in order to protect these formulations from simply being an expression of "just our opinions"?

-Hist. Rel.: All truth is relative to the time when it was thought of to be true. It's a temptation because people consider truth to be subjective and therefore alterable by opinion. -Problem: Truth is objective, beliefs are subjective. Beliefs are historically relative. -Two criteria: Apostolic record, and catholic (ecumenical) implication.

What makes a worldview true or false as a worldview?

-If it's core beliefs correspond to reality.

How did Jesus view the OT? What was the professor's argument for this? What passages did he appeal to? How did Jesus view the NT? What was the professor's argument for this? What passages did he appeal to? What does 'canon' mean? What does the canon of Scripture refer to?

-Jesus cited the Old Testament as authoritative. Difficult question? He says "It is written..." -Jesus quoted the Old Testament saying that the Holy Spirit was involved with its being written -He antecedently approved the New Testament. Professor highlighted the Biblical pattern of God authorizing an individual to speak as God's mouth-piece -If God the Father authorized certain people (prophets) so that what they spoke were the very words of God, and He did that in a culminating way with Jesus, and if Jesus authorized others to speak through the Holy Spirit, will the words of those men be from God? Yes.

What is the conservative heresy? The liberal heresy?

-LIBERAL- trying to make the Bible say less than it actually says. - CONSERVATIVE- making the Bible say more than what it actually says.

What does John mean by logos?

-Logos means "word": reason/logic -Jesus is God's word (reasonable and logical person who embodies the reason and logic of logos.)

How much can we know about God from general revelation?

-Moral law written on our hearts. -Existence of a higher power/creator.

According to the professor the Old Testament pattern is that God speaks through his authorized spokespersons/prophets, empowered by the Holy Spirit, so that what the prophet says is what God says. Which OT passages are relevant to this? Which NT passage explicitly teaches this? How is this pattern extended in the New Testament?

-OT passages: Matthew 19:4-5 and Mark 12:36 -NT passage: John 3:34

How should we respond to Scripture? Why?

-Obedience. It has proven to be an authority.

What is the point of the "agree/disagree" quiz about "red"?

-Our beliefs are related to each other. They come in contexts. The biggest group of contexts is a worldview. -Horner said in class, "Do you agree or disagree with this... 'Red'" Then went on to say "Red is the greatest color in the world" and then said that red = communism.

What is the role of the interpretation of Scripture in relation to inerrancy?

-Our interpretation of the Scripture may have errors. Scripture itself is inerrant. -Lies people told, sins committed, heresies (Psalm 14:1 hermeneutics)

What form(s) of "word of God" does John describe in John 1.1-14?

-Reason, logic. But in addition to that: reason and logic as a reasonable, logical, and creative person (i.e. Jesus).

What Scriptures are relevant to answering this question?

-Romans 1: People know that there is a God or aware of the existence of someone bigger (Theism) - Romans 2: People can tell the difference between right and wrong (moral/ethical knowledge) -Psalm 119

Is the Apostles' Creed the product of a church council?

-The Apostles Creed was not written or approved by a single Church council. It was developed and modified over time and emerged into the practice or Christians everywhere.

What does "word of God" refer to?

-The Bible

According to the professor, is the Bible exhaustively true? What distinctions did he make with respect to this subject?

-The Bible is exhaustively true in all that it affirms. -However, the Bible does not address all things.

What (from the professor's point of view) is a good argument for it? What does "revelation" refer to?

-The New Testament documents are historically accurate documents of Jesus In those documents, Jesus claims to be God. -There is good evidence he spoke the truth...miracles, quality of life and teaching, resurrection etc. -If Jesus says who he says he is, he has divine authority. Jesus believed the Bible to be the inspired word of God. -Therefore, we have good reason to believe that as well.

Did the church specify the mode or exact process of how God brought it about that what the prophet wrote was what God wanted to be communicated? Which Scripture is relevant to this question?

-The Scripture was "Inspired" by God. He moved the author, giving him the essence of what needed to be written, but not dictating the words that needed to be written down. -2 Peter 1:20-1

What did the professor discuss, to support the credibility of the Bible? Why is the historical reliability of the New Testament important? How does the historical reliability of the NT relate to believing that the Bible is the Word of God?

-The historical reliability of the New Testament is important because it determines the credibility of Jesus. -Jesus believed that the Bible was the word of God, so if Jesus was credible than the Bible is the word of God.

Be able to match the key ideas related to each major worldview discussed.

-Theism: © ← G -What is real/reality? Dualistic, Material and Immaterial, Personal and causally interactive God. -Who are we? Material and Immaterial, Personal beings. -What is good? Transcendent and personal. -Naturalism: © -What is real/reality? Monistic, Material, Non-personal. -Who are we? Material, Personal (self-refuting here, if reality is non-personal, why would we be any different?) -What is good? Imminent, Non-personal. -Pantheism: © = G -What is real/reality? Monistic, Immaterial, Non-personal. -Who are we? Immaterial, Non-personal. -What is good? Illusion, Non-personal.

Why can there be an apparent contradiction between what the Bible says and what, e.g., science "says"?

-There can be an apparent contradiction because we are Finite, Fallen, Fallible (The 3 "f words") -We can misinterpret the Bible, science, or both. This does not mean that the Bible or science is wrong, just our interpretation.

What is the difference between the truth of a worldview as a whole and truth within a worldview? Why is this distinction important?

-There can be truths within a worldview without the worldview being true. (a worldview that may be a false worldview can actually contains some truths.) - Core beliefs answer the big questions. - Truth of a worldview at it's core, (it's fundamental believes), may not be true, though they can still hold to beliefs that are indeed true. (ex. naturalism) -Truth of a worldview= function of core beliefs; truth within a worldview = function of non-core beliefs

Why do naturalists often claim that theism bears the burden of proof, and that naturalism is the default position? What's wrong with that view?

-They believe there is a worldview that "everyone" has, and theists have an extra belief. -This is wrong because not everyone believes the same thing about the existence of God. Naturalism is not necessarily the default view. -Christianity is not Naturalism with an extra belief, it is a fundamentally different worldview - Neither Christianity nor Naturalism has the burden of proof, neither is a default view, both need to be tested

Why did the professor stress the "credibility" of the Bible? Why is credibility important?

-This is where he differs from Grudem. -Credibility is important because otherwise we cannot differentiate the Bible from other truth claims.

Why did the early Christians formulate a canon?

-To combat the growing number of false doctrines that began to pop up, leading people away from Christ. -To solidify and begin to develop a common, or orthodox, set of beliefs that most closely related to the writings of the apostles.

What is the reasonable response to an authority?

-To follow/obey it.

To say that Scripture is "inspired" is to say what? Where does the Bible teach this?

-To say Scripture is inspired is to say that God was responsible for everything it says, no matter the author that wrote it. He moved the authors, not dictated to them. -2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is God breathed"

What three criteria were used to determine the canon of the NT?

-Was it written by an apostle (Apostolic Connection) -Is it catholic (Universal, Ecumenical) -Is it Orthodox, (Does the teaching fit with the common understanding of what the Apostles taught)

Be prepared to distinguish between what was said about Wycliffe, Erasmus, and Tyndale.

-Wycliffe: Oxford man; 1300s: Lots of Bible ignorance and spiritual decline; Translated Bible from Latin (Vulgate) to common English; all hand-copied manuscripts; FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION of the whole bible; banished for his work, which led to the Protestant Reformation. -Erasmus: "I long to see... The farmer should sing portions of [Scripture] as he follows the plough."; Brought back study of the NT in the original Greek. AD FONTES: "To the sources"; *Didn't make any translations* -Tyndale: Oxford man; 1526: Translated NT from Greek to English, printed on a large scale due to the printing press; Was illegal, did printing in Belgium; Coined phrases: "salt of the earth" and "the powers that be"; 90% of today's KJV are from Tyndale's translation; was killed violently; last words: "Lord, open the King of England's eyes."

What are the biblical passages that correspond to these Greek words? What was the point made by the professor's using these terms?

. ___John 1__ logos "the word." -The Word of God was no longer a concept of reason and logic, it was a logical and reasonable person. . _2 Peter 1:20-21__ pheromenoi: "carried along" -As the Spirit carries the writers of Scripture through their inspiration and what to write. . _2 Timothy 3:16-17__ theopneustos: "God-breathed" -All Scripture is inspired by God, guided and driven by Him.

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages and how it relates to class discussion:

. _____ Acts 2.42 "And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." . _____ John 3.34 - "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure." . _____ John 14.24-26 (16.13-14) -Jesus: "'Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mind but the Father's who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." -When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. . _____ John 17.17-18 "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." . _____ 2 Peter 3.15-16 "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." . _____ Hebrews 1.1-3 "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." . _____ 2 Timothy 3.16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." . _____ Deuteronomy 18.14-22 "For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to the fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is him you shall listen-- For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." The Lord said to me: "What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

How did the professor argue for the inspiration and authority of the Bible?

1) The New Testament documents are historically accurate documents of Jesus 2) In those documents, Jesus claims to be God. 3) There is good evidence he spoke the truth...miracles, quality of life and teaching, resurrection etc. 4) If Jesus says who he says he is, he has divine authority. 5) Jesus believed the Bible to be the inspired word of God. 6) Therefore, we have good reason to believe that as well.

What fills the blank in belief statements ("I believe that _____")?

A Proposition

The bottom line of the doctrine of inerrancy is: The Bible is true in all that it ______.

AFFIRMS

What is the "Loch Ness Monster" objection? What is wrong with it?

Analogy : everyone has the same belief about lakes, not what is inside them. The people who believe in the Loch Ness Monster have the burden of proof, since they are the one with the "extra" belief of the monster being real.

How should Christian believers think about the truth or falsity of worldviews other than Christian theism? What theological distinction also supports this way of thinking?

As a matter of logic it cannot be the case that all worldviews are true, at most, one worldview can be true What makes the worldview true/false is going to be determined by the core beliefs. People that do not believe that Bible can still hold accurate truths On the flip side, just because they believe one or two things that are true, does not validate their entire argument.

Why is it compatible with viewing the Bible as the inspired Word of God to acknowledge that the personalities of the human writers show through in their style and language?

Because God spoke in and through the human writers. He moved them, but did not necessarily dictate what was written.

What distinguishes Christian faith from other kinds of faith?

Christian faith would not just be the four elements (object, content, trust, commitment), it is distinguished by the object that their is faith in (The God of the Bible). Thus, changes the content. & (everyone has faith, it just depends on the content and if it is rational faith)

Where do rationality and evidence come in?

Content component of belief

General revelation is truth available to all people by virtue of what?

Creation

Is faith reasonable?

Faith is reasonable if the belief in the proposition is reasonable.

When was the final text of the Apostles' Creed established?

Final text of the Apostles' Creed, c.700

How does God speak in creation?

General revelation... God created flesh/our minds, therefore we have a moral conscious from Him.

How does faith relate to belief?

Holding a proposition to be true. faith goes beyond belief, belief plus something. Belief + trust & commitment = Faith

How does the truth of Scripture relate to the authority of Scripture?

If scripture is true, than it is the word of God Therefore, it is authoritative by being the word of God

Where does Scripture teach the idea that Jesus is God's "Final Word," his definitive revelation of himself?

It just means that we are not waiting for more Scripture, another word, or anything else. The efficiency of Jesus. To say that he's the final word says that he is the clearest communication that God can offer.

What is God's "Final Word"?

Jesus Christ is the "final word" of God. The ultimate revelation of who He is.

What are the four components of every instance or expression of faith? Which of them is propositional?

Object, Content (propositional), Trust, Commitment.

Identify the four questions that worldviews are designed to answer according to the narrative approach. ( ) = Christian answer

Origin: Who are we, where did we come from?(creation) Problem: What's wrong with us? (fall) Solution: What can be done? (redemption) Destiny: What are we headed for, what can we hope? (consummation)

What are presuppositions? How do they differ from explicit beliefs?

Presuppositions are ideas that are assumed to be true by an individual. They may never be consciously known, whereas explicit beliefs require conscious acknowledgement.

What is special revelation?

Romans 10: Knowing the specific characteristics and character of God (i.e. His name)

From the Review? →

Scripture comes from a Latin word that means "Writings"

What does the Bible contrast to faith?

Sight

Why do we need special revelation in addition to general revelation? What Scriptures are relevant to answering this question?

Special revelation tells us about God, while general revelation just tells us there is God. Romans 10

Where does the professor differ from Grudem?

The professor thinks that determining the credibility of the Bible is very important, while Grudem thinks that credibility is not important compared to authority.

Know the professor's definition of Christian faith (note the triangle)

Trust "in", believe "that", and commitment "to" (God in the middle)

What are the two ways, according to the professor, that we can go wrong concerning general revelation? What distinguishes the Bible (Scripture) as the "Word of God"? Why is the Bible significant?

Underestimate the importance/value of General Revelation, (rejection of science ect.) Overestimate its value, forgetting the unique authority of Special Revelation

What does it mean to "think worldviewishly"? Why is thinking worldviewishly important?

Understanding worldviews and thinking of things in light of that. (Our beliefs are related to each other in a coherent structure) There are explicit beliefs and presuppositions. Presuppositions are underlying beliefs that people may not have ever thought about consciously. -Helps us see that we are not all naturalists/theists have an extra belief.

How should we think about such a case?

We should examine our interpretation.

What are the "big questions" a worldview is designed to answer (according to the philosophical approach)?

What is real? (Reality) Who are we? (Humanity) What is good? (Morality)