Theology 1 Exam 1
The Bible is totally accurate in every area it touches upon (science, history, geography) Every word in Scripture is true without any errors. The autographs (original copies of Scripture) were true with no errors.
(4) Know and describe the essential elements of inerrancy.
natural revelation
?
All graphe (OT) is theopneustos (God-breathed) (2 Tim. 3:16) Asserts dual authorship- human and divine
Be able to describe the essential elements of verbal plenary theory (key scriptures also).
There is one creator who deserves our exclusive worship. He is eternal and independent. He is invisible and powerful (Rom. 1:20) He is personal and wise; lawgiver.
Be familiar with some of the content of general revelation.
Archtypal Theology: God's theology of Himself: what God knows about himself and created order Ectypal Theology: the theology God has revealed in the created order and in Scripture Pilgrim Theology: the theology we learn along the way; our understanding of ectypal theology
Explain the differences between archetypal, ectypal, and pilgrim theology.
special revelation
God's words addressed to specific people, including the words of the Bible
Patristic Orthodoxy (200-500AD)- Essential doctrines from early church (Trinity, Christ's deity and humanity, spirit's deity). Reformation Theology (1517-1650AD)- Doctrines from the reformation that clarify Christian belief (5 Solas) Evangelical Movement (1730-1900)- a movement among British and American Protestants American Fundamentalism (1800-1950)- A subtype of evangelicalism which is militant in opposition to liberal theology. Evangelical Renaissance (1945-1990)- Carl F.H. Henry writes the Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism about the fundamentalist's disengagement and isolation from the culture; a call to cultural engagement in a positive manner.
Know and describe the five levels of development toward an evangelical theology.
Theology refers to what we know about God. Christian theology studies the true God as revealed in Jesus Christ through divine revalation. Systematic theology is the study of accepted church doctrines (topics/teachings).
Know how we defined "theology," "Christian theology," and "systematic theology."
All of the OT is God breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). The OT prophets spoke from God. (2 Pet. 1:21) Paul believed he spoke from God by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 7:40) Peter considered Paul's writings to be Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15-16) Jesus taught in an authoritative manner. Jesus placed his own teachings alongside the OT Scriptures.
Know some of the ways Jesus and the Apostles held to the authority of the Old and New Testament.
Dynamic equivalence- thought for thought Formal equivalence: word for word
Know the difference between dynamic and formal equivalence in biblical translations.
Catholics- 2 forms: sacred Scripture and sacred tradition Protestants- one form: sacred Scripture
Know the differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants on Scripture's sufficiency.
Scripture
The writings (graphe) of the OT and NT, which have been historically recognized as God's words in written form.
Revelation is unified and will not contradict itself. Revelation is truthful and will not lead us astray. Revelation is authoritative and is not a suggestion.
What are 3 implications of the doctrine of divine revelation?
doctrine
What the whole bible says today about some particular topic
Human depravity rejects and suppresses the general revelation of God.
Why can't general revelation save us?
circular argument
an argument that seeks to prove its conclusion by appealing to a claim that depends on the truth of a situation
blameless
morally perfect in God's sight, a characteristic of those who follow God's word completely
faith and practice
some people who deny the inerrancy of the Bible claim that the Bible's purpose is only to tell us about these 2 subjects
apologetics
the discipline that seeks to provide a defense of the truthfulness of the Christian faith for the purpose of convincing unbelievers
necessity of Scripture
the idea that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining life, and for knowing God's will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about his character and moral laws
clarity of Scripture
the idea that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God's help and are willing to follow it
general revelation
the knowledge of God's existence, character, and moral law, which comes through creation to all of humanity
biblical theology
the study of the teaching of the individual authors and sections of the Bible and of the place of each teaching in the historical development of the Bible
THE 3301- Bibliology, Theology Proper (Father), Christology (Son), Pneumatology (Spirit) THE 3302- Theological Anthropology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology
What are the major doctrines we cover in THE 3301 & THE 3302 at CIU?
Grudem's initial assumptions: the Bible is true and is our absolute standard of truth and the God of the Bible exists. Carl F.H. Henry's 2 axioms: 1)The one true God is the primary ontological axiom. 2) Divine revelation is the primary epistemological axiom.
What basic beliefs do Christians typically begin with as they do theology?
Theological prolegomena refers to the introductory section of a treatise in which basic principles are enunciated. It tries to answer what is theology?, What is the relationship between God's knowledge and our knowledge?, and How does human reason relate to theology?
What is "theological prolegomena" and what three questions does it seek to answer?
authority of Scripture
the idea that all the words in Scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God
exegesis
the process of interpreting Scripture
self-attesting
the self-authenticating natureof the Bible by which it convinces us that its words are God's words
hermeneutics
the study of correct methods of interpreting texts
philosophical theology
the study of theological topics that primarily employs the tools and methods of philosophical reasoning and uses information that can be known about God from observing the universe, but not information that comes from Scripture
neoorthodoxy
20th century theological movement represented by the teachings of Karl Barth. Instead of the orthodox position that all the words of Scripture were spoken by God, Barth taught that the words of Scripture become God's words to us as we encounter them
4 parts: Biblicism: the view that the Bible is fully inspired by God. Crucicentrism: this view stresses the centrality of Christ's sacrifice on the cross as a substitute for sinful mankind. Conversion: the view that people need to be changed and that occurs as people become justified by faith alone Activism: this view places greater focus on the individual than on society (As people change, society changes)
Be able to explain the "Beddington Quadrilateral" for evangelicalism.
Inerrancy only applies to autographs Inerrancy respects the authorial intent of the passage and the literary conventions under which the author wrote Inerrancy allows for partial reporting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Inerrancy allows for phenomenological language. Inerrancy allows for the reporting of speech without the endorsement of the truthfulness of that speech Inerrancy is not invalidated by colloquial or nonstandard grammar or spelling.
Be familiar with some of the qualifications of biblical inerrancy.
1. The Princeton Formulation of Inerrancy (late 19th-early 20th century)- the first full blown treatment of inerrancy was articulated by AA Hodge and BB Warfield in their book "Inspiration" published in 1881. 2. Harold Linsell's "Battle for the Bible" (1976)- Exposed massive infiltration of liberalism and neo-orthodoxy into nearly every denomination and seminary that considered itself evangelical 3. The International Council of Biblical Inerrancy (1977-1987)- Inerrantist leaders, papers on inerrancy, inerrancy conferences, Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)
Be familiar with the history of inerrancy- especially the 3 Big Mileposts
Perspicuity: the idea that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who read it, seeking God's help and are willing to follow it. Catholic view: Scripture is difficult to understand, and so it requires an infallible interpreter Protestant view: Scripture's sufficiency is inseparable from its perspicuity.
Describe perspicuity and know the difference between Catholics and Protestants over the perspicuity of Scripture.
General revelation: God's communication of Himself to all persons at all times and in all places Special revelation: God's manifestations of Himself to a particular person at definite times and places, enabling those persons to enter into a redemptive relationship with Him.
In light of Erickson's definitions, be able to describe the differences between "general revelation" and "special revelation."
Universalism- everyone is saved because we are humans Pluralism- God has revealed Himself through Jesus, but also in other ways and in other religions Inclusivism- There is only one way to God (Jesus) but Jesus includes those who are faithful and good Exclusivism: a person must have explicit faith in Christ during his life.
Know and describe the four contemporary perspectives on general revelation and the world religions (universalism, pluralism, inclusivism, exclusivism).
Intuition Theories: Biblical authors exhibit natural insights into religion. Illumination Theories: The Holy Spirit impresses himself upon the writers, but not in a way different from the rest of history Encounter Theories: the Bible is like all other books, but God has chosen to meet people through it. The Bible's words are not the Holy Spirit's but the Holy Spirit uses it as a vehicle. Dynamic theory: The Holy Spirit inspires the concepts (i.e. thoughts) of the Bible but not the actual words. Mechanical Dictation: God dictated the exact words to the human authors Verbal Plenary Theory: Every word of Scripture is breathed out by God
Know and describe the six theories of biblical inspiration.
Biblical theology is the study of the Bible's theology and its unified message as it is developed along its historical framework. Historical theology refers to the study of the development of doctrine throughout church history. Philosophical theology refers to the study of theological issues by means of philosophy. Pastoral theology is the study of the application of theology to the church (preaching, biblical counseling, spiritual disciplines). Systematic theology is the study of various doctrines by categorizing and summarizing.
Know the differences between Biblical theology, Historical theology, Philosophical theology, Pastoral theology, and Systematic theology.
God's Acts in History- God revealed himself to Israel as a God of salvation and to Egypt as a God of wrath Dreams, Visions, Oracles, Prophecies- God appearing in a dream to Jacob, Joseph, and Paul Personal Address by God- speaking specifically to God (Moses and Saul) Jesus of Nazareth The writings of the OT and NT
Know the five categories of special revelation.
Scripture's inspiration Virgin Birth Substitutionary atonement Bodily resurrection Christ's 2nd coming
Know the five points of theological fundamentalism.
Created order, human conscience, and the flow of human history
Know the three forms of general revelation.
Canon literally means a reed or measuring rod. Technically, it is the closed list of books that are inspired and authoritative. 3 Criteria: Apostolic- written by an apostle or close companion Orthodox- unity and agreement with the rest of the Bible. Catholic- universal and continuous usage in the church
What is Canon? And what were the 3 criteria of NT canonicity?
Credo ut intellegam: I believe in order to understand Starting point: general truths (basic beliefs) and then we work out of these.
What is deductive theology (credo ut intellegam and starting point)?
Not that the apostles and prophets were inspired themselves as humans, as if everything they believed, said, or did was God's word Rather it is their canonical writings that are inspired. Not that they were merely passive in the process, or that all inspiration falls into the prophetic mold: "Thus says the Lord." Not that the inspiration pertains to the intention of the human authors, who prophesied more than they themselves knew.
What is not meant by verbal-plenary inspiration?
Roman Catholic view- the church determined and declared it to be so (authority of the Church) Protestant view- the church discovered it to be so through the illumination of the Holy Spirit (not inspiration)
What is the difference between Roman Catholics & Protestants in regard to the canon of Scripture?
Humans have no other way of finding out about God than His own revelation.
Why is divine revelation necessary for us?
major doctrine
a doctrine that has a significant impact on our thinking about other doctrines or that has a significant impact on how we live the Christian life
minor doctrine
a doctrine that has very little impact on how we think about other doctrines and that has very little impact on how we live the Christian life
paradox
a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true; an apparent but not real contradiction
contradiction
a set of 2 statements, one of which denies the other
presuppositions
an assumption that forms the beginning point of any study
Christian ethics
any study that answers the question "What does God require us to feel, think, and do today?" with regard to any given situation
-Religious Experience- Friedrich Schleiermacher -Political Liberation -The Kingdom of God- Walter Rauschenbusch Justification by faith- Martin Luther The glory of God- John Calvin The Kingdom of God in Christ- Russell Moore, Goldsworthy, Galdamez
identify various integrative motifs and proponents of each
textual variant
occurrences of different words in different ancient copies of the same verse of Scripture
inspiration
refers to the fact that the words of Scripture are spoken by God
absolute authority
the highest authority in one's life; an authority that cannot be disproved by appeal to any higher authority
historical theology
the historical study of how Christians in different periods since the time of the NT have understood various theological topics
dictation
the idea that God expressly spoke every word of Scripture to the human authors
sufficiency of Scripture
the idea that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly
inerrant
the idea that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact
infallible
the idea that Scripture is not able to lead us astray in matters of faith and practice
God-breathed
translation of the Greek word theopneustos (sometimes translated "inspired by God") which the Bible uses metaphorically to describe the words of Scripture as being spoken by God
