Foundations of Christian Theology

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION T H E O L O G Y : T H E S T U D Y O F G O D

OUR GOAL • Deepen your Knowledge & Love of God • Increase your Devotion & Worship towards God • Develop your Methods & Motivation in studying God’s Word

YOUR GOAL • Read the provided resources for each section before meeting • Study the topics & passages discussed after meeting • Pray for the desire & wisdom to understand God’s Word

COURSE OVERVIEW

B I B L I O L O G Y“THE STUDY OF THE B IBLE, THE WORD OF GOD.” Definition - “The Holy Scriptures are the inspired words of God, and thus the Bible is true, authoritative, sufficient for godliness, and is worthy of collection and preservation.”

INSPIRAT ION Paul writes to Timothy that “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) meaning the Bible is God’s Word. Thus, the biblical view of inspiration is that God is the source of Scripture and that His Word, the entire Bible, is the verbal revelation of the triune God written down by men who “were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). I. True - The people of faith know that His verbal revelation of Himself is marked by His character. Thus, the Bible is the final standard of truth (John 17:17) and is without error (inerrant) in all sixty-six books of the Old and New testament.

a.Inerrancy - When all the facts are known, the Scriptures, in their original autographs and properly interpreted, will be shown to be wholly true in everything they affirm, whether that has to do with doctrine or morality or with the social, physical, or life science. II. Authoritative - The Bible is the authentic disclosure of God’s mind and presentation of His message. Because Scripture is the Word of God, what He says comes with divine authority (Isaiah 45:18). The authority of Scripture means that the Word of God is to be obeyed, trusted, submitted to, etc. His divine, authoritative Scripture implores believers to understand what it affirms and then trust and obey it with our whole heart.

III. Sufficient - God’s Word contains everything necessary to be known for the Christian faith and to live a life of godliness. The Bible’s sufficiency allows the person of God to be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), thus allowing for complete knowledge of everything we need for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly, and for obeying Him perfectly (Proverbs 3:5-6). IV. Worthy of Collection and Preservation - When we speak of the Bible as being the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient Words of God, we are recognizing that these works measured up to the standard of the designation “Scripture.” This process of determining which books belong in our Holy Scriptures is referred to as the doctrine of the canonicity of Scripture: that the list of all the books in the Bible belong in the Scriptures because they are certainly God’s own words to us. This was formally set at the Council of Carthage in 397 A.D., but was used and circulated by the church for the two centuries before then. The three guiding principles to canonicity was the apostolic authorship or oversight, internal consistency, and the acceptance and use by the early church. a. Based on these three guidelines, the Apocrypha was not accepted as being the authoritative Word of God. There was not consistent agreement within the church to use it, nor was there internal consistency between it and what was already widely regarded as God’s Word. b. Why Protestants Reject the Apocrypha: 1. Lack of decisive evidence for its recognition 2. Evidence from Judaism and early church limitation of canonicity to the Old Testament 3. Tone of some of the writings 4. Lack of claim to be Scripture 5. Suspicious origin and acceptance by Roman Catholic church 6. Date of writing - They’re written during a period of time when even books that are part of the Apocrypha say there are no prophets. If a prophet is one who speaks for God and there are no prophet, then there is no God-breathed Scripture. 7. There are no references to the Apocrypha in the New Testament. c. The word ‘canon’ comes from the Greek kanon, ‘measuring stick.’ By extension it came to mean ‘rule’ or ‘standard,’ a tool used for determining proper measurement. Consequently, the word has come to be used with reference to the corpus of scriptural writing that is considered authoritative and standard for defining and determining ‘orthodox’ religious beliefs and practices.

UNIT 2 THE TRINITYA S T U D Y O F T H E G O D H E A D

I . THE TR INIT Y A Definition: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, and there is one God. Nicean Creed: see readings

I I . SCRIPTURAL SUPPORTUnity of the Godhead Plurality of the Godhead

Old Testament

New Testament

SonFather Holy Spirit

NotesNotes Notes

TR INIT Y IN ACTION

HISTORICAL HERES IES

Sebellianism (Modalism)Sabellius who lived in Rome in the early third century A.D. Another term for modalism is “modalistic monarchianism,” because this teaching not only says that God revealed himself in different “modes” but it also says that there is only one supreme ruler (“ monarch”) in the universe and that is God himself, who consists of only one person.

ArianismArianism is derived from Arius, a Bishop of Alexandria whose views were condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, and who died in A.D. 336. Arius taught that God the Son was at one point created by God the Father, and that before that time the Son did not exist, nor did the Holy Spirit, but the Father only.

SubordinationismThe early church father Origen (c. 185 – c. A.D. 254) advocated a form of subordinationism by holding that the Son was inferior to the Father in being, and that the Son eternally derives His being from the Father. Origen was attempting to protect the distinction of persons and was writing before the doctrine of the Trinity was clearly formulated in the church.

Adoptionism“Adoptionism” is the view that Jesus lived as an ordinary man until his baptism, but then God “adopted” Jesus as his “Son” and conferred on him supernatural powers. Adoptionists would not hold that Christ existed before he was born as a man; therefore, they would not think of Christ as eternal, nor would they think of him as the exalted, supernatural being created by God that the Arians held him to be.

Salvation RegenerationCreation Restoration

NotesNotes Notes Notes

IMPL ICATIONS ON THE TR INIT Y I. Love vs. Power II. Unipersonal God: Power before love - Islam III. Community - Creation is about IV. Unity in Diversity - Celebration of a variety of people, gifts, ect. V. Marriage - The need of diversity - gender and ideas

UNIT 3 MAN A STUDY OF CREAT ION AND HUMANIT Y

CHRIST IAN ANTHROPOLOGY - “The Study of Humanity from a Christian/Biblical Perspective”

Anthropology Theological Topics:1. What is the purpose for creating humanity? (Biblical Origins)2. What is the “Image of God”?3. What are we made of? (Material/Immaterial)4. Nature or Nurture? (Study of Behavior)5. Hamartiology = “The Study of Sin”

I. Overview a. The Reason for Creation - God created all things for His glory. b. The Purpose of Humanity -God created humanity for His glory. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of humanity, is simply to glorify God. c. The Big Idea of the Bible - God desires to glorify Himself by establishing His Kingdom on Earth through human representatives.

II. What is the Image of God? a. Image of God (Imago Dei) 1. Definitions - The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. It is that which sets man apart from the animal world, fits him for the “dominion” God intended (Genesis 1:28), and enables him to commune with his Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially. 2. Implications - Humanity can uniquely relate, reflect, radiate, and rule. i. Relate - In His image, humanity can relate to God (in His family) - John 1:12-13; 17:3 ii. Reflect - In His image, humanity can reflect the character of God - 1 Peter 1:13-17 iii. Radiate - In His image, humanity can radiate the glory of God - Psalm 8:4-5; Daniel 12:3 iv. Rule - Humanity is God’s ambassadors - Genesis 1:28-29 3. Key Passages for “Image of God” i. Genesis 1:26-27 - “Male” & “Female” - Linked to “Rule” - “Image” = “Likeness” ii. Genesis 5:1-3 - “Image” passed down - Linked to “Create”, “Bless”, and “Call”

iii. Genesis 9:6 - Same Before/After Fall and Flood - Linked to Authority - Linked to Value III. What are we made of? What is it to be human? a. Secular Answers 1. Materialism Monism → Everything is material. Everything you are and everything you do is a natural, biological process. 2. Idealistic Monism → Everything is spiritual. b. Religious Answers 1. Dualism - Mixture of two different parts. i. Material - Atoms (Body, Flesh & Bones, Members) ii. Immaterial - Soul/Spiritual/Etc. (Spirit, Heart, Conscience, Mind, etc.) - Bible verses that use the terms “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably (Genesis 41:8; Psalm 42:6; Matthew 10:28; 20:28; Luke 1:46–47; John 12:27; 13:21; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 7:34) 2. Trichotomy → Mixture of three different parts. i. Body ii . Soul ii. Spirit - Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the separation of the soul from the spirit. 3. Nature or Nurture? (Study of Behavior) i. Three Options: - Nature: You do what you do because of genetics (Nazism comes from this genetic empire idea). - Nurture: You do what you do because of your environment you were raised in. - Choice: Although nature and nurture have an impact on a person, everyone is held responsible for their own choices. These behaviors bring consequences.

UNIT 4 SIN A STUDY OF THE FALL HUMANIT Y

I . HAMARTIOLOGY - “The Study of Sin”

I. Overview a. Hamartiology deals with how sin originated, how it affects humanity, and what it will result in after death.

II. Sin a. Definition - Any lack of conformity to the revealed moral standard of God (actions, words, thoughts, motives). 1. Includes intentional or unintentional. 2. Includes omission (those in which we knew we should have done something good, but refused) or commission (those sins we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed). b. Biblical Support for Definitions 1. Matthew 5:21-48 → Living righteously is not only outward but inward. 2. Judges 20:16 - אטח “Not Miss” = Sin in the Old Testament c. Synonyms 1. Transgression - Movement term to cross the allowed boundary 2. Iniquity → Moral miss 3. Unclean/Common/Profane → Opposite of holy 4. Rebellion → Go against the King 5. Pervert/Twist → God gave a right way of doing something and you twist it 6. Ignorance 7. Selfishness 8. Error

III. Sin’s Origin a. Satan - Ezekiel 28:13-17: Passage of the origin of Satan’s sin with a peek behind the curtain in the angelic realm. Satan chooses to worship himself (pride). b. The Fall - Humanity’s sin of disobedience in eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and its effects upon the rest of the human race. 1. Genesis 3: Satan gives the same choice he faced: worship God or worship yourself. Temptation had to come from an external source (there was no internal temptation). The results of their original sin happened before God even handed out judgment. i. Clothes represent shame ii. Hiding represents isolation in guilt

iii. Blame c. Judgment on Sin 1. Labor - Women (childbirth), Men (Frustrating Work) 2. Relationships - God, Humanity, and the World. 3. Death - Physical & Spiritual

IV. Theories of Original Sin a. Pelagianism - Adam’s sin does not directly affect others, there is no such thing as original sin, and humanity is not depraved. Since man is not born in sin, it is possible for him to be preserved and to never need salvation. 1. Salvation is simply teaching people how to do the right thing (Education – teach you the law, do it, and you will save yourself). i. Adam and Eve’s choice to sin had little effect on us. Only on our physical death. We are like Adam and Eve in the fact that we get to choose. b. Augustus - Each individual relates to Adam and inherits Adam’s sin. Before the fall, humanity was innocent, able to choose good, able to please God, and were children of God. After the fall, humanity is evil, able to choose only evil, unable to please God, and are children of wrath.

V. Sin Nature & Total Depravity a. Being conceived with original sin upon us (Psalm 51:5) results in humanity inheriting a sin nature so wicked that Jeremiah 17:9 describes the human heart as “deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” Not only was Adam found guilty because he sinned, but his sin was imputed to us, making us guilty and deserving of his punishment (death) as well (Romans 5:12, 19). b. Ephesians 2:1-3 - What all human beings are before belief in Jesus (dead in sin = power less against sin). c. Our problem is not that we sin, it’s that we ARE sinners. Not moral conforming, it’s a complete transformation that we desperately need.

VI. The Image of God in Fallen Man a. The image of God in man has been marred but not erased. 1. Genesis 9:6 → The Noahic Covenant shows that life is sacred and that man is not to destroy man, who is made in the image of God. 2. 1 Corinthians 11:7 → Man is made in the image and glory of God. 3. James 3:9 → Humanity should not praise God and then wish evil upon another human, who is made in God’s likeness.

UNIT 5 SALVATIONA S T U D Y O F G O D ’ S D E L I V E R A N C E

SOTERIOLOGY - “the study of religious doctrines of salvation”

I. Overview a. The Goal of Salvation 1. The goal of salvation: the liberation of all creation from its bondage to decay 2. This is the metanarrative of Scripture: There is a God. Everything other than God came from him and it was good. He created a man and woman, gave them responsibility, gave one prohibition but they did it anyway. He already had a solution prepared. He was to become man to live perfectly and die, rose to prove victory, sent spirit to aid in this world and promised a new creation. b. The Method of Salvation 1. By grace (alone) through faith (alone) in Christ (alone) II. Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility a. Election & Predestination 1. Definitions ii. Election: the act of choosing someone ii. Predestination: the act of deciding beforehand

2. Objections i. Not fair - Ex: Giving money to front row ii. Interferes with free will iii. It’s a tension! b. Views 1. Calvinism - people will always choose sin according to their nature unless they are acted upon by the “outside source” of God’s grace 2. Arminianism - people are free to accept or reject God by their own power, so He looked down the corridors of time and elects those who will choose Him c. Examples 1. Joseph (Genesis 5:20) 2. Jesus (Acts 2:23) d. Results - We are elected with a purpose! (Ephesians 1:4) III. Views of Salvation a. Universalism - All will be saved. (Romans 1:18-20) b. Pluralism - Some will be saved, through all faiths. Pluralism says there are many valid paths to God and salvation as long as someone faithfully practices what is required by their chosen path. (John 14:6)

c. Inclusivism - Some will be saved, even without Christ. Inclusivism says God saves people only on the merits of Christ, but God only holds people accountable for the revelation made available to them, so some are saved without conscious knowledge of Jesus or the Gospel. (Acts 4:12) d. Exclusivism - Grace alone through Faith alone in Christ alone. Exclusivism says salvation is only found through an explicit confession of faith in Christ because one must know and believe that salvation is in Christ alone.

IV. Atonement a. Views 1. Limited i. Jesus Christ died only for the elect because His death itself is effective for salvation 2. Unlimited i. Jesus Christ died for all, but only becomes effective for salvation when one believes ii. The Father loves the world, but has chosen only some iii. The Son died for all, but His death is applied only to some iv. The Spirit reproves all, but effectually calls only some b. Results 1. Propitiation - The idea that Christ’s work served as a substitutionary payment for sin. (Romans 3:25) 2. Redemption - The idea that Christ’s work purchased us out of the curse of sin. (Galatians 3:13) 3. Reconciliation - The idea that Christ’s work allows us to enter into God’s presence and fellowship. (Romans 5:10-11)

V. Justification & Sanctification a. Definitions 1. Justification - The legal term used to describe the act of God declaring believers to be righteous. 2. Sanctification - The ongoing process in which regenerated people are “enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” b. Views 1. Catholic & Protestant i. Roman Catholics understands justification as a process of receiving an infusion of Christ’s righteousness through taking the sacraments. ii. Protestants understand justification as an instantaneous imputation of Christ’s righteousness, which is followed by the process of sanctification. 2. “Lordship” & “Free Grace” i. Classical definition of saving faith - Understanding (notitia) / Agreement (assensus) / Trust (fiducia) ii. Mostly a discussion of Repentance & Assurance - Repentance is part of saving faith, but where do we draw the line?

VI. Assurance a. Eternal Security 1. Romans 8:29-30: Paul wants to affirm their security with God with 3 primary arguments i. God is for us ii. God has justified us iii. God will always love us b. Perseverance of the Saints 1. Believers believe - Those who believe continue to believe - Perseverance is God’s work - Perseverance is not sinlessness 2. “Every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Somewhere, sometime, somehow. Otherwise that person is not a believer. Every born-again individual will be fruitful. Not to be fruitful is to be faithless, without faith, and therefore without salvation” - Ryrie 3. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 4. Perhaps we should be a little more cautious in attempting to explain and clarify the work of the Spirit of God. VII. Order of Salvation a. Dr. Kreider Model 1. Foreknowledge 2. Predestination 3. Call 4. Justification 5. Conformity to the likeness of the Son

UNIT 6 THE END E S C H A T O L O G Y : A S T U D Y O F T H E E N D T I M E S

ESCHATOLOGY - “a study of the end times”

I. Overview a. Humility & Hope: God allows tension to remain in our theology because He wants us to sharpen one another. 1. We have to approach tension with humility and Scripture. 2. What we all see and believe - Jesus is coming back. b. Prophetic Fulfillment: 1. Biblical prophecy is revealed TRUTH. c. Prophetic Interpretation: 1. Prophetic Interpretation: It’s easy to spot mountain peaks from a distance, but it’s difficult to tell which one is closer. 2. All Interpretation: Use the clear in viewing the unclear. i. Study the most important passages and formulate an idea that you try to use when encountering future passages. d. Recognize the levels of Theological Authority: 1. Direct Statements of Scripture: God made the world 2. Direct Implications of Scripture: God alone made the world 3. Probable Implications of Scripture: God designed all the planets 4. Inductive Conclusions from Scripture: Our desire to create comes from being image bearers of God 5. Conclusions inferred from General Revelation: God is a jokester based on the platypus 6. Outright Speculation: There are aliens on other planets

II. Biblical Covenants a. Abrahamic - Land/Seed/Blessing - Key Texts: Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17 b. Mosaic and Palestinian - Blessings & Curses - Key Texts: Genesis 28 and 30 c. Davidic - Line/Throne/Kingdom - Key Texts: 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17 d. New - The Ultimate Nature - Key Texts: Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 e. “Covenant Theology” - Works; Redemption; Grace

III. The Rapture: The instant catching up of believers to Christ in the clouds a. Pre-Tribulation: Rapture in the beginning. b. Mid-Tribulation: Rapture is in the middle. c. Post-Tribulation: Rapture is at the end.

IV. The Tribulation a. Purpose - Purify Israel & pour wrath on the nations b. Timing - Key Texts: Daniel 9 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7

V. The Second Coming a. Purpose: Jesus comes back to end the Tribulation & usher in the Millenium b.“The Day of the Lord” 1. Theme of Israel coming back and judgment for Israel and sudden destruction on the earth. 2. Different from the Day of Christ, that seems connected to the church and the Judgment Seat of Christ. VI. The Millennial Kingdom a. Premillennial: - Reasoning: Normal understanding of Bible promises “at face value”, more consistent picture of revelation, more complete view of prophecy. - Response: i. Jesus says His kingdom is not of this world, so how can it be physical? ii. Why is it only in Revelation 20? b. Postmillennial: - Reasoning: Parables about the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13. - Response: Nothing in Scripture supports their claims that the world will improve until the second coming. c. Amillennial: - Reasoning: The Church has replaced Israel. - Response: Replacement is never stated.

VII. The Resurrection a. Spiritual Resurrection: Inconsistent with Scripture and historic Orthodoxy b. Single Resurrection: One resurrection, two destinations c. Double Resurrection: 1. One at Rapture - John 14, 1Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15 2. One at Second Coming - Revelation 20

VIII. The Judgments a. The Judgment of Israel - Ezekiel 20:36-38- Israel will be judged on their faith and not their heritage. Some will die in tribulation meaning they will not enter the promise land while others will enter the promise land. b. The Judgment of the Nations - Matthew 25:31-46- Gentiles on faith c. The Judgment Seat of Christ - 2 Cor 5:10 - Believers on works d. The Great White Throne - Rev 20:11-15 - All/Unbelievers on Book of Life/works

IX. The Eternal State a. Hell 1. Scripture is somewhat confusing and our translations do not help b. New Heavens & Earth 1. Heaven: First, for the believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that after death souls or spirits are taken to heaven because their sins are forgiven by having received Christ as Savior. For believers, death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord.” 2. Continuity: i. 2 Peter 3- “new” is used for renewal. ii. Romans 8 promises Earth will be set free from decay. 3. Discontinuity: Heaven & Earth pass away (Revelation 21)

X. Our Hope a. Compassion for others b. Courage for sharing c. Conscious of time