Term
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Definition
| the science of God and his works |
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Term
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Definition
Exegetical (philology, canonicity, text, content/knowledge)
Historical (ancient, medieval, modern church history)
Systematic (dogma, ethics, apologetics)
Practical (missionary, promotion of spiritual life, creeds, constitution) |
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Term
| Specific Types of Systematic Theology |
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Definition
Dogma- the systemization and defense of doctrines expressed in the symbols of the church
Apologetics- the defense of the faith against attacks from outside the faith
Polemics- the defense of the faith from attacks within the faith
Biblical Ethics- the study of moral right or wrong according to what the Bible says
Pneumatology- the study of the Holy Spirit
Bibliology- the studies of the Scriptures themselves |
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Term
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Definition
God's exposition to all of man through:
1) Nature- God is revealed through creation but not part of it
2) History- God's power and providence as shown through his dealings with the nations
3) Conscience- discriminative and impulsive and judges and urges; only as good as the material that it judges by |
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Term
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Definition
God making himself known at specific times to specific people through:
1) Miracles- an unusual event accomplishing some useful work revealing the presence and the power of God (includes intensification of nature and exclusion of natural law)
2) Prophecy- the foretelling of events through direct communication with God that is specific and has unambiguous language (King Cyrus)
3) Through Christ and his Existence, His Nature, and His Will
4) Scripture- incorporates former three
5) Personal Experience- Theophanies (appearances of Christ in OT) |
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Term
| What are the Endowments of Man? |
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Definition
1) Mental Endowments
2) Spiritual Endowments |
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Term
| What are man's spiritual endowments? |
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Definition
1) we have a spiritual capacity for knowing and fellowshipping with God
2) through use of Holy Spirit
3) not through mysticism but through a real capacity for knowing God |
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Term
| What are man's physical endowments? |
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Definition
1) Capacity for knowing truth through intuitive knowledge (space, time, substance, God) and apprehensive knowledge (must be taught)
2) Judgment of the Credibility of Facts- what facts are inconsistent with God or other truths?
3) Judgment of Evidence- are credentials pure, genuine, complete?
4) Ability to organize facts into a system- our minds allow us to integrate facts into a system |
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Term
| What limits man's knowledge? |
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Definition
1) Only parts of revelation are revealed to him so he is only capable of knowing what is revealed to him.
2) Man who turns to reason for guidance is limited by his belief system
3) man is incapable of knowing all of the knowledge of God
4) Man depends on the laws of nature
5) Christ's mental process transcends ours |
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Term
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Definition
"God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth"
-Westminster
"God is the infinite and perfect spirit in whom all things have their source, supply, and end "
-A.H. Strong |
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Term
| Arguments for God's Existence |
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Definition
1. Cosmological- cosmos is orderly, and everything must have a cause, therefore it was created by something; there must be something outside the universe to create
2. Teleological- the order and useful arrangement imply intelligence in the organizing cause; there must be an architect to design the building
3. Ontological- the idea of God is intuitive within every man; this must come from God
4. Moral- the idea of ought and conscience must come from God's written law on our hearts
5. Congruity- whatever best explains all of the facts is probably true; God best explains the facts of our moral, mental, and religious nature |
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Term
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Definition
1) Belief in God's existence is intuitive
2) God's existence is assumed in the Bible
3) God's existence is corroborated by arguments |
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Term
| The Differences Between Non-Christian Worldviews |
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Definition
1) Atheism- arrogant, assumes omniscience, against nature
2) Agnosticism- God cannot be known; only accepts observable facts, false humility
3) Pantheism- All is God, God is all
4) Polytheism- from monotheism to nature worship to polytheism
5) Dualism- 2 distinct substances or principles are existent; they are co-equal and co-eternal
6) Deism- opposite of pantheism; God is absent; transcendence rather than immanence |
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Term
| Reasons for rejecting Non-Christian Worldviews |
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Definition
1) Atheism- it is unsatisfactory (no fellowship), unstable (contrary to man's deepest convictions), and arrogant (pretends to be omniscient)
2) Agnosticism- unsatisfactory (intellectually and spiritually) and unstable (nothing is certain) and has a false humility
3) Pantheism- necessitarian (no accountability, everything that happens is necessary), make rational religion impossible by destroying human personality, destroy foundation of morals (necessitation of evil), deny personal and conscious immortality, deify man by making him part of God, do not account for reality
4) Polytheism- affinity for human nature
5) Dualism- does not satisfy the problem of evil, takes deity from God because his a growing and changing being
6) Deism- denies special revelation |
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Term
| Arguments for Divine Revelation |
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Definition
1) A Priori Argument- with God and man's relationship, we may possibly expect revelation from God and for some of that revelation to be kept reliable and infallible as a source of theological truth; prior to posterior
2) Argument from Analogy- individuals on earth communicate with one another (even animals); we would hope God would embody this in a written work; reparative goodness in nature means God will embody that to us
3) Indestructibility of the Bible- the Bible is unique for surviving so long and is in wide circulation so there must be something to it
4) Argument from the Character of the Bible- It is one doctrinal system, moral standard, plan of salvation written over 1600 years by over 40 authors; its unity and contents must stand true to divine inspiration
5) Argument from Influence- it is greater and nobler than any religious book with a high view of God and morality and a low view on sin
6) Impact from fulfilled prophecy
7) Self Claims- arguments for absolute authority must appeal to itself |
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Term
| What are the 4 Characteristics of scripture? |
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Definition
1) authority- must be obeyed
2) clarity- clear and plain
3) necessity- we are fallen and blinded by sin
4) sufficiency- no supplement |
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Term
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Definition
| the document is authentic when the facts are true and corrupt when the facts are changed; whoever said they wrote them actually wrote them (Pentateuch, Prophets, Kethubim) |
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Term
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Definition
| Affirmation of historical facts in the correct order through history and archaeology; writers were competent, honest, and harmonious |
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Term
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Definition
| Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther |
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Term
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Definition
| settled by Ezra before 400 B.C. for the OT in 22 books; NT means it has apostilicity, it is suitable for the public, universally received, spiritually sound, and inspired; 20 books no dispute but 7 had dispute (Hebrews, 2 and 3 John, Jude, 2 Peter, Revelation, and James) |
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| Canonicity of the Apocrypha |
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Definition
| protestants reject; catholics accept; consists of 15 books; reaffirmed in 1546 by the Council of Trent |
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Term
| Related Terms of Inspiration |
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Definition
1) Revelation- direct and special revelation and visionary revelation (Luke); God's scripture must be revealed to be inspired
2) Inspiration- recording of the truth; fully and verbally inspired and God breathed
3) Authority- divine authority of God
4) Inerrancy- without error in the original manuscripts and it affirms all historical, scientific, moral and doctrinal matters; covers all scripture
5) the men who wrote scripture were enlightened by the Spirit |
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Term
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Definition
| the Holy Spirited guided and superintended the writers of the sacred texts, making use of their own personalities while simultaneously ensuring a lack of errors and a completions of writing; this is inexplicable; it is essentially guidance and it extends to the specific words |
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Term
| Different views of Inspiration |
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Definition
1) Natural Inspiration (intuition theory)- holds that inspiration is superior insight on the part of man with the intensification and elevation of religious perception for the writer
2) Dynamic (partial inspiration theory)- God supplied the ability needed for the trustworthy transmission of the truth; infallible in faith and practice, but not religious character (could err in science or history)
3) Thoughts not words are inspired- God suggested thoughts, but left it up to man to put into words
4) The theory that the Bible contains word of God- the Bible contains the word of God at moments of personal revelation
5) Dictation Theory- man was merely scribe and the words were written specifically by the Spirit |
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Term
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Definition
| all scripture is Inspired and God-breathed and necessary |
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Term
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Definition
| we are to study his word rightly discerning that his word is truth |
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Term
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Definition
| The bible was written by holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit |
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Definition
| the bible will not be changed until the Law is fulfilled |
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Term
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Definition
| We are justified by Christ because of his sacrifice |
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