Exam 1 Flashcards
(45 cards)
1
Q
Biblical theology
A
Detailed study of the biblical text
2
Q
Historical theology
A
The study of how the beliefs and doctrines of the Christian faith have developed in different times and places
3
Q
Practical theology
A
Studies the right practice of specific tasks of the Christian faith
4
Q
Systematic theology
A
Attempts to create a sensible, responsible, and faithful articulation of the Christian faith. *this is a systematic theology class
5
Q
Questions asked by systematic theology
A
Who is God?
What is God doing?
6
Q
Theology proper
A
A word about God’s nature and being
7
Q
Christology
A
A word about Jesus Christ’s person, work and life
8
Q
Pneumatology
A
A word about the nature and work of the Holy Spirit
9
Q
Soteriology
A
A word about salvation
10
Q
Theological anthropology
A
A word about humanity
11
Q
Ecclesiology
A
A word about the church
12
Q
Eschatology
A
A word about God’s future
13
Q
Revelation
A
Unveiling, uncovering or disclosure of something previously hidden
14
Q
General revelation
A
Knowledge of God can be gained through the created world
- highly problematic
- assumes we already know who God is
- it’s confusing
- tends to not do what revelation is supposed to do
- it’s not God revealing himself
15
Q
Special revelation
A
God makes himself known through specific actions and people, particularly Jesus Christ
16
Q
5 Main points of special revelation
A
- Revelation is gods own self disclosure -revelation is always a gift
- Refers to particular events and people through whom God communicated - we know God on his terms
- Revelation calls for a personal response - meant to draw us into life /w God
- Revelation is always a disturbing and even shocking event
- Revelation becomes a new interpretive lens for our understanding of the world
17
Q
The 3 fold word of God
A
- Word of God revealed
- Word of God written
- Word of God proclaimed
18
Q
The word of God revealed
A
- Jesus Christ
- Jesus is the word of God
19
Q
The word of God written
A
- scriptures
- scriptures are God’s witness to Jesus Christ
- the scriptures become the word of God when the Holy Spirit takes them up
20
Q
The word of God proclaimed
A
- the church
- the church is a witness to Jesus Christ
21
Q
Scripture
A
Definition: God’s chosen witness to Jesus Christ
Authority: comes from the fact that it is God’s chosen witness
As witness: it is a witness to Jesus Christ
22
Q
Criteria for books included in the Canon
A
- written by an apostle or close associate of an apostle
- adheres to the rule of faith
- shaped and formed the church
23
Q
Rule of Faith
A
Short statement which summarized the gospel
24
Q
Principles for interpretation
A
- Scripture should be interpreted within its historical and literary context
- Scripture should be interpreted christocentrically
- Scripture should be interpreted ecclesially
- Scripture should be interpreted contextually
25
Biblical affirmations
1. There is only 1 God
| 2. God is known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
26
Ways to talk about God as trinity
1. Economic trinity
| 2. Immanent trinity
27
Economic trinity
- God in his work
- we know God through his actions in the world
- all the actions of God are indivisible (all God’s actions belong to himself) but the Bible often ascribes certain actions/works to either the Father, Son or Holy Spirit
- within God there is both unity and distinction
Father- creator
Son- revealer and redeemer
Holy Spirit- connector
28
Immanent trinity
- God in his being
- who God is in his work is who God is in his being
- God reveals his being/nature to us through his work
- God in his being is not different from God in his work
29
Importance of talking about God as trinity
- this is how the Bible talks about God
| - this emphasizes that God is a God of love - God is a God of love in both his being and his work
30
Gods perfections
1. God is free
2. God is immanent (love)
3. God is good
31
God is free
- God is transcendent (above creation and self sufficient)
- God does not need us (this means we can trust God)
- God doesn’t need anything from us that he doesn’t already have
32
God is immanent(love)
- active in and engaged with creation
- Jesus is God’s great act of immanence
- God is able to accomplish his purpose
33
God is good
- God loves
| - God is the one who loves in freedom
34
Arianism
-Arius (early 4th century)
-God the Father made God the son
-there was a time when the Son did not exist and when God was not Father
-the Son is an intermediary between God the Father and humanity
-the Son is not equal to the Father
-the Son’s substance is not the same as the Father’s substance
(God is 3 substances, 3 persons)
35
Creeds of Nicea and Constantinople
Nicea: we believe in one God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
-called out Arius and condemned him
Constantinople: wasn’t a backlash at Arius, was for everyone, extended on the beliefs in first creed, explained Holy Spirit more
36
Modalism
God is one being who appears at different times in different modes or masks
-if this is true we can never really know God
-at the heart of the gospel is the belief that we can know God and in face that is what salvation actually is
-emphasizes unity
(God is one substance, 1 person)
37
Trinitarian formula
(God is one substance, 3 persons)
38
The 2 trees
1. The tree of life: represents life with God, a willingness to trust God, a willingness to obey God and the belief that God had our best interest at heart
2. The tree of knowledge of good and evil: represents life without God, life on our own. The desire to become our own gods, to be our own source of life
39
Sin
The denial of our genuine relatedness to those to those who are genuinely other
40
Characteristics of sin
1. Rejection of our relation to and dependence on God -leads to idolatry
2. Rejection of our relation to and equality with other humans -expressed in either domination or servility
3. Rejection of relationship with the created world as stewards -either inappropriate domination or a servility
4. Rejection of God’s future for us - sin is the desire to make our future out of our own resources for our own purposes
41
Original sin
In Adam and Eve, all of humanity falls into a state of sin which has universal consequences
42
Newness in Christ
In Jesus we see humanity as God truly meant for us to be. We see God’s plan and action to restore humanity and the whole world to right relationship with himself
43
Problem of evil
If God is all good and all powerful, how is it possible that evil exists?
Observations:
- Bible doesn’t answer this in a simple way
- Bible tells us what God’s response to evil is
- Evil: suffering and death
- God’s response to evil is to join humanity in their suffering in order to overcome it
- God’s response to evil is Jesus Christ: sends his own Son to become a human and live a life of suffering in a broken world, dies a terrible death and then is raised from the dead to have victory over suffering and death
- Gods promise is that when Jesus returns he will put and end to suffering and death for all his people through the power of resurrection
44
Relationship between God, the created world and humanity
1. Relationship with God - I will be your God and you will be my people, God covenants with humanity. god promises to love us, provide for us and we are simply to trust him
2. Relationship with other human beings - God gives Adam and Eve to each other for mutual help, support and joy. Free from shame guilt or fear
3. Relationship with the created world - God gives Adam and Eve authority over the created world they are to work it and care for it
45
Rule in relationship righteously
* community with God, each other and the created world
* Stewards over God’s creation
- someone who rules on behalf of another
- humans have authority over the created world, but they must use that authority as God would
- God cares for his creation, he loves it, he he values it, he blesses it
