Final Flashcards
(18 cards)
How does Pentecost inform our understanding of being restored in the image of God?
In short, while the Fall did not erase the image of God from humanity, it did distort it. Pentecost is a small-scale reversal of the curse that points toward Christ’s ultimate and final victory over sin and death, enabling man to mirror Christ, fulfilling his original purpose, becoming more fully human, in a sense
Reverse of Babel
What is the theological and practical significance of understanding the believer’s life as one of “exile”?
While the end of our exile has already been inaugurated, it is not yet consummated. We are not at home here because we are born for another kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. We are spiritual descendants of wanderers and pilgrims who forfeited riches and earthly honours in pursuit of the blessedness of God. For this reason we are counted strange to the world. Why do we live this way? We live this way, as nomads, because Christ stooped down from heaven and dwelt among us. Though He was not exiled from heaven and came here willingly, He was treated with disdain, being an alien, quite literally not of this world. This is perhaps most clearly and poignantly seen in His execution, being crucified “outside the camp.” Christ’s alienation from the world is really the cornerstone of our exilic existence. Because of this, Hebrews commands: “let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
How does a biblical understanding of the afterlife give us strength to persevere in our faith?
The knowledge that Christ’s reign will one day be tangibly felt and experienced, that the flesh, the world, the devil, and the very concepts of sin and death will all be no more, and that we will be one with God as a bride with her Bridegroom ought to be a source of encouragement for the Christian as they make their way through life
What are some common contemporary hindrances that prevent us from seeing certain biblical-theological connections like the expansion of the Edenic Temple? What is the practical life “pay-out” from being able to do so?
Firstly, the modern secular world has a vastly different cosmology than that of the Old Testamental Israelites
Secondly, the modern Christian pays little attention to the unity of the Bible.
Thirdly, there is the issue of history and typology.
Finally, there is the subject of literal fulfillment.
Practically speaking, viewing all of creation as an Edenic temple turns us into priests who offer their lives as living sacrifices Coram Deo, before the face of God
How does biblical theology and “Covenant” factor into how one understands Baptism and the Lord’s Supper?
All covenants have “signs and seals;” Baptism and the Lord’s Supper function as the signs for us in the New Covenant today (Dr. Thomas describes a sacramental sign as visible words that depict fundamental and covenantal blessings and curses of the Gospel, whereas seals are marks of authenticity that confirm that which is sealed; the issues of paedobaptism and paedocommunion arise from this covenantal connection)
How does the category of sonship in the Bible help us understand the work of Jesus?
As Son Jesus is the second person of the Trinity
He is also Son of David
Since Israel is called the son of God, Jesus also represents the nation of Israel
Matthew identifies Jesus as the son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1)
Jesus didn’t need to be baptized since he was not a sinner. Jesus takes the place of his people (ex. Matt. 3:13-17)
and in temptation accounts (Matt. 4:1-11, Lk. 4:1-13)
He suffers the same trials that Israel suffered in the desert, so he identifies himself with Israel.
Jesus is the fulfillment of ‘son’ typology
Greater Adam, Abraham, and David.
He is the true covenantal Son of God because he obeys God perfectly, and this results in our salvation
The Gospels affirm that Jesus is the Savior from the beginning
Why is our priestly identity critical for maintaining a pure heart?
We are the temple of God; therefore we must be clean and pure from all defilement
We are also priests who must maintain the temple, our hearts, and keep sin out (we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit)
How does our prophetic identity differentiate us from the world’s proclivity towards lying and deceit?
The prophetic role is to proclaim God’s Word to other people (pulpit, home, street corner, etc.)
Christians should always be proclaiming the Gospel which are accompanied by good fruit
Our prophetic identity sets us apart from the rest of the world, for our lives are radically different, being freed from bondage to sin, and they serve as a testimony to others of what Christ has done and is doing
In what way(s) is Paul a “Covenant” theologian?
Romans 5:12-21 mentions Adam and Christ as federal heads
Paul also mentions the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New covenants
Paul wrote with a redemptive-historical lens, showing how every covenant led to Christ
In what ways is the New Covenant “new”? In what ways is the New Covenant consistent with the Old Covenant?
Found in Jeremiah 31 and the institution of the Lord’s Supper
Most notable mention is in Hebrews where it is compared and contrasted with the OT covenants
Discontinuity:
OT: fallible prophets, priests, and kings
NT: infallible God-Man who accomplishes all 3 roles simultaneously
OT: ceremonial laws (repeated sacrifices)
NT: Christ is the perfect sacrifice that was offered once for all
Continuity:
The way we dwell with God has not changed (spirit and truth rather than physical location)
What is distinctive about the “contrast within continuity” appropriation of Covenant theology in Hebrews, and to what covenants is this applied?
Hebrews contrasts between the OT, NT, and the future new heavens and new earth
This contrast is both antithetical (opposite) and graded (better/escalating)
Hebrews 1:1-2 has both continuity and contrast (God still speaks, but through a different medium)
Continuity concerning the people of God
Contrast concerning the tabernacle (the tabernacle was anticipating Christ)
What relevance does appreciation for “Covenant” have with regard to contemporary New Testament theology debates?
The New Perspective argues that justification has more to do with a person’s identification with the true Israel rather than how they relate to God, which breeds legalism with the ceremonial and judicial OT laws
If the NP is true, it’s ideas should be seen in more than just Paul (NP argues that legalism isn’t found during the post-exilic temple period)
They take Paul out of the context of the overarching biblical narrative
Teaches to do the Law in order to stay saved
Eschatology/Covenant Theology
Lord’s Supper
Baptism
How do Old Testament concepts relating to “covenant” help us understand the Lord’s Supper and the death of Christ?
Christ’s death establishes the new covenant that was prophesied in Jeremiah 31
The book of Hebrews shows us that the new covenant is the fulfillment of the old in that it accomplishes what the old covenant was incapable of doing
With regard to types of Christ in the Old Covenant, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God which is a reference to the Passover Lamb. On the night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (which was the night of Passover) He communicated to His disciples that He is establishing, through His death, a new covenant
In what way(s) is John a “Covenant” theologian?
John is a covenantal theologian because he is well versed in the OT, which is covenant centered at its core
1-3 John and Revelation
The Father is seen through His fatherhood, presence, and rule
Israel is portrayed as God’s firstborn son
David is called the son of God
Jesus is the Son of God and those that follow him are also called sons of God through him
Presence is revealed in the Father’s dwelling with his people in the New just like in the Old
His rule is revealed in Revelation with lots of throne room imagery.
The Son is portrayed as the one who will crush the serpent’s head, as a priest/sacrificial lamb, and as one who will rule through the Davidic line
The Holy Spirit, through inspiration, is a witness to and reveals all the covenants through the progressive revelation of Scripture
What are some common contemporary hindrances that prevent us from seeing certain biblical-theological connections like the expansion of the Edenic Temple? What is the practical life “pay-out” from being able to do so?
Firstly, the modern secular world has a vastly different cosmology than that of the Old Testamental Israelites.
Secondly, the modern Christian pays little attention to the unity of the Bible.
Thirdly, there is the issue of history and typology.
Finally, there is the subject of literal fulfillment.
Practically speaking, viewing all of creation as an Edenic temple turns us into priests who offer their lives as living sacrifices Coram Deo, before the face of God
What are the hermeneutical and theological hallmarks of Dispensationalism and how are they problematic from the perspective of a covenantal Biblical Theology of the New Testament?
Partial-Literalism:
Dispensationalism started with a belief in the Bible as the Word of God
They were not entirely literalists, except for things pertaining to Israel and prophecies
This is a problem because it supposes that there were two different purposes for Israel and the church which does not have biblical evidence
Continuity of the Covenants:
While the Reformed belief is that the covenants flow from one another, building to the new covenant, Dispensationalism argues that each covenant was its own era
Land/Inheritance:
Dispensationalsim argues that the land promised to Abraham has yet to be fulfilled (Their biblical basis is the symbolic imagery of the apocalypse, while the epistles deny it)
Replacement:
Dispensationalism also argues that past covenants are replaced by new ones (This, obviously, denies any continuity even with the covenant of redemption)
Main difference:
The relationship between Israel and the Church
What are the significant agreements and disagreements between New Covenant Theology/Progressive Covenantalism and historic traditional Covenant Theology? With which do you agree most, and why?
Law No Fulfill
Continuity, but we need to keep the whole Law, no 3 distinction
How does biblical theology and “Covenant” factor into how one understands Baptism and the Lord’s Supper?
All covenants have “signs and seals;” Baptism and the Lord’s Supper function as the signs for us in the New Covenant today (Dr. Thomas describes a sacramental sign as visible words that depict fundamental and covenantal blessings and curses of the Gospel, whereas seals are marks of authenticity that confirm that which is sealed)
The issues of paedobaptism and paedocommunion arise from this covenantal connection
