Theological terms

Question 1

What is eschatology?

Eschatology

Answer 1

Study of the doctrine of “last things” within the Old and New Testaments.

Question 2

What are the 4 major eschatological views?

Eschatology

Answer 2

1. Historicism
2. Futurism
3. Preterism
4. Idealism

Question 3

What is historicism?

Eschatology

Answer 3

The view that biblical prophecies were fulfilled in the past, and are being fulfilled in the present and future.

Historicism associates symbols with historical persons, nations, or events. Historicists have primary interest in the apocalpytic books (Daniel and Revelation).

Question 4

What is futurism?

Eschatology

Answer 4

The view that all or most biblical prophecies are to be fulfilled in the future.

Futurist views are usually closely tied with premillennialism and dispensationalism. Many futurists also believe in a future rapture and tribulation.

Question 5

What is preterism?

Eschatology

Answer 5

The view that all or some biblical prophecies refer to events that took place within the first century after Christ’s birth (especially associated with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD).

Preterist views usually fall under the partial preterism or full preterism category.

Question 6

What is partial preterism?

Eschatology

Answer 6

Partial preterism is the view that many prophecies were fulfilled circa 70 AD, but that the Second Coming of Jesus, the Resurrection of the dead, the Final judgment, and creation of a literal New Heavens and Earth are still future events yet to happen. Nearly all partial preterists hold to amillennialism or postmillennialism.

Question 7

What is full preterism?

Eschatology

Answer 7

Full preterism views all prophecy as fulfilled within the destruction of Jerusalem:
* The Second Coming of Jesus is not a future bodily return, but a “return” manifested by the destruction of Jerusalem by foreign armies (God’s righteous judgment).
* The Resurrection of the dead is not a physical raising, but the resurrection of the soul from the “place of the dead”, so the righteous dead obtained a spiritual body for use in the heavenly realm.

Question 8

What is idealism?

Eschatology

Answer 8

The view of all or most of the imagery of the Book of Revelation as symbolic. It is common among Reformed theologians and is associated with amillennialism. Idealists interpret language and images in Revelation symbollically, not as literal future or past events. It views none of the prophecies (except in some cases the Second Coming) as being fulfilled in a literal, physical, earthly sense in the past, present, or future.

Question 9

What is dispensationalism?

Eschatology

Answer 9

A theological system that teaches that biblical history is best understood as successive “dispensations” of God’s dealings with mankind.

Question 10

What are the dispensations of dispensationalism?

Eschatology

Answer 10

1. before Adam’s fall
2. Adam to Noah
3. Noah to Abraham
4. Abraham to Mosess
5. Moses to Christ
6. of grace (the current church age)
7. a literal earthly 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom yet to come

Question 11

What are the major views of the Millennium?

Revelation 20

Eschatology

Answer 11

1. Amillennialism
2. Premillennialism
3. Postmillennialism

Question 12

What is amillennialism?

Eschatology

Answer 12

The view that Christ is presently reigning through the Church, and that the 1,000 years of Revelation 20:1-6 is a metaphorical and symbolic reference to the present church age, which will culminate in Christ’s return.

Question 13

What is premillennialism?

Eschatology

Answer 13

The view that Christ will return prior to his literal 1,000 year reign on Earth from Jerusalem. In the early church, it was called chiliasm (from the Greek word for 1,000).

Premillennialists fall into two major groups, historic premillennialism (which rejects the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture) and dispensational premillennialism.

Question 14

What is postmillennialism?

Eschatology

Answer 14

The view that Christ’s return will follow a golden age (that may or may not be 1,000 literal years) ushered in by the church.

Postmillennialists believe Christ will reign over the earth, not from a literal earthly throne, but through the gradual increase of the Gospel and its power to change lives. After this, Christ will return and usher the church into their eternal state after the Final Judgment.

Question 15

What is the rapture?

Eschatology

Answer 15

An end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and joined with Christians who are still alive to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4), held by dispensational premillennialists.

The idea of a rapture is not found in historic Christianity, but originated as a doctrine in the 1830s. It is common with American evangelicalism, but most Christian denominations do not subscribe to rapture theology and interpret 1 Thess. 4 differently.

Question 16

What is universalism?

Answer 16

Universalism is the view that all persons will ultimately be saved. Some universalists believe hell will be used as a reformation of sinners to bring them to God. Others believe there is no such thing as a literal hell or eternal punishment.

It dates back to the Greek church fathers, and numerous supporters of it were found in the postapostolic church, though Augustine of Hippo strongly opposed it.

Question 17

What is exclusivism?

Answer 17

Exclusivism refers to the fact that orthodox Christian doctrine maintains that only faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation. It is the opposite of pluralism, which suggests that “all faiths lead to God”. Exclusivism posits that the only way to God is through Jesus.

Question 18

What is inclusivism?

Answer 18

Inclusivism is the view that even though the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ, it does not mean that explicit knowledge of Christ is needed for one to be saved. General revelation and God’s grace alone is enough for one to be saved by God.

Question 19

What is pluralism?

Answer 19

Pluralism sees all religions as legitimate ways to God; no one religion has an exclusive claim on the truth, but all have different concepts of the “ultimate reality”.

Question 20

What is annihilationism?

Answer 20

Annihilationism is the belief that the fate of those who are not saved is a literal, final death and destruction.

The traditional Christian view of hell is that the wicked will suffer consciously in hell forever, annihilationism teaches that God will eventually annihilate the wicked completely, so they will not suffer for eternity.

Question 21

How is the term Hell used in the Bible?

Answer 21

Hell has two uses in Scripture:

1. The temporary, intermediate holding place for the coming judgment (sometimes called sheol, hades, or tartarus)
2. The place of eternal punishment for the damned (Greek gehenna)

Mark 9:48; Matt. 5:22; Hebrews 6:1-2

Question 22

What is antinomianism?

Answer 22

Antinomianism is the view that denies that Christians are freed by grace from the necessity of obeying Mosaic Law; the belief that obedience to God’s moral law is not necessary for the Christian.

From Greek “anti” + “nomos” (law)

Question 23

What is legalism?

Answer 23

Legalism refers to the reliance on self-effort (doing good deeds or following rules) as a way to gain God’s favor; the belief that a sinner can do some work to obtain salvation or fellowship with God.

Galatians 3:1-6

Question 24

What is Arianism?

Answer 24

Arianism is a heretical teaching that holds that Jesus, the Son of God, is a created being through whom the world was made, but is not co-eternal or of the same being as the Father.

Named for Arius, a 4th century priest in Alexandria, Egypt

Question 25

What is adoptionism?

Answer 25

**Adoptionism** holds that "although Jesus was essentially nondivine, he was adopted by the Father" at his baptism or birth. In other words, it teaches that Jesus was a human adopted by God as His Son. ## Footnote Scripture refutes this teaching; see John 1:1-3, Nicene Creed

Question 26

What is modalism?

Answer 26

**Modalism** is a heretical teaching that God is only one person who has revealed himself at different times in three different modes (or manifestations/forms), rather than a Trinity consisting of three distinct persons who are coexistent.

Question 27

What is docetism?

Answer 27

**Docetism** is the heretical teaching that Christ only *appeared* to be human, but was not really human, because he did not have a real human body. Scripture teaches that Jesus physically died and rose again from the dead. ## Footnote See 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 1:7

Question 28

What is biblical hermeneutics?

Answer 28

The study and science of interpreting the Bible.

Question 29

What is exegesis?

Answer 29

The process of drawing out the objective, original (author-intended) meaning of a text of scripture. | From Greek ἐξηγεῖσθαι, "to lead out"

Question 30

What is eisegesis?

Answer 30

The process of reading into a text of scripture a meaning that is not there. **Eisegesis** is when a reader imposes their own interpretation or biases into the text. | From Greek "to lead into"

Question 31

What is ecclesiology?

Answer 31

**Ecclesiology** is the study of the Church, its relationship to Jesus, its purposes, government structure, and roles in the believer's life.

Question 32

What is cessationism? ## Footnote Ecclesiology

Answer 32

**Cessationism** is the view that miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (healing, tongues, prophetic revelations) ended with the apostolic age, and that while God still does do miracles, he no longer gifts individuals with these spiritual gifts. ## Footnote 1 Corinthians 14:22

Question 33

What is continuationism? ## Footnote Ecclesiology

Answer 33

**Continuationism** is the view that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (healing, tongues, prophetic revelations) continued after the apostolic age and are available for the believer today. ## Footnote 1 Corinthians 13:8-10

Question 34

What is the *filioque*?

Answer 34

The **filioque**, Latin for "and from the Son", refers to a clause inserted into the Nicene Creed to indicate that the Holy Spirit proceeds not from the Father only but *also* from the Son. (See John 16:7) The controversy that arose over this doctrinal point led to the split between the Eastern and Western churches in 1054 A.D. ## Footnote And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father [**and the Son**], and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.

Question 35

What are the five *solas*?

Answer 35

1. Scripture alone (*sola scriptura*) 2. Christ alone (*sola Christus*) 3. Grace alone (*sola gratia*) 4. Faith alone (*sola fide*) 5. Glory to God alone (*soli Deo gloria*) ## Footnote The 5 solas emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic beliefs and emphasis in contradicting the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Question 36

What is general revelation?

Answer 36

God's self-disclosure to all humanity found in the external creation and internal human experience. ## Footnote Romans 1:19-20; 2:14-15

Question 37

What is the meaning of *imago Dei*?

Answer 37

"*Image of God*", referring to the fact that human beings are created in God's image, in other words, human beings are like God and represent him.

Question 38

What are the five points of Calvinism (TULIP)?

Answer 38

1. **T**otal depravity 2. **U**nconditional election 3. **L**imited atonement 4. **I**rresistible grace 5. **P**erseverance of the saints

Question 39

What is the doctrine of *Total depravity*?

Question 40

What is the doctrine of *Unconditional election*?

Question 41

What is supersessionism?

Answer 41

Also called replacement theology, **supersessionism** is the doctrine that that the universal Church has become God's true Israel and so Christians, whether Jew or gentile, are the people of God; the New Covenant through Jesus Christ has superseded or replaced the Mosaic covenant. The common verse used to support this view is Hebrews 8:13 (”By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear”).