Personal Theology

Dustin Van Wyk

Personal Theology

1. Theology Proper

a. God is knowable- Theology proper must start by answering the question is God knowable. While God is incomprehensible and transcendent, he is also knowable. This is because, and only because, he has chosen to reveal himself to humanity (Job 11:7; John 17:3)

i. The source- the way that people know God and know His character is only by his self-revelation. Whether it be natural or special revelation, people know God by God revealing Himself. (Psalm 19:1; John 1:18)

ii. As a relationship- Biblical knowledge of God is more than information about God but is a relation with him. Thus, while theology is an intellectual pursuit, its ultimate purpose must go beyond the intellectual to a relationship if it is to be complete. (Matthew 15:8; 1 Timothy 2:4)

b. God’s characteristics are perfect- God’s attributes are complete and without flaws. There is no way in which God is lacking anything. He is perfect morally in every way and he is perfect in essence in every way. There is no way that God can increase in his perfections for if he could he would not be perfect.

i. Eternality- God exists without end, never will he die or stop existing. He also has no beginning. There was no time that he was not neither was he created nor did he come into existence. He is self-existent, meaning that there was no creator who created Him nor any event or series of events that brought Him into existence. Rather he is an uncaused God who exists merely because of who He is in and of himself. (Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17)

ii. Freedom- God’s freedom is the fact that he is uninfluenced by anything outside of himself. It is his transcendence as it relates to his will. He is not subject to desires or pressures from any other entity. He can and does do anything that is in his will and is not buffered by any external force. (Job 42:2; Psalm 103:19) His freedom is perfect but this does not entail that it limitless. However, the only limits to God’s freedom are within himself. His own character limits His freedom but there is not force, law, or authority, that is outside of God that has any limit no Him. (Titus 1:2; Numbers 23:19)

iii. Holiness- God is perfectly holy. It can be described negatively as the fact that God has no sinfulness in him and that he is separate in entirety from anything that is unclean. This can also be said in a positive way. God is pure and distinct from all else. His holiness is the standard that must be met if one is to be in fellowship with him and when it is not met his holiness is what necessitates a discontinued relationship. For God is separate from all that is unholy. (Leviticus 11:44; Psalm 99:3; 1 Peter 1:15; Revelation 4:8)

iv. Immutability- God is unchangeable and therefore He is unchanging. Whereas God’s eternality is His chronologic constancy, His immutability is His constancy in regard to His essence and will. God is unchangeable in essence meaning that He can not become more than He is nor can he be diminished nor can he be altered. He is also unchangeable in his will which means that He does not change what he desires and determines nor is His will ever influenced by his creation. (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)

v. Infinity- God has no bounds and is not limited. He does not have the limits of space and time that creation does. The infinity of God has its primary emphasis in relation to God’s transcendence over space and time. (Acts 17:24-28)

vi. Omnipresence- This means that God is everywhere all at once. It is not that God is spread over all space with a little bit of him in every place, rather because He is not finite He is totally in every place at all times. Just as infinity speaks of God’s transcendence so omnipresence speaks to God’s imminence. (Psalm 139:7-11)

vii. Love- God’s love is His desire for the highest good for the objects of that love. This love is above all else seen in the trinity and is perfectly displayed by all three members of the trinity towards the other two. This love is also not a passion or feeling but is in the very nature of God and is therefore as unchangeable as He is. (Ephesians 2:4-8; 1John 4:8)

viii. Omnipotence- God is all powerful. There is nothing that he is unable to do other than that which is restricted by his own character. This does not mean that he exercises all his power in every way but only that there are not external limitations to that which he is able to do. (Exodus 6:3; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8)

ix. Omniscience- God has complete knowledge of all things. There is nothing that God does not know. (Psalm 147:4) The knowledge is not ever added to not even as time progresses. This is because God’s knowledge of the future is just as real and detailed as His knowledge of the past and present. While it is reasonable to say that God knows al things both actual and potential, (Matthew 11:21) it must also be said that he perfectly knows all potentials that will be actual and all potentials that will not be actual. (Acts 15:18 )

x. Righteousness- God’s righteousness is His holiness in action. God is holy and separate from all things sinful and this holiness is enacted in righteousness. This means that there is no law that he makes nor is there any character in himself that he brakes in anything that he does. (Psalm 11:7; Acts 17:31)

xi. Sovereignty- This Speaks of the fact that God is ruler over all things and that he has the power to do so. He is not effected or moved by anything outside of himself. Rather God’s plan is worked out perfectly in all things. We also know that God’s perfect plan often includes allowing things to be worked out according to the laws of nature and allowing humans with their own will to act within that plan. (Acts 15:18; Ephesians 1:14)

c. The Triunity of God

i. Unity- This means that God is one. Even within the trinity the three members are perfectly in union and are inseparable. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Exodus 20:3)

ii. Distinction- The three persons are each distinct from the others. The Father is not the Son or Spirit, the Son is not Father or the Spirt, and the Spirit is not the Father or the Son. All three are distinct from the others in person and role. (Isaiah 59:20; 1 Peter 1:2)

iii. Equality- Though the roles and persons of the Father, Son, and Spirit are all three distinct, they are all three fully and equally God.

2. Bibliology

a. Special Revelation- While nature reveals things about God there are many things that can only be known about God and his will if he decides to reveal them to people. This is where special revelation comes in. God uses many avenues to reveal himself, these include things like lots (Acts 1:21-26), the urim and the thummim (Numbers 27:21), dreams (Genesis 20:3), visions (Isaiah 1:1), angles (Like 2:10), prophets (2 Samuel 23:2), God the Son (John 1:14), and the Bible (Hebrews 1:1). During no time period in history since the fall was there ever a time that humans universally had guaranteed access to any of these means of Special revelation. Rather, only in his grace does God choose to reveal himself to certain people at certain times. At this time in history God has chosen to revealed himself through his word and though not all people have access to his word, his word is the only means of special which is constantly available to us.

b. Inspiration

i. All Scripture is Inspired- this means that the whole of the cannon was given by God (2 Timothy 16). That is there is no scripture that has its origin in any other place but God. This is significant first because it means that we can have confidence in it and its profitability. But the fact that God is the source of all scripture is also significant because it gives a major criteria for what should be included as scripture.

ii. All Scripture is God Breathed- While Men wrote the Bible 2 Peter 1:21 makes clear that all the writers of Scripture did not write there own message but were each an instrument of God as He revealed his message through them. Thus, Scripture is not the imagination or product of men nor did God simply give people the responsibility of recording things about him. Rather, God was directly involved in the whole of the Bible.

iii. The Words of Scripture- Not only are the ideas of Scripture inspired by God but also the words themselves. (1 Corinthians 2:13)

c. Inerrancy

i. Inerrancy- This means that the entirety of the Bible is without error. This can also be positively stated by saying that everything said within the Bible is true. There is no false statements anywhere in the Bible. This does not mean that the writers are not able to use things such as approximations and free quotations. Nor does it mean that the authors do not write from their own personal prospective. However, even where these literary tools are used these passages still only record truth. (2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 4:4)

ii. Inerrancy as taught by Christ

1. Matthew 4:4 Jesus makes clear that man lives on every word of God. It does not say that men live on some of the words of God but all of them. If this is the case and it know that all of Scripture is breathed out from God then it can also be determined that in Jesus’ view all of scripture is what sustains men.

2. Christ’s use of the Old Testament- From how Christ uses the Old Testament it is clear that he viewed Scripture as not only from God but also as factual. He references Adam and Eve as real people (Matthew 19:3-5), and speaks of the world wide flood as a true event (Luke 17:26). He also speaks of prophets such as Isaiah, Jonah, and Daniel as actual people. (Matthew 12:17, 40; 24:15)

3. Jesus also makes clear that the word of God is guaranteed. He does this by correcting those who thought that he would abolish the law. Jesus said that not only would he not abolish the law but that the law was more sure than the heavens and the earth. Thus, three things are clear. First, God’s word is reliable; Second, God’s word is lasting; and third every detail of God’s world is important. (Matthew 5:17-18)

4. In John 10: 35 Jesus claims that the word of God cannot be broken as he bases the proof for His divinity on the Bible. Thus, it is seen that Jesus not only views Scripture as unbreakable but also as authoritative. That is, Jesus thought that Scripture was a strong enough authority to ground his claim of divinity in.

d. Interpretation (a literal and natural Hermeneutic)

i. Interpreting Grammatically- words are the vehicles of meaning that God uses in scripture and God has designed language to work in such a way as to allow grammar to be interpretable. As such Christians to day are able to understand the meaning of what God desired to communicate by means of grammatical study.

ii. Interpreting Contextually- The Bible as a whole communicates a unified message and each part should be understood as it relates to the other parts. Thus, no single phrase, verse, Chapter, or book can be properly interpreted without being first understood within the broader context.

iii. Interpreting Literally- The word of God should be understood as literal unless there is literary or contextual evidence that a particular passage was intended by the author to be understood allegorically. This means that while literary tools such as allegory, metaphors, and parables are used and when they are used must be interpreted as such, there must be evidence provided to demonstrate that this was the intent of the author.

3. Christology

a. The Divinity of Christ

i. Christ, the second person of the trinity, is fully God and an equal participant with the Father and the Holy Spirit in all of the divine nature. (Col. 2:9, John 10:30)

ii. Christ himself knew and proclaimed his divinity while on earth. (Mat. 26:63; John 19:7)

iii. Christ has full divine authority.

1. Christ has the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:5,8-10)

2. Christ has authority over angles. (Mat. 13:41)

3. Christ has the authority to judge. (Mat. 25:31-45; 2 Tim. 4:1)

4. Jesus had authority over the Law of Moses. (Mark 2:27)

iv. Christ is worthy of all worship, even as the Father and the Holy Spirit. What is more, he willingly accepts this worship, giving evidence of this worthiness. (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8)

b. The Incarnation of Christ

i. The Preincarnate Christ

1. As the second person of the trinity, Christ existed form eternity past in preincarnate form. He is uncreated and fully divine from eternity past. (John 8:58; Isa. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Rev. 1:17)

2. Christ in his preincarnate state was the agent by which God made creation. (Col. 1:16; John 1:3)

a. All things that were ever created were created through Christ. (Heb. 1:2)

b. All things that were created find their purpose in Christ. (Col. 1:16)

c. Christ in the one who sustains all things. (Col. 1:17)

3. In the Old testament there are manifestations of Yahweh to people. However, since God has not been sees by any man, (John 1:18) it is right to understand these appearances as preincarnate theophanies of Christ. (Gen. 16:7-14; Exod. 3:2; Judg. 2:1-4; Zech. 1:12) What is more, the fact that He is distinct from Yahweh but still called Yahweh further indicates that this is a preincarnate Christ. (Gen. 24:7; Zech. 1:12-13)

ii. The Incarnation of Christ

1. Christ is a single unified person. Nowhere in the Bible is there a reference to duality within the person of Christ. His full deity and full humanity are united perfectly in the one person Christ Jesus. On the other hand, even within the same passages, Christ’s humanity and his deity are referenced with a singular subject. (John 1:14)

2. The incarnation of Christ was a supernatural event predicted beforehand and caried out in perfect accordance with prophecy. (Isa. 9:6; 7:4)

3. Christ was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin Mary. (Mat. 1:23)

4. There is no indication of an immaculate conception, a supernatural birthing of Christ, nor of the perpetual virginity of Mary.

iii. The Purposes of the Incarnation

1. Christ became incarnate so that he could reveal God to mankind. (John 1:18;14:7-11)

2. Christ became incarnate so that he could provide a perfect example to the believers. (1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6)

3. Christ became incarnate so that he could provide an effective sacrifice for the sins of men. (Heb. 10:1-10)

4. Christ became incarnate so that he could fulfill the Davidic Covenant. (Luke 1:31-33)

5. Christ became incarnate so that he could be a sympathetic High Priest. (Heb. 4:14-16)

6. Christ became incarnate so that he could be a qualified Judge. (John 5:22, 27)

iv. The Full Humanity of Christ

1. Christ took on the full limitations of man, experiencing the need to grow both physically and mentally. This limitation of knowledge was even to the point that there were things which he did not know but only the Father. (Luke 2:52; Mark 13:32)

2. Christ took on the full limitations of man so that he, like all men, needed to eat, drink and rest to survive and he experienced hunger, thirst and fatigue. (Mat. 4:2; John 19:28; 4:10)

3. Christ took on full humanity allowing him to die a real physical death on the cross. (John 19:32)

4. Christ took on flesh so that he was a physical being able to be heard, seen, and touched. (1 John 1:1)

5. Christ took on full humanity and experienced the full range of human emotions including joy, grief, love, stress, and anger. (John 15:11; 13:23; Mark 10:14; Luke 12:50)

v. The Self-Emptying of Christ

1. The primary meaning of Christ’s self-emptying is that he became a man in order that he could die and in order that he might submit to the Father’s will. (Phil. 2:7)

2. Implied in Christ’s self-emptying is the fact that Christ limited the exercise of his divine powers. However, Christ did not limit all of these powers all of the time but did still exercise some of these powers some of the time. (John 1:48; 2:24)

3. Implied in Christ’s self-emptying is the fact that Christ veiled his glory. However, this too was not done in an absolute sense and at some points in time during his incarnation he revealed more of his glory than at other times. (Mat. 17:1-8)

vi. The Sinlessness of Christ

1. During his time on earth Jesus lived a perfect life committing no sin. He was the Holy One of God who had within him no sin nor sin nature. (1 Peter 2:22; John 6:69; 2 Cor. 5:21)

2. During Jesus’s life on earth he was able to sin as is made evident by the fact that he was tempted as we are. (Heb. 4:15) However, the Son is fully God and had it was always certain that he would not sin. (John 8:29)

3. This mystery of Christ’s nature is not fully revealed to man but what is clear is that Christ faced human desires to sin but never willed to sin. Furthermore, the charge that if Christ never sinned then he could not have been tempted as we are, is a false charge. Indeed, Christ’s perfect life of refraining from sin means that he bore the full weight of sin’s temptation never succumbing to temptation and thus fully resisting its weight.

c. The Offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and Kings

i. Prophet

1. Christ was foretold as a prophet who would be greater than Moses during Moses’s day. (Deut. 18:15)

2. Christ was recognized by his disciples and ordinary people that he was a prophet. He also declared himself to be a Prophet. (Acts 3:22-24; Mat. 13:57; 21:11)

3. Christ’s role as a prophet is seen through some of his most central activities while on earth. These include his preaching and teaching. (Matt. 4:17)

4. Christ’s prophetic ministry was one that had objective authority and authority in the eyes of the people. (Mark 1:22)

5. Christ’s prophetic ministry included both forthtelling and foretelling. (John 17:8; Mat. 24:15-25)

6. Christ’s greatest work as prophet was his own incarnation which allowed men to see and know God. (John 1:14)

ii. Priest

1. Christ acts as high priest on behalf of all who believe in him. (Heb. 4:14)

2. Christ’s role as high priest includes sympathizing and interceding for those who are tempted. (Heb. 4:15)

3. Christ’s ministry as priest centers around his self-sacrifice which was preformed once for all time. (Heb. 7:27)

iii. King

a. Christ’s role as king was foretold within the Old Testament, that he should be in the line of David and rule on his throne. (Isa. 9:7; Luke 1:32-33)

2. Jesus was rejected as king by many people in various cities, by scribes, by Pharisees, and by both Gentiles and Jews. (Mat. 9:3; 11:20-30; 15:1-20; 22:15-23)

3. Though Christ was rejected his kingdom will be established at his second coming and will continue without end. (Mat. 25:31; Rev. 19:15; 20)

iv. Other Offices: Christ is seen to be the husband of the church, (2 Cor. 11:2 Rev. 19:7-9) the great physician, (Luke 4:23; Mark 2:17), and shepherd. (John 10:21)

d. The Resurrection of Christ

i. Christ died a real human death and rose from the dead in bodily form. (John 19:34; 20:19-25)

ii. Forty days after Christ’s resurrection, when he had shown himself to his disciples and many others, Christ ascended bodily into heaven. (Acts 1:3)

iii. Christ foretold his own resurrection in perfect accordance with what was to happen. (Mat. 20:19)

iv. Christ’s resurrection is the foundation for our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:14-19) and it is because of Christ’s resurrection that we can have new life in him. (Rom. 6:4; Gal. 2:20)

e. The Post Ascension Ministries of Christ

i. In the present time Christ acts as head of his body, the church. (Eph. 1:20-23)

ii. In the present time Christ acts as priest for those who believe. (Heb. 4:14-16)

iii. In the Present time Christ is preparing a place for those who believe. (John 14:1-3)

iv. In the future it is Christ’s power that will raise the saints from the dead. (1 Cor. 15:35-37)

v. In the future Christ will judge the wicked and reward his saints. (John 5:22; 1 Cor. 3:11; Rev. 20:11-15)

vi. In the future Christ will rule over all things directly. (Rev. 1915)

f. The Nature of Christ’s Atonement

i. Substitutionary Atonement

1. The primary role of the atonement was that of a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of man. (Isa. 53:6; 2 Cor. 5:21)

2. Through Christ’s atonement all those who believe receive the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5.21; 9:30)

3. The atonement of Christ demonstrates God’s Justice to the world. (Roman 3:26)

4. The atonement of Christ demonstrates God’s love for the world. (John 3:16)

5. The atonement of Christ is Christ’s triumph over evil. (Rom. 6:6-8; 1 Cor. 15:55-77)

6. Christ death on the cross is set as an example for us. (Luke 9:23; Eph. 5:25)

ii. Unlimited Atonement

1. Christ’s death is repeatedly said to be for the whole world. (John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:14-15)

2. Christ is said to be “the savior of all men,” this cannot be only the elect for immediately after this it is said that he is the savior “especially of those that believe.” (1Tim. 4:10)

3. Christ is said to have “bought” “false teachers” who teach “damnable heresies.” These people are “destroyed” and yet Christ died for them. (2 Peter 2:1)

4. Those passages that note Christ dying specifically for the elect do not necessitate that Christ died only for the elect. (Eph 5:25; Acts 20:28)

iii. Limited application of the Atonement

1. The bible regularly puts limitations on who is saved based on their faith, confession, and repentance. (1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19; 1 Peter 1:5)

2. Not all people will be saved. Therefore, if Christ died for all then his atonement must not be applied to all. (Mat. 22:14; 20:11-15)

4. Pneumatology

a. The Person of the Holy Spirit

i. The person of the Holy Spirit is a genuine person and not simply a personification of God’s power. He has attributes such as intelligence, feelings, and will which clearly indicate that the is a person. (Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:11; Acts 16:6-11)

ii. The person of The Holy Sprit is further evidenced by the way that people can interact with him. one can obey him, lie to him, resist him, blaspheme him, or insult him. (Acts 10:19-21; 5:3; 7:51; Mat. 12:31; Heb. 10:29)

b. The Divinity of the Holy Spirit

i. The Spirit is used as a name directly related to both the Father and the Son. (1 Cor. 6:11; Acts 16:7)

ii. The Holy Spirit shares in attributes only applicable to deity including omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. (1 Cor. 2:12; Ps. 139:7; Job 33:4)

iii. The Holy Spirit is seen to do things that only divinity could do, such as causing the virgin birth, breathing the Scriptures to the writers, being involved in the creation of the world. (Luke 1:35; 2 Pet. 1:21; Gen. 1:2)

c. The Holy Spirit’s Indwelling

i. The Holy Spirit indwelling

1. The scripture clearly indicates that the indwelling of the Spirit is given to all who believe and not just to some. (John 7:37-39; Acts 11:16-17; Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:5)

2. The indwelling of the Spirit is not lessened or reversed by the believers sin. (1 Cor. 6:19)

3. The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer giving them life. (Rom. 8:11)

4. The Holy Spirit brings the believer into the family of God through adoption. (Rom. 8:14-15)

ii. The Holy Spirit in the old Testament

1. There is a clear distinction made between the way that the Spirit relates to saints before Pentecost and after Pentecost. (John 15:26)

2. The Holy Spirit Indwelt specific people in the Old Testament. (Gen. 41:38; Num. 27:18)

3. The Holy Spirit came upon certain people for the purpose of enabling certain tasks in the Old Testament. (Num. 24:2; Judg. 3:10; Exod. 31:3; 35:31)

d. The Holy Spirit’s Sealing (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 4:10)

i. All believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s sealing is always made in a general reference to believers and when it is made there is not limitation as to who is sealed.

ii. The Spirits sealing guaranties the believers’ salvation to the day of redemption, the Resurrection of the saints bodies. (Rom. 8:23)

e. The Holy Spirit’s Baptizing

i. The baptism of the Spirit is applied to all who believe. (1 Cor. 12:13 Eph. 4:5)

ii. The baptism of the Spirit unites us to Christ and actualized our crucifixion with him. (Rom. 6:1-10; Col. 2:12)

iii. The baptism of the Spirit unites us to the body of Christ, which is the Church. (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4)

f. The Holy Spirit’s Gifting

i. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each believer for the purpose of serving the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 14:1)

ii. All gift are given by the will of God and are to be exercised in accordance with the gifting. (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:1)

iii. Some of the giftings listed in the Bible include to evangelism, serving, giving, pastoring, teaching, prophesy, and tongues. (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4)

iv. Scripture singles out the gift of tongues as ceasing in and of its-self. When that is, is not specified but scripture and history indicate that this happened with the apostolic age. (1 Cor. 13:8)

g. The Holy Spirit’s Filling

i. The filling of the Spirit in the life of a believer is the particular work of God to enable a believer to live in righteousness and full obedience. (Acts 6:3; Eph. 5:18; 4:8)

ii. Unlike the Spirit’s indwelling, filling is not something every believer has all the time but is something the believer can avail themselves to or not. (Eph. 5:18)

iii. The Holy Spirit empowers and enables the Saints in the spread of the Gospel. (Acts 1:8)

iv. The Holy Spirit sets the believer’s minds on things of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:5)

v. The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer. (Gal. 5:22-23)

vi. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to fulfil the law. (Rom. 8:4)

h. Other Ministries of the Holy Spirit

i. The Holy Spirit assures believers of their salvation. (Rom. 8:16)

ii. The Holy Spirit advocates for the believer to help them in living for the Father. (John 14:16-17)

iii. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the Scripture (John 14:26)

iv. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf in our prayers. (Rom. 8:26-27)

5. Anthropology

a. The Origin of Man

i. The first man, Adam, was a literal man who was the special creation of God (Gen 1:26-27).

ii. Adam was created by directly by God his body from dust and his living soul through breath (Gen 2:7).

iii. Woman was created by a separate special creative act of God (Gen 2:21)

b. The Constitutional Nature of Man

c. Man was created in the image of God (Gen 1:26).

i. Man is composed of two parts, both body and soul (Mt 10:28 Acts 7:59).

ii. Man by nature can reproduce both body and soul (Traducians, as seen in the fact that God’s special act of breathing life was a unique event Gen 2:7)

d. The Moral Nature of Man

i. Man is capable of knowing write from wrong and is held accountable for actions (Romans 1:19-28)

ii. Man was created with a will (Dt. 30;16).

iii. Man has a continence.

1. Though it is not perfect it still functions after the fall (Rom 2:14-16).

2. It is not inspired but merely convicts or excuses thoughts and actions (Rom 2:15).

3. The conscience can be damaged (1 Tim 4:2).

e. Man was Created in Innocence

i. Man was very good when he was first created (Gen 1:31)

ii. Man being created in the image of God by God entails that moral purity (Gen 1:27)

iii. Though morally pure man was created with the ability to choose sin (Gen 2:8-17)

iv. Man was in a perfect world at first (Gen 2:8).

f. The Fall of Man into Sin

i. Adam and Eve fell as they believed lies from Satan about God’s and themselves.

1. The lie that God does not speak truth (Gen 3:4).

2. The lie that God unjustly withholds good things (Gen 3:5).

3. The lie that they could have fuller understanding apart from God (Gen 3:5-6).

ii. Within the fall there is a reversal of God’s design.

1. God’s order: man as head of the woman and mankind over the animals (Gen 1:28-29; 2:18-22)

2. The order in the fall: serpent over woman and woman leading man (Gen 3:4-6).

iii. The fall was ultimately a rebellion against God’s command (Gen 3:17)

6. Hamartiology

a. The Origin of Sin

i. God is not the author of sin.

1. God is sinless (1 John 1:5; Is. 57:15).

2. God does not tempt anyone (Jas 1:13).

ii. Sin is not outside of God’s control.

1. All things including sin work together for the good of the elect (Rom 8:28).

2. God brings himself glory through men’s and demons’ sins (Ps. 76:10; Pro 16:4).

iii. Sin was first found in Satan

1. Satan was created pure before his fall (Ez. 28:14-17).

2. Satan wanted to be like the most high (Isa 14:14).

3. Satan seeks the destruction of mankind (John 10:10; 1 peter 5:8).

b. The Nature of Sin

i. Sin is the transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4)

ii. Sin is an absence of holiness. Thus it is that which does not attain to the character of God. (Lk 2:32; 2 Cor 4:4-6).

iii. Sin is often an act of will (Gen 3:5; 2 Tim 3:1).

iv. Mankind is innately sinful (Ps 51:5; Jer 17:19).

c. The Effects of Sin on the Human Race

i. Direct effects of sin

1. Sin brings a sense of guilt (Gen 3:7).

2. Sin brings death and separation from God (Gen 2:17; Gen 3:8).

3. Sin brings fear of the consequences (Gen 3:8; 10).

ii. God’s judgement on sin

1. Physical judgments

a. The woman was cursed with increased child birthing and pain in the process (Gen 3:16).

b. The woman was cursed in that submission to her husband would no longer be easy (Gen 3:16).

c. The man was cursed with toilsome work and thorns (Gen 3: 17-19).

2. Other judgements

a. God separates himself from the sinful (Gen 3:23; Isa 59:2).

b. God actively opposes the wicked (Mal 4:3)

c. God brings final judgement on those in their sin (Rev 20:12).

d. Adam’s Headship

i. Adam is the head of the human race (Rom 5:14).

ii. Through Adam all his descendants became sinners (Rom 5:12).

iii. All men have Adam’s corrupted nature and therefore fellowship with God is broken and they are deserving of God’s wrath (Ps 51:5; Romans 3:23)

iv. Though Adam’s sin is pasted down to his descendants, sin nature is primarily spiritual not physical (Rom 5:12-20)

e. Total Depravity

i. The lost man is dead in sin (Eph 2:14-15)

1. No man seeks God (Rom 3:10-12).

2. If anyone is to be saved God must effectually call them while they still have no desire for God (John 6:44).

3. All unregenerate people live to fulfill the desires of the flesh and mind (Eph 2:3)

ii. People are not as bad as they could be but are unable to perform truly righteous things (Isa 64:6; Romans 3:10)

7. Soteriology

a. The Nature of Salvation

i. Salvation is attributed to all three members of the Trinity (Ti 3:4-6; Pet 1:2).

ii. Salvation deals with all sins a person has or will commit (Is 53:6; 1 Jn 1:7).

iii. It brings temporal blessings (2 Pet 1:3).

iv. It brings eternal life (Jn 17:3).

b. The Nature of the Atonement

i. God the Father planned salvation in eternity past (2 Tim 1:9).

ii. God the Son provided salvation within history (2 Tim 1:10).

1. Christ lived a sinless life so that he could be a sinless sacrifice (Is 53:9; 1 Pet 2:22).

2. The death of Christ was a literal event which happened to provide an penal substitutionary atonement (Lk 1:1-4; Jn 1:1; 1 Pet 2:24).

iii. Extent of the Atonement

1. Christ died for all men (1 Jn 2:2; 2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 4:10).

2. The offer of salvation is a ligament offer to any who will receive it (Jn 11:25, Rom 10:9).

3. Though the attornment is unlimited in its ability it is limited in its application (1Tim 4:10, Mk 16:15).

c. God’s Work Before Salvation

i. Foreknowledge

1. God knows of all people and all things from eternity past before (Psalm 139:4; Acts 2:23).

2. Foreknowledge is commonly noted with the term election (Rom 8:29; 1Pet 1:2).

3. This is reasonable for God must know of someone before he can choose that individual otherwise election could not be in eternity past.

4. There is no indication that these biblical uses of foreknowledge refer to the future actions or character of men in God’s knowledge as determinative of his will, rather God’s own choice is seen as fundamental and uninfluenced (Jn 15:16, Eph 1:11 Isa 46:10).

ii. Predestination

1. Predestination refers to God’s determination of something before it happens.

2. Christians are predestined by God to glorification (Romans 8:29; Eph 1:5, 11).

3. God predetermined those who he effectually calls (Romans 8:30).

4. The Bible dose not teach that God predestines the lost to condemnation (Romans 9:22).

iii. Election

1. A range of Greek words ἐκλέγομαι, Eκλεκτός, Tάσσω, ἐκλογή, and αἱρέω are all used to refer to God’s choice in saving individuals.

2. Effectual call—Though the term “effectual call” is not found in the Bible it is clear that there is a call of God that will lead to salvation (Rom 8:30; 1 Pet 2:9).

3. General call—like wise, “general call” is not a term found in the Bible but it is clear that God calls all people to repentance but not all are saved (Acts 17:30; Mk 2:17).

d. Conversion

i. Conversion is the human response to the effectual call of God. It includes Faith and Repentance. (Jn 12:37-40; Acts 3:19; 20:21)

ii. Repentance

1. Repentance is a turning from sin to God (Heb 6:1; Acts 20:21).

2. Saving repentance includes but must not be limited to an emotional response (2 Cor 7:9-10).

3. Saving repentance produces a change in action (2 Tim 2:24-16).

iii. Faith

1. Faith is belief acted upon through trust. (1 Tim 1:12)

2. Saving faith has its object in Christ and his work (Jn 3:16)

3. Saving faith includes but must not be limited to an intellectual aspect (Jn 4:42).

4. Saving faith includes but must not be limited to an emotional aspect (1 Pet 1:7: Mt 13:20-21).

5. Saving faith produces a life that acts in accordance with that faith (James 2:14; Heb 11:4).

iv. The Bible outlines no other way of salvation aside from repentance and faith in Christ. (Acts 4:12)

e. God’s Work in Salvation

i. There is a logical order of God’s work in salvation which is best seen as union with Christ, Justification, regeneration, and Adoption. These first four doctrines happen simultaneously at the point of salvation.

ii. The Centrality of Union with Christ

1. Union with Christ is central to salvation and is the basis for the Christian’s:

a. Justification (Rom 3:26; 6:3).

b. Regeneration (Rom 6:4).

c. Adoption (Romans 8:10-15).

d. Sanctification (6:10-12; Col 3:5).

e. Glorification (Col 3:3-4).

2. The Spirit is instrumental in uniting the believer to Christ (1 Cor 12:13).

3. As evident from the above verses, our unity with Christ is spiritual and has real effects.

iii. Justification

1. Justification is the act of God declaring someone righteous.

2. The Justification of the believer is solely by grace (Titus 3:7).

3. God is just and the justifier.

a. God does not simply declare something righteous without a just basis for doing so (Rom 3:26).

b. Justification is based on the propitiatory work of Christ (3:25).

c. Justification is through faith in Christ (Rom 3:23).

d. God is just in judging use as he would Christ because of our union with him (Rom 6:3).

iv. Regeneration

1. Regeneration is the spiritual rebirth of the Christian unto new life.

2. Regeneration is necessary to enter heaven (Jn 3:3-7).

3. Regeneration is the work of God that enables us to live in righteousness (Ezk 36:26).

4. Regeneration comes thought ones union with Christ (Rom 6:4).

v. Adoption

1. Adoption is the placing of a Christian into the family of God (Eph 2:3)

2. Adoption is the continued state of favor shown to Christians by God based on the fact they are his children (James 1:17; Jn 15:14-15)

3. Christian’s were predestinated to be adopted (Eph 1:4-5)

f. Sanctification

i. Sanctification is the process of growth by which the Christian better reflects the image of Christ.

ii. Sanctification is the result of the Christian’s union with Christ (1 Cor 1:30, Col 3:5)

iii. Sanctification is the work of the indwelling Spirit empowering the Christian to live righteously (Rom 8:9).

iv. Sanctification is carried out by the Christian through yielding to the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:13).

v. Perfection will not be reached within the believers lifetime (1 Jn 1:8).

g. Preservation

i. Preservation is the securing work of God which guarantees that all those who God predestined will be glorified (Rom 8:29-30).

ii. Preservation of the saints started before the world began (1 Tim 1:12).

iii. It is through the power of God that the believer is kept (1 Pet 1:5; Jn 10:28-29).

iv. Those who do not continue in faith demonstrate that they never were saved (1 Jn 2:19).

v. Assurance

1. Assurance of salvation is based on our faith in Christ (1 Jn 5:1).

2. Assurance of salvation is based on the inner witness of the indwelling Spirit (1 Jn 5:9, 10).

3. Assurance of salvation is based on the testimony of God that salvation is in Christ (1 Jn 5:11, 12).

vi. It is possible for the lost person to be deceived into thinking he is saved (Mat 7:21-23).

h. Glorification

i. The summation of God’s saving work is the final glorification of the Christian (Rom 8:30).

ii. Glorification is based on union with Christ (Col 3:3-4: Rom 6:4).

iii. Glorification happens as we see Christ when he appears (3:4; 1 Jn 3:2; Titus 2:13).

iv. The Glorification of the believer is ultimately for the glory of God (Eph 1:6; 2 Tim 4:18).

8. Angelology

a. Angels

i. Existence of angels The first thing that should be said of angles is that they exist. This is made clear in scripture. From the Cherubim placed outside the garden (Gen 3:24) to the angle sent to John with the “words” of Revelation. (Rev 22:6) They are not simply illusions or vision but are real creatures.

ii. Function of Angels

1. Angels are messengers- As is made clear from both the Hebrew and Greek words for angels, words that also can mean messenger, these creatures are often seen to be messengers of God to man. (Gen 18; Matt 2:19)

2. Angels are ministers- Angels are often seen within the Bible as working out God’s plans for the sake of God’s people. (Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Acts 5:19)

3. Angels are agents of judgment- Angels are seen as function as agents executing judgement on God’s behalf. (2 Sam 24:16)

4. Angels are worshipers of God singing his praise and reverencing him. (Ps 148:1-2; Rev 5:8-13)

iii. Creation of Angels

1. Who created angels- The Bible makes clear that all things where created through Christ this of course includes angels (John 1:1-3 Col 1:16)

2. When where angels created- The Bible does not explicitly state when the angels were created but Job 38:4-7 suggest that they were their observing creation. So, while they have not eternally existed they were created before the “the earth’s foundation.”

3. What was the state of angel’s creation- angles were created holy and sinless as was the rest of creation. (Gen 1:31) Angles who did not fall are still referred to as holy (Mat 8:38)

iv. Nature of Angels

1. Angels as persons- This means that they possess person hood. Meaning they have intelligence, (1 Peter 1:12) emotions, (Luke 15:7) and will. (2 Tim 2:26)

2. Angels as spirit- Angels, whether good or evil, are often referred to as spirits. (Matt 8:16; Eph 6:12) This, however, does not mean that they do not appear physically and even in human form. (Gen 19:1-8, Isa 6:2)

3. Angels and procreation- Angles do not procreate as humans do and so it is safe to assume that angles were all created directly by God. (Matt 22:30)

4. Angels and their status

a. Angels are not deity and are not to be worshiped. (Col 2:18; Rev 22:8-9)

b. Angels are higher than mankind, for the time being. (Heb 2:7-9) This likely refers to authority and power.

c. Angels will one day be judged by glorified humans. (1 Cor. 6:3)

v. Organization of Angels

1. There is not an exact number of angels that the Bible gives but it does make clear that there are great multitudes of them (Heb 12:22; Rev 5:11)

2. Angels have ranks among themselves. (Col 1:16 Jude 1:9)

b. Demons

i. Existence of fallen Angles- Just as with angels, the fundamental thing that must be said about them is that they exist. Though they have limitations they can influence and affect the world. (Matt 12:22-29)

ii. Demons

1. Personhood- Demons, like angels, have personhood. They are not robotic or preprogramed but rather have will, emotions, beliefs, and intellect. (James 2:19; Luke 8:28)

2. Nature- Thought nowhere does the Bible explicitly call demons fallen angels the fact that their “prince” (Satan) is a fallen angel and that they are given the same ranking titles as angels strongly suggests that they too are fallen angels. (Matt 12:24; Eph 3:10)

3. Spirits- Demons are spiritual in form and are described as unclean spirits, (Matt 10:1) evil spirits, (Luke 7:21) and spiritual forces of wickedness. (Eph 6:12)

4. Power- Demons are able and at some points allowed to enter humans, controlling them and even empowering them to some degree. (Mark 5:3)

5. God’s plans- Demons are beings who oppose the plans of God. (Dan 10:10-14) But they are also beings who are used by God in spite of their intents. (Jud 9:23)

iii. Satan

1. Personhood- Satan is not simply a force or a conceptual representation on evil. He is noted to have intelligence, (2 Cor 11:3) emotions, (Rev 12:17) desires, (Luke 22:31), and will. (2 Tim 2:26)

2. Nature- Satan is a created being. (Ezek 28:15)

3. Corruption- Satan was not always fallen but was once and holy angel and was motivated in pride to sin against God and was subsequently cast from heaven. (Ezek 28:15; 1Tim 3:6; Rev 12;7-9)

4. Mission and means- Satan seeks to oppose the kingdom and glory of God and to keep as many people from God as possible. He dose the is through deceiving and misleading unbelievers; (2 Cor 4:4; 11:15) deceiving whole nations; (Rev 20:3) and tempting and accusing the believers. (1 Thes 3:5; 1 Cor 7:5; 12:10)

9. Ecclesiology

a. A definition of the church- The church is an organized assembly of immersed believers gathered together for fellowship, to practice the ordinances, and to carry out the great commission.

b. Biblical uses of the word church

i. The local sense- The word church is most often used to describe a group of believers meeting within a house. (Rom 16:5) It is also used of a collection of several house churches. (Acts 2:41-42; 13:1)

ii. The universal church- It is true that all believers are to be presented to Christ one day as a spotless bride. However, this is always depicted in an eschatological sense and thus should not be understood as a directing principle for the local church. (Eph 5:27; Heb 11:13-16)

c. Membership

i. Restricted to believers (1 Cor 12) who have been baptized (Acts 2:41)

ii. Though members functionally have different callings and abilities (Rom 12:6) each believer is equal in Christ. (Col 3:11)

iii. Church discipline is a biblical tool that all churches not only have the ability to perform when necessary but the responsibility.

1. Those within the church are not to be characterized by worldly sinfulness and it is ultimately the concern of the whole church if a member continues in sin. (Rom 12:2; Matt 18:17)

2. Two out comes- the offending brother or sister either repents and is to be joyfully kept in the membership (Matt. 18:15) or does not repent and is to be removed from the church. (Matt. 18:17)

d. Mission

i. To be a place of fellowship and encouragement among believers in Christ. (Eph 1:10; 2:42)

ii. To train and instruct believers in the teachings of the Bible, (Acts 2:42) and built them up to be able evangelists. (Matt 28:18-20)

iii. To carry out the two ordinances.

1. Baptism (Matt 28:16-20)

2. The Lords Super (1 Cor 11:20)

iv. To reproduce other churches. (Acts 13:2-3)

v. To minister to the widows, orphans, and needy within the Church. (1 Tim 5:9-10, Gal 6:10)

e. Church offices

i. Christ is the ultimate head of the church (Eph 5:23) but each church has the authority to govern itself within the bounds of Christ’s will. This includes appointing pastors (2 Cor 8:19) and deacons, (Acts 6:3) and it includes maintaining its membership rolls. (1 Cor 5:6)

ii. The Church’s structure

1. Within the Bible there are no strict guidelines concerning the exact operational structure of the church. This means that, though a church should follow applicable biblical principles, it does have some freedom when it comes to these areas.

iii. Pastors

1. The terms pastor, elder, and overseer (bishop) are all three used to refer to a single office. (1 Pet 5:1-4)

2. There is no suggestion in the Bible that there is a hierarchical structure over churches today and the 13 Apostles had no successors who meet the qualifications of an apostle. (Acts 1:21-22; 1 Cor 15:8-9)

3. Though there is no requirement given, the Bible favors a plurality of elders. (Acts 14:23; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 5) None of these passages suggest that all elders must have equal authority, responsibilities, or remunerations.

4. Pastors must meet the biblical standards outlined in passages such as 1Tim 3 and Titus 5.

iv. Deacons

1. A deacon, as the Greek term διάκονος implies, is to be one who serves the needs of the church and works to ensure that God’s word can be taught and the ministry of the church continued. (Acts 6:1-6)

2. Deacons must meet the biblical standards outlined in passages such as 1 Tim 3 and Titus 5.

10. Eschatology

a. The coming of Christ should be understood as a literal coming. (Acts 1:1: Rev 1:7)

b. Christ’s second coming

i. The timing of the second coming

1. The day of Christ’s return is not known but it is know that his return is imminent (1 John 2:18; Heb 10:24; 1 Pet 4:7)

2. At the end of the Church age those Christians who are alive with be raptured and those who are dead will be resurrected (1 Thes 4:16-17)

3. After the rapture and resurrection the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will follow. (Rev 19:1-10)

ii. The nature of the tribulation

1. The dominant figure on earth during the tribulation will be the Anti-Christ

a. The Anti-Christ will be a world dominating figure. (Rev 13:10; 17:18)

b. The Anti-Christ will mislead the nations (Rev 13:11-17)

2. The tribulation will be a time of judgement (Rev 6:1-17)

a. The tribulation will be a time of judgement against the nations

b. The seals, trumpets and bowls of wrath will be real events carried out on the world.

c. Christians will not enter into the tribulation from the Church age but will be raptured. (Rev 3:10) there will however be people converted during the time of the rapture. (Rev 20:4)

iii. The Millennium

1. Christ will descend after the tribulation and establish his kingdom (1 Thes 4:16; Rev 20:4-6)

a. Christ will over though the kings of the world and the Anti-Christ at his coming in the battle of Armageddon. (Rev 19:19-20)

b. Those who were martyred in the tribulation will be resurrected. (Rev 20:4)

c. This kingdom will last one thousand years literal years.

2. There is no indication that the church is ushering in this period.

3. An emphasis on Israel

a. The all Israel will turn to Christ before he returns. (Rom 11:26-27)

b. It will be David’s throne which Christ rules from. (Luke 1:32-33)

c. The tribe of Israel will be judged by the apostles. (Luke 22:29-30)

4. There will be a restraint of evil during this time.

a. Sins effects will be mitigated. (Isa 11:6-8)

b. Satan’s influence will be stopped until the end of the thousand years. (Rev 20:3)

5. The entire earth will have the knowledge to the gospel (Isa 11:9)

6. Satan’s release

a. Satan will be loosed at the end of the Millennium. (Rev 20: 7)

b. He will deceive and gather the nations to resist Christ’s saints. (Rev 20: 19)

c. Before Satan can enact his will God will destroy his armies and cast him into the lake of fire. (20:9-10)

c. Judgement

i. Judgement of believers

1. Believers are judged based on Christ’s righteousness and not on their sins (Rom 8:1, 34)

2. There is no reference to believers being at the Great White Throne judgement (Rev 20:12-15)

3. The judgement of believers focuses on rewards not condemnation (1 Cor 4:11-13; 2 Cor 5:10)

ii. Judgement of unbelievers-

1. The Great White Throne judgement is the final judgement for all the lost. (Rev 20:12-13

2. All the lost and Satan and the demons will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death (Rev 20:11, 14; Luke 8:31)

3. There is no biblical evidence those in hell to be released nor for an intermediate place such as purgatory (Matt 18:8-9; 2 Thes 1:9)

d. The new heaven and new earth

e. After the judgement of Satan and all the lost there will be a new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1). This new heaven and new earth should be understood literally

f. There will be no evil or sin found in the new heaven and new earth. (Rev 21:8, 27; 22:15)

g. Eternal worship of God will be central to this new state. (Rev 21:22)