Christian Doctrines

Christian Doctrines What We Believe and Why

Theological Terminology • Theology proper = study of God • Christology = study of Jesus Christ • Pneumatology = study of the Holy Spirit • Bibliology = study of the Bible/Word of God • Cosmology = study of created things • Anthropology = study of humanity

Theological Terminology • Angelology = study of spiritualbeings/angels • Hamartiology= study of sin • Soteriology = study of salvation • Ecclesiology = study of the church • Eschatology = study of last things (not just end-times prophecy)

Order Being Followed • Word of God • God • Man • Christ • Holy Spirit • Salvation • Church • Future Source used for determining order: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994) 7-11.

Forms of “Word of God” • As a person: Jesus Christ John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Forms of “Word of God” • As a person Revelation 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Forms of “Word of God” • As speech • Four kinds • Decrees • Personal addresses • Through human lips • Written form

Forms of “Word of God” • Decrees: cause things to happen Genesis 1:3, 24 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. . . . Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so.

Forms of “Word of God” • Decrees Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

Forms of “Word of God” • Personal address: God speaks directly to humans Exodus 20:1-3 Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Forms of “Word of God” • Personal address Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Forms of “Word of God” • Through human lips: prophets 1 Samuel 15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

Forms of “Word of God” • Through human lips Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Forms of “Word of God” • Written form: the Bible Exodus 31:18 When He [God] had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Forms of “Word of God” • Written form 2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his[Paul’s] letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Canon of Scripture • “Canon” = all the books that belong in the Bible • Some of the criteria used: • Accepted traditional scripture (OT) • Apostolic authority (NT): written by apostle or close partner (e.g., Mark, Luke) • Orthodoxy: right doctrine • Inspiration: must be from God

Canon of Scripture Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Canon of Scripture • Some excluded works: • Apocrypha: intertestamental (between OT and NT) Jewish writings • Gospel of Thomas • Gospel of Mary • Book of Mormon

Canon of Scripture • Some reasons why works are excluded • Historical inaccuracies • Not inspired • Doctrinal errors

Christian Doctrines