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Theology Proper

The Belief in God's Existence, Various Arguments
The Attributes of God
The Trinity
The Names of God
The Decrees of God
God and Creation
God and Providence

The Definition of God

bulletGod is incomprehensible: you can not understand Him completely.
bulletGod is knowable: you can understand Him finitely.

Belief in the Existence of God

Cosmological Argument

bullet(Cause & Effect) The universe is an effect which requires a cause. God is the uncaused Cause.

Teleological Argument

bullet"The purpose, order, and design we observe in the world calls for a designer." (Basic Theology, Charles C. Ryrie) The universe requires a Great Designer.

Ontological Argument

bulletAn argument based on the study of "being".

"God is the greatest of all conceivable beings. Now a being which does not exist cannot be the greatest of all conceivable beings (for the nonexistent being of our conceptions would be greater if it had the attribute of existence). Therefore, by definition, God must exist." (Christian Theology, Millard Erickson)

Anthropological Argument

"Since man is a moral and intellectual being, he must have had a maker who is also a moral and intelligent being." (The Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, Charles Ryrie)

Attributes of God

Definition
"An attribute is a property intrinsic to its subject and by which the subject is distinguished or identified." (The Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, Charles Ryrie)

Attributes of Greatness (natural qualities)

  1. Spirituality - John 4:24
  2. Personality - Ex. 3:14
  3. Life - Heb. 11:6, John 526
  4. Infinity - Ps. 139:7-12, Isa. 44:6
  5. Constancy, Immutability - James 1:17
  6. Eternity - Ps. 90:2, Gen 21:33
  7. Omnipresence - Ps 139:7-11
  8. Omnipotence - Gen. 17:1; Ex. 6:3; Rev. 1:8; 19:6
  9. Omniscience - Ps. 147:4; 139:16
  10. Simplicity, Unity - Deu. 6:4
  11. Sovereignty - Eph. 1:11, 14

Attributes of Goodness (moral qualities)

  1. Holiness - Ps. 99, Ex 15:11
  2. Righteousness - Ps 11:7; 19:7-9
  3. Justice - Rom. 6:23
  4. Integrity - Num. 23:19
    1. Genuineness - John 17:3
    2. Veracity, Truth - 1 Sam. 15:29
    3. Faithfulness - I Thes. 5:24
  5. Love - 1 John 4:8
    1. Benevolence - Rom. 5:6-10
    2. Grace - Eph. 2:7-9
    3. Mercy - Eph. 2:4
    4. Persistence - Rom. 2:4; 1 Peter 3:20

God's Nearness and Distance: Indications of how God relates to his world

Immanence - Acts 17:27-28; Isa. 63:11; Matt. 5:45
God's presence and activity within nature, human nature, and history. God is everywhere and he sustains all things.
Transcendence - Isa. 6:1-5; 55:8-9; Ps 113:5-6
God is separate from and independent of nature and humanity.

The Triunity of God

Definition
There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.

Misinterpretations of the Triunity (Trinity)

bulletTri-theism - Three separate and distinct beings
bulletSabellianism or Modalism - Three modes (ways in which God revealed himself) but one God.
bulletArianism or Unitarism - Only one God, Jesus was created and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.

Explanation of the Trinity

  1. God is one in regard to essence.
  2. God is three with respect to Persons.
  3. The three Persons have distinct relationships.
  4. The three Persons are equal in authority

Contribution of The Old Testament

  1. The Unity of God
    1. Deu. 6:4
  2. Plural Words: Elohim, Gen. 1:26
  3. The Angel of The Lord (an Old Testament Theophany). See the following passages: Gen. 16:7-13; 18:1-21; 19:1-28; Mal. 3:1
  4. Distinction of Persons
    1. The Lord is distinguished from the Lord. See Gen. 19:24 and Hosea 1:7.
    2. The Redeemer (who must be divine) is distinguished from the Lord. See Isa. 59:20.
    3. The Spirit is distinguished from the Lord. See Isa. 48:16; 59:21; 63:9-10.

Contribution of The New Testament

  1. Evidence of Oneness, I Cor. 8:4-6
  2. Evidence of Threeness
    1. The Father is recognized as God, John 6:27
    2. The Son is recognized as God, John 1:3
    3. The Holy Spirit is recognized as God, Acts 5:3-4
  3. Evidence of Triunity displayed in Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14.

The Names of God

Elohim, Strong One - Gen 1:1; 35:2 Yahweh, Self-Existent One - Gen. 4:1; 9:26; Ex. 3:14 Adonai, Lord - Gen 19:2; 40:1; 1 Sam. 1:15
El Shaddai - Gen. 17:1 Yahweh-Jireh - Gen. 22:14  
El Elyon - Gen. 14:19 Yahweh-Nissi - Ex. 17:15  
El Olam - Gen 21:33 Yahweh-Shalom - Jud. 6:24  

The Decrees of God

Definition
"The decree of God is His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His own will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass." (The Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, Charles Ryrie)

Terminology

bulletOmniscience
bulletForeknowledge
bulletPredestination
bulletRetribution
bulletElection
bulletPreterition

The Nature of the Decree

There is only one decree involving everything, though in the outworking of events there is successiveness. There is also a convenient distinction between directive and permissive decrees.
The decree is all-inclusive, although God does not sustain the same relationship to each thing in the decree.
All the desires of God are not necessarily incorporated into His plan.
What God has decreed is ultimately for His own glory.
Wrong is never made right simply because sin was included as part of God's purpose.

God and Creation

Reasons for studying the Doctrine of Creation

bulletThe Bible places great significance upon creation.
bulletSignificant part of the church's faith.
bulletIts effect upon our upon our understanding of other doctrines.
bulletDialogue between Christianity and natural science.

Implications and elements of the Doctrine of Creation

bulletCreation out of Nothing.
bulletGod's creative activity was in totality.
bulletEverything that is created has value and purpose.
bulletNothing other than God is self-sufficient or eternal.

God and Providence

Definition

"By Providence we mean the continuing action of God by which he preserves in existence the creation which he has bought into being, and guides it to his intended purposes for it." (Christian Theology, Millard Erickson)

Major Features of God's Governing Activity

God's providence relates to sin
God's governing activity is universal
God's providence does not extend merely to his own people.
God is good in his government
God is personally concerned about those who are his.
Our activity and divine activity are not mutually exclusive.
God is sovereign in his government.
We need to be careful as to what we identify as God's providence.

©Copyright 1997 by Rev. Tracy J.Liichow

 

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