Outline of Christian Theology

By Dr. Kwing Hung

Outline of Christian Theology is a Q&A book on major Biblical doctrines. It is in a list-style format allowing readers to quickly find the necessary information. The information is also organized in a point style layout for easy retrieval. The main objective is to help non-ordained Christians to use the least time to understand the essential faith of Christianity. The book uses non-technical language to cover the difficult subject of theology. A glossary for theological terms is provided for reference.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781973698395

Dr. Kwing Hung

Dr. Kwing Hung (Ph.D., University of Waterloo, Canada) was a Statistical Advisor in the Department of Justice of Canada, retiring in 2011. He has preached and taught in many churches for over 40 years. He was an adjunct instructor teaching Christian Ethics at the Canadian Chinese School of Theology (Tyndale Seminary) and Biblical topics at the Alliance Seminary Centre, both in Toronto.

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OUTLINE OF

CHRISTIAN

THEOLOGY

DR. KWING HUNG

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Kwing Hung.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9838-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9839-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023909377

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/28/2023

CONTENTS

Prologue

[1] Introduction: Theology

[2] Bible

[3] God

[4] Man

[5] Christ

[6] Holy Spirit

[7] Salvation

[8] Church

[9] Future

[10] Conclusion: Essential Doctrines

Appendix 1. Abbreviations for books of the Bible

Appendix 2. Glossary

Appendix 3. Main references

PROLOGUE

The Bible says, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:14, English Standard Version)

The Bible exhorts us not to be spiritual infants and not to be influenced by wrong teachings. It is therefore important for a Christian to know and understand his beliefs. This book concentrates on teachings and doctrines based on the Bible, that is, the orthodox faith that the universal Church has held onto for two thousand years. These teachings will answer many questions that we may have when reading the Bible and help us to refute wrong teachings and not to be confused by them.

The format of this book is very different from most other books. The whole book is in a question-and-answer format which has been my frequently used style of teaching for over 30 years. I believe that questions are the best way in stimulating the readers to activate their own thinking while reading, not just passively accepting what they read.

In addition, the answers are also listed in the format of points. I am a person who loves learning. Even at my old age, I continue to learn. Of the thousands of books I read, there is always one obstacle that I encounter. Almost all books are written in the form of paragraphs, sometimes, rather long paragraphs. So I always need to laboriously search for the main points that the author is making and highlight them. This will help me memorize and to find them in the future when I want to use those points in my oral lectures or written materials. Therefore, in this book, I try to save the readers from such labour by making the points explicit and easy to find. Often, sub-headings are added for the same purpose.

Further, most books on theology often quote a large number of Bible verses on the same topic. If the reader tries to find all those verses, the pace of reading will be slowed down noticeably. I suspect that most readers, like me, do not look up all the reference verses. Therefore, in this book, I have selected verses that I deem more important and attach them in the text to help the reader.

The appendix contains a glossary and can be useful for quick reference.

May this book be a tool for Christians to learn basic doctrines in a most efficient way.

Abbreviations

•OT = Old Testament; NT = New Testament;

Hb = Hebrew; Gk = Greek; Lt = Latin;

1st-c = first century; RCC = Roman Catholic Church

•Books of the Bible (see Appendix 1)

•Quoted Bible verses (from ESV, English Standard Version) are underlined.

Hierarchy of Points

{1}CHAPTERS, 10 IN THIS BOOK

Sub-chapters, 38 in this book

1.Questions, total 60

A.Sections

(1)Sub-sections

[1]Major points

●Minor points

○Lists

{1} INTRODUCTION: THEOLOGY

Outline of this chapter

This chapter studies the importance of theology.

Theology

Revelation

Systematic Theology

Theology

1.How is theology relevant to our lives?

A.What is theology?

(1)Definition

Theology is a study of God and His works. It involves searching for truths about God, as well as for human responses to God, including related experiences, actions, and institutions.

(2)Branches

There are different branches in theology. The main ones that all Christians should know about include:

[1]Systematic theology (or dogmatic theology): the study of God organized into a system of doctrines or dogmas.

[2]Biblical theology: the study of teachings of individual authors and books of the Bible. This includes the proper understanding of Scripture, sometimes called exegetical theology or hermeneutics.

[3]Historical theology: the study of how Christians in different historical periods have understood their beliefs.

(3)Properties (based on J.I. Packer’s Hot Tube Religion)

[1]God-centred

[2]Christ-oriented: the centrality of Christ

[3]Church-centred

[4]Future-oriented: a religion of hope for Christians

[5]Freedom-focused: salvation as a main theme

[6]Doxological goal: leading to praising God

B.Why is theology important?

(1)Life’s Worldview

[1]Everyone has three important questions for one’s life, called foundational questions which everyone should try to answer:

●Where did I come from? (past)

●What is the meaning of my life? (present)

●Where will I go after death? (future)

[2]To answer these questions, one needs to have the knowledge of God and of ourselves.

[3]This is knowledge of the ultimate nature of reality and life. Those beliefs govern one’s worldview. Worldview is the assumptions on 5 aspects about man: his value, purpose, nature, problems encountered, and meaning of life. Theology is the foundation on which one builds up a proper worldview.

[4]Based on this worldview, one can establish:

●values for life,

●principles and rules of thinking and living,

●proper attitudes, and proper behaviour

(2)Christian Theology

[1]This book is about the theology that all ordinary (non-ordained) Christians need to understand. It is a simplified version of systematic theology. It explains the basic truths that Christians believe in. It enables people to understand how to have salvation. It provides a fundamental framework for Christian living.

[2]Christian theology is the foundation of the church’s beliefs, proclamation, and ministry. It includes the two components of faith: belief and practice.

●Beliefs are originated from studying Scripture and theology

●Practice is the application of those beliefs (application means new attitude or behaviour)

(3)Greatest Commandment

[1]Why must Christian faith consist of both belief and practice? See what Jesus tells us about the greatest commandment or the most important thing a person can do: to love God (Mt 22:37-38). This commandment is based on OT (Dt 6:5).

[You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. (Mt 22:37-38)]

[You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Dt 6:5)]

[2]Two similar sayings can be found in Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27.

[And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mk 12:30)]

[You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. (Lk 10:27)]

[3]These four quotes are slightly different. The first two quotes contain three elements while the last two quotes contain four elements. Jesus taught all these apparently different commandments at different occasions. Actually, they all contain three similar elements of love as recorded in OT:

●an emotional element: heart,

●a rational or reasoning element: soul,

●a volitional element or will: might or strength, that is, a decision to put love into action. This last element can be separated into a two-step process: making an inward decision (mind) and putting the decision into outward action (strength).

[4]Conclusion: We have to love God with reason, emotion, and will. To have the right faith, a Christian needs both components of faith (belief and practice). Both are indispensable, like two legs of a person.

(4)Necessity

One may think that theology is an academic subject of dry knowledge that only an ordained servant of God is required to study. However, one needs to know something about God and His works in order to receive God’s salvation and to become a Christian.

|| APPLICATION 1-1: (1-1 = chapter 1, question 1)

[1]Theology establishes a complete worldview for us, and as a result, life is no longer aimless existence, but purposeful living.

[2]Understanding our faith makes us more deeply realize the greatness of God and brings us a humble heart filled with praises and thanksgiving.

Revelation

2.How does one know God?

A.Why is revelation needed to know God?

(1)Unknowability of God

[1]Because man is finite and God is infinite, man is unable to find God and clearly know God (Job 11:7; Isa 55:8-9). Logically, to prove the absolute from the relative is absurd.

[Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? (Job 11:7)]

[For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:9)]

[2]There is a great distance or a complete difference (segregation) between God and His creation. This is called God’s transcendence. Man can hardly know the true God through nature.

(2)Revelation

[1]Reveal means uncover. Revelation is God’s self-manifestation to man. God cannot be known except through revelation.

[2]God wants us to know Him (Hos 6:6) and He rewards those who seek Him (Heb 11:6) so He shows Himself through revelation.

[For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6)]

[And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Heb 11:6)]

[3]God discloses what otherwise would be unknown; he uncovers what would otherwise be hidden (Dt 29:29; Gal 1:12; Eph 3:3).

[For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:12)]

[4]Two types of Revelation: general revelation, and special or particular revelation.

B.What is general revelation?

(1)Definition

General revelation is God’s communication of Himself to all persons at all times and in all places.

(2)Characteristics

[1]Through inborn knowledge: All persons (believers and non-believers) have an inborn knowledge of God, perhaps in a less particularized way without details. It is not in verbal communication but is universally available to everyone.

[2]Through observation: It is through the observation of the world and is confirmed by reasoning (rational mind). (Ps 19:1; Ac 17:22-23; Ro 1:19; 2:14-15).

[For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (Ro 1:19)]

(3)Types

[1]Nature or the Universe

●God has left evidence of Himself in the world He created.

●The complexity and design of the universe points to a Creator (Ps 19:1; Ro 1:20).

[The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Ps 19:1)]

●The amazing and impressive character of the creation points to a very powerful and wise Creator who designed and produced intricate variety and beauty.

[2]History

●God revealed Himself in His dealings with man. History is a story of God Himself (Ps 78:4), as the word history is composed of two words His (God’s) story. Many historical coincidences reveal the existence of God.

[We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (Ps 78:4)]

●Example: Preservation of the people of Israel; this small nation survived in a basically hostile environment and severe oppositions for many centuries (Dt 26:5-9; Ac 13:16-41). Although it was destroyed over 19 centuries ago (AD 70), yet the nation was miraculously re-established in 1948.

[And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Dt 26:9)]

○CAUTION: Secularists continually try to expel Christianity (and God) out of our society by eliminating the historic convention of counting years using BC and AD (BC = before Christ; AD = anno domini, Latin for year of the Lord). Instead, they insist on using the atheistic (and meaningless) CE for common era or BCE for before common era. Christians should not be misled and should insist on using the traditional convention.

[3]Human Beings

●complex physical structure and mental capacities of man

●moral conscience (judgments of right and wrong) and spiritual qualities. Kant said that the moral imperative requires the postulate of a life hereafter and of a divine guarantor of values.

●man’s religious nature. Most human civilizations at all times and places believe in the existence of a higher reality than themselves; an internal sense of deity.

(4)Limitations

General revelation is limited by human finiteness and sinfulness.

[1]Unclear: It cannot lead to knowledge of the true God because human understanding is obscured by sin.

[2]Unreliable: It cannot convey accurate knowledge of God and spiritual things (such as salvation by Christ).

[3]Inadequate: Because it does not point to the identity of God, people could turn to worshipping images or created things (Ro 1:18—2:16).

[Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Ro 1:22-23)]

●Paul in Romans apparently accepted the theoretical possibility of salvation by faith without special revelation (Ro 2:1-15), but he also says there is no one qualified (Ro 3:23).

[For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. (Ro 2:14-15)]

[For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Ro 3:23)]

(5)Value

Man will have no excuse on Judgment Day if he rejects the existence of God by claiming ignorance (Ro 1:20; 3:20). Example: Someone who doesn’t know God is able to come to spiritual truth (that God exists) through God’s general revelation (Ps 19:1-6; Ac 14:15-17; 17:22-31; Ro 1:18-32; 2:14-16).

[For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Ro 1:20)]

[For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Ro 3:20)]

[For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. (Ac 17:23)]

C.What is special revelation?

(1)Definition

Special revelation is God’s self-manifestation to particular persons at particular times and particular places.

(2)Necessity

Because of the limitations of general revelation, God uses special revelation to communicate with man in order to enter into a redemptive relationship with Him.

(3)Types

[1]Visible manifestation (called theophanies)

●Angel of the Lord, second person of Trinity (Gen 18:1-15; Ex 3:1-22; Jos 5:13-15; Dan 3:24-25); but not all angels were God’s appearance, only those ones who spoke with divine authority

[And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (Ex 3:2)]

●spectacular phenomena in nature: glory of God, fire, clouds of smoke (Ex 3:2-4; 24:15-17; 33:9; 40:34-35; Ps 78:14; 99:7), lightning, thunder, earthquake (Ex 19:16; 20:18; Rev 11:19; 16:18), storms, whirlwind (Job 38:1; Ps 18:10-16)

[The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. (Ex 24:16)]

[Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off. (Ex 20:18)]

[Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. (Rev 11:19)]

[Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. (Job 38:1)]

●found only in OT and in 1st-c AD

[2]Direct communications from God (Jer 18:1; Eze 12:1,8,17,21; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1; Am 3:1)

[The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. (Jer 18:1)]

●through a voice (Gen 2:16; 3:14-19; 6:13-21; 7:1-4; 12:1-3; Dt 5:4; 1Sa 3:4), possibly a still small voice or a low whisper (1Ki 19:12)

[Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, ‘Here I am!’ (1Sa 3:4)]

[And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (1Ki 19:12)]

●dreams, eg. for Daniel (Dan 7), Joseph (Gen 37:5-11)

[Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. (Gen 37:5)]

●visions, eg. for Ezekiel (Eze 40—48, the new temple), Zechariah (Zec 1:7—6:8), apostle John (Rev 4—22, the end times), and others (Nu 12:6; 27:21; Isa 6)

[In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. (Eze 40:2)]

●means of Urim and Thummim (Ex 28:30; Lev 8:8), objects used to seek the will of God by the priest

[And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. (Ex 28:30)]

●but the reality and interpretation of all the above are susceptible to human error

[3]Superior revelation: incarnation of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14-18; 14:9; Gal 4:4-5; Heb 1:2)

[In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Heb 1:2)]

●The revelation of God climaxed in the person of Jesus Christ. In Him, all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form (Col 2:9).

[For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. (Col 2:9)]

●Jesus both spoke God’s word and demonstrated God’s attributes.

●Jesus’ character—Jesus’ actions, attitudes, affections, perfection (shown by the exclamation of the centurion, Mt 27:54)

[When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’ (Mt 27:54)]

[4]The Bible (Heb 1:1), God’s Word; this is what we must continuously rely on today.

[Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. (Heb 1:1)]

|| APPLICATION 1-2:

[3]Understand that the Bible is God’s communication to us to make us know Him. Therefore, we need a devout and learning heart when reading the Bible.

Systematic Theology

3.How do Christians study systematic theology?

A.A. What is systematic theology?

(1)Definition

Systematic theology is the collection, interpretation, and exhibition of all information from all sources concerning God and His works. Teachings are gathered and organized to constitute into an integrated system of doctrines.

(2)Major and Minor Doctrines

[1]A doctrine is what the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic. Not all doctrines are important. Christians should be united in major or essential doctrines but are allowed to hold differences in minor or non-essential doctrines.

●Major doctrines are those that have a significant impact on our belief about other doctrines, or have a significant impact on how we live the Christian life, eg. authority of the Bible, Trinity, deity of Christ, justification by faith.

●Minor doctrines are others that have very little impact, eg. form of church government, real effect of the Lord’s supper, timing of tribulation.

●Some fall between these two categories, meaning that some churches regard them as essential doctrines while others regard them as less important, eg. mode of baptism, timing of millennium, predestination.

[2]Christians should ask God to give us mature wisdom and sound judgment in facing different interpretations on doctrines.

[3]One important saying based on early church teachings is an excellent advice:

In essentials, unity.

In non-essentials, liberty.

In all things, charity.

B.What is the source of theology?

(1)Source

The primary authoritative source of theology is the Bible or Scripture which is described as the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).

[Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3)]

(2)Illumination

The understanding of the Biblical teaching is directly guided by the Holy Spirit (1Co 2:12; Ps 119:18) in a process called illumination.

[Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1Co 2:12)]

(3)Scripture Only

Since the Reformation, the Protestant church has held the importance of the Bible by emphasizing the slogan "sola scriptura?", meaning that all doctrines are subordinate to authority of Scripture and are to be tested and corrected by it.

(4)Wesleyan Quadrilateral

[1]John Wesley (18th-c) believed that our theology should all be based on Scripture, which is to be interpreted in the light of tradition, reason, and experience. The use of these four elements (Scripture, church tradition, reasoning, and experience) is called the Wesleyan quadrilateral.

[2]However, it does not mean the four are of equal value. Scripture is the ulimate authority. The other three elements are only aids to understand the Scripture.

(5)Tradition

[1]Importance of tradition: Tradition is no doubt valuable. The Bible is handed to us through tradition. Writings by historic Christians help us to have insightful interpretations of Scripture. Many important historic creeds and confessions help us to define our orthodox beliefs, such as Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalcedon Definition.

[2]Wrong use of tradition: We must not despise tradition but also must not treat tradition as infallible. As can be seen in church history, RCC (Roman Catholic Church) accepts tradition as equal to Scripture in authority, thus accepting wrong traditions (not supported by the Bible) to our beliefs, such as its Mariology (doctrines about Mary), including immaculate conception (Mary conceived without original sin) in 1854, and assumption (ascension) of Mary and prayer to Mary in 1950.

C.What are the methods used in systematic theology?

(1)Method

[1]It is based on the synthetical method.

[2]It is the collecting and understanding of all the relevant passages in the Bible on various topics and then summarizing their teachings clearly.

(2)Process

[1]collection and unification of all related Biblical materials on a topic

●Example: for the variety of spiritual gifts, a comprehensive study is only possible with cross references.

[2]explanation of all Biblical materials

[3]examination of historical development of the doctrine

[4]identification, formalization, and explanation of the essence of the doctrine

[5]find application of the doctrine in life

D.What are the proper attitudes in studying systematic theology?

[1]Prayer (Ps 119:18; 1Co 2:14; Eph 1:17-19): We ask for the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit.

[2]Humility (1Co 8:1; Jas 3:17-18; 1Pe 5:5)

[Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (1Pe 5:5)]

[3]Reasoning: We are free to use our reasoning abilities to draw deductions.

[4]Discussion: We gain understanding with a different perspective from discussion.

[5]Worship and Praise (Ps 19:8; 119:14,103,111,162; 139:17; Ro 11:33-36): Worshipping God is the ultimate objective of studying theology.

E.What are the different divisions in systematic theology?

(1)Divisions

There are many ways to divide systematic theology. The traditional way found in many theology books divide it into 8 parts. This book follows this method.

Table 1. Systematic Theology: Divisions

(2)Sequence

The above sequence follows a natural progression in time. It starts from the foundation of Christian belief (the Bible), moves to the creation by God, then the fall of man, the sending of Christ and the Holy Spirit to accomplish salvation which leads to the formation of the church and the ultimate consummation of God’s plan in the future.

|| APPLICATION 1-3:

[4]Studying systematic theology is not just a pursuit of knowledge but a road to deeper reverence of God leading to true worship.

4.Why is systematic theology important for every Christian?

A.What are the 5 uses of systematic theology?

(1)Maintainance

[1]It helps the church to maintain orthodox doctrines. Christianity is not a blind faith and we need to understand what we believe in. Anselm (11th-c) says, Faith seeks understanding.

[2]Without good theology, the church cannot and will not mature in the faith. It could even result in destruction (see parable of two houses, Mt 7:24-27).

[3]Correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to buillding up the proper relationship between the believer and God (Heb 11:6).

(2)Teaching

[1]Teaching doctrines to believers and non-believers is Jesus’ command in the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20).

[Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt 28:19-20)]

[2]It is the responsibility of a disciple to teach and to obey (Tts 2:1,7). Theology assists in proper biblical exegesis (or exposition, meaning release of truth from the Bible, not eisegesis which is the reading of meanings into the Bible).

(3)Defence (external)

[1]It can help to defend our faith against a large number of external challengers of false religions in the world today.

[2]Some of the major secular challenges are humanism, Marxism, eastern religion (Buddhism, New Age), cults (Jehovah witnesses, Mormonism), and heresies inside Christianity. We need to gain maturity in faith so that we will not be influenced by wrong teachings, extreme teachings, or heresies.

(4)Correction (internal)

It can help us overcome internal challenges of false doctrines by the total weight of Scripture. It enables us to make better decisions when faced with doctrinal controversies. It helps us to avoid heresies.

(5)Worship

The ultimate objective (destination) of systematic theology: leading to doxology, to worship and exalt God, not only to gain knowledge.

●Example: The epistle to the Romans is clearly divided into two parts: the first 11 chapters on basic doctrines of salvation, and the last 5 chapters on life application. At the end of the doctrinal part is a doxology praising God (Ro 11:33-36) (quoting Isa 40:13 and Job 41:11):

[Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counsellor?

Or who has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever. Amen. (Ro 11:33-36)]

B.Why are there objections to studying systematic theology?

●People usually use the following 4 reasons to oppose the study of theology.

(1)Anti-Intellectualism

There is a general opposition to include in their beliefs anything resembling an academic discipline or pure knowledge. That is why some people apply charismatic theology to reduce everything to success, health, wealth.

(2)Can Cause Division

[1]Doctrine divides; the Spirit unites. It is assumed that doctrines are not useful except to cause divisions. Is theology divisive? Can theology cause splits and disunity among Christians? Yes, it could but we do need the right theology to unite us under the true faith.

[2]People want to sacrifice right doctrine for right relationship. But this is faulty; both are important.

[3]IMPORTANT: In essentials, unity; In non-essentials, liberty; In all, charity.

(3)Product of Human Invention

[1]The argument is that theology came from man, not from God because Israel and the early church existed and grew without theology.

[2]BUT: (Orthodox faith) Teaching has always been important and theology came out of the necessity of teaching accurately and systematically.

[3]BUT: (Orthodox faith) There are dangers without a good theological foundation, as can be seen from the presence of restricted legalism in Israel and heresies in the early church.

(4)Can Cause Pride

[1]It is evident that some people studying theology wrongly think they are being more knowledgeable than others, resulting in pride and even arrogance. Pride is an important sin Christians need to be cautious about.

[2]Paul admonished that knowledge can make us arrogant (1Co 8:1), but he also chastised those who were sinning with no knowledge of God (1Co 15:34).

[3]We must find a balance between knowledge and love, between knowledge and faith.

C.Why do Christians need systematic theology?

[1]Resisting wrong teachings: Theology allows believers to identify wrong teachings and provides a defence against them.

[2]Understanding the Bible: Theology helps believers to understand how to explain Bible passages by avoiding mistakes.

[3]Teaching the church: Theology is the systematic teaching of biblical truth.

|| APPLICATION 1-4:

[5]Studying basic Christian doctrines should be a time of spiritual growth and deeper fellowship with God.

[6]Christians must emphasize the practical value of correct doctrines that helps us to avoid being a spiritual infant and to become a more mature Christian. Knowing correct doctrines is not enough; it must be accompanied by practical obedience, emphasizing both belief and practice.

Memory Verse: I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Ps 119:11)

{2} BIBLE

Outline of this chapter

This chapter studies the importance and characteristics of the Bible.

Word of God and Inspiration

Perfectness and Inerrancy

Canonicity

Languages and Translations

Word of God and Inspiration

5.Why is the Bible called the Word of God?

A.What is the meaning of Word of God?

(1)Meanings

[1]Christ (the Word)

●The most direct reference is for Christ or the Only Son of God (Jn 1:1; 1Jn 1:1), the Eternal Word or Incarnate Word. [NOTE: not only begotten Son, see explanation in Question 30E]

[In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn 1:1)]

[That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. (1Jn 1:1)]

●Christ was in the role of communicating the character of God to us and of speaking for God, expressing God’s will for us.

[2]Speech by God

●God’s decrees in creation (Gen 1:3; Ps 33:6). These are the rules that will complete the eternal plan of God for the universe, such as the natural laws.

[By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. (Ps 33:6)]

●God’s direct voice to people. Example: to Adam (Gen 2:16-17; 3:16-19), to Israelites (Ten Commandments, Ex 20:1-3), at Jesus’ baptism (Mt 3:17)

[And 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.’ (Ex 20:1-3)]

[Behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’ (Mt 3:17)]

●God’s indirect words through humans (Ex 4:12; Nu 22:38; 1Sa 15:3,18,23; 1Ki 20:36; 2Ch 20:20; 25:15-16; Isa 30:12-14; Jer 6:10-12; 36:29-31). Example: use Moses to talk about the Messiah (Dt 18:18-19), and Jeremiah’s prophecies (Jer 1:9)

[I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. (Dt 18:18-19)]

[Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’ (Jer 1:9)]

[3]Written Word (the Bible)

●God’s words were put in written form (to avoid mistakes in hearing, incompleteness, personal bias) by God, eg. Ten Commandments (Ex 31:18; 32:16; 34:1,28)

[And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Ex 31:18)]

●God’s words were written down by man: Moses (Dt 31:24-26), Joshua (Jos 24:26); Isaiah (Isa 30:8), Jeremiah (Jer 30:2; 36:2-4,27-31; 51:60), Paul (1Co 14:37)

[And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. (Isa 30:8)]

[If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. (1Co 14:37)]

●Jesus promises his disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance the words which He (Jesus) had spoken (Jn 14:26; 16:12-13).

[But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (Jn 14:26)]

(2)Reference to the Bible Today

The first two meanings of God’s Word are now past. First, the incarnate Word (Jesus Christ) has completed His work in the world. Second, God may still speak directly to individual people but it is difficult to prove and impossible to get wide recognition to be from God. So the Word of God is almost exclusively referred to the Bible today.

B.How do we know that the Bible is God’s Word?

●This topic is more appropriately discussed in apologetics (a study aiming at the clarification and defence of Christianity; Gk apologia, meaning defence). (More details can be found in the course material on the author’s website.) Only the main points are included here.

(1)Internal evidence (Claims of the Bible)

[1]Jesus equates the Scripture with the Word of God:

●Jesus quotes or alludes to OT more than 150 times in the gospels.

●Jesus affirms that the whole OT (all 3 divisions) had a bearing on His mission (Lk 24:44).

[Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ (Lk 24:44)]

●Jesus affirms the permanent validity of even the smallest detail of the Law (here probably referring to the whole OT) (Mt 5:17-18).

[Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Mt 5:17-18)]

[2]God speaks through the prophet (Dt 18:18-20; Jer 1:9; 14:14; 23:16-22; 29:31-32; Eze 2:7; 13:1-16).

[The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: Hear the word of the Lord!’ (Eze 13:1-2)]

[3]The authors say that it was in God’s name (1Ki 13:26; 21:19; Hag 1:12).

[Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. (Hag 1:12)]

●Those who claimed falsely for God were severely punished (Dt 18:20-21; Eze 13:1-7).

[But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. (Dt 18:20)]

[4]Scripture is described as God-breathed or inspired by God, meaning that it is the words of God (2Ti 3:16).

[All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2Ti 3:16)]

(2)External Evidence

The Bible can be demonstrated to be a unique book. No other book can compare with it.

●unity, or internally consistency: over 40 authors, over 1500 years in time span, different occupations, same subjects of sin and salvation, yet completely no contradictions

●fulfilment of prophecies: confirmed by history and archaeology, all predicted past events fulfilled. Example: regathering of Israel (Isa 11:11), sequence of great world kingdoms (Dan 2; 7)

[In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. (Isa 11:11)]

●acceptance: universal agreement of the church worldwide through history to be God’s Word, believed by billions of people in history

(3)Inner Spiritual Assurance

In our heart, we are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be God’s words as we read the Bible because of inner assurance by the Holy Spirit (1Co 2:14).

[The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1Co 2:14)]

C.What are the benefits of using the Bible in a written form?

(1)Benefits of Being Written Down

[1]reliability: more accurate preservation for subsequent generations than preservation by oral tradition. To depend on memory and repeating by oral tradition is a less reliable method.

[2]permanence: opportunity for repeated inspection lead to careful study and discussion, leading to better understanding and more complete obedience.

[3]accessibility: many more people can use it.

(2)Adequacy

The written form is what we now primarily depend in theology, as other forms are comparatively inadequate, lacking the benefits listed above.

D.What are the main objectives of the Bible?

(1)God’s Revelation

The Bible is the revelation of God’s will for man (Rev 1:11; 22:6-7).

[And he said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.’ (Rev 22:6)]

(2)Live a Godly Life

The function is for God’s children to live a godly life pleasing to God. Godliness