1. Intro to systematic theology

Question 1

What is systematic theology?

Answer 1

Systematic Theology is any study that answers the question, “what does the whole Bible teach us today” about any given topic.

Question 2

Historical Theology

Answer 2

a historical study of how Christian in different periods have understood various theological toics

Question 3

Philosophical theology

Answer 3

studying theological topics largely without use of the Bible, but using the tools and methods of philosophical reasoning and what can be known about God from observing the universe

Question 4

Apologetics

Answer 4

providing a defense of the truthfulness of the Christian faith for the purpose of convincing unbelievers.

Question 5

What has the final authority to define what we are to believe?

Answer 5

Only Scripture has the final authority to define what we are to believe, making it appropriate to spend time focusing on the process of analyzing the teaching of Scripture itself.

Question 6

Old Testament Theology

Answer 6

Theology that answers the question “what does the Old Testament teach about” any given topic.

Question 7

New Testament Theology

Answer 7

Theology that answers the question “what does the New Testament teach about” any given topic.

Question 8

Biblical Theology

Answer 8

Theology that answers the question “what does the Bible teach about” any given topic.

Question 9

How does Biblical Theology differ from Old and New Testament theology?

Answer 9

Biblical theology gives special attention to the teachings of individual authors and sections of Scripture, and to the place of each teaching in the historical development of Scripture.

Question 10

What does Systematic Theology involve?

Answer 10

Systematic Theology involves Collecting and understanding all the relevant passages in the Bible on various topics and then summarizing their teachings clearly so that we know what to believe about each topic.

Question 11

How does biblical theology differ from systematic theology?

Answer 11

Biblical theology traces the historical development of a doctrine and the way in which one’s place at some point in that historical development affects one’s understanding and application of that particular doctrine.

Question 12

How does systematic theology differ from biblical theology?

Answer 12

Systematic theology makes use of the material of biblical theology and often builds on the results of biblical theology.

Question 13

What is the focus of biblical theology?

Answer 13

Biblical theology also focuses on the understanding of each doctrine that the biblical authors and their original hearers or readers possessed.

Question 14

Describe the method systematic theology uses.

Answer 14

Systematic theology uses biblical-theological method, analyzing the development of each doctrine through the historical development of Scripture.

Question 15

What is the focus of systematic theology?

Answer 15

The focus of systematic theology is on the collection and then the summary of the teaching of all the biblical passages on a particular subject.

Question 16

What does the life application of systematic theology for present-day Christians involve?

Answer 16

The life application of systematic theology focuses on summarizing each doctrine as understood by present-day Christians and will sometimes involve the use of terms and concepts that were not used by any biblical author, but are the proper result of combining the teachings of two or more biblical authors on a particular subject.

Question 17

What does defining systematic theology to include “what the whole Bible teaches us today” imply?

Answer 17

It implies that application to life in a necessary part of the proper pursuit of systematic theology, seeing a doctrine under consideration in terms of its practical value for living the Christian life.

Question 18

what is required for good theological analysis?

Answer 18

All the relevant Bible passages must be found and treated fairly for each particular topic and be carefully interpreted.

Question 19

what is important for each person to resolve when studying theology?

Answer 19

It is important for each person to resolve for themselves to abandon as false any idea which is found to be clearly contradicted by the teaching of Scripture and to resolve not to believe any individual doctrine without being convinced from the text of Scripture.

Question 20

Doctrine

Answer 20

What the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic.

Question 21

Name the two kinds of doctrine.

Answer 21

The two kinds of doctrine are Major and Minor.

Question 22

Major Doctrine

Answer 22

Doctrine that has a significant impact on our thinking about other doctrines, or that has a significant impact on how we live the Christian life.

Question 23

Minor Doctrine

Answer 23

Doctrine that has very little impact on how we think about other doctrines, and that has very little impact on how we live the Christian life.

Question 24

What is the difference between systematic theology and christian ethics?

Answer 24

The emphasis of systematic theology is on what God wants us to believe and to know, while the emphasis on Christian ethics is on what God wants us to do and what attitudes he wants us to have.

Question 25

Christian Ethics

Answer 25

any study that answers the question, “what does God require us to do and what attitudes does He require us to have today?” with regard to any given situation.

Question 26

what is the difference between theology and ethics?

Answer 26

theology focuses on ideas and thinking while ethics focuses on situations in life and how we should live.

Question 27

where do ethics and theology overlap?

Answer 27

theology must be applied to life and ethics must be based on the proper ideas of God (theology) and his world.

Question 28

what is the basic reason for studying systematic theology?

Answer 28

The basic reason for studying systematic theology, then, is that it enable us to teach ourselves and others what the whole Bible says thus fulfilling the second art of the Great Commission.

Question 29

Contradiction

Answer 29

A set of two statements, one of which denies the other.

Question 30

Dogmatic Theology

Answer 30

Another term for systematic theology.

Question 31

Paradox

Answer 31

a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true; an apparent but not real contradiction.

Question 32

Presuppostion

Answer 32

An assumption that forms the beginning point of any study.