Doctrine 2 Flashcards
What is Doctrine #2?
We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
Unique Essenses
HELPS Holy Eternal Love Personal Spirit
GOD’s ATTRIBUTES
1) OMNIPOTENCE= All Powerful
2) OMNISCIENT = All Knowing
3) OMNIPRESENCE = All Present
Omnipotence
All Powerful
- El Shaddai = God Almighty
- No limits to His power
- Only source of true power
- Has influence over all things
- Empowers (gives freedom)
- Persuasive (no coercive)
Omniscient
All Knowing
- El Roi = God who sees me
- Seeing in knowing & understanding
- Creator knows creation intimately and comprehensively
- No limits to knowledge and understanding.
- Emotional – Empathetic (feeling with), Sympathetic (Feeling for), Volitional (his will to know us).
- Free from time restrictions -> eternal present, foreknowledge, infinite
- Consistent with his character
Omnipresence
All Present
- Different than his creation
- Made all things for himself (1 Col. 1:16)
- Not limited by time and space
- Naturally present
- Transcendent (Above His creation)*
- Immanent (Close and involved with creation)*
God’s Titles
Creator (relationship) – Preserver (stewardship) – Governor (covenant)
- Inter-relationship
- He is IN all, FOR all, HOLDS all things together.
Creator
- divine intent
- Spiritual, relational, volitional, intellectual (not just visual and material)
- He is the reason and source for everything
- First cause ->Augustine
- Ex nihilo (Lat.) ->from nothing
- Immanent (close and involved)
- Transcendent (above and distinct)
- Confirms to source and purpose of life (to glorify God)
- Clarifies our relationship
- Corrects our understanding
- tov-tov miod = Good, very good. (Heb.)
Preserver
- God preserves what He creates
- Cares because he loves
- Shows his power (he is able to preserve)
- Demonstrates his provision
- Maintains physical realm and people
- Sufficient
- Spiritual
- Relational
- Stewardship
- Hesed (Heb.) God’s loving faithfulness towards what he has made
- He demands our cooperation
- Rules by natural and moral law
Governor
- Why does he govern? -> Holiness, righteousness, justice, love.
- Consistent with the Omni’s
- Provides free will
- Recognizes kingship
- Reigns whether we recognize him or not
Object
Focus
Religious
Devote, Dedicated, Disciplined
Worship
Serving and glorifying God, the total response of a person.
Heresy
False teaching/belief
Wrong Theology: Pantheism
All living things are divine (God IS his creation). Distorts immanence.
Wrong Theology: Polytheism
Many gods
Wrong Theology: Deism
There is a creator, but he is now distant and uninvolved.
Wrong Theology: Atheism
There is no God
Wrong Practices
Idolatry, self worship
Doctrine #3
We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
Trinity
- It’s a mystery, but not a secret;
- requires progressive revelation
- God’s nature is unveiled (His essence, “three-in-one”, and centrality of relationship)
- God reveals himself in creation (the world), humanity, the written revelation (the Word), and the trinity itself
Clues for Trinity
- Creation
- Humanity made in God’s image
- The Word
- Trinity itself
Unity of Trinity
Shared:
- Fellowship
- Acts of Revelation
Names of the Trinity
Father (Source)
Son (Savior)
Spirit (Seal)
Father
- Personal
- Volitional
- Relational
- Holy
- Love
- Eternal
Son
- Redeemer
- Requests the spirit
Holy Spirit
- Teacher, counselor
- Directs the church
- Inspires
- Advocate
- Regeneration
- Sanctification
- Nephesh
Co-equal
- complete harmony
- no competition, same essence, same will
- Not subordinate; supporting.
- Work together in nature, power, purpose
Heresies: Modes
God projects himself in 3 modes
Heresies: Tritheism
3 separate gods
Heresies: Subordination
Father is superior to Son and Spirit; heirarchy
Creed: Apostles
a. Early third century
b. “I believe”
c. All three persons mentioned
Creed: Nicene
a. First ecumenical council (Nicea 325 AD)
b. To debate and combat Arianism
i. Arius: son is inferior Father
c. Confirms unity of God and the divinity of the son and spirit
Creed: Athanasian
a. Amplification of the Nicene Creed
b. Example of early doctrine instruction
Unique essence: Holy
Holy- separation from evil, moral excellence and purity, right, just, true, faithful.
Unique essence: Eternal
Eternal- no beginning no end, self existent, all sufficient, immutable: unchanging.
Unique Essence: Love
Love- Hesed: faithful love, Agape: perfect love, intentional- more than emotion or feeling, covenant love, revealed in redemption, compassion, mercy, grace.
Unique Essence: Personal
Personal- not a power or influence, has a personality, has a name, desires relationship.
Unique Essence: Spirit
Spirit-Nephesh: source of life, not limited to body, unconfined by time and space
Immutable
Unchanging
Transcendent
Above his creation
Immanent
Close and involved with creation
