Exam 1

Question 1

Task of theology

Answer 1

• God walk and God talk. Speach and action. Proclamation.

Question 2

Arian controversy/Council of Nicaea 325

Answer 2

Arius argues Jesus was not divine, Son was begotten by God the Father (also Jesus doesn’t fully know God so we cannot know God). Said Jesus was not co-eternal with the Father. Vs. Athanasius.

Question 3

Apollinarian Controversy

Answer 3

Apollinaris Jesus was a divine being in a human body. He had a divine mind, and therefore was not fully human. Vs. Gregory of Nazianzus.

Question 4

Pelagian controversy

Answer 4

Pelagius vs Augustine. Pelagius believes no original sin, so humans can live righteously, grace is not necessary for obedience/salvation. Augustine believed in original sin from Adam, free will and moral liberty (after fall our will is still good, but our judgement is skewed to sin) only way for liberty to be restored is with God’s grace.

Question 5

What is the task of theology? How does that task relate to the Bible, the Church, and
Jesus Christ?

Answer 5

The church must be willing to examine its proclamation and practices to determine their faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the basis and norm of the church’s life and mission.
The church’s test to see its true God talk and God walk. The church uses the Bible to see if it is accurately following Jesus.

Question 6

According to Peter Enns, how does the nature of faith in the New Testament differ from
“correct thinking” about God?

Answer 6

Faith allows us to fully trust God, love and show commitment. “Correct thinking” is using theology and “God talk” which can lead to idolatry and focusing on the wrong things. Saving faith is about the relationship with God, not head knowledge.

Question 7

What spurred the early Christians to reflect on the nature of Jesus?

Answer 7

Christians were praying to Jesus already and so they wanted to look into what Jesus’ nature was. Christians were monotheistic, so was Jesus the only God?

Question 8

Lay out Athanasius’ soteriological argument for Jesus’ divinity.

Answer 8

a. Only God can save
b. Jesus Christ saves
c. Therefore, Jesus Christ is God

Question 9

What did Apollinaris teach about Jesus’s humanity, and how did he reason to this
position?

Answer 9

*Apollinaris taught that Jesus had a human body but lacked a human soul, which he believed was replaced by the divine Logos.
This view was rejected for undermining the full humanity of Christ.
If he did not take up a human mind, he woudlnt have healed the human mind

Question 10

Lay out Gregory of Nazianzus’s argument for Jesus’ full humanity.

Answer 10

a. Only what Jesus assumed incarnate can be redeemed
b. If Christ did not possess a human mind, humanity is not fully redeemed
c. Therefore, Christ possessed a human mind and was fully human

Question 11

Briefly state Pelagius’ positions concerning human freedom, sin, and grace.

Answer 11

Pelagius said Christians were becoming lazy, we have complete free will, have the ability to not sin, and the commandments are God’s grace to us.

Question 12

Briefly state Augustine’s positions concerning human freedom, sin, and grace.

Answer 12

a. Only what Jesus assumed incarnate can be redeemed
b. If Christ did not possess a human mind, humanity is not fully redeemed
c. Therefore, Christ possessed a human mind and was fully human

Question 13

Do you agree with Enns that good theology, “correct thinking” about God, is different
from saving faith? If not, why not? If so, then what is the point of theology? Refer to his
argument from scripture as you answer this question.

Answer 13

*Yes, I agree with Enns that good theology, or “correct thinking” about God, is different from saving faith. Enns argues that having the right ideas about God doesn’t necessarily mean someone has true faith. For example, in James 2:19, it says even demons believe in God, but that doesn’t mean they are saved. Saving faith is more about trust, relationship, and living according to God’s will, not just knowing facts about Him.

The point of theology, then, is to help us understand God better, but it’s not a replacement for genuine faith. Theology can guide us, give clarity to our beliefs, and help us avoid errors, but ultimately, it’s living out that faith—trusting and following God—that really matters.

Question 14

What difference does it make whether we consider Christian theological statements to
be divinely given, perfect, and eternal, or human works that are able to be corrected?
Relate your answer to the task of theology as we defined it in class.

Answer 14

*If we see Christian theological statements as divinely given, perfect, and eternal, then we would believe they can’t be questioned or changed. This means theology is about understanding and following those set truths exactly as they are. On the other hand, if we view theological statements as human works that can be corrected, it means we can improve or adjust our understanding of God as we learn more or as our world changes.

In class, we defined theology as the study of God and how we understand Him. If theology is open to correction, it becomes a process of learning and growing in our understanding of God. If it’s unchangeable, theology is more about protecting and maintaining what has already been established.

Question 15

According to Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and
man.” How can we make sense of Jesus’ growth in wisdom as Christians who believe
that Jesus is fully God?

Answer 15

-Jesus is fully human, so he would have grown like a human in mind and body.
-Gregory of Nazianzus- the unassumed is the unhealed
-Athanasius- Only God can save us, Jesus saves us, Jesus is God.
-hypostatic union- Jesus is one one person in 2 natures

Question 16

Is the doctrine of the Trinity a faithful interpretation of scripture? Why or why not? Use
specific scriptural passages to make your argument.

Answer 16

*Yes, the doctrine of the Trinity is a faithful interpretation of scripture. The Trinity teaches that God is one but exists in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. While the word “Trinity” isn’t in the Bible, the idea comes from several passages.

For example:
- Matthew 28:19: Jesus tells his disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This shows the three persons together in one statement.
- John 1:1: It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” referring to Jesus (the Word) being both with God and being God at the same time.
- 2 Corinthians 13:14: Paul closes his letter with a blessing mentioning “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,” again showing the three persons together.

These passages and others show the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, supporting the idea of the Trinity as a faithful interpretation of how God reveals Himself in scripture.

Question 17

If Original Sin means that I can’t not sin apart from God’s grace transforming me on a
heart level (Augustine), how does that impact the way a person thinks about the
Christian life and their own sin? Explore the key differences between Augustine’s and
Pelagius’ views on sin and grace as you develop your answer.

Answer 17

If Original Sin means we can’t avoid sin without God’s grace changing us deep inside (like Augustine taught), it affects how we see the Christian life and our own sin. We would understand that we need God’s help to live a good life and can’t do it on our own. Our focus would be on asking for God’s grace to transform us, instead of just trying harder by ourselves.

Augustine believed that because of Original Sin, humans are born with a sinful nature and can’t choose good without God’s grace. Pelagius, on the other hand, thought that people are born able to choose between good and evil on their own and don’t need God’s grace to avoid sin—they just need to follow God’s example.

So, Augustine’s view shows that we are dependent on God’s grace for everything, even for making good choices, while Pelagius thought we could do good by our own efforts. This makes a big difference in how a person sees their relationship with God and their need for His help.