Final

Question 1

Why must our doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit be self-consciously considered in light of our doctrine of God and doctrine of Christ? (half page)

Answer 1

Because they are all a part of the Doctrine of God. If you get your doctrine of God wrong, you get many other things wrong in the Christian faith.

Question 2

What is the Hebrew noun translated “spirit”? Name at least two other ways this noun may be translated. (short answer)

Answer 2

Ruach (wind/breath)

Question 3

What is the Greek noun translated “spirit”? Name at least two other ways this noun may be translated. (short answer)

Answer 3

Pneuma (soul/breath)

Question 4

Using Scripture, defend the proposition: “The Holy Spirit is God.” (full page essay)

Answer 4

Genesis 1: The HS was hovering above the primordial waters

John 14: Jesus says that the Father will send a Helper, the Spirit of Truth

1 Corinthians 2: The Spirit know the mind of God

Acts 5: Paul accuses Ananias and Saphira of lying to the HS and sinning against God

Question 5

Using Scripture, defend the proposition: “The Holy Spirit is a person.” (full page essay)

Answer 5

Ephesians 4:30-32 talks about grieving the Holy Spirit, and you cannot grieve an impersonal force.

Acts 5:3-4 also, you can’t lie to an impersonal being

John 14 a helper of another must be a person

1 John 5 Spirit is the one who testifies

Question 6

Briefly explain the main theological issues involved in the filioque controversy. (full page essay)

Answer 6

The main theological issue of the filioque controversy is whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, or just proceeds from the Father.

The filioque controversy had to do with the Western church changing the wording of the Nicene creed to show that the Spirit proceeded or is begotten by both the Father and the Son. This led to the Great Schism of 1054. The western church and the eastern church had doctrinal differences that caused a great uproar.

On the one hand, the eastern church wanted to keep the wording to show that the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone and argued that the western church did not have the authority to change the wording of the Nicene Creed.

On the other hand, the Western church wanted to change the wording to show that the Trinity is equal in the three persons. That not one of the persons, particularly the Son was subordinate to the other.

In this time and day, there was a great emphasis on the hierarchy of the Father.

There were several arguments from several church fathers: One of which was the heresy of procession. That the Father begets the Son and the Son begets the Holy Spirit. This would make the Holy Spirit the grandson of the Father. And again, shows a subordination within the Trinity.

Question 7

Explain the significance of Pentecost in the historia salutis. (half page)

Answer 7

Pentecost is the end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised in the prophet Joel, announcing that God’s end-time kingdom has come and that all should partake of it. It is also significant that there were “mini-Pentecosts” for the Samaritans, God-fearers, and Gentiles, announcing that everyone is included in the end-time salvation of God.

The descent of the Spirit onto the Apostles and other believers happened in Acts 2

Before Pentecost, the Apostles were fearful and uncertain of proclaiming the truth of Christ. But the Holy Spirit empowered them with the boldness they needed.

Fulfillment of prophecy as mentioned in Joel 2:28-32 (noted above)

The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was also seen as the inauguration of the New Covenant. (Jer.31)

Question 8

What are the arguments Reformed theologians have used to make the case for cessationism? (full page)

Answer 8

1. Sign gifts were linked to Apostleship and Apostleship has ceased; therefore, sign gifts have ceased as well
2. Difference between gifts and sign gifts
3. God healing someone is not the same as a sign gift

Question 9

Briefly explain Pelagius’ soteriology. Include in your answer an explanation of how Pelagius can claim to believe that salvation is by grace. (full page essay)

Answer 9

1. Inherent Human Goodness (disregard for Original Sin, everyone is like Adam)
2. Emphasized Imitation (we just need a good role model to follow)
3. Free Will (anti-election, people can choose to live sinless lives in and of themselves; works based)

Question 10

Provide a summary description of the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation. Include in your answer an explanation of how Rome’s salvific system is rooted in its understanding of Adam’s nature before and after the fall (full page essay)

Answer 10

Rome believes that Adam was not created perfect and needed something called the Donum Superadditum, which elevated his nature to behold the Beatific vision. When Adam fell, he lost this gift and also what are called the “gifts of integrity” which basically helped keep himself from living an immoral life and enabled him to possess eternal life.

After losing these gifts, Adam and humanity were not totally depraved, but rather returned to the natural state without the gifts of integrity. Therefore in baptism, we are elevated to this state of grace again, but because we have remaining sin we must keep in step with the sacraments so that we may inherit eternal life. If we die in a state of mortal sin, even after being baptized, we can still go to hell. However, if we are in the state of grace when we die, we go to purgatory and must continue being purged of sin until we are fit for heaven.

For Rome, the issue is an ontological problem. Man was created insufficient and needs grace to change his ontology.

Question 11

In what ways does the Reformed doctrine of salvation differ from the Roman Catholic doctrine? (full page essay)

Answer 11

The difference between Rome and the Reformed is rooted in their views of the problem. Rome teaches that man’s problem is his nature even before the Fall. The Bible teaches that sin is the problem and that our nature is corrupted. Since our nature is corrupted, the only thing that can save us is the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Question 12

What is Historia Salutis?

Answer 12

Salvation Accomplished

Is the action of salvation

Has been done throughout the history of this world

Done by Jesus in redemptive history

Is the once-for-all accomplishment of salvation in the humiliation

Question 13

What is the Ordo Salutis?

Answer 13

Salvation Applied

Is the order of salvation

Is the things that happened in the life of Christians

Is the individual application of the historia salutis to the lives of individuals in time

Question 14

What is the generally agreed upon ordo salutis in Reformed theology? (short answer)

Answer 14

1. Election/Predestination
2. Effectual Calling
3. Regeneration
4. Conversion (R&F)
5. Justification
6. Adoption
7. Sanctification
8. Glorification

Question 15

Discuss the relation of union with Christ to the ordo salutis. In your answer, discuss the debate over whether union precedes or follows faith. (full-page essay)

Answer 15

Union with Christ is a federal and mystical union between Christ and the believer. (Paul articulates the mystery of it in Eph. 5)

Debate over where union with Christ fits into the Ordo Salutis: we are covenantally united with Christ in the Covenant of Redemption and in time within the Covenant of Grace.

However, we are also alienated from Christ before conversion. The debate arises over where and when the believers are united to Christ in time: is it at Regeneration, after Repentance, at Justification, or at Adoption?

Question 16

Using Scripture, explain the difference between the external call and the effectual call? (half page)

Answer 16

External Call: the universal call of the gospel to all people without distinction

Effectual Call: the call of the Spirit to the elect (tied to irresistible grace)

Parable of the Seeds in Matthew 13
The Jews that didn’t believe Jesus’ message (rich young ruler)

Question 17

Using Scripture, explain why God’s effectual call is necessary for our salvation? (half page)

Answer 17

1. Ephesians 2:1-5 (we were all enemies of God)
2. John 3 (the Spirit blows where it wishes; you must be born again)
3. John 6 (the Father draws us to the Son)

Question 18

What is the Reformed doctrine of regeneration and what is the biblical basis for this doctrine? (half page)

Answer 18

The Reformed doctrine of Regeneration is built upon the fact that all men are dead in their tresspasses and sins and are unable to resurrect themselves spiritually. God must regenerate them by his Word and Spirit and then they will be alive spiritually, able to do good works and have a new nature that can please God. Regeneration precedes faith, which puts faith, the instrument of justification, out of man’s hands; it is all a gift of God.

John 3

Ephesians 2

Question 19

What is prevenient grace in Arminian theology, and why is it rejected by Reformed theologians? (half page)

Answer 19

Prevenient Grace in Arminian theology is the teaching that all men cannot choose God in and of themselves in their fallen state, so God gives to all mankind the grace to choose or reject him in the gospel. Basically, God gives everyone a stepping stool but they have to use it in order to be saved. This teaching is why some have called Arminianism “Semi-Pelagian.”

Question 20

What is the difference between historical faith, temporary faith, and saving faith? (half page)

Answer 20

Historical: bare assent of history/belief in historical fact

Temporary: the kind of faith that is described in the parable of four seeds all three other than the seed that falled on the good soil

Saving: the true faith that we have

Question 21

Briefly summarize the biblical doctrine of justification as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith. (half page)

Answer 21

Imputation of grace, not infused.

Westminster makes it very clear at the outset that the righteousness by which a believer is justified is imputed not infused. Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to us by faith alone is grounds for our justification not an inherent righteousness as Rome teaches that is infused by the Holy Spirit.

Question 22

What are the grounds of justification according to the Reformed confessions? Provide a biblical and theological defense of this view. (full-page essay)

Answer 22

Righteousness of Christ

Imputed by faith alone

Applied by the Holy Spirit

Question 23

Briefly summarize the biblical doctrine of sanctification as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith. (half page)

Answer 23

Sanctification is a real holiness that believers develop through their union with Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit. Our sanctification does not contribute to our salvation or justification, but rather it is the evidence that we have been saved and justified.

Question 24

How does sanctification differ from justification? (half page)

Answer 24

Justification only happens once in the life of a Christian and sanctification is a continuous process that will happen throughout the life of a Christian until they die

Question 25

What is the difference between Augustine’s doctrine of perseverance and the Reformed doctrine? (half page)

Answer 25

Reformed: assurance

Augustine: no assurance until the end of

Question 26

Do the WCF and the Heidelberg Catechism differ in regard to their teaching on assurance? Explain your answer. (half page)

Answer 26

While on the surface the two confessions appear to disagree, they actually do not disagree with each other. Both confessions affirm that our faith will produce assurance, but that also our assurance does waver depending on the strength of our faith.

Question 27

How should the warning passages in Scripture be understood? (half page)

Answer 27

The warning passages are similar to the general call of the gospel. When they say that if one falls away they will be destroyed and that there is no hope, it does not necessarily mean that they have the ability to fall away. Just like when the gospel is proclaimed and says that if anyone believes they will be saved does not mean that everyone has the ability to believe, yet it is still true that if anyone does believe they will be saved.

Question 28

Wayne Grudem writes: “The gift of children within marriage, coming from both the father and the mother, and subject to the authority of both father and mother, is analogous to the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son in the Trinity.” Discuss. (half page)

Answer 28

This is one of many wrong descriptions of the relationship between the Trinity

This is wrong because the father and mother are not one person after all and it is used to describe the relationship between Christ and the church

This also causes a problem with the son; a son in the family is not one person with the father or mother

Unbiblical - no mention of a marital union between the Father and the Son and a filial relationship between the Spirit and the Father; only the Son was said to be begotten of the Father (John 15:26)

Illogical - the exclusive title of divine sonship is granted primarily to Christ according to Scripture; to affirm otherwise is to pose the possibility of there being two divine Sons.

Heretical - ascribes a procreative explanation for the Spirit’s existence.

Extrabiblical - assumes the Spirit possesses the filial rights to a family inheritance; might be a stretch to claim that the Spirit is equal in sonship with Christ.