GBF Ordination Exam Questions - Christology And Pneumatology Flashcards
Christology
Y/N Could Jesus have chosen not to do to die on the cross
Yes
Matthew 26:35 - He said that He could have called down for a legion of angels
John 10:18 - He said that no one takes His life from Him, but He lays it down on His own accord
Christology
Y/N Can the Father simply proclaim sinners “justified”
No.
Romans 3:21-26 says that there must be an 1) atonement for the person’s sins and 2) faith from the person in order for God to justly declare Him justified
Christology
T/F Union with Christ ultimately has Jesus and the Father living in believers
Yes
1 John 3:24 says that the Father is in believers
John 15 and Colossians 1:27 says that Christ is in believers
Christology
T/F God needed to create man to have more sons to love
No
Acts 17 says that God is not in need of anyone or anything
God willed to demonstrate His love to people, and desired it. But he did not need it. God has desires and a will, but no need.
Christology
T/F Election is based in our heavenly heritage not conversion
Yes, based on Ephesians 1:5. Election doesn’t happen after conversion; it happens before.
Pneumatology
What is the difference of the Spirit being “with” or “upon” a person in the OT and indwelling in the NT?
- a)Indwelling is 1) permanent, 2) results in the salvation of a person (justification, sanctification, glorification) (cf 2 Cor 1:22, Eph 1:13-14) 3) is linked with the New Covenant, 4) is accompanied by the endowment of spiritual gifts
- b)In the OT, the Spirit’s being “with” or “upon” a person in the OT resulted in His 1) empowering people for specific works or ministries, such as with the judges and Saul, and 2) accomplishes miraculous works on behalf of people, such as in the Exodus (Psalms says that the Spirit strove with the people to produce the Exodus), but doesn’t result in salvation
Christology
What is your position on limited atonement
-The effect and application of the atonement is limited by God’s election to those whom He has chosen to save, as there are people whose sins are not atoned for.
-Hebrews 10:26 says that for those who go on sinning willfully, there is “no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” It means that their sins are not atoned for.
-In the Great White Throne judgment (Rev 20:12), the majority of humanity will be recompensed for their sins that were not atoned for.
-2 Corinthians 5:14 defines who the “all” is who Christ died for. All is all those who are alive.
-Limited in its BREADTH (application), not in its DEPTH (ability). Hebrews 10 makes it clear that His sacrifice has the depth of an eternal perpetual sacrifice. But it also says that not everyone will have the sacrifice of sins
Illustration Analogies: 1) light in a dark room 2) heat from a bonfire 3) sound of music
Christology
What did Jesus “give up” when He became human?
Philippians 2:6-8:
a) the boasting and full manifestation His equality w God
b) the privileges to exercise His deity that would have exempted Him from the full experience of humanity
c) the rights that belong to Him due to His deity in becoming a slave
d) His own life for the sake of those who He came to save
Pneumatology
What is the Spirit’s role in the effectual call? Can it be rejected?
- Acts shows that it is the Spirit who orchestrates the movement of the gospel to reach certain people
- 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 - Holy Spirit is the one who enables a person to hear the call of God’s Word, understand it, and respond to it. Acts 16:14 demonstrates this
- John 3- the Spirit regenerates a person and enables him to hear the call.
- Romans 8:28-30 and John 3 attest to the fact that the call can’t be rejected. When the Spirit moves and brings the Word of God to a believer, it can’t be rejected;
- 1 Corinthians 1:23 says that the “called” are those to whom the cross becomes the power of God to salvation in both Jew and Greek
Pneumatology
What is the biblical basis for the personhood of the Spirit?
1) He has emotions (can be grieved, exhibits joy)
2) He can perform and receive actions (permits, raises, teaches, convicts, illumines, intercedes, can be lied to, speaks, can be blasphemed)
3) He has a will of His own (He distributes gifts as He wills in 1 Cor 12)
4) He has thoughts of His own (Acts 13 said that it “seemed good” to the Spirit)
Christology
Explain the scriptural support for Christ’s claim to deity
John 5:22- Christ’s claim that He, not the Father, is the one who judges (Psalms often attests that God is the judge of the earth)
John 8:58- Christ said that before Abraham was born, “I Am”
John 10:33- people said to Jesus, “You…claim to be God”
John 12:45- “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me”
John 14:9- “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
Revelation 1:8- “I am the Alpha and the Omega”
Revelation 1:17- “I am the first and the last” (Isaiah 44:6)
Christology
Explain the scriptural support for Christ’s humanity
John 1:14- “The Word became flesh”
Philippians 2:7- “Being made in the likeness of men…”
Hebrews 2:17- “He had to be made like His brethren in all things”
Colossians 2:9- “The fullness of deity dwells in bodily form”
Christology
Explain the Scriptural support for Christ’s equality with the Father
John 5:18- Calling God His Father was a claim to equality with the Father
John 14:9- Saying that seeing Him is seeing the Father
John 17:5- claimed to share a glory with the Father
Philippians 2:6- says that Christ was equal to God, though He didn’t grasp it
Pneumatology
Does the Holy Spirit have a body?
No. He is Spirit. Luke 24:39 says that a spirit does not have flesh and bones.
Pneumatology
Can you think of a verse showing the deity of the Holy Spirit?
1) Divine attributes such as externality (Heb 9:14), creative power (Gen 1:1-2), omnipresence (Ps 139), omniscience (1 Cor 2:10-11)
2) Divine actions such as creation of the universe (Gen 1), raising Christ from the dead (Heb 9:14), inspiring Scripture (2 Pet 1:20-21), regeneration (John 3)
3) Divine associations (Matthew 28:19, John 14-16)
