GLP Theology Flashcards
- What are the principles by which we interpret the Scriptures?
Faith is a gift from God that allows us to understand and believe the Scriptures, and thus responding appropriately to what we read. Therefore, we should pray that God would use the Holy Spirit to illuminate the text and help us to see the glory of his Son in it.
- How do we understand difficult passages?
We interpret the Scriptures by allowing the Scriptures to interpret Scriptures. This is called the analogy of faith. We understand that Scriptures is perspicuous. The main thing is the clear thing. The clear thing is the main thing. What is central to the Bible’s teaching is plain and clear to us. The more seemingly difficult part of the text should be explained by the more plain part.
3.Has God revealed himself in any other ways than the Scriptures?
Psalm 19 states, “heaven declares the glory of God and the sky proclaims his handiworks.” The creation, government and preservation of universe make us ponder about the invisible things of God. It also leaves everyone without excuses about not acknowledging God as our creator (Rom. 1). General revelation however does not save us. We need the Scriptures savingly to in order to know how to live, who Christ is, and how to be saved. We have the Bible that is more fully confirmed than Peter’s transfiguration experience of God; it is not from someone’s own interpretation or from man’s will, rather than God’s very own word and self-revelation (2 Peter 1).
4.Does Scripture deal with all aspects of life?
Scripture is not a manual that instructs us how to fix our computer. It does not teach us how to how to drive a car. Scripture does deal with all aspects of life, as man’s purpose is to glory God and enjoy him forever. Scripture is absolutely essential to all things pertain to life and salvation. Without it, we will not know how to live, how to be saved and who Christ is.
5.Defend each Person of the Trinity with Scripture proofs.
The concept of Trinity begins in Genesis when God says, “let us make mankind in our image.” John 1 says, “in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God. The word was God.” Jesus is the Word that was with the Father from the very beginning. Jesus is one and only Son from the father, full of grace and truth. John 3 says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life. Jesus said in John 14-15, that the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, will be send from the Father as a counselor and comforter to testify about him. The doxology from 2 Cor. 13 and the Great Commission from Matt. 28 are explicit Trinitarian.
6.Describe a modern heresy regarding the doctrine of God and what practical effect it has a person.
A modern day heresy that is popular is Jehovah’s Witness. It is essentially Arianism in the 21st century, as it propagates the teaching that “There was a time when Jesus was not.” Jehovah’s Witness see Christ to be a created being according to John 1. This teaching denies the doctrine of Trinity. It rejects the deity of Christ.
This heresy undermines Christ’s mediating work on the cross. It takes away the supremacy of Christ woven throughout the Bible. It is not consistent to the high view of Jesus one would find in John’s Revelation. It makes one to wonder, if Jesus is a created being, then how can he be a perfect and sinless lamb that takes away the sin of this world
7.Give three communicable and three incommunicable attributes of God.
Three incommunicable attributes of God are aseity, omnipotence, and omniscience. Three communicable attributes of God are love, goodness and wisdom.
8.What does it mean to say that God is sovereign?
It means that he is a creator-God and we are not. God is sovereign as he carries out his decrees through the work of providence and creation. His work of providence is his most holy wise and powerful preservation and government of his creatures and all their actions. His work of creation is how he created everything out of nothing, by his words, in the space of six days, and all to be good. His sovereignty means that no one and nothing is able to prevent him from carrying out his eternal plan, according to the purpose of his will. And he has foreordained whatever comes to pass, for his own glory (but not in a way he is an author of evil).
9.Describe predestination for a layman.
Predestination teaches us it is God’s decision to choose some of the fallen creatures to be saved and by his grace to become holy and blames in his sight (Eph. 1). It teaches us by his wisdom and for his own glory, he has passed over others, yet still holding them accountable to their sins (Rom. 9).
- What does the Bible mean when it refers to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart? Are there any significant NT texts that shed light on this?
Bible refers to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the context of election (Rom 9.). God speaks of allowing Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened. This is because of his wisdom and for the purpose of displaying his glory. In the same passage, in Rom. 9, Paul speaks of God’s election that is not based on one’s work, but of his own choosing and for his own glory. God says, “Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated.” It is God’s decision to show compassion to who he wants to show compassion with. We are not in place to question his wise and eternal plan.
- What is your view of the creation account, including the length of days?
I believe in six literal days. On the first day, he created light and darkness. On the second day, he created atmosphere by separating water from the above and bottom. On the third day, he created land and vegetable. On the fourth day, he created sun, moon and stars. On the fifth day, he created birds in the sky and fishes in the sea. On the sixth day, he created human beings and animals. On the seventh day, he rested. Everything he created everything by his words and declared them to be good.
- What are key elements that the creation account teaches us?
The key elements that the creation account teaches us is that God created this physical world to be good. It dispels the false notion that God created this physical world to be bad, wicked and evil. However, because the Adam’s sin, death enters into this world (Rom. 5). Creation account also teaches us that God offers promise of life to mankind despite of Adam’s sin in Genesis 3:15. That one day, the serpent will be crushed by the woman’s singular offspring, Jesus (Gal 3, cf. Gen 3).
Lastly, the creation account teaches us that God rested on the 7th day. The 7th day is unique because God tell us to observe Sabbath in the 4th commandment.
- Was Adam an historical person?
- The Gospel of Luke sees Adam to be historical and listed him in the genealogy.
- Rom. 5 clearly sees Adam to be historical when dealing with how sin enters into the world.
- In Matt. 19, on the topic of marriage and divorce, Jesus sees Adam and Eve to be historical as God created them from the very beginning.
- Paul uses historical Adam to support his case for woman not assuming authority over man (1 Tim 2)
- Please respond to this statement: “Adam could’ve arisen from a pre-existing group of hominids.”
1) modern categories to explain things that are contained in Scripture.
2) useless and unhelpful speculation that is not warranted from the Bible. This is a failure to respect the authorial intent. It fails to ask what does Genesis 1-3 mean to the original audience.
3) ignores the fact that God creates Adam in his image for the purpose of worshipping him and reflecting his glory. It blurs the important line between man and animals.
- What is the doctrine of “original sin”? How does the sin of Adam affect us
Our human nature is completely corrupted. Adam’s sin is imputed to us. This is the noetic effect of the fall. Adam’s sin perverts what we do, think and want. We are unable to choose with is spiritual good apart from the grace of God.
- What is your view of the covenant of works? Is the covenant of works still applicable today?
Since the distance between man and God is so great, God made the first covenant with Adam, not only for him, but for all those descended from Adam in an ordinary manner. The blessing of this covenant is contingent upon one’s personal and perfect obedience. The covenant of works is still applicable to everyone today, since Christ is the second Adam who fulfills to requirement of the first covenant. Those who do not acknowledge their needs for Jesus remains under the covenant of works and does not find life. Such men are still under the judgment of God.
- What was the promise made to Adam – was it kept (by anyone)?
Life was promised to Adam in the covenant of works. Jesus was the one who kept the covenant.
- Why does Paul refer to Christ as the 2nd Adam?
Paul sees Jesus Christ to be the 2nd Adam who fulfilled the requirement of the first Adam. In Rom. 5, Paul says, sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam. But life was given through another, Jesus. Adam represents the first creation, that is fallen. Jesus is the 2nd Adam. And any who is in Christ, he is a new creation!
- The Bible speaks of three imputations. What are they?
Adam’s sin imputed to us, our sin imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.
- How definite is Christ’s atonement? Where would you go in the Bible to show that?
(1) Christ’s death is either limited in its effect or limited in its extend. Those who do not believe in particular atonement would have to agree with the fact that even though Christ died for all, his death is limited in its efficacy. Not all who Christ died for will be saved. However, Scripture is clear that Christ’s death is definite and particular. Those who Christ died for will be saved. God’s definitely died for those who are particular his.
(2) Matt. 1 speaks for Christ dying “for his people.” John 6 says, “no one comes to me unless the father who sends me draws them. And I will raise them up on the last day.” Those who are drawn to Christ will be with Christ on the last day
- Describe the difference in the wills of: (a) Adam before the Fall, (b) an unbeliever after the Fall, (c) a believer after justification, and (d) a believer after glorification.
According to Augustine, before the fall, a man is able to sin and able not to sin. After the fall, a man is able to sin and unable not to sin. A believer after justification is able to sin and able not to sin. A believer after glorification is unable to sin and able not to sin.
- What is involved in justification?
WSC states that justification is God’s saving work by which God pardons all our sins and see us as righteousness in his sight, only for imputed righteousness from Christ and received by faith. Rom. 3 says all have been justified by grace as a gift, through the redemption that is found in Jesus Christ, whom God offers as a propitiation (or atoning sacrifice), through the shedding of blood, which is to be received by faith.
- What is the Biblical (Calvinistic) ground of justification? What is the Arminian ground of justification? Is the difference important?
Arminian believes that faith precedes regeneration, the ground of justification is faith that causes ones to be justification. Faith is the one that causes regeneration that leads to justification. It is a synergistic understanding of Holy Spirit and human effort. However, Calvinist understands the work of Holy Spirit to be monergistic, apart from human effort. According to Ordo Salutis, the logical order of salvation begins with the effectual calling. Regeneration proceeds faith. According to Romans 8, those have predestined, he calls, those he calls, he justifies. And those he justifies, he glorifies. We are saved by faith, not by works, so that no one can boast. God is the one who receives all the glory for one’s salvation.
