God

Question 1

Most (and some would argue all) of our language about God is ______________________

Answer 1

metaphorical

Question 2

Negative theologians

Answer 2

Because God is so above human qualities, they say God is not [insert quality], to avoid misrepresenting God… e.g. God is not love, because He is so above our human love

Question 3

Conceptual idolatry

Answer 3

When we craft a fixed perception about who God is and worshipping this “boxed God,” instead of being dynamic in considering who God is (God can’t fit in a box! He will reveal things that are outside the box)

Question 4

What are some examples of metaphors/language about God?

Answer 4

• May teaching about God “fall like rain” - rain (like God’s word) creates new life (Deuteronomy 32:2)
• Rock - a metaphor for strength (Deuteronomy 32:4)
• Eagle - protects chicks/children under wings (Deuteronomy 32:11)
• Nursing mother
• Raham - a mother’s compassion - also used to describe God’s emotions

Question 5

How does language say “not enough yet too much” about God?

Answer 5

Since language is created by humans, it cannot capture God accurately and thus says “too much” about Him. Yet, there is still so much we do not know about God, so they also do not say enough.

Question 6

What are some ways God has been depicted in art?

Answer 6

a nebula, burning bush, human-like (on the Sistine Chapel), holding the world in His hands, a large rock

Question 7

Preordain*

Answer 7

To decide and put an act into action before any prior knowledge. He decides what He will do and does it, even before He created the world! To preordain means the same as to predetermine.

Question 8

Providence*

Answer 8

God’s rule and power over all creation. This ties in with preordaining, because He’s got everything taken care of. Providence does not HAVE to indicate preordination.

Question 9

Single predestination*

Answer 9

God elects some for salvation. The rest of humanity automatically suffers condemnation because of sin

Question 10

Double predestination*

Answer 10

God elects some for salvation and the rest for condemnation based on preordination.

Question 11

What are the components of classical theism (Greek philosophy)?

Answer 11

Actus purus (pure actuality), immutable, impassible, omniscient, omnipotent

Question 12

Actus purus + supporting scripture (1)

Answer 12

God is perfect. Everything is already actualized in God - God has everything preordained. Some use Ex 3:14 (“I am who I am”) to support, but this is a misinterpretation, as the name really indicates movement (not staticity)

Question 13

Immutable + supporting scripture (2)

Answer 13

God can’t change.
Malachi 3:6 - “I the Lord do not change…”
James 1:17 - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” - but the latter leads to the question if even though God does not change in giving gifts, is He entirely immutable?

Question 14

impassable

Answer 14

Good cannot suffer/feel emotions. Some claim the humanity of Jesus suffered, not the Divine.

Question 15

Omniscient + supporting scripture (6)

Answer 15

God is all-knowing because according to classical theists - He has preordained everything!
Psalm 147:5 - “His understanding has no limit”
Hebrews 4:13 - “Nothing in creation is hidden from God’s sight.”
Isaiah 42:9 - “Before they [the new things] spring into being I announce them to you”
Jeremiah 29:11
Isaiah 46:10 - God makes “known the end from the beginning” - God knows His plans + that He will fulfill them - people use this phrase to support preordanance
Isaiah 55:9 - “My ways are higher than your ways” - but in reality, this refers to God’s “way” of being compassionate and pardoning

Question 16

John Calvin was very focused on God’s ______________

Answer 16

justice: Influenced by St. Augustine and his context as a lawyer, Calvin believed in glorifying God to the greatest extent, as this is how we could act justly toward Him

Question 17

The five components of his classical theism include…

Answer 17

total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints

Question 18

total depravity

Answer 18

there is no way for humans to turn to God on their own - His spirit makes turning to God for salvation possible - if this is all God, He gets all the glory

Question 19

unconditional election

Answer 19

…of some humans for salvation - preordaining - before creating the earth, God elected some people for salvation - God did this with no conditions, e.g. not considering the person’s individual choices - this exemplifies double predestination

Question 20

limited atonement

Answer 20

limited to the Elect - God punished Jesus for the Elect (who are randomly chosen) - the rest suffered their own punishment (because you can’t punish the unsaved twice - Jesus the first, hell the second)

Question 21

irresistible grace

Answer 21

one cannot resist the spirit luring the Elect to the Kingdom of God - Calvin disagreed with Luther, who believed that we can all be saved by faith

Question 22

perseverance of the Saints

Answer 22

the Elect would not receive Jesus and then live however they want - the Elect will live as Christ lived, but you do not know if you are Elect. Corporate predestination - God created a people and predestined them - they just need to call on Him, or “opt in.”

Question 23

The five components of Arminius’s theology include…

Answer 23

almost total depravity, conditional election, unlimited atonement, irresistible grace, and evanescence of believers

Question 24

almost total depravity

Answer 24

we still have something in us that craves God - the Holy Spirit partners with us, but we are still sinful and cannot accept God on our own - we lean toward the Holy Spirit who saves

Question 25

conditional election

Answer 25

based on what God knows we will choose, he Elects people - being elect is not random, like according to Calvin

Question 26

unlimited atonement

Answer 26

Jesus died for everyone - the power of God to save all people - But! people can resist the grace of the Holy Spirit

Question 27

resistible grace

Answer 27

the people who are going to resist are the people God knows will resist

Question 28

evanescence of believers

Answer 28

people can lose salvation if they don’t live a life in accordance with God

Question 29

The five components of the Hebrew Biblical view/open theism include…

Answer 29

potentiality, nuanced immutability, passible, nuanced omniscience, nuanced omnipotence

Question 30

potentiality

Answer 30

God answers prayer and does things in the moment

Question 31

nuanced immutability + supporting scripture (2)

Answer 31

His faithfulness is unchanging, but God can change His mind
Genesis 6 - God is sorry he created the sinning humans - sorry indicates a change of mind/direction
Exodus 32 - God says he would destroy the people who were worshipping the golden calf after he delivered them from Egypt - Moses gives reasons why God should not destroy them and He agrees with them

Question 32

passible + supporting scripture (2)

Answer 32

God can suffer/feel emotions - some say Jesus’s divinity suffered along with the humanity
Genesis 6
Ephesians 4:30 - “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit”

Question 33

nuanced omniscience + supporting scripture (3)

Answer 33

God knows salvation, His plans… but He does not always know the choices we will make. But, he knows us, so he figures out what we will do.
God tested the Israelites to see if they would keep His commandments
Genesis 22: God tests Abraham with Isaac - “Now I know that you fear God”
Genesis 18:26 - “IF I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Question 34

nuanced omnipotence + supporting scripture (3)

Answer 34

Out of love, God sets aside some power to give people freedom
Judges 1:19 - not the best example - the Lord was with the people of Judah, but they could not drive out the enemy
Matthew 23 - Jesus wants everyone to be His, but some people are not willing
Genesis 2-3 - God could not find the people in the garden after they disobeyed

Question 35

open theism (definition)

Answer 35

God gives humans authentic freedom and works with them in a dynamic, mutual relationship. This is why God sets aside some of His power and knowledge. There are many articulations of open theism, such as process theologians, who say that God learns as we learn, and is even learning to become God.

Question 36

Christological hermeneutics

Answer 36

Guides how we read the Old Testament - Jesus reveals God to Us