Grudem Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is systematic theology?
Systematic theology is any study that answers the question, “What does the Bible teach us today?” about any given topic.
Define Historical Theology.
How Christians in different time periods have understood various theological topics.
Define Philosophical Theology.
Studying theological topics largely without the use of the Bible using the tools of philosophical reasoning.
Define apologetics.
Providing a defense of the truth of the Christian faith to persuade unbelievers.
What should be done with the study of systematic theology?
Applied to living a Christian life.
What does systematic theology in Grudem do that’s different from other studies of systematic theology?
1) Treats Biblical topics in a clearly organized way to guarantee all important topics will receive consideration.
2) Treats topics in much more detail than normal Christians do.
3) Makes it possible to formulate summaries of Biblical teach much more accurately than without systematic theology.
4) Treats fairly all relevant Bible passages for each particular topic.
What are doctrines?
A doctrine is what the Bible teaches us today about some particular topic. It is the result of doing systematic theology.
What are the Seven Major Doctrines Covered in Grudem?
1) The Doctrine of the Word of God.
2) The Doctrine of God.
3) The Doctrine of Man.
4) The Doctrines of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
5) The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption.
6) The Doctrine of the Church.
7) The Doctrine of the Future.
(We only covered 1 before the exam.)
Why did Grudem choose those seven as the Seven Major Doctrines he’d discuss?
1) The doctrines are the most emphasized in Scripture. 2) The doctrines have been the most significant throughout the history of the church.
3) The doctrines are important to Christians for all times. 4) The doctrines are important for Christians in the present situation in the history of the Church.
What is the difference between systematic theology and Christian ethics?
Systematic theology focuses on what to believe and Christian ethics focuses on what God wants us to do or what attitudes he wants us to have.
What are the initial assumptions of Grudem’s text?
1) The Bible is true and the only source of absolute truth.
2) The God of the Bible exists and is who the Bible says He is.
Why should Christians study systematic theology?
1) In order to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28-19-20), Christians must be able to teach. In order to teach, Christians must know what the Bible says about any given topic by collecting and summarizing all Scripture has to say on that topic.
2) External Benefits to Our Lives.
What are the benefits we gain because we studied Systematic theology?
1) It Helps Us Overcome Our Wrong Ideas by the total weight of Scripture.
2) It Helps Us Make Better Decisions Later On New Questions of Doctrine When They Arise.
3) It Helps Us Grow as Christians.
What are two objections raised to the study of systematic theology?
1) The Conclusions Are Too Neat to Be True
2) Choice of Topic Dictates the Conclusion
How Should Systematic Theology Be Studied?
1) With Prayer
2) With Humility
3) With Reason (As long as our conclusions don’t contradict Scripture.)
4) With Help From Others
5) By Collecting and Understanding All The Relevant Passages of Scripture on Any Topic.
6) With Rejoicing and Praise.
