RMP Practice Theology Exam Flashcards
Name the two types of revelation? What is the purpose of each?
General Revelation (revealed in nature to all people) and Special Revelation (God’s specific revelation, such as Scripture); Purpose: General reveals God’s existence and attributes, Special reveals His will and the way of salvation (WCF 1.1, 1.6).
What is the canon? How is it determined?
The canon is the collection of inspired books that make up the Bible, determined by their divine inspiration and their apostolic or prophetic origin (WCF 1.2-1.3).
What is meant by inspiration?
Inspiration refers to the process by which God, through the Holy Spirit, guided human authors to write Scripture without error (WCF 1.8).
Define and distinguish between inerrancy and infallibility?
Inerrancy means the Bible is free from error in everything it affirms, and infallibility means it is incapable of failing in its purpose (WCF 1.9).
What is meant by ‘good and necessary consequence?’
‘Good and necessary consequence’ refers to the logical deductions and implications from Scripture that must be true, even if not explicitly stated (WCF 1.6).
What are the attributes of Scripture? Give a brief definition of each attribute.
Attributes: Authority (God’s Word as final), Clarity (clear in essentials), Necessity (needed for salvation), Sufficiency (contains all needed for faith and life) (WCF 1.4-1.8).
Define illumination. How is illumination different from revelation?
Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s work in helping believers understand and apply Scripture; Revelation is God’s act of revealing Himself and His will (WCF 1.6, 1.9).
What is meant by ‘rule of faith?’
‘Rule of faith’ means Scripture is the final authority for belief and practice (WCF 1.10).
Define the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone is the supreme authority in matters of faith and life (WCF 1.6).
What is meant by Tota Scriptura?
Tota Scriptura refers to the entirety of Scripture as authoritative, not just parts of it (WCF 1.6).
What is God?
God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth (WCF 2.1).
Define and distinguish between the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God.
Communicable attributes are those God shares with humans (e.g., love, justice), while incommunicable attributes are unique to God (e.g., omniscience, omnipotence) (WCF 2.1-2.2).
What is meant by immutability?
Immutability means God is unchanging in His nature, character, and will (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by impassibility?
Impassibility means God does not experience emotions in a way that changes Him or affects His essence (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by immensity?
Immensity refers to God’s transcendence and omnipresence, meaning He is not confined to space (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by infinitude?
Infinitude means God is limitless in every aspect of His being (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by incomprehensibility?
Incomprehensibility means humans cannot fully understand or grasp the essence of God (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by omnipresence?
Omnipresence means God is present everywhere at all times (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by omnipotence?
Omnipotence means God is all-powerful and able to do all things consistent with His nature (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by omniscience?
Omniscience means God knows all things past, present, and future (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by omnibenevolence?
Omnibenevolence refers to God’s all-encompassing goodness and love (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by aseity?
Aseity refers to God’s self-existence; He depends on nothing outside of Himself (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by simplicity?
Simplicity means God is not composed of parts; He is one undivided essence (WCF 2.2).
What is meant by eternality?
Eternality means God has no beginning or end and exists outside of time (WCF 2.1).
What is meant by sovereignty?
Sovereignty means God rules over all creation and governs all things according to His will (WCF 2.1).
Define and defend the Trinity.
The Trinity is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal (WCF 2.3).
Distinguish between each member of the Trinity’s function in a person’s salvation.
The Father plans salvation, the Son accomplishes it through His death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit applies it to believers (WCF 2.3).
Define Soli Deo Gloria.
Soli Deo Gloria means ‘to God alone be the glory,’ emphasizing that all things are for God’s glory (WCF 2.2).
What are the decrees of God?
The decrees of God are His eternal purposes, by which He has foreordained everything that happens (WCF 3.1).
Does God’s decree precede his foreknowledge? Explain.
Yes, God’s decree precedes His foreknowledge because God’s knowledge of future events is based on His sovereign will and plan (WCF 3.2).
Define unconditional election.
Unconditional election is God’s sovereign choice to save certain individuals based on His will, not on any foreseen merit or action (WCF 3.5-3.6).
Define predestination.
Predestination is God’s eternal plan to save the elect and ordain their glorification (WCF 3.5).
What is meant that God ‘foreordained all the means’ to the glorification of the elect?
God ‘foreordained all the means’ means that He has not only chosen who will be saved but also all the means through which they will come to salvation (WCF 3.6).
What is meant by reprobation?
Reprobation is God’s sovereign decision to pass over certain individuals, leaving them in their sin and condemning them to eternal punishment (WCF 3.7).
What is the work of creation?
The work of creation refers to God’s act of making all things from nothing, by His word, in the space of six days (WCF 4.1).
What is meant by ex nihilo?
‘Ex nihilo’ means ‘out of nothing,’ referring to God’s creation of the world without using pre-existing materials (WCF 4.1).
How did God create man?
God created man, male and female, in His own image, with a rational soul and moral understanding (WCF 4.2).
What is meant by imago Dei?
‘Imago Dei’ means that humans are made in the image of God, reflecting His character, moral responsibility, and authority (WCF 4.2).
Did Adam and Eve continue in the state in which they were created?
No, Adam and Eve fell from the state in which they were created when they disobeyed God (WCF 4.2).
What is meant by humankind made in God’s image?
Humans made in God’s image means that we have qualities like rationality, morality, and dominion over creation (WCF 4.2).
Were Adam and Eve created with a freedom of will?
Yes, Adam and Eve were created with the freedom of will, able to choose between obedience and disobedience (WCF 4.2).
Did God immediately create? Explain.
Yes, God created everything immediately by His word, without the use of pre-existing materials (WCF 4.1).
What are God’s works of providence? How is providence different from creation?
God’s works of providence are His continual upholding, directing, and governing of all creatures and actions (WCF 5.1); Providence differs from creation as it refers to God’s ongoing involvement in the world (WCF 5.1).
What are secondary causes?
Secondary causes refer to the natural and ordinary means through which God works in the world, such as physical laws (WCF 5.2).
Does God ordain everything that comes to pass?
Yes, God ordains everything that comes to pass, though He does so in a way that does not make Him the author of sin (WCF 5.4).
What is meant that ‘God makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure?’
This means that while God often works through natural means (secondary causes), He can also work outside, beyond, or against them according to His will (WCF 5.3).
What special act of providence did God exercise toward man?
God’s special act of providence toward man was placing Adam in the Garden of Eden under a covenant of works (WCF 5.6).
Is God’s providence different for the church?
God’s providence toward the church includes His special care and governance of His people for their salvation (WCF 5.7).
What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God (WCF 6.1).
What is a sin of omission? Commission? Why is this distinction important?
Sins of omission are failures to do what God commands, while sins of commission are direct acts of disobedience; this distinction is important because both are violations of God’s law (WCF 6.2).
What was the sin of our first parents?
The sin of our first parents was eating the forbidden fruit, which was an act of disobedience to God (WCF 6.1).
Did God permit the sin of Adam and Eve?
Yes, God permitted the sin of Adam and Eve according to His wise and holy counsel, for His own glory (WCF 6.1).
What is meant by original sin?
Original sin refers to the inherited guilt and corruption passed down from Adam to all humanity (WCF 6.3).
What is meant by actual sin?
Actual sin refers to the sins we personally commit, as distinct from original sin (WCF 6.5).
What is meant by total depravity?
Total depravity means that sin affects every part of human nature, leaving us unable to please God without His grace (WCF 6.4).
What is meant by ordinary generation?
Ordinary generation refers to the natural process of human reproduction, through which original sin is passed down (WCF 6.3).
Was Jesus born in sin? If not, why is he not touched with the sin of Adam?
No, Jesus was not born in sin because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and did not inherit Adam’s guilt (WCF 8.2).
Does regeneration remove our corrupt nature in this life?
No, regeneration renews us, but our corrupt nature remains until we are glorified (WCF 6.5).
What is the misery into which Adam’s sin brought humankind?
The misery into which Adam’s sin brought humankind includes separation from God, loss of righteousness, death, and all the miseries of life (WCF 6.6).
What was lost in the fall of Adam in his first sin?
In the fall, humanity lost original righteousness and fellowship with God (WCF 6.2).
Can a sinful person do anything good? Explain.
No, a sinful person cannot do anything good in God’s sight apart from grace, though they may do things that appear good outwardly (WCF 6.4).
What is a covenant?
A covenant is an agreement between God and man, where God establishes the terms of relationship (WCF 7.1).
What is meant by ‘voluntary condescension?’
‘Voluntary condescension’ refers to God’s gracious act of entering into a covenant relationship with His creatures (WCF 7.1).
How many covenants are there?
There are two covenants: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace (WCF 7.2).
What is the covenant of works?
The covenant of works was the covenant God made with Adam, promising life for obedience and death for disobedience (WCF 7.2).
What are the conditions of the covenant of works?
The conditions of the covenant of works were perfect and personal obedience to God’s law (WCF 7.2).
What is the promise of the covenant of works?
The promise of the covenant of works was life and fellowship with God (WCF 7.2).
Who is the mediator of the covenant of works?
Adam was the mediator of the covenant of works, acting as the representative head of all humanity (WCF 7.2).
Did Adam act for himself alone in the covenant of works?
No, Adam acted as the representative of all his descendants in the covenant of works (WCF 7.2).
What is the covenant of grace?
The covenant of grace is God’s promise to save sinners through faith in Jesus Christ (WCF 7.3).
What are the conditions of the covenant of grace?
The condition of the covenant of grace is faith in Christ (WCF 7.3).
What is the promise of the covenant of grace?
The promise of the covenant of grace is eternal life through Jesus Christ (WCF 7.3).
Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace?
Jesus Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace (WCF 8.1).
How was the covenant of grace administered in the Old Testament?
In the Old Testament, the covenant of grace was administered through promises, prophecies, sacrifices, and types (WCF 7.5).
To whom did God administer the covenant of grace in the Old Testament?
God administered the covenant of grace to the elect in the Old Testament (WCF 7.5).
How is the covenant of grace administered in the New Testament?
In the New Testament, the covenant of grace is administered through the preaching of the Word and the sacraments (WCF 7.6).
To whom did God administer the covenant of grace in the New Testament?
God administers the covenant of grace to the elect in the New Testament (WCF 7.6).
Who is the substance of the covenant of grace?
Jesus Christ is the substance of the covenant of grace (WCF 8.1).
What is new about the new covenant?
The new covenant is the final administration of the covenant of grace, revealed fully in Jesus Christ (WCF 7.6).
Are there two covenants of grace? Explain.
No, there is only one covenant of grace, though it was administered differently in the Old and New Testaments (WCF 7.6).
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who took on human nature to save sinners (WCF 8.2).
How many natures does Jesus Christ have?
Jesus Christ has two natures: divine and human, united in one person (WCF 8.2).
What is meant by the term ‘eternal generation of the Son?’
‘Eternal generation of the Son’ means that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, not made (WCF 8.2).
How many wills does Jesus Christ have?
Jesus Christ has two wills: a divine will and a human will (WCF 8.2).
What are the offices of Christ?
The offices of Christ are prophet, priest, and king (WCF 8.1).
What is meant by Christ’s humiliation? Exaltation?
Christ’s humiliation refers to His incarnation and suffering; His exaltation refers to His resurrection and ascension (WCF 8.4-8.5).
Could Jesus fall into sin?
No, Jesus could not fall into sin because He is the sinless Son of God (WCF 8.2).
What is the incarnation?
The incarnation is the act by which the eternal Son of God took on human flesh (WCF 8.2).
What is the ascension?
The ascension refers to Christ’s return to heaven after His resurrection (WCF 8.5).
What is the resurrection?
The resurrection is Christ’s rising from the dead on the third day (WCF 8.4).
What is the session of Jesus Christ?
The session of Jesus Christ refers to His sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven (WCF 8.5).
What is meant that the Son of God is ‘of one substance with the Father?’
Being ‘of one substance with the Father’ means that the Son shares the same divine essence as the Father (WCF 8.2).
What is meant that the Son of God is ‘equal with the Father?’
Being ‘equal with the Father’ means that the Son has the same divine attributes and status as the Father (WCF 8.2).
What is meant by ‘theotokos?’ Was God in Mary’s womb?
‘Theotokos’ means ‘God-bearer,’ affirming that Mary bore the divine Son of God in her womb (WCF 8.2).
What is meant that Jesus was ‘of Mary’s substance?’
Jesus being ‘of Mary’s substance’ means that He took on true human nature from Mary, making Him fully human (WCF 8.2).
What is meant that Jesus’ natures were joint together, ‘without conversion, composition, or confusion?’
Jesus’ natures were joined together ‘without conversion, composition, or confusion,’ meaning the divine and human natures are distinct yet united in one person (WCF 8.2).
Why was Jesus born under the law?
Jesus was born under the law to fulfill the law perfectly in the place of His people (WCF 8.4).
Did Jesus perfectly fulfill the law?
Yes, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law by obeying it completely and without sin (WCF 8.4).
What is meant by the active obedience of Christ?
The active obedience of Christ refers to His perfect obedience to God’s law during His life (WCF 8.5).
What is meant by the passive obedience of Christ?
The passive obedience of Christ refers to His suffering and death on the cross for the sins of His people (WCF 8.5).
What is meant by Jesus ‘descended into hell?’
‘Descended into hell’ refers to Christ’s experiencing the full wrath of God on behalf of sinners (WCF 8.5).
Define propitiation?
Propitiation refers to Christ’s sacrifice that satisfies God’s wrath against sin (WCF 8.5).
Define expiation?
Expiation refers to the removal of guilt and sin through the atonement of Christ (WCF 8.5).
Why did Jesus have to become man?
Jesus had to become man to represent humanity and bear the punishment for human sin (WCF 8.2).
How is the work of Christ’s redemption applied and communicated to the elect?
The work of Christ’s redemption is applied and communicated to the elect through the Holy Spirit by means of the Word and sacraments (WCF 8.8).
Does the Incarnation of Jesus threaten the doctrine of God’s immutability?
No, the incarnation does not threaten the doctrine of God’s immutability, as the divine nature remains unchanged (WCF 8.2).
Does Jesus have a physical body at this moment?
Yes, Jesus has a physical body at this moment, as He was raised bodily and ascended in His human nature (WCF 8.5).
Define the doctrine of sola Christus.
Sola Christus means that salvation is found in Christ alone (WCF 8.5).
Define Limited Atonement.
Limited Atonement means that Christ’s atonement was intended for and effective for the elect only (WCF 8.5).
Does humankind have a free will?
Yes, humankind has a free will, but it is bound by its nature, and after the fall, it is inclined toward sin unless freed by God’s grace (WCF 9.1-9.3).