Study question of Theology - God and His World Flashcards
What is God?
“God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”—WSC #4
What is the error of Sabellianism?
Also known as Modalistic Monarchianism, it teaches that the three persons of the Trinity are modes in which one God manifests himself at different times. In other words, God was at one time the Father, then later he was the Son, then later he was the Spirit.
Briefly explain and defend (including Scripture proofs) the doctrine of the Trinity.
There is only one God, the living and true God. There are three person ins the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are one God the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
“There is but one only, the living and true God.”—WSC US
“There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.”—WSC U6 “Hear, 0 Israel: the Lords our God, the LORD is one.”—Deuteronomy 6:4
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit…“—Matthew 28:19
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”—2 Corinthians 13:14
A. There is one God (Deut. 6:4, 32; Is. 45, 48, etc.; Ps. 94, 115, 135, etc.; 1 Cor. 8; etc.)
B. There are Three Persons that the Bible refers to as God (coupled with the first point, this rules out tritheism)
1. The Usefulness of WLC 11 for proving the divinity of each person.
2. The Deity of the Father
a. The Father often represents the majesty of the entire Godhead. Jn. 17:3; 1 Cor. 8.
b. The generic title, “God” in the NT refers ordinarily to the Father.
3. The Deity of the Son
a. Direct Statements of the Son’s deity. Jn. 20; Rom. 9:5; 1 Jn. 5:20; etc.
b. Divine attributes ascribed to the Son. Matt. 18:20; Jn.1; Jn. 8; 21:17; etc.
c. Divine works performed by the Son. Heb. 1; Jn. 5:21;
d. Divine worship received by the Son. Rev. 1, 5; Jn. 5:23; 14:1; 20; Lk. 24; etc.
4. The Deity of the Spirit
a. There is only one direct statement in the NT testament that proves the deity of the Spirit. Acts 5. Ill – Baxter’s inability to include the Spirit’s deity in a creed that excluded “good and necessary consequence.”
b. Divine attributes ascribed to the Spirit. Ps. 104:30; Ps. 139:7; 1 Cor. 2:10; Rom. 8:9-11.
c. Divine works ascribed to the Spirit. Gen. 1; Gen. 6; Job. 33:4; Rev. 22
d. Worship. Rev. 1:4; Matt. 28:19. This creates a conundrum for some Reformed Baptists, who search for proof texts to determine whether or not it is proper to pray to the Holy Spirit. (Melanchthon). Matt. 12:32 and the implications of the sin against the Spirit.
What are the attributes of God? (Be prepared to offer Scripture proofs).
Which are communicable?
Those characteristics of God which have some analogy in man:
- Wisdom; Rom 16:27 “to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
In wisdom, God is able to direct all things to his own glory and to our good
2 God’s Power Isa 46:11b “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
3 God’s Holiness Isa 6:3 “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of host”
God is eminently, originally, and exemplarily holy; for he is infinitely removed from all that is vile and impure
- God’s Justice Psalm 103:6 “The Lord works righteousness and justice”
God’s Justice refers to his constant will of giving each his due.
- God’s goodness Luke 18:19 “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone”
A. The goodness of God “and the qualities contained under it (viz. love, grace, and mercy) are occupied with the communication of good, but diversely.”
B. The goodness of God does not simply entail his absolute goodness in his own nature, but his goodness as relative to his creatures and for their benefit - God’s truthfulness John 18:37 “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice”
Truth refers to reality as it corresponds to the true and living God. He is the foundation and the standard of all truth. The concept of truth is meaningless apart from him.
Which are incommunicable?
Those characteristics of God which have no analogy in his creation:
1. God’s Self Existence (Aseitas) Is. 40:13-14
God’s self-existence means that his being and attributes have no origin. The name, “Yahweh,” points to this divine attribute.
- God’s Infinitude (1 Kings 8:27)
“To be infinite is to be without bounds or limits, either actual or possible - God’s Eternality. Ps. 90:2; 93:2; Deut. 33:27; Rom. 1:20
Eternality refers to God’s infinitude with respect to time. He is without beginning or without end, as opposed to men and angels, who, though they will have no end, have a beginning. Creatures can be immortal, but they cannot be eternal
“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”—Psalm 90:2 - God’s Immutability Mal. 3:6; Ps. 102:26; Jas. 1:17; Num. 23:19.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
What are the decrees of God?
“The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he has foreordained whatever comes to pass.”—WSC #7
What is the difference between infralapsarian and supralapsarian view of God’s decrees?
Definition: Supralapsarianism (minority reformed view) and Infralapsarianism are about the logical order of God’s predestination.
Main point: what is the object of predestination?
• Supra position emphasizes decree of election in predestination.
• Infra focuses on redemption in predestination.
Details:
• Supra put decree of election before decree of creation (That’s why it is called SUPRa-lapsarianism)
1) God’s decree to save His elect and to condemn the reprobate for His own glory
2) decree to create man and allow him to fall in to sin (so man is fallible)
3) then decree to send Christ to redeem the elect
4) and decree for the Spirit to perfect their salvation.
• Infra put decree of creation first.
1) God’s decree to create man and to allow him to fall into sin (thus, man is fallen.)
2) decree to elect some men to salvation and to pass over the reprobate for condemnation
3) decree to send Christ for the elect
4) decree for the Spirit to perfect their salvation.
Cautions:
- Both views are reformed view. Both of them agree God’s sovereignty and particular redemption.
- The most important thing is that God’s decree is one and eternal
- it is not comprehensible for man
Briefly discuss the length of the days of creation.
- First, the use of the word “yom” day in the Hebrew. The default meaning is either daylight period or a twenty-four hour day. Of the 2304 appearances; the great majority either daylight or normal 24 hour day.
- Second, The non-literal uses of the Hebrew word “yom” are always demanded by the context and grammar.
- Third, the use of “day” with the ordinal number demands a sequential reading. An ordinal number is a number that reflects order “First, second, third, etc.” Though the number “one” in verse 5 is not an ordinal (In a list, the cardinal number “one” is at times used for “first” cf. 2:11.), the numbers “second” through “seventh” are. When an ordinal number is used with “yom” not one example of non-sequence can be found. In the Pentateuch, Moses uses ordinal numbers with the word “yom” 119 times. Each usage indicates a literal day
- The Jews marked days from evening to evening (Lev. 23:32). Daniel 8:14 put for day. Moses uses the phrase to show the relationship between the days. It is a hinge. The text presents literal days: evening closing the daylight; morning closing the darkness (Exodus 10:13).
- This is the clear, straight forward reading of Gen. 1:1-2:3; nothing in the grammar or vocabulary to support any other interpretation.
Evaluate biblically the theory of evolution.
Naturalistic Evolution —believes everything, including matter and man developed by natural processes and are purely a result of natural forces functioning over a period of time. Naturalistic evolution is godless. It denies God’s work of creation and providence. This system of belief denies the creation of the world, by God, out of nothing and in the space of six days.
“The work of creation is that where God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good. — WLC #15
Theistic Evolution —believes that God as the worker/mover behind the process set the evolutionary process in mo-tion.
This system, though acknowledging God as creator, gives him little more credit than first cause. This theory views the creation account as mythical and denies God the sovereign capacity to create as he claims in Genesis 1-2.
God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible fore-knowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”—WCF 5.1
What is a miracle? Do miracles occur today? Explain.
a. God uses means, such as rain to water the earth, to accomplish his providence ordinarily.
b. However, God is not restricted to “ordinary providence” but is free to exercise his purposes without, above, or against means.
i. Without - Man does not live by bread alone but every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God
ii. Above - giving the aged Sarah a child despite the deadness of her womb
iii. Against- Causing an exe head to float.
c. Miracles are demonstrations of God’s power and they manifest that He is the Lord of providence, not vice versa.
d. Other supernatural acts of God, such as regeneration, are not miracles in the proper sense
Define the doctrine of concurrence; do you agree or disagree?
a. Berkhof, defines it as the cooperation of the divine power with all subordinate powers, according to the pre-established laws of their operation, causing them to act and to act precisely as they do
b. I agree with the doctrine. It is a great mystery but one we must affirm if we are to uphold the absolute sovereignty of God. Our finite brains can only comprehend so much and we must say with Calvin, where God’s teaching ends so, too, does our learning.
Is God responsible for sin?Did he decree it?Did he permit it?
No.”God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.”—
The Scripture justifies God and maintains that in no case can God be considered the author of sin. He is always presented as holy and righteous, far from sin and godlessness. The Bible always blames the sin upon the creature and not upon God. Yet there is the fact that God has created the world so that sin was possible.
We must affirm that God has decreed all things, including sin, and yet he is not the agent in the act of sin. The decree itself is a positive act of God, but the execution of the decree is by permission. Acts 2:23 affirms that the crucifixion took place by the hand of wicked, lawless men. In other words, though it was foreordained by God, sinful men were responsible for the sin itself. Even when we recognize that this is the case, we are still left with the question of why God has ordained that sin should take place in the first place. Ultimately, we have no answer to this question. All that we can say is that it is for the glory of God, but that still does not answer why this is so
Who is the ultimate cause of ail things?
God is!
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works
all things according to the counsel of His will…“—Ephesians 1:11
“God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain
whatsoever comes to pass…” WCF 3.1
What is a theodicy?
A philosophical attempt to vindicate the justice and goodness of God, especially in view of the fact of
evil, which is normally felt, or judged to constitute a challenge to such attributes of God.
If God is good and all-powerful, explain AIDS, deformed babies, natural disasters.
The affirmation that God is good and all-powerful does not deny the reality that we live in a fallen
world. Though God created the world good (in fact very good) man in his rebellion against God
brought sin into the world and with it sickness, destruction and death. However, God’s goodness is
still seen in his common grace as he holds his creation together and in his sovereign acts of
providence. We see God’s goodness in his willingness to redeem us from sin and in his all-powerful
sovereignty in his even using that which is otherwise evil to work good for those who love him and
are called according to his purpose.*
Discuss the biblical teaching regarding predestination, election, and reprobation.
By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated
unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.”—WCF 3.3
“What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the
vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels
of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory…“—Romans 9:22-23
“…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good
pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which
He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the
times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -
in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who
works all things according to the counsel of His will…“—Ephesians 1:4-11
