Test #1 Flashcards
Define Epistemology
how we acquire knowledge
How is God revealed to us?
self revealed
what defines what we can say about God as Christians?
*The Bible
In our approach to understanding God what is the best starting point?
*The OT
Because humanity is “fallen” where must revelation start?
From above
What must a Christian say about the OT?
That it is the true revelation of God
What does the NT revelation build on?
The OT
According to Hendrikus Berkoff’s a better hermeneutical approach to God’s revelation in Scripture is which of the following?
let OT speak to the NT and let that inform later philosophy
What is biblically appropriate in speaking of God?
- We must say what scripture says
- Before we move to statements or logic and philosophy we first start with scripture
What is the belief in one God called?
Monotheism
What is an atheist?
denies the existence of God
What is an agnostic?
asserts the existence of God is unknown and probably unknowable
What is pantheist?
equates God with nature or the forces of the universe
What is a Polytheist?
one who believes in more than one God
What makes up the belief of Ditheism?
the belief in 2 Gods
What is Tritheism?
the belief in 3 Gods
Which of these religions are monotheistic?
Judaism, Islam, and Christianity
What constitutes trinitarianism?
the belief in 3 gods
What are the two extreme tendencies in trinitarian thought?
- ) Emphasizes the unity of God
2. ) Emphasizes the 3ness of the trinity
What makes binitarianism unique?
does not classify the Holy Ghost as a separate person but asserts belief in 2 persons in the Godhead
Many monotheists have pointed out that both trinitarianism and binitarianism ultimately do what?
weaken the strict monotheism taught by the Bible
Which of the following represents strict monotheism?
- ) One asserts that there is only one God but does so by Denying the Full Deity of Jesus Christ
- ) Second class of true monotheists believes in 1 God, but further believe the fullness of the Godhead is manifested in Jesus Christ
Who represents strict monotheism and yet rejects the full divinity of Christ?
Christendom
Which of the following represents the second class of true monotheists?
- Believes in one God but further believe the fullness of the Godhead is manifested in Jesus Christ.
- Believe the Father, Son, and Spirit are manifestations, modes, offices, or relationships the one God has displayed to man.
What is the term Church historians have used for this second class of strict monotheists?
Modalism and Modalistic Monarchism
Who are some of these strict monotheists from history?
Noteus, Praxeas, and Sabellius
What term in the twentieth century is used by those who believe in both the indivisible oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ to describe themselves?
Oneness
What has been, and still is, a major stumbling block for Jewish people in terms of accepting Christianity?
That Jesus is the Messiah
What does the OT reveal about God’s nature?
That there is ONE God
Is there a place for a trinity in the OT?
No