Test 1 Flashcards
Define biblical theology
The branch of theological science which deals systematically with the historically conditioned progress of the self-revelation of God as deposited in the Bible
Explain the 4 elements of biblical theology
- Systematization- concentrates on the emphasis of a given period of history as in the Old Testament or on the explicit teaching of a particular writer in the New Testament
- History- helps resolve the doctrinal emphases of a particular period or of a specific writer
- Progress of Revelation- Biblical theology traces that progress of revelation, noting the revelation concerning Himself that God has given in a particular era or through a particular writer.
- Biblical Nature- broader focus than biblical theology; draws its information from the Bible (and from historical information that expands or clarifies the historical events of the Bible. Exegetical in nature, examining the doctrines in the various periods of history or examining the words and statements of a particular writer.
What is progressive revelation?
an orthodox doctrine that God did not reveal all truth about Himself at one time but revealed Himself “piecemeal,” portion by portion to different people throughout history.
What are Enns’ 3 points regarding the importance of biblical theology?
- Shows Historical Development of Doctrine
- Shows Emphasis of the Writer
- Shows Human Element in Inspiration
Explain Enns’ view of the unifying theme of the OT.
Unifying theme of OT: “kingdom” The theme is emphasized throughout the OT in the Law, Prophets, and the Writings.
In this regard (unifying theme of OT), what is God’s ultimate purpose in His kingdom program?*
the holiness of God
To what 18th-century theologian can the modern beginnings of biblical theology be traced?
John Philip Gabler
Why does NT theology not concern itself with periods of revelation?
Because all the books of the NT were written within 50 years of one another
What methodology is preferable for NT theology, and why?
The analytic method (but not to the exclusion of the thematic method) because that method adequately reflects the diversity of the New Testament
What is the meaning of the Greek words theos and logos in theology?
theos: “God”
logos: “word” or “discourse”
What is the difference between the definitions of systematic theology given by Chafer and Hodge?
Chafer: “Systematic Theology may be defined as the collecting, scientifically arranging, comparing, exhibiting, and defending of all facts from any and every source concerning God and His works.”
Hodge: “the science of the facts of divine revelation so far as those facts concern the nature of God and our relation to Him, as His creatures, as sinners, and as the subjects of redemption. All these facts, as just remarked, are in the Bible.”
What are Enns’ 3 points regarding the necessity of systematic theology?
- As an Explanation of Christianity
- As an Apologetic for Christianity
- As a Means of Maturity for Christians
How do Paul’s epistles show that doctrine is foundational to maturity?
It protects the believer from error.
Paul normally builds a doctrinal foundation in his epistles before he exhorts believers to live correctly.
What are Enns’ 7 requirements of systematic theology?
- Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- Application of Proper Hermeneutical Principles
- Scientific Approach
- Objectivity
- Progressive Revelation
- Illumination
- Recognition of Human Limitations
Explain the primary and secondary sources of systematic theology.
Primary: The Scriptures and nature are the primary source of man’s knowledge of God;
Secondary: Tradition and Reason.
What is the purpose of historical theology?
To describe the historical origin of the dogma of the Church and to trace its subsequent changes and developments.
What are the 4 main divisions of historical theology, with dates?
- Ancient theology (first century—A.D. 590)
- Medieval theology (A.D. 590—1517)
- Reformation theology (1517—1750)
- Modern theology (1750—present)
Explain what is meant by the continuity of the Bible as an “evidence” for its divine origin.
It was written over period of more than 1500 years, yet the Bible is a marvelous, unified whole. There are no contradictions or inconsistencies within its pages.
What does revelation mean and what is the important emphasis in the full definition of the term?
Revelation means “disclosure” or “unveiling.”
God discloses truth about Himself that man would not otherwise know.
Explain the differences between general revelation and special revelation.
General Revelation: Day to day and night to night revelation in nature - never ceases.
Special revelation: Involves a narrower focus than general revelation and is restricted to Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.
What has necessitated special revelation, and what does this imply about the essence of that revelation?
Man’s sinful estate through the fall,
Implies that it centers on the person of Jesus Christ. He is displayed in Scripture as the One who has explained the Father
What 5 important elements belong in a proper definition of inspiration?
1) Inspiration of the whole.
2) Inspiration of the parts.
3) Inspiration of the words.
4) Inspiration of the letters.
5) Inspiration of the New Testament
Identify and explain the Greek term translated “given by inspiration” in 2 Timothy 3:16.
emphasizes the exhalation of God “God breathed” Scriptures are “breathed out” by God. Not breathed in
What is natural inspiration?
Teaches that there is nothing supernatural about biblical inspiration; the writers of Scripture were simply men of unusual ability who wrote the books of the Bible in the same way that an individual would write any other book.
What is the spiritual illumination view of inspiration?
Suggests that some Christians may have spiritual insight that although similar to other Christians is greater in degree. In this view any devout Christian, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, can be the author of inspired Scripture. Writers are inspired; not the writing
What is partial or dynamic inspiration, and how does Enns respond to this view?
The partial inspiration theory teaches that the parts of the Bible related to matters of faith and practice are inspired whereas matters related to history, science, chronology, or other non-faith matters may be in error.
In this view God preserves the message of salvation amid other material that may be in error.
The Problem: what parts of the Bible are inspired and what parts contain errors? Who determines what parts of the Bible are trustworthy and what parts contain errors? How can the Bible be trustworthy in one area while in error in the other?
What is conceptual inspiration, and how does Enns respond to this view?
According to this view there can be errors in Scripture because the choice of words is left to the writer and is not superintended by God
The Problem: If the thought communicated to man is divine and of the nature of a revelation, the form in which it is expressed is of prime significance. It is impossible to dissociate the one from the other.
What is the divine dictation overview of inspiration, and how does Enns respond to this view?
God dictated the words of Scripture and the men wrote them down in a passive manner, being mere secretaries who wrote only the words they were told to write.
The Problem: If the dictation theory were true, the style of the books of the Bible should be uniform
What is the neo-orhodox view of inspiration, and how does Enns respond to this view?
Emphasizes that the Bible is not to be exactly equated with the Word of God because God does not speak in mere propositions. God does not reveal mere facts about Himself; He reveals Himself. The Bible is not the substance of the Word of God but rather the witness to the Word of God. It becomes the Word of God as the reader encounters Christ in his own subjective experience.
Problem: The Bible is the objective and authoritative Word of God whether or not a person responds to it. Furthermore, there are no objective criteria for evaluating what would constitute a “legitimate” encounter with God. Additionally, who would be capable of distinguishing myth from truth?
What do the following verses indicate about Christ's view of the Bible? Matt. 5:17-18 John 10:35 Matt. 22:32 (Ex.3:6) John 14:26
Matt. 5:17-18*— Inspiration of the whole. Christ affirmed that not the smallest letter or stroke would pass from the law until it would be fulfilled.
Jn. 10:35*—”the scripture cannot be broken” “it means that Scripture cannot be emptied of its force by being shown to be erroneous
Matt. 22:32 (Exod. 3:6)—Inspiration of the words. In defending the doctrine of the resurrection to the Sadducees, Jesus quoted from Exodus 3:6 “I am the God of Abraham.” In affirming the resurrection Jesus reminded the Sadducees that Exodus 3:6 said “I am.” He elaborated: “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” If the words of the OT were not inspired, His argument was useless; but if the very words of the OT were actually inspired, then His argument carried enormous weight.
Jn. 14:26—Inspiration of the NT. Jesus indicated that the Holy Spirit would provide accurate recall for the apostles as they penned the words of Scripture, thus guaranteeing their accuracy.
What does 1 Timothy 5:18 indicate about Paul’s view of the Bible?
The NT is just as much the inspired Word of God as the OT.
What do the following verses indicate about Peter’s view of the Bible?
2 Pet. 1:21
2 Pet. 3:16
2 Pet. 1:21*—no Scripture is produced as a result of human will; rather, it is the product of the superintending power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Pet. 3:16*—Refers to Paul’s writings and indicates that the false teachers distort Paul’s writings as they do the rest of the Scriptures.
Define verbal plenary inspiration.
The view that the inspiration of Scripture extends to the actual words (verbal) and to every part of the entire (plenary) Bible. In past usage verbal plenary inspiration was equated with inerrancy.
Define inerrancy and explain the syllogism of inerrancy.
The Scriptures possess the quality of freedom from error. They are exempt from the liability to mistake, incapable of error. In all their teachings they are in perfect accord with the truth.
“God is true; the Scriptures were breathed out by God therefore, the Scriptures are true (since they come from the breath of God who is true).
What are Enns’ 6 points in explaining inerrancy.
- Inerrancy allows for variety in style.
- Inerrancy allows for variety in details in explaining the same event.
- Inerrancy does not demand verbatim reporting of events.
- Inerrancy allows for departure from standard forms of grammar.
- Inerrancy allows for problem passages
- Inerrancy demands that the account does not teach error or contradiction
Why is it important to hold that the Bible is free from error even in matters like chronology and geography?
If the Bible cannot be trusted in matters of chronology, history, and geography, it cannot be trusted in the message of salvation.
What is meant by the terms canon and canonical?
Canon: used to describe the inspired books.
The terms canon and canonical thus come to signify standards by which books were measured to determine whether or not they were inspired.
Explain Harris’s “continuity of recognition” for the OT canon.
The law and prophetic books were received as the Word of God.
What is the significance of the Muratorian Canon?
A compilation of books recognized as canonical at the early date (A.D. 170) by the church.
Explain the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for the OT text.
Until its discovery at Qumran, the oldest extant manuscripts were dated from A.D. 900. They are the oldest OT texts.
Define papyrus, uncial, and minuscule.
Papyrus: old and an important witness
Uncial: Approximately 240 manuscripts are called this and are identified by capital letters
Minuscule: There are some twenty-eight hundred of these that are written in small letters usually in flowing hand.
What is illumination and what chapter of 1 Corinthians emphasizes this doctrine.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit whereby He enlightens those who are in a right relationship with Him to comprehend the written Word of God
Chapter 2
Identify and explain Enns’ principles for interpreting the Bible.
- Literal Interpretation- means the words and sentences of Scripture are understood in their normal meaning
- Grammatical Relationships- important to study because words stand in relationship to one another;
- Historical Context- important as a framework from which to interpret the Scriptures.
What phrase describes God’s inspiring of all Scripture equally?
verbal plenary inspiration
What does the term testament designate in Scripture?
the relationship which exists between God and His people
What are the 3 divisions of the Jewish (Hebrew) OT?
Law, Prophets, Writings
Within about how many years after Jesus’ resurrection was all the NT written?
70 years
What church council (place/date) “officially” recognized our NT books as canonical?
Carthage in AD 397
How old are the earliest available lists of NT books nearly identical to ours?
2nd century
What are the 4 basic principles of canonicity employed by the early church?
- apostolicity of authorship,
- contents,
- universality
- inspiration
What title was given to John Wycliffe because of the work he did?
Morning Star of the Reformation
From which ancient version did John Wycliffe translate?
Latin Vulgate
What was the first English Bible (name/year)?
Wycliffe Bible of 1382
What was the first major book in the west (name/year) to be printed from movable type?
The Gutenberg Bible of 1456
What most important preparation for the Reformation was completed by 1500?
Most of the vernacular tongues of Europe had their own published translations of the Word of God.
What Bible (name/year) became the standard for all future English Bibles, and how much of the King James translation was drawn from this Bible?
Tyndale’s Pentateuch & NT from 1534
over 4/5ths
What was the first complete English Bible (name/year) ever printed?
The Coverdale Bible of 1535
Whose translations were behind the Matthew Bible (1537), and why was it so named?
Tyndale
John Rogers published the new version under the pseudonym Thomas Matthew
What was the first Bible (name/year) to be specifically authorized for public use in English churches, and why was it so named?
The Great Bible of 1539
For its size
What was the first English Bible (name/year) to be translated entirely from the original languages, the first to have numbered verses, and the one to be carried by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower?
The Geneva Bible of 1560
Who had first introduced NT verse divisions, and when?
Robert Estienne in 1555
What unpopular version (name/year) was translated to compete with the Geneva Bible?
The Bishops Bible of 1568
Why did King James I reject the Geneva Bible?
There were political views expressed that he didn’t approve of
How many translators actually engaged in producing the KJV? Into how many groups were they divided, and where did they work?
47 translators
3 groups - Westminster, Oxford, Cambridge
How many complete or partial editions of the KJV were produced between 1611 and 1800?
Nearly 1000
What were the 3 most ancient and significant Greek manuscripts not available to the King James translators?
Codex Vaticanus
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Alexandrinus
Which of the 182 editions of the KJV produced between 1611 and 1644 was the most significant, and why?
1638 edition
It shows extensive revision and became the standard text for the KJV for well over a century
What does the Latin word codex mean?
book
What were uncials?
all capitals, no spacing, little to no punctuation
What are the proper name, dates of origin, and present location of Codex A?
Codex Alexandrinus
AD 400-450
royal library of the British Museum
What are the proper name, dates of origin, and present location of Codex B?
Codex Vaticanus
AD 350
The Vatican
What are the proper name, dates of origin, and present location of Codex Aleph?
Who discovered it, and where?
Codex Sinaiticus
AD 300-350
British Museum’s Department of Manuscripts
Tischendorf in St. Catherine’s Monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai
Who edited the “London Polyglot” and how many languages did it include?
Brian Walton
more than 8
What does the term Massorah mean, and to what does it refer?
tradition
The notes that Jewish scholars made in order to preserve the correct spelling and pronunciation of the words in the OT Hebrew text
During what centuries were the Masoretes particularly active? What is their great contribution?
6th-10th centuries Masoretic system (vowels)
What does Peshitta mean, and to what does it refer? During what century was the Pershitta NT used?
simple - it refers to the Syriac Vulgate
5th century
What circumstances provided Luther the opportunity to translate the Bible into German, and when did he begin translating the NT?
he was on house arrest
November/December of 1521
What passage was Erasmus pressured to insert from the Vulgate into the third edition of his Greek NT?
1 John 5:7-8 (the passage of the 3 witnesses)
What did Luther’s Bible do for the German language, and why did a contemporary call Luther the “German Cicero”?
It was the first German classic which standardized the German language
He reformed religion AND language
