Theology A and B Flashcards
What is the “Reformed Faith”? (Explain as to a new Christian)
The Reformed Faith is an approach to understanding (a system of belief and practice) God and the Bible through stressing what the Bible stresses: The need of man, the grace of God, the absolute sovereignty of God, the centrality of the Bible to all of life, Covenantal doctrine of Scripture, Sufficiency of the work of Christ, Effectual work of the Holy Spirit.
What is meant by “Systematic Theology”? What are its divisions?
The study that attempts to arrange the teaching of scripture in a logical way, expressing it in a contemporary form, and relating it to issued of practical Christian concern.
Divisions include:
God, Humanity, The Person and Work of Christ, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, Salvation, Church, The Last Things (Eschatology), How God has Revealed Himself (Revelation.
What is “Covenantal Theology”? Why is it important? (Explain as to a new Christian)
Covenantal Theology is a way of understanding how God relates to mankind. In the days of the Old Testament covenants were relationships between kings and his people. God chose to use that relationship/covenant to show how He relates to his people, only much more based on grace. Covenant Theology believes that God has always dealt with His people in a similar way, both in the Old and New Testaments. The only way they have gotten to be in relationship is because He graciously chose to favor them with His presence. God’s people have always been saved by grace through faith in the hopes that God would deliver them from the punishment they deserved.
Covenant theology is important because it maintains the unity and continuity of the Old and New Testaments and the way God relates to His people in each. Covenant Theology recognizes God’s sovereignty over history as an outworking of His loving grace.
Total Depravity
Through the Fall, every part of man has been corrupted by the effects of sin so that man is not able to restore His relationship with God. God must restore relationship if man is to enter fellowship with God.
Romans 3:10-18; Genesis 6:5.
Unconditional Grace
God’s choice of certain persons to salvation is not dependent upon any foreseen virtue or faith on their part.
Romans 9:11-13
Titus 3:4-5
Limited Atonement (Particular Redemption)
Christ came to save those the Father had given Him. All those Christ died for, God will draw to Himself.
John 10:14-15
John 6:37, 39
Irresistible Grace
The elect come to faith by the Spirit’s effectual call.
John 6:37
Acts 13:48b
John 10:26-27
Perseverance of the Saints
By God’s grace and perseverance, those who genuinely come to trust in Christ, despite their weaknesses, are preserved in the faith till the end.
1 Peter 1:3-5
John 10:18
Philippians 1:6
Romans 8:28-39
Where did the Five Points of Calvinism come from? (Also be able to explain)
They are a summary of the Synod of Dort; in response to the Remonstances of Jacob Arminius.
Define and distinguish “general revelation” and “special revelation”.
General revelation is truth about God available to everyone through nature, history and God’s image in mankind.
“Although the light of nature, and the work of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God; as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. “-WCF 1.1
Special revelation is what God has revealed about Himself to His people, through special messengers (angels or prophets), Jesus Christ, or the Scripture. Certain theological knowledge, i.e., the way of salvation, can come only through this method.
“Therefore it pleased The Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manners, to reveal himself, and to declare his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against The corruption of The flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which makes The Holy Scriptures to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased “-WCF 1.1
Define and defend (including Scripture proofs) the “inspiration” of Scripture.
To say that the Scripture is inspired is to say the it is God’s special revelation-a product of God’ s direct intellectual superintending of the men who wrote it. Therefore the inspired Scriptures are the very words of God and thus are the absolute and immutable authoritative rule for faith and practice.
‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work “ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son …” Hebrews 1: 1,2
“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit “ 2 Peter 1:10-21
Define and defend the “necessity” of Scripture.
Scripture is necessary as a means of revealing the saving truth of Jesus Christ, “the knowledge of God and of his will that is necessary for salvation”.
“The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation. “-WSC ##2
I Cor. 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
What is “canon”? Defend it scripturally.
Canon means rule, measure or standard. The Old Testament canon was confirmed by Jesus himself (Matthew 5:17). The New Testament built on the teaching of Jesus as he taught and trained the disciples to accurately share his message.
Matthew 10: sending out of the twelve with a specific message. John 20: Jesus appears to twelve with final instructions and Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 3, Peter understands Paul to be writing Scripture.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. “ Matthew 5: 17
2 Peter 3:15-16 “just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Define and defend the “authority” of Scripture.
The authority of Scripture rests not with any humans but solely with God, inspired by the Holy Spirit which makes , it God’s very word. It possesses historical authority in that it is 100% historically reliable. It possesses normative authority in that it is God’s rule for faith and practice.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Define and defend the “sufficiency” of Scripture.
Scripture is complete, containing all that is needed for God’s glory and for man’s salvation, faith, and life.
” The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.”
-WCF 1.6
