Theology H (Chappell/Meek) Flashcards
What is the moral law?
The moral law is the declaration of God’s will directing and binding all to conformity and obedience. It promises life upon fulfilling it and death upon breaching it.
What laws besides the moral law did God give his people under the old covenant?
Under the old covenant, God gave his people the:
1. Ceremonial law, which contains regulations concerning religious ceremonies; abrogated under the NT
2. Judicial law, which contains civil regulations for the nation of Israel; expired with the political nation of Israel
Are believers under obligation to the law today? Explain and defend with Scripture.
Yes; the law no longer justifies or condemns believers, but it remains a rule of life, informing them of the will of God, which must be obeyed (Matt. 5; Rom. 13; 1 John 2).
What is “theonomy”? Evaluate it biblically.
Theonomy literally means “God’s law.” It refers to an ideology in which God’s law becomes the rule for modern-day society (i.e. a theocracy) because Israel’s judicial law has not expired.
While certain facets of the law (i.e. the moral law) endure today (Matt. 5), application of those laws in the present requires wisdom. Israel’s situation was unique and, even in Jesus’ day, not a reality nor his ideal (Lev. 20:10; John 4). Theonomy engages in an overly-triumphalistic eschatology not seen in Scripture (Rev. 7).
Where is the law of God summed up?
The law of God is summed up in the Ten Commandments.
Can believers keep God’s law? Explain and defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Believers can keep God’s law (Lev. 19:2; Deut. 30; Matt. 5:48) but not perfectly (Rom. 3; Gal. 5:17; 1 John 1).
What is at stake in the “Lordship Controversy”? Explain and defend your view.
The Lordship Controversy risks neglecting the importance of repentance and obedience in the life of faith. It also risks divorcing Christ’s salvific work from his insistence on being Lord of all.
What are the “means of grace”?
The “means of grace” are the Word, sacraments, and prayer, all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.
What is “Christian liberty”? Explain and defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Christian liberty is a believer’s freedom from sin’s guilt, power, curse, and punishment on the basis of Christ’s work by the Holy Spirit. Such liberty also extends to freedom from the ceremonial law, access to the throne of grace, and fuller communications of the free Spirit of God (Rom. 6; 1 Cor. 10; 2 Cor. 3:17).
Who or what is Lord of the conscience? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
God alone is Lord of the conscience (Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 10; James 4:12).
How does Christian liberty bear on the Christian’s obligation to the state?
God-ordained powers (like the state) and Christian liberty are intended, by God, to mutually uphold and preserve one another. To use one’s liberty to resist such lawful powers (and their lawful exercises) is to resist God. Christians can lawfully hold powers to account when they contradict the light of nature, the law of God, or the peace and order of the church.
What is the “regulative principle”? Defend it from Scripture.
The “regulative principle” states that how one worships God must accord with what God has revealed, in his Word, about how he should be worshipped. God alone decides how humans may worship him (Deut. 12:32; Isa. 29:13; John 4:24; Acts 17)
Who is to be worshiped? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is to be worshipped (Matt. 4:10; Rev. 5).
What are the ordinary parts or elements of worship?
The ordinary parts or elements of worship include:
1. Scripture reading
2. Singing psalms and hymns
3. Prayer
4. Preaching
5. Tithes and offerings
6. Sacraments
Are Christians under obligation to keep a Sabbath? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
~ If so, how should the Sabbath be kept?
~ Differentiate between the “Continental” and “Westminster” views of the Sabbath.
Christians are still under obligation to keep a Sabbath. As part of the moral law and rooted in creation (Gen. 2; Exod. 16; 20), the command to honor the Sabbath day has an enduring applicability (Matt. 5:18).
The Sabbath should be kept by:
1. Resting (including recreation)
2. Worshipping
3. Performing deeds of piety, mercy, healing, and goodness
The “Continental” view of the Sabbath (held by Calvin) stresses the ceremonial and typological aspects of the Jewish Sabbath. The Sabbath is cyclical but does not necessarily prescribe a particular day of the week so much as one in seven. The “Westminster” view of the Sabbath stresses the moral and universal scope of the Sabbath. The Sabbath should be observed on the first day of the week in keeping with the day of Christ’s resurrection and the practice of the early church.
