Theology Proper Test Flashcards
God is unity
Deuteronomy 6:4
all creation comes from God and exists for His glory
1 Chronicles 29:11-13
acknowledgment of the existence of God is intuitive and reasonable
Psalm 14:1
God is eternal
Psalm 90:2
God is omniscient
Psalm 139:1-6
there is only one God
Isaiah 43:10-11
special revelation (the Bible) is necessary for salvation
Romans 10:17
God is three “persons,” i.e., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
1 John 5:7
God is a spirit
John 4:24
God’s revelation of Himself in history, nature, and conscience *justifies belief; insufficient for salvation
general revelation
God’s revelation of Himself to specific people at specific times & places (embodied in the Scriptures)
special revelation
man’s inherent sense of right and wrong
conscience
argument from cause (cause & effect)
cosmological
argument from design (design demands a designer)
teleological
argument from harmony (sustaining natural systems)
congruity
argument from idea of perfect Being (requires His existence)
ontological
argument from human nature *includes human intuition, historical/universal belief, reason
anthropological
argument from moral nature (moral law demands a lawgiver)
moral
a physical manifestation of God in the Old Testament
theophany
a human manifestation of Christ in the Old Testament
Christophany
an attributing human features to God as a way of understanding Him
anthropomorphism
a description of God as one Being, but existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, each fully God
Trinity
refers to the Trinity’s distinction of order
ontological Trinity
refers to the Trinity’s distinction of function
economic Trinity
non-moral/natural/non-communicable attributes of God
- eternal
- immutability
- omnipotent
- omnipresent
- omniscient
- infinite
- transcendent
- immanent
God has no beginning and no ending (there has never been a time when God was not)
eternal
God is absolutely consistent and unchangeable
immutability
God can do all He wills to do
omnipotent
God is everywhere He wills to be
omnipresent
God knows all He wills to know
omniscient
God is unlimited in all things
infinite
God is separate from and above HIs creation
transcendent
God is actively involved in His creation
immanent
communicable/moral attributes of God
- holy
- just
- righteous
- true
- love
- merciful
- gracious
- goodness
- sovereignty
God possesses perfect and total purity, as well as perfect and total separation from sin
holy
God’s response to sin is always right
just
God’s actions are always right
righteous
God cannot lie or tolerate untruth
true
God has a self-sacrificial concern for the welfare of others
love
God acts with compassion, not giving people punishment they deserve
merciful
God acts with unmerited goodness, giving people kindness they do no deserve (unmerited favor)
gracious
God deals bountifully with all men (aka “lovingkindness”)
goodness
God has the right to do as He pleases with what belongs to Him (divine right of ownership)
sovereignty
- Elohim “One who is great, mighty, majestic”
- He possesses all power (omnipotence)
God
- El Elyon “most high”
- implies transcendence, pre-eminence
Most High, Most High God
- El Shaddai “One who is mighty to completely nourish, satisfy, supply us”
- implies His ability to provide as promised (“resurrection”)
Almighty God
- Adonai “master, lord”
- God is owner and ruler over everything that is
- implies sovereignty, deserving of unqualified obedience
Lord
- Yahweh (Jehovah) “he who is”
- God is the self-existent, covenant-keeping God
- implies self-existence/self-sufficiency
- most frequently used name (5321 times in the OT)
LORD
what are three important questions on theology proper?
- how do I know God exists?
- has he communicated with us?
- what has He revealed about Himself?
God ___ ___ argue for His own existence
God does not argue for His own existence
how do we know God exists?
- intuition (everyone has an initial intuition that God exists)
- reason (we see God’s fingerprints throughout His Creation)
- tradition (universal acceptance of God’s existence)
general revelation vs. special revelation
given to all, intended for all vs. given to few, intended for all
how has God communicated with us?
general revelation = reveals Himself in history, nature, and conscience
- history (Scripture prophesied different rise and falls of kingdoms
- nature (everywhere you look, everyone can see that there is a God(
- conscience (mankind being programmed to know that God is there and act like it)
special revelation = reveals Himself to specific people at specific times and places
- not learned on one’s own
- accepted by faith
general revelation is sufficient to condemn mankind; special revelation is required for salvation
what are the four natures of God?
- Unity
- Trinity
- Spirit
- Person
what are the 3 ways the Trinity is intimated in the O.T.?
- names and pronouns in plural form
- Theophanies and Christophanies
- thrice holy God
what are the 5 ways the Trinity is proven in the N.T.?
- at Christ’s baptism
- in the Great Commission
- in Paul’s apostolic blessing
- in Christ’s promise to ask the Father to send the Spirit
- in the association of all 3 Persons
unique attributes of God that only He will ever have
natural/non-moral/non-communicable
what are some aspects to God’s omniscience?
- God has perfect, complete knowledge of all things
- His knowledge is absolutely comprehensive
- God knows from eternity what will take place
- God knows from eternity what could take place
- God knows from eternity what might have taken place
what are some aspects to the Biblical use of the title “Father”?
- seldom used in O.T.; often used in N.T.
- the primary title used by Jesus to express His relationship to God
- expresses the eternal relationship among the Persons of the Trinity
- the Fatherhood of God expresses the relationship of God with us
what are some characteristics of the sovereignty of God?
- His ownership (God has the right to do as He pleases with what belongs to Him)
- His authority (God exercises His rights in the affairs of men and nations)
- His will (God has desires and plans that will be accomplished)
