Christian Theology

Dr. Ken Keathley

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Contents
Theological Method ............................................................................................................ 3
Revelation ........................................................................................................................... 5
Scriptures ............................................................................................................................ 8
Modern Challenges to Theology....................................................................................... 11
God.................................................................................................................................... 13
Creation ............................................................................................................................. 16
Providence......................................................................................................................... 21
The Trinity ........................................................................................................................ 24
Satan and Angels............................................................................................................... 26
Humanity........................................................................................................................... 29
Sin ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Original Sin and the Destiny of Infants Who Die ............................................................. 37
Jesus Christ—His Person .................................................................................................. 39
Jesus Christ—His Work Part 1 ......................................................................................... 42
Jesus Christ—His Work Part 2 ......................................................................................... 46
The Atonement.................................................................................................................. 48
John 1:1-18........................................................................................................................ 53
Colossians 1-2 ................................................................................................................... 57
Hebrews 1-2 ...................................................................................................................... 61
Phil. 2:5-11........................................................................................................................ 63
The Holy Spirit ................................................................................................................. 67
Salvation Part 1 ................................................................................................................. 73
Salvation Part 2 ................................................................................................................. 77
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility................................................................ 80
The Church Part 1 ............................................................................................................. 81
The Church Part 2 ............................................................................................................. 84
Last Things........................................................................................................................ 88
The Millennial Kingdom................................................................................................... 94
The Resurrection ............................................................................................................... 99
Qualifications of Pastors and Deacons ........................................................................... 104

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 Theological Method

Intro: Why should we care about theology? Because everyone is a theologian. The only
question is whether you are a good theologian or a bad one.

1. The Definition of Theology

1.1. Origin of the word: “Theology” derives from theos (“god”) and logos
(“reason,” “order,” “word”). “Thinking about God.”
1.2. Definition: “Theology is the topical and logical study of God's revealed nature
and purposes.”—Lewis and Demarest: 1996, 23.

2. The Types of Theology

2.1. Philosophical Theology: examines the philosophical underpinnings of the
theological endeavor—the nature of reality (ontology), the way we know
(epistemology), the rules of logic, and the nature of communication.
2.2. Biblical Theology: two definitions—popular and technical.
2.2.1. Popular: truths derived from the Bible.
2.2.2. Technical: Inductive analysis of a particular biblical text or corpus by an
author without attempting to integrate it with other biblical texts or other
sources. [Example: Interpreting Gen 1 w/o scientific considerations.]
2.3. Historical Theology: the study of how certain doctrines developed. The very
questions we ask are historically conditioned.
2.4. Systematic Theology: the attempt to integrate all avenues of truth about God
and his work.

3. The Tools of Theology

3.1. Scripture: (Biblical Theology)
3.2. Reason: (Philosophical Theology)
3.3. Tradition: (Historical Theology) Not just tradition for tradition’s sake, but the
consensus voice of the believing community.
3.4. Experience: (Religion) There are some things that Christians, and only
Christians, can know.
Reason, tradition, and experience are all necessary features, but they are not
sufficient. The Bible possesses a sufficiency as final authority that supersedes the
other three.

4. The Approach of Theology: “faith seeking understanding”

4.1. Not reason above faith: (rationalism) “I believe what I understand.”
4.2. Not faith without reason: (fideism) “I believe because it’s absurd.”

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 4.3. Reason the servant of faith: fides quarens intellectum—“Faith seeking
understanding.” A reasonable faith.

5. The Areas of Theology

5.1. Theological Method
5.2. Revelation
5.3. Scripture
5.4. God
5.5. Creation and Providence
5.6. Angels
5.7. Humanity
5.8. Sin
5.9. Christ
5.10. Holy Spirit
5.11. Salvation
5.12. Last Things

6. The Goal of Theology:

The purpose of theology is to know the triune God, His special revelation to man, His
will and ways, in order to more effectively live holy lives in His service and to lead
others to do the same.

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 Revelation
God has given to us an objective, clear revelation of himself in the natural world and by
supernatural means. We have been created in his image, and one the things this entails is
the capacity both to know about God and know him personally.

1. The Definition of Revelation: The word “apocalypsis” means uncovering, unveiling,

disclosing what previously was unknown. “Revelation is God's manifestation of
Himself to humankind in such a way that men and women can know and have
fellowship with Him.”—Dockery: 1995, 16

2. The Types of Revelation

2.1. General Revelation: “General revelation is God's communication of himself to
all persons at all times and in all places.”—Erickson: 2004, 178

2.2. Special Revelation: Special revelation is the divine self-disclosure. Through the
OT prophets and NT apostles, through the mighty acts of God, including signs
and miracles, and the works and words of Jesus Christ, by which God
communicates unique knowledge about His nature and His saving purposes for
humankind.

3. The Sources of Revelation

3.1. General Revelation:
3.1.1. Nature: Calvin referred to Creation as “the theatre of God’s glory.”

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His
handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has
gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Ps
19:1-4 NKJ)

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the
godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it
plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his
eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Rom 1:18-20 NIV)

3.1.2. The Human Conscience

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 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the
law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the
work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and
between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)” (Rom 2:14-
15 NKJ)

3.2. Special Revelation: modes of revelation

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by
the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb 1:1-2
ESV)

3.2.1. History: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways”

3.2.2. Speech: “God spoke to our fathers by the prophets”
3.2.3. The Incarnation: “He has spoken to us by his Son”

4. The Nature of Revelation (Dockery: 1995, 21-34)

4.1. Special Revelation is Particular - God has revealed himself especially to

particular people at particular times. The deposit of this special revelation is
found in the sacred Scripture. God's purpose in revealing himself to particular
people at particular times is so that they can then bless other peoples with this
knowledge.

4.2. Special Revelation is Progressive – “In the witness of biblical history is found a
developing manifestation of God, His will, and His truth in the Old and New
Testaments. The development is not contradictory in any fashion. It is
complementary and supplementary to what has been previously revealed.”

4.3. Special Revelation is Propositional—In special revelation, God reveals truths

about Himself and His creation. “Revelation is both knowledge about God and
knowledge of God.” God is not silent. He has spoken. Scripture provides us with
the things he said. Technically sentences are not propositions, but close enough
to be used interchangeably.

4.4. Special Revelation is Personal—“Special revelation is primarily redemptive and

personal.” That is, its primary purpose is salvific and it is given personally by
God, Who is the “I am” (Ex. 3:14) to people. The ultimate expression of the
personal nature of special revelation is the incarnation of His Son. “The

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redemptive revelation of God is that the incarnate Word (Jesus Christ) has borne
the sins of fallen humanity, has died in their place, and has been raised to ensure
justification. This is the fixed center of special revelation.”

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 Scriptures
The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblos, which means “book.” The
Bible is the Book.
“God’s speech to man is real speech. It is very much like one person speaking to
another. God speaks so that we can understand him and respond appropriately.” (John
Frame: 2010, 3)

1. The Nature of Scripture: the Word of God

1.1. The Bible’s self-description: “The Word of God”—(Mark 7:13; Rom. 10:17; 2
Cor. 2:17; Heb. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:13) used nearly 50 times in the Bible. “Word of
the LORD”—(Ezra 1:1; Isa. 1:10; Josh. 22:9) used over 250 times. “What
Scriptures says; God says.”—J I Packer

1.2. The Prophets’ self-understanding: “Thus says the LORD”—used over 290
times.

“I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command
Him.” (Deut 18:18 NKJ)

“The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.” (2 Sam
23:2 NKJ)

“My words I have put in your mouth,” (Isa 59:21 NKJ)

1.3. The Function of the Bible: The Bible is the sacred deposit of God’s revelation.

2. The Inspiration of Scripture: the means by which we receive God’s revelation.

2.1. The declaration of inspiration

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may
be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:15-17 NKJ)

“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
Pet 1:20-21 NIV)

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 2.2. The definition of Inspiration: The Scriptures are “breathed out” (2 Tim 3:16)
Inspiration is the inexplicable supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit over the
writers of the Scripture such that, without overwhelming the personalities of the
writers, the Holy Spirit superintended their writings so that their words are the
words of God. Not a séance; Jeremiah, Paul, James—all distinctive writers. The
Bible is analogous to the Incarnation in its Divine/Human duality.

2.3. Extent of Inspiration: Verbal-plenary (depth-width) Verbal: each word is

inspired; plenary: each word is equally inspired.

3. The Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Scriptures:

3.1. Definition of Inerrancy: Truth, without any mixture of error, in all that the
Scriptures affirm.

3.2. Definition of Infallibility: With God as the Author, Scriptures are incapable of
error.

4. The Sufficiency of the Scriptures: “That the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:17)
4.1. Not exhaustive knowledge: Many questions left unanswered. (Why did God
create Lucifer if he knew that Lucifer would rebel and become Satan? When is
Jesus coming back?)

4.2. Not all the practical knowledge you might need: Many practical things are not
taught. (2 + 2 = 4 is not in the Bible.)

4.3. All the revelation you need. “Thoroughly equipped to every good work.”

5. The Clarity of the Scriptures: The Bible is sufficiently clear that any Christian of
normal cognitive abilities can understand God’s will for him. Not equally clear, but
sufficiently clear. [During the Medieval Era, translating the Bible into the language of
the common people was illegal.]

6. The Authority of the Scriptures: “Your Word is Truth.” (John 17:17) The Bible is
the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

“The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian church in this and
every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to
show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written
Word. To stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master.

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Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a
full grasp and adequate confession of its authority.”—The Chicago Statement on
Inerrancy

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 Modern Challenges to Theology
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
(1 Cor 1:21 NKJ)
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
(1 Cor 2:14 NKJ)

1. The Problem of Accessibility: In Critique of Pure Reason (1781), Immanuel Kant

argued that it is not possible to have theoretical knowledge of objects that transcend
sense experience.
1.1. We never know the objects of knowledge as they really are in themselves (the
noumena). We only know them as they appear to us (the phenomena). There can
be no real knowledge of or cognitive basis for religion as traditionally
understood.
1.2. Morality and ethics require God, but as an object of faith, not provable by
reason. Since Kant, modern thought has denied the possibility of objective
metaphysical knowledge.
1.3. However Kant’s statement is metaphysical, and thus self-contradictory.
1.4. Kant’s critique simply highlights the necessity of a gracious revelation. That is
exactly what the Bible claims to be.

2. The Problem of Verification: The “Vienna School” in the 1920’s and 30’s
advocated Logical Positivism with its “verification principle”—all meaningful
statements are definitional, empirically based, or incorrigible.
2.1. All God talk is either non-sensical or empty. Since, according to Logical
Positivism, God is unknowable and inexpressible, it is meaningless to even use
the term “God.”
2.2. God is inexpressible or mystical. Later, positivists like Ayer conceded that God
may be experienced but never meaningfully expressed.
2.3. The Verification Principle cannot be empirically verified. Once this awkward
fact was acknowledged, the Verification Principle fell out of favor. Plantinga
argues that some truths are simply “properly basic.”

3. The Problem of Falsification. Since there is no empirical fact that would cause a
devout adherent to jettison his faith, religion is unfalsifiable.
3.1. Antony Flew’s parable of the invisible gardener. Flew presented the parable first
at the Socratic Club with C S Lewis presiding.

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 3.2. Flew claimed that the gardener “dies the death of a thousand qualifications.” A
god who is neither falsifiable nor verifiable is no different from no god at all.
3.3. Flew’s disputants make the mistake of universalizing their particular
perspectives. The fact that they don’t see a gardener doesn’t mean he wasn’t
working a few miles away, or had been there earlier.
3.4. Flew is considered the grandfather of the modern atheist movement. However, he
renounced atheism before his death. [pic of his book, “There is a God”]

4. The Problem of Communication: Ludwig Wittgenstein contended that language

was simply not up to the task of conveying information about God. If we have
trouble communicating through words what the aroma of coffee smells like, how can
we ever say anything meaningful about God? What do we mean when we say “God
is a loving Father”?
4.1. The nature of language: Talk about God is analogical rather than univocal or
equivocal.
4.2. The sufficiency of language: Language does not convey exhaustive knowledge,
but it does transmit adequate knowledge.
4.3. The origin of language: Language is of divine origin. Creation is manifestation
of God’s speech-act. The ability to articulate our thoughts demonstrates that we
are made in the image of God.

Why do we believe theology is possible? Theology is possible because God has revealed
Himself to us. Since we are made in His image, we a capable of grasping that revelation.

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 God
Bible teaches that God is, and that we can have a covenant relationship with him (Heb
11:6). Scripture also reveals that, though God is One, he eternally exists as three
Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Finally, the Bible informs us of God nature and
character—his divine attributes. God is both great and good.

1. The Existence of God: The Bible doesn’t try to prove the existence of God. It simply
begins with existence as an obvious truth (Gen 1:1). One can neither prove/disprove
God’s existence, but there are several arguments that demonstrate that faith in God is
reasonable.

1.1. The Cosmological Argument: Argument from cause and effect. For every effect
there is a prior cause. The world exists; so it was caused either by nothing or
something. If nothing, then the Cosmos is eternal and it is God. If caused by
something, then that something is eternal and it is God. This eternal “something”
must be either matter combined with chance or a Personal Being. Whatever is
eternal is God.

1.2. The Teleological Argument: Paley’s Watchmaker argument from design and
purpose. Imagine astronauts stepping onto an uninhabited planet and finding a
Coke bottle. Order and useful arrangement in a system (function with intention)
imply intelligence, purpose, and design (a Designer). The Universe is
characterized by intricate design. Therefore, the Universe has a Designer. (ID
movement)

1.3. The Moral Argument: All men are conscious of an objective moral law. Moral
laws imply a moral Lawgiver. Therefore, there must be a moral Lawgiver.

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required
by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,
since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even
defending them.—Rom 2:14-15 (NIV)

1.4. The Ontological Argument: The very concept of God implies his existence.
God is that which no greater can be conceived.

2. The Names of God: God is not merely a force, a field of energy, or the ground of
being. He is personal.

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 2.1. The generic name of God: ’El and its variants: ’El or the plural ’Elohim (used
2000 times). ’El Shaddai—God Almighty (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3;
49:25; and Exod. 6:3). ’El Elyon—(Gen. 14:18, 19, 20, 22). The God most high
or the exalted God.

2.2. The covenant name of God: YHWH—a form of the verb “to be.” God is the
One Who simply is. He has no origin or maker. He is the Origin and Maker.
His existence is the one brute fact.

3. The Persons of God: The Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit
3.1. Implied in the Old Testament; explicit in the New Testament

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen 1:26
ESV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.” (John 1:1 ESV)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matt 28:18 ESV)

3.2. Inadequate views:

3.2.1. The Trinity is not simply how we perceive God or have imagined him.
3.2.2. The Trinity is not simply different modes of how he interacts with us.
3.2.3. The Trinity is how God really is. If God had never created he still would
eternally be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

3.3. Summary of the Biblical Teaching:

3.3.1. God is one Being
3.3.2. God is three Persons
3.3.3. Each Person is fully God
We’ve said more than we understand. To acknowledge the Trinity is to
confess the mystery.

4. The Nature of God: The ways of categorizing God’s attributes: Incommunicable and
Communicable (Reformed); Natural and Moral (Mullins): Natural—pertains to
God’s nature; Moral—pertains to God’s character and relations. Absolute and
Relative (Strong): Absolute—attributes involved in God’s relationship with Himself;
Relative—involved in His relationship with creation. Some of God’s attributes are

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communicable; some are not (Omni’s vs. Love, Truth, etc). The Omni’s are not
simply God as bigger, smarter, stronger. These qualities are infinite and illimitable
and therefore are of an entirely different kind. We’re going to use the categories of
greatness and goodness.

4.1. God is great: Those inherent traits that are true whether or not he ever created,
and these traits are qualitatively different from ours. (Omni’s)

4.2. God is good: Those relational traits that are true because he created (Creator,
Judge, Lord) and redeems (Savior, Shepherd), and those qualities for which there
is an analogue (Love, Mercy, Truth). God possesses all great-making
excellencies in a maximal way.

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 Creation
1. The Definition of Creation: God, without opposition or equal, called the world into
existence out of nothing for his own good purposes.

2. The Distinctives of Creation

2.1. God Created The World Out Of Nothing: The Bible teaches creatio ex
nihilo—“creation out of nothing.” The Bible rejects any notion that the world
was created out of pre-existing materials.

2.2. God Alone Is Eternal; Creation Began In Time: Space and time are elements
of creation. “God is not ‘in’ either; nor is he bound by either as we are.” (Packer:
1994, 21) Augustine had a curt reply to anyone who dared to ask what God was
doing before he created the world. “He was preparing hell for those who pry into
such mysteries.” (Augustine, Confessions 11.12) Augustine argued that that the
question had no meaning—if time is an element of creation then there was no
“before” the events of Genesis 1:1.

2.3. God Is Distinct From Creation: This point—that God is distinct from
creation—correlates to the previous two points. Since God alone is eternal and he
called the universe into existence out of nothing, then there is a fundamental
difference between the Creator and that which he created.

2.4. God Did Not Create Out Of Necessity: Did God have to create anything at all?
The answer to this question is “no” and it speaks of the aseity of God. When we
speak of God’s aseity we mean that God is complete within himself, dependent
on nothing, and that creation adds nothing to him. God did not create out of any
necessity, or out of any sense of lack. From all eternity God has been and
continues to be a perfect fellowship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has
always and perfectly possessed all excellencies, and if God had chosen never to
create it would not have detracted from his glory.

2.5. God Did Not Have To Create This Particular World; This World Exists
Purely By The Will of God: Could God have created a different type of world?
Yes, he could have. While the previous point affirms the aseity of God, this point
highlights God’s freedom. Not only could God have refrained from creating, he
also could have created a world very different from this one.

2.6. God Created A World That Is Consistent With His Nature And Character:
What type of world did God create? God is both great and good.

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 Correspondingly, he has created a world that is consistent with his great nature
and his good character. So creation is also both great and good. The psalmist
states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork” (Ps 19:1 ESV).

2.7. God Is Sovereign Over The World. Moses presents God as the unrivaled,
unopposed monarch over all creation. He wanted the Hebrews to know that their
God, who delivered them in the Exodus, is not one god among many, but rather
he is the one and only God who created all things and is lord over all things.

2.8. God Continues To Be Actively Involved With The World. God is

simultaneously transcendently above and immanently within creation. When we
speak of God’s transcendence we mean that God is distinct from and greater than
creation. Yet at the same time the Bible affirms God’s immanence within
creation. By that we mean he is omnipresent, and he is thoroughly and
meticulously involved in every aspect of the universe. (Acts 17:25-28). God is
transcendently above the world, so he is able to save it. Since he is immanently
within the world, he cares enough to save it.

3. The Importance of Creation

3.1. The Doctrine Of Creation Gives Us A Proper Understanding Of God’s

Relationship To The Universe. Augustine observed that one’s understanding of
creation profoundly influences his view of God. The biblical doctrine of creation
refutes a number of erroneous views that have been embraced by various
proponents from the ancient world until now.

3.2. The Doctrine Of Creation Gives Us A Proper Understanding Of Humanity’s

Place In The Universe. The proper view of creation protects us from both
idolatry and despair.(Lewis and Demarest: 1996, 17). The Bible tells us that we
are related to the animals, but we are not merely animals. Like other creatures,
we were made out of the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7). Scripture declares that
humans were made in the image of God, but goes on to make clear that we are
not divine (Gen 1:26-27). Having a proper knowledge of the relationship
between the Creator and creation makes it possible for one to know his proper
place in the world. In terms of status and authority, God placed humans between
the animals and the angels (Ps 8:5-8).

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 3.3. The Doctrine Of Creation Gives Us The Proper Understanding Of The
Nature Of Creation. Nature is real; has value; not divine; has order; has
purpose; and is subservient to God.

3.4. The Doctrine Of Creation Gives Us The Proper Understanding Of

Salvation: Some view the world as without worth and beyond saving. They
understand salvation to be deliverance from creation. By contrast, the Bible
teaches that salvation is the deliverance of creation.

4. The Role of Creation

4.1. Creation Is The Beginning To The Story Of Redemption: Moses lets his
people know that the God who redeemed Israel is not just a parochial deity, nor
is he just a member of a polytheistic collage. Israel’s God created the entire
cosmos.

4.2. Creation Provides The Framework For Understanding The Age To Come:
Scripture teaches that one must look at the world from the perspective of its end
in order to properly understand its beginning. The Bible connects creation with
the new creation. First, the present creation will one day end. Second, the end
will be catastrophic in nature. Third, the end will be a time of judgment. Fourth,
the return of Christ rescues creation from futility. For the creation waits with
eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was
subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain
the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole
creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Rom
8:19-22)And fifth, creation will not be annihilated but transformed. Certain
passages, taken in isolation, can give the impression that the universe will be
obliterated. However, in each context both apostles make clear that the present
creation will give way to a new creation (2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1-2). When Christ
returns it will not be the end. It will be the end of the beginning.

5. Creation Is To Be Understood Ultimately In Relationship To Jesus Christ In the

beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him
was not any thing made that was made.—John 1:1-3 ESV Creation cannot be
properly grasped without comprehending it in relation to Jesus Christ. The apostles
instruct us that the Son of God is “the origin, the center, and the goal of the

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 universe.”1 In this regard, the New Testament is unique. No similar claims can be
found in the Jewish Wisdom literature or other ancient Jewish writings.2
5.1. We must understand that the Son of God is the creator of the world.
Repeatedly the New Testament declares that God created the world through him
(John 1:1-3; Heb 1:1-3).

5.2. The Son of God is the sustainer of the world. The world does not have the
capability to self-sustain, nor are its properties self-perpetuating. In proclaiming
the preeminence of Jesus, Paul declares, “And he is before all things, and in him
all things hold together” (Col 1:17 ESV). Without Christ’s ongoing sustenance,
governance, and guidance we would disintegrate. We would literally evaporate
into nothingness.

5.3. That the Son of God is the focus of the world.

“All things were created through him and for him…that in everything he might
be preeminent” (Col 1:17-18 ESV). John Piper makes the point well:

“All that came into being exists for Christ - that is, everything exists to display
the greatness of Christ. Nothing - nothing! - in the universe exists for its own
sake. Everything - from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains,
from the smallest particle to the biggest star, from the most boring school subject
to the most fascinating science, from the ugliest cockroach to the most beautiful
human, from the greatest saint to the most wicked genocidal dictator - everything
that exists, exists to make the greatness of Christ more fully known - including
you, and the person you have the hardest time liking.” (John Piper: 2008, 33)

5.4. The Son of God is the goal of the world. God’s ultimate plan is “in the fullness
of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven and in earth” (Eph 1:10). As
beautiful as the universe is, apart from Christ no ultimate purpose for its
existence can be discerned. Apart from him the cosmos appears futile. Creation
makes no sense without the Incarnation, especially the actualizing of a world in
which the Fall was possible. However, once we grasp the significance of who
Jesus Christ is and what he has done, then the purpose becomes clear. The
uniting of God with creation through his Son is the final goal of all that is

1
Christoph Schonborn, Chance or Purpose? Creation, Evolution, and a Rational Faith (San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2007), 135.
2
Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon: Word Biblical Commentary, vol 44 (Nashville, Thomas
Nelson, 2000), 47.

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 transpiring. The accomplishment of the divine plan will be maximally glorious (1
Cor 15:28).

The God of the Bible is the only true God, because he is the God who created the
heavens and the earth. This same God is the Father of Jesus Christ, and through his Son
he reconciled the world to himself. The doctrine of creation anchors salvation history and
unites it with natural history. He who created all that we see is the One who saves us in
Jesus Christ. Creation, seen in the light of the Gospel, is glorious.

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 Providence
1. Definition of Providence: God’s maintenance, guidance, and continuing involvement
with Creation and humans as means of carrying out his purposes. It’s God’s
relationship with everything that’s not him. The three elements of providence:
1.1. Preservation—actively sustains
1.2. Governance—actively guides
1.3. Concurrence—actively participates

2. Providence and Sovereignty: The sovereign Triune God rules over the entire
Cosmos as king and lawgiver. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are actively involved in
every moment of history and every element in the universe albeit in indirect,
ordinary, and thoroughly mediated ways

2.1. Definition of Sovereignty: God’s ultimate Lordship and rule over the universe
so that the divine will is supreme over all else.

2.2. Displays of Sovereignty: God’s sovereignty can be studied under five headings.
The last three sections describe God’s dealings with his creation and together
they are understood as God’s providence.
2.2.1. God planned the world: predestination
2.2.2. God made the world: creation
2.2.3. God sustains the world: preservation
2.2.4. God controls the world: governance
2.2.5. God cooperates with the world: concurrence

3. Providence and the Christian Life:

3.1. Comfort: the comfort of providence (“The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms”) vs. the despair of Hamlet (“the slings
and arrows of outrageous fortune”).

3.2. Confidence: Luther saw the milkmaid and the baker as “masks” of God’s
providence.

3.3. Praise and Worship:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has
known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given

21
 a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to
him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”—Rom 11:33-36

3.4. Caution: Providence is generally hidden.

“God’s hand of providence, even in the lives of believers, remains largely

hidden….Like any good story, it is only at the end that what seemed like
unrelated characters and events are seen to constitute a narrative plot. Only the
divine playwright knows the whole story. Reversals and counter-reversals are
meaningless apart from some resolution, but a resolution that is easily predicted
in advance lacks dramatic depth.” (Horton: 355-56)

4. Providence and Human Sin

4.1. God’s Agency in Reference to Human Sin (Strong: 1907, 423-25)

4.1.1. It can be preventative:

“And God said to him in a dream, ‘Yes, I know that you did this in the
integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me;
therefore I did not let you touch her.’” (Gen 20:6 NKJ)

Parents, government, church, customs, laws, disease, and even death are all
preventative influences.

4.1.2. It may be permissive: He may allow human beings to cherish and

continue in their sin.

“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of
Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own
counsels.” (Ps 81:11-12 NKJ)

Surveying the Gentile world, Paul declared that God “gave them over” to
sinful desires and a depraved mind (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). God’s permissive
providence is simply the negative act of withholding impediments from the
path of the sinner, instead of preventing his sin by the exercise of divine
power. It implies no ignorance, passivity, or indulgence, but consists with
hatred of the sin and determination to punish it. God warns against
mistaking His permissive providence with indifference:

22
 “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was
altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your
eyes.” (Ps 50:21 NKJ)

4.1.3. It may be directive: God directs the evil acts of men to ends unforeseen
and unintended by the agents. Sometimes when a person intends to do evil,
God orders its flow in one direction rather than in another, to accomplish His
ultimate and gracious purposes. This is sometimes called “overruling
providence.”
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in
order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Gen
50:20 NKJ)

Perhaps the ultimate example of God’s directive use of man’s evil deeds is
the crucifixion of Christ:

“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of

God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death”
(Acts 2:23 NKJ)

4.1.4. It may be limiting: God may set the bounds or limits reached by sin.

And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own
time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now
restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” (II Th 2:6-7 NKJ)

5. Providence and Human Agency:

“God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and
perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as
not in any wise to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will
and responsibility of intelligent creatures.”—Abstract of Principles

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 The Trinity
1. How Would You Teach the Doctrine of the Trinity to a Sixth Grader?

2. What Help Are Analogies in Explaining the Trinity?

2.1. The triple point of water
2.2. An egg
2.3. The Sun
2.4. One person with several relationships
2.5. 1 x 1 x 1=1

3. What Are the Distinctions Between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

3.1. The Persons of the Trinity Have Different Primary Functions in Relating to the
World: the economy of the Trinity
3.1.1. Different functions in creation.
3.1.2. Different functions in redemption
3.1.3. Different functions in eternity (1 Cor. 15:28)

3.2. The Persons of the Trinity Eternally Existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
3.2.1. The roles were not interchangeable in redemption.
3.2.2. The roles are eternal, not just in time or temporary.
3.2.3. There are no differences in deity, attributes, or essential nature of any of
the Persons of the Godhead. “The only distinction between the members of
the Trinity are in the ways they relate to each other and to the rest of
creation.” There is ontological equality but functional subordination.

3.3. What is the Relationship Between the Three Persons and the Being of God?
3.3.1. Each Person is completely and fully God. This means that God’s being is
not divided into three equal parts belonging to the three members of the
Trinity.
3.3.2. The personal distinctions in the Trinity are not something added onto
God’s real being. This means that each Person of the Trinity has all the
attributes of God, and no one Person has any attributes that are not possessed
by the Others.
3.3.3. The Persons within the Trinity are real, and not just different ways of
looking at the one being of God. This means that each Person relates to the
Others as and “I” (1st person), and a “you” (2nd person) and a “he” (3rd
person). “The only way it seems possible to do this is to say that the

24
 distinction between the Persons is not difference in “being” but a difference
in “relationships.”
3.3.4. There are three distinct Person, and the being of each Person is equal to
the whole being of God. It is a kind of existence far different from anything
we have experienced, and far different from anything else in the universe.

3.4. Can We Understand the Doctrine of the Trinity?

3.4.1. The Trinity is a mystery and we cannot comprehend it and make it
intelligible.
3.4.2. The doctrine of the Trinity can be formulated so to ward off error and
heresy.

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 Satan and Angels
1. The Existence of Angels

1.1. Definition of Angels: “Angels are created beings with moral judgment and high
intelligence but without physical bodies.” (Grudem: 1999, 168)

1.2. The Testimony of Scripture: Jesus affirms the reality of the angelic host:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven
their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 18: 10
ESV)

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven” (Mark 13:32 ESV)

1.3. Types of Angels: not clear if they are types of angels or distinct from angels.
1.3.1. Cherubim: guards or sentries (Gen 3:24 Garden of Eden; Eze 10:1-22
Throne of God)
1.3.2. Seraphim: only in Isa 6:2-7; continual worshippers
1.3.3. Living creatures: (Both Eze 1 and Rev 4); lion, ox, man, and eagle. They
also worship continually.

2. The Nature of Angels:

2.1. Created: they are not eternal; otherwise they would be deities.

“Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Let them praise the name
of the Lord…For He commanded and they were created. (Ps 148:2,5)

2.2. Spiritual: incorporeal beings, who evidently

“And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a
flame of fire.’” (Heb 1:7)

2.3. Power: They have intelligence, will, moral ability and responsibility.

2.4. Rank: evidently there is a hierarchal order to angels. Michael is called the
“archangel” (Jude 9) and “one of the chief princes” (Dan 10:13).

26
 2.5. Number:

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels” (Heb 12:22 NKJ)

3. The Activities of Angels:

3.1. Protection: (Ps 91:11)

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers
them.” (Ps 34:7)
3.2. Communication:

“And the angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and
I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.’” (Luke 1:19)

3.3. Ministering: (Angels took Lazarus Luke 16:22; Angel delivers Peter Acts 12:6-
11)

“And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke
22:43 ESV)

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will
inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14)

3.4. Observation: (1 Cor 11:10); “watchers” (Dan 4:13, 17, 23).

3.5. Execute Judgment: two angels sent to Sodom (Gen 19)

“And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and
killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and
when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.” (2 Ki
19:35 NKJ)

“Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory
to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23 NKJ)

3.6. Worship:

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 “Let all God's angels worship him.” (Heb 1:6 ESV)

“Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face,
with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and
said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’”
(Isa 6:2-3 NKJ)

4. The Fall of Angels: Lucifer rebelled against God, and it appears that a third of the
heavenly host joined him.

“Behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them
to the earth…..And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with
the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor
was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast
out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole
world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev
12:3-9 NKJ)

4.1. Timing of the Fall: the creation account of Genesis gives no details of the
creation of the Angels or their fall, but by Genesis 3 the serpent appears already
fallen.

4.2. Cause of the Fall: Pride and rebellion

4.3. The Transformation by the Fall: “Demons are fallen angels who sinned against
God and who now continually work evil in the world.” (Grudem: 1999, 174)

4.4. The Activities of Fallen Angels:

4.5. The Destiny of Fallen Angels:

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 Humanity
1. The Definition of Human Person: Humans are beings created by God in his image.

2. The Image of God:

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So
God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them. (Gen 1:26-27 NKJ)

The Creation account of Genesis one states that humans are created in the imago Dei,
“the image of God,” but the text does not explicitly say what is meant by that
expression. The three major theories:

2.1. The Substantive View:

2.1.1. Refers to our physical or bodily makeup? Adherents: tselm “image”
could be translated “statue” or “form.” This way Gen 1:26 means “Let’s
make men who look like us.” According to Irenaeus, Christ was the
Archtype, or model, for Adam. demuth “likeness”- Refers to ability to be
God-like. Likeness is understood to be the free will to choose righteousness.
Mormons interpret Gen. 1:26-27 literally and conclude that God has a body.

2.1.2. Refers to some Psychological or Spiritual Quality? Candidates:

2.1.2.1. Soul—“For although God’s glory shines forth in the outer man, yet
there is no doubt that the proper seat of his image is in the soul.”—
Calvin Institutes 1.15.3.
2.1.2.2. Reason—favorite candidate during Enlightenment. We are called
Homo Sapiens—“thinking beings.”

2.2. The Relational View: In the substantive view, the image of God is located
within man. Many modern theologians see the image of God as the experiencing
of a relationship.
2.2.1. The Image is a matter of one’s relationship to God. It is something man
experiences. This view is generally associated with neoorthodoxy. (Emil
Brunner, Karl Barth)
2.2.2. Problem with this view: it seems to imply that the image of God is not
present in fallen man. Would this mean that fallen man is somehow less

29
 than human? But the Bible indicates that the image of God is universal.
Therefore it is present in sinful man.

“Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God
he made man.” (Gen 9:6 NKJ)

“With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who
have been made in the likeness of God;” (James 3:9 NAS)

2.3. The Functional View: Image is not located in man, or in his relationship with
God, but rather the image consists in something man does. Our rulership “let
him have dominion” is the essence of the divine image. We are like Him in our
lordship over creation.

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them,
‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish
of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.’” (Gen 1:27-28 NKJ)

“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit
him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have
crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the
works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet,” (Ps 8:4-6 NKJ)

3. Male and Female: (Hammett: 2014, 321-25) Provide for three things:

3.1. For the Propagation of Humanity:

3.2. For Mutually Enriching Relationships:

3.3. To Fulfill Different Roles:

4. The Human Constitution: (Erickson: 2001, 179-84): Modern theories generally are
materialistic and reductionistic. The Bible teaches we have material and spiritual
components—body, soul, and spirit. The difficulty is that the Bible often uses the
terms interchangeably.

4.1. The Trichotomist View: Generally Eastern Church (Origen and Clement of
Alexandria)

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 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may
your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thes 5:23 NKJ)

4.2. The Dichotomist View: Generally Western Church (Augustine and Anselm)

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear
Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28 NKJ)

4.3. The Monistic View: (Erickson: 2001, 182-83) To be human is to be or have a

body. Body and soul are not contrasting terms, but interchangeable synonyms.
Predominant among neo-orthodoxy in reaction against the dualism of liberalism.
Entails no intermediate state, which contradicts:

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43 NKJ)

4.4. The Conditional Unity View: (Erickson: 2001, 183-85)

4.4.1. The Bible presents a holistic picture of the human individual: In the Old
Testament, there is a clear emphasis on the whole person as a unity. The
New Testament employs body-soul terminology, but not in such a way that
the two terms can be clearly correlated with the material and immaterial
components of our being. Salt does not exhibit the characteristics of the
elements from which it is made (chlorine and sodium), but it is possible to
break down the compound. The human constitution is similar. It is not easy
to distinguish between the physical and the spiritual, but humans have a
compound structure.

4.4.2. There are passages that teach that the immaterial aspect of the human
person can be separated from the material part. The Bible teaches that the
spiritual component of the person survives physical death. (Luke 16; Phil.
1:20-21; 2 Cor. 5:1-10)

4.4.3. The emphasis of Scripture is not upon the immortality of the soul, but the
resurrection of the body. The disembodied state is clearly abnormal (2 Cor.
5:2-4). We are not intended to spend eternity as disembodied souls, but
glorified humans.

5. The Purpose and Role of Humanity:

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5.1. To glorify God: God created freely and not of necessity, but for his glory.

5.2. To steward God’s creation: we are to serve him and will give an account.

5.3. To advance God’s kingdom: in this age and the next.

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 Sin
No time has provided more ample evidence for the existence of sin than the
modern era, but never has the doctrine of sin been resisted more than now. Society is
convinced of the relative nature of right and wrong, while some try to reinterpret sin
through the lens of genetic science and evolutionary theory. Regardless of humanity’s
attitude toward sin, the Scriptures take the matter very seriously.

1. The Origin of Sin: (Hammett, 143-48) The biblical witness does not allow for the
opinions that sin originated with God or with some eternally existing evil force.

1.1. The Fall of Lucifer:

1.1.1. The Bible gives very little information on the fall of Satan and his angels.
He arrives with no backstory in Gen 3:1-5, but he clearly had fallen by that
time.
1.1.2. It is important to remember that Adam joined a rebellion already
underway.

1.2. The Fall of Original Couple:

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD
God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not
eat of every tree of the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may
eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it,
lest you die.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For
God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Gen 3:1-5 NKJ)

Three arguments for a historic understanding:

1.2.1. The Bible itself seems to present the event as a historic event. Gen. 4
connects Adam with the stream of history.

1.2.2. The Bible claims that Creation was originally good, but now
something is terribly wrong. Clearly humans today are sinful. We emerge
from the womb fully equipped to rebel against God as soon as we are
capable of moral action.

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 1.2.3. The New Testament connects Adam and Christ: (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor
15:22)

1.2.4. The Church has affirmed the historicity of the Fall throughout its
history. Tradition by itself proves nothing, but neither should it be casually
dismissed. So we affirm that Gen. 3 relates the occurrence of a fall that
occurred in time.

2. The Consequences of Sin:

2.1. Guilt (v. 7):

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”
(Gen 3:7 NKJ)

Some (Augustine, for example) have drawn the implication from this verse that
sexuality is somehow inherently sinful and dirty, but Gen. 2:25 indicates
otherwise.

2.2. Distortion of relationships (vv. 8-19): Instead of walking with God, they now
try to hide from Him. Recriminations follow. The Lord declares that Eve will
attempt to overturn His order for marriage and Adam will become an oppressor
and dictator.

2.3. Knowledge of good and evil (v. 22): Unfortunately, they now knew evil as
participants. Their eating the forbidden fruit indeed opened their eyes, but it
didn’t make them to be like God. Rather, the opposite happened. Adam and Eve
were like the man who jumped out of a plane without a parachute: he
experientially understood the law of gravity, but could do nothing about it.

2.4. Corruption (Ps. 51:1-4; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:12; Rom. 7:18; Eph. 2:3)

2.5. Death (vv. 22-24): Gen. 2:17 implies that death would be immediate, but Adam
and Eve physically lived for many more years. That day they died spiritually in
that their capacity for a relationship with God died.

3. The Nature of Sin: Virtually every religion has a conception of sin. For the Hindu,
sin is ignorance of the fact that this material world is an illusion, and the cure is
enlightenment. For the Buddhist, sin is desire. The cure is to train one’s soul through

34
 meditation to desire nothing. For any number of oriental religions, sin is a violation
of harmony with nature. For the Muslim, sin is any lack of external conformity to the
law of Allah. What is sin for a Christian? There are a great number of terms for sin
in the Bible, but we will focus on the main three: sin, iniquity, and transgression.“

“And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the
children's children to the third and the fourth generation.’” (Exod 34:6-7 NKJ)

3.1. Sin: “to miss the mark” General term used in the Bible.

3.2. Iniquity: twisted and disfigured. Deviates from the norm. Not in a right
relationship.

3.3. Transgression: to cross a forbidden line; to rebel. May be the strongest word, for
it indicates the breaking of a pact or betrayal.

4. The Imputation of Sin

“O Adam, what have you done? For though it was you who sinned, this fall was not
your alone, but ours also who are your descendants. For what good is it to us, if an
eternal age has been promised to us, but we have done deeds that bring death?” (4
Ezra 7:118)

4.1. Pelagian: Every human soul is immediately created in a state of innocence, free
from depravity. Adam’s sin is an evil example. Death is not a consequence of
sin, but is the natural outcome of mortal life. Man is a sinner because he sins, not
because he is born sinful. What god requires us to do—lead holy lives—we must
be able to do. Socinians and Unitarians hold this view. Pelagianism was
condemned at the Synod of Carthage (418) and at the Council of Ephesus (431).

4.2. Augustinian: Augustine believed that Adam transmitted sin to his progeny by
means of natural generation. The entire human race existed seminally in Adam.
We received both Adam’s corruption and Adam’s guilt. Humanity is born
damed.

4.3. Federal: Adam was appointed head of the human race by God. God entered
into covenant with Adam, agreeing to give eternal life on condition of obedience.

35
 The race is condemned on the basis of Adam’s sin. Turretin (1623-87) held this
view.

4.4. New England School: All men are born with a physical and moral constitution
that predisposes them to sin. All do sin when they arrive at moral consciousness.
The original predisposition may be called sin since it inevitably eventuates in sin,
but only voluntary acts are actually sin. So, God imputes to men only their own
acts of rebellion. A reaction to Puritan anthropology, New School theology is
represented by Timothy Dwight.

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 Original Sin and the Destiny of Infants Who Die
5. The Imputation of Sin and the Death of Infants: Three possibilities:

5.1. All infants are lost. This is the position of Roman Catholicism

5.2. Only elect infants are saved. This is the position of some Reformed
theologians.

5.3. All infants are saved. The majority position among evangelicals and Baptists.

6. A theological argument that all infants who die are saved: (Erickson:1998, 654-
56.

6.1. Infants are in a state of sin and require regeneration. (Job. 14:14; Ps. 51:5;
Rom. 5:14; Eph. 2:3)

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”
(Ps. 51:5 NKJ)

6.2. Infants possess relative innocence. (Jonah 4:11; Rom. 9:11; Matt. 18:3-4)

“Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who
today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will
give it, and they shall possess it.” (Deut 1:39 NKJ)

Even with the Hebrew idea of corporate personality and corporate responsibility,
these children were not held responsible for the sins of Israel. In the messianic
prophecy in Isa. 7, there are two references to the time when the boy, “knows
enough to reject the wrong and choose the right” (vv. 15-16).

6.3. Infants are the special objects of divine grace. (Matt. 18:5-6,10,14; Matt.
19:14). Our Lord held up little children as examples of the type of person who
will inherit the kingdom of God.

“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles
himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” (Matt 18:3-5 NKJ)

37
 “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for
of such is the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matt 19:14 NKJ)

6.4. There is evidence for the salvation of infants (Deut. 1:39; 2 Sam. 12:23)

“But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go
to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Sam 12:23 NKJ)

7. Conclusion: Infants who die have not reached the age of accountability.
7.1. Erickson makes an argument for the age of accountability based on Paul’s
parallelism of Adam and Christ in Rom. 5:12-21.

7.2. He concludes: “The current form of my understanding is as follows: We all were

involved in Adam’s sin, and thus receive both the corrupted nature that was his
after the fall, and the guilt and condemnation that attach to his sin. With this
matter of guilt, however, just as with the imputation of Christ’s righteousness,
there must be some conscious and voluntary decision on our part. Until this is
the case, there is only a conditional imputation of guilt. Thus, there is no
condemnation until one reaches the age of responsibility. If a child dies before
becoming capable of making genuine moral decisions, the contingent imputation
of Adamic sin does not become actual, and the child will experience the same
type of future existence with the Lord as will those who have reached the age of
moral responsibility and had their sin’s forgiven as a result of accepting the offer
of salvation based upon Christ’s atoning death. The problem of the corrupted
nature of such persons is presumably dealt with in the way that the imperfectly
sanctified nature of believers will be glorified.”—Erickson:1998, 656.

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 Jesus Christ—His Person
“
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
(John 1:1-4 NKJ)

1. The Two Natures of Jesus of Nazareth: genuinely, fully, and truly divine;
genuinely, fully and truly human. Three things must be affirmed:

1.1. The reality of His two natures: genuinely and truly divine; genuinely and truly
human.

1.2. The integrity of His two natures: fully divine and fully human. Not lacking in
any way of what it means to be God and man.

1.3. The unmingled union of His two natures: Jesus was not a hybrid or a strange
mutant.

2. The Great Christological Controversies: the theological history of the early Church
is a story of having to deal with a series of Christological misfires. But their struggles
help to formulate our understanding of the Person of Christ.

The difference between orthodox and heretical motives: salvation vs. speculation.

"The spiritual contrast between these variant views and what we now call
orthodoxy lay first of all in the goal which each sought to accomplish: the radical
positions had in common a desire to understand the mystery of God; the orthodox
sought to preserve the salvation Christians find in Christ."—Harold O. J. Brown,
Heresies, 150

2.1. Gnosticism:
2.1.1. Denied the actual humanity of Christ. Docetic: denied the actual
humanity of Christ. He only appeared to be human. Denied that the God of
the OT was the Father of Jesus.
2.1.2. Proponents: Cerinthus, Valentinus, Marcion: Marked contrast between
malevolent God of the Jews and the good ultimate Father.
2.1.3. Opponents: Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian, and Irenaeus.

2.2. Modalism:

39
 2.2.1. Denied that the three Persons of the Trinity are distinct Persons. The
three Persons are three ways or modes of how God deals with us.
Patripassianism.
2.2.2. Proponents: Sabellius, “Oneness-Pentecosts”
2.2.3. Opponents: Tertullian
2.3. Arianism:
2.3.1. Denied the deity of Christ. Jesus was the highest of all created beings.
“There was a time when the Son was not.”
2.3.2. Proponents: Arius; Jehovah’s Witnesses
2.3.3. Opponents: Council of Nicaea (325 AD); Athanasius

2.4. Apollinarianism:
2.4.1. Denied that Jesus possessed a human spirit or soul. The material
aspects of Christ were human; the immaterial aspects were divine. A
“cyborg Christ.”
2.4.2. Proponents: Apollinarius—staunchly anti-Arian.
2.4.3. Opponents: Council of Constantinople (381 AD); the Cappadocian
Fathers

2.5. Nestorianism:
2.5.1. Denied the unity of Christ. Jesus didn’t just have two natures; in effect
he was two persons.
2.5.2. Proponents: Nestorius? Also staunchly anti-Arian.
2.5.3. Opponents: Council of Ephesus (431 AD)

2.6. Eutychianism:
2.6.1. Denied the distinction of the two natures of Christ. Jesus was a hybrid,
a “tertium quid”. Monophysite—“one nature”
2.6.2. Proponent: Eutychus.
2.6.3. Opponents: Council at Chalcedon (451 AD)

3. The Chalcedonian Formulation: Jesus Christ is one Person with two natures.

“Following the holy Fathers, we all with one voice confess our Lord Jesus Christ to be
one and the same Son, perfect in divinity and humanity, truly God and truly human,
consisting of a rational soul and a body, being of one substance with the Father in relation
to his divinity, and being of one substance with us in relation to his humanity, and is like
us in all things apart from sin (Hebrews 4:15). He was begotten of the Father before time
in relation to his divinity, and in these recent days, was born from the Virgin Mary, the
Theotokos, for us and for our salvation. In relation to the humanity, he is one and the

40
same Christ, the Son, the Lord, the Only-begotten, who is to be acknowledged in two
natures, without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation.
This distinction of natures is in no way abolished on account of this union, but rather the
characteristic property of each nature is preserved, and concurring into one Person and
one subsistence, not as if Christ were parted or divided into two persons, for he remains
one and the same Son and only-begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus Christ; even as the
Prophets from the beginning spoke concerning him, and our Lord Jesus Christ instructed
us, and the Creed of the Fathers was handed down to us.”

41
 Jesus Christ—His Work Part 1
1. The Hypostatic Union of Jesus of Nazareth: “Hypo”—“under” “stasis”—“to
stand” i.e. “foundational essence. Jesus is not part God and part man, but the God-
man. [Emily, please include illustration below]

God God-Man
Man

Cur Deus Homo? (Why Did God Become Man?) by Anselm (d. 1109)

1.1. The Necessity of His Deity: Only God can satisfy God. If Jesus were merely a
creature, then he demonstrated salvation by works. If Christ is divine, then he
demonstrates that salvation is entirely by grace.

1 Tim 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus” (NIV)

1.2. The Necessity of His Humanity: The Son of God had to assume genuine
humanity in order to be our genuine and complete substitute. Jesus is our
righteousness.

Rom. 5:19 “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were
made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be
made righteous.” (NIV)

2. The Virgin Birth of Jesus of Nazareth: (1) Dale Moody points out that what we are
really talking about is the virgin conception of Christ. He contends that this should be
the emphasis of Protestants to differentiate the biblical doctrine of the virgin birth
from the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception and the perpetual virginity of
Mary. (2) The virgin conception of Christ is a classic example of how it is impossible
to separate the historical events of the Bible from their theological meaning. (3) For
this reason, the virgin birth as been used as a litmus test during the controversy over
the inerrancy of Scripture.

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2.1. The Historical Significance of the Virgin Birth:

2.1.1 The virgin conception of Christ demonstrated that He is the Messiah

predicted by the Old Testament.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isa 7: 14
NKJ)

2.1.2 The virgin conception of Christ is affirmed by the New Testament (Matt.
1:16-25; Luke 1:26-28; possibly Gal. 4:4). Approaches to its historicity:
2.1.2.1 Mythological Approach: The birth narratives are denied, but their
theological truth or meaning should be retained (Strauss, Bultmann).
Reasons for rejecting the virgin birth (Garrett, 1990:589): (1) The
accounts are borrowed from parallel pagan stories. There were
many stories of pagan gods mating with human women and producing
offspring. However, despite the efforts of some, no true parallel in any
other religion of a virgin birth has been found. (2) The story was
invented to hide Jesus’ illegitimate birth. This accusation is made in
the Talmud (2nd century), repeated by Celsus, and is now advocated by
radical feminist theologians such as Mary Daly and Jane Schaberg.
2.1.2.2 Neo-orthodox Approach: The accounts are theologically true and
valuable, but historically non-verifiable. All we can know for sure is
that the early church believed the virgin birth (Barth).
2.1.2.3 Traditional and Evangelical Approach: “We might simply stop at this
point and assert that since the Bible affirms the virgin birth not once
but twice, that is sufficient proof. Since we believe that the Bible is
inspired and authoritative, Matthew 1 and Luke 1 convince us that the
virgin birth is fact.” (Erickson: 1998, 760) Evangelicals contend that
the accounts of the virgin birth withstand the normal scrutiny of the
historical method.

2.2 The Theological Significance of the Virgin Birth:

2.2.1 The virgin conception of Christ was the means of His incarnation. The
virgin birth is the way that God sent His Son to earth to bear our sins.
There are other ways that Christ could have came but none of them would
have so effectively wed His humanity and His deity.

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 2.2.2 The virgin conception of Christ signified that though He is fully human,
He is a unique human. Jesus is the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), and as such
is a new beginning for the human race.
2.2.3 The virgin conception of Christ signifies that He is uniquely holy.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;
therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of
God.” (NKJ)

2.2.4 The virgin conception of Christ is the means by which He was spared the
taint of original sin. This point is also controversial. Some contend that
this was not a function of the virgin birth. Erickson (1998:773) and Ryrie
(1999:242) point out that the Bible never explicitly states that this was the
purpose for the virgin birth. Some contend that it was essential that Jesus
be born of a virgin. Theologians such as Orr (1907:1-29), Conner
(1936:159) and Grudem (1999:230) contend that in some way the
transmission of original sin occurs through the father.

3. The Sinless Life of Jesus of Nazareth:

3.1. The Reality of His Temptation:

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who
are being tempted.”(Heb 2:18 NIV)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--
yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb
4:15-16 NIV)

3.1.1. His temptations were real (Matt. 26:36-46). We must be careful to not
think of Jesus as if His incarnation were the equivalent of Superman
pretending to be Clark Kent.
3.1.2. His temptations did not require Him to possess a sin nature (contra Barth).

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God
did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,” (Rom 8: 3 NKJ)

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 3.1.3. Jesus never succumbed to temptation (1 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Heb.
7:26).

3.2. The Accomplishment of His Temptation: Where Adam and Eve failed; Jesus
was faithful.

Genesis 3:6 Luke 4:1-13 1 John 2:16

Tree Good Turn Stones Lust Of

For Food In Bread The Flesh

Pleasant To Kingdoms Of Lust Of

The Eyes The World The Eyes

Desired To Cast Yourself Pride of Life

Make One Wise Down

3.3. The Extent of His Temptation: Peccability vs. Impeccability. According to

House, the issue is whether Christ was “able not to sin” or “not able to sin.”
(House: 1992, 62).

3.3.1. Some argue for impeccability (“Christ could not sin”). Temptability does
not imply susceptibility. Just because an army can be attacked does not
mean that it can be conquered. The human nature of Christ is never been
separate from His divine nature, which cannot be tempted, much less
actually sin.

3.3.2. Some argue for peccability (“Christ could sin”). In order for the
temptation to be real, the susceptibility to temptation must be real.
Arguments for impeccability are implicitly docetic. There are many things
that Christ can do in His humanity that He cannot do as God (for example,
His dying on the cross).

3.3.3. Perhaps a mediating position is best (“Christ would not sin”).

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 Jesus Christ—His Work Part 2
1. The Death of Jesus of Nazareth: six theories of the Atonement

1.1. The Ransom Theory: A ransom was paid to Satan who demanded Christ’s
blood. (Ransom determined by, paid to and accepted by Satan). Many early
Church Fathers.

1.2. The Commercial Theory: Anselm (1033-1109) totally objective/transactional.

1.3. The Moral Influence Theory: Peter Abelard (1079-1142) Completely

subjective. Atonement is a demonstration of God’s love for us that inspires a
response of love from us.

1.4. The Example Theory: Faustus and Laelius Socinus (16th century) (modern
Unitarians). Jesus’ love for God is the example we are to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
“Whereas the moral influence theory says that
Christ’s death teaches us how much God loves us, the example theory says that
Christ’s death teaches us how we should live.”—Grudem, 582. Jesus’ death does
not provide atonement, because none is necessary.

1.5. The Governmental Theory: Christ did not pay for our sins, but died for us.
Instead of requiring the Law be satisfied, God as Sovereign set aside the Law and
accepted the death of His Son instead. Jesus’ death obtained a general amnesty.

1.6. The Penal Substitution Theory: Christ, by offering Himself as a sacrifice, by

substituting Himself for us, and actually bearing the punishment which should
have been ours, satisfied the Father and effected a reconciliation between God
and man. Major descriptions of the nature of the atonement:

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also
for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 NKJ)

1.6.1. Sacrifice: propitiation is the essence of the purpose of sacrifice in the Old
Testament.
1.6.2. Substitution: “In what respect was Christ our substitute? What does He
bear that is ours except our sin?”—Akin
1.6.3. Reconciliation: (Rom. 5:10) This is possible because the wrath of God
was vented against Christ.
1.6.4. Justification: Man’s penalty was legally executed at the Cross.

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2. The Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth: this is THE message of the NT.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But
now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep.” (1 Cor 15:19-20 NKJ)

There are at least 18 lines of evidence for the historicity of the Resurrection:

2.1. The failure of naturalistic theories to explain away the event

2.2. The birth and continuance of Christianity with the central message of the
resurrection
2.3. The change from Sabbath to Lord’s Day for day of worship
2.4. The accepted testimony of women, despite the attitudes toward women in
the 1st century
2.5. The radical change in the disciples
2.6. The moral character of the witnesses
2.7. The empty tomb/no body
2.8. The numerous and various appearances
2.9. The impossible nature of mass hallucination
2.10. The appearances cease after 40 days
2.11. The 50-day interval between the resurrection and Pentecost
2.12. The multitude of fulfilled OT prophecies
2.13. The Jewish leaders could not disprove the message
2.14. The conversion of two skeptics: James and Paul
2.15. The accepted character and claims of Jesus
2.16. The articles left in the empty tomb
2.17. The unexpected nature of the resurrection
2.18. The reliable eyewitness documents recording the facts (the NT)

Were it not for the supernatural nature of the event, no historian would question the
reality of Jesus’ resurrection.

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 The Atonement
Its Nature and Extent

1. The Nature of the Atonement: Penal Substitution as Propitiation

1.1. Proponents: Calvin, Hodge, Morris, Stott and most Evangelicals
1.2. Description: “Christ, by offering Himself as a sacrifice, by substituting Himself
for us, and actually bearing the punishment which should have been ours,
satisfied the Father and effected a reconciliation between God and man.
1.2.1. Objective
1.2.2. Vicarious (substitutionary)
1.2.3. Satisfaction (propitiation)
1.3. Substantiation:
1.3.1. The lexical argument: propitiation vs. expiation: hilaskomai word group
(hilasmos—“mercy seat, covering”) related to Hebrew kipper.

Rom 3:25 “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through
faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God
had passed over the sins that were previously committed,” (NKJ)

Heb 2:17 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren,
that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to
God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (NKJ)

1 Jn 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the whole world.” (NKJ)

1 Jn 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (NKJ)

1.3.1.1. Expiation: (C. H. Dodd) To be cleansed, forgiven. In this view,

hilaskomai refers to man.
1.3.1.2. Propitiation: (Leon Morris, John Stott) To be satisfied, appeased.
In this view, hilaskomai refers to God.

1.3.2. Biblical argument: Explicitly taught in every body of New Testament

literature:

Matthew/Mark

Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (NKJ)

Peter

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 1 Pet 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-- by whose
stripes you were healed.” (NKJ)

Luke/Acts

Acts 20:28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock,
among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the
church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (NKJ)

John

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
(NKJ)

Paul

2 Cor 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (NKJ)

Gal 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having
become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who
hangs on a tree"),” (NKJ)

2. Extent of the Atonement

“Although Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world and is
offered…without distinction to all men, yet not all receive him.”—John Calvin
Commentary on Romans, 211.

2.1. The Argument for Limited Atonement: “Christ died for a limited group, all of
whom are saved.” (Hammett, 50)
2.1.1. The Scriptural Argument: The Scriptures repeatedly designate a limited
number of people for whom Jesus died: “His sheep” Jn 10:11, 15; “His
Church” Acts 20:28; “His people” Matt 1:21; “the elect” Rom. 8:32-35;
“the many” Matt. 20:28. (The implication: those not included in these
groups are not those for whom He died).

Matt 20:28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many." (NKJ)

2.1.2. The Historical Argument:

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 2.1.2.1. Numerous Baptists (often called Particular Baptists) have held to a
limited view: John Bunyan and Charles Spurgeon.
2.1.2.2. Several notable Evangelicals hold to it today: J.I. Packer and R.C.
Spoul.
2.1.3. The Theological Argument: (Garrett 2, 64; Grudem, 595-96)
2.1.3.1. If unlimited, then a great deal of Christ’s work was wasted.
2.1.3.2. Priestly Christ’s intercession is limited, therefore so is the
atonement.

John 17:9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom
You have given Me, for they are Yours. (NKJ)

2.1.3.3. Unlimited atonement leads to universalism.

2.1.3.4. Unlimited atonement cannot be reconciled with God’s sovereignty.
2.1.3.5. Double Jeopardy: If Christ died for some who dies lost, then their
sins have been paid for twice.

2.2. The Case for Unlimited Atonement: “Christ died for all, but only those who
respond in faith are saved.” (Hammett, 50)
2.2.1. The Scriptural Argument:
2.2.1.1. The passages that speak of a universal provision:

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (NKJ)

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.” (NKJ)

John 4:42 “This is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (NKJ)

1 Jn 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the whole world.” (NKJ) (Note: instead of “world”
referring to the elect, the Bible distinguishes the elect from the world).

I Jn 4:14 “The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” (NKJ)

2 Cor 5:19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation.” (NKJ)

1 Tim 2:5-6 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all,”(NKJ)

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 1 Tim 4:10 “we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men,
especially of those who believe.” (NKJ)

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men” (NKJ)

Heb 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,
for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the
grace of God, might taste death for every man.” (NKJ)

2.2.1.2. The passages that refers to subsets of believers: (This is a more

natural way to reconciled)
2.2.1.2.1. The Church:

Eph 5:25 “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (NKJ)

2.2.1.2.2. Israel:

Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one,
to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
(NKJ)

2.2.1.2.3. Paul:

Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (NKJ)

2.2.1.3. The passages that distinguish between those for whom Christ died
and those who are saved:

2 Pet 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as
there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring
on themselves swift destruction.” (NKJ)

2.2.2. The Historical Argument:

2.2.2.1. Unlimited was the universal position of the early Fathers.

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 2.2.2.2. Unlimited is not just an Arminian position but also the Moderate
Calvinist (Ex. Isaac Watts, Richard Baxter). Nor are the Arminian and
Mod. Calvinist views on the same.

2.2.3. The Theological Argument:

2.2.3.1. The necessity of faith demonstrates the provisional aspect of the
atonement.
2.2.3.2. The Cross is the basis for the condemnation of the rejecting
unbeliever. (John 3:18)
2.2.3.3. The doctrine of common grace implies a universal benefit to the
atonement.
2.2.3.4. Does God love all men or does He not? (John 3:16) The issue is
not whether God has a special love for His elect (He does), but whether
He has any love at all for the entire world. “Would we attempt to
restrict any other perfections of God to the elect only?” (Lightner, 113)
2.2.3.5. According to the limited view, non-elect sinners cannot be
condemned for rejecting Christ, because He did not die for them. “Men
cannot reject what does not even exist.”
2.2.3.6. According to the limited view, there is no “well meant offer” of the
Gospel. (This is freely acknowledged by Hyper-Calvinists such as
David Englesma) “To us, no maxim appears more certain than that a
salvation offered implies a salvation provided” (James Richards, a
Calvinist. Quoted in Lightner, 114)

2.2.4. Summary:

2.2.4.1. Summary of Scriptural Arguments:

2.2.4.1.1. The limited view must reject what appears to be the clear
meaning of such words as “all” and “world.”
2.2.4.1.2. It is hermeneutically easier to reconcile the limited verses
with the unlimited and not vice versa.

2.2.4.2. Summary of Historical Arguments:

2.2.4.2.1. Many Calvinists hold that this position is more consistent
with Calvin himself.
2.2.4.2.2. Many Calvinists have embraced an unlimited view.
(Example: Donald Bloesch, Millard Erickson, Bruce Demarest)

2.2.4.3. Summary of Theological Arguments:

2.2.4.3.1. The Purpose of the Atonement. The issue at hand is not so
much the extent but the intent of the atonement.
2.2.4.3.2. Both sides agree that not all are saved.
2.2.4.3.3. Both sides agree that the atonement is sufficient for all, but
efficient only for those who believe.

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 2.2.4.3.4. “A free offer of the gospel can rightly be made to every
person ever born.” (Grudem, 597) The offer is “completely true”
and “extended in good faith.”
2.2.4.3.5. The Place of Personal Faith. “If it be acknowledged that
God’s design in the death of His Son was to provide redemption
for all, conditioned upon the reception of it by individual faith, the
problems vanish. This we believe to be the clear and consistent
testimony of Scripture.” (Lightner, 104)

John 1:1-18

Introduction: Leon Morris was asked by a rancher in the Australian Outback: “In the
beginning was the Word—what could that mean?” Morris: “If he was going to have just
one biblical passage he could not understand, I think he chose well.” (Morris: 1991)

1. Background of Logos (from Akin and Morris)

1.1. Palestinian Judaism: Wisdom is often personified in the Targums. Rabbi's would
use the word memra of as a periphrasis for God. Thus Logos is the wisdom or
thought of God.

1.2. Greek philosophy: Logos referred to the thought behind the word. "This was the
word that was not spoken or written,. It was the word that remained in the mind.

53
 It usually stood for reason." (Morris, ibid.) Logos also referred to that which lay
beyond man. The Greeks looked out at the universe, and they saw order. They
saw the Logos as the reasoning principle, the ordering principle, that brought
rationality to the universe.

1.3. Hellenistic Judaism: Logos the word is fully personified in relation to creation,
being the means whereby God creates the world. (Prominent in Philo—the term
appears over 1300 times). The Logos is the way in which God is known in the
mind. Again, however, the Logos is not personal or pre existent.

1.4. The Old Testament: the "Word of God" in the Old Testament denotes God in
action.
1.4.1. The agent of creation (Gen 1; Ps 33:6; Prov. 8:22)

Ps 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host
of them by the breath of His mouth.” (NKJ)

1.4.2. The agent of revelation (Gen 12:1, 15:1, 22:11, Prov 8; Is. 9:8; Jer. 1:4;
Ez. 33:7; Amos 3:1,8)

Gen 15:1 “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a
vision,…” (NKJ)

1.4.3. The agent of redemption (Ps 107:20)

Ps 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from
their destructions.” (NKJ)

2. Exposition:
“1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.” (NKJB)

2.1. The Nature of the Word (1:1-5)

2.1.1. his divine in His person. (1) Three aspects of His nature:

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 2.1.1.1. Pre-existence: “In the beginning was the Word” “en” imperfect
denoting “no idea of origin” but “simply continuous existence.”
(Robertson: 3)
2.1.1.1.1. Coequal
2.1.1.1.2. Coeternal
2.1.1.1.3. Coexistent
2.1.1.1.4. Consubstantial

2.1.1.2. Distinctiveness: “and the Word was with God”

2.1.1.2.1. “with”—“pros” Preposition that indicates equality and
distinction. With the accusative the literal idea is “face to face
with God.” (Robertson: Word Pictures, 4) Example: 1 Cor 13:12
“prosopon pros prosopon”—“face to face”
2.1.1.2.2. Disallows any type of modalism.

2.1.1.3. Deity: “and the Word was God”—“theos en ho logos”

2.1.1.3.1. Not “the Word was divine.” (Moffett) That is, mere
qualities of ‘God-ness.’ “This will not do. There is a perfectly
serviceable word in Greek for ‘divine’ (namely theios).”
2.1.1.3.2. Not “the Word was a God”
2.1.1.3.2.1. The lack of the article in the predicate is so the
subject can be distinguished. If it were not for the definite
article before logos, the subject of the phrase would be
indeterminate.
2.1.1.3.2.2. To translate it “a god” in the rest of the chapter
where the word is “anarthrous” (i.e. lacks the article) would
be silly: see 1:6, 12, 13, 18.

2.1.2. He is divine in His relation. (2) “He was in the beginning with God”

2.1.2.1. Temporal relation:“in the beginning” When the beginning began,

Christ was already with the Father.
2.1.2.2. Positional relation: “with God.” They are distinct, but with no
disharmony.

2.1.3. He is divine in His creation. (3) A Jew would understand only God as
Creator. To emphasize the point, its stated:

2.1.3.1. Positively: All things were made through Him

2.1.3.2. Negatively: and without Him nothing was made that was made

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 2.1.4. He is divine in His manifestation. (4-5) Carson calls these verses a
masterpiece of ambiguity (Carson: 1991). Meant to refer to both His work
in creation and salvation.

2.1.4.1. He is life. (4) “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
2.1.4.2. He is light. (5) “And the light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not comprehend it”

2.2. The Incarnation of the Word (14) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth.”

2.2.1. The senfleshment: “became flesh”—“sarx”

2.2.1.1. Not just “man,” but flesh.

2.2.1.2. Not just robed in flesh, but incarnated.

2.2.2. The dwelling: “and dwelt among us”—“eskenosen” “pitched his tent” or
“tabernacled among us.”

2.2.3. The glory: “and we beheld His glory” Like when the shekinah glory cloud
would rest upon the Tabernacle in the Wilderness.

2.3. The Revelation of the Word (18) “No one has seen God at any time. The only
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him”

2.3.1. His uniqueness: “The only begotten Son”—“monogenes” “only born”

rather than “only begotten”—reference to the Logos rather than the
Incarnation (Robertson, Carson)

2.3.1.1. “One of a kind” or “unique” or “without precedent.”

2.3.1.2. Textual question: some manuscripts “the only begotten God.”

2.3.2. His declaration: “He has declared Him” “He has explained Him”
(NASB) “has made him known” (NIV)

2.3.2.1. “exegesato”—get our word exegete.

2.3.2.2. Jesus is the declaration and explanation of God.

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 Colossians 1-2
(Cosmic Christology)

Introduction:
1. The Importance of Colossians 1-2:
1.1. The foundation of the argument of the letter is found in 2:9-10. Truth has its
source in Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate of God’s revelation because “in Him the
whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (2:9) This is a clear statement of the full
deity of the Lord Jesus.
1.2. Christianity makes claims about its leader that no other religion makes. The
Person and the Work of Christ (i.e. Christology) is central.
1.3. It is central not only to theology, but it is central to the day-to-day lives of the
New Testament Christians.

2. The Nature of Colossians 1-2: Col. 1:15-20 is probably an early Christian hymn.
Rhythmical prose with a strophic arrangement can be discerned. (Bruce: 1984, 100)
2.1. The Church held a high Christology from its earliest days.
2.2. This high Christology was universally received. Churches sing about that which
they agree.
2.3. This high Christology predates Paul and is not simply his invention.

3. The Background of Colossians 1-2:

3.1. Colossians was struggling with syncretism: mixture of Hellenism, Paganism, and
Judaism.
3.2. Result was an incipient gnosticism with a Jewish influence. A dualistic view of
the universe (material vs. spiritual) leading to the opposite extremes of asceticism
an antinomianism.
3.3. Contemporary denials of either His divinity or manhood are simply recurrences
of old heresies.

4. The Focus of Colossians: Paul’s solution is to their problems is to remind them of the
preeminence of Christ. It is not enough to give Him prominence, He must have the
preeminence.

Christ is the Lord of the Cross 1:13-14

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom

of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the

forgiveness of sins.”

Delivered from Darkness

1.1. Transferred into His Kingdom
1.2. Redemption by Blood
1.3. Forgiveness of Sins

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Christ is the Lord of Communication 1:15 (the key verse)
“He is the image of the invisible God”

1.4. Key Term: “Image”—“eikon” “likeness, representation, image, form,

manifestation and reflection.” From which we get our word icon.
1.5. Meaning: relative term in which the degree of likeness must be inferred from
the context. Used 23 times in NT, but only twice with reference to Jesus.
1.5.1. Example of non-exact representation: Rom. 1:23 for idolatry. “and
changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like
corruptible man-- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping
things.” (NKJ)
1.5.2. With reference to Christ (here and 2 Cor. 4:4): “precise and absolute
correspondence, the perfect visible manifestation of our invisible God. He
is the representation and manifestation of God who is invisible.” 2 Cor
4:4 “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe,
lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine on them.” (NKJ)
1.6. Significance: What Paul is saying is, “If you want to see and know God, then
look at and believe in Christ.” Christ is not simply a picture of what God is
like; He is very God Himself. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father.” John 14:9 Here, eikon means that Christ is “essentially and
absolutely the perfect expression and representation of the Archetype, God the
Father.” (Vine, 247)

Christ is the Lord of Creation 1:15

“the firstborn over all creation.”
1.7. Key Term: “firstborn”—prototokos
1.8. Meaning: Both a “kind” word and a “time” word. Has both a temporal and
positional sense.
1.8.1. Positional: Conveys the ideas of primacy, priority, and supremacy. The
Rabbis called Israel, not Ishmael, “Abraham’s firstborn.” Though Esau was
born first chronologically, Jacob the one considered the “firstborn.” Ex.
4:22 Israel is called God’s “firstborn,” though they were not the 1st nation to
exist. Messiah is said to be the firstborn: Ps 89:27 “Also I will make him My
firstborn,” defined: “the highest of the kings of the earth.” (NKJ) Here the
Messiah’s title of 1st born refers clearly to position.
1.8.2. Temporal: priority in time and supremacy in rank. This is the way Arians
and JW’s interpret “firstborn.” However, “1st born” is not the same as “1st
created.” Paul would have used protoktistos, which means “1st created.”
1.9. Significance: “This term especially points to the preeminence and pre-existence
of Christ.”
1.10. Exhibited: (vs. 16-17)
1.10.1. He is Creator “for by Him all things were created” v.16
1.10.2. He is Sovereign “whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created by Him and for Him.” 16 The Gnostics held to

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 a hierarchy of either emanations (“demiurges”) or angels. Christ is neither
an emanation or angel.
1.10.3. He is Primary “He is before all things.” 17 As Creator, He is before all
created things.
1.10.4. He is Sustainer “in Him all things hold together.” 17

2. Christ is the Lord of the Church 1:18-20

1:18-20 “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
“and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or
things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (NKJ)”

2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (NIV)

2.1. Key Term: “all the fullness”—pan pleroma;

2.2. Meaning: Technical term of the Gnostics. Refers to the entirety of the Godhead
in all its emanations.
2.3. Significance: Christ lacks nothing of what it means to be God. He possesses all
the attributes of God.
2.4. Exposition:
2.4.1. His Preeminence (v. 18)
2.4.1.1. He is the Head of the Church.
2.4.1.2. He is the Source of the Church.
2.4.1.3. He is the Resurrection of the Church.
2.4.1.4. He is the Focus of the Church.
2.4.2. His Pleasure (v. 19) “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness
should dwell” also, 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form” (NIV)
2.4.2.1. The completeness of His divine nature: pan ta pleroma- “all the
fullness”
2.4.2.2. The permanence of His divine nature: katoikei--“should dwell”:
the idea of continuum, to be at home permanently. The Incarnation is
permanent.
2.4.2.3. The essence of His divine nature (2:9) theotatos—“the deity [or
Godhead]” ‘the nature or state of being God. What God is like’ or
‘how God is’ ‘in bodily form’ Paul links Christ deity with His
humanity.
2.4.3. His Propitiation (v. 20)
2.4.3.1. The scope of reconciliation ‘all things’ The death of Christ was a
cosmic event.
2.4.3.2. The means of reconciliation ‘the blood of His cross’

3. Christ is the Lord of the Christian 21-23

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you
continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard
and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”

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 3.1. Our Past Condition (v.21) “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies
in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
3.2. Our Present Privilege (v. 22) “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's
physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and
free from accusation”

4. Summary:
4.1. eikon—“image” perfectly divine.
4.2. prototokos—“firstborn” pre-eminently divine
4.3. pan pleroma—“all the fullness” fully divine
4.4. theotetos—“Godhead” essentially divine
4.5. katoikei—“dwells” permanently divine

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 Hebrews 1-2
(Revelational Christology)

Introduction: The author of Hebrews writes to Jewish Christians who may be tempted to
slide back into Judaism and Temple worship. He argues that:
1. Christ is the climax of revelation.
2. Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
3. Christ is the “better” or “superior” manifestation of God; particularly in relationship
to Judaism. (1:4) “better” is used 12 times.
4. Christ is the “Davidic Messiah”
5. Christ is our atonement. He is both priest and sacrifice.

Chapter 1 emphasizes the true deity of Christ and His ultimate revelation of God.
Chapter 2 emphasizes the humanity of Christ, particularly His work of atonement.
Therefore, a full-orbed Christology is presented in these two chapters.

Christ is Superior to the Prophets (1:1-3)

The Completion of Revelation (1:1-2a)

Heb 1:1-2a “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (NKJ)
Prior revelation was partial and fragmented; Christ’s revelation was complete and total.
1:2b-14 support that claim with 7 affirmations in 1:2b-3 and 7 OT quotations in 1:4-14.

Seven Characteristics Greater than the Prophets (1:2b-3)

Heb 1:2b-3 “whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the
worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and
upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins,
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (NKJ)

DIVINE RELATIONSHIP

1.1.1. Heir of All (v.2) “whom He has appointed heir of all things” Allusion to
Ps. 2:8, Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of
the earth your possession.” Ps. 2 is quoted later in the chapter.
1.1.2. Creator of All (v.2) “ through whom also He made the worlds”
“aiones”—“ages” “The whole created universe of space and time is
meant.”—Bruce.

DIVINE NATURE

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 1.1.3. Divine Essence (v. 3) “who being the brightness of His glory”
“apaugasma”— “brightness, effulgence, radiance” The idea of a blinding
floodlight; like the brilliance of the sun.
1.1.4. Divine Nature (v. 3) “and the express image of His person”
1.1.4.1. “image” “charakter”—the exact impress, representation and
embodiment of God. (Only time in the NT; used generally of the
minting of coins) “Expresses this truth even more emphatically than
eikon.”—Bruce.
1.1.4.2. “person” “hypostasis” “The basic nature or essence of a
being.”—Louw and Nida. “Heb 1:3, ‘who is…just like what he really
is.’”

DIVINE POSITION

1.1.5. Sustainer of All (v. 3) “ and upholding all things by the word of His
power”
1.1.6. Savior of All (v. 3) “ when He had by Himself purged our sins”
1.1.7. Lord of All (v. 3) “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

2. Christ is Superior to the Angels (1:4-14)

2.1. The Old Testament Support (7 Passages)

DIVINE RELATIONSHIP: Fulfilling the Davidic promises. (4b-6) As Davidic

king He is the unique divine Son in the triune sense.

2.1.1. (5a) Psalm 2:7

2.1.2. (5b) 2 Samuel 7:14
2.1.3. (6) Deut. 32:43

DIVINE NATURE: Possessing Divine Attributes. (7-12) Eternal Son w/o a

successor

2.1.4. (7) Ps. 104:4

2.1.5. (8-9)Ps. 45:6,7
2.1.6. (10-12) Ps 102:25-27

DIVINE POSITION: Ruling as Sovereign Lord (13-14) Ruler over all the
angels.

2.1.7. (13) Ps 110:1

Four-fold comparison of Christ and the Angels:

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 1.3 His name is greater: (5) For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are
My Son,”
1.4 His dignity is greater: (6) “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
1.5 His status is greater: (7-12) He remains unchanged.
1.6 His function is greater: (13-14) He reigns at the Father’s right hand.

2. Christ is Superior in His Salvation (2:5-18)

2.3 Continues the theme of Christ’s superiority by an exposition of Ps. 8:4-6:

(2:5-8)

2.4 Christ has completed redemption for us (2:9-18)

2.4.1 Suffered death (9)
2.4.2 Tasted death for everyone (penal substitution) (9)
2.4.3 Brought many sons to glory (10)
2.4.4 Been perfected (experientially as a man) through suffering (10)
2.4.5 Destroyed the devil (14)
2.4.6 Freed us from the devil (victory motif) (15)
2.4.7 Shared in our humanity and been made like us w/o sin (14, 17-18;
4:15)
2.4.8 Become a merciful and faith High Priest (17-18)
2.4.9 Made atonement (17)

3. Conclusion: These verses demonstrate a full orbed Christology:

1.1 How fully intertwined His deity (Chapter 1) is with His humanity (Chapter 2).

1.2 How fully interrelated Person of Christ (Chap 1) is with the work of Christ
(Chapter 2)

Phil. 2:5-11
(Servant Christology)

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Introduction:
1. The Background of Phil. 2:5-11 (Dunn: 1980, 113-21; O’Brien: 1991, 186-98; Fee:
1992, 29-46)
a. Appears to be an early Christian hymn or exalted prose.
b. The background appears to be Hebrew, possibly Isa 53 (though Dunn sees Gen 3).
c. The hymn appears to have two stanzas:
(1) Stanza 1, vs. 6-8: Christ’s humiliation
(2) Stanza 2, vs. 9-11: Christ’s exaltation
2. The Importance of Phil. 2:5-11
a. The “kenosis” doctrine, or the “emptying of Christ.”
b. The “hypostatic union” or the uniting of two natures in one person.
3. The Intent of Phil. 2:5-11: primarily ethical, rather than metaphysical or
soteriological. The context (vs. 1-5) makes this clear.

1. The Prior State (5-6) “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped” (NIV)

1.1. His nature: “being in very nature God” “form” (NASB, and NJKV)
1.1.1. “morphe”—“form,” “shape,” “appearance,” or “essence”
1.1.2. “The outward display of an inner reality or substance.” Morphe denotes
Christ as possessing, or of being the permanent unchangeable pattern of
deity.

1.2. His selflessness: “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”
1.2.1. A difficult word: “grasped” “harpagmos” lit. means “pickpocket”
denotes robbery or the prize gained through robbery. This is not the idea of
the verse. Jesus already has this equality.
1.2.2. A difficult concept: “Christ did not regard equality with God as something
to be exploited.” (Wright: 1991, 82) “The point is rather that he did not treat
his equality with God as an excuse for self-assertation or self-
aggrandizement; on the contrary, he treated it as an occasion for renouncing
every advantage or privilege.” (Bruce)

2. The Condescension (7-8) “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
{and} being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross.” (NAS)

2.1. The emptying: “ekenosen”—“to empty.” (Fee: 2006, 33)

2.1.1. Two ways to understand the term:
2.1.1.1. Did he “empty himself of something”? or
2.1.1.2. Did he “make himself as nothing”?
2.1.2. A companion passage:

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 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might
become rich.”—2 Cor 8:9 NKJ

This would indicate that “made himself as nothing” is the better

interpretation.

2.2. Kenosis Theory (Lewis-Demarest vol. 2, 252-54; Thompson: 2006, 78-85)

2.2.1. German Kenosis Theory (19th Century) Lutheran, less radical: Leading
proponent: Gottfried Thomasius (1802-75),
2.2.1.1. Distinguished between the divine essence and attributes.
Thomasius, as a nominalist, views the divine will as the only absolute
and that all other attributes are relative.
2.2.1.2. Distinguished between actuality and potentiality. Argued that “the
Logos relinquished the possession of the divine glory actually and now
only possesses it potentially.
2.2.1.3. Distinguished between His relative attributes and His immanent
attributes.
2.2.1.3.1. Relative attributes: Omnipotence, omnipresence,
omniscience, etc.
2.2.1.3.2. Immanent attributes: Holiness, power, truth and love
2.2.1.4. The Son divested Himself of the former while retaining the latter
as an act of self-limitation. When He accepted the limitations of time
and space He divested Himself of His infinite attributes.

2.2.2. British Kenosis Theory (early 20th Century): took kenosis to its logical
extreme. Leading proponent: H. R. Mackintosh (1870-1936).
2.2.2.1. While Thomasius elevated the divine will to the single supreme
attribute, Mackintosh elevated God’s love.
2.2.2.2. The Logos gave up all His divine attributes and was transmuted
into a man.
2.2.2.3. In additions to all perfections, He also gave up:
2.2.2.3.1. His Logos consciousness.
2.2.2.3.2. The mutual indwelling of the Father and Spirit.
2.2.2.3.3. The governance of the universe.
2.2.2.3.4. Following the ascension, He recovered His original divine
state.
2.2.2.4. Both forms upheld Christ’s pre-existence and deity, and most held
to His virgin birth.

2.3. Critique of Modern Kenosis Theory (Grudem 550-52; Garrett 538; Erickson 751;
Thompson: 2006, 96-98)
2.3.1. Reasons for rejecting kenosis theory:
2.3.1.1. Was not taught for 1800 years of church history. No recognized
teacher interpreted Phil 2:7 as giving up some of His divine attributes.
This includes those who Greek was their native language.

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 2.3.1.2. Text does not specifically speak of Christ emptying Himself of any
of His divine powers or attributes. Even most modern proponents of
kenosis concede this.
2.3.1.3. The context interprets this “emptying” as the equivalent to
“humbling Himself.” The emptying is described not as a giving up of
divine attributes, but the “taking the form of a servant.”
2.3.1.4. Paul’s purpose in the context supports the self-humbling
interpretation. (3-4)
2.3.1.5. Kenosis theory is taught nowhere else in the NT. There is no hint
of the temporary laying aside of His attributes. Surely a momentous
event like this would be taught clearly and repeatedly in the NT; not
just one doubtful interpretation of a single word. This is perhaps the
weakest critique, since there are other passages that do indeed teach
moral and cognitive development within Jesus.
2.3.1.6. Turns the incarnation into a temporary theophany. Ultimately, a
rejection of the human and the divine in Jesus. (Barth: CD 4/1, 179-80;
Garrett 538-39)
2.3.1.7. Violates the doctrines of divine immutability and the Trinity.
Kenosis teaches that, for a while at least, the Logos experienced
essential change and was ontologically inferior to the other Persons in
the Godhead.
2.3.1.8. Seems to be flatly contradicted by Col. 2:9 and John 1:14.

2.4. Conclusion: The incarnation was not the laying aside of deity, but the taking on
of human flesh. This will always be a dilemma. (Erickson: 751; Morris: 1986,
153-63; House: 1992, 29; Moreland and Craig: 2003, 606-13).
2.4.1. (Analogy of Aristotles’ annihilation of number).

2.4.2. The divine aspects of Jesus’ personality were largely subliminal during
His state of humiliation. The 2nd Person gave up the independent use of His
attributes.
2.4.2.1. “The subliminal self” is the primary locus of the superhuman
elements in the consciousness of the divine Logos. “Thus Jesus
possessed a normal human conscious experience. But the human
consciousness of Jesus was underlain, as it were, by a divine sub-
consciousness. This understanding of Christ’s personal experience
draws on the insight of depth psychology that there is vastly more to a
person than waking consciousness.” (Moreland and Craig: 610)
2.4.2.2. House’s depiction of the hypostatic union:

2.4.3. “Kenoticism has generally been criticized for viewing the incarnation as
the abdication of deity rather than the assumption of humanity by deity.
Many kenoticists tend to forget that Jesus is both God and man, not God as
man, understood it in a reductionist sense.
If the humiliated one is not the very same as the exalted one, then Jesus
becomes little more than a demigod who lives on Earth. The Calvinist Gess

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 went so far as to contend that Christ laid aside all his divine attributes and
that the Logos became a human soul. With Barth we contend that kenosis
means the renunciation by Christ not of his divinity but of his being in the
form of God alone. The divine attributes were not discarded by Christ but
were now concealed in the weakness of human flesh. They were always
available to our Lord, that either he did not generally choose to draw upon
them, or exercised in them in a new way. He could have summoned a host
of angels to his defense, but instead he chose the way of non-resistance
which led to the cross. He imposed a definite limitation upon himself not
only when he became man but also on his earthly pilgrimage. He remained
fully God, but his divinity was hidden in his humanity and remains hidden
except to the eyes of faith.” (Bloesch, Essentials: 137-38)

3. The Exaltation (9-11)

3.1. An exalted position (9)
3.2. An exalted adoration (10)
3.3. An exalted confession (11)

The Holy Spirit

1. The Person of the Holy Spirit: Primary text—John 14-16.

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1.1. The Personality of the Holy Spirit: (John 15:26; 16:7-8, 13-14) The Holy
Spirit is a Person even as Christ is a Person.
1.1.1. Affirmed by the unusual grammar used by Jesus (i.e. by John, 15:26;
16:7-8, 13-14). Pneuma is a neuter gender word, and should call for a
neuter pronoun. Instead, the grammatical rule is deliberately contradicted
with a masculine pronoun.

“The Spirit of truth…he will testify about me.” (John 15:26 NIV)

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He
will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell
you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me…” (John 16:13-14 NIV)

“I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world…”
(John 16:7-8 NIV)

1.1.2. Presented with all the qualities of personhood: He is a Person—not just

a force or power.
1.1.2.1. He is described in cognitive terms (i.e. He has intellect): “He will
teach you all things…”(John 14:26).
1.1.2.2. He is described in affective terms (i.e. He has emotions): “Do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”(Eph. 4:30).
1.1.2.3. He is described in volitional terms (i.e. He has a will): “All these
are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one,
just as he determines.” (1 Cor 12:11 NIV).

1.2. The Deity of the Holy Spirit:

1.2.1. The Holy Spirit as Third Person of the Trinity: He is the Third Person
of the Godhead—the distinctions are not of power, but of the progression of
revelation. There are three Persons, equal in divine perfection and executing
distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

1.2.2. Scripture presents the Three together:

1.2.2.1. At Christ’s baptism:

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the

water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Matt 3:16-17 NKJ)

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 1.2.2.2. The Baptismal Formula of Great Commission: in the “name”
(singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt
28:19 NKJ)

1.2.2.3. In the Pauline letters:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Cor 13:14 NKJ)

1.2.2.4. In the work of salvation:

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in

sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:2 NKJ)

2. The Work of the Holy Spirit: The work of the Spirit parallels the work of Christ.
He comes to replace Christ, to carry on His work, and to maintain the Lord’s presence
with the believer.

2.1. In the Word: The Spirit as Pedagogue: (John 14:26; 16:12-15) Jesus promises
that the Spirit will complete His teaching (14:26; 16:12-13) and to reinforce
what has been taught (16:14). He inspired the writers and illuminates the readers.

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you.” (John 14:26 NIV)

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when
he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not
speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what
is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and
making it known to you.” (John 16:12-14 NIV)

2.2. In the World: The Spirit as Presence. (John 16:7-11) His convicting ministry
characterizes the Holy Spirit’s relationship to the world. The text is deliberately
ambiguous and the word for “convict” is a complicated one. The word means “to

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 cross examine for the purpose of convincing or refuting an opponent and
opponent” (generally in legal settings) (Morris: 1991, 543) or “to rebuke, to
shame, or to expose,” (TDNT: 2.473-74). For the believer the Spirit is an
Advocate, but to the unbelieving world He is a Prosecuting Attorney.

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go
away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and
righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see
me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now
stands condemned.” (John 16:7-11 NIV)

2.2.1. He convicts of sin: man’s problem (16:9): Failure to believe God is the
basis of sin and failure to believe in Christ is the ultimate sin “because men
do not believe in me”. The Spirit convicts of sin, because without this
conviction, we will not believe. Conviction is a gracious work. It is not an
emotion (i.e. feelings of guilt) but an awareness of one’s true standing before
God.
2.2.2. He convicts of righteousness: God’s provision (16:10): He reveals what
righteousness is and where righteousness can be found. Spurgeon points out
that in human courts the prosecutor moves directly from conviction to
judgment. By contrast, the Divine Prosecutor utilizes an intermediate phase
in which the righteousness of faith is presented (Spurgeon: MTP 29, 127-
28—cf. Boice, 1072).
2.2.3. He convicts of judgment: the unbeliever’s punishment (16:11): God’s
judgment comes eventually and inevitably. His judgment upon Satan is
proof.

2.3. In the Believer: The Spirit as Paraclete. (Comforter, Encourager and

Advocate). (John 14:16-26) “parakletos”: para = “alongside;” kaleo = “to call”
or “to help.” He is the One who pleads, intercedes or helps another. Jesus calls
Him “another” Helper, using allos (“another of the same kind”) rather than
heteros (“another of a different kind”).

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave

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 with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:25-27 NKJ)

3. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: There are at least five important ministries of the Holy
Spirit to the believer at the time of conversion. These ministries are simultaneous and
coincident and occur in the heart of the believer at the moment of conversion.

3.1. Regeneration by the Spirit: the act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to
the believer by the Holy Spirit. A synonymous term is “Born again”.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy
He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Spirit,” (Titus 3:5 NKJ)

“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the
word of God which lives and abides forever,” (1 Pet 1:23 NKJ)

3.2. Baptism of the Spirit: the act whereby the Holy Spirit makes the believer an
integral part of the Body of Christ. It is universally experienced one time by all
believers.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor
12:13 NKJ)

3.3. Sealing of the Spirit: the Spirit as the guarantee, security, and down payment of
our salvation.

“Who also has sealed us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2
Cor. 1:22 NKJ)

“in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise.” (Eph. 1:13 NKJ)

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.” (Eph. 4:30)

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3.4. Indwelling of the Spirit: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit refers to the presence
of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer from the moment of conversion on.
The believer becomes the habitation of God.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19-20 NKJ)

3.5. Filling of the Spirit: empowerment for service, devotion, and obedience. We are
baptized by the Spirit only once, but we are encouraged to be filled by Him many
times:

“And do not be drunk with win, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit.” (Eph. 5:18 NKJ)

3.6. Equipping by the Spirit: the gifting of the individual members of the church to
serve faithfully and fruitfully.

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of
ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the
same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each
one for the profit of all:… But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Cor 12:4-7, 11)

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 Salvation Part 1
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:11 NKJV)

1. The Definition of Salvation: Salvation is the work of God that delivers us from sin
and its penalty, restores us to a right relationship with him, and imparts to us eternal
life.

2. The Need for Salvation:

2.1. The Guilt of Humanity: Salvation is completely by grace because it has to be.
Humanity is guilty of deliberately and freely choosing sin and as a result no
longer has the inclination or ability to turn away from it. Scripture describes the
human condition in drastic and graphic terms; it portrays us as “ungodly,” as
“sinners,” and even as God’s “enemies” (Rom 5:6–10).

2.2. The Inability of Humanity: We exist in a state of spiritual death, and though
everyone can tell something is terribly wrong with humans individually and
humanity collectively, we are too blind to know what the problem is. Even if we
could discern our true condition, there is nothing we can do about it. In short, we
are lost. Yet it is while we are in such an inexcusable state that Christ dies for us.
The good news of the gospel is that the Son of Man comes “to seek and to save
that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

3. The Importance of Salvation:

3.1. Humanity’s genuine danger: Sin is rebellion against God, and as such it is totally
irrational and destructive. God, because of his very nature, and sin, because of
its very nature, cannot coexist indefinitely. God in his holiness will judge sin in
its entire perverseness, so all who have committed sin are under his wrath. If
there is any deliverance available from sin and its effects, then it is of the utmost
importance that we who are sinful make the best of it.

3.2. Salvation’s total significance: Not all who are morally responsible for sin have
access to salvation; there is no redemption for Satan and his angels. However,
humans, who were created in God’s image, are those for whom Christ died. We
have an eternal destiny, and for this reason the salvation of each person is a
matter of total significance (Matt 16:26).

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4. The Central Truth of Salvation: Union with Christ. What is the central motif os
salvation? Justification? Redemption? Forgiveness? The Bible proclaims that Jesus
Christ is salvation, and all who have a relationship with him (i.e., are united with him
by faith) are saved. Union with Christ is the core truth of salvation which can be seen
either as encompassing all of salvation or as the center to which all components of
salvation are connected.

“Union with Christ is really the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation not
only in its application but also in its once-for-all accomplishment in the finished work
of Christ. Indeed the whole process of salvation has its origin in one phase of union
with Christ and salvation has in view the realization of other phases of union with
Christ.”—John Murray: 1955, 161.

“Union with Christ is a very inclusive subject. It embraces the wide span of salvation
from its ultimate source in the eternal election of God to its final fruition in the
glorification of the elect. It is not simply a phase of the application of redemption; it
underlies every aspect of redemption both in its accomplishment and in its
application….Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of
salvation”—ibid., 165, 170.

“In one sense, union with Christ is an inclusive term for the whole of salvation; the
various other doctrines are simply subparts.”—Millard Erickson: 1998, 961.

“The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to himself.”—John
Calvin: Institutes, 3.1.1.

5. The Four Perspectives of Salvation: Scripture presents the components of salvation

from four different perspectives: eternal, historical, present and eschatological. Here
we see the comprehensiveness of the concept “in Christ.” The Bible locates each
of the four perspectives of salvation—eternal, historical, experiential, and
eschatological—within him:

5.1. Eternally, we are elect in Christ. Paul states that God “chose us in him before
the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). He also declares that God called us
“according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began” (2 Tim 1:9). How could God call us before we ever existed?
Paul supplies the answer: we were elected in Christ Jesus. God elected his own
Son, who is our representative, and we find our election in him.

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5.2. Historically, we are represented in Christ. God declares that whatever our
representative, the Lord Jesus Christ, has accomplished, those who trust in him
have also achieved. His riches, righteousness, and merit belong to all who are in
him (Rom 8:17). Paul states that God has accepted us “in the Beloved” by which
“in him we have redemption through his blood” (Eph 1:6–7).
5.2.1. With him in his life: Jesus Christ lived in perfect obedience to the Father
and all who are united to him by faith are viewed by God also as “holy and
without blame” (Eph 1:4).
5.2.2. With him in his death: Believers are considered by God to have died with
Jesus (Col 3:3–4) and to be buried with him (Rom 6:2–4).
5.2.3. With him in his resurrection: Similarly, when Jesus rose from the dead, the
Father viewed us as rising with him positionally (Rom 6:5–8).
5.2.4. With him in his glorification: The metaphor of the church as the body of
Christ expresses the position Christians enjoy in him (Eph 5:25). According
to Paul, Christ is the head of the church and is seated in heaven at the right
hand of the Father (Eph 1:20).

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly
realms in Christ Jesus,” Eph 2:6 NIV

As far as God is concerned, every believer is positionally already in heaven

“in Christ Jesus”.

Our union with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection provides the basis
for our justification, sanctification, and glorification. From a historical
perspective, our salvation is a finished feat, accomplished by Jesus of
Nazareth nearly two thousand years ago.

5.3. Presently, experientially, we are redeemed in Christ. From the present

perspective, we are united with Christ the moment we trust him for salvation and
we enjoy all the present benefits of salvation in him. God eternally foreknows all
who will trust him, but until we place our faith in his Son we are still unsaved
and under the wrath of God (Eph 2:1–3).

“You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit” (Eph 1:13 NKJ).

“We must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are
separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the

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 human race remains useless and of no value to us….It is true that we obtain this
by faith.”—Calvin: Institutes, 3.1.1.

5.3.1. Regeneration is the result of union with Christ: “If anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation,” 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:5, 10);
5.3.2. Justification is the result of union with Christ: “There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” Rom 8:1; “In Him we
have…the forgiveness of sins,” Eph 1:7
5.3.3. Sanctification is the result of union with Christ: “to those who are
sanctified in Christ Jesus,” 1 Cor 1:2
5.3.4. Adoption is the result of union with Christ: “he predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ,” Eph 1:5.

5.4. Eschatologically, we are glorified in Christ. All of the future benefits of

salvation will be bestowed upon those who are united with Christ.
5.4.1. Those who have died: Believers who die are said to “die in the Lord” (Rev
14:13) and to “sleep in Jesus” (1 Thess 4:14).
5.4.2. At the parousia: When the Lord returns “the dead in Christ will rise first”
(1 Thess 4:16). We will be resurrected in Christ (“For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all shall be made alive,” 1 Cor 15:22.)
5.4.3. At the eschaton: With him we will be glorified (Rom 8:17; 1 John 2:28,
3:2).

6. The “Now-Not Yet” Tension of Salvation: Positional vs. Experiential.

6.1. The first two moments—eternal and historical—are objective and completed.
The second two moments—experiential and eschatological—are subjective are
yet to be completed.

6.2. The reality of an inaugurated eschatology: Literally, the church experiences

the “now—not yet” tension of living in between Christ’s resurrection and his
return, between Easter and the Second Coming. This tension is lived out in every
believer’s life. The believer now enjoys all the objective blessings of salvation,
but he is yet to realize the full redemption—the glorification—of his body. This
tension is lived out as a practical matter in the lifelong sanctifying walk of faith.

“God calls us to become what he declares we already are.”

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 Salvation Part 2
1. Election:

“God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually
upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any wise to
be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of
intelligent creatures.”

“Election is God's eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life-not because of
foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ-in consequence of which
choice they are called, justified and glorified.”—Abstract of Principles

2. Calling: the inward work of the Spirit that draws the unbeliever to Christ.

2.1. The Reformed View: the call is synonymous with regeneration. Though the
Gospel is preached to any who will listen, the call is given only to the elect. It is
irresistible. The Synod of Dort

2.2. The Arminian View: the call is universal, general, and precedes the preaching
of the Gospel. It is resistable. The Declaration of Sentiments.

2.3. The Molinist View: the call accompanies the preaching of the Gospel, and
precedes regeneration. Like the Atonement, the Call is sufficient for all, but
efficient for the believer. The Formula of Concord.

3. Conversion: “Conversion is our willing response to the Gospel call, in which we

sincerely repent of sin and place our trust in Christ for salvation.” (Grudem, 709).

“For they themselves declare … how you turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God”—1 Thess. 1:9 (NKJ)

Conversion is made up of two distinguishable yet inseparable parts: repentance and

faith. True repentance and true faith are like the two sides of a coin—it is impossible
to have one without the other.

3.1. Repentance: Repentance is the full apprehension of one’s miserable, lost estate,
which leads to a renunciation of sin. “Repentance is a recognition of the need of
grace, not an act of merit opposed to grace.”—H.A. Ironside

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 3.2. Faith: Faith is the “laying hold of the promises and work of Christ.” (Erickson,
951) Saving faith is personal trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for
forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God. (Grudem, 710) Faith is
important because it is the vehicle by which we are enabled to receive the grace
of God (Eph. 2:8-9)

4. Regeneration: the act of God whereby the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life to the
believer.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1
NKJ)

5. Justification: To be justified by God a person must be either found righteous, made

righteous, or declared righteous.

“Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1
NAS).

“Justification is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls.”—Martin Luther

(McGrath: 1998, 367)

“Justification is the main hinge on which religion turns.”—John Calvin, Institutes,

3.11.1

The Reformers had it right: justification is the act of God by which he credits the
righteousness of Christ to the believer and declares him just.

6. Sanctification: God’s claiming and subsequent purifying of the believer as his

possession.

“To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1 Cor 1:2).

6.1. Two parts to sanctification:

6.1.1. Positional: God first claims the believer by setting him apart for himself.
6.1.2. Experiential: God then cleanses the believer from sin by a persistent and
progressive work of the Holy Spirit.

6.2. Two questions about sanctification:

6.2.1. How quickly (or gradually) is a Christian sanctified?

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 6.2.2. How thoroughly is he made holy? I.e., should a believer seek or expect a
sudden experience which dramatically transforms him spiritually or is
experiential sanctification a gradual process which occurs over the entire
course of a believer’s lifetime? Is it possible for a Christian to cease sinning,
and if not, why not?
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6 NKJ)

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 Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

Human Choice Except for the positions on each extreme, all affirm both in some way. Divine
Choice
Openness Corporate Simple Middle God’s Antinomy Soft Hard
Of God Election Fore- Knowledge Timelessness or Determinism Determinism
knowledge Paradox
Richard Robert Shank Jacob Luis Thomists J. I. Packer Jonathan Martin Luther
Rice Arminius Molina Edwards
Roger Forster Theodore
David Jack Alvin Norman D. A. Carson John Calvin Beza
Basinger Paul Marston Cottrell Plantinga Geisler
R.K.
William McGregor
Lane Craig Wright
Radical Election is God elects Three God is Divine Free will is
Free will— Christocentric those who moments in timeless; no sovereignty the ability to Supralapsarian
man has He God logical or and human do what one generally
the Paul teaches foreknows knowledge: temporal responsibility desires, but
absolute that election will 1. Natural priority to are by Free will is
ability to is corporate believe. 2. Middle election and compatible, regeneration denied.
choose in Christ (Rom. 3. Free fore- but in a way God provides
other - (Eph. 1:1-14). 8:29; 1 that is the right God is the
knowledge.
wise. Individuals Pet. 1:2) Between 2 impossible desires. origin of evil.
are elect by and 3 is for finite God is not
God self- their Election is God’s free His plan is beings to responsible is
limits His association based on choice to neither based understand. the sense that
fore with the Body God’s actualize a on fore. nor He is not
- of Christ. perception particular in spite of it, Akin to the accountable
knowledge. of the world. but rather dual nature
future. according to of light.
it.

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 The Church Part 1
1. The Definition of the Church:

1.1. The Word ekklesia:

1.1.1. From two Greek words, meaning “called out” and was originally used in
the Greek city-states for an assembly of citizens called out to conduct the
business of the city.
1.1.2. Used 114 times in the NT. Three times it is used in a secular sense (Acts
19), and twice to refer to the OT people of God (Acts 7:38; Heb. 2:12).

1.2. The Two Senses of the Word “Church”:

1.2.1. The Universal Church: In rare instances the word serves to denote the
whole body of Christ, throughout the world (1 Cor. 10:32; 11:32; 12:28; Gal.
1:13; Eph. 1:22).
1.2.2. The Local Church: Most often ekklesia refers to a local assembly of
baptized believers who meet for the purpose of fulfilling the functions and
ordinances of a church (Gal. 1:2; 1 Thess. 2:14; Rev. 1:4). Often the NT
refers to the “churches” (plural) of a region. A local church is not merely a
part of the body of Christ, it is the local manifestation of the body of Christ.

2. The Ministry of the Church:

2.1. Ministry to God: Worship God has destined us and appointed us in Christ “to
live for the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:12)

2.2. Ministry to Believers: Nurture Our goal as a church must be to present to God
every Christian as “mature in Christ.” (Col. 1:28) This is accomplished by:
2.2.1. Teaching: instruction in the pulpit and the classroom.
2.2.2. Fellowship: many things in the Christian life are more caught by contact
than taught in the classroom.

2.3. Ministry to the World: Evangelism and Mercy

2.3.1. Evangelism: Baptists understand the Great Commission to have been
given to the church.
2.3.2. Mercy: The church has the obligation to show mercy to both those in and
out of the household of faith (Luke 6:35-36).

2.4. Keeping these Purposes in Balance: all three purposes must be emphasized
continually in order to have a healthy church.

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3. The Ordinances of the Church: The Roman Catholic Church holds to seven
sacraments; most Protestants recognize only two. Baptists have never felt
comfortable with the term “sacraments,” hence their use of the term “ordinances.”
3.1. Baptism:
3.1.1. Baptism is for believers. (Acts 2:41) Baptism is a profession of faith
3.1.2. Baptism is the first step of obedience. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:40)
Baptism is a confession that Jesus is Lord.
3.1.3. Baptism identifies believers with Christ. (Rom. 6:1-4)
3.1.4. Baptism declares the death of the old life and the birth of the new. (Col.
3:1-3).
3.1.5. Baptism unites the believer with a local assembly. (Acts 2:41) Baptism is
the entrance, or front door, of the church.

3.2. The Lord’s Supper: A direct connection exists with the Passover Meal. The
command or words of institution are given by our Lord (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark
14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; and 1 Cor. 11:23-24.

3.2.1. The Nature of the Lord’s Supper: Three views concerning the elements:
3.2.1.1. Transubstantiation (Roman Catholic): the elements are the body
and blood of Christ.
3.2.1.2. Consubstantiation (Lutheran): the body and blood of Christ are
literally present, but are not the elements. Luther stated that the body
of Christ was present “in, with, and under” the elements. (Hammett,
121) At the colloquy with Zwingli in 1529, Luther could hardly bring
himself to listen to Zwingli’s explanation of how “is” means “signifies”
in many places in Scripture.
3.2.1.3. Memorial view (Zwinglian): Christ is spiritually present with
believers when they gather in His name, and the Table is the testimony
of a grace already received. This has historically been the position of
Baptists.

3.2.2. The Purpose of the Lord’s Supper: (1 Cor. 11:23-34):

3.2.2.1. Past: Commemoration (vs. 23-26): the Lord’s Supper calls the past
into remembrance in such a dynamic way that the past becomes a
present reality, affecting present experience.

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord
Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this

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 in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup,
saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever
you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1 Cor 11:23-25 NKJ)

3.2.2.2. Present: (vs. 27-34):

3.2.2.2.1. Communion: an expression of unity and commitment.

3.2.2.2.2. Celebration: The word “Eucharist” means “grateful” or
“thankful.”
3.2.2.2.3. Proclamation:

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death…” (v. 26)

3.2.2.2.4. Examination:

“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and

drinks of the cup.” (vs. 28)

3.2.2.3. Future: Anticipation (v. 26c)

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death until he comes.”

The Lord’s Supper is in some ways a rehearsal for the Marriage Supper
of the Lamb (Luke 14:15-24; Rev. 19:9).

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 The Church Part 2
1. The Governance of the Church: Forms of Church Government (Brand and Norman,
2004; S. Cowen, 2004)

1.1. Episcopalian: government by the bishop. This is a hierarchal system of church

government, with a sharp lay/clergy distinction.

1.1.1. Representative denominations: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,

Anglican/Episcopalian Church, United Methodist, and Lutheran.

1.1.2. Tenets (Toon, 2004; Zahl, 2004)

1.1.2.1. The role of the bishop: The bishop fills the office left by apostolic
succession (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox) or is the
superintendent of a given area over multiple parishes and pastors
(Anglican). He rules as a benevolent monarch.

1.1.2.2. Three offices: bishops, priests, and deacons. The priest who
ministers to a local congregation is often called a vicar or a rector.
Deacons generally are priests in training.

1.1.2.3. The hierarchy overseeing the overseers: Often one bishop (the
archbishop) will oversee a college of bishops in a particular province,
and one archbishop will be seen as the first among equals (the Pope in
Roman Catholicism and the Archbishop of Canterbury in
Anglicanism).

1.2. Presbyterian: government by elders (or synod). This involves a succession of

bodies.

1.2.1. Representative denominations: the Presbyterian Church (USA and

PCA), the Christian Reformed Church, and the Assemblies of God.

1.2.2. Tenets (Taylor: 2004; Reymond: 2004; Waldron: 2004; Merkle: 2008)
1.2.2.1. Denominational hierarchy: Presbyterianism is “connectional,” that
is, “local churches see themselves as part of the larger church, that local
churches are not independent but are accountable to the larger church,
and that local churches do not minister alone but in cooperation with
the larger church.” (Taylor: 2004, 75).

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 1.2.2.2. Three offices: ruling elders, teaching elders and deacons. Ruling
elders set policy and supervise ministries, but generally do not preach
or teach. Teaching elders have that responsibility. Ruling elders are
generally “lay elders” while teaching elders are generally ordained.
(Taylor: 2004, 81) Deacons do not have a governing role. Merkle lists
10 general distinctions between the TE and the RE. The TE is (or
does), while the RE is not (or does not):

1.2.2.3. Elder rule: in Presbyterian polity elders rule, or govern the

congregation. James Bannerman, Presbyterian author, makes clear
what this means:

1.3. Congregational: government by the congregation.

1.3.1. Representative denominations: Southern Baptist Convention, Churches

of Christ, and Bible Churches.

1.3.2. Tenets:
1.3.2.1. Autonomy of the local church: each local church, under the
lordship of Christ, governs itself. Locals churches can and should
freely associate for the propagation of the Gospel.

1.3.2.2. Offices of the local church: two—elders and deacons.

1.3.2.3. Priesthood of believers: no clergy/laity distinction.

1.3.2.4. Authority of the local church: every member, including elders, is

ultimately accountable to the local church. The local church is free to
delegate responsibilities as it sees fit to certain members and
committees, but the governing authority belongs to the local assembly.
Ps 105:15 (“Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no
harm.”) does not give ministers an exemption from accountability to
the church. The biblical texts which speak to the church’s authority:

1.3.2.5. Support of the local church: the ministry of the local church is
supported by the tithes and offerings of its members. This brings up
issues concerning the appropriateness of fundraising practices (such as
youth group project

2. The Offices of the Church: pastors and deacons.

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2.1. The pastor/elder:

2.1.1. Definition:
2.1.1.1. The three terms used: pastor/elder/bishop.
2.1.1.1.1. Pastor (poimen): the most popular term used today. In the
NT the term generally referred to a shepherd.
2.1.1.1.2. Elder (presbuteros): by far the most common term used in
the NT. It’s the word for an older man, used by the Scriptures to
denote the officer of a local church.
2.1.1.1.3. Bishop (episkopos): Overseer. Refers to the office of
leadership.

2.1.1.2. The relationship of the three terms: Synonymous expressions used

interchangeably.
2.1.1.2.1. Acts 20: Paul addresses the “elders” from Ephesus (v. 17)
and tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them “overseers”
(bishops) of the flock, and they are to “shepherd” (pastor) the
church (v. 28).
2.1.1.2.2. 1 Peter 5: Peter addresses the “elders” (v.1) to direct them
to “shepherd” (pastor) the flock of God and serve as “overseers”
(bishops) of the church (v.2).
2.1.1.2.3. Titus 1: Paul gives the qualifications of an “elder” (v. 3)
and then says that a “bishop must be blameless” (v. 6).

“Pastor” refers primarily to the task, “Bishop” refers mainly to the

office, and “Elder” refers generally to the man—but they all speak
of the same thing.

2.2. Deacons:

“Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority
over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

It could be argued that the office of deacon calls a man to Christ-likeness in

unique way. It certainly is a unique office, because it has no forerunner in
Judaism. In Jewish culture, religious service was exercised by the giving of alms,

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not serving. Hence in the LXX diakonos is used only in reference to professional
court servants. Waiting at tables was considered below the dignity of Jewish
freeman (cf. Luke 7:44-45). Jesus taught the exact opposite: leadership comes
only through service (Brown: 2004, 120-21).

2.2.1. Definition: diakonos

2.2.1.1. The word’s meaning: The word diakonos generally had three
meanings: an attendant or servant (Matt 22:13); a waiter, who serves
food and drink (John 2:5); and one who cares for the needy.
2.2.1.2. The word’s use: used 30 times in the NT; only three times does it
refer to an official. The term is used in reference to the office of
deacon three times (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8, 12).
2.2.2. Role (or function): “The Work of Deacons is to serve Tables, viz. to see to
provide for the Lord’s Table, the Minister’s Table, and the Poor’s Table.”—
Benjamin Keach (1640-1704), early Particular Baptist pastor.
2.2.2.1. The Lord’s Table: deacons oversee the administering Communion.
2.2.2.2. The Minister’s Table: deacons generally have a role in the financial
matters of the church.
2.2.2.3. The Poor’s Table: deacons are to be the arm of the church in
ministering to the needy.

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 Last Things
Eschatology is the study of last things: Death, Intermediate State, the 2nd coming; the
Millennial Kingdom; Resurrection; Judgment; Heaven and Hell.

1. Death:

1.1. The Universality of Death: “thus death spread to all men…” Despite all
advances in medicine, the mortality rate is still 100%.

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” (Heb 9:27NKJ)

1.2. The Nature of Death: Physical death is when the spirit separates from the body.
It appears that the best way to know when death has occurred is to detect the
absence of brain waves.

“For…the body without the spirit is dead…” (James 2:26 NKJ)

The importance of the teaching that death entered through sin is that death is not
natural for human beings. It may be inevitable, but it is not natural.

2. The Intermediate State: The Bible says remarkably little about the period between
death and the resurrection. Four views:

2.1. Soul Sleep: between death and the resurrection, the soul either reposes in a state
of unconsciousness or becomes extinct. The person is understood to be a unitary
being without component parts of body and spirit. When the body ceases to
function, the soul ceases to exist. Nothing survives physical death.

2.2. Purgatory: primarily a Roman Catholic belief, purgatory is based on their

understanding of salvation rather than any specific Bible passage.

2.3. Immediate Resurrection: the view that upon death an individual steps out of
time and transcends immediately to the time of the resurrection. This is a
mediating position between soul sleep and conscious awareness, plus it provides
a solution to the mind-brain problem. The main problem with the position is that
it has little scriptural support, though some say that it is hinted at by Paul in 2
Cor. 5:1.

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 2.4. Conscious Awareness: The disembodied soul continues to exist after death until
it is reunited with the body at the resurrection.

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be
present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8 NKJ)

3. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

3.1.1. The Timing of Christ’s Return:

3.1.1.1. Indefinite:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time
is.” (Mark 13:32-33 NKJ)

3.1.1.2. Imminent:

“… we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and
Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:12b-13NKJ)

3.1.2. The Nature of the Christ’s Return:

3.1.2.1. His return will be visible.

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even
they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn
because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev 1:7 NKJ)

3.1.2.2. His return will be bodily.

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like
manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 NKJ)

3.1.2.3. His return will be glorious.

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 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all
the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
(Matt 24:30 NKJ)

4. The Millennial Kingdom:

4.1. Amillennialism: There will be no earthly, thousand-year reign of Christ.

Because amillennialism is generally defined negatively, its positive features often
are not clearly delineated. “Amillennialism believes that Christ returns after the
millennium. The millennium is symbolic of this whole present age in which the
gospel is preached. The kingdom of God is now present as the victorious Christ
rules his church through Word and Spirit.

4.2. Postmillennialism: “Postmillennialism expects the proclaiming of the Spirit-

blessed gospel of Jesus Christ to win the vast majority of human beings to
salvation in the present age. Increasing gospel success will gradually produce a
time in history prior to Christ’s return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and
prosperity prevail in the affairs of people and of nations. After an extensive era
of such conditions the Lord will return visibly, bodily, and in great glory, ending
history with the general resurrection and the great judgment of all humankind.”
(Gentry:1999,14)

4.3. Premillennialism: “This is the belief that after Jesus comes, he will establish and
rule over a kingdom on this earth for a millennium, that is, for a thousand years.”
(Blaising:1999,157). Question about the relationship of the rapture of the Church
and the return of Christ.

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thess 4:17 NKJ)

4.3.1. Post-tribulationalism: Rapture and Return are co-incident. At the end of

tribulation.
4.3.2. Mid-tribulationalism: Rapture happens before the Great Tribulation.
4.3.3. Pre-tribulationalism: Rapture occurs before the entire Tribulation period.

5. The Resurrection: The Bible repeatedly affirms a future resurrection of the both the
just and the unjust, with more emphasis given to it in the New Testament than in the
Old Testament. The Resurrection of Christ Guarantees Our Resurrection (1 Cor.
15:35-58).

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 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.”—Phil 3:10-11 NKJ

6. The Judgment: The Bible present the coming judgment as the Revelation of God
(DOBI: 472-74)

6.1. God’s patience: There is a holy timeliness and proportionality to God’s

judgment (Gen 18:16-33; Isa 65:1-7). The Bible repeatedly presents God as
patiently forbearing until judgment is the only proper recourse (2 Pet 3:9).

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up
wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of
God”—Rom 2:5 NASB

6.2. God’s righteousness:

“But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for
the peoples in uprightness.”—Ps 9:7 NKJ

6.3. God’s wrath: what John describes as “the wine of God’s fury” pressed from
“the grapes of wrath” (Rev 14).

“For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”—Rev 6:17
NKJ

6.4. God’s vengeance: closely associated with God’s wrath is His vengeance. The
notion of vengeance indicates the purpose and direction of His wrath—God’s
judges to repay wickedness.

“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord,”
(Heb 10:30 NKJ)

6.5. “The great exposé”: the Bible repeatedly emphasizes that there will be no
anonymity and no secrets in that day.

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 “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been
kept secret but that it should come to light.”—Mark 4:22 NKJ

6.6. “The great separation”: God’s judgment will unveil the great divide. Two
groups will emerge, testifying to the bipolar character of all human history (Ezek
20:33-37). The Bible uses a number of metaphors to illustrate this separation:
wheat and tares (Matt 13:24-30); sheep and goats (Matt 25:31-46).

“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set
the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”—Matt 25:32-33 NKJ

6.7. The shocking element of Judgment: One of the more disturbing aspects of the
judgment to come is that many will be surprised when they are barred from
Heaven.

“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your
name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness!’”—Matt 7:22-23 NKJ

7. Hell: However time is to be understood in the eternal state, the suffering of the
wicked will be conscious and everlasting. Three themes:

7.1. Punishment: “That hell is punishment is communicated by every New

Testament author.”—Morgan, 143.

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life.”—Matt 25:46 (ESV)

7.2. Destruction: In both OT and NT, “destruction” almost never carries the
meaning of “extinction.” Rather, the term means to be brought to ruin or
disaster, or to lose “the essence of its nature or function.” (Moo: 2004, 105).

“These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of His power.”—2 Thess 1:9 (NKJ)

Human beings were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In Hell that
purpose and role is eternally lost.

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 7.3. Banishment: Hell is a state of permanent exile.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness!’”—Matt 7:22 (NKJ)

8. Heaven:
8.1. The transformation of this age into the next:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first
earth had passed away.” (Rev 21:1 NKJ)

8.2. The uniting of Heaven and Earth:

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud
voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He
will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them
and be their God” (Rev 21:2-3 NKJ)

8.3. The beginning of all the joys and blessings of the next age:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’”
(Rev 21:4-5 NKJ)

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 The Millennial Kingdom
Three Views
6.1. Interpretative Approaches to the Book of Revelation:

6.1.1. Idealist (or symbolic): the symbols or events it describes will not come to
pass in any particular time in history. Rather, they represent timeless truths
that are true throughout the church age.

6.1.2. Futurist: the events described shall occur at the end of the age.

6.1.3. Historicist: the events described occur over the entire age of the church.

6.1.4. Preterist: the events described are occurring at the time of writing and the
prophecies have already been fulfilled.

6.2. Views of the Kingdom: “To a great extent, millennialism since the sixteenth
century has been a search for certainty in the flow of history.” (Doyle: 1999,
254).

6.2.1. Amillennialism

6.2.1.1.Definition: There will be no earthly, thousand-year reign of Christ.

Because amillennialism is generally defined negatively, its positive
features often are not clearly delineated. “Amillennialism believes that
Christ returns after the millennium. The millennium is symbolic of this
whole present age in which the gospel is preached. The kingdom of
God is now present as the victorious Christ rules his church through
Word and Spirit. Revelation 20:1-6 is a description of the souls of dead
believers reigning with Christ in heaven, and another metaphor for the
day of the Lord and its threefold significance.” (Doyle:1999, 252)

6.2.1.2.Adherents: Origen, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, O.T.

Allis, Stanley Grenz,, Robert Strimple, and Robert Doyle. Though
premillennialism is the predominant view today, the pre-eminent
position over the majority of Christian history is amillennialism.

6.2.1.3.Tenets: (Akin: 1996, 635)

6.2.1.3.1. The kingdom reign of Christ and His saints is in existence for
the period of time between Christ’s two advents (i.e. right now).
6.2.1.3.2. The kingdom is either the church on earth (Augustinian/Roman
Catholic view) and/or the saints in heaven (Warfield). Thus there
will be no future reign of Christ on the earth, and the word
“thousand” is a symbolic number indicating a long period of time.
6.2.1.3.3. The promises to Israel about a land, seed, and throne are thus
completely fulfilled now in a spiritual sense in the church.

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 6.2.1.3.4. God’s promises to Israel were conditional and have been
transferred to the church because the nation did not meet the
condition of obedience.
6.2.1.3.5. Christ is ruling now in heaven where He is seated on the throne
of David, and Satan is presently bound between Christ’s two
advents.

6.2.1.4.Scriptural arguments: The Old Testament promises about the temple

being rebuilt, the sacrifices being restored, or a return to the promised
land should be interpreted “spiritually,” or non-literally, because this is
the way the New Testament approaches the Old Testament.
(Strimple:1999, 84-100)
6.2.1.4.1. The New Testament presents Christ as the true Israel (Matt.
2:15). Therefore, all those who are in Christ (i.e. the Church) are
the true Israel (Gal. 3:7-29).
6.2.1.4.2. The New Testament interprets prophecies concerning the land
of promise in the light of the new heavens and the new earth (Heb.
11:10-16; 2 Pet. 3:13).
6.2.1.4.3. The New Testament sees the Kingdom of David, not as an
earthly kingdom yet to come, but as an eternal kingdom presently
in force (Acts. 2:30-31).
6.2.1.4.4. Rev. 20 presents us with two different types of resurrections.
The first resurrection occurs the believer departs this life and is
immediately ushered into the presence of Christ to reign with him.
The second resurrection will be bodily at Christ’s second coming.
The binding of Satan occurred at the Cross (Col. 2:15).

6.2.1.5.Critique:
6.2.1.5.1. The New Testament does not spiritualize messianic prophecies.
Passages such as Ps. 22, Micah 5:2, and Isa. 53 are understood to
be fulfilled literally.
6.2.1.5.2. Equating true Israel with the Church is difficult to reconcile
with Rom. 9-11. Paul seems to clearly teach that God still has
future plans for ethnic Israel (as did the apostles-Acts. 1:6).
6.2.1.5.3. Contending that Rev. 20 teaches two different types of
resurrections is difficult to justify exegetically. If it means
“bodily resurrection” in verse 5, it must mean the same in verse 4b
or “we have lost control of exegesis.” (Ladd:1960,169)

6.2.2. Postmillennialism

6.2.2.1.Definition: “Postmillennialism expects the proclaiming of the Spirit-

blessed gospel of Jesus Christ to win the vast majority of human beings
to salvation in the present age. Increasing gospel success will gradually
produce a time in history prior to Christ’s return in which faith,
righteousness, peace, and prosperity prevail in the affairs of people and

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 of nations. After an extensive era of such conditions the Lord will
return visibly, bodily, and in great glory, ending history with the
general resurrection and the great judgment of all humankind.”
(Gentry:1999,14)

6.2.2.2.Adherents: Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), Jonathan Edwards (1703-

1758), William Carey (1761-1834), B. H. Carroll (1843-1914), George
W. Truett (1867-1944), Iain Murray, and Kenneth Gentry.
Postmillennialism “was the dominant position among American
evangelicals in the late eighteenth century and throughout most of the
nineteenth century.” (Grenz:1992, 66) A secularized version of
postmillennialism lied behind certain types of 19th and 20th century
progressivism. Also, American Protestant liberalism incorporates
many themes from Postmillennialism. Conservative postmillennialists,
however, have taken pains to distance themselves from both.

6.2.2.3.Tenets: (Erickson: 1987, 55)

6.2.2.3.1. The Kingdom of God is primarily a present reality; it is here in
earthly fashion.
6.2.2.3.2. The conversion of all the nations prior to Christ’s return is
expected.
6.2.2.3.3. A long period of earthly peace is expected. Though termed the
millennium, it is not necessarily 1000 years in length.
6.2.2.3.4. The King of God will grow gradually through the continuing
spread of the Gospel. The difference between the millennial age
and other ages in the life of the church is not qualitative but
quantitative.
6.2.2.3.5. At the end of the millennium there will be a time of apostasy
and a flare-up of evil occurring in connection with the coming of
Antichrist.
6.2.2.3.6. The millennium will end with the personal, bodily return of
Christ.
6.2.2.3.7. The Lord’s return will be accompanied by a general
resurrection and a subsequent general resurrection.

6.2.2.4.Scriptural arguments: (Gentry:1999, 32-55)

6.2.2.4.1. The messianic psalms present a historical optimism.

“That Your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations…God

shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.” (Ps 67:2, 7 NKJ)

6.2.2.4.2. The Old Testament Prophets promise a universal time of peace

and righteousness (Isa. 2:1-4; 45:22-25).

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 6.2.2.4.3. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus presents the Kingdom as a
present reality that will inevitably advance and be victorious
(Matt. 13; John 12:31-32; Matt. 28:18-20).

6.2.2.5.Critique:
6.2.2.5.1. The assertion that the world is getting better morally and
spiritually is questionable, at best.
6.2.2.5.2. The Scriptures promise that the world will be evangelized by
the end of the age, but not converted (Mark 13:10).
6.2.2.5.3. Postmillennialists seem to neglect the Scriptures that speak of
the spiritual and moral condition of the world worsening in the
end times (Matt. 24:9-14). “It appears that postmillennialism has
based its doctrine on very carefully selected Scripture passages.”
(Erickson:1987, 72)
6.2.2.5.4. “Postmillennialism fails because the New Testament links the
restoration of the world, the removal of creation’s futility, to ‘the
revealing of the children of God,’ that is, ‘the redemption of our
bodies’ at the resurrection (Rom. 8:18-25).” (Doyle:1999, 251).
6.2.2.5.5. The optimism expressed in the Scriptures about the world
experiencing Kingdom blessings and righteousness seems to be
contingent on the physical presence of the King.

6.2.3. Premillennialism

6.2.3.1.Definition: “This is the belief that after Jesus comes, he will establish
and rule over a kingdom on this earth for a millennium, that is, for a
thousand years.” (Blaising:1999,157) There are a variety of
premillennial positions: historical, dispensational, and more recently
progressive dispensational.

6.2.3.2.Adherents: Premillennialism was the dominant view of the early

church and was held by Clement, Polycarp, Papias, Justin Martyr,
Irenaeus, and Tertullian, to name a few. Today, it is advocated by
Charles Ryrie, Craig Blaising, Millard Erickson, and Wayne Grudem.
In the 20th century, premillennialism has been the predominant view
among evangelicals in general and Southern Baptists in particular.

6.2.3.3.Tenets:
6.2.3.3.1. The end of the present age with be characterized by a great
apostasy and will culminate in a time of judgment called the
Tribulation.
6.2.3.3.2. The two resurrections mentioned in Rev. 20:4-6 are both bodily
in nature.
6.2.3.3.3. The promises made to ethnic Israel concerning the return to the
promised land, the rebuilt temple, and an eventual spiritual
conversion will all be fulfilled literally in the future.

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 6.2.3.3.4. The millennium is the fulfillment of the Old Testament
promises to Israel about a glorious kingdom.

6.2.3.4.Arguments:
6.2.3.4.1. The covenants that God made with Israel include the promise
of an earthly kingdom (Abrahamic—Gen. 15:18-21; Davidic—2
Sam. 7:4-16; and New Covenant—Jer. 31:31-34).
6.2.3.4.2. These covenants are unconditional.
6.2.3.4.3. A glorious, intermediate kingdom is anticipated throughout the
Bible:
6.2.3.4.3.1.In the Old Testament (Ps. 2, 21, 45, 72, 96, 110; Isa. 65:17-
20; Zech. 14:17; Amos 9; and Micah 7:14-20, to name a
few).
6.2.3.4.3.2.In the New Testament: (Matt. 19:28; 1 Cor. 15:22-28; Rev.
20:4-6).

6.2.3.5.Critique:
6.2.3.5.1. The Bible rarely refers to the millennium. Rev. 20 is the only
passage in the Scriptures that explicitly mentions a thousand year
reign. Jesus and Paul had much to say about last things, yet they
never spoke explicitly about a thousand year reign.
6.2.3.5.2. Some fulfilled prophecies were not fulfilled very literally. The
prediction that the Messiah would be preceded by Elijah was
fulfilled by John the Baptist, not the actual, literal, Old Testament
character.
6.2.3.5.3. An earthly millennium appears to be theologically superfluous.
At the return of Christ, why not move directly into the ultimate
state of the new heavens and the new earth?
6.2.3.5.4. Are dispensationalists making the same hermeneutical errors
that misled 1st century Judaism? This question implies that
premillennialism has a flavor that is too Jewish.

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 The Resurrection
7. The Resurrection: The Bible repeatedly affirms a future resurrection of the both the
just and the unjust, with more emphasis given to it in the New Testament than in the
Old Testament.

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.”—Phil 3:10-11 NKJ

7.1. The Biblical Testimony

7.1.1. Old Testament: Three texts are generally given at pointing to a future
resurrection. However, only the Daniel passage is universally acknowledged
as unambiguously teaching that the dead shall one day rise.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And
after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,”—Job
19:26 NKJ

“Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and
sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth
shall cast out the dead.”—Is 26:19 NKJ

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”—Dan 12:2
NKJ

7.1.2. Intertestamental writings (the Apocrypha): The clearest references to

bodily resurrection in the Apocrypha appear in 2 Maccabees 7. As seven
brothers and their mother are martyred by Antichus Epiphanes, they comfort
one another with the promise of the resurrection.

“The King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of

life”—2 Macc 7:9

7.1.3. New Testament:

7.1.3.1.Faith in the resurrection of the body clearly distinguished Judeo-
Christian beliefs from the Hellenistic and pagans views of that day.
7.1.3.1.1. Plato recounts Socrates as saying, “The true philosopher is
entirely concerned with the soul and not the body. He would like,
as far as he can, to get away from the body” (Phaedo). “Death
was regarded as the release of the immortal soul from the prison-
house or tomb (sema) of the body (soma), the latter being
reckoned as inferior.” (Garrett, 684).
7.1.3.1.2. Celsus (2nd cent AD) ridiculed the Christian notion of a
resurrection by describing them as philosomatic—“body-loving”

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 (Origen: Contra Celsum, 8.61). Plotinus (204-270 AD) declared
that he was ashamed that he had a body.

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some

mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this
matter.’”—Acts 17:32 NKJ

7.1.3.2.The doctrine of the resurrection was a major dividing point between

the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matt 22:23-33).

“But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a
Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection
of the dead I am being judged!’”—Acts 23:6 NKJ

7.1.3.3.For the Apostles and the NT Church, the resurrection of Christ

established beyond question the reality of a bodily resurrection.

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,

certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”—Rom
6:5 NKJ

“Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up
with Jesus, and will present us with you.”—2 Cor 4:14 NKJ

7.2. The Nature of the Resurrection: The Resurrection of Christ Guarantees Our
Resurrection (1 Cor. 15:35-58).

1 Cor 15:35-36a “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And
with what body do they come?’ Thou fool!” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.The Character of the Resurrection Body (vv. 35-50):

7.2.1.1.1. The Analogies (vv. 35-41): Three analogies from botany,
biology and astronomy.
7.2.1.1.1.1.The analogy of seeds:

1 Cor 15:36b-38 “ what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but
mere grain-- perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own
body.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.1.2.The analogy of flesh:

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 1 Cor 15:39 “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of
flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, and another of
birds.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.1.3.The analogy of stars:

1 Cor 15:40-41 “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial

bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the
terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in
glory.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.2. The Application (vv. 42-50):

1 Cor 15:42 “So also is the resurrection of the dead.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.2.1.Like seeds, this body will give way to a glorious body:

1 Cor 15:42b-44a “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in

incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is
sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.1.2.1.1. From rotting to imperishable (v. 42b)

7.2.1.1.2.1.2. From shameful to honorable (v. 43a)
7.2.1.1.2.1.3. From weakness to strength (v. 43b)
7.2.1.1.2.1.4. From natural to spiritual (v. 44a)

7.2.1.1.2.2.Like different types of flesh, there are different types of

bodies (vv. 44-46)

1 Cor 15:44-46 “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual

body. 45 And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living
being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However,
the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the
spiritual.” (NKJ)

Paul is not saying that Jesus is immaterial, but immortal.

7.2.1.1.2.3.Like the stars above the earth, the new body is fit for
heaven (vv. 47 -50):

1 Cor 15:47-50 “The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the
second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so
also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man,

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 so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the
image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the
heavenly Man. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit
incorruption.” (NKJ)

Summing up: Paul is saying that the resurrected body comes from
the old body, but is different from the old body in the sense that it
is infinitely more glorious than the old body. Garrett lists five
qualities of our resurrected bodies (Garrett: 1995, 690-91):

7.2.1.1.2.3.1. More than the resuscitation of corpses

7.2.1.1.2.3.2. A different plane of being and living
7.2.1.1.2.3.3. Bodily, not just a continued non-corporeal existence
7.2.1.1.2.3.4. Full redemption of the body
7.2.1.1.2.3.5. A different kind of body

7.2.1.2.The Mystery of the Resurrection Body (vv. 51-53): This

transformation will occur to the living as well as the dead.

1 Cor 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.2.1. The mystery (v. 51)—what was once hidden but is now
revealed.
7.2.1.2.2. The moment (v. 52)—some are going to sprout without being
planted.

7.2.1.3.The Glory of the Resurrection Body (vv. 54-58):

1 Cor 15:54-58 “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and
this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ 55 ‘O Death,
where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ 56 The sting of
death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my
beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (NKJ)

7.2.1.3.1. The joy of the resurrection (vv. 54-55)

7.2.1.3.1.1.The devouring of the enemy (v. 54)
7.2.1.3.1.2.The disarming of the enemy (v. 55)
7.2.1.3.2. The gratitude of the resurrection (vv. 56-57)
7.2.1.3.3. The confidence of the resurrection (v. 58)

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 The epitaph on Ben Franklin’s tombstone—
“The body of Franklin, printer,
Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out and stripped
Of it’s lettering and gilding,
Lies here food for worms.
But the work will not be lost,
For it will appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition,
Revised and corrected by the Author.”

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 Qualifications of Pastors and Deacons
1. Qualifications of Pastors: Two passages list the qualifications of the pastor-elder
(1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9). The primary issues dealt with relate to matters of
character. The qualities expected are those expected of every Christian, but the elder
is supposed to be progressing in each area. (Stott: 1996, 91-98)
.

1.1. His general qualifications: “blameless” (1 Tim. 3:2) an inclusive term that sums
up all the requirements that follow.

1.2. His fidelity in marriage: “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3:2)—six
interpretations:
1.2.1. Never married: Roman Catholicism argues that the priest is “married to
the church.” This is a clumsy attempt to justify the requirement of celibacy.
1.2.2. Exclusion of the unmarried: Eastern Orthodoxy requires that parish priests
are married. However, it looks like this view would also forbid those
without children (1 Tim. 3:4-5).
1.2.3. Prohibition of remarried widowers: Some understand Paul to be saying
that just as OT priests were not permitted to marry widows (Lev 21:14), NT
ministers were not allowed to be remarried widowers. Tertullian argued this
view (Stott: 1996, 94).
1.2.4. Prohibition of polygamy: this seems to be the understanding of the NIV
translation—“the husband of but one wife.”
1.2.5. Prohibition of the divorced: this is a reasonable interpretation. It is
bolstered by Paul’s use of the parallel phrase in 1 Tim 5:9 “the wife of one
husband,” where he clearly refers to widows. Advocates: Paige Patterson,
Gerald Cowen, and W.A. Criswell.
1.2.6. Prohibition of unfaithful husbands: the text is literally “man of one
woman.” This interpretation points to character while the others refer to
status, which would seem to fit the overall theme. Advocates: John Stott,
John MacArthur, and John Hammett.

1.3. His self-discipline: (1 Tim 3:2) three qualifications:

1.3.1. Not given to extremes: “temperate”—not given to rash judgments.
1.3.2. Not given to impulses: “self-controlled”—has control over anger or any
other passion.
1.3.3. Not given to impropriety: “respectable” or “of good behavior”—his
conduct enhances his reputation. The first two qualities lead to the third.

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 1.4. His love for others: (1 Tim 3:2) “hospitable”—literally a “love for strangers.”
The pastor must have a genuine grace-given heartfelt love for even those he
might otherwise dislike.

1.5. His teaching ability: (1 Tim 3:2) “able to teach”—“skillful at teaching.” In the
middle of a series of moral qualities Paul gives a “professional” qualification.
This emphasizes that communicating is pre-eminent over other administrative or
shepherding responsibilities. Criswell stated that he did not concern himself with
any other duties until he first “studied himself stupid.” (Criswell: 1980, 68)

1.6. His drinking habits: (1 Tim 3:3) “not addicted to wine”—exhibits temperance
and moderation. The normal mixture for table wine was two parts wine to three
parts water (Cowen: 2003, 68). Drunkenness was a disgrace even among the
pagans.

1.7. His temper and temperament: (1 Tim. 3:3) “not pugnacious, but gentle, not
quarrelsome”—not a bully or difficult. Rather the elder is to exhibit a “sweet
reasonableness.”

1.8. His attitude towards money: (1 Tim. 3:3) “not a lover of money.” Throughout
history there have been those who used ministry to make money. (Micah 3:11; 1
Tim 6:5; 2 Tim 3:2)

1.9. His domestic discipline: (1 Tim 3:4-5) “He must manage his own family well
and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know
how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)”

“So the married pastor is called to leadership in two families, his and God’s and
the former is to be the training-ground for the latter.”—John Stott: 98.

1.10. His spiritual maturity: (1 Tim. 3:6) “not a recent convert or he may
become conceited”—he must have the humility that comes only over a period of
time growing in grace.

1.11. His outside reputation: (1 Tim 3:7) “a good reputation…not fall into
disgrace”—the watching world will not have an occasion to accuse.

2. Qualifications of Deacons: (1 Tim 3:8-13) A deacon must have four qualities:

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2.1. Must have self-mastery: (1 Tim 3:8) “men worthy of respect.” In four areas—
behavior, speech, alcohol, and money—they are to have control of themselves.

2.2. Must have orthodox convictions: (1 Tim 3:9) “They must keep hold of the deep
truths of the faith with a clear conscience”—the “deep truths” or the mysterion—
sums up the reveal truth of the faith. The deacon must a have a solid knowledge
of biblical truth and an equally solid commitment to it.

2.3. Must be tested and approved: (1 Tim. 3:10) “They must first be tested; and
then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons”—a time of
probation and scrutiny.

2.4. Must have an irreproachable home life: (1 Tim 3:11-12)

2.4.1. His wife must have similar spiritual character: (v.11) “their wives are to
be women worthy of respect.” Note that Paul speaks about the deacon’s
wife in a way he does not about an elder’s wife. This indicates that the
deacon’s wife is expected to be involved his care-giving ministry.
2.4.2. His proper oversight of his home: (v. 12) “the husband of but one wife and
must manage his children and his household well”—the same requirements
as for the elder.

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