Theology 1

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Theology 1

• Master of Christian Studies
• Union University
• Dr. Kendell Easley

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Introduction to Systematic Theology

• Systematic theology is any study that answers
  the question, What does the whole Bible teach
  us today? about any given topic.

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Introduction to Systematic Theology

• Relationship to Other Disciplines
• Application to Life
• Systematic Theology and Disorganized Theology
• What Are Doctrines?
• A doctrine is what the whole Bible teaches us
  today about some particular topic.
• Assumptions

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Why Should Christians Study Theology?

• The Basic Reason Jesus Commanded It!
• The Benefits to Our Lives
• Objections to the Study
• The Conclusions Are Too Neat to Be True
• The Choice of Topics Dictates the Conclusions

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How Should Christians Study Systematic Theology?

• With Prayer
• With Humility
• With Reason
• With Help from Others
• By Collecting and Understanding All the Relevant
  Passages of Scripture on Any Topic
• With Rejoicing and Praise

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Easleys Thinking about Systematic Theology

• Need to distinguish between first-level,
  second-level, and third level doctrines
• First-level doctrines that define orthodoxy
  (RAISED FIST)
• To deny a first-level doctrine is to be in heresy
  and likely to be outside of Christ and the gospel
• The Ancient Creeds and the Pillars of the
  Reformation serve as reliable guidelines
• Example the bodily resurrection of Jesus

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Easleys Thinking about Systematic Theology

• Second-level doctrines that define denominations
  (OUTTHRUST PALM)
• To deny a second-level doctrine is to be in error
• Those disagreeing here may have difficulty
  sharing church membership, but not Christian
  fellowship
• Example the proper candidates for baptism
• Third-level doctrines that express personal
  preference and about which there is much question
  (OPEN PALM)
• Persons of all preferences are welcome
• Example questions about the nature of the
  tribulation

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Systematic TheologyPart 1

• The Doctrine of the Word of God

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The Word of God What Are the Different Forms of
the Word of God?

• The Word of God as a Person Jesus Christ

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The Word of God as Speech by God

• Gods Decrees
• Gods Words of Personal Address
• Gods Words as Speech Through Human Lips
• Gods Words in Written Form the Bible
• The Focus of This Study the Bible

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The Canon of ScriptureWhat Belongs in the Bible
and What Does Not Belong?

• The Old Testament CanonEasley The Law
  Prophecy
• The New Testament Canon

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The Authority of ScriptureHow Do We Know That
the Bible Is Gods Word?

• The authority of Scripture means that all the
  words in Scripture are Gods words in such a way
  that to disbelieve or disobey any work of
  Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.

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All the Words in Scripture Are Gods Words
Easley Inspiration

• This Is What the Bible Claims for Itself
• We Are Convinced of the Bibles Claims to Be
  Gods Words as We Read the Bible
• Other Evidence Is Useful but Not Finally
  Convincing
• The Words of Scripture Are Self-Attesting
• Objection This Is a Circular Argument
• This Does Not Imply Dictation from God as the
  Sole Means of Communication
• Therefore, to Disbelieve or Disobey Any Word of
  Scripture Is to Disbelieve or Disobey God

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The Truthfulness of Scripture

• God Cannot Lie or Speak Falsely
• Therefore, All the Words in Scripture are
  Completely True and Without Error in Any Part
• Gods Words Are the Ultimate Standard of Truth
• Might Some New Fact Ever Contradict the Bible?
• Written Scripture Is Our Final Authority

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The Inerrancy of ScriptureAre There Any Errors
in the Bible? Easley Infallibility

• The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture
  in the original manuscripts does not affirm
  anything that is contrary to fact.

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Limits of Inerrancy

• The Bible Can Be Inerrant and Still Speak in the
  Ordinary Language of Everyday Speech
• The Bible Can Be Inerrant and Still Include Loose
  or Free Quotations
• It Is Consistent with Inerrancy to Have Unusual
  or Uncommon Grammatical Construcitons in the Bible

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Challenges to Inerrancy

• Inerrancy Is a Poor Term
• We Have No Inerrant Manuscripts Therefore, Talk
  About an Inerrant Bible Is Misleading
• The Biblical Writers Accommodated Their
  Messages in Minor Details to the False Ideas
  Current in Their Day, and Affirmed or Taught
  Those Ideas in an Incidental Way
• Inerrancy Overemphasizes the Divine Aspect of
  Scripture and Neglects the Human Aspect
• There Are Some Clear Errors in the Bible

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Problems with Denying Inerrancy

• If We Deny Inerrancy, a Serious Moral Problem
  Confronts Us May We Imitate God and
  Intentionally Lie in Small Matters Also?
• If Inerrancy Is Denied, We Begin to Wonder If We
  Can Really Trust God in Anything He Says
• If We Deny Inerrancy, We Essentially Make Our Own
  Human Minds a Higher Standard of Truth than Gods
  Word Itself
• If We Deny Inerrancy, Then We Must Also Say that
  the Bible Is Wrong Not Only in Minor Details but
  in Some of Its Doctrines as Well

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The Clarity of ScriptureCan Only Bible Scholars
Understand the Bible Rightly? Easley
Interpretation

• The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is
  written in such a way that its teachings can be
  understood by all who will read it seeking Gods
  help and being willing to follow it.

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The Bible Affirms Its Own Clarity

• The Moral and Spiritual Qualities Needed for
  Right Understanding
• Practical Encouragement from This Doctrine
• The Role of Scholars

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The Necessity of ScriptureWhy Is the Bible
Necessary? How Much Can People Know about God
without the Bible?

• The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible
  is necessary for knowing the gospel, for
  maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing Gods
  will, but is not necessary for knowing that God
  exists or knowing something about Gods character
  and moral laws.

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The Bible Is Necessary

• For Knowledge of the Gospel
• For Maintaining Spiritaul Life
• For Certain Knowledge of Gods Will
• The Bible Is NOT Necessary
• For Knowing that God Exists
• For Knowing Something About Gods Character and
  Moral Laws

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The Sufficiency of ScriptureIs the Bible Enough
for Knowing what God Wants Us to Think or Do?

• The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture
  contained all the words of God he intended his
  people to have at each stage of redemptive
  history, and that it now contains all the words
  of God we need for salvation, for trusting him
  perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.

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Factors Concerning the Sufficiency of Scripture
Easley Great Commandments

• We Can Find All that God Has Said on Particular
  Topics, and We Can Find Answers to Our Questions
• The Amount of Scripture Given Was Sufficient at
  Each Stage of Redemptive History
• Practical Applications of the Sufficiency of
  Scripture