THEOLOGY 1

Fall 2024
 WHAT IS
THEOLOGY?
Theology I 3

FAITH SEEKING
UNDERSTANDING
“For I do not seek to
understand so that I may
believe; but I believe so that I
may understand. For I believe
this also, that ‘unless I believe,
I shall not understand’ (Isa.
7.9).”
St Anselm of Canterbury,
Proslogion I
MCGRATH
Ch 1: Faith Ch 6: Spirit
Ch 2: God Ch 7: Trinity
Ch 3: Creation Ch 8: Church
Ch 4: Jesus Ch 9: Sacraments
Ch 5: Salvation Ch 10: Heaven
Theology I 5

FAITH
Theology I 6

WHAT IS “FAITH”?
• A set of beliefs or • An action of trust and

doctrines belief

• The specific things • The act of having faith in

someone has faith in something

• “Objective” • “Subjective”
Theology 2 7

JOHN CALVIN
(1.3, 9)
How does the Trinity relate to faith?
PROVING GOD
Theology I 9

ST THOMAS AQUINAS’ FIVE

WAYS
• Argue for the existence of God based on the world around us

• Telos

• Examples:

• Argument from Motion

• Argument from Design

Theology I 10

DO “PROOFS” EVEN WORK?

• Blaise Pascal

• These proofs describe a god who is abstract and doesn’t act like

the God in the Bible

• These proofs ignore the role the human heart has in belief

• “Proofs” for God are really not proofs at all: they are rational

descriptions of God’s presence in the world

Theology I 11

FAITH AND REASON

• Faith and Reason are not opposed, but work together

• Faith goes beyond Reason, but does not contradict it

• “Faith seeking understanding”

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GOD
Theology Proper
Theology 1 13

WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

Theology I 14

WHAT GOD?
1
• God : the supreme or ultimate reality: such as
• a: the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped (as in Judaism,
Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism) as creator and ruler of the universe
• Throughout the patristic and medieval periods, Christian theologians taught that God created the
universe …—Jame Schaefer
• … the Supreme Being or God, the personal form of the Ultimate Reality, is conceived by Hindus as
having various aspects.—Sunita Pant Bansal
2
• or less commonly God : a being or object that is worshipped as having more than natural
attributes and powers

• Main Point: There are a lot of “gods”! We need to be more specific

Theology I 15

ISRAEL’S NEIGHBORS
Theology I 16

CHRISTIANITY
Christians worship the
God of Israel

The story of the New

Testament is the story of
the Old Testament
Theology I 17

SO, WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

• Analogy: the way humans engage in God-talk

• Finite minds are not inherently capable of comprehending something

infinite

• Personal vs Nonpersonal
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CREATION
Theology I 19

CREATION EX NIHILO

• This Doctrine is Different than Two Main Sources

• Platonism/Greek Philosophy
• Gnosticism
• God created out of nothing, meaning that creation is good
• Creation is fully dependent on God
• Dualism doesn’t work!
Theology I 20

WHAT DOES CREATION MEAN?

• Creature/Creator distinction
• Authority
• Goodness
• Imago Dei
Theology I 21

THREE MODELS

EMANATION CONSTRUCTION ARTISTRY

Theology I 22

SEVEN DAYS?

YOUNG EARTH OLD EARTH CREATIONISM THEISTIC EVOLUTION

CREATIONISM
• Six literal 24-hour • Gap Theory – Huge • God uses the
days in which God time between Gen mechanism of
created the world 1:1 and 1:2 that evolution to create
in the sequence as explains age of and develop life
Genesis depicts in universe • Theistic v
chapter 1 • Day-Age Theory – Naturalistic
“Days” are long
ages of time rather
than actual days
Theology I 23

FRAMEWORK
THEORY
Creation

Distinction

Adornment
Theology I 24

JESUS
Christology
Theology I 25

WHO IS JESUS?
• Messiah/Christ

• Lord

• Son of God

• Son of Man

• God
Theology I 26

WHAT DOES JESUS DO?

• Savior

• Worshipped
All This Means that Jesus =
God!
• Reveals God
Theology I 27

HERESY

ADOPTIONISM DOCETISM ARIANISM

Theology I 28

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
 Theology I 29

Following, then, the holy Fathers, we acknowledged in Two Natures

all unanimously teach that our Lord unconfusedly, unchangeably,
Jesus Christ is to us One and the indivisibly, inseparably; the
same Son, the Self-same Perfect in difference of the Natures being in no
Godhead, the Self-same Perfect in way removed because of the Union,
Manhood; truly God and truly Man; but rather the properties of each
the Self-same of a rational soul and Nature being preserved, and (both)
body; co-essential with the Father concurring into One Person and One
according to the Godhead, the Self- Hypostasis; not as though He was
same co-essential with us according parted or divided into Two Persons,
to the Manhood; like us in all things, but One and the Self-same Son and
sin apart; before the ages begotten Only-begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus
of the Father as to the Godhead, but Christ; even as from the beginning
in the last days, the Self-same, for us the prophets have taught concerning
and for our salvation (born) of Mary Him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ
the Virgin Theotokos as to the Himself hath taught us, and as the
Theology I 30

CONCILIAR CHRISTOLOGY
Theology I 31

ICONS
“Windows to Heaven”

Used in public worship and in

private devotion

More than just a picture

SALVATION
Soteriology
 33

“SALVATION” IN ST PAUL

SALVATION ADOPTION JUSTIFICATION REDEMPTION

Romans 8:24 Romans 8:15 Romans 5:1-2 1 Corinthians 6:20

1 Corinthians 1:18
Romans 13:11
Theology I 34

PROBLEM:
“RANSOM”?
Liberation

Payment

Someone to receive
payment

Question: How does this

analogy work or fail?
Theology I 35

SACRIFICE
• Old Testament
background
• Passover
• Sinful humanity offers
a sinless sacrifice
Theology I 36

VICTORY
• Roman Triumph
• Christ defeats the
demonic powers
• “Trampling down
death by death”
Theology I 37

FORGIVENESS
• St Anselm –
Satisfaction
• Repayment of honor
• Making good what has
ben wronged
Theology I 38

HOW DOES JESUS’ DEATH BENEFIT US?

PARTICIPATION REPRESENTATION SUBSTITUTION

• Being “in Christ” • Christ represents • Christ dies in our

means we take humanity place
part in his actions covenantally • Our guilt is taken
• We share his life • Being part of the on by Christ
and death, and covenant gives the • Christ taking our
therefore gain his benefits of the place means our
benefits covenant head debt is removed
Theology I 39

DEIFICATION
• “Divinization” / “Theosis”
• 2 Peter 1:4
• “God became man so that
man might become god” St
Athanasius
• Participation by grace in
the life of God
• Union with God
• Eastern Orthodox churches
emphasize deification as
the path to salvation
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Pneumatology
 SPIRIT IN
SCRIPTURE
‫רּוַח‬
πνεῦμα
 “WIND” / “BREATH” / “SPIRIT”

THEN MOSES “PROPHESY TO THE I WILL PUT MY

STRETCHED OUT HIS BREATH … ‘THIS IS SPIRIT IN YOU AND YOU
HAND OVER THE WHAT THE WILL LIVE, AND I WILL
SEA, AND ALL THAT SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS: SETTLE YOU IN YOUR
NIGHT COME, BREATH, FROM OWN LAND.
THE LORD DROVE THE THE FOUR WINDS AND
SEA BACK WITH A BREATHE INTO THESE EZ 37.14
STRONG EAST SLAIN, THAT THEY MAY
WIND AND TURNED IT LIVE.’”
INTO DRY LAND. EZ 37.9

EX 14.21
 SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT
Dove (Mk 1.10)
• Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the
Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Fire (Acts 2.3-4)
• They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each
of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Oil (Is 61.1)
• The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor.
WHAT IS THE
SPIRIT?
Theology 2 46

IS THE SPIRIT DIVINE?

Three major kinds of arguments helped to establish recognition of the Spirit’s
divinity:
1. Scripture applies titles of God to the Spirit
• “Holy:” holiness is a characteristic of God

2. The Spirit’s functions are divine functions

• The Spirit does not need to be made holy; the Spirit makes people holy

3. The church baptizes in the name of the Spirit

• “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” indicates a
Theology 2 47

AMBROSE OF MILAN
(6.1, 120)
What is Ambrose’s basic argument?

What does the theme of believers as

“temple” have to do with the Spirit?

What point does Ambrose make about 2

Corinthians 4.6?
Theology 2 48

HENRY BARCLAY
SWETE (6.5, 131)
What are the three possible ways to
explain the Spirit?

What does Swete say about the limits of

human language?

What is the “Catholic doctrine” of the

Spirit based on?
WHO IS THE
SPIRIT?
Theology 2 50

IS THE SPIRIT ANOTHER SON?

• Irenaeus: The Father’s “two hands”

• Son as “Word” and Spirit as “Wisdom”

• “Begetting” and “Proceeding”

• Twin sons?
Theology 2 51

JOHN OF DAMASCUS
(6.2, 123)
What is done to the Spirit?

What is the Spirit?

What does the Spirit do?

What is the difference between the Son

and the Spirit?
Theology 2 52

JOHN WEBSTER (6.5,

134)
What is the proper understanding of the
nature of God?

What does the Spirit do in each of the

three areas of his action?
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“FILIOQUE”?
Theology 2 54

“AND THE SON”

EAST WEST
• Single Procession • Double Procession

• Father is the single • Father and Son are

source source

• “Two hands of the • “Bond of love”

Father”
Theology 2 55

JOHN MEYENDORFF
(6.7, 137)
What is the difference between the
western and eastern understandings of
the Trinity?

What is the “biblical understanding” that

is worth the risk of tritheism to preserve?

How does the idea of “procession” suggest

the Spirit is divine?
WHAT DOES THE
SPIRIT DO?
Theology 2 57

THE SPIRIT’S WORKS

God’s Active Presence in the

Revelation of World
God to Humanity
Appropriation ofEnergization
Salvation of th
Theology 2 58

FORMULA OF
CONCORD (6.3, 125)
Summarize the key points.

What is the state of human nature?

What role does the Spirit play in salvation?

Theology 2 59

CHARLES GORE
(6.4, 128)
How does the Spirit relate to human
nature?

How does the Spirit equip Christ for

redemption?

How is the Spirit involved in the Church?

THE TRINITY
God’s Identity
WHERE DOES THE
TRINITY COME
FROM?
Theology 2 62

THE TRINITY IN SCRIPTURE

• The Bible does not contain a systematic explanation of the doctrine
of the Trinity
• The Bible “bears witness to a God who demands to be understood in
a trinitarian manner” (McGrath, 129)
• Pattern: Father revealed in Son through Holy Spirit
• Genesis 1:2-3
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
• Titus 3:4-6
Theology 2 63

IRENAEUS (7.1, 142)

What is the “rule of faith”?

How is the Christian rule of faith shaped

by the Trinity?
WHAT IS THE
TRINITY?
Theology 2 65

WHAT THE TRINITY IS

NOT
TRITHEISM MODALISM

• Three separate • “Chronological”

beings • “Functional”
• “Three gods” • Three persons are
not truly distinct
• Sabellianism
Theology 2 66

WHAT THE TRINITY IS

• Inseparable equality of the three divine persons
• Real distinctions among the three divine persons
• Real distinctions among the persons in salvation
• Inseparable action of the persons in salvation
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Theology 2 68

PICTURING THE TRINITY

• Sun, Ray, Heat

• Spring, Fount, Stream

• Chain

• Rainbow
Theology 2 69

“ECONOMIC” AND
“IMMANENT” TRINITY
• “Immanent” Trinity: • “Economic” Trinity:
God acting in God’s God acting in the
self world
• The Son is the • The fact that it is the
revelation of the Son who becomes
Father as the Word incarnate in the
begotten by the world reveals a fact
Father about the Son in
Theology 2 70

CATHERINE MOWRY
LACUGNA (7.7, 159)

What is the original purpose of the

doctrine of the Trinity?
What does the doctrine of the Trinity have
to do with the doctrine of salvation?
Why is the Trinity the “most practical of all
doctrines”?
THE CHURCH
Ecclesiology
WHERE EXACTLY IS
THE CHURCH?
Theology 2 73

VISIBLE OR INVISIBLE?
• Does the “Church” mean the local communities who gather together
for worship? Does it mean the total body of believers across the
world and time? New Testament uses both.
• Local / Universal; Militant / Triumphant; Visible / Invisible
• The Church is both.
Theology 2 74

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS

There is only one Church, one body

The Church of Christ.
is set apart.
“According to the whole”
Descends
or universal.
from Christ’s d

ONE HOLY CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC

Theology 2 75

CHURCH GOVERNMENT

EPISCOPAL PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONAL

SACRAMENTS
 77

WHAT IS A
SACRAMENT?
Theology 2 78

“SACRAMENTUM
”
Tertullian is the first to use this
Latin term in this way
Originally a military oath
SACRAMENT:
An outward sign of an inward
grace
Theology 2 80

SEVEN SACRAMENTS

BAPTISM COMMUNION CONFIRMATION

PENANCE/ MATRIMONY ORDINATION EXTREME

CONFESSION UNCTION
Theology 2 81

BAPTISM
• What does baptism do?

• How do you baptize someone?

• Who should be baptized?

Theology 2 82

CYRIL OF
JERUSALEM (9.1,
184)
• What is the connection between the Exodus and

baptism?

• What does baptism give us?

• What does Christian baptism give that John the

Baptist’s baptism did not?

Theology 2 83

CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN THE EUCHARIST

HEAVEN
Eschatology
Theology 2 85

NOW AND NOT YET

• The Kingdom of God is the main theme.

• There is a new age.

• The resurrection of Jesus is the key event

• The future coming of Jesus

• The Holy Spirit is the pledge

Presentation title 86

WHAT DOES THE NT SAY?

• Futurist

• Inaugurated

• Realized
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THE LAST THINGS

HEAVEN HELL

• Dante’s Inferno?
• Resurrection of the body • “…the doors of hell are
locked on the inside. I do
(1 Corinthians 15) not mean that the ghosts
may not wish to come
• Elimination of sin out of hell … but they
certainly do not will even
(Revelation 21) the first preliminary
stages of that self-
• Beatific Vision abandonment through
which alone the soul can
reach any good.”
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NO MAN EVER SAW GOD AND

LIVED. AND YET, I SHALL NOT
LIVE UNTIL I SEE GOD; AND
WHEN I HAVE SEEN HIM, I SHALL
NEVER DIE.
John Donne