theology two final exam

unspiritual tendencies: pneumatology

1. neglect the Spirit

2. depersonalization of the Spirit

3. spectacularization of the Spirit

4. mistaken identity

person

active subject

Holy Spirit: Trinitarian Personhood

1. creates (acts/works)

2. gives (will)

3. knows (intelligence)

4. is personally present

5. speaks (Divine Speech - “properties and operations”)

6. is not identical to His gifts (not a force)

trinitarian doctrinal development

more than “threeness”/ divine plurality

understanding the Holy Spirit’s place in the Godhead is achieved by

1. descriptions of Spirit’s Divine Identity

2. descriptions of Spirit’s Divine Work

3. Divine Worship

Holy Spirit and the One God of Israel

OT “doctrine of God” supplies doctrine of God to any “persons” Paul identifies w/ name kyrios

kyrios

expresses full unity of 1 divine essence, distinct persons

LORD = 1 God in 3 persons

Holy Spirit in Trinitarian context

1. Scripture applies divine titles to Spirit (that apply to God alone - “holy” “Lord”)

2. Scripture ascribes functions to HS that establish His identity (creating, revealing, sanctifying)

3. Scripture incorporates Spirit into baptismal formula of church + sets pace for liturgy

Irenaeus (view HS)

2nd C - God’s two hands in creation and salvation

Tertullian

3rd C - Father as fons divinitatis

fons divinitatis

fount of divinity

Cappadocian Fathers (view HS)

1. clarify relationship between confession of 1 divine nature/essence in 3 particulars

2. establish “fromness” of Spirit in relationship to Father + Son

Basil, Gregory Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus

*Greek Fathers

relationship between confession of 1 divine nature/essence in 3 particulars

1 divine ousia (essence/nature) wherein 3 hypostases (persons/concrete existence) eternally subsist

“fromness” of Spirit in relationship to the Father and Son

all 3 persons share in same works/descriptive titles except “begottenness”

Filioque Controversy

from whom does the Spirit proceed?

• Father only? or

• Father and Son? (double procession)

1054 Great Schism

Pope Benedict issued Papal Bull of Excommunication to Eastern Church »» divide bet West (Rome) and East (Eastern Orthodoxy) exists today

Greek Position (East)

goal = safeguard Father as sole source Divinity

• prevent Tritheism

• Cappadocian Fathers

Latin Position (west)

goal = ensure that Son and Spirit were adequately distinguished “persons” yet shown to be mutually related

• prevented Modalism or Subordinationist Christology

• Augustine of Hippo

• biblical idiom Jn 15:26

*”Spirit proceeds from the Father thru the Son”

Perichoresis

mutual-indwelling within Triune Godhead; divine essence shared by each of 3 persons of Trinity avoiding blurred distinctions among them

Spirit in OT

ruah

1. agency »» creation

2. active agent in sustaining creation »» renewal, life

3. active presence of God »» Divine Speech

ruah

Spirit, wind, breath

Spirit in the life of Israel

1. empowerment »» leaders

2. giftings »» constructing place of worship (presence, glory, mission)

3. communicates (prophetic »» limited)

Holy Spirit in Israel’s hope

Spirit’s role »» messianic

1. agent bringing abt New Covenant promise

2. anoint/endow Messiah (w/ wisdom + power)

Spirit in Synoptics

1. main function = validate Jesus as Messiah promised in OT

2. authenticate Jesus’ messianic identity (virgin birth, baptism, ministry, filled+led by Spirit, anointed+set apart for God’s purposes)

Holy Spirit in Gospel of John

portrayed as the Minister of salvation

1. new life/birth »» water + living water

2. authentic worship »» “Spirit” + “truth”

3. Paraclete

Spirit as Minister of Salvation

promised Paraclete who will mediate presence/self-revelation of Father + Son after Jesus’ ascension

Paraclete

helper, advocate (legal sense), mediator, intercessor

*parakeltos

Spirit in Acts of the Apostles

Christocentric »» empowerment after Jesus’ ascension

• salvation/regeneration

• inauguration, formation, + mission of church

• proclamation + spread of gospel + Word of God

Spirit in Pauline Corpus

Christocentric

• revealing gospel of God in Christ to ppl

• responsible for effecting our sanctification + perseverance in Christ

• builds church upon the Scriptures

Spirit in the rest of the NT

Christocentric

• fulfillment of “Spirit of prophecy/wisdom”

• mission soteriological + ecclesiological

Characteristics of a Spirit-filled Church

1. bible-saturated

2. Christ-fixated

3. bonded-in-love

4. mission-driven

5. maturing

Spirit and the church

church’s one foundation

1. builds church on its one foundation »» JC

2. gives certain offices to church (apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers)

Spirit and gifts

• every Christian received gifts of HS

• every gift = gift of grace

• for mutual edification of church

• HS »» gives varieties of gifts, differing in degrees of proportion

• gifts »» meant to be used

views of miraculous gifts

1. cessationism

2. open but cautious

3. pentecostal

4. charismatic

5. third-wave

cessationism

• no miraculous gifts of Spirit continue today

• prophecy, tongues, healing confined to 1st C (Apostolic Age)

• no offices apostles/priests today

open but cautious

• bible doesn’t explicitly say gifts have ceased »» not standard for today

• “signs + wonders”/miraculous activity are prophetic + apostolic min

• no office of apostles or prophets today »» “tongues + prophecy” must be tested if they occur (w/ emphasis on complete special revelation of God)

• evangelical

pentecostal

• all gifts HS continue today

• baptism of HS is subsequent to conversion

• tongues = “sign” baptism of HS

• result Azusa Revival 1990s

charismatic

• all gifts HS continue today

• differing positions abt whether baptism of HS in addition to conversion AND whether tongues is “sign” of baptism of HS

third-wave

• proclaiming gospel should ordinarily be accompanied by “signs,” wonders, miracles

• baptism HS happens at conversion

• “miraculous” gifts are result of subsequent “fillings” or “empowerments” of HS

• proponents »» vineyard churches, gospel coalition

the church is NOT

1. a metaphor (non-physical disembodied)

2. coffee w/ friends (not just a gathering »» its an institution)

3. human project (misunderstood as “common grace” institute rather than divine ministry/institution)

4. voluntary society (“calling”/”vocation” believers expected to fill)

creatura verbi

creature of the word (Spirit creates new cov comm of JC thru hearing of Word by faith)

notae ecclesia

notes of the church

ex: Niceno-Constantinople 381 “one, holy, catholic, apostolic church”

One: Creedal Notes of the Church

• united to same Head + same holy body thru gospel confession

• local church - covenant membership + mutual submission to maintain visibly the “invisible” commun of saints

holy: Creedal Notes of the Church

same election, exclusive devotion to God

catholic: Creedal Notes of the Church

universal

ways the local church can practice catholicity

1. globally minded

2. church history

apostolic: Creedal Notes of the Church

fidelity to the “apostles’ teaching”/proclam of gospel

ways local church practices apostolicity

1. active evangelism

2. disciple-making governed by Bible

ecclesial tradition

• distinctive, confessional, pattern, + practice of the church

• key features

  • Scripture + tradition

  • doctrinal distinctives

  • approaches to baptism, Lord’s Sup, church policy

denomination

• formal grouping of churchs w/ shared doctinal confession, history, + mission for mutual benefit/coop

• key features

  • governing doctrinal confession

  • name/title

  • governing body

  • assoc denom ministries

sacramentum (theology)

“a sacred oath” - Latin

• “means of grace” w/ efficacious ability to actualize the thing it signifies

Peter Lombard

• form of invisible grace

• instituted for sanctifying + signifying

ordinances

terminology used when not wanting to convey that these practices impart any degree of saving

*baptism + Lord’s Sup

baptism as ordinance

instituted + commanded by Jc

baptism theological points

1. identification w/ JC

2. identification w/ the church (“oath-sign” »» covenant membership)

paedobaptism

infant baptism

several views of paedobaptism

1. effecting regeneration

2. symbol of God’s grace extended to the infant prior to personal response (like OT circumcision)

3. infant baptism marks an infant as a member of the covenant comm

credobaptism

believer’s baptism (signifies new cov reality)

circumcision (OT)

mark out physical nation + to anticipate need for “circumcision of heart”

baptism (NT)

marks out new cov ppl of God + signifies reality of a “circumcised heart”

Lord’s Supper as ordinance

• language of tradition: “received” + “delivered”

• divinely instituted/commanded by Jesus

• perpetually practiced until Christ’s 2nd coming

• context »» local body underneath pastoral authority

traditional views of Lord’s Supper

1. transubstantiation

2. consubstantiation

3. spiritual presence

4. memorial

transubstantiation

• Roman Catholic

• sacrament

• at “words of institution” elts change in substance/essence into body/blood of JC while their accidents remain same

consubstantiation

• Luther

• sacrament

• at “words of institution” Christ is present within elts, but not as result “substantial” change

• Christ, present physically w/ elts bc Lord’s promise “this is my body”

spiritual presence

• Calvin

• sacrament

• denies physical presence of Christ in elts

• real, spiritual presence of Christ mediated by “signs” thru HS’s work + received by faith

memorial

• Zwingli, anabaptists

• ordinance

• elts signify Lord’s body + blood

• “do this in remembrance of me”

• Christ ascended to right hand of Father + is not physically present

why does eschatology matter?

1. all scripture is God-breathed

2. it’s the larger biblical-theological context for understanding the cross

3. assures us God will keep His promises

4. clarifies mission + identity of church

5. keeps church awake + waiting/guards against apathy

6. provides real hope

7. motivates us to live in “holiness + godliness”

biblical eschatology

study of completion of Triune God’s redemptive plan + purpose for creation + history to save a ppl for His own possession + glory

inaugurated eschatology

“already, not yet” (reign + realm of God for the present + future)

God’s rule, reign, ppl, place, presence, life/righteousness, holiness, glory

what is the significance of the Day of the Lord?

predominant biblical theme/pattern/convention for portraying future events that precipitate the consummation of all things + establishment of new heaven + earth

*canonical theme in minor prophets as Book of the 12

yom Yahweh

Day of the Lord

*appears 15 times in OT, 13 occur in the Book of the 12

the long DOTL

• rapture (precedes it)

• tribulation (the onset)

• 2nd coming Christ

• millennium

• final resurrection

• final judgment

• new heaven and new earth

amillennialism

denies literal 1000 days, figurative interpretation of millennium (Church Age)

Church Age

time between Christ’s first and second comings

postmillennialism

JC return after millennium, not require literal 1000 yr earthly reign, optimism abt social + global transforming effects of gospel to produce “millennial age”, Christ return after indefinite period

premillennialism

JC return to estab Millennial earthly reign (His return is prior to millennium), Christ’s return follows time of tribulation, Jesus’ millennial reign marked by peace and resurrection until the resurrection of believers and unbelievers, final judgment, + establishment of new heaven and new earth

two types: classical (historic) + pretribulational

classical historical premillennialism

Christ’s return follows tribulation

pretribulational premillennialism

Christ’s coming (parousia) happens in 2 stages

1. Christ returns prior to Tribulation + delivers believers (rapture) from DOTL

2. Christ returns at end Tribulation in visible, bodily form to establish Millennial kingdom

where do we go before the eternal state?

OT »» Sheol

Sheol

place of the dead, merely grave or death, righteous + wicked go there, eschatological hope of bodily resurrection

guiding propositions on the intermediate state

1. OT/NT both portray immediate separation of body from soul at death

2. OT/NT both depict believers’ experience of intermediate state as one of conscious blessedness

3. OT/NT both teach that the unbelievers’ experience after death is one of conscious torment in Hell

Hades

death + place of punishment for unredeemed

Gehenna

place torment + punishment for all unbelievers (possibly prophetic reference to the Lake of Fire)

intermediate hell

emptied into the Lake of Fire

intermediate heaven

place rest, comfort + joy although eternal bliss is not fully realized until the new heaven and new earth