Religion

Material Principle

Core belief or most important teaching

Material principle for Lutheran theology

Saved by grace through faith

Epistemology

The study of how one acquires information or knowledge

Formal principle

Authoritative Source of information-means of making decisions

Formal principle for Lutheran theology

Scripture alone

Magisterial use of reason

Reason over Scripture

Ministerial use of reason

Scripture over reason

Cosmological Argument

There must be a God because all created things that have a cause

Moral Argument

The fact that all human beings have a conscience that gives them a basic sense of right and wrong

Adiaphora

Neither commanded nor forbidden by the Bible

Teleological Argument

The fact that nature runs smoothly toward a goal proves that there must be a designer

Historical Argument

God can be seen as He guides and directs human history

Human authority

Parents, Pastor and Teachers are this

Ontological Argument

Common sense suggests that there is someone or something greater than everything else

Experiential Argument

Feeling God's existence through feelings, beauty, emotions, inner peace, or life changing events

Sola Scriptura

Scripture alone in Latin

Natural Knowledge

It is the information that is revealed through God's fingerprints in creation

Revealed Knowledge

How God makes Himself known through Scripture and person of Jesus Christ

Theology

The study of God

Experience

Like it or not, our past influences how we think, understand and feel

Traditionalism

Feeling bound to do something; only because that is the way it has been done before

Legalism

Turns the Gospel, or customs and traditions that are not mandated by Scripture, into new laws

Adoptionism

This belief denies Jesus's deity, claiming that he was just a man whom God the Father found to redeem humanity

Adverse Witness Test

There are records from Jesus' enemies that record that Jesus lived, did miracles, and his followers' lives were radically changed because of their belief that they witnessed the resurrected Jesus

Cover Up Test

The Gospels include embarrassing testimony about the disciples & authors of the Gospels

Curb

The function of the law that restrains bad behavior and keeps us in bounds

Mirror

The function of law that shows us our weakness, crushes our pride, and demonstrates the inability to save ourselves

Guide

The function of the law that gives us standards of God pleasing behavior

Polytheism

This belief claims there are many gods, or makes the three persons of the trinity into independent gods

Inerrancy

The Bible contains no errors

Efficacious

The Bible affects the reader- does what it says it can do

Perspicuity

The Bible is a clear presentation of God's Word

Sufficiency

The Bible contains everything necessary for salvation

Holy Spirit

Comforts and sanctifies Christians

Subordinationism

This belief does not accept the full deity of Christ, and claims that the Son and Holy Spirit are lesser deities compared to the Father

Immutable

God's nature does not change

Theistic evolution

God created the world and guided it through evolution

Eternal

God does not have a beginning or an end

Unitarianism

This belief denies God's three-ness while holding to his unity

Grace

God gives us blessings and love that are not deserved

God the Father

Creator of the universe

Creationism

God made the universe in 6 days

Mercy

God does not give a person what is deserved

Modalism

This belief accepts the names and roles of the trinity, but denies their distinctness. It states there is only one God, who takes on different forms/roles

Son

Redeemer/Savior

Atheistic evolution

Man was developed over millions of years and God was NOT involved in the process

Dominion

A divine mandate for mankind to rule over the other creatures

Original sin

This refers to sin being rooted in our beginnings, and being a part of our nature. The sinfulness inherited from conception and birth

Crown of Creation

Man is given this title in the hierarchy of God's creation

Depravity

The corruptive sinful state of nature and of mankind existing since the fall

Guilt

An objective state of one who breaks the law, regardless of their subjective feeling of shame

Stewardship

The responsibilities of human beings as caretakers of the world and all God has given us

Simul iustus et peccator

We are both saint and sinner at the same time

Ex nihilo

God created all things from nothing

Shame

The conscience awareness of our guilt.

Sin

Missing the Mark...not meeting God's standards

Causes of sin

Satan, the world, sinful desires

Justice

God is perfectly consistent and fair in how he applies his will. Giving someone what they deserve

Day Age Theory

Believes that the days of Genesis was a longer period of time

Gap Theory

Belief that a considerable amount of time pass between the events of Genesis 1:1 and 1:2

Alien Righteousness

We are declared righteous, but the righteousness belongs to Christ alone. This righteousness comes from outside of us.

Imputed Righteousness

The doctrine that credits us with Christ's righteousness. God has not changed our nature, but he has changed our status

Active Obedience

Christ's complete fulfilling of the entire law of God for the rest of humanity

Subjective Justification

Christ's work of justification of the whole world to an individual person

Passive Obedience

Christ submitted to the will of his Father and allowed himself to be killed.

Humiliation

Jesus possessed the attributes of God, but did not fully use these attributes.

Prophetic Office

Christ brings the word of God to human beings as God's representative

Priestly Office

The portion of Christ's work in which he offered him as a sacrifice for humanity's sin and continues to intercede on our behalf

Kingly or Royal Office

The portion of Christ's work in which he reigns over all creation, over believers and over heaven

Exaltation

After Christ's saving work was complete he resumed the full use of his divine powers

Incarnation

God's assumption of human nature in the person of Christ

Perfectionism

Some Christians believe that a Christian can be perfectly sanctified and holy in this life

Arminianism

This is also called "decision theology" because it insists that you must do something for salvation

Bondage of the Will

What actually occurs in our human experience of spiritual things is not a free will to do whatever we want. We are not truly free because all of our decisions are affected by sin

Faith

Not a human work but a gift of that is expressed as a trust, dependence and reliance on something or someone.

Saving Faith

Trust, reliance, dependence on the work of Christ for our salvation

Fideism

Faith without Christ as its object. The reliance upon an empty faith or faith in "faith"

Conversion

Holy Spirit changes our attitude

Means of Grace

Baptism, communion, and God's Word

Sacrament

Sacred act; synonym for baptism and communion

Characteristics of a Sacrament

(1) Sacred act that is (2) instituted by God, 3) has the promise of granting God's grace or forgiveness, and (4) is connected with a visible means or external element

Benefits of Baptism

Forgiveness of sin, Rescues from death and the devil, The Holy Spirit

Why a person should be baptized

Jesus told us to

Real Presence

Belief that in communion we receive Christ's body and blood, in, with and under the bread and wine

Transubstantiation

This teaching believes that the bread and wine turn into the body and blood of Christ

Visible Church

The aspect of the church that can be seen by humans

Invisible Church

Whole body of believers on earth- only God can truly see it

Denomination

A visible church with a common faith, confession, and a distinct name

Confession

Agreeing with Scripture that we are sinful, and expressing regret, remorse and repentance

Absolution

Proclamation of the full forgiveness of sins because of Christ saving work

Primary purpose of the Church

Preach the Gospel

Genre of the book of Revelation

Apocalyptic epistle

Audience of the book of Revelation

Seven churches in Asia

How Revelation symbolic and circular

Uses imagery to emphasize certain points

Theme of Revelation

Comfort through Jesus Christ

Hell

Eternity without God, the punishment for sin

Sanctification

The life long work of the Holy Spirit to make us holy

Vocation

A doctrine that states that each station in life is a calling from God through which we serve our neighbor

Civil Righteousness

Acts that are beneficial to society, anyone can practice this benefit

Christian Righteousness

The acts from a Christian that proceed from the love of God, conform to the will of God, and must be done from faith