reformed doctrine
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08Fall
Reformed Doctrine: Explaining The Gospel and All Its Implications
Robbie Schmidtberger
Trinity Christian School
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Introduction:
Terms: General and Special Revelation
Where shall we start? Some theologians start with
Scripture, others with God. Both waysor methods, have their benefits and
both are good. We start with Scripture, as it tells us about God. I want to
focus on this now. How do we know about God?
Creation tells us about God (Romans 1, Psalm 19). This is called
general revelation. We know that there is a creator by looking around
at the world. Our own hearts moan for something greater, fulfillment
perhaps. But these two things are inadequate to know this God fully.
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Scripture tells us about God. It reveals who He is. He is a triune
divine. There are three people, God the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. It tells that we are sick, something terrible gone amuck within
ourselves. And informs us that Christ had a mission.
We can know God most clearly in the Person of Jesus Christ, so much
of our study will be spent on who He is and what He has done.
1. Making Sense of This All: Why To Study Theology
Key Terms: Orthodoxy, theology, unorthodoxy, heterodoxy
Louis Berkhof, The Manual of Christian Doctrine, pg. 23-36
What do you think of when you hear the word doctrine? How about
Calvinism? Or to put it another way How important are your beliefs?
Should debates over the question, how was I saved really happen?
Everything we do is theological. If you do not realize this, you are not
reflective upon your views of God, human nature, the world, etc. Theology
and doctrine are absolutely crucial. We must delve deep into our theology to
see what we believe. And we must conform to Scripture.
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Why are you in this classroom? What do you hope to learn, achieve,
become by Christmas of this year? Much of the things you learn in this box
you call a classroom, many people think is worthless. Trash they call it, or
rubbish depending which country they call home. So the question, Why
Study Theology?Is a very important one.
First, what is theology? A derivitive of two words, theos and
logos. God-talk if you would. What you will be learning this semester is first
and foremost about God. For the purposes of definition we will simply say it
is the study of Gods word.
Now that we are agreed on what theology is, or at least I hope
we are. Why is this of any relevance to you? One reason we already
mentioned in passing, knowing God. If you would recall, earlier I
mentioned that people think theology is rubbish. Reality has it that theology
transforms your heart. By December you will either love God more, or be
more indifferent to him that this moment. To know God seizes you by the
collar and demands your answer for our rebellion.
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Another reason is to know ourselves. We, often, go our own way.
Actually we always do. The Scriptures call us sheep, another analogy is that
we are horses with blinders on. We do not know what is going on around us.
We are spiritually blind, dead in our sins, corpses. The Scriptures properly
orient who we are in the sight of God. And that is all that matters.
I mentioned the transformative power of theology. Once you
encounter Gods words you are made into the image of Christ, or hardened
into the epitome of our rebellion against the true King.
The reason why theological discussions often erupt into divisions and
debates is because theological jargon, terminology, acts as signposts. If
you know the meanings of the words theologians (those who study theology
as a living) then you know what they say. This jargon helps you guard
against heresy, against unorthodoxy beliefs that are outside the realm of
Christianity.
In saying all these things, it is my goal that you would be
transformed by the end of the semester. Transformed meaning that you
turned away from your sins and fell more in love with Christ. That is my
prayer for myself. And as you will see, and learn, it is not an easy task, for
while the power of sin is dead, the presence has not left us.
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Also theology must be accurate, it must be sound. We will look
at the truth, Scripture. It also must be theo-centric (centered on God),
because everything orbits around him, and is about him. Thus making us,
drawing us closer to him, in order to worship him. It is my hope that as a
close you will come closer together in Christ.
2. How to Study Theology: The Role of Scripture
Key Terms: Authoritative, Inspiration, God's Word,
Hermeneutics
Barometer: Do the students know how to study the Word?
Handouts: New Attitude 2008 on Hermeneutics
Louis Berkhof, Manual of Christian Doctrine, pg. 37-49
Introduction: Movie clip from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead
Man's Chest
How do you read the Bible? I want to discuss how we are going to be
studying theology. I want this to be extremely beneficial for you in your
walk with God and reading of Scripture, for if you do not know how to
apply Scripture, you do not truly understand the Scriptures. First
what is the Bible? How do people see the Bible? What do they think it is?
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It is just a book of moral stories (a guy commenting on a thread)
It is man-made and people have just been adding on to the story
for hundreds of years. (same thread, different guy)
To me the bible is a compilation of books by different authors that
range from 5 to 80 depending on what particular sect of Christianity
or Judaism you belong to. Its a story that has some truths and
some myths. Its helpful in the sense that it teaches us about what
the people believed in the past (on a different thread)
I think its an interesting collection of what are probably completely
allegorical tales. (same thread, different person)
The Bible is the account of God's action in the world and his
purpose with all creation (the international bible society)
These are just a sampling of peoples thoughts on the Bible on these two
threads I visited. As you can see there is a lot of confusion surrounding the
nature of scripture. Instead of conjecturing what we think Gods word is, let
it speak for itself. So we are going to have it speak for itself. Please look up
the following Scripture references:
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Ex. 17:14, God says to Moses, Write this down. (the same with
Ex. 34: 27, Num. 33:2, Is. 8:1, Jer. 25: 13, 30:2, Ezekiel 24:1)
Hebrews 2:2, Since the message proved to be reliable
What do all these things mean? How does this apply to your life?
First It is clear that God is speaking to men, and telling them to write
down His Wordsin order that others may read it and be passed down
through generations as a memorial. Theologians explain this process as
inspiration. (Berkhof handles this well). Inspiration is the supernatural,
providential influence on the human authors, which caused them to
write what God wished to be written for the communication of
revealed truth to humanity.1
When we read the Bible we are reading His word. Secondly, Hebrews
tells us that it is reliable.
1James Bibza, Grove City College, lecture on the inspiration of Scripture.Spring 2005
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2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed (the unity of
Scripture, one must ask what is the extent of Scripture. This was a
question that put the early church in an uproar. On one hand we
depend on the Canon they produced we do not study the
Apocrypha.)
2 Peter 3:16 Peter affirms Pauls writings as Scripture (one of the
inner three)
John 14-16
The Authority of Scripture
What was Jesus view of the OT? (If Jesus was the King of kings
then one must ask, what was his view of the OT? His Lordship has
direct implications on our lives.
Luke 24:27 (The Emmaus Road, all the writings [the OT]
talked about Jesus)
Summarized the OT as the psalms, law and prophets
Matthew 5:17, 18 came to fulfill Scripture
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John 5:38ff debating with the Pharisees (who come for
information not transformation) and Jesus rebukes them.
(The significance is that the Pharisees studied the bible and
memorized it. Like saying to Michael Jordan you do not
know Basketball. Because they did not recognize that
Scripture is about Jesus.)
The NT use of the OT How did the apostles understand the OT?
As they were the disciples of Jesus (the very men he taught)
Over 3000 quotes and allusions to the OT
2 Peter 1:21-22 No prophecy produced by the will of men
(speaking of the OT prophets, thus they are Gods words)
Hebrews 1:1,2 God spoke to our fathers by prophets
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How does one read Scripture? First one must understand it as Gods
word. It is reliable and given by Him. From there we must ask, What does
this passage mean for my life? This can be a dangerous practice, as it
makes you look for the moral teaching of the text. But that is not the
primary purpose of Scripture. The Bible is all about Jesus (Luke 24:27).
When we read Scripture we must also ask the question, not to ourselves but
praying to God, asking him to show us Jesus. That God would reveal himself
in the particular passage you are reading. We do this because Scripture, as
Gods word, is authoritative. As 1 Peter 1:25 says, The word of the Lord
endures forever. Matthew 5:18 says, That not even an iota, a jot or a
tiddle, shall fall until all is accomplished. So we must continue to study the
whole counsel of God. This demands that our minds conform to Scripture, to
Gods words, instead of our own rebellious devices. (Romans 12:1-2)
3. A Theological Atlas: The Nature of Scripture
Key Terms: Inerrant, Infallible, Perspicuity
Mark Dever on Studying Scripture @ New Attitude
Louis Berkhof, Manual of Christian Doctrine, pg. 37-49
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http://www.newattitude.org/articles/mark_dever_on_personal_bible_readinghttp://www.newattitude.org/articles/mark_dever_on_personal_bible_readinghttp://www.newattitude.org/articles/mark_dever_on_personal_bible_readinghttp://www.newattitude.org/articles/mark_dever_on_personal_bible_reading -
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(Continuing the thoughts from yesterday.) Gods word is authoritative,
it is without error and it is trust worthy. Inerrant means without error.
And Infallible means trust worthy.
Proverbs 30:5,6
Psalm 119 a meditation on Gods word
Jeremiah refining fire
John 17:17 Your word is true
James 1:22
Luke 16 everything we need to know about God is in Scripture
Acts 17:11 the supreme court of authority (Sola Scriptura vs.
solo Scriptura- where you only study the Bible)
Romans 10:17 builds your faith
Romans 16:26 for everyone (Peter says it is like milk for a
baby)
Matthew 4 and Luke 4
1 Thessalonians 2:13
Not a chronological book but divided up into genre
The eyewitness nature of Scripture (not legend or myth)
Colossians 4:17
1 Thess. 2:13
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4. The Gospel: The Beauty of Reformed Doctrine
Key Terms: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement,
Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints / Eternal Security
Handouts: Tim Keller, The difference between Religion and the
Gospel downloaded onto mac
Calvinism (Synod of Dordtech)
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The very act of setting out Calvinistic soteriology [the doctrine
of Salvation] in the form of five distinct points tends to
obscure the the organic character of Calvinistic thought on
this subject. For the five points, though separately stated,
are really inseparable. They hang together; you cannot reject
one without rejecting them all, at least in the sense in which
the Synod meant them. For to Calvinism there is really only
one point to be make in the first of soteriology: the point
that God saves sinners. God- the Triune Jehovah, Father,
Son, and Spirit; three Persons working together in sovereign
wisdom, power, and love to achieve the salvation of a chosen
people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Fathers will
by redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of Father and
Son by renewing. Saves- does everything, first to last, that
is involved in bringing man from death in sin to life in glory:
plans, achieves and communicates redemption, calls and
keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies. Sinners- men as God
finds them, guilty, vile, helpless, powerless, unable to lift a
finger to do Gods will or better their spiritual lot. God saves
sinners- and the force of this confession may not be
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weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or
by dividing the achievement of salvation between God and
man and making the decisive part mans own, or by soft-
pedalling the sinners inability so as to allow him to share the
praise of his salvation with his Savior. This is the one point of
Calvinistic soteriology which the five points are concerned to
establish and Arminianism in all its forms to deny: namely,
that sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, byt
that salvation, first and last, whole and entire, past, present,
and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever; amen.
2
TULIP (Reformation Soteriology)
Total Depravity
Sin as a Chasm and a Wall total separation between us
and God
Unconditional Election
Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah)
Limited Atonement
Who shall be saved?
Irresistible Grace
2JI Packer and Mark Dever, Saved by His Precious Blood: An Introduction toJohn Owens The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, in In My PlaceCondemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement, (Crossway,2008), 117-118.
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An encounter with Gods grace leaves you hardened or
desiring to dwell with Him
Perseverance of the Saints
Eternal Security
Does not mean perfectionism
Romans 8
The Solae (Reformation principles)
Sola Fide Faith alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Scriptura Scripture alone
Sola Christus Christ alone
Sola Deo Gloria To the Glory of God alone
Excurses: Covenant Theology
The Tale of Two Testaments: Covenant Theology
Key Terms: Dispensationalism, Signs and Seals
What ties all the Bible together?
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The message of redemption. The OT is how God chose a
people, who were sinners and constantly ran away from him,
and how he kept them as his. (Hosea)
Everything points to ultimate redemption (Jesus Christ)
John 5:46 If you believed Moses, you would believe
me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his
writings, how will you believe my words
Luke 24:27 and beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures
the things concerning himself
Scripture cannot be broken
What is a covenant?
A relationship between God and man that is special as it has
redemption as the focus.
The Covenants
Adamic (Gen. 1-2)
Gen. 3:15 is the footnote of the OT. Everything in the
OT is built and supports this truth.
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Noahic (Gen. 6-8)
Abrahamic (Gen. 12, 15)
Promise of a chosen people and a chosen land
Mosaic (Ex. 20)
A Partial fulfillment of Abrahams promise (it was much
larger than Abraham thought)
Civil
Fulfilled in Christ (John 8:1-11)
Christ says that men are no longer the judge, the
civil law emphasized the chosen people of Israel
as Gods people here on earth. In the new
covenant grace is shown to gentile and to Jew.
The theocratic government of Israel is no longer
in effect, and there are no prophets today
proclaiming the Lords judgment to this world.
Ceremonial
Dietary laws, etc.
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Fulfilled in Christ (Acts 10:1-48)
The Gentiles/ Greeks are now accepted into the
kingdom of God.
Moral
Still in effect. Seemingly Christ expanded its
parameters, and went more deeply with the
Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7)
Davidic (2 Sam. 7)
Fulfillment in Christ
Matthew 5:17-20
Hebrews How did the OT people look ahead to Christ?
Hebrews 11:13 these all died in faith (faith is being sure of
what we hope for and certain of what we do not see)
The New Covenant
Signs and seals (Baptism and the Lords Supper)
The church is the New Israel
What is the use, and role, of the 10 commandments and the OT?
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Theism or evolution as a belief system
Echoes of something greater than ourselves
Human Rights (longing for justice)
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Where do human rights come from? Harvard law
professor Alan Dershowitz lays out the possibilities.
Some say human rights come form God. If we were all
created in Gods image, then every human being would
be sacred and inviolable. Dershowitz rejects this as an
answer, since so many millions of people are agnostic.
Others say human rights come from nature, or what
has been called natural law. They argue that nature
and human nature, if it is examined, will reveal that
some kinds of behavior are fitting with the way things
are, and are right. However, Dershowitz points out that
nature thrives on violence and predation, on the
survival of the fittest. There is no way to derive the
concept of the dignity of every individual from the way
things really work in nature. Another theory says that
human rights are created by us, the people who right
the laws However, what if a majority decides it is not
in their interest to grant human right? If rights are
nothing but a majority creation then there is nothing to
appeal to when they are legislated out of existence.3
3Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, (Dutton,2008), pg. 150-151
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Compassion necessitates that we dethrone ourselves,
that we serve others and not ourselves (which Christ
models Mark 10:45)
Longing for spirituality (different religions)
St. Augustine in his Confessions reasoned that these
unfulfillable desires are clues to the reality of God. How
so? Indeed (as it was just objected) just because we
feel the desire for a steak dinner does not mean we will
get it. However, while hunger does not prove that the
particular meal desired will be procured, does not the
appetite for food in us mean that food exists? Is it not
true that innate desires correspond to real objects that
can satisfy them, such as sexual desire (corresponding
to sex), physical appetite (corresponding to food),
tiredness (corresponding to sleep), and relational
desires (corresponding to friendship)?4
Relationships and community (reflecting the Trinity)
we fear loneliness5
4Keller, pg. 134-135
5NT Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, (HarperCollins,2007), pg. 31
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It seems that we humans were designed to find our
purpose and meaning not simply in ourselves and our
own lives, but in one another and in the shared
meanings and purposes of a family, a street, a
workplace, a community, a town, a nation.6
Art and Beauty (reflecting the creator creating)
Arguments for God
Cosmological
Ontological
If I can think of a higher being, he must exist.
Moral (a herd instinct)
6Wright, pg. 31
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These, then, are the two points I wanted to make.
First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this
curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way,
and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do
not in fact behave in that way. They know the law of
nature; they break it. These two facts are the
foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the
universe we live in.7
Also related to the echo of human rights
It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral
Law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have
broken that law and put yourself wrong with that
power- it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that
Christianity begins to talk. 8
6. A Biblical Enigma: The Trinity
Key Terms: the Trinity; God, the Father; God, the Son; God, the Holy Spirit.
the unity of the godhead
7CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, (Harper Collins, 2001), pg. 8
8Lewis, pg. 31
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Genesis 1:26 - God speaks of himself in the plural (elohim is
the plural form of el)
Deut. 6:4 Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is One
John 10:30 I and the Father are one
1 John 5:7
Matthew 28:19
Matthew 3:16,17
2 Cor. 13:14
The divinity of Jesus
Psalm 110:1 (Christ interprets this for the Pharisees
John 1:14 in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
God, and the Word was with God
The message of John is that Jesus came from the Father.
Who is the Father? The Pharisees, who I label as the epitome
of religious people, understood that Jesus claimed to be
divine. This is why they sought to kill Jesus. (John 5:18)
John 8:58 Before Abraham was I AM
Exodus 3:14 (one of the names of God)
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Colossians 2:9 The fullness of divinity is in the person of
Christ Jesus
The divinity of the Holy Spirit
John 14:6 A helper to come when Jesus leaves
John 15:26 When the helper comes (proceeds from the
Father)
Galatians 4:6
Isaiah 61:1
1 Cor. 2:10 and 12:11 (The Holy Spirit is not an attribute but
a person)
Acts 5:3-4 When you lie to the Holy Spirit, you lie to God
(unity)
Psalm 139:7 divine attributes applied to the Spirit
Westminster Confession
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In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one
substance, power and eternity: God the Father, God, the Son,
and God, the Holy Ghost/Spirit: The Father is of none,
neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally
begotten of the father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding
from the Father and the Son.
Discussion
What does it mean to believe in three persons? Not three
gods, essences, or beings?
The three persons must be distinguished, but never separated
What does it mean to be begotten? (John 3:16)
10. King of kings: The Person of Jesus Christ (Christology)
Key Terms: Incarnation (immanence), exaltation, hypostatic union,
Roles (prophet, priest, king)
Hypostatic Union: Fully God and Fully Man
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Incarnation: the event where God the Son became Man. Thus
giving Jesus the name God-Man by Anselm.
Matthew 1; Luke 1:26-38; 2
Isaiah 7
Luke 2:40-52
Mark 6:1-6
John 4:6 He was tired
Matthew 21:18 he was hungry
Matthew 11:19 he was thirsty
Mark 14:33-36, Luke 22:63 He was in great pain
Luke 10:21 joy
Matthew 26:37 sorrow
John 11:5 love
Compassion Matthew 9:36
Surprise Luke 7:9
Anger Mark 3:4
Matthew 4:1-11; 27:42; Mark 1:24; 8:33; Luke 11:15-20
Jesus was tempted
Galatians 4:4
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Hebrews 5:8
Acts 2:22; 13:38; 17:31
Romans 8:3
Philippians 2:8
Colossians 1:22
1 Timothy 2:5
Hebrews 2:14
1 Peter 4:1
Prophet: A man representing God to the people. Nowadays a
preacher proclaiming Gods words in a convicting manner. (Look at
verses Repent and believe
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Mark Driscoll writes, The prototypical and greatest prophet
was Moses. Moses promised that one day a greater prophet
than he was coming as the fulfillment of prophetic ministry.
The prophecy of Moses was fulfilled when Jesus the prophet
arrived as promised The prophet is inextricably connected to
the word of God because the prophets ministry was to
proclaim Gods word. According to the OT Scholar Gerhard
von Rad, the phrase the word of Yahweh appears 241 times
in the OT. Of these occurrences, 221 were on the lips of
prophets as their declaration that they were speaking
revelation by no less than Gods authority Jesus the prophet
is superior even to the great prophets of the OT. Unlike the
prophets who spoke by Gods authority, because Jesus was
God, he spoke by his own authority as the source, center and
sum of truth. Consequently, rather than appealing to Gods
authority, Jesus simply said, I say to you9
John 5:36-47
Matthew 5:22
Acts 3:22
9Mark Driscoll and Geary Breshears, Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers toTimely Questions, (Crossway, 2007), pg. 74.
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Priest: A man representing man before God. Look at Hebrews, we
have a great high priest.
In the OT, the priest would humbly stand between God and
people as a mediator of sorts. He would bring the hopes,
dreams, fears and sins of the people before God as their
advocate and intercessor. He would hear their confession of
sin and pray for them. Furthermore, central to his role was
the offering of sacrifices to show that sin was very real and
deserved death, while asking God for gracious forgiveness.
Then he would speak Gods blessing on them. All the
functions of a priest are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.10
Hebrews 3:1, 4:14
1 Timothy 2:5
Hebrews 9:26
Hebrews 7:25
Mark 10:45, Luke 19:10
Matthew 9:9-13
WCF 8.2
King: the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Exaltation)
10Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Vintage Jesus, (Crossway, 2007), pg. 76.
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John 18:36-37
Luke 11:19-21
No such thing as a personal life
When the Bible speaks of Jesus as lord, it is saying in
shorthand that Jesus is the King of all kings who rules over all
creation Jesus taught that his kingdom includes ruling over
both the material and immaterial worlds, that which is visible
and physical and that which is invisible and spiritual Jesus
rules over very single aspect of our lives individually.11
Revelation 19:11-16
Exaltation
Resurrection
Ascension
Sitting at the Right hand of God
Second Coming (warrior and judge)
11. The Uncontainable Fire: The person of the Holy Spirit
11Mark Driscoll and Gerry Bershears, Vintage Jesus, (Crossway, 2007), pg.78-79.
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12. What do BB Warfield and Charles Darwin have in common?
Creation Views
Key Terms: Theistic Evolution, creationist, literary framework, day age
Answers in Genesis Videos #2: The Six Days of Creation; Six Days and
the Eisegesis Problem
Class Project: Handout and identify the central issues in the creation
debate
Westminster Confession 4.1
WCF 4.2
Anthropology: The Doctrine of Man
13. What is man that you are mindful of him? The study of
Anthropology
Terms: imageo dei (the image of God)
Why were we created?
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CS Lewis wrote, The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is
"to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". But we shall know that
these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In
commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him. (p.
97)
And I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise
not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its
appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers
keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is
incomplete till it is expressed. (p. 95)
If it were possible for a created soul fully (I mean, up to the full
measure conceivable in a finite being) to "appreciate," that is to
love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously
at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that
soul would be in supreme beatitude. (p. 96)
How do we know God?
How do we know things? It is obvious from these three things that we
need help in order to know God. He must come down to us.
Reason
Sense perception
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Experiences
Revelation
General and Special
The Divine Word (the logos is Jesus Christ)
Imageo Dei (image of God)
Gen. 1:27
Eccl. 7:29 made upright
Ephesians 4:24 - upright = righteous
Gen. 2:17 if you disobey me you will surely die
Colossians 3:10 renewal only in Christ
Gen. 1-2; Rev. 20, 21 the only chapters where we see a world
without sin. Study them carefully.
The Fall
Genesis 3
Redemption
The presence of sin and the power of sin
Complementarian vs. Equalitarian
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Excurses: Hamartology
14. Why is sin my defining trademark? The study of Hamartology
Key Terms: Sin, Total Depravity/radical depravity
Ideas: The mind as an idol factory (Calvin), every man has a God or
an idol (Luther)
Two aspects of sin: Omission and Commission
Perspectives
Man is Good (we all want to believe this)
Man is evil (Eastern religions teach this, as the goal of life is
union with the ultimate ideas like release and ascension are
central)
Man is fallen (unique to Christianity)
The need for our salvation
Our State in Sin
The loss of Gods image (or desecration of it)
Knowledge of nakedness
Horror of conscience (shame and guilt)
Expulsion from the garden
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Death (Romans 3:23)
Original Sin
Romans 5:12 Adams sin is imputed onto us as he was the
head of the covenant
Psalm 51:5 in sin I was conceived (we are sinful before we
are born)
Romans 5:18, 9
Job 14:4
All men except Christ are born with sin. (James 3:2)
Omission and Comission
Omission sinning indirectly or not meaning to
Commission deliberate acts of sin
Total Inability / Total Depravity
Romans 8:7
Soteriology: The Doctrine of Salvation
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15. The Mission of Christ: Accomplishing our Election and
Predestination
Key Terms: Soteriology, Faith, Predestination, Election
Did Jesus really have to die?
Without the shedding of blood there is actually no remission
or salvation (salvation had to be blood bought)
Hebrews 2:10,17
John 3:14-16
Hebrews 9:23 (also 14, 22, 26)
We had to be made holy in order to enjoy fellowship
with a holy God (only accomplished through the blood
of Christ). Sin must be met with divine judgment.
Deut 27:26, Nahum 1:2, Hab. 1:13, Romans
1:17; 3:21-26, Gal. 3:10,13
Galatians 3:21 What Paul is insisting upon is that if
justification could have been secured by any other
method than that of faith in Christ, by that method it
would have been.12
12John Muray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, (Eerdmans, 1955), pg.17.
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Romans 5:8
1 John 4:10 (propitiation)
Romans 8:32
Look at the OT, why did lambs have to be sacrificed?
Why were their sacrifices at all? They were shadows of
something greater to come (as Hebrews tells us they
pointed to Christ).13
The origin of our salvation (The Free Offer of the Gospel)
John 3:16 no treatment of the atonement can be properly
oriented that does not trace its source to the free and
sovereign love of God.14
Romans 5:8 While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us
Romans 8:29
Ephesians 1:4,5
13Ibid., pg. 15
14ibid., pg. 9
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It was of the free and sovereign good pleasure of his will, a
good pleasure that emanated from the depths of his own
goodness that he chose a people to be heirs of God and joint-
heirs with Christ.15 How else do you explain that God should
take His own Son and slay Him for us? Why the blood of the
King of kings? Why the incarnation? Why was the atonement
a necessity?
Active and Passive Righteousness
Passive by his obedience he took care of the guilt of sin and
perfectly fulfilled the demands of righteousness
Active by his obedience he met both the penal and the
perceptive requirements of the law
The only way for Christ to save us is by his perfect
obedience16
The Doctrine of Election
From the Greek Word, eklektos, he chose
John Calvin admits that the source of our salvation is from
Gods free goodness
15ibid., pg. 10.
16Ibid., pg. 22
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In eternity God dealt with sinners
Hebrews 13:20
John 17:4
1 Peter 1:19-20
Revelation 13:18
The Doctrine of Predestination
Definition God determines what is going to happen, based
on his divine love (not his foreknowledge)
Not determinism or fatalism (how so?)
The Bible emphasizes human responsibility
(repent and believe statements) right along side
with emphasizing full divine sovereignty.
The question must be, Does the Bible teach this?
Or is it man made?
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It is here that the phrase in love becomes important to our
point. Romans 8:29 says that God predestined us having
foreknown us; [Eph. 1:5] says that God predestined us in
love. These two are synonymous, for God foreknew us in the
biblical sense- he loved us. We might read our passage,
having fore-loved us, he predestined us. This is what Moses
explained regarding the election of Israel. [Deut. 7:7-8]17
Because heaven is Gods home, he too has the right to
discriminately chose choose who he allows in, and he has the
exclusive right to declare how they are to behave once
accepted. Rather than being unhappy with an exclusive and
discriminating God, we should be thankful that God allows
any of us into his home.18
Westminster Confession
17Richard D. Phillips, What are Election and Predestination: Basics of theReformed Series, (Presbyterian and Reformed, 2006), pg. 22
18Driscoll and Breshears, pg. 155
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3.1 God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy
counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain
whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God
the author of sin (James 1:13, 17 and 1 John 1:5), nor is
violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty
of contingency of second causes taken away, but rather
established
What does liberty of contingency mean?
3.2 God did not decree what was to happen just because he
foresaw it. It was decreed because he willed it. (Romans
9:11,13, 16,18)
Done for the glory of God (Romans 9:22-23)
16. What did I do to deserve this? Expiation and Propitiation
Key Terms: Expiation, Propitiation, Gods wrath
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The doctrine of propitiation is precisely this: That God loved
the objects of His wrath so much that He gave His own son to
the end that He by His blood should make provision for the
removal of His wrath. It was Christs so to deal with the
wrath that the loved would no longer be objects of wrath, and
the love would achieve its aim of making the children of wrath
the children of Gods good pleasure.22
Here we see the cost of Gods mercy
When we think of Christs dying on the cross we are shown the
length to which Gods love goes in order to win us back to Himself.
We would almost think that God loved us more than He loves His
son. We cannot measure His love by any other standard. He is
saying, I love you this much. That Cross is the heart of the
gospel; it makes the gospel good news. Christ died for us; He has
stood in our place before Gods judgment seat; He has borne our
sins. God has done something on the cross which we could never
do for ourselves. But God does something to us as well as for us
through the cross. He persuades us that he loves us.23
Key Terms: Forensic, Justification, Sola fide
22Ibid. Pg. 36
23CJ Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life: Making the Gospel the MainThing, (Multnomah, 2006), pg. 56-57
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The necessity for justice before God
We have sinned in the sight of God, He is holy and we
deserve death and His wrath.
We have seen that Jesus was the sacrifice on our behalf, that he
stood in the door and absorbed the wrath for us. God, also put our
sins on Christ that we may be clean. Where does that leave us?
We are justified in the sight of God, but what does that mean?
Romans 4:25 Raised for our justification
Romans 5:16, 18 the free gift following many trespasses
brought justification Justification and life for all men
It has to do with our standing before God
It is a forensic term
Legal analogy
You are innocent of all wrong doing
Relation to forgiveness (John 8 go and sin no more)
Declared holy (Romans 6 dead to sin)
Relevance to the Christian life
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(go and sin no more and we are dead to sin)
Justification is being declared Righteous24
Justification is our position before God, a position that
becomes permanently ours at the time of our conversion
Justification is immediate and complete upon conversion.
Youll never be more justified than you are the first moment
you trust in the Person and finished work of Christ
Justification is objective Christs work for us
A Man is either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the
sight of God
22. Where does Human Responsibility fit into this? The
Balance of Law and Gospel
Terms: Repentance, the role of Christ as a Prophet, union with Christ
(Beekes book), Antinomianism, legalism (religious people)
Handouts: Tim Keller All of Life is Repentance (downloaded onto
mac)
Recall justification and the call to holiness
24CJ Mahaney, pg. 118-119
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The demand of purity is a must
James 1:27 (note it is also combined with godly works
and deeds)
What is the role of the law for the Christian?
Scripture cannot be broken (unity of Scripture)
2 Tim. 3:16
Gal. 2:21 the law does not save you (so what merit does it
have?)
See also Gal. 3:21
Gal. 3:2 you receive the Spirit through faith, not the law
Abraham exposed in Hebrews 11
You are not even perfected by the law (Gal. 3:3)
Gal. 3:10-11 counted righteous by faith in Jesus Christ, the
law on the other hand actually curses you
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The law is useless in salvation; indeed no one can live
up to the parameters set forth in Exodus 20. With
Christs exposition we see the depth of the matter as
our actions are only the fruit of the heart. (Tripps War
of Words)
Gal. 3:19 God gave the law because of our sin, untilthe
offspring should come to whom the promise had been made
Gal. 3:24 the Law was our guardian in order that we
might be justified by faith
Analogy of a child (Gal. 4:2) growing up his fathers
authority diminishes with age, but his influence only
increases
Gal. 5:7 For in Christ Jesus nothing counts for anything,
but only faith working through love.
Repeated in Gal. 6:15 nothing counts for anything,
only a new creation
Antinomianism (Licentiousness: do whatever you want because
Christ will forgive you?)
NO
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Gal. 5:13 use your freedom not to sin, but to love one
another (The whole law is summarized in one word,
love your neighbor as yourself)
Gal. 5:21-22 (the fruit of the Spirit)
If you could do whatever you wanted, why then
are certain behaviors leading to hell?
Gal 6:1,2 loving one another fulfills the law of Christ
Romans 6:1,2 - Pauls own words rebut this view
We died to sin
What then does it mean to be alive in Christ?
We cannot sin
Holiness is not something we might become; instead it
has something to do because what we are.25
The demands to be pure
Ecclesiology: The Doctrine of the Church
23. Church: The Community of Believers
Key Terms: Ekklesia, elders, deacons, presbyters, bishops (various
views of church government)
25Martin Lloyd Jones, Quoted by William Matthess, Grove City College BibleStudy on March 28, 2007
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What is the church?
Ekklesia the called out ones
Why do we need the church? Or, why join a church?
Hebrews 3:13-14
Hebrews 10:25
Church Govt: The confusion
Catholic and Episcopal
Pope (or archbishop of Canturbury)
Cannot have a vicar of Christ
Cardinals or Primates
Bishops
Priests
The ex cathedra chair (misinterpretation of the
statement, Upon this rock I will built my church.
Christ did not say to Peter, you are my successor but
was saying that the church will be built upon the
confession, You are the Christ, the Son of God.)
Independent and Congregational
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Baptist
Every member has an equal vote
The Pastors way or the highway
Presbyterian
Presbyter, bishop, overseer are all synonymous (the role
of the elder)
Provides accountability and support
What were the OT leaders
Priest (Aaron is the role model Melchizedek as well)
Deut. 17:8-13 a mediating role between people
Representing the people before God
In sacrifices Ex. 29:42-46
In their rebellion Exodus 33:12-23
Prophet (Moses is the role model)
Ex. 34:29-35
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King (David is the role model a man after the Lords
own heart all the Israelite kings are compared with
David 1,2 Kings)
1 Samuel 8:10-18 (The negative aspect of a
human king)
Deut. 17:14-20
What is the purpose of leaders?
Exodus 18:1-23 (vs. 13-23)
Numbers 11:15-28
Deut. 1:9-18
Titus 1:5 Titus was left to train leaders
Eph. 20:17-38
A glimpse of Paul speaking t the very men he
trained for the office
What are the biblical qualifications for an overseer, bishop, or
an elder?
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Titus 1:6-9
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What is a deacon?
Acts 6
But all Christians are called to serve one another
What are the qualifications for a deacon?
1 Timothy 3:8-13
Can ladies be deacons?
The validity of the pope and apostles
Catholic teaching
24. Operation Redemption: The Church's Calling
Key Terms: Missionary Calling
Ideas: Outward, not inward facing
How does the church grow?
Acts: A biblical book of the missionary calling
Missions and evangelism is a key focus of Acts
It is circumstantial proof of the good news of Jesus Christ
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OT teaching
Deut. 4:41-43 and Numbers 35:9-43 (Cities of Refuge)
Deut. 10:18, 19
Deut. 16:18-20
David is chastised for not having justice in the land (Ammon
rapes Tamar, leaves Absalom as well)
Isaiah 1:16-17
Micah 6:8
NT teaching
Luke 6:35-36
Luke 10:25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Mark 10:19-22
James 1:27 religion that is pure and undefiled before God,
the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 2:13-17
Matthew 25:32-36
Acts 6:1-7 caring for widows
John 19:26
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Conclusion: the Church is the instrument in the redeemers hands.
The redemption that Christ bought with His blood, the
redemption the Holy Spirit works in hearts, and the
redemption that the Lord brings about through the preaching
of the word.
Only comes about with Christ as Savior and Lord
25. Can a Monster Truck rally, with a devotional, be worship?
Key Terms: Regulative Principle, Normative Principle
Three reformation options
RPW only what God says must be used in worship
Emphasis is on Scripture
Calvin
Normative Nothing that God says that cannot be used in worship
Emphasis on wisdom and discernment
Luther
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Anything goes who cares if God forbade it
Emphasis is on the Subjective elements
The majority of contemporary Christians
Biblical data for the RPW
The Sacrifice of Cain and Abel
Hebrews and the heart element
The Exodus
Miriams Song
The 2
nd
commandment
Idolatry with the golden calf (the image was of the God
who brought you out of the Land of Egypt)
The role of images
Construction of the tabernacle
Skilled workman their work to Moses for approval
Aarons sons and the false sacrifices
Leviticus: the case for a pleasing aroma before the Lord
Deborahs Song (Judges 5,6)
Saul and Samuel
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Obedience is better than sacrifce
NT parallel Matthew 12:7
The Construction of the Temple
Jeroboam and the golden calves
Prophets (Emphasis on the heart)
Jesus with the Woman at the Well
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
Argument from the Limits of Church-Power (Bannerman
makes this argument well)26
Brief description of the argument. The Church is an
institution; instituted by the positive command of the risen
Christ, and authorized by Him to require obedience to His
commands and participation in His ordinances. The Church is
given no authority to require obedience to its own commands,
and is given no authority to require participation in ordinances
of its own making. The Regulative Principle of Church-
Government lies behind the Regulative Principle of Worship.
26Argument summaries from T. David Gordon, Professor of Religion at GroveCity College, accessed fromhttp://www.reformedprescambridge.com/articles/Regulative_Principle.html onJuly 3, 2008
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Sample of relevant texts--Mat. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 1:24; Rom.
14:7-9
Argument from Liberty of Conscience (Ed Clowney makes
this case well)
Brief description of the argument. To induce people to act
contrary to what they believe is right is sinful. Further, God
requires us to worship Him only as He has revealed.
Therefore, to require a person, in corporate worship, to do
something that God has not required, forces the person to sin
against his/her conscience, by making them do what they do
not believe God has called them to do.
Sample of relevant texts--Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8:4-13
Argument from Faith (John Owen makes this argument
compellingly)
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Brief description of the argument. God's character as a
jealous God is introduced into texts which prohibit certain
things (creating images) in the worship of God. Thus, the
prohibition of creating graven images or any other likeness of
anything in heaven or earth is grounded in God's character as
a jealous God, and thus is not grounded in some peculiarity of
the Sinai covenant.
Sample of relevant texts--Ex.20:4-5; 34:14
Argument from those passages where piety is described as
doing exclusively what God wishes.
Brief description of the argument. In many passages, the
wicked are described not as doing what is contradictory to
God's will, but what is beside His will. Similarly, the pious are
described by their trembling in God's presence, by their doing
exclusively what God wishes.
Sample of relevant texts--Isa.66:1-4; Dt.12:29-32; Lev.
10:1-2; 1 Sam.13:8-15; 15:3-22
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Argument from Church History
Brief description of the argument. Church history amply
demonstrates that fallen creatures, left to their own devices,
inevitably produce worship which is impious. Especially the
Reformation, as an historical movement, bore testimony to
the corruption which creeps slowly into worship when worship
is not regulated by the revealed will of God.
Key Terms: the Sabbath
Ex. 20:8-10 - The 4
th
commandment
Gen. 2:2-3 - The 7th day
Hebrew word for ceasing and stopping (Shabbat)
Deut. 5:12-15
Ex. 31:12-17
Numbers 21:1-10
1 Chron. 16:39-40
Jesus and the Religious people (the Pharisees)
Mark 2:23-28
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Mark 3:1-6
Luke 13:10-7
Luke 14:1-6
John 5:1-9
John 9:-41
Matthew 5:17-20
Christ, no more abolishes the Sabbath than a man destroys a
house when he cleans off the moss or weeds from its roof.27
The tension between Christ and the tradition of the Pharisees
Matthew 15
Mark 7:8-9
The conflict was not so much a personal matter
between Jesus and the Pharisees as it was a conflict
between the holy Sabbath of God and the painfully
distorted Pharisaic Sabbath. It was part of Jesus
mission to liberate, heal, and redeem the Sabbath from
captivity.28
27Bruce Ray, Celebrating the Sabbath: Finding Rest in a Restless World,(Presbyterian and Reformed, 2000), pg. 73.
28Ray, pg. 83
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Transition from the 7th day to the Lords day (the day celebrating
Christs resurrection)
Heb. 4:9
Became the Lords Day in celebration of Christs resurrection.
It was on Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared
to many of his disciples.
1 Cor. 16:1-4 an offering taken up on the first day of the
week (Sounds like tithing)
Acts 20:6-11
Revelation 1:10
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It is a striking fact that the Jewish Sabbath almost disappears
from recorded Christian practice after Christs resurrection.
The very day before his resurrection occurs, we find his
disciples resting on the Jewish Sabbath (Luke 23:56; Mark
16:1; John 19:42), but after it has happened the observance
of the 7th day is never mentioned except as a tolerated option
for Jewish Christians (Romans 14:5), or an intolerable
imposition by Judaising heretics (Gal. 4:9-11; Col. 2:16), or
in passages where Paul reasons with the Jews in the
synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14,42, 44; 17:2; 18:4;
16:13), not apparently because the observance of the day is
a regular part of his own devotional practice but because it
provides an excellent opportunity for evangelism.29
The Sabbath is Gods rest
Hebrews 3:11,18;4:1,3,5,11
Revelation 14:9-13
WCF 21.8
29Ray, pg. 47-48
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