Exploring Christian Theology: Vol. 1: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God

272 Pages·2014·19.84 MB·English

by  Michael J. Svigel

NATHAN D.HOLSTEEN
& MICHAEL J. SVIGEL
GENERAL EDITORS

REVELATION, SCRIPTURE, AND
THE TRIUNE GOD
Books by
Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel,
General Editors
FROM BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS
Volume 1 Exploring Christian Theology:
Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God
Volume 2 Exploring Christian Theology:
Creation, Fall, and Salvation
Volume 3 Exploring Christian Theology:
The Church, Spiritual Growth, and the End Times
EXPLORING
CHRISTIAN
THEOLOGY:
VOLUME!
VOLUMEI
EXPLQRING
CHRISTIAN
THEOLOGY

REVELATION, SCRIPTURE,
AND THE TRIUNE GOD
General Editors
NATHAN D. HOLSTEEN
AND MICHAEL J. SVIGEL
Part One: Douglas K. Blount, Nathan D. Holsteen,
Glenn R. Kreider, and Michael J. Svigel
Part Two: J. Scott Horrell,
with Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel
{\3
BETHANYHOUSEPUBIISHERS
a division of Baker PublIshing Group
Minneapolis, Minnesota
© 2014 by Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael ]. Svigel
Published by Bethany House Publishers
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in—Publication Data
Exploring Christian theology : revelation, scripture, and the Triune God / general editors,
Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel ;contributing writers, J. Lanier Burns, Nathan
D. Holsteen, Glenn R. Kreider, and Michael j. Svigel.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “Dallas Theological Seminary professors make basic theology acces-
sible for everyone. Included in this volume are key doctrines on Revelation, Scrip-
ture, and the triune God”-- Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-7642-1130-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Revelation. 2. Bible—Theology. 3. Trinity 4. Theology, Doctrinal.
I. Holsteen, Nathan D., editor. I]. Title: Revelation, scripture, and the Triune God.
BT127.3.E97 2014
230—dc23 2014031619
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at The Library of Congress
in Washington, DC.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright
© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®.
NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.N Used by permission of Zonder—
van. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
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INITIATIVE
CONTENTS
Introduction 9
Passages to Master 31
1. God Speaks Through
Acknowledgments 11
Creation
Psalm 19:1—6
The Christian Story in Four
. Humans Rebel Against
Acts 13
God’s Revelation
Act 1: Creation
Romans 1—3
. God Spoke Through His
Act 11: Fall
Prophets . . . and Then
Act III: Redemption
Through His Son
Act IV: Restoration
Hebrews 1:1—2
You Are Here
. All Scripture Is Inspired by
God
Part One: “How Firm 3
Foundation: Revelation, 2 Timothy 3:14—4:4
. Prophets Moved by the Spirit
Scripture, and Truth” by
Douglas K. Blount, Nathan D. 2 Peter 1:19—21
. Words Taught by the Spirit
Holsteen, Glenn R. Kreider,
1 Corinthians 2:10—13
and Michael J. Svigel 23
. God’s Word Is True
john 17.-17
High-Altitude Survey 25
. Birth of the Old Testament
Delving Into the Deep
Canon
Things of God
Deuteronomy 31 :24—26
God Is Knowable . . .
. Rise of the New Testament
and Has Made Himself
Canon
Known
2 Peter 3:15—16
The Inspired Word of God
Keeping the [Good]
10.
Faith-Full Theological
Traditions
Thinking
2 Thessalonians 2:15
1
U
Contents
Holy Scripture in Retrospect 57 6. Nurture the character of a
virtuous theologian.
The Patristic Period
(100—500)
Voices From the Past and
The Medieval Period
Present 95
(500—1500)
The Patristic Period
The Protestant Period
(100—500)
(1500—1700)
The Medieval Period
The Modern Period
(500—1500)
(1700—Present)
The Protestant Period
Facts to Never Forget 72
(1500—1700)
The Modern Period
1. God is knowable and has
made himself known. (1700—Present)
2. God reveals himself through
Shelf Space: Recommendations
various means.
for Your Library 111
3. Scripture is true in all it
Classic Works From the
affirms.
History of Theology
4. Jesus Christ is the center
Modern Systematic
and goal of Scripture.
Theologies
5. The goal of theology is
Books on God’s
transfor(not just infor)
Self-Revelation
mation.
Books on the Inspiration
Dangers to Avoid 78
and Authority of Scripture
1. Unnecessary Elective Books on the Canonicity
of the Bible
Surgery
. Watered-Down Wine Books on How to Read and
N
H
. Hearing Without Hearing Think Theologically
L
h
. Cold, Dead Orthodoxy
-
Notes 118
. Arrogant Reading
n
k
. Doctrine-less Discipleship
m
l Part Two: “God in Three Persons:
. Christian Pole-Sitting
\
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” by
Principles to Put Into J. Scott Horrell, with Nathan
Practice 86 D. Holsteen and Michael J.
Svigel 125
1. Heed Scripture as from the
mouth of God.
High-Altitude Survey 127
2. Be taught to be stable.
3. Be a doer. not merely a
Answers to the Ultimate
Questions
heater.
4. Maintain a balanced diet Ladies and Gentlemen,
of truth sources. Meet Your Maker
5. Seek understanding in the
Where Do We Go
context of faith.
From Here?
Contents
Passages to Master 133
The Modern Period
(1700—Present)
1. In the Beginning. . . God
Genesis 1:1 —3
Facts to Never Forget 186
2.
“Let Us Make Man in Our
1. Everyone has ideas about
Own Image”
“GOd.”
Genesis 1:26—27
2.
The Christian God is both
. What’s Your Name?
infinite and personal.
Exodus 3:13—15
3. Evidence and arguments
. What’s in a Name?
point to God’s existence.
Exodus 20:7
. God the One and Only
4. Jesus Christ is God
Deuteronomy 6:4 incarnate, the absolute
. Classifying the Big
revelation of God.
Attributes of God
5. Jesus Christ is fully God
Psalm 139
and fully man in one
. God Is Holy; We’re to Be
person.
Holy Too
. As God-Man, Jesus is our
Isaiah 6:1—8
complete Savior.
. God Is Love
. The Spirit is fully, distinctly,
1 john 4:7—16
and personally God.
. God the Father
. The Holy Trinity is truth we
Ephesians 1:3—1 4
can believe and trust.
10.
God in the Flesh
john 1:1—18
Dangers to Avoid 197
11. The Son Before (and Above)
Deceptive God—Talk
1.
Creation
Kidnapped and Tortured
2.
Colossians 1:15—19
Verses
The Humility of the
12.
Single-Attribute
3.
Incarnate Son
Exaggeration
Philippians 26—11
. The Incredible Shrinking
The Holy Spirit Is God
13.
god
john 14—17
. Holy Triplets (Tritheism)
14. In the Name of the Father,
. One Person, Three Names
Son, and Spirit
(Modalism)
Matthew 28:19
. Little God, Junior,
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
and His Pet Birdy
in Retrospect 168
(Subordinationism)
. Pretzelizing, Egging, and
The Patristic Period
Watering Down the Divine
(100—500)
. Driving Christology Into a
The Medieval Period
Ditch
(500—1500)
10. God or Man, but Not the
The Protestant Period
God-Man
(1500—1700)
Contents
Principles to Put Into Shelf Space: Recommendations
for Your Library 242
Practice 212
Classic Works on the Trinity
1. Knowing God encourages us
to learn more of God. General Books on God and
2. In light of the Trinity, be all the Trinity
you were meant to be. Books on the Existence of
3. Learn to parent from the God
perfect Father. Books on God’s Names and
4. Follow Jesus, our Lord and Attributes
Brother. Books on God as Trinity
Trust the Holy Spirit.
5. Books on God the Son
Be kind but firm with Books on the Holy Spirit
6.
deceivers and the deceived. Trinity, Humanity, Society,
7. Glorify the triune God. and Culture
Voices From the Past and Notes 248
Present 221
Glossary of Terms for
The Patristic Period
(100—500)
Revelation, Scripture,
and the Triune God 255
The Medieval Period
(500—1500)
Scripture Index 269
The Protestant Period
(1500—1700)
The Modern Period
(1700—Present)
INTRODUCTION
For some people, the word doctrine summons yawns of tedium,
shudders of trepidation, or frowns of suspicion. Dogmatic preachers
exasperate them, feuding denominations weary them, and droning
scholars bore them.
When people hear the word theology, the condition sometimes
worsens. They picture massive tomes packed with technical discus-
sions, less-than-crucial data, and incomprehensible footnotes—
unusable information to distract them from God rather than drawing
them nearer.
Most people seeking to grow in their faith want practical prin-
ciples, not theoretical concepts. They want to know God, not just
know about Him.
Yet the fact is that we can’t experience real spiritual growth without
solid spiritual truth. We can’t know the true God without knowing
God truly.
In that case, where do we start? How do we begin to harvest in
this fruitful field without getting caught in the tangled underbrush
of mere opinions and idiosyncrasies? How can we sort through what
seem like countless contradictory theories to find the essential truths
necessary for strengthening and living out our faith?
Exploring Christian Theology will offer introductions, overviews,
and reviews of key orthodox, protestant, evangelical tenets without
belaboring details or broiling up debates. The three ECT volumes,
compact but substantial, provide accessible and convenient summaries
of major themes; they’re intended as guidebooks for a church that,
overall, is starving for the very doctrine it has too long avoided.