CCS Systematic Theology

1
CCS Systematic Theology

• PROLEGOMENON

2
Why do Theology?

• THEOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF GOD
• THE ONLY GOD THERE IS, IS THE ONE WHO IS
• Yahweh is His given name
• It means, I AM, who I AM or I Am or The One
  Who IS
• DOROTHY SAYERS THEOLOGY IS THE
  MISTRESS-SCIENCE
• Theology is the study of What Is

3
Dorothy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning

• This reminds me of the grammar of Theology. I
  shall add it to the curriculum, because theology
  is the mistress-science without which the whole
  educational structure will necessarily lack its
  final synthesis. Those who disagree about this
  will remain content to leave their pupil's
  education still full of loose ends. This will
  matter rather less than it might, since by the
  time that the tools of learning have been forged
  the student will be able to tackle theology for
  himself, and will probably insist upon doing so
  and making sense of it.

4
Why do Theology?

• THEOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF GOD
• THE ONLY GOD THERE IS, IS THE ONE WHO IS
• Yahweh is His given name
• It means, I AM, who I AM or I Am or The One
  Who IS
• DOROTHY SAYERS THEOLOGY IS THE
  MISTRISS-SCIENCE
• Theology is the study of What Is

5
Approaches to Theology

• Biblical theology the discipline that attempts
  to summarize and restate the teaching of a
  biblical text or of a biblical author without
  imposing any modern categories of thought on the
  text. Rather, the goal is to understand the
  theology of a biblical book or author in its
  original historical context.

6
Approaches to Theology

• Systematic theology The attempt to summarize
  religious truth or the belief system of a
  religious group (such as Christianity) through an
  organized system of thought carried out within a
  particular cultural and intellectual context (see
  method of theology). A common systematic order in
  Christian theology begins with God and Gods
  self-revelation, followed by creation and the
  predicament of sin, Gods saving work in and
  through Jesus Christ, the Spirit as the agent in
  personal salvation, the church as the redeemed
  community of Gods people, and finally the goal
  of Gods program as leading to the end of the
  age, Christs return and eternity.

7
Approaches to Theology

• Historical theology The division of the
  theological discipline that seeks to understand
  and delineate how the church interpreted
  Scripture and developed doctrine throughout its
  history, from the time of the apostles to the
  present day. The twofold function of historical
  theology is to show the origin and development of
  beliefs held in the present day and to help
  contemporary theologians identify theological
  errors of the past that should be avoided in the
  present.

8
Some Concerns

• Postmodernism
• Pluralism
• Agnosticism
• Loss of Critical Thought
• Divisions
• Sin
• Apathy

9
CCS Systematic Theology

• PROLEGOMENON

10
Approaches to Understanding the Bible

• An assumption The Bible is our sole authority
  for faith and practice and therefore is the
  Primary Source for our structures of Theology. To
  then be able to do so, one must know how to
  understand the Bible.
• More than just reading
• Words are just sounds and symbols until you apply
  meaning

11
Approaches to Understanding the Bible

• A General Structure
• Observation
• 2/3 of the time
• Asks, What do I see?
• Interpretation
• 1/6 of the time
• Asks, What does it mean?
• Application
• 1/6 of the time
• Asks, What do I do?

12
OBSERVATION

• WHAT DO I SEE?

13
Approaches to Understanding the Bible

• Some Specifics
• The first step to a proper hermeneutic is that
  you must actually read the Bible
• The second step is to read it again
• When you have questions
• Read it again
• Find connections to other texts intertextuality
• Find like passages parallelisms
• Build an understanding - theology

14
Reading the Bible

• Read as an overview
• This is 30,000 ft the forest
• Read Colossians in one sitting
• Read Ecclesiastes in one sitting
• Read as a study
• This is 30 feet the trees
• Use all the tools of study
• Read other writings on this
• Read as devotion
• Remember, this is Gods Word(s)

15
Ways to read

• Thoughtfully
• Repeatedly
• Patiently
• Selectively
• Prayerfully
• Imaginatively
• Meditatively

• Purposefully
• Acquisitively
• Telescopically
• Regularly

16
Six Things to Look for

• Things that are emphasized
• Things that are Repeated. Things that are
  Repeated.
• Things that are related.

• Things that are alike
• Things that are unalike
• Things that are true to life

17
Work with a text

• 2 CORINTHIANS 11-7

18
Six Things to Look for

• Things that are emphasized
• Things that are Repeated. Things that are
  Repeated.
• Things that are related.

• Things that are alike
• Things that are unalike
• Things that are true to life

19
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will
of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church
of God which is at Corinth with all the saints
who are throughout Achaia 2 Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God
of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our
affliction so that we will be able to comfort
those who are in any affliction with the comfort
with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours
in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant
through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it
is for your comfort and salvation or if we are
comforted, it is for your comfort, which is
effective in the patient enduring of the same
sufferings which we also suffer 7 and our hope
for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you
are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are
sharers of our comfort.
20
GET THE BIG PICTURE

• JOHNS GOSPEL

21
JOHNS GOSPEL

• Book of Signs 1-12
• Book of Glory 13-21

22
CCS Systematic Theology

• PROLEGOMENON

23
Genre

• A term that refers to different types or
  varieties of literature or media. In the
  interpretation of texts, particularly the Bible,
  most exegetes agree that identifying the genre of
  the text to be interpreted is crucial and that
  the text must be understood in light of the
  common conventions that typified that genre at
  the time of its writing. Thus, poetry is not to
  be interpreted in the same manner as historical
  narrative, nor is prophecy properly read in the
  same manner as an epistle (letter).
• Yet, this is a Multi-categorical Discussion

24
Genre

• Even though poetry is not interpreted the same
  way as an epistle, they are both within the genre
  of Bible
• We must not confuse regular interpretation with
  Biblical Interpretation
• We are not less responsible with the Bible,
  rather more
• The Bible is more than a book (2 Peter 119-21)

25
Genre

• General

• Biblical

• Musical
• Literary
• Informative
• Visual
• Biblical

• Law
• Historical/Narrative
• Prophetic
• Poetic/Prose/Wisdom
• Gospel
• Epistle
• Apocalyptic
• Parable

26
The Genres of the 66 the 1

• the Bible

27
INTERPRETATION

• What does it mean?

28
5 Keys to Interpretation

• Content
• The raw material, the text this is the seam
  from Observation to Interpretation
• Context
• Context, Context, Context this is the mantra of
  meaning
• Textual, Historical, Cultural, Theological
  contexts
• Comparison
• Comparing Scripture to Scripture
• Culture
• What world gave the information how do we
  translate?
• Consultation Do not stand alone

29
Application

• What do I do?

30
The Crucial Step of doing something
31
5 Substitutes for Application

• We Substitute interpretation for application
• We substitute superficial obedience for
  substantive life-change
• We substitute rationalization for repentance
• We substitute emotional experience for volitional
  decision
• We substitute communication for transformation

32
4 Steps of application

• Know
• The Text
• Yourself
• Relate
• Meditate (Psalm 1)
• Practice

33
CCS Systematic Theology

• PROLEGOMENON