Systematic Theology

Systematic Theology September, 9 – Windsor Locks Congregational Church – Tony Arsenal

Prolegomena First Things First

The Role of Scripture • Scripture serves as the ultimate normative, infallible, and highest authority in the life of a Christian • It is Inerrant (contains no errors in that which it teaches) • It is Infallible (not capable of failing to communicate that which it intends to communicate) • It is Divinely Inspired (The words on the page are the exact words, exact order of words, and exact form of words that God intended. They come from God and are God’s words) • It is Humanly Authored (The words on the page are the genuine product of the human authors and were influenced by their personalities, cultures, context, limitations, and intentions)

The Role of Scripture • Because of it’s unique role and nature, Scripture is the final arbiter of truth in the life of a Christian • If something (legitimately) contradicts the Bible, then that something is wrong • In disputes between Christians, the Scripture ought to be the final judicator between two opposing view points

The Role of Subordinate Authorities • Although Scripture is the supreme authority in the life of a Christian, other legitimate authorities exist • These authorities are binding upon us, in so far as they appropriately interpret Scripture • These other authorities help us to understand where we may be interpreting Scripture incorrectly • These authorities stand over us, but they do not stand over Scripture

Archetype, Ectype, and Analogy… Oh My • Archetype – Original, actual • Ectype – Copy, duplicate • The knowledge the divine persons have of themselves is archetypal and complete • The knowledge we can have about the divine persons or the nature they share is only ever a partial and faulty copy of God’s archetypal knowledge • Because of this, we can only ever speak in partial approximations in regard to the divine persons or the nature they share

Archetype, Ectype, and Analogy… Oh My • Analogy – A non-direct reproduction of a given reality • Digital vs Analog Clocks • Digital = Precise, exact, and 100% accurate • Analog = Imprecise, inexact, and never 100% accurate • Our language and knowledge of God is always takes the form of analogy • Analogy does not mean “untrue” or “figurative” • When we speak in analogy we say something that is true, albeit not precise or 100% accurate • If I say that this table is hard as a rock, I am communicating the truth that “this table, like a rock, is hard, and is hard in a similar way to the way a rock is hard.” • This means that we are always talking about “what God is like” rather than talking with precision about “what God actually is”

Archetype, Ectype, and Analogy… Oh My • Since only the divine persons have archetypal knowledge of themselves and the divine nature, we must begin with and limit ourselves to that which they have revealed to us • “Consequently, theology can exist as a legitimate enterprise only when it begins with God’s self-revelation.” (PT 37)

Doctrine of God Paterology – (Theology Proper, Theology of God the Father)

Why start with the Father? • Most “Theology Proper” or “Doctrine of God” is an investigation into the divine nature of God, or sometimes into a single “being” (quasi-entity) that is the one God • This tends to depersonalize God and can put us on a path that may lead to unhealthy places (see July Lecture on the Creeds) • Additionally, theology is inherently personal as we are seeking to get to know the three divine persons, not to understand some abstract and impersonal nature • Since we want to know a person, we should start our inquiry with a person rather than the divine nature

Why Start with the Father? • The New Testament overwhelmingly has in view the Father when it uses the word “God” (Greek: θεός | theos)in an unqualified way • If you replace the word “God” with “Divine Nature”, “Trinity”, or one of the other two persons of the Trinity, most passages simply don’t make sense • Examples: • John 3:16 – “For the Trinity so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son…” – Does the Trinity have a son? • Romans 1:1-3 – “… Set apart for the Gospel of the divine nature… concerning his Son, who was descended from David…” – Does the divine nature have a son?

Why Start with the Father? • The pattern of the Church starts with the Father • Apostle’s Creed: I believe in God, the Father Almighty • “the Father Almighty” is what is called an “appositive” meaning that the statement is clarifying the preceding noun. • I believe in God, that is to say the Father Almighty • Nicene Creed: We believe in God, the Father Almighty • Again, appositively identifies God as The Father • Does not refer to the Son or Spirit as God directly, rather demonstrates their divine status in light of their shared nature and activity with the Father (see July Lecture on Creeds)

Incommunicable Attributes • Incommunicable attributes are attributes that the divine persons have in light of their sharing of the divine nature • These attributes cannot be “transferred”, “given” or “communicated” to creatures (human or otherwise) • None of these attributes is true of creatures, even analogically (PT 74) • These attributes are primarily apophatic, meaning that they describe God by saying what he is not • It is helpful to think of these in regards of a denial that God is bound, constrained, or circumscribed by a given thing • Each is simply a way to say “God is free from X”

Simplicity • Simplicity is the negation of the term “Complexity” • Simply put, it means that God is not composed of parts or components • This means that God is not composed of 1 part Holiness, 1 part omnipotence, 1 part love • Rather, it means that God simply is what God is and could not be reduced to a smaller component • This does not mean that there are not multiple attributes, or that God only has a single attribute (although some Christian tradition would affirm this) • Rather, it means that God’s attributes are perfectly and eternally unified and connected • We cannot separate God’s justice or wrath, from his mercy or love • God is free from internal conflict or division

Aseity • Aseityis the attribute which denies that God is dependent on any person or thing outside of the Trinity • I prefer to think of this attribute in terms of non-contingency or uncreatedness (aseity implies an independence of person that I find problematic in light of the Trinity and the eternal relationships therein) • This means that God’s very existence is not dependent on anything outside of the Trinity • This is in part, what is meant when the Bible talks about the Son having life in himself (John 1:4) • This is in contrast to contingent, created things (ie everything that isn’t God) which get their existence from God • God is free from dependence on external things

Immutibility • This is a denial of the concept that God can be changed • It is a logical corollary of aseity • If God is fully independent of anything outside of the Trinity, then his nature and character cannot be influenced or changed by him • If God is not composed of parts, then he is either fully actualized or he is fully potential. Since a fully potential entity would not exist, God must be a fully actualized entity • This does not mean that God’s action cannot change as we experience it in history • It simply means that all of God’s actions are, and always will be, utterly consistent with his permanent and unchanging nature • Any form of change would mean that God is imperfect (PT 78) • God is free from fluctuation, degradation, or external influences

Impassibility • Impassibility is a denial of the idea that God can be made to suffer • A logical corollary of Aseity for all the same reasons that immutability was • Is not an utter lack of emotion (even negative emotions) • Impassibility would state that every emotion that God experiences or portrays is fully consistent with his purposes, character, and nature • Cannot be overcome by emotion or suffering • God is free from being overcome by a given attribute or emotion

Omnipresence and Eternity • Omnipresence and Eternity are two sides of the same coin (PT 81) • Both represent how God interacts with a given dimension • Omnipresence means that God is present at all locations, as well as present outside of all locations • Eternity means that God is present at all times, as well as present outside of time • Not exclusively atemporal (God does not experience time) and not exclusively omnitemporal • Both are related to Aseity (uncreatedness) • Time and Space are both created, thus God exists outside of them since he existed prior to them (logically) • However, being free from dependence on something external, God is free to interact with and exist within time as well • God is free from being constrained or circumscribed by time and space

Discussion and Questions

Systematic Theology