Bible Basics for a Christian Worldview

Transcription

1 Bible Basics for a Christian Worldview A Bible Study for PEP-Jacksonville Starting Points By Pastor David L. Burke, BSEE, M.Div. Christianity is not a series of truths in the plural, but rather truth spelled with a capital t Truth about total reality, not just religious things. Biblical Christianity is Truth concerning total reality and the intellectual holding of that total Truth and then living in the light of that Truth. Francis Schaeffer, Address at the University of Notre Dame, April This study is based upon the following resources: A Summary of Christian Doctrine by Louis Berkof (Banner of Truth) Understanding Biblical Doctrine by Ronald W. Nickerson (Crown & Covenant Publications) Confessing Christ by Calvin Knox Cummings (Great Commissions Publications) The Reformation Study Bible, ESV Version (Ligonier Ministries) Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture citations and references are from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible, 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

2 I. Revelation in General Study 1 Revelation and the Holy Scriptures A. Definition: Revelation refers to the various means by which the Triune God reveals or makes known to us His person and character, His works and ways, His will for our lives, and especially the way of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. B. Necessity: Unless God reveals Himself to us, we cannot know or interact with Him, know how we are to live in His world, or even why we exist (e.g., No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known, John 1:18). C. God s reveals Himself in two ways: to all men generally in creation (general or natural revelation) and to many in special and/or supernatural ways, especially in the Bible (special or supernatural revelation). As an example, see Ps. 19:1-6 and 19: II. General or Natural Revelation A. Definition: General or natural revelation is God s self-disclosure given to all men in the facts and workings of nature, and in the moral/religious make-up of man. B. God reveals Himself in His creation. 1. Read Psalm 19:1-4. a) What does v. 1 say the heavens and the sky declare/proclaim to man? b) What does v. 2 say is shown to man by the creation? c) According to vs. 3-4, how widespread and understandable is nature s testimony of God? 2. Read Romans 1: a) According to these verses, is the unbelieving man ignorant of God? What does man do with the truth of God s existence? b) How does v. 20 say that God has made Himself and His invisible characteristics known to all men?!2

3 c) What two attributes or characteristics of God is man able to perceive in creation? List two examples of these attributes as shown in nature. d) How clear is God s revelation of Himself in nature? e) What is the result upon all men of this universal knowledge of God (v. 20) in nature? God reveals Himself in the moral/religious make-up of man. 3. Read Romans 1: a) Though all men know the true God and are obligated to worship Him, what do they do instead? b) From this, we can say that God reveals Himself to man through man s nature. 4. Read Romans 2: a) According to these verses, does man have an innate sense of right and wrong?. What word is used in v. 15 for this inner sense of right and wrong? b) From this, we can say that God reveals Himself to man through man s nature. C. According to Rom. 10:13,14 and 2 Timothy 3:15, what does the creation not reveal to man? III. Special or Supernatural Revelation A. Definition: Special or supernatural revelation refers to the special means whereby God has revealed Himself to sinful man in order to reveal His nature and character, His will for man, and the way of salvation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Though God has in the past employed various means of special revelation, the Bible is His preeminent and abiding means of special revelation for mankind. B. Match the appropriate verses listed in the right hand column with the form of special revelation listed in the left hand column. 1. By direct appearance (theophany) a. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 2. In a voice from heaven b. Hebrews 1:1 3. In dreams or visions c. 2 Timothy 3:16 4. In His Son, Christ d. Daniel 4:31 5. Through the prophets e. Judges 13:2-23!3

4 6. By the apostles f. John 1: In the Scriptures g. Genesis 31:11-13 C. Read Numbers 12:6-8 and Heb. 1:1-2. What do the following verses tell us had to be done if these revelations were to be preserved? Deut. 31:24, Jer. 36:1-2, Luke 1:1-4 IV. The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture A. Definition: The original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments were given by God the Holy Spirit guiding the human writers of Scripture in such a way that the Bible in all its parts and all its words is totally free from error and is the very Word of God but at the same time does not rule out the personality and style of the individuals chosen by God to write the Scriptures. This is commonly referred to as verbal, plenary, organic inspiration. B. The Bible is inspired by God. This means that God is the ultimate author of Scripture and that the Bile carries the authority of God Himself). 1. Read 2 Timothy 3: a) What is the primary purpose of the Bible as stated in v. 15? b) Read 2 Timothy 3:16 in the English Standard Version (you can find in online at How is the Scripture given to us? c) What are the four uses of Scripture stated in v. 16? d) According to v. 17, what is the goal of these four uses of Scripture? 2. Read 2 Peter 1:21. a) What did not produce the prophecies of the Bible? b) How did the true prophecies of the Bible come about? C. The Bible, God s very Word, is fully and completely true and authoritative. 1. Read Psalm 19:7-11!4

5 a) What are the six adjectives in 7-9 that describe Scripture s trustworthiness? b) How valuable and useful is Scripture according to vs ? 2. Read Leviticus 19:2 and Romans 7:12. What common quality is ascribed both to God and His Word? 3. Read Romans 3:4a and John 17:17. What common quality is ascribed both to God and His Word? 4. Read Matthew 5:17 and John 10:35. What was Jesus view of the Old Testament? 5. Read Isaiah 8:20. What does this verse say about the authority of those who speak contrary to God s Word? D. The Bible is sufficient as the only rule of faith and life. 1. Read Proverbs 30:5-6. a) How reliable is God s Word? b) What are we command not to do? c) Why not? 2. Read Revelations 22:18,19. a) What two things do these verses command us not to do? b) What are the consequences of disobeying God s commands? c) What is the significance of finding these commands at the very end of the last book of the Bible?!5

6 Study 2 The Nature of God I. The Nature (Essence) of God A. God is a pure Spirit. As God, He has no body. 1. Read John 4:24. How does Jesus describe the nature of God here? 2. Read 1 Tim. 6:16. How does this verse help explain that God is pure spirit? B. Though God cannot be seen, He can be known: 1. Read Matt. 11:27. In order for God to be known, what must He do? 2. Read Psalm 145:3 and 147:5. Can anyone ever fully understand God? Why or why not? 3. Read Jeremiah 9:23-24 and John 17:3. Can we know God truly? C. God is a personal being; He is a person (personhood, personality), not an it. 1. Read Malachi 2:10 and John 14:9b. What indicator of God s personality are taught in these verses? 2. Read John 3:16. What personal trait of God is stated here? D. The Trinity 1. God is a triune being, one God in three persons. a) Read Deuteronomy 6:4 and Isaiah 45:5-6. How many gods are there? b) Read Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14. Who are the three persons of the Trinity? c) Read Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:17,18. How do these verses point to the three persons of the Trinity? 2. The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed progressively in the Old Testament. a) The Majestic Plural. Read Genesis 1:1-3, 26. How does God refer to Himself in these verses?!6

7 II. b) The Angel of the Lord (an Old Testament prefiguring of God s salvation through the pre-incarnate Christ). (1) Read Genesis 32:30. What does Jacob say about his encounter with the Angel at Peniel? (2) Read Genesis 48:16. What did Jacob say the Angel had done for him? c) The Trinity in the Book of Psalms (1) Read Psalm 2:2, 7, 12. (a) What two persons are mention in verse 2 and what, according to verse 7, is their relationship? (b) According to verse 12, in whom are we told to find refuge (or to trust)? Does Scripture ever command us to trust anyone who is less than wholly divine? (2) Read Psalm 110:1-7. (a) In verse 1, what two persons are mentioned? (b) In verse 4, what had God promised that is true of Christ (compare Hebrews 2:17)? 3. The Trinity is revealed in the New Testament not by theological defense but in the ordinary course of events. a) Read Matthew 3:16,17. State how the three persons of the Trinity are present here. b) Read Matthew 28:20. Is whose name is baptism to be administered (NOTE: one name but three persons)? c) Read Acts 5:1-4. How do these verses teach that the Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Trinity? The Attributes of God A. God s attributes are the different aspects, characteristics, or perfections of His nature by which God makes Himself know to us through revelation. They are typically classified according to His incommunicable attributes (those that have no!7

8 resemblance in man, or are not communicated to man) and communicable attributes (those that God shares or communicates to us as creatures made in His image). NOTE: The lists below are partial Scripture reveals more of God s attributes than appear in the lists. B. God s incommunicable attributes. Look up the passages on the right and match the appropriate verses with the attribute listed on left. 1. Independence (self-existence) a. Psalm 90:2; 102:27 2. Immutability (unchangeableness) b. John 5:26; Acts 17: Omnipresence (God is present everywhere) c. Malachi 3:6; James 1:17 4. Eternality (God always exists) d. Psalm 139:7-10 C. God s communicable attributes. Look up the passages on the right and match the appropriate verses with the attribute listed on left. 1. Holiness (otherness; purity) a. Nehemiah 9:17b; Rom. 3:24 2. Omniscience (He knows all things) b. Psalm 86:5; 119:29 3. Omnipotence (He is all powerful) c. Numbers 23:19; 2 Tim. 2:13 4. Love d. Psalm 89:14; 1 Peter 1:17 5. Wisdom e. Romans 9:18; Ephesians 2:4,5 6. Truthfulness/faithfulness f. Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 6:3 7. Mercy g. Job 42:2; Luke 1:37 8. Grace h. John 3:16; 1 John 4:8 9. Longsuffering/forbearance i. Daniel 4:34; Rev. 7: Goodness j. John 21:17b; Heb. 4: Righteousness/justice k. Numbers 14:18; Romans 2:4 12. Sovereignty l. Psalm 104:24; Dan. 2:20-21b!8

9 I. The Creation of the World Study 3 The Origin and Nature of Man A. The universe was originally created by God s direct act, without use of any preexistent material (creatio ex nihilo--creation out of nothing). 1. Read Gen. 1:3,6,9and Psalm 33:6. What action brought the world into existence? 2. Read Hebrews 11:3. Of what is the present creation NOT made? What does this mean? 3. Read Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4; John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6. What persons of the Trinity were involved in the creation of the world? B. The purpose for which God created the universe. Read Isaiah 43:6,7; Psalm 19:1; 148:13; Romans 11:36. Though God did not need to create the universe, why DID He? II. C. The universe created by God consists of both visible (seen) and invisible (unseen) elements ( as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Read Psalm 103:20 and Jude 6. What unseen creatures are described? Where do you think they came from? Man as Created by God A. God directly created man as a living being, complete in his person as both body and soul. 1. Read Genesis 1:26,27. What is the origin of man? 2. Read Genesis 2:7. What did God use to make man? If God breathed... life into man, could he have evolved from lower life forms? 3. Read Matthew 10:28 and Rom. 8:10. What are the two components of man s nature? B. Man is unique among all God s creatures, not only because he has a soul, but he alone is made in God s image or likeness. 1. Read Genesis 1:26, 27. How, according to these verses, did God make or create man? Are both man and woman equal in this regard?!9

10 2. Read Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9. Does fallen or sinful man still bear the image of God in some way or another? 3. Read Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:24. According to these verses, what are three aspects of man s nature as created in God s image? 4. Read Genesis 1:31. What was God s evaluation of His whole creation, including man? 5. Read Genesis 1:28 and Psalm 8:6. What relationship does man, made in God s image, have to the rest of creation? III. The Fall of Man A. Definition: Adam, as the representative head of the human race, was created without sin. Willfully disobeying God s prohibition (Gen. 3:3, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. ), he brought sin s pollution into his very nature and has thus passed sin and its horrific effects on to all his descendents. B. The events in the Garden of Eden. 1. Read Genesis 2:17 and 3:3. What was God s prohibition given to Adam? 2. Read Genesis 3:4-5. What was the serpent s (the devil s) lie? What was the serpent s promise? 3. Read Genesis 2:17 and Gen. 3:7-8. What did God say would be the consequence of disobedience? Remembering that death has both physical and spiritual consequences (alienation from God, among men, and within ourselves), describe how Gen. 3:7-8 shows that the effects of the fall were immediate: 4. Read Genesis 3:14,16 & 17. Describe how God s curse would affect each of the following: a) The serpent b) Eve c) Adam 5. Read Genesis 3:15. This verse is called the proto euangelion the first statement of the Gospel in the Bible, though in veiled form. Why?!10

11 IV. The First Adam and His Relationship to All Humanity A. Romans 5 and the First Adam. Read Romans 5:12, 14, Who is the one man of verse 12? 2. What came into the world through Adam? 3. What sentence now rests upon all mankind as a consequence (list the various phrases)? 4. According to verse 12, what have all men done? B. Sin s universality and effects. 1. Read Romans 3:10-18 and then answer the following questions: a) Is anyone sinless before God? b) Does anyone naturally seek God? c) Is man basically good? d) Is man naturally violent and dishonest? e) Does fallen man fear or respect God? 2. Read Psalm 51:5. What does David say is true even of children? 3. Read Ephesians 2:1. What is the condition of man because of sin?!11

12 Study 4 The Person and Work of Jesus Christ Part 1 I. The Person of Jesus Christ A. Definition: Jesus Christ is one person with two natures. Though always divine, in His incarnation He assumed a human nature and ever since is both truly and fully God and truly and fully man (except without sin!). He has both a divine and a human consciousness and will. There is no fusion of His two natures. For instance, He continued to know all things as God, but as man (the second or last Adam), he learned by the same processes as other human beings, only without sin. B. Jesus Christ is truly God (divine). 1. Read Isaiah 9:6. How does Isaiah speak of Jesus Christ s divine nature? 2. Read Jeremiah 23:5-6. In verse 6, what name does Jeremiah use for Jesus Christ? 3. Read John 1:1. Who is the Word? What does verse 1 say about His divine nature? 4. Read Colossians 2:9. How does Paul express Christ s deity? C. Jesus Christ is truly man (human) 1. Read John 8:40. What does Jesus call Himself? 2. Read Matthew 26:38 and John 4:6. What human traits did Jesus display in these verses? 3. Read Luke 24:39. How did Jesus encourage His disciples to believe in His postresurrection humanity? 4. Read Hebrews 2:14 and 4:15. Why did Jesus take upon Himself a human nature? How was it like our nature? How was it different? D. The Unity of the Person of Jesus Christ. 1. Read John 17:5. How does Jesus prayer demonstrate the unity of His person? 2. Read John 3:13. How does this statement of Jesus demonstrate the unity of His person? 3. Read 1 Corinthians 2:8. How does this statement of Paul s demonstrate the unity of Jesus person?!12

13 E. The Last Adam. Read Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-24, Who is referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:45 as the Last Adam? 2. How is the first man characterized in 1 Corinthians 15:47? 3. How is the second man characterized in 1 Corinthians 15:47? 4. What did the Last Adam come to do? II. The States of Jesus Christ A. The Pre-Incarnate State. 1. Before His conception and birth, Christ existed as the eternally-begotten Son, the second person of the Trinity, equal in power, substance, and glory with the Father. 2. Read Psalm 2:7. How does God refer to Jesus here? 3. Read John 1:1-3. What does this passage tell us about Jesus (the Word) before He came to earth in human flesh? B. The State of Humiliation. 1. Read Phil. 2:6-8. What does this passage say about God s Son becoming man? 2. His Incarnation. Jesus Christ was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. He humbled Himself by adding a human nature to His divine person. a) Read John 1:14. What did the Word (Christ) become? b) Read Galatians 4:4. In what two ways did Jesus choose to be like us? c) Read Luke 1:34,35. How did Jesus birth differ from that of all other human beings? 3. His Suffering. a) Read Hebrews 5:8. What did Jesus learn through His suffering?!13

14 b) Read Isaiah 53:2-3. What are some of the ways the prophet predicted that Jesus would suffer? 4. His Death. a) Read Isaiah 53:12. What was the purpose of Christ s death, according to Isaiah? b) Read Galatians 3:13. How did Jesus redeem believers from the curse of the law? 5. His Burial. a) Read Isaiah 53:9. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be buried where? b) Read Luke 23:33, What facts are given here to show that Isaiah s prophecy was fulfilled? c) Why is it important to know that Jesus was buried? C. The State of Exaltation. 1. Read Phil. 2:8-11. Following Jesus death on the cross, what did God the Father do for His Son Jesus? 2. His Resurrection. a) Read Psalm 16:10. What was prophesied of Christ here? b) Read Romans 4:25 and 1 Corinthians 15:20. Why was Jesus resurrected? 3. His Ascension. a) Read Acts 1:9-11. What did the disciples see happen to Jesus Christ? b) Read John 20:17. What does Jesus say he was going to do? 4. His Session (seating at God s right hand). Christ will be visible to us in heaven!14

15 because He has a resurrected, immortal body. a) Read 1 Peter 3:22. How does Peter describe where Jesus Christ is today? b) Read Ephesians 1:20 and 2:6. 1: Where is Jesus right now? 2: How do we share in Christ s exaltation in God s presence? 1. 2: c) Read Hebrews 10:12. What does Jesus posture as sitting imply? 5. His Second Coming. a) Read Acts 1:11. What does the angel promise the disciples? b) Read Revelation 1:7. What will Jesus return be like? III. The Offices of Jesus Christ A. His Prophetic Office. Christ Jesus is our Prophet who reveals God and His truth to us. 1. Read Deuteronomy 8:15 and Acts 3: What does Moses say about Jesus? 2. Read Luke 7:16. Who did Jesus hearers say Jesus was? B. His Priestly Office. Christ Jesus is our mediator who both offers the sacrifice of Himself for our and makes intercession for us. Only because He is both God and man is His priestly work sufficient and able to save His people. 1. Read Psalm 110:4. What is prophesied of Christ here? 2. Read Hebrews 3:1 and 4:14. Who do these verses say Jesus is for us?!15

16 3. Read Mark 10:45 as John 1:29. As High Priest, what sacrifice does Jesus offer for us? What does it accomplish? 4. Read Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25. What do these verses teach that Jesus, our High Priest, does on our behalf? C. His Kingly Office. As our King, Christ Jesus rules as head of His Church and, indeed, as king over all creation. 1. Read 2 Samuel 7:12, 13. What does God promise to David and his descendents? 2. Read Isaiah 9:7. How does this prophecy of Jesus Christ speak to His office as a king? 3. Read Luke 1:32,33. How are the Old Testament prophecies of Christ fulfilled here? 4. Read Matthew 28:18 and Ephesians 1:22. How much authority does Jesus have and how does this authority relate to His Church? 5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:25. How long will Jesus reign as king over His Church?!16

17 Study 5 The Person and Work of Jesus Christ Part 2; Salvation; The Holy Spirit I. The Atonement A. The moving cause of the atonement. 1. Read Isaiah 53:10 and Colossians 1:19,20. What moved God to send Christ to atone for the sins of His people? 2. Read John 3:16 and Romans 5:6,8. What attribute of God moved Him to send Jesus to die? B. The necessity of the atonement. 1. Read Habakkuk 1:13a; Psalm 5:4-5. What is it about God that prevents Him from overlooking human sinfulness? 2. Read Exodus 23:7 and Romans 1:18, 32. What does God reveal He will do to the wicked? What do they deserve? 3. Read Genesis 3:3 and Romans 6:23. What sentence has God passed upon the sinner? C. The voluntary, substitutionary nature of the atonement. 1. Read Isaiah 53:6, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:24. What do these verses say is the result of Jesus substitutionary sacrifices for our sins? 2. Read Philippians 2:6,8 and Hebrews 12:2. Did God the Father force Jesus to die for our sins? Why or why not? D. The multifaceted character of the atonement. 1. Read Romans 5:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:18. What word is used for Christ s atonement in these verses? What does this word mean? 2. Read Galatians 4:4,5 and Titus 2:14. What word is used for Christ s atonement in these verses? What does this word mean?!17

18 3. Read Romans 3:25 and 1 John 4:10 (King James, New King James, or English Standard Version!!!). What word is used for Christ s atonement in these verses? What does this word mean (see Know What You Believe, p. 78)? II. E. The result of the atonement. 1. Read Matthew 1:21. What did Christ accomplish for His people by becoming man? 2. Read John 10:26-28 and Romans 6:23. What do all believers receive as a result of the atonement? Salvation A. The beginning of salvation calling and the new birth (regeneration). 1. Read Mark 16:15,16 and Romans 10:14,15. What external (outside of the person) event or activity must normally happen before a believer is saved? 2. Read Jeremiah 13:23 and John 3:3,7. What must happen internally to a person before he can be saved? 3. Read 1 Peter 1:23. While God the Holy Spirit causes us to be born again, what does God use as an instrument in regeneration? B. Conversion. 1. Read Matt. 4:17 and Acts 2:38, then Rom. 10:9 and Acts 16:31. What are the two components of conversion? 2. Read Jeremiah 31:18-19, Luke 1:16-17 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9. What do you learn about repentance from these verses? 3. Read Romans 10:9, James 2:17, 19 and John 6:40. What do you learn about faith!18

19 from these verses? C. Justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. 1. Definition: Justification is a gracious act of God in which He pardons all the believer s sins and accepts him as sinless (righteous) in God s sight (declared innocent with respect to breaking God s law) solely upon the basis of Christ s imputed righteousness and received by faith alone. a) Read Romans 3:28 and 4:5. By what means or instrument are (1) and are NOT (2) believers justified? (1) (2) b) Read 3:21,22 and 5:18. Upon what is justification based? 2. Definition: Adoption is a gracious act of God in which He receives us into the family of believers and grants us all the privileges of the sons of God. a) Read John 1:12. What did special status does God give those who trust in Christ for salvation? b) Read Romans 8: What are some of the privileges of adoption? 3. Definition: Sanctification is a gracious work of God in which all aspects of the believer s life are renewed after the image of God and the believer is increasingly enabled to die to sin and to live in righteousness. a) Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Corinthians 7:1 and Philippians 2: Whose work is sanctification? b) Read Romans 6:6 and 8:12,13; Ephesians 4:24. What are the two main aspects of sanctification? c) Read Romans 7:18 and Philippians 3:12. Is sanctification ever complete in!19

20 this life? Why or why not? 4. Definition: Glorification is the final step in salvation and will happen when Jesus Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like that of Jesus. III. The Holy Spirit a) Read John 6: What does Jesus assure believers He will do for them at the last day? b) Read 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 and According to these verses, what will happen when Jesus returns? A. The Person of the Holy Spirit 1. He is revealed to us in Scripture as possessing the attributes of personality. He is not merely an abstract force and should not be addressed as it." a) Read Ephesians 4:30. What personal emotion of the Spirit is noted here? b) Read Luke 12:12. What personal activity of the Spirit is noted here? 2. The Spirit is revealed to us as the Third Person of the Trinity, equal in substance, power and authority with the Father and the Son. a) Read Romans 8:9. What two titles are given to the Spirit here? b) Read Matthew 28:19. Who are the three distinct persons under whose authority baptism is to be administered? B. The Work of the Holy Spirit 1. The Spirit works in behalf of all creation (this is commonly referred to as the!20

21 realm of common grace.). In the exercise below indicate the passages from the given list that best describe the particular activity of the Spirit mentioned in the left hand column. The Holy Spirit acts as: 1. The agent of creation a. Exodus 31:2,3,5 2. The giver of life b. Genesis 1:2 3. The giver of reason c. Job 33:4 4. The giver of artistic ability d. Job 32:8 2. The Spirit also works specifically in behalf of God's elect (this is commonly called the realm of special or saving grace). Complete the following exercise as previously. The Holy Spirit acts for God's people as: 1. The agent of the inspiration of Scripture a. John 16:13 The applier of the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection Who: 2. Convicts of sin b. John 16:8 3. Regenerates the heart c. I Cor. 12: Enlightens the mind d. John 3:5,8 5. Comforts, helps or defends e. Rom. 8:11 6. Sanctifies the life f. John 14:16 7. Assures of salvation g. 2 Pet. 1: Makes intercession h. 2 Thess. 2:13 9. Gives us resurrection bodies i. 1 John 3:24 The equipper of the Church: 10. He grants gifts for ministry j. Rom. 8:26!21

22 C. The Spirit in the Life of the Believer 1. All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times. a) Read Romans 8:9. What must an individual have to be a Christian? b) Read Romans 8:14. Who are the sons of God? c) Read 1 Corinthians 3:16. What is the relationship of the Spirit to all believers? 2. The Holy Spirit enters the believer's life at the time of his re-birth. This is also called the "baptism" of the Spirit, but does not refer to any "Second Blessing" occurring after conversion. a) Read John 3:3, 8. What two expressions are used in these verses to refer to salvation? b) Read Matthew 3:11. What is the nature of Jesus' baptism as compared to John's? Note: The outward sacrament of baptism is a sign and seal of the inward work of the baptism of the Spirit (i.e. regeneration received by faith). c) Read Acts 19:2-6. Why had this group not received the Holy Spirit? Note: The outward sacrament of baptism is a sign and seal of the inward work of the baptism of the Spirit (i.e. regeneration received by faith). 3. The believer is always to seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit for powerful service and growth in grace, but this fullness can be diminished by the believer's neglect and sins. The fullness of the Holy Spirit should be the normal condition of every believer. a) Read Acts 9:17. What was Christ's plan for Paul? (cf. Acts 13:9) b) Read Ephesians 5:18. What positive command is given to all believers? c) Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19. What are believers to avoid?!22

23 d) Note: The fact that we are commanded to seek this filling implies that there will be times when we have less of the power of the Spirit in our lives. This does not imply, however, that at any time the believer loses the indwelling presence of the Spirit in his life as the guarantor of his salvation.!23

24 Study 6 Ethics; Evil & Suffering; The Afterlife I. Ethics What is the Basis of Ethics and Morality? A. God the Lawmaker and Lawgiver. 1. Read Romans 11:36 and Revelation 4:11. God is the ultimate authority in the universe and has the right to define what is right and wrong to make laws universally binding upon all mankind. Why, according to these verses, is this so? 2. Read Daniel 4: What conclusion did the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar come to regarding God s authority over men and nations, and their accountability to Him? 3. Read Matthew 5:48 and Psalm 19:7. How high is the moral standard to which God holds man accountable? What is the only written standard that qualifies as a guide to show man how He wants us to live? 4. Read Isaiah 33:22 and James 4:12. What three terms are used of God here? What do these verses imply about the ultimate basis of law, morality, and ethics? 1:, 2:, 3:, 5. Read Genesis 18:25. Why is it good for man to know that God is the ultimate source of law and ethics? B. The law reflects God s nature and displays His holiness. One intent of the law is to bring man under conviction of sin as he views himself in the light of God s righteous demands. 1. Read Romans 7:12. Which of God s attributes, according to this verse, are reflected in God s law? 2. Read Romans 3:20. What does the apostle Paul say the law gives us? 3. Read Galatians 3:24. What does the law as schoolmaster or guardian do?!24

25 C. Man is unable to earn his salvation by keeping the law perfectly because of his sinful nature. 1. Read James 2:10. Of what does James warn us? 2. Read Romans 3:20. What cannot be gained by obedience to the law? 3. Read Romans 3:24. What is the only means of being justified (declared righteous and therefore acceptable to a holy God)? D. The moral law (that aspect of God s law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, that is God s standard for man s holiness and right living in His world) is, however, to be obeyed by all men. For believers, obeying this law is an evidence and fruit of salvation, not the means of it. 1. Read Romans 3:31. What effect does Paul say that faith-righteousness has upon our relationship to the law? 2. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. According to these verses, what does and what does not save us? As a result of Christ s workmanship, what has He created for us to do? 3. Read John 14:15 and 1 John 2:3. What is one way you can tell if you love Jesus Christ and are a true believer? E. The Moral Law, summarized by the Ten Commandments, is God s standard for our conduct and for ethics in general. 1. READ Exodus 20:1-17 and the explanation of these commandments as given by the Westminster Shorter Catechism (a question and answer summary of Bible teaching widely used in early American schools and churches. The whole catechism was published as part of The New England Primer. Download the document entitled The Westminster Shorter Catechism on the Ten Commandments from my website: 2. For each of the commandments, write a one of two sentence summary of each commandment in your own words:!25

26 II. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) 3. Matthew 22: How does Jesus summarize the whole moral law? 1: and 2:. Evil & Suffering What is the Cause of Evil and Suffering? A. God Decree and the Existence of Evil. 1. Read Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 14:24 and Ephesians 1:11. According to these verses, why, ultimately, do all things happen as they do?!26

27 2. Read Psalm 5:4, James 1:13-14, 1 John 1:5 and Habakkuk 1:13. While we must admit face up to the fact that evil would not exist if God had not decreed it, why according to these verses do we say that God is not the author of sin? 3. Read Daniel 4:35 and Romans 9:22-23; 11:36. According to these verses, could got stop all evil from happening if He decided to? Ultimately speaking, why doesn t He? B. God s Creation and the Entrance of Sin and Suffering. 1. Read Genesis 1:31-2:3. As created by God, was sin or suffering part of the original world? Why not? 2. Read Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Job 34:10 and Psalm 92:15. Could sin come into the world by God s direct action? Why or why not? 3. Read Genesis 3:1-5, John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8. According to these verses, what is one reason for the source of evil in the world? 4. Read Genesis 3:6-7 and Romans 5:12. According to these verses, what is another reason for the source of evil and suffering in the world? 5. Read 1 John 2: According to these verses, what is a third reason for the source of evil and suffering in the world? 6. Read James 1: Who, according to James, are we NOT to blame for our sin? Why not? C. A Christian s View of Suffering. 1. Read Genesis 45:5-9; 50:20 and Romans 8:28. While evil and suffering are not in!27

28 themselves good, what do these verses tell us about God s sovereign, gracious work for His people through evil and suffering? 2. Read Acts 3: What is the supreme example that God ultimately overrules human sin for his glory and the ultimate good of mankind? Explain. 3. Read Acts 14:22 and Philippians 1:29. Are suffering and trials unusual experiences for Christians? Explain. 4. Read Matthew 5:10-12 and Hebrews 12:5-8. According to these verses, how are we to regard trials and suffering, including persecutions? 5. Read Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and James 1:2-4. List some of the things God accomplishes for the believer through suffering. III. The Afterlife What Happens to Man at Death? A. The Intermediate State (Man s condition between his death and the Second Coming of Christ). 1. The bodies of all men return to dust and undergo corruption at death. a) Read Genesis 3:19. What did God tell Adam would happen at his death? b) Read Acts 13:36, 37. How are the deaths of David and Christ contrasted? 2. The souls of all men maintain consciousness and existence after death. The souls of believers enter immediately into a state of blessedness heaven. a) Read Job 19:26, 27. What did Job believe he would experience after his death? b) Read Luke 23:43. What promise did Jesus make to the repentant thief?!28

29 c) Read 2 Corinthians 5:8. Where did the apostle Paul belief his soul would be at death? 3. The souls of the wicked (unbelievers) enter immediately into a state of torment hell at death. a) Read Luke 16: Understanding that this is a parable, what does this passage teach about the state of the unbeliever after death? b) Read 2 Peter 2:9. What does Peter tell us about the unrighteous between their death and the final judgment? B. The Final State (Man s condition after the final judgment and Second Coming of Christ). 1. There will be one final judgment of both the saved and the lost, the dead and the living. a) Read 1 Thessalonians 4: What happens to believers who have already died at Christ s return? What happens to living believers? b) Read 2 Corinthians 5:10. What does Paul say will happen to all at Christ s return? c) Read Matthew 25: Describe the final judgment as pictured by Jesus. 2. The bodies of all the dead (saved and lost) will be raised up at Christ s return. a) Read Daniel 12:2. What does this verse day will happen to the dead? b) Read John 5:28, 29. What are the two types of resurrection mentioned here? Are these presented as separate events? c) Read Acts 24:15. Who will be involved in the final resurrection?!29

30 3. Believers, both those who have already died, and those who are alive at Jesus final coming, will receive resurrection bodies and live with Christ eternally in His kingdom. Heaven is a real place and not merely a condition. a) Read 1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 35, 42, 44. What do these verses tell us about the body at the resurrection? b) Read Philippians 3:21. What will Christ do for the bodies of believers? Whose body will theirs be like? c) Read Revelation 21:1-4, and 22:1-5. From these verses, what will heaven be like? 4. Unbelievers will be resurrected unto judgment (John 5:29) and will be eternally separated from Christ and eternally punished in hell. a) Read Matthew 13: How is hell described here? b) Read Matthew 8: What does Jesus say here about the future punishment of unbelievers (NOTE: In context, the sons of the kingdom is a reference to Jewish unbelievers)? c) Read Matthew 25:46. What adjective is used to describe the punishment of the wicked? 5. Both the righteous and the lost will receive degrees of reward or punishment respectively. a) Read Luke 19: In this parable, what does Jesus teach about faithful stewards? b) Read Luke 12: In verses 47 & 48, what does Jesus say will be the punishment of the willfully disobedient?!30

31 I. Views of the Meaning of History Study 7 What is the Meaning of History? A. Non-Christian Views of History 1. Both ancient and modern (including post-modern) thought, though differing in details, typically share a common view of history it is basically meaningless (NOTE: this is not necessarily true of false religions Islam for instance). Such views do not necessarily rule out the existence of something beyond this world. 2. Greek, cyclic view of history history is made of endless repeated cycles. Events recur again and again, thus there is no significant meaning to any particular event in human history. Man s only real hope is that the gods intervene and deliver man into the great Beyond. 3. Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and New Age thinking, also basically view human history as meaningless ultimately illusory finding hope and meaning through reaching a final, non-material state. 4. Modern and post-modern views, which are typically atheistic and evolutionary, either view history as a meaningless succession of unrelated events resulting from chance and with no movements toward a goal, or may see history as a sequence of events determined by the forces of nature (Darwinism) or human economic systems (Marxism), which gradually result in progress. B. The Christian View of History 1. Christianity teaches that history does have meaning and is the working out of God s purposes according to His decrees and moving toward a pre-established goal, with God s unfolding purpose of redemption in Jesus Christ at the very center of all history. 2. Christianity maintains that history has meaning and purpose in opposition to all views of man that suggest that it is without these. 1 II. Elements of a Christian View of History A. There are four pivotal historical events that are critical to a Biblical worldview. Look up the verses below and write in the blank a word or phrase that identifies these events. 1. Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33: Morton Smith, Systematic Theology (Greenville: Greenville Seminary Press, 1994), p. 738.!31

32 2. Genesis 3:6-8, Hebrews 9:12; Ephesians 1:7. 4. Romans 8:1823; Revelation 21:1-4. B. God s decree His eternal purpose, according to His own wise but secret will, that is behind everything that happens the events of history. 1. Read Isaiah 14:24 and Ephesians 1: What do these verses tell us about why things happen as they do? 3. Read Acts 4: How does the death of the Lord Jesus Christ fit into God s purpose? 4. Read Daniel 4:35. Can anyone or anything stop God from doing what He wants in history? 5. Read Romans 11:36 and Revelation 4:11. What is the ultimate reason for history? How does this reason give meaning and purpose to history? 6. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. What ultimate purpose is man to pursue in life? C. Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Meaning for Man in History. 1. Read Genesis 1:26-31 and Psalm 8:3-8. What do these verses tell us of man s purpose and place in history? 2. Read Genesis 6:5, Psalm 14:1 and Romans 5:12. How did the Fall change man s view of the world and his ability to function as God intended? 4. Read Romans 8: Toward what end is all history moving? What practical effect does this knowledge have for the believer? D. Christ the Center of and Lord of History.!32

33 1. Read Ephesians 1: How do these verses show that Christ is the center and Lord of history? 2. Read Colossians 1: How do these verses show that Christ is the center and Lord of history? E. Uniformatarianism and Catastrophism. Naturalism, a common view in the West, sees the events of history as following the laws of nature that have always existed, following a uniform pattern and sequence. Such views deny the existence of a Sovereign God Who freely acts in history, sometimes sending catastrophic events (like the Flood of Noah) or miraculous events (Christ s many miracles; His resurrection from the dead) to interrupt the apparent uniformatarianism predicted by the Naturalists, and will end this phase of human history with the catastrophe of the final judgment. 1. Read 2 Peter 3:3-4. What sort of people does Peter predict will come in the last days? (NOTE: The last days here refer to the days between Jesus first and second comings). 2. Read 2 Peter 3:3-4. What view of history will these people have? How does this relate to naturalism? 4. Read 2 Peter 3:5-7. How does the apostle Peter refute these people? F. The End and the New Beginning 1. Read 2 Peter 3:10. What does Peter say will happen to world as we know it? 2. Read 2 Peter 3: How should these coming events affect our lives? 3. Read Revelation 21:1-4, 21:9-22:5. List ten things John tells us about the new heavens and the new earth: (1) (2)!33

34 (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)!34