What is Christian Theology?

Please Help Us Keep These Thousands of Blog Posts Growing and Free for All

$5.00

APOSTOLIC FATHERS Lightfoot

CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

Christian Theology is the science of God and Divine things, based upon the revelation made to mankind in Jesus Christ and variously systematized within the Christian Church.

All that belongs to the preliminaries of our study may be distributed under the several heads suggested by this definition, which is so framed as to include, first, Theology proper; secondly, its limitation to the relations between God and mankind; thirdly, its essential connection with Christ; fourthly, its characteristics as developed under various influences within the Christian Church; and lastly, its title to the name of a science. The introductory remarks which will be made on these several topics have their object simply to prepare the student’s mind for what lies before him and to give a few hints, which will all afterward be expanded in due course.

THEOLOGY

God is the source and the subject, and the end of theology. The stricter and earlier use of the word limited it to the doctrine of the Triune God and His attributes. But modern usage includes the whole compass of the science of Religion or the relations of all things to God. This gives it unity and dignity and sanctity. It is a Deo, de Deo, in Deum: from God in its origin (or to God, from God, into God), concerning God in its substance, and it leads to God in all its issues; His Name is in it.

The only adequate definition of this subject embraces Divine things: λόγος περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ περὶ τῶν θείων (Talk about God and the gods). The Supreme, whose Being is the first postulate of theology or divinity, declares Himself to be incomprehensible and unsearchable to His nature. I am that I am (Ex. 3:14) is the nearest approach to a definition; it asserts without proving His existence that He exists in essence, known only to Himself. Or Exodus 3:14, based on grammar and context, could be an alternative reading: I will be what I will be. In other words, God had revealed to Moses an exhilarating characteristic of His own nature. Within the limits of his perfect standards, God becomes what He needs to become in each occasion to achieve his will. He supplies whatever is necessary to care for his creation.

How to Interpret the Bible-1

The Old Testament asks: Can you discover the deep things of God? Can you discover the limit of the Almighty? (Job 11:7) The New Testament, which brings Him nearer in His Son, represents Him as living in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen nor is able to see, to whom be honor and eternal power (1 Tim 6:16) to search. In the profoundest sense, He is ever the Unknown God. (Acts 17:23) It is His glory that He must conceal Himself. But St. Paul, as a preacher to the Gentiles, nevertheless declares that Unknown God, and in his writings uses two expressive phrases which at once affirm the prerogative and assign the limits of our theology proper. He speaks of the things of God, (1 Cor. 2:11) τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, in reference to those mysteries which the Spirit can and will reveal to those who receive Him. And he indicates that even apart from the supernatural revelations of the Spirit that which may be known of God, (Rom. 1:19) τὸ γνώστον τοῦ Θεοῦ, is unfolded to man. All that is known is all that may be known: the possible knowledge is the actual knowledge in its successive communications from the light of nature to the light of grace and thence to the light of glory. The thick darkness round about the unsearchable Presence is not absolutely unbroken: the rays that flow from it penetrate every department of true knowledge, especially of this.

There is a sense in which universal theology is concerned simply with the relation of all things to God: if we carefully guard our meaning, we may make this proposition include the opposite, the relation of God to all things. Relation, of course, must be mutual; but it is hard in this matter to detach from the notion of relation that of dependence. The Eternal One is the Unconditioned Being. When we study His nature and perfections and works, we must always remember that He is His Perfect Self, independent of every created object and independent of every thought concerning Him. But there is not a doctrine nor a branch or development of any doctrine, which is not purely the expression of some relation of His creatures to the Supreme First Cause.

Mosaic Authorship HOW RELIABLE ARE THE GOSPELS Young Christians

Hence, every branch of this science is sacred. It is a temple that is filled with the presence of God. From its hidden sanctuary, into which no high priest taken from among men can enter, issues a light which leaves no part dark save where it is dark with excess of glory. Therefore all fit students are worshipers as well as students. In the heathen world there was a true instinct of this. The highest tribute the ancients could pay to their poets and philosophers, from Homer and Hesiod downwards, was to call them θεολόγοι (theologians). Their philosophy was their theology. So in the early Church, when theology put on its perfection, its relation to God was the seal of that perfection: St. John was called the Divine, ὁ θεολόγος (the theologian), because his writings contained most of the manifestation of the Holy Trinity in its internal and external relations. What has been said of God, Himself may be said concerning the theological study of God: He is the center everywhere of a science which has its circumference nowhere. The remembrance of this must exert its influence upon our spirit and temper in all our studies. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.

THE CREATION DAYS OF GENESIS gift of prophecy

Psalm 24:3-4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
Who may ascend to the mountain of Jehovah
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his[1] soul to falseness
    and does not swear deceitfully.

William Burt Pope, A Compendium of Christian Theology: Being Analytical Outlines of a Course of Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical, Volumes 1-3, vol. 1 (London: Beveridge and Co., 1879), 3–5.

[1] MT “my” AT LXX SYR VG many Heb. MSS “his”

SCROLL THROUGH DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BELOW

BIBLE TRANSLATION AND TEXTUAL CRITICISM

The Complete Guide to Bible Translation-2
The Reading Culture of Early Christianity From Spoken Words to Sacred Texts 400,000 Textual Variants 02
The P52 PROJECT 4th ed. MISREPRESENTING JESUS
APOSTOLIC FATHERS Lightfoot APOSTOLIC FATHERS
English Bible Versions King James Bible KING JAMES BIBLE II
9781949586121 THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS
APOSTOLIC FATHERS Lightfoot

BIBLICAL STUDIES / INTERPRETATION

How to Interpret the Bible-1
israel against all odds ISRAEL AGAINST ALL ODDS - Vol. II

EARLY CHRISTIANITY

THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST by Stalker-1 The TRIAL and Death of Jesus_02 THE LIFE OF Paul by Stalker-1
PAUL AND LUKE ON TRIAL
APOSTOLIC FATHERS Lightfoot APOSTOLIC FATHERS I AM John 8.58

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM

The Epistle to the Hebrews
REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES APOLOGETICS
AN ENCOURAGING THOUGHT_01
INVESTIGATING JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES REVIEWING 2013 New World Translation
Jesus Paul THE EVANGELISM HANDBOOK
REASONING WITH OTHER RELIGIONS
APOSTOLIC FATHERS Lightfoot
REASONABLE FAITH FEARLESS-1
Satan BLESSED IN SATAN'S WORLD_02 HEROES OF FAITH - ABEL
is-the-quran-the-word-of-god UNDERSTANDING ISLAM AND TERRORISM THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM.png
DEFENDING OLD TESTAMENT AUTHORSHIP Agabus Cover BIBLICAL CRITICISM
Mosaic Authorship HOW RELIABLE ARE THE GOSPELS Young Christians
THE CREATION DAYS OF GENESIS gift of prophecy

TECHNOLOGY

9798623463753 Machinehead KILLER COMPUTERS
INTO THE VOID

CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

Homosexuality and the Christian second coming Cover Why Me_
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY Vol. CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY Vol. II CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY Vol. III
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY Vol. IV CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY Vol. V MIRACLES
Human Imperfection HUMILITY

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

READ ALONG WITH ME READ ALONG WITH ME READ ALONG WITH ME

PRAYER & PRAYER LIFE

Powerful Weapon of Prayer Power Through Prayer How to Pray_Torrey_Half Cover-1

TEENS-YOUTH-ADOLESCENCE-JUVENILE

THERE IS A REBEL IN THE HOUSE thirteen-reasons-to-keep-living_021 Waging War - Heather Freeman
 
Young Christians DEVOTIONAL FOR YOUTHS 40 day devotional (1)
Homosexuality and the Christian THE OUTSIDER RENEW YOUR MIND

CHRISTIAN LIVING

GODLY WISDOM SPEAKS Wives_02 HUSBANDS - Love Your Wives
 
WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD THE BATTLE FOR THE CHRISTIAN MIND (1)-1
ADULTERY 9781949586053 PROMISES OF GODS GUIDANCE
APPLYING GODS WORD-1 For As I Think In My Heart_2nd Edition Put Off the Old Person
Abortion Booklet Dying to Kill The Pilgrim’s Progress
WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE WAITING ON GOD WORKING FOR GOD
 
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Let God Use You to Solve Your PROBLEMS THE POWER OF GOD
HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR BAD HABITS-1 GOD WILL GET YOU THROUGH THIS A Dangerous Journey
ARTS, MEDIA, AND CULTURE Christians and Government Christians and Economics

CHRISTIAN COMMENTARIES

CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONALS
40 day devotional (1) Daily Devotional_NT_TM Daily_OT
DEVOTIONAL FOR CAREGIVERS DEVOTIONAL FOR YOUTHS DEVOTIONAL FOR TRAGEDY
DEVOTIONAL FOR YOUTHS 40 day devotional (1)

CHURCH HEALTH, GROWTH, AND HISTORY

LEARN TO DISCERN Deception In the Church FLEECING THE FLOCK_03
The Church Community_02 THE CHURCH CURE Developing Healthy Churches
FIRST TIMOTHY 2.12 EARLY CHRISTIANITY-1

Apocalyptic-Eschatology [End Times]

Explaining the Doctrine of the Last Things Identifying the AntiChrist second coming Cover
ANGELS AMERICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY_ ezekiel, daniel, & revelation

CHRISTIAN FICTION

Oren Natas_JPEG Seekers and Deceivers
02 Journey PNG The Rapture

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑

%d bloggers like this: