Theology Proper

THEOLOGY PROPER is where we consider the nature and attributes of God.

These are the nature and attributes which all three persons of the Godhead (the Trinity) share. So, we might put it this way: Theology Proper is where we consider that which God is. This is compared to the categories which follow it: Christology and Pneumatology, which contain the specific understandings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Could one say that Theology Proper is about God the Father? Maybe, but this would not be fully accurate, so I would avoid such an assertion.

The point of Theology Proper is to investigate what we can understand about God. Therefore, doing Theology Proper is contemplating the nature of God. Because God is infinite, we cannot know all there is, but we can learn and comprehend what is necessary in order that we may know God well. This is the point of God revealing Himself to us: That we may know Him well.

Our primary text is Psalm 139 which is a great introduction to three key attributes of God:

     a) Omnipotent – God is greater than physics, He is not bound to the laws of physics,        God is all powerful
     b) Omnipresent – God transcends time and space, He is not limited to time and space
     c) Omniscient – God has all knowledge

These are the three “omnis,” but there are more attributes.

Eternal: God has always been. God is. God always will be. This is similar to omnipresence when we tie time and space together. This can be referred to as the ‘eternality’ of God. God is eternal.

God is Trinity. The doctrine (an agreed upon teaching about something) of the Trinity is a difficult concept for many people to try to wrap their brains around. Trying to put it simply: God is one being in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Father is referred to as the First person. The Son is known as the second person. The Holy Spirit is called the third person.

God is not three gods, God’s persons are united in mind, in purpose and in action. The word ‘triune’ is used to indicate the trinitarian and unified nature of God. The triune God has a single plan for His universe and his ultimate creation, humanity and works in perfect unity and harmony to bring this plan into being for fellowship and communion with these humans.

Jesus mentions (John 17) being ’sent’ by the Father; He also said in John 15:26 that He would send the Holy Spirit. From this we may understand that there is perfect cooperation in the work of God, what I call ‘voluntary subordination’ between the persons of the Godhead. No competition, no pride, no fighting about who is first… we see perfect cooperation here. This work, done on our behalf, is completed to satisfy the just nature of God who can not allow sin to go without being dealt with. Jesus did that, He dealt with the sin – on the cross.

So God is Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit. But there are other attributes as well.

God is Just. His decisions are always based on that which is right and, unlike man, these decisions are not subject to fallen emotions. This flows naturally from the idea that God is Holy.

Holy: this means that He is ‘different’, ‘other’, ’separate’… He is not a part of His creation. The universe is His creation, He is greater and beyond His creation. Hence, God transcends the creation. His greatness stems from this Holiness. Yet this Holy God is merciful as well.

Merciful. God cares about His creation. The Son came to us to bring the ultimate Mercy. Mercy should be understood as the with-holding of a just punishment in accordance with the will of the just judge, God is such a just judge. This mercy is brought forth in the plan of God because of the work of Christ, so we turn to Christology.

Christology

We now come to a contemplation of the person and work of Jesus in CHRISTOLOGY. Jesus of Nazareth is the Second person of the Trinity, He is God. In Christology we are interested in considering the person and work of Christ. This is often refered to as the nature of Jesus and His life and ministry.

It makes sense to think first about his eternality in Gen 1.1, John 1.1, and Col 1.16-20. His eternality is an aspect of His Deity. To forgive all sins, Jesus must be God. This aspect of His dual nature is what sets followers of Jesus apart from others ways of believing.

We must also consider his humanity and the fact that He promised to come in Gen 3.15. This text is very important as we consider the following statements: ‘you will strike his heel’ – crucifixion and ‘he will crush your head’ – resurrection – the enemy’s defeat is assured, the sin. Further, we need to look at John 1.14, this is the incarnation. So Jesus has what we call a dual nature. The technical term for this is the hypostatic union, He is 100% man while at the same time being 100% God.

It is necessary that Jesus be both human so that He would be tempted as we are, and that He die and that he be able to, as a human be able to empathize with us as our great high priest. As our great high priest, (Heb 4.14-16) He has empathy for us and suffered for us (Heb 5.5-9).

Thanks be to God for the work he has done for humans… Jesus prayed to the Father and asked him to sent the Spirit, so we turn next to Pneumatology…

Pneumatology

It is unfortunate that the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, PNEUMATOLOGY, is given so little emphasis in many quarters of Christian thought. This could stem from the relatively small amount of text in the New Testament which speaks explicitly to the Holy Spirit. These texts are: John 14, John 16, Rom 8, and the book of Acts, which some commentators have said should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles (instead of the Acts of the Apostles)

As noted above, the study of the Holy Spirit has been in some quarters the most ignored of the doctrines of God. However, as those who has read the above linked texts will realize, we should know the doctrine because it is the Holy Spirit who lives in, empowers and strengthens the believers who follow Jesus.

First we should consider that the Holy Spirit is indeed God. The Spirit was already present at creation and is therefore, like the other persons of the Trinity… eternal in nature.

In the work of the Holy Spirit, we note that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the helper, the comforter, the counselor. It is important for us to realize that the Holy Spirit knows our needs and our prayers because He indwells the believer. At the point of justification, the Holy Spirit comes to live IN the follower of Jesus, sealing us forever, and enhancing our conscience.

The Holy Spirit enhances our conscience to enable us to know, within our hearts, what is right. Every human has a conscience; but that conscience is impaired by the fall. Hence, when the Spirit indwells us, our conscience is awakened to that which God’s wishes from us: His will. Thus we are better able to live for God.

We should further understand that this pleasing of God comes from growing more like Christ, this is sanctification. In that we are being sanctified, we understand that it is the Holy Spirit who is the agent of this sanctification. To fully understand what this is about, we must now consider human nature, sin and salvation… what we will term Biblical Anthropology.

Biblical Anthropology

We have been considering the nature of God to this point. Next, we need to begin considering the nature of humans and their relationship with God, this is BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. In fact, the category that we are considering (as our fifth and final category) is a combination of three theological categories: humanity, sin and salvation (there are other theological terms for these but you are not responsible for them).

So we begin with human nature. The first and, according to some, the most important thing to consider about the nature of the human is that humans are made in the “image of God.” This is, in fact, very important to realize because God values each human so much. It is the human who has received the revelation of God. It is the human who communicates with God. It is the human for whom God paid the ultimate sacrifice – in dying for the human’s reconciliation with Himself.

What then, is the image of God? Some have said that it is the ability to communicate with God, others that it is the ability to love God, still others the ability to imagine. I think all of these are correct. But I would contend that it is also about higher thought, reason.

Further, when we consider the nature of humans, there are two ways of thinking about this, humans are:
a) two part: body and soul
b) three part: body, soul (mind, emotion and will) and spirit (everlasting)

There is a fine distinction between the soul and the spirit. Some would say that the second idea of body, soul and spirit are the most biblical as they point ot the teaching of Paul and the quote in Hebrews about God’s Word separating the soul and spirit. Which is right is not what I ask you to figure out, but that you give thought to the everlasting aspect of you.

The human is fallen. Fallen-ness affects all aspects of human life. Some would go so far as to assert that the whole of creation was impacted by the fall. The ground was cursed, says Genesis. The creation eagerly awaits the redemption of the human to set things right, says Paul.

The fallen-ness of the human affects not just his spirit in that they are separated from God BUT it causes them to be sick, hurt, ill, and die… but the impact is also on the emotions, the will and all aspects of life…

Humans are made in God’s image. They are fallen. They need to be reconciled with God, because of sin.

Definitions
Sin – “to miss the mark.”
Salvation – God making humans right with Himself as they have faith in God’s work.
Justification – God declaring a human to be right with God
Sanctification – the process by which the believer is steadily and gradually made into Christ-likeness by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

One of the great explanations of man, sin and salvation is the New Testament book of Romans. This important book is looked upon as pinnacle of Paul’s writing. It is his explaination of the theology of the gospel.