Systematic Theology

The definition of Theology is the study of God.

2. What is the definition of Systematic Theology?

The definition of Systematic Theology is to put together a study of God as a whole. Systematic Theology is a product of reflection on the data of scripture, the historic teaching of the church, and the questions posed by our social and cultural setting.

3. What is the difference between a study of biblical doctrines and Systematic Theology?
The study of biblical doctrines is not as thorough as Systematic Theology. The study of biblical doctrines can leave lose ends that Systematic Theology would have taken care of.

4. What axiom does the Christian theologian employ in the construction of his system?

A. The revelation of God in the Scriptures.
B. The self-attesting Christ of the Bible.
C. Metaphysics from above.

5. What is the difference between Dogmatic Theology and Systematic Theology?

A. Dogmatic- Theology done from the confessional stance of the church with particular regard to its unifying
documents.
B. Systematic- Theology done from the stance of the Scriptures alone.

6. What are the various disciplines within the Theological Encyclopedia?

These are apologetics, exegetics, biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, and practical theology.

7. Discuss the six subdisciplines within the field of exegetics.

A. Kamonics- what books belong in the Bible? This discipline seeks to establish the books.
B. Textural Criticism- examines Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to see what the author had to say.
C. Higher Criticism- just another human document. This discipline produces few positives.
D. Biblical languages- Old Testament Hebrew, Aramaic, and New Testament Greek. This discipline studies
the lexical meaning of individual words and the grammatical significance of their various syntactical forms.
E. Biblical History- examines the people of God in their historical development and their social and cultural
milieu from creation, through the intertestamental period, through the time of Christ. We can better
understand what the author was meaning by knowing the surroundings of the individual.
F. Hermeneutics- seeks to determine the exact historical meaning of the text. What did the Word of God say to
those who first read it?
G. Exegesis Proper- actual reading out of the text.

8. How does biblical theology differ from Systematic Theology?

Biblical Theology is the study of scripture in a chronological order and is interested in the historical relation of the various truths, while Systematic Theology is interested in logical relation of the various truths.

9. What are the values of Systematic Theology?

A. We have a tendency to be one-sided. Systematic Theology holds in front of us the full panoply of Scriptural
Truth; therefore, keeping us from being one-sided.
B. What is beneficial for the minister is beneficial to all believers. We must strengthen our parishioners.
C. If you study the Scriptures systematically, then you will preach theologically. Preach the entire counsel of
God.
D. The best apologetic is knowing the Bible. Systematic Theology makes you examine the Bible and doesn't
leave lose ends.

10. What are some limitations of Theology?

A. Theology deals with the infinite and the finite cannot grasp the infinite.
1. We can't understand beyond the created order. Ex: the trinity.
2. Accidental mystery- incomplete through science and history. Ex: the creation of the human race.
3. Inadequacy of language- words are not always precisely defined. Words are not capable of carrying the
weight that we assign them. Ex: trinity- one word can't define it, eternity- time before time.
4. Incompleteness of our knowledge of the Scriptures. "The hermeneutical circle".
5. The silence of written revelation. Ex: Everything is not revealed. In what is recorded, all the information
given is not all we want to know.
6. Lack of Spiritual discernment- Without enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, someone can't study the
scriptures as God's revelation.