Nutshell Theology: Theology In A Nutshell

Theology in a Nutshell

Big Picture

Theology. Its a word comprised of two Greek words: THEOS (θεος) = God and LOGOS (λογος‚) = "Word". Taken literally "Theology" might mean "A word about God.". Unfortunately the study of Theology has come to be considered boring or irrelevant; yet the study of Theology was once considered to be the "queen of all science" not only because the study of God naturally leads to study of his universe and it's inhabitants; but because the study of God is infinitely larger than any depth of study be it cellular mitosis, subatomic particles or the intricate workings of the human body.
Conceptually we consider theology to be almost anything that the bible teaches. Generally we don't make much distinction between words like "Theology" and "Doctrine". (Doctrine is a word that simply means "Teaching"). Because of it's broadest application we're going to start by using "theology" as the catchword for all the "-ologies" or doctrinal studies that matter to Christians.
As a realm of study, Theology is easily dividable into specific areas of study; starting with "Theology Proper" "“ which is the study of God. Since God has revealed himself as Father, Son and Spirit we can have an area of study devoted to each:
Paterology "“ The Study of God the Father,
Pneumatology "“ the Study of God's Spirit, and
Christology "“ the Study of the person and work of Jesus Christ the Son-of-God.
Bibliology "“ The study of the word of God (where God Reveals himself to us).
Angelology, Demonology, Satanology "“ The study of angels, demons and Satan respectively.
Anthropology "“ The study of the nature of mankind.
Hamartiology "“ The study of sin,
Soteriology "“ The study of salvation,
Ecclesiology - The Study of the church.
Eschatology "“ The study of the end times, or more properly, "last things".
As you can see there is lot's of ground to cover. I don't intend to teach every detail, I just want to give a snapshot overview. We can deal more in depth as questions come up, but for now my plan is to try to paint the big picture first.
Each week We'll get a broad overview of one of these topics, we'll see how it relates to daily life, and we'll have one memory verse that will help us make the most of it. As a prelude however, we need to ask the question: Why Study This Stuff? How does learning theology help my life today?

Daily Life

Knowing Right from Wrong

Have you ever asked yourself, "What is the right thing to do?" In order for there to be a "right thing" there has to be a "wrong thing". But how do you identify something as the right thing? You need a reference point. If you look at a line on a page it may be difficult to tell if it is straight or crooked, but place a ruler next to it and you can tell instantly. The Study of theology helps us to determine right from wrong because we learn about the "ruler". If we study the Holy, we are able to recognize the unholy.

Living in Faith

An important principle in the Bible is found in Luke 6:45 "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart ." Together with proverbs 23:7 "as a man thinks in his heart so is he"¦" I would summarize the principle of these verses as: "Belief determines Behavior."
It is obvious to me that you believe the church pews are sturdy, or else you wouldn't have sat in them. As you get to know the character of God you will learn to trust Him more; and you will be willing to risk more for Him "“ in short the more you know God the more you will live for him.

Loving God

As we read and study the Bible and learn theology along the way we learn who God is. It's certainly a case where "to know Him is to love Him." In John 17 Jesus describes eternal life as Knowing God (John 17:3). Later in 1 John, John also says this:
1 John 2:3-5 "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. " As you learn more and more about God, yourself, your sin, your salvation and God's eternal plans for you "“ you will love Him more.
With all of that said, I think there are lots of good reasons to Study Theology

Memory Verse

2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Nutshell Theology: Paterology

Paterology

Big Picture

Everything we learned about God's Nature and Character so far is true of Father, Son and Spirit. But what's the difference? We'll try to take a look over the next few weeks at what roles each plays in the Godhead. "œ Godhead " is a word used to describe God as a trinity "“ Three distinct persons but having one essence.
It's easy to find theology books dedicated to the Son or to the Spirit but God the Father is "the most neglected member of the Trinity. ¹ Though it is certainly not his desire to remain a mystery. The Father is not the Son, nor is He the Spirit; he is "“ to put it redundantly and simply: The Father. Inherent in that fact is the concept of relationship. One of the very first things we are taught as Christians is to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9, John 16:23, John 16:26) Because we are designed to know him. Jesus and the New Testament writers often speak of God as "Abba" meaning "Daddy." Whereas "Father" today has something of an impersonal feeling to it, "Daddy" does not. We are meant to have a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ his Son and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Say the word "Father" and our minds instantly evoke memories of the man who played the role of our earthly father. Even though none of us have (or is) a perfect father, we tend to innately understand what a good father should be. God is to us a perfect father with all of the implications that caries. Overall the Fatherhood of God speaks of him as our Creator, as our Caretaker, and our Master.
Within the Godhead there is an authority structure which is partially displayed in 1 Corinthians 11:3 "... God [the Father] is the head of Christ. " Within the framework of that authority structure The Father is head while the Son submits to the Father and the Holy Spirit submits to both the Father and the Son. In the Bible this is what we see:
The Father Sends the son (John 5:37) whom he loves (John 10:17 ) in order to Redeem us whom he loves (John 3:16). Though the Son is Equal to the Father (John 10:30, 38; John 14:9- 11) and has all authority (Mat 11:27, Luke 10:22, John 3:35, John 5:22, John 16:15) Jesus still humbles himself to submit to the Father and says the Father is greater than he is (John 14:28, 1 Corinthians 11:3).
Jesus does not act on his own, but obeys the Father: (John 5:19-20, John 8:28, John 10:32) the works of Jesus are therefore the works of the Father (John 12:49, John 12:50, John 14:10) and the works of Jesus glorifies the Father (John 14:13).
Some people erroneously believe that God the Father is stern and hard, while Jesus is the loving - gentle one. But Jesus does nothing without the Father's permission, and all that Jesus does is an extension of what the Father does. The Father is merciful (2Co 1:3) The Father gives wisdom (Eph 1:17) The Father qualifies us for heaven's rewards (Col 1:12) (through the blood of Jesus ). Every good thing comes from the Father (Jam 1:17). Therefore it is the Father who is to be praised in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:21-23). The Father in turn has set it up so that His son is worshiped (John 5:23, Heb 1:6).
The Father is only knowable through Jesus ( Mat 11:27, Luke 10:22 , John 1:18 , John 6:46). The Father gives sinners to Jesus (John 6:37, John 6:44, John 6:45, John 6:65) No one approaches the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). When we come to Jesus The Father honors (John 12:26) and adopts us as his children (John 1:12-13, 1Jo 3:1)
Jesus returned to the Father at his Ascension (John 16:28) and asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, John 14:26, Act 1:4) Jesus sends the Holy Spirit from the Father (John 15:26) The son and the Spirit bring us to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)
We await the Father to announce the return of Christ (Mat 24:36, Mar 13:32, Act 1:7) Jesus will come not only in his own glory but in the glory of the Father. (Luke 9:26).
So the Father is the head of the Trinity "“ not in superiority but in authority. He is the initiator of our Salvation, and it is Him we have been made to know. So how does all of this apply to daily life?

Daily Life

"When theological facts are not applied to life, they tend to poison the soul." ² "Knowledge of the Father is not the exclusive possession of scholars and theologians. It is a gracious gift offered to all who come to Jesus Christ in Faith." ³ Knowing the Father is the equivalent of Eternal Life. (John 17:3).

Memory Verse

1 John 2:23
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Nutshell Theology: Christology

Christology

Big Picture

Christology is the study of Jesus Christ covering who he is and what he does; traditionally this has been described as "the person and work of Christ." Like all of these nutshell studies, I cannot provide any level of an exhaustive overview "“ let alone a completely thorough study. I will however provide some personal questions for you to investigate.

The Person of Christ

Jesus as a person is both fully God (we call that "Deity") and fully human. These are the two natures of Christ. It's important to recognize that Jesus is not two people. His humanity does not effect his deity and vice versa. What that means is that Jesus never stopped being God just because he was also a man. And at the same time it means that Jesus' was not a "superman" because of his deity. If you were to walk the streets of Jerusalem in 33 AD you might have looked right past Jesus and not even recognized him simply because there was nothing amazing about his appearance (Isaiah 53:2).

The Deity of Christ.

Most of the time when Christians talk about Cults the defining characteristic of a cult is that it denies the full deity of Christ. The Mormons consider him to be a man who became a god. The Jehovah's Witness consider him to be an angel. Many other groups you might be less familiar with also deny the fullness of the deity of Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament there are some very familiar prophetic texts that call Jesus God. And many New testament passages as well directly or indirectly call Jesus "God". Read and discuss each of these, I also suggest underlining the pertinent phrases in your Bible. Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 110:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6; John 1:1, 5:18, 8:58, 10:30, 20:28; Acts 16:31-34. Finally compare these pairs: Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 40:3/ Luke 1:76 and many, many more!¹ As you read through the New testament you will find dozens of descriptions of Jesus which force you into accepting that Jesus was fully God.

The Humanity of Christ.

Open your Bible to the second chapter of Philippians (Philippians 2:5-11) There are some important phrases in this brief selection which need at least a little attention. "did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." Means that he wasn't clinging to it as if he could lose it. Notice also that Jesus existed not only in the "form" of God (v6) but also the "form" of man (v7). That means he was both God and man. You don't have to read too far in the gospels to find Jesus acting like every other human you've ever known in terms of him being tired (Mat 8:24), Crying (John 11:35), bleeding (Mat 26:26-29), eating (Luke 24:42-43). Every other reference demonstrates that Jesus was as human as you or I.
When Jesus ascended to Heaven he did not end his humanity either. Compare these verses: Rom 8:34; Heb 3:1, 4:14-16, 7:23ff, 9:24ff. ²

The Work of Christ

The work of Jesus cannot be easily summarized; but it involves more than what he accomplished in the 30+ years he lived on earth. From the beginning it has been promised that the Father would send a REDEEMER "“ that is, someone who could pay the price that our sin deserved so that we could again be free. Jesus fulfilled the work of redeemer at the cross and the grave.
The Bible talks about Jesus as PROPHET (Deuteronomy 18:15 / Acts 3:22-24 ), PRIEST (Psalm 110:4 / Hebrews 10:10-14) and KING ( Isaiah 33:22 / Luke 1:32-33). We could try to summarize both a major portion and major result of Jesus' work by recognizing that he KEPT THE LAW. Compare these passages: (Matthew 5:17; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
We could also talk about the works of Christ in His Incarnation (He sacrificed the glories of heaven for a season to become one of us), His Miracles (Done in the power of the Holy Spirit), his Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension where he returned to Heaven to be at the Father's side.
So what is Jesus doing right now? Plenty to be certain but his main work at the moment is praying for you! (Hebrews 7:25) Additionally He is waiting for the Father's command to return and take us home to be with him forever.

Daily Life

The first major application for you is assurance. I want you to be assured that there is excellent Biblical evidence that Jesus really is fully God as the Son-of-God. He and the Father share the same substance. Once you can rest easy on the Deity of Christ you can begin to understand his power to save us based on who he is and what he did rather than upon our works. The fact is believers have exchanged places with Jesus. He got our punishment for our sin and we got his life for his righteousness.
Now that you can rest in the Work of Christ you will also want to worship Christ. Jesus has done something amazing to us and for us. He has saved us!

Memory Verse

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."

Questions For Personal Study

1. Why did Jesus call himself "The Son of Man" so often?
   (Read Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 24:30, 25:31; 26:24; John 1:51.)
2. How does knowing that Jesus was just as human as you change the way you think about yourself? Others? God?
3. Read Matthew 4:1-11. How does knowing that Jesus was just as human as you affect the way you face temptation?
4. Did Jesus Ever Claim to Be God?
   (Read John 10:30-43) What effects did those claims have on other people?
5. How does knowing that Jesus is fully God change the way you think about Him?
6. Does Knowing that Jesus is both fully God and Fully man encourage or help you with any problems you're facing now. (Spend some time reflecting and praying about this one.)
7. Obtain a Bible Dictionary and look up Jesus, What new things did you learn that you didn't know before?
8. Did this study help you to understand God more?
9. How does Knowing Jesus help you to worship Him?
10. What do you wish you knew about Jesus? Try to find the answer using your Bible and a good Bible Dictionary. If you would like, ask your parents or your pastor these questions.

Nutshell Theology: Pneumatology

Pneumatology

Big Picture

You probably recognize the first part of the word "Pneumatology" which is present in lots of other words such as pneumatic and pneumonia. The root word "Pneuma" can mean "air or spirit." That's because early on the "Spirit" of a person was believed to be connected with their breath and as you think of it, when you stop breathing your spirit does leave your body behind.
As a person, the Holy Spirit is both familiar and mysterious. He is a familiar "name" in the pages of the Bible but beyond that it is not often understood who He is and what He does.
The deity of the Holy Spirit, like the deity of Christ is learned by studying what the Bible says about Him. Verses like Acts 5:3-4, 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, 2 Corinthians 3:17,Hebrews 9:14, Genesis 1:2, Eph 4:30, Psalm 139:7- ff and many others clearly demonstrate that the Spirit is more than an abstract force or power but is in fact a third "person" of the Godhead.
But for us the greater amount of study needs to look at the relationship of the Holy Spirit with us as believers. In terms of the godhead the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father (John 15:26) and the Son (John 16:7) and emanates from the Father (John 15:26). In this sense then we recognize that the order of authority in the Godhead starts with the Father and then the Son and then the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has an enormous ministry on this earth in the present day. He was there at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2) and he ministered to the saints throughout much of the Old Testament ( Prophecy : Numbers 11:25; Protection : Judges 3:10; Empowering Kings : 1 Samuel 16:13). But on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit began a new ministry specifically geared towards God active work inside of every believer for the salvation of the world (Acts 1:8).

• Convicts (John 16:7-11)
• Restrains (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
• Regenerates (John 3:3,5-8; Titus 3:5) Regeneration is what happens when God gives eternal life to our dead soul.
• Baptizes (note that this is not the same event as water baptism, just the same word.) (1 Corinthians 12:13, ) Baptism is an issue of identification and ownership.
• Indwells believers (John 7:37-39, 14:16-17, Romans 8:9,11, 1 Cor 16:9, Galatians 3:2)
• Seals (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, Acts 2:33)
• Fills / Empowers (incl gifts .) (Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
• Wrote the Bible (2 Peter 1:21)
• Interprets the Bible (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, 1 John 2:20, 27)
• Prays for us (Romans 8:26-27)
• Assures us (Romans 8:16; Gal 4:6)
• Works in us as we cooperate with him (Galatians 5:16-23)

Daily Life

The Holy Spirit is the most "visible" member of the Godhead in your daily life. When Jesus ascended to heaven he stopped dwelling on this earth. But he did not want his first disciples, or you to be alone "“ so he sent the Holy Spirit to be our companion on this earth. But the Holy Spirit is also shrouded in mystery. We are only told as much as we need to know and no more, yet learning what we are taught is necessary to keep us from error.
Your constant companion, and the one who gives you the ability to do the right things as well as keeping you on the straight and narrow path of faith is the Holy Spirit of God. He gave you your Spiritual gifts and wants you to know them. He empowers you to serve God, and wants to speak assurance to you when you fear for your own salvation. And it is He who the Father gave as a proof positive promise that your salvation will be carried through.

Memory Verse(s)

John 14:15-17 If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Questions For Personal Study

1. In what ways do each of these verses demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is fully God?
   1. Acts 5:3-4
   2. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
   3. 2 Corinthians 3:17
   4. Hebrews 9:14
   5. Genesis 1:2
   6. Ephesians 4:30
   7. Psalm 139:7- ff
2. What else do these verses reveal about the Holy Spirit?
3. How do we receive the Spirit's indwelling? (Gal 3:2)
4. What effect does being filled with the Spirit cause in a believer? (Eph 5:18)
5. What does the Holy Spirit convict people of? (John 16:7-11)
6. How are we to be filled with the Spirit? (Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23)
7. What are your Spiritual Gifts? (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
8. What evidence is there that The Holy Spirit has Control of your life? (Galatians 5:16-23)

PDF of this lesson: Nutshell Theology: Pneumatology

Nutshell Theology: Bibliology

Bibliology

Big Picture

In brief, Bibliology is "The Doctrine of Scripture". To study the doctrine of scripture you'll need four words: Revelation, Inspiration, Illumination and Canonization. One word you might want to add would be the precursor to Bibliology: Apologetics. One aspect of apologetics attempts to provide evidence for the bible being trustworthy. "Bibliology begins where apologetics ends..."1

Apologetics

Apologetically speaking there are an enormous quantity of evidences to sift through and consider but the Bible can readily be proven to be an historically reliable document. Because I'm not doing apologetics here, I will simply state that the Bible consists of 66 individual books written by at least 40 authors over an estimated 2000 years, focused on a relatively narrow subject and yet contains no inconsistencies. It is true that many opponents of the scriptures claim there are inconsistencies but each one is readily answered with an honest appraisal and careful scrutiny of the historical and literary context combined with the original intent of the author.
If we begin with the assumption that the Bible is trustworthy then Bibliology is the summary of what the Bible says about itself.

Revelation

There is much to learn about God, most of it we can't know if we're not told. Revelation is just that: God revealing himself to us. There are three main "types" of Revelation alluded to in the Bible.
First there is Natural Revelation (Psalm 19:1-3) which means that we can learn something about God by simply observing nature.
Second there is Special Revelation (John 21:25; ) Whenever God would give a specific message to someone, something truly miraculous had happened "“ God had revealed something "special". The Bible frequently talks about many prophets of God but only about 17 of them actually wrote scripture. The rest gave message from God which were limited to a single event and time. (Deuteronomy 29:29; Revelation 10:3-4)
Third is Written Revelation (Jeremiah 36:4; 2 Peter 3:15-16). Technically written revelation is just one part of Special Revelation, yet because it endures beyond a specific time and situation and was recorded for us, I believe it deserves to be listed separately. This written revelation is the Bible. How we got it involves what we call "Inspiration".

Inspiration

Start with 2 Peter 1:21 and read it, thinking about what it means for how we got our Bible. Inspiration basically means that the Holy Spirit so controlled the authors of scripture so that what they wrote was God's word to the very letter. We know that inspiration does not mean dictation because the different authors have clearly distinct writing styles. God used the internal characteristics of the individual authors to convey his message to us. So God wrote through people - that's inspiration. But he also teaches us what the Bible means, that's Illumination.

Illumination

Look back one verse in 2 Peter 1:20. Whatever the word of God says, it doesn't just say what we want it to. Understanding God's word is God's work in us as we read (Psalm 119:18; John 14:26; 1 John 2:27). God revealed his word, God guided men to write his word, and God helps us understand his word. But how do we know today what is his word?

Canonization

The word "Canon" has nothing to do with really big guns mounted on pirate ships. It comes from a Greek word (κανών) meaning: "straight stick" or better yet, "Measuring Rod". When we talk about the straight stick of scripture then, we mean that the Bible is the collection of books which we recognize as authoritative by which we may measure our lives.
The Canon is not a man-made list of books that we like, it is a list of books which we recognize as God's word. God's word would be God's word even if we didn't believe it was. The short story is that Men wrote the Bible as the Holy Spirit moved them. At the moment the ink was on the papyrus it was God's word. In most cases people instantly recognized that what was written was God's word (2 Peter 3:15-16). But it took time for that letter or book to get copied by hand and passed around by foot. But the final list of Bible books was coalesced very early in church history in order to help stop the spread of false teaching.

Daily Life

We call it the Bible, the Good Book, the Scriptures and we frequently tack the adjective "Holy" on to the title. Whatever you do call it, the Bible is God's word, his message to humans. It contains many different types of literature each of which communicates something different about God and about us. Ultimately it speaks of Jesus (Luke 24:27). The purpose of the Bible is to guide us to God. Reading and studying the Bible then is the best way to learn from the source about the source: God.

Memory Verse

Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law."

Questions For Personal Study:

1. Look again at Psalm 19 which begins with Natural Revelation. What can you learn about God by looking at nature? Try to get at least seven individual lessons/examples.
2. What is the difference between Special Revelation in general and Written Revelation?
3. Think about Inspiration and Illumination; can people learn truth from the scriptures without God's help? Explain your answer.
4. What is the meaning of "Canon"?
5. Do you treat the Bible as "Canon?"
6. Finish this statement: "The more you study the Bible..."
7. Thinking of Jesus' conversation on the Emmaus Road in Luke 24:27; could you think of different ways that the Bible talks about Jesus? See if you can find three stories in the Old Testament and find out how they point to Jesus.

Nutshell Theology: Angelology, Demonology and Satanology

Angelology,Demonology, Satanology
Big Picture

Angels, Demons and Satan... Oh My! Don't let the names confuse you too much, they're all the same thing. Some are good, some are evil all of them exist under God's authority.

Job ^{(Job 38:4-7)} tells us that when God began the great work of Creation in Genesis 1:1 he must already have created the angels because all of them were together singing God's praise as he "laid the foundations of the earth".

The Bible calls angels "Morning stars" (Perhaps because they were the first lights), "Sons of God" (Because they were his first creation), as well as several other names. Angels however is really a word meaning "messenger".

There are several classes of angels as well. The Bible talks about Angels appearing as women ^{(Zechariah 5:9)} and as men ^{(Mark 16:5)}. There are Cherubim (probably means "To bless" which hints at their task of honoring God.) ^{(Ezek 1,10)}, Seraphim (means "burning ones" Which hints at their task of guarding God's holiness or of their brightness.) ^{(Isaiah 6)}, Guardian angels ^{(Matthew 18:10)}.
God has designed angels for various tasks. They bring messages to people, watch children, worship God, guard His glory and presumably more. Unfortunately, not all of God's angels have remained faithful to their purposed creation.

Sometime after God finished his work of creation ^{(Gen 1:31; Ezekiel 28:13)} one angel in particular, a cherub ^{(Ezekiel 28:14)} who went by the name "Lucifer" or light bearer ^{(Isaiah 14:12)}, was the most beautiful ^{(Ezekiel 28:12)} of all of God's creation and who was created without sin ^{(Ezekiel 28:15)} probably was taken by surprise to learn that God was entrusting his created earth to the authority of Adam ^{(Genesis 1:28)} rather than to him. Whatever the real reason ^{(Ezekiel 28:16)}, Lucifer became fixated on his own beauty ^{(Ezekiel 28:16-17)} and thus filled with pride ^{(Ezekiel 28:17)} he determined that he wanted to take God's place ^{(Isaiah 14:14)} and rule from His throne ^{(Isaiah 14:13)}. Having fallen alone he then began to convince about 1/3 of God's angels^{(Revelation 12:4)}
to join him in rebelling. When they did – they lost the battle and God then sealed all the angels in their current state. The Holy Angels are sealed in perfection while the rebel angels – Lucifer included
– are sealed in rebellion and have no means of redemption ^{(Heb 2:16)}. God created Hell for Lucifer (the Devil / Satan) and his band of rebel angels (demons) ^{(Matthew 25:41)}. Now the day of judgement when Christians will judge the angels ^{(1 Corinthians 6:3)} is coming. After that day, Satan, his emissaries, the demons, and all who reject Jesus will be thrown into the lake of fire. ^{(Isaiah 14:15; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:15; )} Satan Himself will be thrown into the lake of fire alive ^{(Isaiah 14:20; Revelation 19:20)}.

Daily Life

Though it may be frightening to consider, we do live in a world inhabited by Angels and Demons. The Angels Fight on our behalf ^{(Daniel 10:13)} while the Demons and Satan himself fight against us ^{(Ephesians 6:12)}. God however has given us protection ^{(Ephesians 6:12-18)} if we stay near to Him ^{(James 4:7-8)}. We are not to fear the demons ^{(Jeremiah 10:5)}, they are the gods whom the people of this world worship ^{(1 Corinthians 10:20)} but they are not equal to Christ who lives in us ^{(1 John 4:4)}.

Neither are the holy angels worthy of our worship. I remember Amy Grant's song from way back when I was a kid., "Angels watching over me, every move I make..." It was a neat song with somewhat catchy lyrics most of which I still remember. "Angel mania" tends to sweep through various cultures from
time to time and I'd prefer not to take part in it - for my money it's too much like worship. However, the Bible is clear they are not to be worshipped ^{(Revelation 19:10)} only the God who made them and us is worthy of that.

Memory Verse

Colossians 2:18-19 "Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God."

Questions For Personal Study

1. What is it about angels that interests you?
2. What is it about Demons or Satan that frightens you?
3. What did you learn that makes you think of angels differently than before?
4. Have you ever had an Angelic encounter or suspect you've been rescued by an angel?
5. Do you feel that collecting angel statues is the same as Idolatry?
6. Why or why not?

Nutshell Theology: Anthropology

Anthropology

Big Picture

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7, 20-25 describe the creation of Adam the first man and his wife Eve with a surprising lack of intricate detail. It is from the first chapter that we gain our strongest statement that mankind is made in God's image. It is a repeated lesson in many different parts of the Bible and as such many other doctrines depend on it.

What does it mean to be made in the image of God? It must mean more than the "form" we take by having two arms and legs, a face with two eyeballs and so on. Jesus told the Woman at the well in John 4 that God is Spirit (John 4:24). He's not some celestial giant who looks as we do. Monkey's have the same basic body structure we do but they are not described as being made in the image of God. The image of God therefore must be something more than body shape. It must include the invisible characteristics of God.

A portion of God's Personal image remains in us after the Fall (Gen 9:6; James 3:9) and thus to speak against or harm that image is a sin - because it is an assault on the image of God. When we sinned however, a portion of God's "moral image" was lost to us. Some of which is restored to us when we repent and turn to Christ. Part of being made in God's image then are attributes of Truth, Righteousness and Holiness (Eph 4:23-24; Col. 3:10).

God's image therefore is less our appearance (Two arms and legs) and involves more our internal capacity or at least comprehension of intangibles like righteousness, goodness, holiness and truth; not to mention the eternality of our soul and the basics of personhood which are usually classified as will, intellect and emotion.

As has already been alluded to the image of God in us has been broken because of the Fall. As a result we 1) are Separated from God, 2) Must endure physical death (Gen 3:19) as well as 3) Spiritual death (Gen 2:17). Since Adam's sin we who share not only his physical Genes but also his Spiritual 'genes' are born spiritually dead. That spiritual death and the broken image of God is so extensive that we literally lack the ability now to do good and be godly or righteous without a complete rebirth. Theologians call that "Total depravity" which doesn't mean we're as bad as we can get, but rather that we can't get any better without a miraculous work - the work of re-creation in Christ.

Daily Life

It was probably Socrates who first uttered the well worn phrase, "Know yourself." Whoever it was, they were right. We need to know ourself - but not as an end, rather as a means to an end.

A repeated theme in the "Star Trek" shows is that the human race is getting better all the time. The basis for such a belief system is not the realm of science fiction writers or even of science - it all stems from the evolutionary hypothesis that disorder turns to order. Given the evolutionary gods of "time" and "chance" random chemicals will turn to proteins which turn to amino acids, DNA, cells, eyeballs, monkeys, fish and people. The apparent reasoning is that if it's true of physical things, it must also necessarily be true of our spirituality.

The Bible, however teaches that we are evil from birth and that we have no hope of getting better. It is this which makes knowing yourself change from eastern philosophical navel gazing into a recognition of our need of salvation. We are broken people.

Since we are no longer who we were created to be, understanding who we are should drive us to restoring the image of God by turning to Him in repentance.

Memory Verse

Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Questions For Personal Study

1. What does Genesis 1:26, 27 indicate that it means to be made in the image of God?
2. Why does being made in God's image bring meaning to debates about Abortion, Murder, Drug or Alcohol abuse, physical abuse or even the way we talk about other people?
3. How would you answer a person who believes people are getting better?
4. How does being made in God's image impact your view of self?
5. Do you think God made other creatures in his image? Explain.

Nutshell Theology: Hamartiology

Hamartiology

Big Picture

How Would you Define "Sin"? Last week I stated that sin at it's core is more than just "breaking a rule". The "rules" in the Bible reflect God's character and nature. Therefore sin is sinful because it breaks the image of God both in His Nature and Character as well as the personal image of God in which we were created.

Sin is What we do (or don't do)

The Bible describes sins of commission (doing the wrong thing either intentionally or unintentionally) and sins of omission (not doing the right thing either intentionally or unintentionally). This includes instances where the God's law is known as well as unknown.

Sin is What we think

In the Sermon on the mount Jesus starts to clarify some misconceptions that people held about sin. They believed that murder was only murder if you actually killed someone. Jesus told them instead that hating a person is the same as murder in God's eyes (Matthew 5:21-22).

Suddenly we realize how much harder it is to be holy when we discover that our thought life is part of the problem. The thought life is a constant source of trouble. Thoughts of lust, hatred, envy and all sorts of things are really just the precursor to sin.

James 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Sin is What we are

We were created in the image of God; but in Adam that image was broken, glory was lost and innocence was replaced with guilt. Now, our very nature is sinful because we are people born with a broken image of God. This is what theologians call "original sin" though Wayne Grudem prefers the term "inherited sin".¹ (see Romans 5:12-21)

The Burden and The cure for sin

Romans 6:23 is straight to the point; whatever it's origin, sin's cost is death. Worse yet, everyone is guilty (Romans 3:23). God however has not abandoned us to death "“ but has provided a substitute in Jesus. Jesus, as the sacrificed and resurrected son of God restores the broken image of God within us. He absorbs the penalty for what we do, what we don't do and what we think. He also transforms who we are. In the same way that God imputes Adam's sin to us, he imputes the righteousness of Christ (what he did, thought, and was) to all believers. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Daily Life

Theologians can argue till the cows come home about original sin and how it comes to us (and they do). The point of impact on our lives however is where we acknowledge our own sinfulness in thought, deed and being. You and I have sinned and we are sinners. God has provided cleansing from that sin and it's consequence with the sacrifice of Jesus.

The best application then as we study sin is to confess our sin to God and to rest in the promise of 1 John 1:9. "if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Before Christ is accepted, every person is under sin and it's consequences. After Christ comes into our lives we are not only freed from the penalty of sin in the realms of what we do, think and are; we are also given a choice in the future. It is impossible for the unsaved to not sin "“ because they are sin. After Christ comes in however, we now have the choice not to sin. (Romans 6:5-19)

But what happens if we fail and choose to sin anyway (1 John 1:8) after coming to Jesus? We do not lose our salvation since our salvation is by grace and not by works, we live in that grace. We do however lose God's pleasure (Eph 4:30, Heb 12:6; ), and risk his judgement (1 Corinthians 11:32). God pleas with his people to repent before that judgement needs to fall (Revelation 3:19)

Memory Verse

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Questions For Personal Study

1. Before starting: how would you define sin?

2. List some sins of Commission.

3. How might the sins of commission above be either intentional or unintentional?

4. List some sins of Omission.

5. How might the sins of omission above be either intentional or unintentional?

6. Why is what we think equivalent to action even if we don't act on it?

7. How has your thought life caused trouble for you?

8. What are some consequences to "inherited sin"?

9. Are some sins worse than others? Why or why not?

10. What happens when Christians sin?

11. Have you confessed your sinfulness and your sin to God "“ and have you received his forgiveness? (1 John 1:8-9)

1Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994), 494.

Nutshell Theology: Soteriology

Soteriology

Big Picture

What must I do to be saved? It's a basic question with a very basic answer:
Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! (Acts 16:30-31).

It doesn't get much easier than that. But what is happening behind the scenes? What does it mean to be saved? What does it mean to believe? Why do we need to be saved? From what? How does it work? Lots of questions can be asked, and with some serious study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the marvelous grace of God as well as a significant assurance of our own position in Christ. Ready to work at it? Here we go then.

It starts with SIN. As we have already learned, the proper study of sin is a whole other area of study called "Hamartiology." But the summary of it might be sufficient.
Romans 3:23 tells us that Everyone has sinned. It's not bad enough that we've all done something wrong, but we actually have sin when we're born; that is called "original sin". So sin is what we do or don't do, it's what we think or don't think, and it's what we actually are "“ the image of God is broken in us. We can't get away from sin or it's death sentence on our own. That is where salvation comes in.

God is perfectly holy, and his Holiness cannot stand sinfulness. But he loves us and wants us who are made in his image to experience and share in his glory; that can only happen as we turn away from sin and embrace his Son. When we do that we enter into salvation.

Dear God,
I confess to you today that I am a sinner. I have broken your laws and I am sorry. I believe now that Jesus Christ is your Son; that he was crucified to pay the price for my sin; that he was buried and that he came back to life on the third day. Please forgive my sin and give to me the righteousness of Jesus. Save me and make me your child. I surrender to you now and offer my life and my body to live in obedience to you. Fill me with your Spirit and save me in the name of Jesus.
AMEN.

How we do that is characterized everywhere as "by faith". But what does belief or faith in Jesus mean? It means more than just knowing something is true. Even Satan believes in Jesus. The book of James provides a bit of a clue when it says "Faith without works is dead." He certainly doesn't mean we have to work our way into heaven "“ but he does illustrate that a real faith will cause real change. Real change is what is implied in the word "Repent". Repent means to change. It means more than being sorry you sinned, it means stopping your sin. And repentance is key to salvation.

Believing in Jesus then means acknowledging your sin, turning away from it and embracing the Lordship of Jesus. It means accepting the sacrifice of Jesus as if it were your own death and it means trusting God to forgive you when you ask. Each one of those words, "Believe", "accepting" and "Trust" all imply the one word "Faith". Often times we resort to a "Sinners Prayer" to help someone express the different concepts of repentance from sin; believing that Jesus was crucified then buried then raised back to life; accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf; and expressing trust in God as we ask him for the salvation he offers.

The prayer itself is never recorded in scripture, and the one offered here is only a suggestion "“ but the concepts behind it are woven throughout the bible (See Psalm 51 and Romans 10:9-13).

When you are "saved" from anything you are being rescued. When your physics teacher is getting ready to explain some new theory and the bell rings you've been "saved by the bell" from another hard to understand and perhaps tediously boring lecture. In short you've been rescued from good physics gone bad! But when Christians talk about being "saved" what are we saved from?

More than likely you're first response is "hell" but being rescued from hell is just one part of salvation. In the Bible we are saved from "sin" (Matthew 1:21); God's wrath at sinfulness (Romans 5:9); saved from being lost (Luke 19:10); Death (Luke 9:24). Hell is the final place of judgment and the manifestation of God's wrath against sin so ultimately yes, we are saved from hell. But that doesn't mean that we have to wait till we die to benefit from salvation.

For a believer, salvation is something that has happened in the past (Eph 2:8), continues in the present (1 Corinthians 1:18), and will ultimately happen in the future (Heb 1:14). This is known as the "already but not yet" of salvation. We are already saved if we have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus but we have not yet acquired the full benefit of that salvation until we stand in heaven with God. It's a little like somebody giving you a winning lottery ticket but you don't hold the check just yet.

Just like the lottery money would not be of our own making neither is salvation. Nothing we do can earn it or keep it. It's a gift. When Jesus died on the cross he became our substitute by paying the death penalty and absorbing all of the Father's wrath and judgment for our sinfulness and sin; we then gained his righteousness and perfection. Since we were so completely sinful a complete exchange had to be made. The results of that exchange impact not only our future (saved from hell) but also our present because we have been purchased by God and we now belong to Him (Revelation 5:9). We are God' property; which is why Paul often referred to himself as a "bond slave" (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Tit. 1:1).

Daily Life

Salvation is more than not going to hell when you die. While lots of (so called) Christians treat Jesus like some kind of "fire insurance" the salvation that Jesus offers is more than that. For the man on his deathbed "“ and for the child kneeling by his bed to pray "“ Jesus offers a whole new life.

Redemption: We have been purchased by God and are now his servants by living in obedience to Him we find true freedom.

Propitiation: Before we were saved God's wrath at sin required our destruction; but Christ is our propitiation in that he absorbed that wrath of the Father for us "“ bringing us peace with our judge.

Reconciliation: Our relationship to God is changed from one of open warfare to one of peace (Romans 5:1,10).

Regeneration: You are a new creature in Christ.

Adoption: God adopts you as his child, and you become an heir to the kingdom.
John 1:12

Justification: You are declared by God to be righteous.

Sanctification: In Christ we gain the ability to not sin (Romans 6:6).

Memory Verse

Titus 3:5-7 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Questions For Personal Study

1. What changes by being purchased by God?
2. Is salvation "different" for a dying cancer patient than for a child with 80 years yet to live? Explain.
3. What effect should salvation have on your life?

Nutshell Theology: Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology

Big Picture

The name Ecclesiology comes from The Greek word for “church” which is εκκλησια (ekklesia) which means “called out”. That definition will help you to identify what the church is. So what is the church? It's not the building we meet in; it's the saved people that meet in it who are called out of the world. Whether we are talking about a local gathering of believers or about the universal church we are talking about Christians and nothing less.

Throughout the Bible lots of terms are used to describe the church. We are the sheep while Jesus is the shepherd (John 10:16; 1 Peter 5:2-4). We are the body and Christ is our Head (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 24; ). We are the Bride, Christ is the Groom (Isaiah 62:4-5; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-9). We are the Temple, Christ is the cornerstone (1 Corinthians 3:9-17, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:4-5). We are a priesthood, and Christ is the high priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:9-10; Revelation 20:6).

Each of those analogies in their scriptural context reveal something about what the church is. Like Sheep we are following Christ. Like a Body we can do nothing without our head. Like the Bride we live in purity, humbly obey Jesus and eagerly anticipate Jesus' coming. Like the Temple we are Holy and sacred and we are called to stay that way. Like the priesthood we – every believer – have access to God through Jesus Christ. The church therefore exists by and for Jesus.

God has designed the church with a specific purpose and he has equipped the church to function a certain way (Government).

Purpose

God has designed the church to Worship Him on earth to Evangelize the lost and through educating and training to turn all Christians into mature disciples and to fellowship with and encourage other believers. In order to illustrate this, I have long used the acronym W.I.F.E. Which stands for Worship, Instruction, Fellowship, Evangelism. (Acts 2:42-43).

To fulfill the purpose of the church God gave to the church Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists and Pastor-teachers (Ephesians 4:11) the purpose of each is to train every believer to fulfill the church's purpose. Every believer in turn is given a specific gift or ability from God so that they will use that ability to benefit the church (1 Peter 4:10).

Government

As far as administration in the church is concerned the New Testament paints a clear picture of Elder based Government. The pastor is a teaching elder (though all elders should be able to teach). Elders in general are given the task of governing the local church body. Deacons answer to and serve the physical needs of the entire congregation. Both Elders and Deacon's are to serve the church while keeping Christ as their master.

Daily Life

Many times people who claim to be Christians, also refuse to go to church; claiming that they can worship God better at home (or in the woods, or at the mall) than they can with “all those hypocrites.” Sometimes even you might be inclined to skip church thinking that you don't need it or that it is unimportant to go to church.

Whether or not you need church isn't really the question (you do). The point, as 1 Peter 4:10 illustrates is that the church needs you. You have something we don't have, and we cannot grow to full maturity if you do not get involved.

The church is much more than a social club or even a location from which to practice good deeds. It is a gathering of people who have answered Christ's call to turn from sin and follow Him. The church is a place to worship, to train, to be restored, to encourage and be encouraged and to work.

Memory Verse

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Questions For Personal Study

1. The study of the Church is much larger than what has been presented, what topics should have been included?
2. What is the church?
3. In your own words, what is the purpose of the church?
4. What is your purpose in the church?
5. How do you benefit from others in the church?
6. Who are you serving in the church?
7. Can you find any instances in the Bible of Christians who didn't “do Church”?
8. What can you say to people who claim to be Christians but refuse to go to church?

Nutshell Theology: Eschatology

Eschatology

Big Picture

The end is coming. That's probably about the only solid statement which you can get authentic Christians to agree on regarding the end times. Eschatology is one of the most fascinating studies to a broad base of Christians. But to anyone who has read the book of Revelation it becomes pretty clear, fairly early that there is lots of room for confusion. For starters, Revelation is written in an apocalyptic style which means among other things that it is packed with symbolism. Dragons, Hills, crowns, beasts, harlots, churches, stars, angels, seals, scrolls, bowls and trumpets and more arcane symbols are woven throughout the book of Revelation. (Incidentally it's "Revelation" not "Revelations" That final "s" tends to irk some people.)

However we are meant to understand the book of Revelation (Rev 1:3) which is one major reason for encouraging its study. The key to understanding Revelation is missed by many Christians however because the key involves something that most Christians know far too little about. They key to revelation is the Old Testament. The rich symbolism of Revelation looks back to the Prophetic books of the Old Testament which use many of the same symbols in ways that explain their meanings.

Briefly we can understand the end times as follows.

At a time when people just plain don't expect ^{(Luke 12:40)}, Jesus will return with a trumpet blast ^{(1 Thess 4:16-17)} and a loud command. This will result in all the Christians who have died being resurrected simultaneously and in a moment later^{(1 Cor 15:52)} any Christian still alive will be transformed to be like Jesus ^{(1 John 3:2)} and we will rise to meet him in the air. When the Church is removed from the earth so also will the Holy Spirit be removed. It is the Holy Spirit which has kept Satan from having free reign on the earth completely. When the Spirit is removed the person known as "The Anti-Christ" will be revealed.^{(2 Thessalonians 2:2-7)}

The Antichrist will be a person of significant power and influence; and he will draft and sign a seven year peace treaty ^{(Daniel 9:27)} with Israel. Perhaps due to the mass exodus of millions of Christians the antichrist will rise to position of world leader. Either at the rapture itself or more than likely at the signing of the peace treaty, a seven year clock will begin counting down to the end of the world.

For the first three years things will go moderately well for Israel. However God will begin judging the earth. At the midpoint of the seven year tribulation period the antichrist will suddenly and violently turn against Israel^{(Daniel 9:27)} . Throughout the whole seven years the most awful judgements imaginable will fall on the people of the earth. During this time many thousands perhaps will become Christians. ^{(Revelation 7:9)} These will be systematically put to death – presumably by beheading for failing to worship the antichrist. ^{(Revelation 6:9)}

When the seven years is finally up every wicked person will be put to death at the Battle of Armageddon ^{(Revelation 19:19)}. Jesus will descend in a show of his true Glory and he will take up the throne of King David and he will rule the planet for 1000 years. During this time, Satan will be kept in chains ^{(Rev 20:1-2)}, unable to tempt the earth. The resurrected saints will live on earth at this time (Revelation 20:4), as also there will be believers who somehow never died during the seven year tribulation. This last group will marry and have children for 1000 years repopulating the earth in the very presence of Jesus.

It may be hard to imagine but some who are born and live during this time will reject the Jesus they can see every day. And when the 1000 years are over, Satan will be released ^{(Revelation 20:7)} from his prison. He will immediately begin leading the unbelievers into open rebellion against God (Revelation 20:8) The Rebels will be destroyed in fire.(Revelation 20:9)

Judgement day will follow (Revelation 20:11), and every single soul will be judged to determine their reward or their punishment. Those who believe and are faithful will receive eternal life and greater rewards yet. Those who disbelieve and are wicked will receive increasing grades of judgement in hell.

And God will create a new heavens and a new earth in which we will live ^{(Revelation 20:1).} When all is finished and Jesus rules finally over absolutely everything, Jesus the Son will remove the crown of David from his head and will offer it to His father so that God the father will be over all things ^{(1 Corinthians 15:28)}.

Daily Life

Prophecy exists to do more than excite our imagination. It certainly accomplishes that and it's a thrilling subject to study. The purposes of prophecy are multiple. In times of suffering, prophecy helps us look to a better time. In times of comfort, prophecy can help shake Christians out of complacency and back to a state of alert as we stop living for the day and start living for the future that is coming.

Memory Verse

Revelation 22:12
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

Questions For Personal Study

1. Are you excited or anxious about the return of Jesus?
2. Revelation speaks of many who will be put to death for their faith in Jesus. Do you think you would be able to die for Jesus? Why or why not?
3. What fascinates you about eschatology?
4. Using a concordance or Bible search program find and learn as much as you can about the antichrist.
5. Read 1 Thessalonians. How much did you learn about the return of Jesus?
6. Do you truly expect Jesus to come back today or this week, or "soon"?
7. Are you expecting rewards when Christ returns? Explain. If not, than what needs to change?