Theology is usually interpreted as a word about God, or the study of God,
due to its parts, “theo-” and “-ology.” In systematics this tends to be used
as a general term for all branches such as ecclesiology, eschatology, etc.,
and the term “theology proper” is used to signify the specific study of the
person and being of God. In this course I would like to better answer how
the study of each school (soteriology, ecclesiology, etc.) tells us directly
about the person of God. To ask the question, “While amillennialism
believes this, what does it say about God?” As a revealed religion, all of
these different areas of study in the Bible must reveal something about
who God is otherwise the validity of the topic should be called into
question.[1]
In the Bible encounters with God are very impactful. When Moses came
down from the mountain with a shining face everyone was fearful of the
glory of God reflected in him (Ex. 34:29-30). Isaiah saw the throne of
heaven and cried, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6:5). When Habakkuk considered
the might of God fear shook him to the point that his bones felt brittle and
rotten (Habakkuk 3:16). This theme is repeated over and over through the
Bible when people encounter the glory of God. Through studying who God
is I hope to gain this reverence for God that Scripture describes in His
prophets and apostles. A reverence that shakes me to the core when I
consider who God is and what He has done and leaves me speechless.
The studies I do in this class will be something I hope to develop into a
teaching series and may serve as the foundation material for a booklet.
Many know things about God but do not understand the assorted facts in
a way that forms a coherent picture of God as the Bible describes Him.
Additionally, it is important to separate the facts about God that are not
formed from what Scripture records. The entire Bible is about the
Godhead, specifically the Godhead working in salvific history.[2];It must
be the only source for our knowledge of God. Otherwise, we risk letting
other factors determine our understanding of God.[3];This could be where
we are from, economic background, or ethnicity. Topics so ingrained that
they slip under the radar. I would like to develop the studies of this class
into a concise and clear understanding of God supported by Scripture that
separates biblically supported facts from those founded on extrabiblical
sources or experiences. Such material will clear obstacles to fellowship
with God for myself and members of my church. False understanding of
God leads to hindrance in worship because we will inevitably approach
God in a way unpleasing to Him. Wrong conclusions of God lead to wrong
conclusions of ourselves. This is evidenced in Scripture in accounts such
as Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire, and Uzzah attempting to support
the Ark by hand.
;
Bray, Gerald,;The Doctrine of God.Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1993.
;
Froese, Paul and Christopher Bader.;America’s Four Gods: What We Say
About God & What That Says About Us.New York, NY: Oxford University
Press, 2010.
;
[1];Gerald Bray,;The Doctrine of God;(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1993), 15.
[2];Ibid.
[3];Paul Froese and Christopher Bader,;America’s Four Gods: What We Say
About God & What That Says About Us;(New York, NY: Oxford University
Press, 2010), 37.
