Author: Richard

  • The Roman Road to Salvation

    Richard

    At this point in the book we have covered all topics of systematic theology except for the doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) and the doctrine of last things (eschatology). That is, we have examined what the Bible as a whole teaches on all aspects of God, mankind in relation to God, Christ, and culminating in Read more

  • The Person of Christ

    Richard

    The early church understood Christ to be both human and divine, the Son of Man and the Son of God. The concept of Jesus as divine was, however problematic for many with Jewish backgrounds due to the strong emphasis in Judaism on monotheism. There were therefore many heretical teachings that emerged that viewed God the Father as Read more

  • Christ the God-Man

    Richard

    And so, Christ is the God-man. This is what is meant when theologians refer to Christ as the Theanthropos (theo=God; ánthrōpos=human). This ontological characterization of Christ is summarized in the Chalcedonian Definition (CD) which asserts these four fundamental theses about Christ: (1) Christ is numerically one person; (2) Christ is both fully human and fully divine; (3) Read more

  • The States of Christ

    Richard

    From the time of His incarnation to the time of His ascension, Christ is said to have been in a state of humiliation. From the time of His ascension onward, Christ is said to be in a state of exaltation. The word “state” in this context refers to Christ’s position in life, particularly with respect Read more

  • The Offices of Christ

    Richard

    There are three offices associated with Christ: the priestly, the prophetic, and the kingly. These offices are clearly anticipated in the OT. For example, Moses foretells the prophetic office (Dt 18:15) and the joint offices of king and priest are foretold by Zechariah (Zec 6:13). Charles Hodge writes, “Nothing, therefore, can be plainer than that as the Read more

  • The Existence of God – Ontological Argument

    Richard

    The ontological argument for the existence of God is the most famous and has been heavily analyzed and debated ever since its formulation by St. Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century.[i] In its most common form, the ontological argument defines God as a being of which nothing greater can be conceived. Given this, there are two possibilities. Read more

  • Christ’s Atoning Work

    Richard

    In Christianity, the Atonement refers to the redemptive effect of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Through these works, Christ atoned for our sins, making it possible for unrighteous sinners to become positionally righteous in the eyes of God and to be adopted into His family. The words atone and atonement are portmanteaus of “at” and “one” Read more

  • The Existence of God – Cosmological Arguments

    Richard

    Cosmological arguments are based on the observable fact that the universe exists rather than nothing existing. Why is there anything at all? And why is there something that exists that can ask the question of why anything exists? Is it possible that the universe is the total of all reality and requires nothing else, or it Read more

  • The Existence of God – Design Arguments

    Richard

    Design Arguments – General Design arguments for the existence of God are not logical deductions but inferences based on observation. Consider, for example, you are walking through a field and come across a pocket watch. You will automatically assume that the watch had an intelligent designer and maker due to the distinct characteristics of the watch Read more

  • C.S. Lewis on Christ’s Atoning Work

    Richard

    C.S. Lewis considers the fact of the Atonement as central to Christianity but considers theories of the Atonement important only if they are personally helpful. Lewis writes, “The central Christian belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start. Theories about it are another matter … Theories about Christ’s Read more