12/02/2022
THE STUDY OF GOD (THEOLOGY PROPER)
Archbishop Professor Richword Dikeh
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GOD.
A. Everyone is a theologian in one sense or another because everyone has a view of God one way or another. The question is, “Are we, good theologians or sloppy theologians? The answer will be determined by how well we embrace this particular study.
B. The name and meaning of the word, “theology” comes from two Greek words, theòs – God and logia – the study of. Therefore, theology is the study of God.
C. However, there is a distinction between theology (systematic theology) and theology proper.
D. Systematic Theology is the systematized study of the relationship of God with other Biblical studies (Christ, Holy Spirit, Church, etc.).
E. Theology Proper is the particular study of the revelation, existence, nature, names, and works of God.
I. THE REVELATION OF GOD
A. The Source of Revelation
1. Definition of Revelation
a) Revelation (apokálupsis) means to uncover. In the study of theology, it means that which God discloses about himself and his truth.
b) Everything we know about Christianity has been revealed to us by God. To reveal means “to unveil.” It involves removing a cover from something that is concealed. (Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith)
c) Revelation means “unveiling” and describes the unveiling or disclosure of truth from God to mankind that man could not otherwise know. (The Moody Handbook of Theology)
d) Revelation simply means the disclosure of truth. It is initiated in the divine love and grace of God on behalf of His creatures. Revelation can be defined as the demonstration and sharing by God of His person, will, and redemptive activity. (Bancroft, Elemental Theology)
e) Revelation is a discovery afforded by God to the man of Himself, or of His will, over and above what He has made known by the light of nature, or reason. (Horne from Bancroft Christian Theology)
2. Man’s Knowledge of Revelation
a) Man cannot know God in and of himself (Job 11:7-9; Rom 11:33-34; 1Co 2:14).
b) Man can only know what God reveals to him (Deut 29:29; 1Co 2:9-11; cp. Jn 17:3; Phil 3:10)
c) Man could not possibly have had any knowledge of God if God had not made Himself known. Left to himself, he would never have discovered God. (Berkhof)
d) The Scriptures attest to two facts: the incomprehensibility of God and the knowability of God. To say that he is incomprehensible is to assert that the mind cannot grasp the [infinite] knowledge of God. To say that he is knowable is to claim that he can be known. (Ryrie, Basic Theology, pg. 27; brackets mine)
B. General Revelation
1. The Definition of General Revelation
a) General Revelation reveals aspects about God and His nature to all humanity so that they will have an awareness of the existence of God.
b) General Revelation is the truths God has revealed about Himself to all mankind through
nature,
providential control,
and conscience.
(Moody Handbook of Theology)
c) General revelation is called “general” for two reasons:
(1) it is general in content, and
(2) it is revealed to a general audience. (Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith)
2. The Means of General Revelation
a) Creation of the universe (Rom 1:20; Psa 19:1-6; Col 1:17)
b) Providence in the world (Rom 8:28)
c) Creation of man (Gen 1:26-27)
d) Conscience of man (Rom 2:14-15)
C. Specific Revelation
1. The Definition of Specific Revelation
a) Specific Revelation involves a narrower focus than General Revelation, was progressive, but is now ultimately expressed in Jesus Christ and the Scriptures
b) Special Revelation is the divine revealing of truth through Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. In contrast to the general revelation which is available to everyone, special revelation is available only to those who have access to biblical truth. (Moody Handbook of Theology)
2. The Means of Specific Revelation
a) Audible (Gen 1:28; 3:8-10; Ex 20:19).
b) Lots (Pro 16:33; Acts 1:21-26).
c) Urim and Thummim (Ex 28:30; Deut 33:8).
d) Dreams (Gen 20:3, 6, 40).
e) Visions (Isa 1:1; Ezek 1:1; Acts 10:10).
f) Theophanies (Gen 16:7-14; Ex 3:2; Col 1:15).
g) Angels (Dan 9:20-21; Lk 2:10).
h) Prophets (2 Sam 23:2; Zech 1:1).
i) Events (Micah 6:5; Ezek 25:7).
j) Christ
(1) Christ explains and exegetes the Father (Jn 1:14, 18)
(2) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Jn 14:9; Col 1:15).
(3) Christ is the full revelation of God (Heb 1:1-3)
k) Bible
(1) The Scriptures record the life of the Son of God (Jn 5:39; 21:25; Lk 24:27).
(2) The Scriptures originated from God (2Ti 3:16-17; 1Th 2:13).
(3) The Scriptures are sent for God’s purposes (Isa 55:8-11).
(4) The Scriptures are God’s design for ministry (Acts 6:2, 4).
II. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
A. Introduction
1. As Christians, we know that our sole authority for belief in the existence of God is based upon the presuppositions of the inspired and inerrant word of God.
2. But can we and should we use philosophical and natural arguments to postulate the existence of God?
3. The answer is that the Scriptures themselves open the door for such argumentation.
a) First of all, we are told in Rom 1:20 that it is inexcusable to miss the existence of God from the natural realm.
b) Secondly, the Scriptures teach that man is rationally responsible to perceive the existence of God (Ps 14:1; 53:1; Acts 17:23-29).
c) Thirdly, we are taught in Scripture that man is accountable to his moral conscience, which bears witness to the existence of God and his moral standards (Rom 2:14-15).
d) Therefore, such arguments can and should be used to persuade men to come to a saving knowledge of God through his Son as recorded in the Scriptures (1Pe 3:15).
(1) [Philosophical and natural arguments] …may be used to establish a presumption in favor of the existence of the God of the Bible, and they produce sufficient evidence to place the unregenerated man under a responsibility to accept further knowledge from God or to reject intelligently this knowledge and thus to relieve God of further obligation on his behalf. (Ryrie, Survey of Bible Doctrine)
4. Final note: The majority of the center of the following argument is on the Law of Causality. The Law of Causality can be defined as, every effect having an antecedent cause. It is also called the Law of Cause and Effect.
a) This is not to be confused with Bertrand Russell’s fallacious quote, If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause. If there can be anything without a cause, it may just as well be the world as God. …
b) The Law of Causality does not say, everything has an antecedent cause, rather it says, every effect has an antecedent cause.
c) Obviously, our eternal God does not have a cause. Neither does Logic insist that everything has a cause.
(1) Logic does not quarrel with the idea of self-existent reality. It is logically possible for something to exist without an antecedent cause. (Sproul, Not a Chance)
B. The Philosophical And Natural Arguments For The Existence Of God
1. The Cosmological Argument (Creation)
a) The Cosmological Argument is an aposteriori argument, which looks at the conception of the effect and infers its cause through induction.
b) The term cosmological comes from the Greek word, cósmos, which means the world.
c) The argument then can be defined as, because the world exists, it must have a maker (God) because something does not come from nothing. (Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology)
Archbishop Professor Richword Dikeh, Ad.m, Rdc, Fci.
