WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?. We all have beliefs

WHAT

DO C

HRISTI

ANS

BELIEVE?

WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?


• We all have beliefs



• In fact we all have very complicated collections or systems of belief that are connected to each other and affect each other. (I.e. our beliefs have relationships with each other).




• So what?




• So what?

• What you believe is central to how you choose to act, to live out your life and even to how you feel.




• So what?


• Dead tomorrow VS 100 years from now




• So what?



• More importantly, whether or not what you believe lines up with what actually is matters!




• So what?



• More importantly, whether or not what you believe lines up with what actually is matters!

• “Choosing” to fly.


• We are not going to talk about all beliefs.



• We are going to talk about what Christians believe about God (what He’s like, what He’s up to in history and what that means for us).




• The goal of our time together over the next 7 sessions is to work our way through a logically ordered summary of what Christians believe.





• Nearly everything you will learn in this course can be found in much greater detail in Stanley J Grenz’s book Theology for the Community of God.






• Illustration: praying for “food” – Waltke







• This is what theology is, in a nutshell: summarizing what Christian’s believe.








• We will work through this summary in an order that flows logical from one part to the next. (I.e. systematically).








• We will work through this summary in an order that flows logical from one part to the next. (I.e. systematically).

• So the fancy name for simply answering the question “What do Christians believe?” is “Systematic Theology”



• Christians have worked hard at explaining what they believe for 2000 years now.



• As a result, there has developed a “traditional” order in which Christian beliefs (systematic theologies) are unpacked:




1. Theology Proper – God, in and of Himself (apart from Creation)




1. Theology Proper – God, in and of Himself (apart from Creation)2. Anthropology – the world and creatures God created, especially

humankind





humankind3. Christology – the identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth





humankind3. Christology – the identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth4. Pneumatology – the identity and work of the Holy Spirit





humankind3. Christology – the identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth4. Pneumatology – the identity and work of the Holy Spirit5. Ecclesiology – the nature and mission of the Church





humankind3. Christology – the identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth4. Pneumatology – the identity and work of the Holy Spirit5. Ecclesiology – the nature and mission of the Church6. Eschatology – God’s “end goal” for all things (i.e. where it’s all

going to end up)





humankind3. Christology – the identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth4. Pneumatology – the identity and work of the Holy Spirit5. Ecclesiology – the nature and mission of the Church6. Eschatology – God’s “end goal” for all things (i.e. where it’s all

going to end up)

• We will spend one session on each of these topics.

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE?

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE?Three reasons:

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE?Three reasons:1. We need to know how what we believe differs from what those

around us believe.


around us believe. This helps us sort through the many ‘answers’ to the world’s

problems that are presented to us. A Christian’s ‘answer’ to the problem of evil is much different from a Buddhist or an Atheist or….




Another name for this is “polemics.”




Another name for this is “polemics.”2.We need an understanding of what we believe in order to become

mature in our faith (to grow up in Christ).





mature in our faith (to grow up in Christ). Another name for this is “catechetics.”






3.Because both culture and language changes over time, we need to continually work at “re-summarizing” what we believe in language that makes sense in our time.






3.Because both culture and language changes over time, we need to continually work at “re-summarizing” what we believe in language that makes sense in our time. Another name for this is “contextualization.”

DANGERS OF LEARNING WHAT WE BELIEVE

DANGERS OF LEARNING WHAT WE BELIEVEAt least three:

DANGERS OF LEARNING WHAT WE BELIEVEAt least three:1.Substitution – thinking about Jesus becomes a substitute for actually

believing, that is trusting, in Him.


believing, that is trusting, in Him.2.Dogmatism – one particular summary of Christian belief (i.e.

theology) becomes the “only way.” In truth, every summary is inadequate and incomplete. Only the Bible is infallible! Thus there is only one “canon” or measure (the Bible) and many attempts at summarizing this (theologies).




3.Intellectualism – creating a good summary or “system” becomes the goal. Instead, serving the church, the world and most importantly the praise and worship of God is the goal of all theology.




3.Intellectualism – creating a good summary or “system” becomes the goal. Instead, serving the church, the world and most importantly the praise and worship of God is the goal of all theology.

“Theology is for doxology” – J. I. Packer

WHERE DO CHRISTIAN BELIEFS COME FROM?

WHERE DO CHRISTIAN BELIEFS COME FROM?3 unequal sources:

WHERE DO CHRISTIAN BELIEFS COME FROM?3 unequal sources:1.The message of the Bible.


This is our primary source and every other source is tested against this one.



2.The conclusions of past theological discussions



2.The conclusions of past theological discussions These are secondary sources, but of huge service to us. Concepts

like the trinity, original sin, or substitutionary atonement are conclusions others have come to on the basis of the Bible’s message but are not directly mentioned in the Bible.





3.The words and thought-forms of contemporary culture





3.The words and thought-forms of contemporary culture “Theologians have repeatedly looked to the categories of society

for the concepts in which to express their understanding of the Christian faith commitment” – Stanley Grenz





3.The words and thought-forms of contemporary culture “Theologians have repeatedly looked to the categories of society

for the concepts in which to express their understanding of the Christian faith commitment” – Stanley Grenz

E.g. D-day.

IS THERE ONE CENTRAL THEME FOR THE WHOLE BIBLE?

IS THERE ONE CENTRAL THEME FOR THE WHOLE BIBLE?• Most scholars would identify “the inbreaking of the

Kingdom of God” as the central unifying theme of the whole Bible.



• Grenz highlights the fact that our culture tends to overlook the fact that the Kingdom of God is a community not just a collection of individuals.



• Grenz highlights the fact that our culture tends to overlook the fact that the Kingdom of God is a community not just a collection of individuals.

• Therefore, Grenz rewords the theme as the inbreaking of the “Community of God” (i.e. the community that will be fully established when Jesus returns is what is meant by the word “kingdom”).

SUMMARY

SUMMARY• Beliefs are important because our actions and emotions are

grounded in what we believe and holding to beliefs that do not line up with the way things are has negative consequences (to put it mildly).



• Knowing what Christians believe (the content of the Christian faith) is important for discerning what is or isn’t an ‘answer’ to the problems we face, for growing in our faith and for helping others understand what following Jesus is about.




• Our efforts to learn about the Christian faith can sometimes lead us away from faith if it becomes simply about the thinking of great thoughts, or claiming our way is the only way, or failing to keep the service of the church, world and God as our goal. Many people have dedicated their whole lives to studying Jesus but have never followed Him.




• Our efforts to learn about the Christian faith can sometimes lead us away from faith if it becomes simply about the thinking of great thoughts, or claiming our way is the only way, or failing to keep the service of the church, world and God as our goal. Many people have dedicated their whole lives to studying Jesus but have never followed Him.

• What Christians believe finds its source in the message of the Bible, which has been clarified and summarized by the conclusions of Christians before us, and now stands in need of people like you to find the right words and thoughts to effectively communicate this message to the people around you!

SUMMARY

• The central message of Christianity is that God is at work bringing His perfect Kingdom (community) into being.

SUMMARY


• The logical order to explain the who, what, when, where, why and how of this coming Kingdom of God is as follows:

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?3.Christology – Who is Jesus and what did He do?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?3.Christology – Who is Jesus and what did He do?4.Pneumatology – Who is the Spirit and what does He do?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?3.Christology – Who is Jesus and what did He do?4.Pneumatology – Who is the Spirit and what does He do?5.Ecclesiology – What is the Church and what is its mission?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?3.Christology – Who is Jesus and what did He do?4.Pneumatology – Who is the Spirit and what does He do?5.Ecclesiology – What is the Church and what is its mission?6.Eschatology – Where’s it all going? What is the “end goal”?

SUMMARY



1.Theology Proper – Who is God?2.Anthropology – Who are we?3.Christology – Who is Jesus and what did He do?4.Pneumatology – Who is the Spirit and what does He do?5.Ecclesiology – What is the Church and what is its mission?6.Eschatology – Where’s it all going? What is the “end goal”?

• So next week we start with the question, “Who Is God?”

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WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?. We all have beliefs