theology

1. Some areas of
discussion and
dispute

2. How do we understand the Father, the
Son and The Holy Spirit? Three
persons? One God? How?
Various options: Three Gods, One God
with three faces/aspects, One God
who changes forms, One God (the
Father) with the Son created and the
Spirit as an influence,…
- Council of Nicea 325, 381 NICENE
CREED
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

3. How is God Lord of All yet we have
freedom to obey or disobey Him?
How does God achieve His purposes
and allow us freedom to choose?
Emphasizing God’s sovereignty 
Augustine (C-5) and Calvin (C-16)
Emphasizing Human Freedom 
Pelagius (C-5), Arminius (C-17) and
Wesley (C-18) PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

4. Humans are born with guilt and
leaning toward sinfulness (Augustine
and Calvin) OR
Humans are born with neutral
attitude to sin and can choose freely
to obey or disobey (Pelagius and
others)
Several inbetween positions on this
topic.
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

5.  Old Testament settled before time of Jesus.
 Books of New Testament in several
categories:
 Universally accepted
 Disputed by some
 Disputed by most
 Rejected by most
Settled late C-4 (THE CANON OF
SCRIPTURE)
 Only Bible as authority or also Church
Pronouncements ?(Pope, etc.)
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

6.  One leader directs other leaders in a hierarchy:
EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH GOVERNMENT (Catholic,
Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, many modern
churches)
 Group of elected/appointed elders rule:
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH GOVERNMENT
(Presbyterian, Reformed, many modern
churches)
 Whole congregation votes or by consensus makes
major decisions: CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
GOVERNMENT (Baptist, Congregational, many
others)
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

7.  Spectrum of views: from Bread and Wine
BECOME the body and blood of Christ
(Transubstantiation) to Bread and Wine are
SYMBOLS of and REMINDERS of Christ’s death.
 Transubstantiation – Roman Catholic Church,
Eastern Orthodox
 Consubstantiation – Lutheran Church
 Mystical feeding on Christ with the bread,
wine (Calvin)
 Remembrance and symbolism – most other
Protestant Denominations
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

8.  As example?
 A victim of God’s wrath on our behalf, our
substitute?
 Our representative?
 Only for the saved ones or for all?
PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

9.  How will the many things in the Bible about
the end of this age unfold?
 Christ comes before a 1,000 year period of
peace? (PREMILLENIALISM)
 Christ comes after a 1,000 years of peace on
earth (POST MILLENIALISM)
 Christ returns and judges the earth – no
literal 1,000 year reign (AMILLENIALISM)
PRIMARY/SECONDAY?