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To the ReaderChristian theology is faith seeking understanding. It is a response to divinerevelation. A Christian believes in order to understand; he does not understand inorder to believe. The foundation of Christian Theology is faith. Christianity is afaith based religion, and its foundation is faith. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith itis impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, andthat he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The Bible begins with thedeclaration, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”, what followsis a proof of God’s existence. Once a person believes God and accepts the proof ofHis existence, he begins to learn about God’s acts of creation. The Bible is notwritten to defend God’s existence; it is written to reveal God to people of faith.The Book of Genesis is written to a redeemed people who have just been deliveredfrom slavery in Egypt. It is written to describe who this God is that redeemed them.It is written to people who already believe, and since they already believe they aregrowing in their understanding of God. Christian Theology is faith in the real Godseeking understanding. Christians believe in order to understand. The more theyunderstand, the more their faith grows in the process, but they do not understand inorder to believe. Having believed they pursue God and understanding. For theLORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding(Prov. 2:6). Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thygetting get understanding (Prov. 4:7). The fear of the LORD is the beginning ofwisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praiseendureth for ever (Ps. 111:10).xv

IntroductionTheology is a human activity in pursuit of truth about God and His universe.It is what humans do in response to the Creator. Christian theology is faith seekingunderstanding. A Christian theologian is versed in or engaged in the study oftheology. Systematic theology is a response to divine revelation, the Bible, whichis an attempt to express the truth about the triune God in language which is testedin the history of theology and in a contemporary cultural and philosophicalenvironment. Such is this study of Theology I and III. Systematic theologians seekto understand what they believe about the Christian message of God and how theyas individuals and a community are to live in light of that message. Christians donot understand in order to believe; they believe and then they seek to understandwhat it is that they believe. Christian theology is not foundational to faith; faith isfoundational to Christian theology. A believer who is a student of the Bible “does”theology.Classroom Biblical Theology I and III are designed specifically for those inChrist; pastors; laity who are in ministry inside and outside of a local church suchas par church organizations, missionary organizations, and other Christianministries; those desiring to know more about biblical doctrine and spiritualformation; as a syllabus for the instructor and the student; as a course in anaccredited institution or continuing education format; and as a mooring in a worldxvi

with Strange Fire. They are written expressly for believers, because 1Corinthians2:11-14 says “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of manwhich is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things alsowe speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the HolyGhost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural manreceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”Classroom Biblical Theology I and III’s genre is conversational English, andthe term man is not gender specific, but gender inclusive, representing bothgenders, male and female when applicable. For clarification capital letters are usedto distinguish between God and man in the text, and quotation marks are used todistinguish between Scripture and the text when necessary. An asterisk is used toindicate a question or an assignment for the student. It is expected that theinstructor will give addition assignments to facilitate the student’s learning processand accommodate various indigenous cultures. Other names used for Jesus are hisoriginal Hebrew names in the Old Testament, Jehoshua ((1Chron. 7:27, Num. 13:16) and Joshua (Yehoshua)Yeshua) (Num. 11:28; Num. 14:6).These names are used interchangeably throughout the body of this work. Unlessxvii

otherwise stated, all scriptural references are from the Kings James Bible (KJV) inClassroom Biblical Theology I. Dr. Saucy uses various versions of the Bible inClassroom Biblical Theology III.Most of the content in Classroom Biblical Theology I and III is from classlectures presented by Dr. K. Erik Thoennes and Dr. Robert L. Saucy. Dr. Thoennesis the Chair of the Theology Department and a Professor of Biblical andTheological Studies at Biola University. Dr. Saucy is a Distinguished Professor ofSystematic Theology at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, and issometimes referred to as Theologian Extraordinaire. An additional textbook isrequired for Theology III, God’s Power at Work in You, by Neil T. Anderson andRobert L. Saucy. Biblical Foundation by Dr. Alice Stanback is suggested as aprerequisite to Classroom Biblical Theology I and III if a student has no priortheological training. Biblical Foundations is online at WordPress.Dr. Thoennes, Dr. Saucy, Talbot School of Theology, and Biola Universityhave this author’s profound respect and gratitude for making this material availablefor the furtherance of God’s Kingdom and the spiritual formation of believers inChrist.xviii

Theology IEarth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal becauseGodYehoshualiveslives!JER 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with aneverlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

CLASSROOM BIBLICAL THEOLOGY I AND III1CHAPTER 1GodThe content of this syllabus is based on Dr. Thoennes’ Theology I course atBiola University. One of textbooks used for the course was Systematic Theologyby Wayne Grudem; therefore, it is referenced frequently throughout this syllabus.The course begins with a discussion of the unity of God.The Unity and Knowability of GodUnity is an attribute of God. An attribute is simply a way of describing oneaspect of God’s total character or being. God is not divided into parts, yet one seesdifferent attributes of him emphasized at different times. This attribute of God hasalso been called God’s simplicity. Some theologians use the phrase God is simple,meaning that he is not divided into parts like human beings are. One attribute ofGod’s is never singled out in Scripture as more important than all the rest. Everyattribute is completely true of God and is true of all of his character. Believersshould not think of God as some kind of collection of various attributes addedtogether, but rather that they are characteristics of God himself, and thereforecharacteristic of all of God. Nor should they think of the attributes of God assomething external from God’s real being or real self, something added on to whohe really is. Rather they must remember that God’s whole being includes all of hisattributes. He is entirely loving, entirely merciful, entirely just. Every attribute ofGod also qualifies ever other attribute. Attributes are a way of looking at God fromdifferent perspectives because man cannot grasp all of God’s character at one time,yet these perspectives should never be set in opposition to one another, for they arejust different ways of looking at the totality of God’s character. (10)God’s attributes are interdependent, not one attribute functionsindependently of another, and they are always functioning concurrently. God doesnot diminish one attribute to express another, example, love and wrath. God isomnipotent; therefore he does not have to choose between love and wrath.Moreover, the attributes of love and wrath are not dichotomous, they are insteadcomplementary, that is, they complete each other. To realize the unity of God is torealize that love necessitates wrath, and wrath necessitates love. They are not twoends of a spectrum, on the contrary, they are in close proximity. An example is that

CLASSROOM BIBLICAL THEOLOGY I AND III2if a person loves children, he hates child abuse. He is wrathful towards it. It isirrational for a person to say that he loves children and is okay with child abuse.God’s attributes are impossible to understand without comprehending theirinterdependence. It is important for a believer to become a whole Bible Christian,that is, to be taking in the whole picture. A correct understanding of the unity ofGod facilitates this process. It also sheds light on the knowability of God. Anexample is that one understands the crucifixion of Christ better when he realizesthat on the cross God’s attributes of love, justice, holiness, and wrath wereexhibited openly.The Incomprehensibility of GodGod is incomprehensible; therefore, a person can never fully understandGod. Paul says in Rom. 11:33-36 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdomand knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways pastfinding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been hiscounsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto himagain? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be gloryfor ever. Amen.” There are three reasons why man can never fully or exhaustivelyunderstand any single thing about God:1. God is infinite and man is finite or limited (Ps. 145:3; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 139:6;Rom. 11:31).2. Sin has affected man’s ability to know God (Rom. 1; 1 Cor. 2:10-12).3. God keeps secrets (Deut. 29:29).Man may know something about God’s love, power, wisdom, and so forth,but he can never know them exhaustively. In order to know any single thing aboutGod exhaustively man would have to know it as He Himself knows it. That is, hewould have to know it in its relationship to everything else about God and in itsrelationship to everything else about creation throughout all eternity. Even in theage to come, when believers are freed from the presence of sin, they will never beable fully to understand God or any one thing about him. Throughout eternitybelievers will still be learning about God. But if this is so in eternity future, then itcertainly must be so in this life. (10)Since God is incomprehensive, believers should be filled with profoundhumility before God. They should be people filled with awe, and cultivate a heartof wonder. David praised God in song in Ps. 145:1-3 “I will extol thee, my God, Oking; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I

CLASSROOM BIBLICAL THEOLOGY I AND III3will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to bepraised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (cf. Ps. 45). God is worthy of thebeliever’s praise. Although man will never know God exhaustively, he can knowsomething about Him.The Knowability of GodEven though man cannot know God exhaustively, he can know true thingsabout him. Man has true knowledge of God from Scripture. He can also knowmany of God’s thoughts from Scripture. Some people say that human beingscannot know God personally, but Scripture does not say that. The promise of thenew covenant is that all shall know God, “from the least of them to the greatest.”(cf. Heb. 8:11)Jer. 9: 23-24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in hiswisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich manglory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that heunderstandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exerciselovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these thingsI delight, saith the LORD.The fact that believers do know God himself is further demonstrated by therealization that the richness of the Christian life includes a personal relationshipwith God. Nevertheless, believers must balance the incomprehensibility of Godwith their desire to know Him fully, personally, and sufficiently, this is the vitaltension. The knowability of God means that while a person can never know Godfully, he can know him truly, personally, and sufficiently; therefore, he can knowhim as he is, and as a result, have abundant and eternal life that comes from thatknowledge (cf. Jn. 17:3).2 Pet. 1:1-3: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to themthat have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness ofGod and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto youthrough the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as hisdivine power hath given

Classroom Biblical Theology I and III Teacher and Student Manual by Alice Marie Stanback, BA, MACE, Ph.D. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal because God lives Yehoshua lives! This book was written for the Christian leader and Christian