Friday Night: Doctrine of God
Recite Westminster Shorter Catechism Q/A #4.
4. What is God?
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
What is a common relational metaphor that God uses for Israel's idolatry?
Cheating/spiritual adultery/whoredom etc
Hosea 8; "Self-Worship". What did Ephraim "multiply" for sinning?
Altars
In the most basic terms, what is the Gospel?
Jesus (Who He is, and what He's done).
savior
Explain the difference between God's incommunicable and communicable attributes. Give one example for both categories.
Incommunicable attribute: An attribute of God that creatures have no idea what it is like to be.
Communicable attribute: Attributes of God that we have a creaturely understanding of what it means to be.
Which nation would eventually destroy and exile Israel?
Assyria.
Hosea 8; "Puppet Kings": What was Israel doing, and what kind of idol were they dealing with?
Made kings, but not through God; idolatry of control.
Explain the doctrine of the Trinity (2 parts).
God is one in essence and 3 in Persons (The "what-ness" of God is 1, the "who-ness" of God is 3).
What is a classic Psalm that gives us a summary of the doctrine of sin?
Psalm 51
What was God doing before time and space began?
Glorifying Himself as a Tri-Personal Being.
Name a tribe that is mentioned often in the book of Hosea. Spell it.
Ephraim
Hosea 9; "Illicit Spaces". Where did Israel "love a prostitute's wage"?
Threshing floor
What are the 5 solas of the Reformation?
sola Scriptura, Sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christos, sola Deo gloria
Why is even self-pity not true repentance?
Because it does not cling unto Christ.
What is the glory of God? How do we glorify God?
His radiant/fearful beauty: Yes, we glorify God by praising Him, but we glorify Him by (1) recognizing supreme excellence of Him and (2) ascribe ultimate value.
Fill in the blank: "My people are destroyed for lack of _______________" (Hosea 4:6)
Knowledge
Hosea 7:8: "...Ephraim is a cake not turned."
What does this mean?
Israel lost it's distinct identity/not fully cooked unto the Lord/half-hearted.
What is the difference unconditional election vs. conditional election? According to the Reformed tradition, which one is correct?
Unconditional election: God chooses people for salvation not based on any conditions.
Conditional election:God chooses people to be saved based on the good that He sees in people, based on conditions.
Name 3 words that our English Bibles use to explain different aspects of sin. Explain the words.
"Iniquity" (twisted), "Sin" (Missing the mark), "Transgression" (rebellion against who you owe intelligence to).
What is process theology? Why is God "becoming" wrong?
Because it denies God's simplicity. God is not "becoming", God does not grow. He "is" (Exodus 3:14). God is potentialess.
Name 2 physical idols that Israel were worshiping? (Hint: Starts with the letters B and C)
Fill in the blank: “What we revere is what we ___________, either for ruin or ________.” –G. K. Beale.
resemble, restoration
How does the Reformed faith and Roman Catholicism differ on understanding grace?
Reformed faith= Grace is undeserved favor. We are justified by grace alone.
Roman Catholicism= Grace is a medicine that we use to complete our justification.
Explain the Pelagian heresy. Bonus: Who was the early church father that fought against his views?
We are not born in sin, but are by nature good. Therefore, grace is not necessary for salvation.
Augustine.