THEO201 Exam 3 Review: Pneumatology and Angelology

theo201t3.md

*This exam will consist of 30 multiple choice questions.
*A greater percentage of the questions on this exam will involve Bible verses than on the previous two exams. Be prepared!

Pneumatology

• Know the definition and etymology of Pneumatology, as they were presented in class.
• Def: Pneumatology is the study of the person and work of the HS.
• The term comes from the Greek word pneuma, which means “spirit.”
• Know some reasons why Pneumatology is important and conversely two reasons why we devoted more time to Christology and Theology Proper then to Pneumatology this semester.
• The HS is just as important as the Father and the Son.
• Jn 15:26, “But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which preceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”
• Jn. 16:13-14, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me…”

Know the four lines of reasoning that support belief in the divinity of the Holy Spirit

• Some passages use “Holy Spirit” and “God” interchangeably.
• The Holy Spirit has divine attributes.
• Omniscience: I Cor. 2:10, "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
• Eternality: Heb. 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?""
• The Holy Spirit is involved in divine activities.
• Providence
• Regeneration of believers
• The resurrection of the dead
• Inspiration of the scriptures
• Some Bible passages list the three persons of the Trinity as equals (e.g. Mt. 28:19).

Know the evidence that supports the belief that the Holy Spirit is a person

• The Holy Spirit is often referred to using “he” rather than “it”.
• The Holy Spirit’s ministries seem to require personhood. (comforter, sanctifier, teacher, communicator, intercessor, guide, and prayer partner)
• The Holy Spirit has personality traits, including intelligence (Jn. 14:26), will (I Cor. 12:11), and feelings (Eph. 4:30).
• Jn. 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
• I Cor. 12:11, "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
• Eph. 4:30, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
• One cannot lie to an impersonal force, but it is possible to lie to the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 5:3, 4, "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

The Work of the Holy Spirit:

• Know the seven types of work performed by the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament that were discussed in class.
• Creation
• Providence
• Inspiration of prophets and the writing of Scripture
• Provide skills for specific tasks
• provide skills for administration
• provide skills at waging war
• instruction
• Know the eight types of work performed by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament that were discussed in class
• Convicting of sin
• Regenerating the believer
• Empowering the believer for ministry
• Indwelling the believers
• Teaching the believer
• Intercession on behalf of the believer
• Sanctifying the believer
• Giving special gifts for the edification of the body of Christ

Know the biblical lists of miraculous gifts

• Romans 12:6-8: prophecy, ministry (helping), teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling (administration), mercy
• "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
• I Cor. 12:8-10: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues (languages), interpretation of tongues (translation)
• "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"
• I Pet. 4:10-11: speaking, ministry
• "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Know the purpose of the miraculous gifts

• To authenticate the Gospel message and the early church as the bearer of this message. This is why many call them “sign gifts.”
• Verses
• Heb. 2:3-4, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the fist began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"
• Acts 2:1-11 (Pentecost), "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."
• Matt. 11:2-6, "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

Are the Miraculous Gifts for Today?

• Know the biblical and rational arguments discussed in class that support belief in the continuance of the “sign gifts,” including Mark 16:15-20.
• Signs gifts are characteristic of Christians in the Bible.
• They appear to be given to some Christians today.
• They are beneficial to the church today, both as signs and as blessing in themselves.
• Mark 16:15-20, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
• Indicates that miraculous signs will accompany Christians.
• But is this only until the NT is complete?
• Is this text a late addition to the Bible?
• Know the biblical and rational arguments discussed in class that support the cessationist position toward the “sign gifts,” including I Cor. 13:8-12.
• History shows that they ceased after the apostles.
• Fraudulent miracle claims are well documented.
• They don't appear to be given to those who could est use them in God's service: tongues to foreign missionaries. Healing to physicians and medical missionaries, etc.
• I Cor. 13:8-12, "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
• Indicates that prophecy, tongues, and miraculous knowledge will cease, which could be a merism referring to all sign gifts.
• But when will they cease?

Angelology

Angels

• Know the source of the angles, and what Bible passage was used to support this view of their origin.
• All were created by God.
• Ps. 148:1-5, "Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created."
• Know the 8 aspects of their nature that were listed in class.
• Spirit (Incorporeal)
• Less powerful than God
• Multitudinous
• Non-marrying, non-reproductive
• Personal, with intelligence and morality
• Powerful but not omnipotent
• Knowledgeable but not omniscient
• Ubiquitous but not omnipresent
• Know the etymology and meaning of “angel.”
• The Greek word for angel is “angelos” (αγγελος), which means “messenger.” Angels are God’s messengers, sent to carry out God’s will in his creation.
• Know their occupations, as was discussed in class.
• Announcing the message of God’s glory. Lk. 2:13-14, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
• Communicating God’s messages to humans. Acts 27:23, “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.”
• Executing God’s judgment. Rev. 14: 9-11, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
• Understand the controversy over the existence of guardian angels and know some passages that support the view that they may exist (Ps. 34:7, Acts 5:17-20).
• Are there guardian angels that protect each believer? Perhaps: Ps. 34:7 and 91:11 may indicate the existence of guardian angels, but it is not clear that these passages apply outside of the specifically theocratic Israelite context, and therefore we cannot be certain. However, it is clear that God has many angels in his service, and that he can use them to help believers whenever he chooses to. II Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Acts 5:17-20, “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

Satan

• Know his origin and original nature.
• Created by God
• Hence he was originally good
• Know what seems to have caused his fall and what passage in the Bible records this (Is. 14:12-15).
• His fall: pride seems to have been the root of the problem
• Is. 14:12-15, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
• Know the various aspects of his nature that were discussed in class.
• Personal, having intelligence, emotion, and will.
• Very powerful, but also clever, working through temptation, deception, and physical disease.
• But not omnipresent nor omnipotent.
• Sometimes described as a dragon, but in other places as an angel of light. He is likely to appear in whatever form best suits his immediate needs.

Demons (Fallen Angels)

• Know their origin and original state.
• Created by God along with other angels.
• Know how they fell from this state.
• They fell into sin, becoming “fallen angels” or demons.
• Know their description as it was presented in class.
• Spirit, not material.
• Intellectual
• Powerful
• Unclean
• Know their destiny.
• Judgment
• A thousand year prison term
• Eternal punishment

Demons and Humans

• Can humans be demon possessed? How do we know?
• Fallen angels—demons—are able to exert direct control over people by “indwelling” their bodies. This is called “demon possession,” and is found in many places in the Bible. (Mt. 4:24, “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.”) Can Christians be demon possessed? Why or why not?
• Many argue that Christians cannot be demon possessed because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The thought is that an evil demon and the Spirit of God cannot indwell the same person. I Cor. 6:19, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” There are, however, metaphysical questions about what it means for an incorporeal being to “indwell” a corporeal one that need to be considered before one accepts this argument wholeheartedly. It seems unlikely that it’s a physical filling, since demons, as angels, are not physical beings. Plus there’s the problem of colocation. Instead I think we should understand this “indwelling” as an expression of power or control over someone. This is how I understand the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, too (see Eph. 5:18, which contrasts being under the influence of the Holy Spirit with being under the influence of wine). So the question then becomes whether a Christian can be controlled by the Holy Spirit and a demon at the same time. I think the answer is “no.”
• Furthermore, it is clear that even the devil can be resisted. I Pet. 4: 8, 9 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith,”
• There are no biblical examples of Christians being demon possessed nor of a demon being cast out of a Christian.
• Can Christians be demon oppressed? How is this different from demon possession?
• Nonetheless, even if demons cannot possess a Christian, the can oppress a Christian. Demon oppression involves being tempted and/or afflicted by a demon.

1Cor. 10:31, “Whether therefore ye take a quiz, or a test, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (from the MJV)