3rd Quarter Overview

Week 1

1

Soteriology: Overview/Debate Topic 1

Week 2

2

Soteriology - Key Terms/Views

Week 3

3

Soteriology - Basic Teachings

Week 4

4

Soteriology - Practical Applications/DEBATE 1

Week 5

5

Ecclesiology - Overview/Debate Topic 2

Week 6

6

Ecclesiology - Key Terms/Views

Week 7

7

Ecclesiology - Basic Teachings

Week 8

8

Ecclesiology - Practical Applications/DEBATE 2

Week 9

9

WRAPPING IT UP

Debate Topics

Soteriology:

Is Gods saving grace monergistic (irresistible) or synergistic (resistible)?

Is it possible for Christians who are genuinely saved to lose their salvation?

Ecclesiology:

Is the NT gift of prophecy in operation today?

Should women be lead pastors?

Debate Structure

Team 1 - Opening Statement 3 minutes

Team 2 Opening Statement 3 minutes

Team 1 Rebuttal 5 minutes

Team 2 Rebuttal 5 minutes

Cross Fire 4 minutes

Ending 2 questions from the audience (1 minute response)

Team 1 Closing Remarks 3 minutes

Team 2 Closing Remarks 3 minutes

SOTERIOLOGY: INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE, RECEPTION, AND EFFECTS OF DIVINE SALVATION

OBJECTIVES:

After completing this segment, you will be able to:

1. Articulate the importance of Soteriology.

2. Describe the basic terminology that relates to this topic.

3. Compare and contrast the various opinions on the topic of the Soteriology.

4. Correlate relevant biblical data in order to create scriptural conclusions on the basic teachings on this subject.

5. Apply the acquired truths with the aim of glorifying God.

I. SOTERIOLOGY IMPORTANCE

How can broken humans be restored (saved)?

Does God elect individuals to salvation? Is this election conditional or unconditional? How should the concepts of election and free will be harmoniously understood?

Do faith and repentance precede or follow the born again experience?

What happens when a person is born again?

Is justification an instantaneous event or an ongoing process?

Can believers in Christ be certain that Gods forgiveness and reconciliation are permanent gifts? Or, is it possible for Christians to lose this status with God?

What things enable believers to grow in their faith? What happens if believers rebel against God?

What will Gods people experience in their glorified bodies? Is it possible for Gods people to sin in heaven? If not, does this mean that they lose free will?

II. SORTERIOLOGY - TERMS

1. Adoption The Greek word for adoption means to "place as a son" and is used only by Paul in the New Testament. The concept of adoption describes how God rescues individuals from darkness and brings them into his family.

2. Conversion This word literally means to turn from something to God. Biblically, it describes the concepts of repentance and faith.

3. Compatibilism This view holds that Gods meticulous sovereignty and human free will are compatible concepts.

Divine Sovereignty - Since God knows and plans, either directly or indirectly, everything that comes to pass, the past, present, and future are fixed. A person only has one option at any given time, to act in accordance with Gods omniscience and plan.

Free Will - A person is free to do whatever he or she wants; yet, what a person wants will directly reflect the status of the heart. A person will always apply the action that is most desirable.

One definition of freewill will not properly work for every era of history:

1. Before the Fall The human heart was not polluted by sin; therefore, humans had the power, in themselves, to please or displease God. Adam and Eves desire to become like God was more intense than their desire to trust Him.

2. After the Fall The human heart is totally depraved; therefore, humans have no

power or desire to please God. They willfully oppose God.

3. After Regeneration Saved humans possess both a fallen nature and a new spiritual nature. Therefore, they have the power and ability to displease God or to please God.

4. Glorified State Glorified believers will have a perfected heart. They will not have the power or desire to displease God. They will willfully honor God throughout all eternity.

Conclusion: Gods meticulous plan for history will not be thwarted; humans will not act in a way that makes Gods omniscience false. However, humans are free because they can do whatever they want.

4. Election means to choose - Gods choice of individuals or groups for specific purposes (salvation, etc.).

5. Evangelism (The Gospel Call) The act of spreading the Gospel (the good news), which is the means that God uses to bring sinful persons into His family.

6. Foreknowledge Generically, this term describes Gods knowledge of something before it exists; specifically, this term is applied to certain individuals that God has eternally chosen to set His affections upon.

7. Glorification This phase of salvation is initiated when Christ returns. At the Second Coming, Jesus will perfect the physical and spiritual aspects of each believer. Believers will put on immortality and dwell with Christ eternally.

8. Grace This word is a packed term. It primarily describes the unmerited favor or help of God.

The free generosity of God through the self-giving Christ is throughout what is meant by grace. Christs sacrifice is the supreme demonstration of grace (2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:5). And for man, He is the incarnate grace of God made available to faith. By grace, we are called (Gal 1:15), and justified (Rom 3:24), and sanctified (Rom 6:14). By grace we have an eternal consolation and a good hope (2 Thess 2:16), and the strength to endure (2 Tim 2:1). Even liberality is a blessing when conducted in the grace of Christ (2 Cor 8:1, 6, 9, 19; 9:8, 15).

The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible: Volume 2

9. Justification A legal term signifying acquittal. Theologically, this term refers to Gods act of declaring a person to be legally just or righteous in light of the active obedience of Christ.

10. Libertarian Freedom - This view believes that persons can actually choose between multiple options at any given moment because humans are autonomous or self-governing. Adherents of this view believe that this power of contrary choice is necessary in order to uphold moral accountability.

11. Mercy This word is a full term. It primarily describes the expression of kindness or compassion on someone who does not deserve it.

It is evident that mercy combines a strong emotional element, usually identified as pity, compassion, or love, with some practical demonstration of kindness in response to the condition or needs of the object of mercy Basic to (this) concept is Gods care for man in his wretchedness and creatureliness. This emotionally-based response manifests itself in His redemptive acts. The man responding to God sees in himself one who has received mercy; therefore he in turn must how mercy to his fellow man.

The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible: Volume 4

12. Perseverance of the Saints This teaching, usually embraced by adherents within the Reformed tradition, affirms that truly saved individuals will persevere in the faith until the end because of the grace of God. If an alleged believer does not persevere in the faith, he or she was never truly saved.

13. Reconciliation This term describes the act or process of bringing something that is alienated or broken back into unity and harmony. The Bible highlights the need for each human to be reconciled to God.

14. Regeneration This term originates from a compound word meaning "birth" and "again." It is the giving of the life of God, eternal life, to a sinner who is spiritually dead. This experience changes an individuals disposition towards God.

15. Sanctification A Spirit-empowered progressive process in the life of believers that aims to make them more Christ-like or holy.

III. Views IMPORTANCE

I. Chronological Decree & Logical Decree

To say that something is logically prior to something else is not to say that the one occurs before the other in time. Temporally, they could be simultaneous. Rather, logical priority means that something serves to explain something else, the one provides the grounds or basis of the other. William Lane Craig.

II. Example:

Most views agree that God chronologically or temporarily elected certain individuals to salvation even prior to their existence. However, they disagree on whether or not God elected certain individuals BECAUSE He foreknew that they would freely choose him (mans decision to choose Christ is logically prior to Gods election) or BECAUSE of His sheer mercy (Gods decision to elect individuals is logically prior to mans decision).

III. Logical Order of Divine Decrees Ordo Salutis

Arminian/Wesleyan

Infralapsarianism (Soft Calvinism)

Supralapsarianism (Hard Calvinism)

1. Create mankind

2. Allow the Fall

3. Send Christ as the redeemer for all people

4. Redeem any who trust in Christ and condemn any who deny Christ (conditional election)

- The Gospel Call goes forth

- Prevenient grace enables every person to accept or reject the gospel call

- Some freely accept the gospel

- Their decision to accept the g