Theology Proper & Pneumatology Questionnaire

1. Explain the concept of the Trinity. Can you think of any verse references that might support the concept of the Trinity?

The concept of the trinity is defined as follows: There is one God, yet within the one Godhead there are 3 distinct, co-equal, co-eternal persons. The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God, yet there is only one God.

The concept of the trinity is developed from the following reasoning. 1) The Bible clearly teaches that there is but one God. 2) The Father is called God, Jesus is demonstrated to be God, and the Holy Spirit is also shown to be divine. 3) Certain texts demonstrate that there exists a tri-unity, or a trinity within the Godhead. 4) Therefore, the concept of the trinity must be a biblical representation of the nature of God.

Among the verses which support a triune God are Genesis 1:26 (let us make man in our image); Paul’s benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14; the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Peter’s introduction in 1 Peter 1:1-2; Jesus’ last words in Matthew 28:18-20.

2. What is the difference between God's communicable & incommunicable attributes?

Communicable attributes are those attributes that are communicated to man. In a real sense, our lives can reflect these attributes which exist in God. Examples of attributes that have been communicated to us are love, mercy, compassion, faithfulness, etc.

Incommunicable attributes are characteristics of God that haven’t been communicated to man. Examples of attributes which God alone possesses are infinity, eternality, omniscience, omnipresence and immutability. These attributes are incommunicable because they have not been communicated to man. Our lives cannot demonstrate these godly characteristics.

3. If God is the ultimate source of all things, how do you explain the existence of evil?

The problem of evil has been called "the rock or atheism". The problem of evil could be demonstrated as follows:

God is all-powerful.

God is all-loving.

An all-loving God would want to abolish evil.

An all-powerful God would be able to abolish evil.

But evil still exists.

Therefore, either God is not able to abolish evil, or God doesn’t want to abolish evil. Either way, an all-loving, all-powerful God must not exist.

One possible way to explain evil is to re-define it as good. In other words, evil is really good, or stated differently, evil is a means of achieving good.

Another way to explain the problem of evil is to re-define God’s goodness. Those who emphasize the sovereignty of God might argue that God has indeed ordained evil, but God is nevertheless good. Though evil exists, we should not be concerned or worried about it. God is sovereign and must have a good reason for ordaining and allowing evil. This approach seems to lessen God’s goodness. Essentially, it says that God is the source of evil and ordained it, but because God is by definition "good", God Himself cannot be considered to be evil.

I believe, however, that the best way to approach the problem of evil is to understand that God allowed evil to exist because it was necessary in order to create a world where individuals could freely choose to accept or reject God. In order for people to truly have a choice, the possibility had to exist that man would reject God. Therefore, evil is a by-product of man’s rejection and rebellion toward God. Because we live in a fallen and broken world which was brought about by man’s sin, we will experience pain, suffering, and evil in the form of natural disasters, sickness, pain and heinous acts by sinful people. Though God allows these things to happen, He is not directly responsible for them. He allows them to occur because it is the consequences of the sinfulness of man.

4. Do you believe that God can do anything? In other words, suppose someone asks you, "Can God create a rock that is so big that He cannot move it?" How do you respond?

No, God cannot do anything. In fact, there are many things that God cannot do. For instance, God cannot lie. God cannot sin. God cannot cease to exist or die. God cannot do anything that would be contrary to His nature. Therefore to ask "can God create a rock that is so big that He cannot move it?" is an inappropriate question. It is a trick question designed to put the Christian in a trap where He must sacrifice the nature of God.

For example if you say, "No, God cannot create a rock that is so big that He cannot move it" then you are forced into a position where God is limited in power. However, if you say, "yes, God can create a rock so big that He cannot move it" then you are also forced into a position where God now has limited strength and power. The question is absurd because God would never consider such a situation. To do so would require God to deny His very nature and character. God cannot deny His nature or character, therefore such a scenario as has been postulated would never occur.

5. What do you think the baptism of the Holy Spirit is?

There are many views on the baptism of the Holy Spirit depending on your denominational background. Charismatics and Pentecostals have viewed the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a special blessing or anointing of the Holy Spirit which occurs after one becomes a Christian. The main biblical evidence used to support this view is found in the book of Acts. Those who agree with this view argue that believers in the book of Acts received the Holy Spirit after conversion not at conversion. Therefore, we too can receive this special blessing of the Holy Spirit after we believe. Some groups even teach that believers should seek this special blessing. This special blessing is referred to as the baptism of the Spirit.

A different view of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that it is a one-time event that occurs at the moment of salvation when one is initiated into the body of Christ. Biblical evidence that supports this view is found in 1 Corinthians 12:13, which indicates that all believers are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. Also, Romans 6:1-6 indicates that being baptized into Christ is synonymous to being united with Christ. Considering the fact that the word "baptize" means "to immerse" or "to identify with", this view seems to fit well.

Further evidence is found in Ephesians 1:13, 14. This passage shows that when one believes in Christ, he is given the promised Holy Spirit who seals us. This seal is God’s mark or brand, which signifies ownership. In other words, God’s Holy Spirit is God’s seal showing that we belong to His family. Therefore, our baptism in the Spirit is synonymous to our "identification" with God’s Spirit. To be identified with God’s Spirit is to be identified as a member of God’s family.

How then do we explain the different encounters in Acts where believers received the Holy Spirit after they believed?

There are 3 different accounts in the book of Acts where believers received the Holy Spirit after they believed and not at the moment of belief. It’s significant to note who the people are who are receiving the Holy Spirit, and who is giving them the Holy Spirit. In all 3 instances, it is Peter who is laying on hands and giving these new believers the Holy Spirit.

The first instance is in Acts 2 where Peter preaches and the church is formed when 3000 Jews believe. The 2^nd instance is in Acts 8 when Peter and John come to Samaria to lay hands on the Samaritans (half-Jews) who have believed. The last instance is in Acts 10 where Peter gives the Holy Spirit to some believing Gentiles. In each case, Peter is using the authority that Christ has given him to allow a specific people group into the kingdom of heaven. The Holy Spirit is given to authenticate God’s acceptance of that people group into His kingdom. The first group that enters the church is believing Jews. The 2^nd group that is accepted into the kingdom is partial Jews (Samaritans). The last group that is accepted into the kingdom is non-Jews or Gentiles.

The question we must ask is whether or not the description of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts is normative to all Christians or whether the Holy Spirit coming upon these believers was simply to authenticate God’s acceptance of these groups. Given the context, it seems that the 2^nd explanation is more likely. Remember that in the book of Acts, the Jewish believers did not initially accept Gentiles into the kingdom until Peter receives his vision from God and the Holy Spirit is given to believing Gentiles. It is not until Peter tells the other Jewish believers about the Holy Spirit coming upon these Gentile believers that the Jewish believers understand that "God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18)

Therefore, given the evidence, it seems reasonable to conclude that the baptism of the Spirit is a one-time event that occurs at the moment of conversion. This event is a supernatural event where God’s Spirit places us into and identifies us with Christ’s body, the family of God.

Instances in the book of Acts where believers received the Holy Spirit after they believed can be explained by the fact that God’s Spirit was given to each different people group to authenticate their acceptance into the kingdom of God. In each case, Peter, who held the keys to the kingdom of heaven, gave the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was first given to Jews who believed. The Holy Spirit was then given to partial Jews or Samaritans who believed. Finally, the Holy Spirit was given to non-Jews or Gentiles who believed. Since there are no people groups who do not already fit into one of the aforementioned groups, this special authentication of the Holy Spirit is no longer necessary for today believers today.