Daily Doctrine E-Book

Kevin DeYoung

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 811

Beschreibung

Learn Important Systematic Theology Topics Each Day with This Accessible One-Year Devotional All thoughtful Christians want to better understand the Bible, its author, and its influence on their beliefs. In short—whether they recognize it or not—they want to understand theology. But many find the subject matter too academic, dense, or difficult to understand, and they lack proper study resources to help expand their knowledge of God and his written word. Designed to make systematic theology clear and accessible for the everyday Christian, this devotional walks through the most important theology topics over the course of a year. Each month is categorized into broad themes, starting with the study of God and concluding with the end times. Written by bestselling author and associate professor of systematic theology Kevin DeYoung, each concise daily reading contains verses for meditation and application, building upon each other and easing readers into the study of systematic theology.  - Written for Thoughtful Christians: Offers pastors, ministry leaders, and everyday Christians access to a theologically rich yet accessible study  - One-Year Plan: Daily readings build off one another to help ease readers into systematic theology  - Covers Important Theological Topics: Each month covers a different broad theological topic, including mankind, salvation, the church, end times, and more - Written by Kevin DeYoung: Pastor, bestselling author, and associate professor of systematic theology

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“You hold in your hands a smorgasbord of theological delights. Daily Doctrine is at once a daily devotional, a mini systematic theology, and a reference tool. It is deep but delightful, profound but practical, comprehensive but concise, and accurate but accessible. May the Lord use this manual to raise up more systematic theologians in our pews!”

Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor and Professor of Homiletics and Systematic Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; Pastor, Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

“A few years after I broke my neck, I wanted to know everything about God. That prompted someone to give me a thick theology textbook, which I read but had a hard time grasping. Oh, if only this fine book had been around back then! Kevin DeYoung has packaged the fundamentals of our faith in a work that is thorough, uncomplicated, and a lot lighter than your average theology book. In all my suffering, the bedrock of great doctrine has always been a comfort, and it is why I heartily recommend this one-of-a-kind work!”

Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

“In a fragmented age, connecting the dots—between the biblical text and Christian doctrine, between different Christian doctrines, and between Christian doctrines and daily life—is imperative for all Christians, and yet many simply do not have time to read and digest the great classic tomes of systematic theology. This is where this book is so helpful. Using the time-honored genre of a daily devotional, Kevin DeYoung has produced a book that looks at the great doctrines that the Bible teaches. And in doing so, he enables us to grasp more fully the beauty and significance of Christian doctrine both for Bible reading and for how we live our lives.”

Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College; author, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

“What a great idea! Who wouldn’t want to work through the major issues in systematic theology under the faithful teaching of Kevin DeYoung and structured as Daily Doctrine? This book will be so helpful to Christians, day by day, doctrine by doctrine, truth after truth. I am so thankful for DeYoung as a great gift to Christ’s church. You will also be thankful for this book as a conduit for truth, doctrine, and spiritual health.”

R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Those who care about their spiritual health would do well to read Kevin DeYoung’s daily diet of doctrine. Theology at its best ministers understanding of God and the gospel, helping people of faith grow in their faith toward maturity in Christ. This is a one-of-a-kind systematic textbook, the daily doses of which are small yet potent vitamins for the heart and mind.”

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“God’s command to ‘remain steadfast’ and ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior’ comes with a warning: those who backslide fall prey to false teachers and heresies. But how does the layperson obey this command to grow in knowledge without seminary training? This book is the answer. Kevin DeYoung masterfully translates complex and necessary systematic theology into ‘daily doctrine.’ There is no more important time for lay Christians to be firmly rooted in systematic theology, and this accessible and trustworthy book will surely become a classic. I read Daily Doctrine devotionally and left each reading in awe of the majesty of God and the richness of the Reformed church’s teachings throughout the ages.”

Rosaria Butterfield, former Professor of English and Women’s Studies, Syracuse University; author, The Gospel Comes with a House Key and Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age

“I cannot remember the last time I kept turning the pages of a book with so much curiosity, eager to find out what difficult question the next chapter would answer. The beauty of this book is Kevin DeYoung’s ability to navigate the sophisticated scholastic distinctions that hold our theology together while making them sing with fervency for life in the church. This book is no mere manual but an adventure that charters that ancient course of classical Reformed theology. May this book kill doctrinal indifference wherever it lives and summon a new generation to revel in the deep things of God once more.”

Matthew Barrett, Professor of Christian Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Simply Trinity and None Greater

“Daily Doctrine is an extraordinary gift to anyone who yearns to grow significantly in the knowledge of God but will never enjoy the benefit of a seminary education. It brings the brilliance of a Kevin DeYoung systematic theology class to your favorite chair with a kindly blend of readability and rigor. An excellent companion with the daily reading of Scripture, this remarkably organized work will also be among the handiest of theology reference books long after it has been devoured cover to cover.”

Paul McNulty, President, Grove City College; former US Deputy Attorney General

“This book is about systematic, doctrinal theology. If those three words make your eyes glaze over, fear not, my friend. This isn’t Big Scary Theology for brainy people droning on and on with long-winded, obscure sentences. Quite the opposite, this is theology as it was meant to be. Not suffocating but lifegiving, not esoteric but doxological—ideal for believers wanting to deepen their knowledge of God in brisk installments. Here you’ll find daily encouragement to know and love God forever and ever. Highly recommended!”

Hans Madueme, Professor of Theological Studies, Covenant College

“What a great way of reflecting daily on the triune God! This daily devotional inspires as it educates.”

Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“Kevin DeYoung has been especially gifted by the Lord to translate complex ideas into simple truths. He has the mind of a scholar and the heart of a pastor, employing his academic gifts to serve the people of God with what Calvin called ‘lucid brevity.’ In this volume, DeYoung applies those gifts to the task of systematic theology, and the result is a clear, simple, and accessible articulation of Christian doctrine—helpful for busy pastors, overwhelmed seminary students, and interested laypeople alike. Even those of differing theological traditions will be well served by this faithful and spiritually enriching work.”

Michael Riccardi, Assistant Professor of Theology, The Master’s Seminary; author, To Save Sinners

“Your family and church will be strengthened and encouraged by reading and sharing these theologically enriching, spiritually uplifting, daily doses of Kevin DeYoung’s accessible summaries of the great truths of Scripture.”

Peter A. Lillback, President, Westminster Theological Seminary

Other Crossway Books by Kevin DeYoung

The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden (2015)

The Biggest Story ABC (2017)

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem (2013)

Don’t Call It a Comeback:The Old Faith for a New Day (2011)

Grace Defined and Defended: What a 400-Year-Old Confession Teaches Us about Sin, Salvation, and the Sovereignty of God (2019)

The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness (2012)

Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time (2023)

The Lord’s Prayer: Learning from Jesus on What, Why, and How to Pray (2022)

Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction (2021)

Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me (2014)

The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them (2018)

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? (2015)

What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission (coauthor; 2011)

Daily Doctrine

A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

Kevin DeYoung

Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

© 2024 by Kevin DeYoung

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates.

Portions of Day 52 are taken from “Discerning God’s Will for My Life” by Kevin DeYoung in the ESV Teen Study Bible, © 2023, pp. 2054–56. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Portions of Day 143 are taken from The Lord’s Prayer by Kevin DeYoung, © 2022, pp. 40 and 41. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Portions of Days 158, 159, 167, and 188 are taken from Grace Defined and Defended by Kevin DeYoung, © 2019, pp. 50, 56–57, 73–75, and 78–79. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Portions of Days 164 and 184 are taken from The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung, © 2012, pp. 88–91, and 94–96. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2024

Printed in China

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NWT are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition) © 2015, 2023, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-7285-2 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7288-3 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7286-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: DeYoung, Kevin, author.

Title: Daily doctrine : a one-year guide to systematic theology / Kevin DeYoung.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2024. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023056038 (print) | LCCN 2023056039 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433572852 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781433572869 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433572883 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Devotional calendars. | Theology, Practical. | Protestant churches—Doctrines.

Classification: LCC BV4811 .D49 2024 (print) | LCC BV4811 (ebook) | DDC 242/.2—dc23/eng/20240331

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023056038

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023056039

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2024-08-13 02:21:27 PM

To

David F. Wells

Who taught me systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

and who taught many of us—through his books and his example—about the importance of theology in the church and in our world

Contents

Introduction

Prolegomena: Preliminary Considerations and Doctrine of Scripture

Week 1

Day 1: Theology

Day 2: Systematic Theology

Day 3: Divisions of Theology

Day 4: Religion

Day 5: Science

Week 2

Day 6: Speculative or Practical?

Day 7: Ad Fontes

Day 8: Principia

Day 9: Faith and Reason

Day 10: Inner Testimony of the Holy Spirit

Week 3

Day 11: Fundamental Articles

Day 12: Knowing God

Day 13: Natural Law and Natural Theology

Day 14: General Revelation and Special Revelation

Day 15: Inspiration

Week 4

Day 16: Concursive Operation

Day 17: Perfections of Scripture

Day 18: Inerrancy

Day 19: The Question of Canon

Day 20: Which Books Belong in the Bible?

Theology Proper: The Being of God and the Works of God

Week 5

Day 21: The Existence of God

Day 22: The Knowability of God

Day 23: Words for God

Day 24: The Unity of God

Day 25: The Spirituality of God

Week 6

Day 26: The Names of God

Day 27: The Attributes of God

Day 28: Incommunicable and Communicable Attributes

Day 29: Substance and Accidents

Day 30: Christian Theology and Greco-Roman Philosophy

Week 7

Day 31: The Simplicity of God

Day 32: Aseity

Day 33: Divine Infinity

Day 34: Immutability

Day 35: Impassibility

Week 8

Day 36: Theopaschitism and Patripassianism

Day 37: Attributes of Intellect

Day 38: Attributes of Will

Day 39: Attributes of Power

Day 40: Transcendence and Immanence

Week 9

Day 41: God as Trinity

Day 42: The Bible and the Trinity

Day 43: Trinitarian Terms

Day 44: One and Three

Day 45: Eternal Generation

Week 10

Day 46: The Filioque Clause

Day 47: Perichoresis

Day 48: Taxis

Day 49: Inseparable Operations

Day 50: Our Triune God and the Christian Life

Week 11

Day 51: The Divine Decrees

Day 52: The Will of God

Day 53: Freedom of the Will

Day 54: God’s Permission

Day 55: Election and Reprobation

Week 12

Day 56: Is Predestination Fair?

Day 57: The Order of the Decrees

Day 58: Amyraldianism

Day 59: Middle Knowledge

Day 60: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

Week 13

Day 61: Our Creator God

Day 62: Creation Ex Nihilo

Day 63: Creation Days

Day 64: Historical Adam

Day 65: The End for Which God Created the World

Week 14

Day 66: Angels

Day 67: Demons

Day 68: Providence

Day 69: Miracles

Day 70: Prayer

Anthropology: Man as Created and Fallen

Week 15

Day 71: Created Being and Crowning Achievement

Day 72: Man as Body and Soul

Day 73: Where Do Our Souls Come From?

Day 74: Faculty Psychology

Day 75: Male and Female

Week 16

Day 76: Marriage

Day 77: Transgenderism

Day 78: Image of God

Day 79: What Does It Mean to Be Made in the Image of God?

Day 80: What Are the Implications of Being Made in the Image of God?

Week 17

Day 81: The Essence of Sin

Day 82: The Origin of Sin

Day 83: The Transmission of Sin

Day 84: Total Inability

Day 85: Human Nature in Its Fourfold State

Week 18

Day 86: Is Every Sin the Same in God’s Eyes?

Day 87: Sins Made More Heinous

Day 88: Concupiscence

Day 89: Temptation

Day 90: What Difference Does the Doctrine of Sin Make?

Covenant Theology: How God Relates to His Creatures

Week 19

Day 91: Centrality of Covenant

Day 92: Definition of Covenant

Day 93: Berith and Diatheke

Day 94: Worship as Covenant Renewal

Day 95: Covenant of Redemption

Week 20

Day 96: Covenant of Works

Day 97: Covenant of Grace

Day 98: The Noahic Covenant

Day 99: Abrahamic Covenant

Day 100: Mosaic Covenant

Week 21

Day 101: Republication

Day 102: Davidic Covenant

Day 103: New Covenant

Day 104: The Fathers Have Eaten Sour Grapes

Day 105: The Newness of the New Covenant

Week 22

Day 106: The Law and the Christian

Day 107: Threefold Division of the Law

Day 108: Dispensationalism

Day 109: Baptist Covenant Theology

Day 110: The Israel of God

Christology 1: The Person of Christ

Week 23

Day 111: Logos

Day 112: Virgin Birth

Day 113: Messianic Prophecies

Day 114: Names and Titles of Jesus

Day 115: Jesus’s Witness to Himself

Week 24

Day 116: Autotheos

Day 117: Deity of Christ

Day 118: Humanity of Christ

Day 119: Eternal Sonship

Day 120: Incarnation

Week 25

Day 121: Hypostatic Union

Day 122: Communicatio Idiomatum

Day 123: How Do the Two Natures Relate to Each Other?

Day 124: The Extra Calvinisticum

Day 125: Christological Heresies

Week 26

Day 126: Arianism

Day 127: Docetism

Day 128: Nestorianism

Day 129: Eutychianism

Day 130: Chalcedonian Definition

Week 27

Day 131: “Whatever Is Not Assumed Cannot Be Healed”

Day 132: Christ’s Divine Self-Consciousness

Day 133: Kenosis

Day 134: Spirit Christology

Day 135: Impeccability

Christology 2: The Work of Christ

Week 28

Day 136: Two States

Day 137: Incarnation and Suffering

Day 138: Cry of Dereliction

Day 139: Death and Burial

Day 140: Descent into Hell

Week 29

Day 141: Resurrection

Day 142: Ascension

Day 143: Session

Day 144: Return

Day 145: Prophet

Week 30

Day 146: Priest

Day 147: King

Day 148: Christ’s Kingdom

Day 149: Introducing the Atonement

Day 150: The Necessity of the Atonement

Week 31

Day 151: The Perfection of the Atonement

Day 152: Theories of the Atonement 1

Day 153: Theories of the Atonement 2

Day 154: Obedience and Conquest

Day 155: Reconciliation and Redemption

Week 32

Day 156: Sacrifice and Satisfaction

Day 157: Expiation and Propitiation

Day 158: Limited Atonement

Day 159: Dort and Definite Atonement

Day 160: Crushed for Our Iniquities

Soteriology: Salvation in Christ

Week 33

Day 161: Ordo Salutis

Day 162: The Work of the Holy Spirit 1

Day 163: The Work of the Holy Spirit 2

Day 164: Union with Christ

Day 165: General Calling

Week 34

Day 166: Effectual Calling

Day 167: Irresistible Grace

Day 168: Regeneration

Day 169: Monergism

Day 170: Conversion

Week 35

Day 171: Repentance

Day 172: Faith

Day 173: Acts of Faith

Day 174: Faith and Assurance

Day 175: Justification

Week 36

Day 176: Imputation

Day 177: Sola Fide

Day 178: Does James Contradict Paul?

Day 179: Should We Take a “New Perspective” on Paul?

Day 180: Time and Adjuncts

Week 37

Day 181: Adoption

Day 182: How Does Sanctification Differ from Justification?

Day 183: Three Uses of the Law

Day 184: Trusting and Trying

Day 185: Good Works and Salvation

Week 38

Day 186: Good Works and the Believer

Day 187: Good Works and Merit

Day 188: Perseverance

Day 189: Warning Passages

Day 190: Glorification

Ecclesiology: The Nature, Mission, and Ordering of the Church

Week 39

Day 191: Church

Day 192: Nature of the Church

Day 193: Unity

Day 194: Holiness

Day 195: Catholicity

Week 40

Day 196: Apostolicity

Day 197: Marks of the Church

Day 198: Preaching

Day 199: Members of the Church

Day 200: Church and State

Week 41

Day 201: Nature and Extent of Church Power

Day 202: Establishment Principle and Voluntary Principle

Day 203: Liberty of Conscience

Day 204: Regulative Principle

Day 205: Mission of the Church

Week 42

Day 206: Essential Reign and Mediatorial Reign

Day 207: Spirituality of the Church

Day 208: Creeds and Confessions

Day 209: Gifts of the Spirit

Day 210: Miraculous Gifts

Week 43

Day 211: Baptism in the Spirit

Day 212: Filled with the Spirit

Day 213: Calling

Day 214: Means of Grace

Day 215: Semper Reformanda

Week 44

Day 216: Sacraments

Day 217: How Many Sacraments?

Day 218: Baptism

Day 219: Recipients of Baptism

Day 220: Mode of Baptism

Week 45

Day 221: What Does Baptism Seal?

Day 222: Who Can Baptize?

Day 223: How Many Times Should I Be Baptized?

Day 224: The Lord’s Supper

Day 225: Real Presence

Week 46

Day 226: A Table or an Altar?

Day 227: Who Should Receive the Lord’s Supper?

Day 228: Church Membership

Day 229: Church Discipline

Day 230: Church Officers in the New Testament Church

Week 47

Day 231: The Work of Ministry

Day 232: How Many Offices in the Church?

Day 233: Elders

Day 234: Deacons

Day 235: Divine Appointment for Church Government

Week 48

Day 236: Who Governs the Church: The Pope?

Day 237: Who Governs the Church: The Bishops?

Day 238: Who Governs the Church: The Congregation?

Day 239: Who Governs the Church: The Elders?

Day 240: Decently and in Order

Eschatology: Last Things

Week 49

Day 241: Death and Hell

Day 242: Hell as Divine Punishment

Day 243: Universalism

Day 244: Annihilationism

Day 245: Inclusivism

Week 50

Day 246: Do Believers Go to Heaven When They Die?

Day 247: Intermediate State

Day 248: Judgment according to Works

Day 249: Heavenly Rewards

Day 250: What Will Heaven Be Like?

Week 51

Day 251: Partial Preterism

Day 252: The Great Tribulation

Day 253: 144,000

Day 254: 666

Day 255: All Israel Will Be Saved

Week 52

Day 256: Millennial Views

Day 257: When Does the Millennium Take Place?

Day 258: What Is Meant by Satan Being Bound for a Thousand Years?

Day 259: What Is Meant by the First Resurrection?

Day 260: The Glorious Appearing

Appendix: Background on Frequently Cited Sources

Works Cited

General Index

Scripture Index

Introduction

This is going to sound over the top but writing this book has been a dream come true.

I hesitate to share this personal anecdote, lest it sound like a humblebrag or just hopelessly nerdy, but here goes: ever since I was a freshman in college, I have wanted to write a systematic theology textbook. Granted, this is not a textbook per se, and it is certainly not as long or as learned or as sophisticated as the classic systematic works out there. It is also not as in-depth and intellectually conversant as the many fine doctrinal magnum opuses still being written. But for me, this is just the book I wanted to write (at least for now).

I believe my niche as a writer is translation—not from one language to another, but from one register to another. That is to say, I think I can best serve the church by reading the old, dead guys (and some living people too), digesting their technical arguments and terminology, taking the best of their insights, and then writing with clarity and concision for busy pastors, students, leaders, and laypeople.

In the spirit of John the Baptist, I confess and do not deny, but freely confess, that this is not a groundbreaking work of systematic theology. I do not press for any new doctrinal innovation or synthesis. I do not interact with the latest monographs and scholarly articles. I do not attempt to be comprehensive. And I make no attempt to survey all the theological options from the different traditions (e.g., Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Anabaptist, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, liberal).

I am a Presbyterian minister, and while I am confident this book can be helpful for all Christians, you will readily see that my understanding of theology has been shaped by the confessions and catechisms of the Reformed tradition and by Reformed theologians like John Calvin (1509–1564), Francis Turretin (1623–1687), Charles Hodge (1797–1878), James Bannerman (1807–1868), William G. T. Shedd (1820–1894), Herman Bavinck (1854–1921), and Louis Berkhof (1873–1957).

Most importantly, of course, I endeavor on every page to be biblical. A big part of systematic theology is learning the proper terms and debates and distinctions. I make no apology for teaching these things. But the overarching goal in all this learning is to understand what the Bible teaches, defend what the Bible teaches, and enjoy the God whom the Bible reveals.

Choose Your Own Adventure

There is an old comedy skit that came out before I was born about Shimmer, the amazing product that is both a floor wax and a dessert topping. I’ve thought of that comedy skit more than once while working on this project. Daily Doctrine is not just one thing; it’s at least three things.

1. You can read Daily Doctrine as a year-long devotional. Each day is around five hundred words and can be read first thing in the morning, at the dinner table, or just before bed as part of a daily routine. Instead of organizing the entries by months, I thought it would be more useful (and more doable) to include five entries for each week. Most of us, when attempting a yearlong discipline, need small breaks and catch-up days. Five entries per week instead of seven allows for that wiggle room. The days themselves will be numbered consecutively, totaling 260 (52 x 5), so you can read the daily devotionals taking breaks when you need them, or (as they are organized) you can read five entries per week each week of the year.

2. You can use Daily Doctrine as a reference tool. All the topics are listed in the contents page, so you can easily look up “original sin,” or “impeccability,” or “perichoresis” and get a five-hundred-word synopsis of the term or idea.

3. You can read Daily Doctrine straight through as a mini systematic theology. The topics are organized around the traditional systematic categories (often called loci). I’ve grouped the chapters under eight loci: prolegomena, theology proper, anthropology, covenant theology, Christology (in two parts), soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. If it suits you better, feel free to ignore the weekly rhythms and move through the material as if it were a Tiny Turretin or a Baby Berkhof.

The pessimist could argue that this book is too many things—too deep to be a devotional, too small to be a reference work, and too streamlined to be a systematic theology. “Just pick a lane, DeYoung!” I hear you. But the optimist in me thinks the book can be stronger by being more than one thing at the same time. It’s a floor wax and a dessert topping!

Bits and Bobs

Two quick notes about sources and citations and then some gratitude.

Sources. Because economy of words is critical in a book like this, I will refer to theologians without giving any biographical comment. If the names are unfamiliar to you, that’s fine. You can consult the appendix where I give a few sentences about the people and resources I cite most often.

Citations. I reference Bible verses (e.g., John 3:16) and confessional documents (e.g., WCF 1.1) in parentheses in the text. The footnotes are organized by day for handy reference. Shortened citations are used throughout. You’ll find full bibliographic information in the Works Cited section beginning on page 379.

It’s been great working with my friend Justin Taylor and with all the talented men and women at Crossway. Thank you for taking a risk on a daily devotional loaded with Latin words and scholastic disputations.

This book would not be possible without the support, encouragement, and time provided by Christ Covenant Church. It’s a blessing to serve such a theologically minded congregation.

Along with my full-time job as senior pastor, I also have the privilege of teaching systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. Not surprisingly, much of this content began as course lectures at RTS. I’m grateful to my students and my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to teach and for refining my articulation of Reformed theology. In particular, I owe an immense debt to several of my colleagues in the systematic theology department (across the RTS system) who read portions of the book and provided extremely valuable feedback. Their comments improved the book in dozens of ways.

I am thankful for Barry Peterson’s and Andrew Wolgemuth’s support as well.

Most of all, I’m grateful for the love and grace from my children—Ian, Jacob, Elsie, Paul, Mary, Benjamin, Tabitha, Andrew, and Susannah—and, especially from my wife, Trisha.

The only one to whom I owe more than my wife is God himself. What a joy it has been to think deeply about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit during the years it took to complete this project. It’s been a long road, but a good one.

Prolegomena

Preliminary Considerations and Doctrine of Scripture

Week 1

Day 1

Theology

The aim of Christian theology is to know, enjoy, and walk in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The word theology comes from two Greek words: theos meaning “God” and logos meaning “word,” “speech,” or “statement.” Most simply then, theology is the study of God.

But surely we need to say more than that about theology. The problem with a basic etymological definition is that it makes God sound like another object we analyze and dissect, when theology for the Christian must always aim at more than bare facts and observations. That’s why William Perkins defined theology as “the science of living blessedly forever,”1 and Petrus van Mastricht called theology “the doctrine of living unto God through Christ.”2

The goal of theology must never be reduced to merely getting right ideas into our head. The reason we care about theology, the reason we write about theology, the reason you are reading a book about theology is so we can know God more deeply, enjoy him more fully, and walk with him more obediently. We do the hard work of careful, precise, intellectually demanding theology that we might see and savor the glory of God in the face of Christ.

How then should we undertake the task of theological study? In four ways.

Biblically. We must test every theological conviction and conclusion against the Bible. While church tradition is important and human experience cannot be ignored, theology is ultimately not an exercise in explaining what the church has taught or what we feel in our consciousness. We must always search the Scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).

Rationally. Reason is not the foundation of faith, but it is the instrument of faith. For two years, Paul reasoned daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9). He reasoned with Felix and Drusilla (Acts 24:24). And he pleaded with Festus, “I am speaking true and rational words” (Acts 26:25). The truth of the Bible may be beyond reason’s comprehension, but it is never nonsensical and irrational.

Humbly. We approach the task of theology utterly dependent upon God and eager to learn from those who have gone before us. Mindful of our finitude and our fallenness, our posture is not proud and puffed up, but prayerful and grateful. There is no room for big heads when learning about such a big God.

Doxologically. We learn that we might love. We grow as we behold glory. We dig deeper in doctrine that we might soar higher in worship. God is not just the object of our study. He is the one who reveals all there is to know about himself and the one in himself who is worthy of all our devotion.

1  Perkins, A Golden Chain, 14.

2  Van Mastricht, Theoretical-Practical Theology, 98.

Day 2

Systematic Theology

In doing systematic theology, we are trying to answer the question, “What does the whole Bible say about this?” The “this” could be angels, sin, faith, works, law, grace, the death of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, or a hundred other things.

Many prefer the title Dogmatics to Systematic Theology. While dogmatics may sound pretentious and stuffy, it is in some ways a richer term. Dogma refers to an accepted doctrine of the church—the mature fruit of the church’s reflection on Scripture—while systematic speaks to the way in which doctrine is studied. Both terms have their place, and Christians often use the terms interchangeably.

Systematic theology is a specific type of theology, having its own method and structure. If historical theology looks at how doctrine has developed over the centuries, and natural theology examines what can be known about God by reason and observation, and biblical theology traces big themes across the redemptive storyline of Scripture, systematic theology organizes doctrine logically around topics and questions. These topics are sometimes called loci (Latin for “places,” the plural of locus). Systematic theology as we know it is only a few hundred years old, but many trace the discipline back to Origen’s Peri Archon (c. 220). Philip Melancthon’s Loci Communes (1521)—which organized biblical teaching around common topics—is often considered the beginning of the Protestant tradition of systematic theology.

There are many ways to organize systematic theology. Some use a key theme, be it love, or covenant, or Christ, or lordship, or the Trinity. None of these approaches is wrong. Traditionally, however, systematic theology has been comprised of seven main topics: prolegomena (literally “first words,” where ground rules and the doctrine of Scripture are usually covered); theology proper (covering the doctrine of God, the Trinity, the decrees, creation, and providence); anthropology (the doctrine of man’s creation and fall); Christology (the person and work of Christ);soteriology (how we are saved and how saved people live by the Spirit); ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church); and eschatology (the doctrine of last things, both personally and cosmically). Others make pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit) a separate category. I’ve included covenant as a separate category for ease of reference, but it often forms the last part of anthropology.

Systematic theology is not the only way Christians can learn about God’s word, but it is one invaluable way. It builds on the insights of church history and seeks to defend the historic doctrines of the church. Systematic theology helps us put together the whole counsel of God. Even more importantly, it helps us see more of God. Our goal must never be the bare minimum amount of knowledge necessary to get us into heaven. We want to move from platitudes to particulars, from generalities to technical terms and concepts, from seeing the hills of God’s glory to seeing the mountains of God’s glory. That’s why we study, why we learn, and why we need systematic theology.

Day 3

Divisions of Theology

Most of us think of theology as basically one thing: the study of God. But Reformed theologians have long understood theology to be comprised of various divisions and distinctions. The most influential approach comes to us from Franciscus Junius (1545–1602). His Treatise on True Theology (1594) established many of the categories, and set in place the basic outline, that later systematicians would use in defining and delineating the nature of theology. Junius’s scheme is too complicated to examine in exhaustive detail, but the main divisions he employs are relatively straightforward and (once we get used to the vocabulary) extremely useful.

According to Junius, theology can be categorized as true or false. Technically, false theology is not really theology at all since it is based on human opinion alone. But insofar as we call it “theology,” false theology can either be common, which is not disciplined by reason, or philosophical, which is aided by reason. Philosophical theology flourished among the Greeks and Romans in the time before Christ.

Not surprisingly, Junius spends most of his time discussing true theology. Using a distinction that would be foundational for the entire Reformed tradition, Junius taught that true theology is either archetypal or ectypal. Archetypal refers to God’s knowledge of himself. This is the theology only available to God. Ectypal theology, on the other hand, is that knowledge fashioned by God from the archetype of himself and then communicated by grace to his creatures. This is a key point: only God makes true theology possible.

Ectypal theology can be communicated in three ways: by union, by vision, or by revelation. The first is the theology of Christ as the God-man. The second is the theology of spiritual beings and glorified saints in heaven. The third is the theology of human beings on earth. This last category is what we might call “our theology.” It is the theology of pilgrims.

Continuing with his careful distinctions, Junius explains that God communicates this revealed theology in two ways: by nature and by grace. God is the author of both natural theology and supernatural theology. Natural theology is a type of true theology and a species of divine revelation. The knowledge from natural theology can be either innate (known internally by the book of conscience) or acquired (observed externally in the book of creatures). We can know true things about the Creator and his creation from natural theology.

But natural theology, especially on this side of the fall, is imperfect, uncertain, and unable to save. We need supernatural theology and the saving grace that comes only through the perfect revelation found in God’s word.

Theology is not just one thing. There is true theology and false; the theology that only God knows and the theology he gives to us; the theology he reveals in Christ, in heaven, and on earth; the imperfect theology made known in us and around us and the infallible theology made known by the miracle of our speaking God. It is this last type of theology that we (mainly) study in systematic theology, and it is the only kind of theology that can save wayward sinners.

Day 4

Religion

The etymology of the word religion is unclear. Over the years, many have agreed with Cicero (106–43 BC), who derived religio from relegere, a Latin word meaning “to gather together” or “to reread.” On this account, religion is the diligent study of the things pertaining to God. Others have preferred the explanation given by the church father Lactantius (c. 250–325), which Augustine (354–430) adopted, that religio comes from religare, meaning “to fasten” or “to bind.” With this etymology, religion is the binding or reattachment of man to God.

In contemporary parlance religion is often construed in entirely derogatory terms. Even by Christians, religion is supposed to be the opposite of a relationship with God. Or religion is about trying to earn God’s favor. Or religion is about a stultifying system of rituals, dogmas, and structures. The problem with this disparaging understanding of religion is threefold.

1. This is a relatively new way for Christians to speak. John Calvin wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Jonathan Edwards wrote on Religious Affections. Pastors and theologians, especially in the age of awakenings, often wrote about “religion” or “true religion” or “real religion.” Our forefathers were well aware of religious hypocrisy and false religious systems, but they did not equate religion with works righteousness.

2. The word religion occurs five times in the Bible (ESV) and is, by itself, a neutral word, translating either deisidaimonia (reverence for the gods) or threskeia (religious worship). Religion can refer to Judaism (Acts 26:5) or the Jewish-Christian faith (Acts 25:19). Religion can be bad when it is self-made (Col. 2:23) or fails to tame the tongue (James 1:26). But religion can also be good when it cares for widows and orphans and practices moral purity (James 1:27). There is no biblical ground for making the practice of religion a uniformly negative phenomenon.

3. In castigating religion, we may be unloading more baggage than we realize. People tend to equate commands, doctrines, structures, and rituals with religion. That’s why people want to be “spiritual but not religious.” And yet Christianity is a religion that believes in commands, doctrines, structures, and rituals. As a Jew, so did Jesus. Jesus did not hate religion. On the contrary, Jesus went to services at the synagogue and operated within the Jewish system of ritual purity (Mark 1:21, 40–45). He founded the church (Matt. 16:18) and established church discipline (Matt. 18:15–20). He instituted a ritual meal and called for its perpetual observance (Matt. 26:26–28). He told his disciples to baptize people and teach them to obey everything he commanded (Matt. 28:19–20). He insisted that people believe in him and believe certain things about him (John 3:16–18; 8:24).

It’s true: for some people religion means ritual instead of relationship and earning favor instead of receiving grace. But that’s not what the word has to mean or has normally meant. In today’s usage, being against “religion” usually means someone is against much that is important to Christian discipleship. We can easily give people the wrong impression about Jesus and affirm unbiblical instincts about true spirituality when we quickly dismiss religion as antithetical to the gospel and at odds with God-honoring piety.

Day 5

Science

In some circles, Charles Hodge is most famous for this (supposedly) cringeworthy statement:

The Bible is to the theologian what nature is to the man of science. It is his store-house of facts; and his method of ascertaining what the Bible teaches, is the same as that which the natural philosopher adopts to ascertain what nature teaches.1

Critics caricature Hodge as a naïve rationalist who approached his Bible as if he were on a treasure hunt for wooden and timeless principles. Those Christians who stand in the tradition of Hodge, it is said, treat the Bible like a dead insect to be examined or a cold collection of lifeless propositions.

But is that what Hodge really believed? For Hodge, theology was like a scientific discipline because in theological reflection the Christian must arrange the facts of Scripture in their proper order and relation.2 Hodge never thought of systematic theology as the recitation of barren propositions. But he likened theology to science because he believed the work of the systematician was to show how all the parts of the Bible relate to each other with logical consistency and harmony.

The question of whether theology is a science did not start with Hodge. Medieval theologians, employing traditional categories from Aristotle, talked about five types of intellectual dispositions: intelligentia (understanding), scientia (science), sapientia (wisdom), prudentia (discretion), and ars (technique).3 Protestant scholastics agreed that theology was not intelligentia, which dealt with principles but not conclusions; was not prudentia, which was unconcerned with things to be believed; and was not ars, which was directed toward practical results but not to virtuous action. Some Reformed theologians like Francis Turretin and John Owen rejected the label “science,” arguing that scientia—meaning a type of knowledge more than a distinct academic discipline—involved only self-evident principles to the exclusion of revealed principles. Other Reformed theologians, like William Perkins, had no problem calling theology a science.

By the time we get to the end of the nineteenth century, on the other side of Darwin, Reformed theologians were more uniform in their acceptance of theology as a science, and Bavinck is typical in asserting that dogmatics can rightly claim to be a science because it deals with true and trustworthy knowledge of God.4 Likewise, Shedd maintains, “Theology, then, as a science of God aims to obtain a knowledge of him free from contradictions and is as profound as is possible, considering the nature of the subject and the limitations of the human mind.”5 Theology is a science insofar as it deals with true knowledge, entails inductive analysis, and seeks to gather biblical facts and conclusions into a unified whole.

1  Hodge, Systematic Theology, 1:10.

2  Hodge, Systematic Theology, 1:19.

3  Muller, Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, 1:324–40.

4  Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 1:42–43.

5  Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 56.

Week 2

Day 6

Speculative or Practical?

The question is an old one but surprisingly relevant: Is theology chiefly speculative or practical?

From our vantage point, the answer seems obvious. Surely theology must be practical. It must result in faith and obedience. It must bear fruit. The great danger, we are apt to think, is that too much of our theological discourse has become hopelessly theoretical and needlessly esoteric, good for nothing but puffing up small-hearted people with big brains.

And yet the question is not as simple as it sounds. Thomas Aquinas argued that sacred doctrine is more of a speculative science because practical science is concerned with human operations, while Christian theology is chiefly concerned with God. The goal of theology, he maintained, is “the perfect knowledge of God, in which consists eternal bliss.”1 I appreciate Aquinas’s emphasis on the knowledge of God for its own sake, but we can still say with Francis Turretin that true theology is “mixed,” partly theoretical and partly practical.2

We can understand the practical side of the equation. The mysteries of the faith “are impulsive to operation.” That is, they are meant to incite us to love and worship. “A practical system is that which does not consist in the knowledge of a thing alone, but in its very nature and by itself goes forth into practice and has operation for its object.” Right doctrine counts for nothing if it does not sink into our hearts and find expression in our lives. We want a knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (Titus 1:1).

But theology is also theoretical. This is not a pejorative term for Turretin. Rather, “a theoretical system is that which is occupied in contemplation alone and has no other object than knowledge.” Here Turretin is affirming that we have something to learn from the Thomist emphasis on the beatific vision (i.e., beholding God face-to-face). Knowing the truth and reveling in the truth are worthwhile in themselves (Jer. 31:34; John 17:13). A sermon without any application can still be a life-changing sermon if it causes us to see the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Turretin feared that heretical groups in his day were keen to make theology exclusively practical so as to minimize the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation and to pave the way for a universalist religion of good deeds. By contrast, Turretin insisted that knowing what is right and doing what is right must never be separated. The Christian faith unites theory and practice. Theology is theoretical insofar as it points us to God as the chief end in all our knowing and delighting, but we also insist that this beholding should result in us becoming more like Christ.

1  Aquinas, Summa Theologica, 1.1.4.

2  Turretin, Elenctic Theology, 1:20–23. These pages include all the Turretin quotations in this week.

Day 7

Ad Fontes

Ad fontes is a Latin phrase meaning “to the sources,” or literally “to the fountains.” It comes from the Vulgate version of Psalm 42:1. The Vulgate was the Latin Bible used almost exclusively in the church for a thousand years, until men like William Tyndale and Martin Luther began to translate the Bible in the common language of the people. During the Reformation this little phrase, ad fontes, became a rallying cry for those who wanted Christian learning to go back to the sources, back to the original fountains, which meant back to the Greeks and the ancient writers and ultimately back to the Scriptures themselves.

This impulse came from the humanist movement that grew out of the Renaissance in Italy in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This form of humanism—as opposed to today’s secular humanism—was a reaction against the scholasticism that was dominant in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Scholasticism and humanism were diverse and overlapped in some ways. But in broad terms, the two movements differed in their approach to education and in what they saw as the goals of education.

The scholastics approached their subject by comparing the views of past authorities. The task was to sift through the tradition and learn to harmonize divergent viewpoints. The result was often dense intellectual inquiry and speculation. It was a method of education suited for professional lawyers, doctors, and theologians. The humanists, by contrast, wanted to be practical, edifying, and useful. They had little patience for speculation. They read classical authors in the original languages and urged the study of ancient authors, not just commentaries on those authors.

Humanism was not a set of philosophical beliefs, but a set of intellectual interests, specifically about the value of classical antiquity. It gets this name partly because of a renewed emphasis on the human person, but mostly because of its insistence on studying the humanities, which was the general term for the study of history, grammar, rhetoric, poetry, and moral philosophy. In each of these subjects the humanists wanted to revive the legacy of classical antiquity, skip over the scholastic commentaries, and go back to the original fountains (ad fontes).

The humanist movement was not without its weaknesses. At its worst, leading humanists were concerned about what was helpful over what was true and could give priority to good living and civic usefulness over doctrinal defense. And yet humanism laid the groundwork for some of the most important advances of the Reformation. Influenced by humanists like Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466–1536) and Jacques Lefèvre d’Etaples (1455–1536), the Reformers emphasized close attention to texts (the older the better), prioritized education for the laity, and sought a practical combination of head and heart. Humanist-inspired Reformers like John Calvin devoted their lives to the text of Scripture and cultivated an educational and ecclesiastical environment where such word-centered devotion would flourish for centuries to come.

Day 8

Principia

In philosophy, a principium is a fundamental or foundational principle. The plural principia has often been used to describe truths that are self-evident and from which other truths can be known or derived. The corresponding Greek term arche, when used philosophically, refers to the same thing—a first principle or a primary source.1

We can distinguish between two kinds of principia. First, there are principles of being (principia essendi). These principles form the ground or basis by which something is. Second, there are principles of knowledge (principia cognoscendi). These are the principles by which something is known. The first type of principia has to do with essence (how things exist), and the second has to do with cognition (how we understand the things that exist). The principles of knowledge can be further divided into the principium cognoscendi externum (the external source of knowledge outside ourselves) and the principium cognoscendi internum (the way in which knowledge is internally apprehended).

According to the Reformed scholastic tradition, these three categories—essendi, externum, internum—help us understand how to approach every kind of science.

For nontheological sciences, the principium essendi is God. He is the ultimate source and fountain of all our knowledge. He is also the reason for the existence of the created world. Everything that is, is because God is. The principium cognoscendi externum in the nontheological sciences is God’s creation (whether in nature or in man). The principium cognoscendi internum is human reason. That is to say, we apprehend the knowledge available to us in God’s creation by the intellectual activity of the human mind.

In theology, God is once again the principium essendi. All our knowledge of God is rooted in God himself. Only God knows God fully. Everything we know about God is because the one with archetypal knowledge has chosen to make himself known in ectypal fashion.

For the task of theology, special revelation is our principium cognoscendi externum. Our authoritative textbook is not the world, our thoughts, or our experiences, but the Bible. Whatever we know by general revelation must be clarified, confirmed, or critiqued by the clearer knowledge we gain through special revelation. Natural theology is a species of true theology, but special revelation is required to interpret it fully and adequately employ it.

Finally, when it comes to theology, faith is the principium cognoscendi internum. By faith we accept God’s revelation as true, we embrace it as having authority in every area on which it speaks, and we respond in obedience and worship. We receive God’s word about himself not by empirical observation, or speculative reason, or by personal experience or religious consciousness. Faith is the organ by which God’s special revelation can, and must, be received. We know God because God chooses to be known, and what he has chosen to be known must be believed in order to be truly understood.

1  My discussion of principia summarizes many of the definitions and categories found in Berkhof, Introductory Volume, 93–186. Berkhof’s exploration is a distillation of Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 207–621.

Day 9

Faith and Reason

Over the years, many people—both friends and foes of Christianity—have talked about faith and reason as if the two were mutually exclusive opposites in perpetual war with one another. And yet the best theologians of the church have always insisted that faith and reason, though operative in Christianity in different ways, are ultimately not in conflict. This is not a modern idea or an Enlightenment conviction. Rather, it has been the witness of the historic Christian tradition that when used properly, reason is a support, and not a threat, to genuine faith.

Here, then, are six propositions about faith and reason. All quotations below come from Francis Turretin, who modeled as well as any Reformed theologian a rational faith that never gave way to rationalism.

1. Human reason is not the rule by which the doctrines of Christianity are to be judged. “The proper rule of things to be believed and disbelieved is not the apprehension of their possibility or impossibility, but the word of God.”1

2. Reason does not have a principal office in matters of faith, but an instrumental one. Reason does not tell us whether something is to be believed, but it is the instrument we use in understanding and explaining what ought to be believed.

3. Because reason is properly used in an instrumental sense, we are right to draw necessary consequences from the teaching of Scripture. Jesus and the apostles did this all the time (e.g., when Christ proved against the Sadducees the resurrection because God is the God of the living and not the dead). Likewise, the judgment of noncontradiction can be properly brought to bear on matters of Christian faith.

4. Reason does not carry a primary force in religious debate, but it can be used in a secondary or auxiliary sense. Christian truths are received in faith, but not a blind faith. Our beliefs are supported and defended by reason.

5. “Reason is perfected by faith and faith supposes reason, upon which to found the mysteries of faith.”2 This is another way of saying that we do not build Christianity upon reason, but we cannot comprehend the faith or explain it without using reason. We must distinguish between an incomprehensible thing (which cannot be grasped) and an impossible thing (which cannot be conceived). “Although every truth cannot be demonstrated by reason . . . yet no lie against the truth can be sheltered under the protection of true reason.”3

6. Philosophical reasoning can be used in theology. Although false dogmas from philosophy can creep in, and philosophy runs the risk of introducing esoteric and unnecessary terms, philosophy (properly conceived) can be a valuable handmaiden to theology in providing categories of thought, in convicting the unbeliever of inconsistency, and in preparing the mind for the greater truths of faith.

1  Turretin, Elenctic Theology, 1:28.

2  Turretin, Elenctic Theology, 1:30.

3  Turretin, Elenctic Theology, 1:44.

Day 10

Inner Testimony of the Holy Spirit

Why should we accept the authority of the Bible? Do we start with a blank slate and reason our way into accepting the Scriptures? Should we base the Bible’s trustworthiness on historical proofs? Do we rely on archaeological evidence and textual consistency? In short, what is the surest and best reason for believing and obeying the word of God?

While historical evidence and rational deduction have their place, the final authority for the word of God must always be God himself. We accept the authority of the Bible because through the Bible God speaks to us. Our confidence in the Scriptures is that in them we hear the very voice of God. As Calvin put it, those “who strive to build up firm faith in Scripture through disputation are doing things backward.” We have a better foundation for our faith than human proofs and arguments. “The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason,” Calvin observed. “For as God alone is a fit witness of himself in his Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men’s hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit, therefore, who has spoken through the mouths of the prophets must penetrate into our hearts to persuade us that they faithfully proclaim what had been divinely commanded.”1 This doctrine of the testimonium spiritus sancti is critical if we are to believe the Bible on its own terms and for its own sake.

At the same time, we must be clear what the doctrine is not teaching. By insisting upon the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, we are not suggesting that there are no other reasons for trusting the Bible. We should talk about the many historical, archaeological, and textual reasons for confidence in the Scriptures. The testimonium spiritus sancti is the most convincing and most important reason for believing the Bible, but not the only one.

Moreover, we should not confuse this doctrine with new revelation or an argument from experience. The Spirit speaking to our hearts is not motivation for faith but the efficient cause of faith, not a feeling upon which our faith rests but the sight whereby our faith sees. As Berkhof puts it, “We believe Scripture, not because of, but through the testimony of the Holy Spirit.”2

We must be careful to place our faith in Christ, not in our experience of Christ. Likewise, we must understand that the testimony of the Spirit in our hearts is the means by which we believe, not the grounds for believing. God must shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). The testimonium spiritus sancti is the work of the Spirit in the heart of the believer granting us eyes to see the infallible truth of the divine word, ears to hear what God has to say, and lips to taste that the Lord is good.

1  Calvin, Institutes, 1.7.4.

2  Berkhof, Introductory Volume, 185.

Week 3

Day 11

Fundamental Articles

“In essentials, unity. In nonessentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”

Sounds great, but which are which?

Some Christians have a list of essentials that reads like a three-volume systematic theology. Other Christians can list their core doctrines on the backside of a business card. Some Christians never met a hill worth dying on. Other Christians charge every grassy knoll with bayonets fixed, ready to kill or be killed. Determining the fundamental articles of the faith is not easy.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to sort out primary, secondary, and tertiary doctrines. As Calvin reminds us, “not all the articles of true doctrine are of the same sort.” Some allow for differences of opinion, while “some are so necessary to know that they should be certain and unquestioned by all men as the proper principles of religion.”1The question of fundamental articles became a major issue following the Reformation as Roman Catholics insisted that true Christians must agree on almost everything, Socinians insisted that Christians only needed a shared morality, and Reformed and Lutheran Christians tried to find a way to work together. The topic was a standard in theological textbooks during the period of Reformed and Lutheran orthodoxy.

While there is no simple and agreed-upon formula for making these determinations, we can make progress by making the right distinctions. Some doctrines are necessary for the existence of faith, others for the perfection of faith. Some errors are about the way we say things; others are about the beliefs themselves. Some truths must be known to be saved, while others must not be denied. Some doctrines are essential for entrance into heaven; others help us on the way to heaven. We are also helped to look at what the church has believed at all times and in all places. The Nicene Creed, for example, while not a sufficient statement of “mere Christianity” (whereas it developed in response to specific controversies), is at least a starting point. A doctrinal floor, not a ceiling.

Of course, when it comes to determining the fundamental articles, the most important place to look is in the Bible. The Pastoral Epistles are particularly helpful because in these three letters Paul deals explicitly with false teaching (1 Tim. 1:3; 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:8) and the need to guard the good deposit of faith (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:13, 14; Titus 1:9, 13).

And what did this good deposit look like? The gospel message that Paul preached and expected all Christian to adhere to looked something like this: God is glorious; we are sinners; and Jesus Christ is our Savior and God. Jesus Christ is the Son of David and God in the flesh; he died and rose again; he ascended into heaven; he is coming again. Salvation is by sovereign grace, according to the converting power of the Holy Spirit, through faith, not according to works. Jesus Christ saves us from sin, saves us for eternal life, and saves us unto holiness. Notice that this summary touches on the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, the atonement, faith and repentance, justification, sanctification, and heaven and hell. The fundamental articles of the faith may say more than this, but they must not say less.

1  Calvin, Institutes, 4.1.12.

Day 12

Knowing God

The God of the Bible is, from start to finish, the God who makes himself known. Though not fully comprehensible by his creatures, God has given us the ability to know him truly and savingly.

But how? In what way does God make himself known? Before answering that question positively, let’s approach things negatively. Broadly speaking, there are two means by which Christians have wrongly sought to know God.

The first wrong way is