Systematic Theology

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Augustus Hopkins Strong. Systematic Theology

Systematic Theology

Table of Contents

VOLUME 1

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I. Prolegomena

Chapter I. Idea Of Theology

I. Definition of Theology

II. Aim of Theology

III. Possibility of Theology

1. The existence of a God

2. Man's capacity for the knowledge of God

3. God's revelation of himself to man

IV. Necessity of Theology

V. Relation of Theology to Religion

1. Derivation

2. False Conceptions

3. Essential Idea

4. Inferences

Chapter II. Material of Theology

I. Sources of Theology

1. Scripture and Nature

2. Scripture and Rationalism

3. Scripture and Mysticism

4. Scripture and Romanism

II. Limitations of Theology

III. Relations of Material to Progress in Theology

Chapter III. Method Of Theology

I. Requisites to the study of Theology

II. Divisions of Theology

III. History of Systematic Theology

IV. Order of Treatment in Systematic Theology

V. Text-Books in Theology

Part II. The Existence Of God

Chapter I. Origin Of Our Idea Of God's Existence

I. First Truths in General

II. The Existence of God a first truth

1. Its universality

2. Its necessity

3. Its logical independence and priority

III. Other Supposed Sources of our Idea of God's Existence

IV. Contents of this Intuition

Chapter II. Corroborative Evidences Of God's Existence

I. The Cosmological Argument, or Argument from Change in Nature

II. The Teleological Argument, or Argument from Order and Useful Collocation in Nature

III. The Anthropological Argument, or Argument from Man's Mental and Moral Nature

IV. The Ontological Argument, or Argument from our Abstract and Necessary Ideas

Chapter III. Erroneous Explanations, And Conclusion

I. Materialism

II. Materialistic Idealism

III. Idealistic Pantheism

IV. Ethical Monism

Part III. The Scriptures A Revelation From God

Chapter I. Preliminary Considerations

I. Reasons a priori for expecting a Revelation from God

II. Marks of the Revelation man may expect

III. Miracles, as attesting a Divine Revelation

1. Definition of Miracle

2. Possibility of Miracle

3. Probability of Miracles

4. Amount of Testimony necessary to prove a Miracle

5. Evidential force of Miracles

6. Counterfeit Miracles

IV. Prophecy as Attesting a Divine Revelation

V. Principles of Historical Evidence applicable to the Proof of a Divine Revelation

1. As to documentary evidence

2. As to testimony in general

Chapter II. Positive Proofs That The Scriptures Are A Divine Revelation

I. Genuineness of the Christian Documents

1. Genuineness of the Books of the New Testament

1st. The Myth-theory of Strauss (1808–1874)

2nd. The Tendency-theory of Baur (1792–1860)

3d. The Romance-theory of Renan (1823–1892)

4th. The Development-theory of Harnack (born 1851)

2. Genuineness of the Books of the Old Testament

II. Credibility of the Writers of the Scriptures

III. The Supernatural Character of the Scripture Teaching

1. Scripture teaching in general

2. Moral System of the New Testament

3. The person and character of Christ

4. The testimony of Christ to himself—as being a messenger from God and as being one with God

IV. The Historical Results of the Propagation of Scripture Doctrine

Chapter III. Inspiration Of The Scriptures

I. Definition of Inspiration

II. Proof of Inspiration

III. Theories of Inspiration

1. The Intuition-theory

2. The Illumination Theory

3. The Dictation-theory

4. The Dynamical Theory

IV. The Union of the Divine and Human Elements in Inspiration

V. Objections to the Doctrine of Inspiration

1. Errors in matters of Science

2. Errors in matters of History

3. Errors in Morality

4. Errors of Reasoning

5. Errors in quoting or interpreting the Old Testament

6. Errors in Prophecy

7. Certain books unworthy of a place in inspired Scripture

8. Portions of the Scripture books written by others than the persons to whom they are ascribed

9. Sceptical or fictitious Narratives

10. Acknowledgment of the non-inspiration of Scripture teachers and their writings

Part IV. The Nature, Decrees, And Works Of God

Chapter I. The Attributes Of God

I. Definition of the term Attributes

II. Relation of the divine Attributes to the divine Essence

III. Methods of determining the divine Attributes

IV. Classification of the Attributes

V. Absolute or Immanent Attributes

First division.—Spirituality, and attributes therein involved

1. Life

2. Personality

Second Division.—Infinity, and attributes therein involved

1. Self-existence

2. Immutability

3. Unity

Third Division.—Perfection, and attributes therein involved

1. Truth

2. Love

3. Holiness

VI. Relative or Transitive Attributes

First Division.—Attributes having relation to Time and Space. 1. Eternity

2. Immensity

Second Division.—Attributes having relation to Creation. 1. Omnipresence

2. Omniscience

3. Omnipotence

Third Division.—Attributes having relation to Moral Beings. 1. Veracity and Faithfulness, or Transitive Truth

2. Mercy and Goodness, or Transitive Love

3. Justice and Righteousness, or Transitive Holiness

VII. Rank and Relations of the several Attributes

1. Holiness the fundamental attribute in God

2. The holiness of God the ground of moral obligation

Chapter II. Doctrine Of The Trinity

I. In Scriptures there are Three who are recognized as God

1. Proofs from the New Testament. A. The Father is recognized as God

B. Jesus Christ is recognized as God

C. The Holy Spirit is recognized as God

2. Intimations of the Old Testament

A. Passages which seem to teach plurality of some sort in the Godhead

B. Passages relating to the Angel of Jehovah

C. Descriptions of the divine Wisdom and Word

D. Descriptions of the Messiah

II. These Three are so described in Scripture that we are compelled to conceive of them as distinct Persons

1. The Father and the Son are persons distinct from each other

2. The Father and the Son are persons distinct from the Spirit

3. The Holy Spirit is a person

III. This Tripersonality of the Divine Nature is not merely economic and temporal, but is immanent and eternal

1. Scripture proof that these distinctions of personality are eternal

2. Errors refuted by the foregoing passages. A. The Sabellian

B. The Arian

IV. This Tripersonality is not Tritheism; for, while there are three Persons, there is but one Essence

V. The Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are equal

1. These titles belong to the Persons

2. Qualified sense of these titles

3. Generation and procession consistent with equality

VI. Inscrutable, yet not self-contradictory, this Doctrine furnishes the Key to all other Doctrines

1. The mode of this triune existence is inscrutable

2. The Doctrine of the Trinity is not self-contradictory

3. The doctrine of the Trinity has important relations to other doctrines

Chapter III. The Decrees Of God

I. Definition of Decrees

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Decrees

1. From Scripture

2. From Reason. A. From the Divine Foreknowledge

B. From the Divine Wisdom

C. From the Divine Immutability

D. From the Divine Benevolence

III. Objections to the Doctrine of Decrees

1. That they are inconsistent with the free agency of man

2. That they take away all motive for human exertion

3. That they make God the author of sin

IV. Concluding Remarks

1. Practical uses of the doctrine of decrees

2. True method of preaching the doctrine

VOLUME 2

Table of Contents

Part IV. The Nature, Decrees, And Works of God. (Continued)

Chapter IV. The Works Of God; Or The Execution Of The Decrees

Section I.—Creation

I. Definition Of Creation

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Creation

1. Direct Scripture Statements

2. Indirect evidence from Scripture

III. Theories which oppose Creation. 1. Dualism

2. Emanation

3. Creation from eternity

4. Spontaneous generation

IV. The Mosaic Account of Creation. 1. Its twofold nature—as uniting the ideas of creation and of development

2. Its proper interpretation

V. God's End in Creation

1. The testimony of Scripture

2. The testimony of reason

VI. Relation of the Doctrine of Creation to other Doctrines. 1. To the holiness and benevolence of God

2. To the wisdom and free-will of God

3. To Christ as the Revealer of God

4. To Providence and Redemption

5. To the Observance of the Sabbath

Section II.—Preservation

I. Definition of Preservation

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Preservation. 1. From Scripture

2. From Reason

III. Theories which virtually deny the doctrine of Preservation. 1. Deism

2. Continuous Creation

IV. Remarks upon the Divine Concurrence

Section III.—Providence

I. Definition of Providence

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Providence. 1. Scriptural Proof

2. Rational proof

III. Theories opposing the Doctrine of Providence. 1. Fatalism

2. Casualism

3. Theory of a merely general providence

IV. Relations of the Doctrine of Providence. 1. To miracles and works of grace

2. To prayer and its answer

3. To Christian activity

4. To the evil acts of free agents

Section IV.—Good And Evil Angels

I. Scripture Statements and Imitations. 1. As to the nature and attributes of angels

2. As to their number and organization

3. As to their moral character

4. As to their employments. A. The employments of good angels

B. The employments of evil angels

II. Objections to the Doctrine of Angels. 1. To the doctrine of angels in general

2. To the doctrine of evil angels in particular

III. Practical uses of the Doctrine of Angels. A. Uses of the doctrine of good angels

B. Uses of the doctrine of evil angels

Part V. Anthropology, Or The Doctrine Of Man

Chapter I. Preliminary

I. Man a Creation of God and a Child of God

II. Unity of the Human Race

1. The argument from history

2. The argument from language

3. The argument from psychology

4. The argument from physiology

III. Essential Elements of Human Nature

1. The Dichotomous Theory

2. The Trichotomous Theory

IV. Origin of the Soul

1. The Theory of Preëxistence

2. The Creatian Theory

3. The Traducian Theory

V. The Moral Nature of Man

1. Conscience

2. Will

Chapter II. The Original State Of Man

I. Essentials of Man's Original State

1. Natural likeness to God, or personality

2. Moral likeness to God, or holiness

A. The image of God as including only personality

B. The image of God as consisting simply in man's natural capacity for religion

II. Incidents of Man's Original State

1. Results of man's possession of the divine image

2. Concomitants of man's possession of the divine image

Chapter III. Sin, Or Man's State Of Apostasy

Section I.—The Law Of God

I. Law in General

II. The Law of God in Particular

III. Relation of the Law to the Grace of God

Section II.—Nature Of Sin

I. Definition of Sin

1. Proof

2. Inferences

II. The Essential Principle of Sin

1. Sin as Sensuousness

2. Sin as Finiteness

3. Sin as Selfishness

Section III.—Universality Of Sin

I. Every human being who has arrived at moral consciousness has committed acts, or cherished dispositions, contrary to the divine law

II. Every member of the human race, without exception, possesses a corrupted nature, which is a source of actual sin, and is itself sin

Section IV.—Origin Of Sin In The Personal Act Of Adam

I. The Scriptural Account of the Temptation and Fall in Genesis 3:1–7. 1. Its general, character not mythical or allegorical, but historical

2. The course of the temptation, and the resulting fall

II. Difficulties connected with the Fall considered as the personal Act of Adam. 1. How could a holy being fall?

2. How could God justly permit Satanic temptation?

3. How could a penalty so great be justly connected with disobedience to so slight a command?

III. Consequences of the Fall, so far as respects Adam. 1. Death

2. Positive and formal exclusion from God's presence

Section V.—Imputation Of Adam's Sin To His Posterity

I. Theories of Imputation. 1. The Pelagian Theory, or Theory of Man's natural Innocence

2. The Arminian Theory, or Theory of voluntarily appropriated Depravity

3. The New School Theory, or Theory of uncondemnable Vitiosity

4. The Federal Theory, or Theory of Condemnation by Covenant

5. Theory of Mediate Imputation, or Theory of Condemnation for Depravity

6. The Augustinian Theory, or Theory of Adam's Natural Headship

II.—Objections to the Augustinian Doctrine of Imputation

Section VI.—Consequences Of Sin To Adam's Posterity

I. Depravity

1. Depravity partial or total?

2. Ability or inability?

II. Guilt. 1. Nature of guilt

2. Degrees of guilt

III. Penalty. 1. Idea of penalty

2. The actual penalty of sin

Section VII.—The Salvation Of Infants

Part VI. Soteriology, Or The Doctrine Of Salvation Through The Work Of Christ And Of The Holy Spirit

Chapter I. Christology, Or The Redemption Wrought By Christ

Section I.—Historical Preparation For Redemption

I. Negative Preparation—in the history of the heathen world

II. Positive Preparation—in the history of Israel

Section II.—The Person Of Christ

I. Historical Survey of Views Respecting the Person of Christ

II. The two Natures of Christ—their Reality and Integrity. 1. The Humanity of Christ

2. The Deity of Christ

III. The Union of the two Natures in one Person

1. Proof of this Union

2. Modern misrepresentations of this Union

3. The real nature of this Union

Section III.—The Two States Of Christ

I. The State of Humiliation. 1. The nature of this humiliation

2. The stages of Christ's humiliation

II. The State of Exaltation. 1. The nature of this exaltation

2. The stages of Christ's exaltation

Section IV.—The Offices Of Christ

I. The Prophetic Office of Christ. 1. The nature of Christ's prophetic work

2. The stages of Christ's prophetic work

II. The Priestly Office of Christ

1. Christ's Sacrificial Work, or the Doctrine of the Atonement

A. Scripture Methods of Representing the Atonement

B. The Institution of Sacrifice, more especially as found in the Mosaic system

C. Theories of the Atonement

D. Objections to the Ethical Theory of the Atonement

E. The Extent of the Atonement

2. Christ's Intercessory Work

III. The Kingly Office of Christ

VOLUME 3

Table of Contents

Chapter II. The Reconciliation Of Man To God, Or The Application Of Redemption Through The Work Of The Holy Spirit

Section I.—The Application Of Christ's Redemption In Its Preparation

I. Election

1. Proof of the Doctrine of Election

2. Objections to the Doctrine of Election

II. Calling

A. Is God's general call sincere?

B. Is God's special call irresistible?

Section II.—The Application Of Christ's Redemption In Its Actual Beginning

I. Union with Christ

1. Scripture Representations of this Union

2. Nature of this Union

3. Consequences of this Union as respects the Believer

II. Regeneration

1. Scripture Representations

2. Necessity of Regeneration

3. The Efficient Cause of Regeneration

4. The Instrumentality used in Regeneration

5. The Nature of the Change wrought in Regeneration

III. Conversion

1. Repentance

2. Faith

IV. Justification. 1. Definition of Justification

2. Proof of the Doctrine of Justification

3. Elements of Justification

4. Relation of Justification to God's Law and Holiness

5. Relation of Justification to Union with Christ and the Work of the Spirit

6. Relation of Justification to Faith

7. Advice to Inquirers demanded by a Scriptural View of Justification

Section III.—The Application Of Christ's Redemption In Its Continuation

I. Sanctification. 1. Definition of Sanctification

2. Explanations and Scripture Proof

3. Erroneous Views refuted by these Scripture Passages

II. Perseverance

1. Proof of the Doctrine of Perseverance

2. Objections to the Doctrine of Perseverance

Part VII. Ecclesiology, Or The Doctrine Of The Church

Chapter I. The Constitution Of The Church. Or Church Polity

I. Definition of the Church

A. The church, like the family and the state, is an institution of divine appointment

B. The church, unlike the family and the state, is a voluntary society

II. Organization of the Church

1. The fact of organization

2. The nature of this organization

3. The genesis of this organization

III. Government of the Church

1. Nature of this government in general

A. Proof that the government of the church is democratic or congregational

B. Erroneous views as to church government refuted by the foregoing passages

2. Officers of the Church. A. The number of offices in the church is two:—first, the office of bishop, presbyter, or pastor; and, secondly, the office of deacon

B. The duties belonging to these offices

C. Ordination of officers (a) What is ordination?

(b) Who are to ordain?

3. Discipline of the Church

IV. Relation of Local Churches to one another

1. The general nature of this relation is that of fellowship between equals

2. This fellowship involves the duty of special consultation with regard to matters affecting the common interest

3. This fellowship may be broken by manifest departures from the faith or practice of the Scriptures, on the part of any church

Chapter II. The Ordinances Of The Church

I. Baptism

1. Baptism an Ordinance of Christ

2. The Mode of Baptism

A. The command to baptize is a command to immerse

B. No church has the right to modify or dispense with this command of Christ

3. The Symbolism of Baptism

A. Expansion of this statement as to the symbolism of baptism

B. Inferences from the passages referred to

4. The Subjects of Baptism

A. Proof that only persons giving evidence of being regenerated are proper subjects of baptism

B. Inferences from the fact that only persons giving evidence of being regenerate are proper subjects of baptism

C. Infant Baptism

(a) Infant baptism is without warrant, either express or implied, in the Scripture

(b) Infant baptism is expressly contradicted

(c) The rise of infant baptism in the history of the church

(d) The reasoning by which it is supported is unscriptural, unsound, and dangerous in its tendency

(e) The lack of agreement among pedobaptists

(f) The evil effects of infant baptism

II. The Lord's Supper

1. The Lord's Supper an ordinance instituted by Christ

2. The Mode of administering the Lord's Supper

3. The Symbolism of the Lord's Supper

A. Expansion of this statement

B. Inferences from this statement

4. Erroneous views of the Lord's Supper. A. The Romanist view

B. The Lutheran and High Church view

5. Prerequisites to Participation in the Lord's Supper. A. There are prerequisites

B. The prerequisites are those only which are expressly or implicitly laid down by Christ and his apostles

C. On examining the New Testament, we find that the prerequisites to participation in the Lord's Supper are four. First—Regeneration

Secondly—Baptism

Thirdly—Church membership

Fourthly—An orderly walk

D. The local church is the judge whether these prerequisites are fulfilled

E. Special objections to open communion

Part VIII. Eschatology, Or The Doctrine Of Final Things

I. Physical Death

1. Upon rational grounds

2. Upon scriptural grounds

II. The Intermediate State

1. Of the righteous

2. Of the wicked

III. The Second Coming of Christ

1. The nature of this coming

2. The time of Christ's coming

3. The precursors of Christ's coming

4. Relation of Christ's second coming to the millennium

IV. The Resurrection

1. The exegetical objection

2. The scientific object

V. The Last Judgment

1. The nature of the final judgment

2. The object of the final judgment

3. The Judge in the final judgment

4. The subjects of the final judgment

5. The grounds of the final judgment

VI. The Final States of the Righteous and of the Wicked

1. Of the righteous

(a) Is heaven a place, as well as a state?

(b) Is this earth to be the heaven of the saints?

2. Of the wicked

A. The future punishment of the wicked is not annihilation

B. Punishment after death excludes new probation and ultimate restoration of the wicked

C. Scripture declares this future punishment of the wicked to be eternal

D. This everlasting punishment of the wicked is not inconsistent with God's justice, but is rather a revelation of that justice

E. This everlasting punishment of the wicked is not inconsistent with God's benevolence

F. The proper preaching of the doctrine of everlasting punishment is not a hindrance to the success of the gospel

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Augustus Hopkins Strong

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We may illustrate the construction of theology from the dissected map, two pieces of which a father puts together, leaving his child to put together the rest. Or we may illustrate from the physical universe, which to the unthinking reveals little of its order. “Nature makes no fences.” One thing seems to glide into another. It is man's business to distinguish and classify and combine. Origen: “God gives us truth in single threads, which we must weave into a finished texture.” Andrew Fuller said of the doctrines of theology that “they are united together like chain-shot, so that, whichever one enters the heart, the others must certainly follow.” George Herbert: “Oh that I knew how all thy lights combine, And the configuration of their glory; Seeing not only how each verse doth shine, But all the constellations of the story!”

Scripture hints at the possibilities of combination, in Rom. 5:12–19, with its grouping of the facts of sin and salvation about the two persons, Adam and Christ; in Rom. 4:24, 25, with its linking of the resurrection of Christ and our justification; in 1 Cor. 3:6, with its indication of the relations between the Father and Christ; in 1 Tim. 3:16, with its poetical summary of the facts of redemption (see Commentaries of DeWette, Meyer, Fairbairn); in Heb. 6:1, 2, with its statement of the first principles of the Christian faith. God's furnishing of concrete facts in theology, which we ourselves are left to systematize, is in complete accordance with his method of procedure with regard to the development of other sciences. See Martineau, Essays, 1:29, 40; Am. Theol. Rev., 1859:101–126—art. on the Idea, Sources and Uses of Christian Theology.

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