Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THEOLOGICAL CREDOS
Introduction
The word “credo” comes from Latin and literal means, “I believe.” This is the
written form of my journey in discovering what I believe. As child who was raised in a
“Christian” home in the heart of the Bible-Belt, USA, I grew up relying on my parents
and church to teach me correct and sound doctrine. But as I began to mature both
physically and spiritually, merely inheriting beliefs wasn’t enough for me. I have spent
the last 8-10 years passionately exploring what the Word of God has to say about God
Himself and His interactions with creation and humanity throughout history. I have
bookshelves filled with books containing other’s thought, opinions, and interpretations.
and blasphemous some people can really be), the journey and recordings here are my
own. In my most sincere attempts at remaining true and faithful to the Scriptures in
understanding who God is and how He works. Doctrine is a central/critical idea about
God and the way He works; theology is the systematic formula in which we develop
these ideas.
For every doctrine written about here, there are libraries worth of material
devoted to one single topic. It would be impossible to say all that could or should be said
about each doctrine. Therefore, in this abridged version, I have limited each doctrine to
only 2 pages of material, which is much more difficult than one might think. My plan is
to release in the future an unabridged version, but needless to say, I’m still working on it.
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Perhaps one day, after I receive my PhD., I will publish it into my own systematic
theology textbook. Not saying anyone would want to read it or any seminary would use
it, just for my own satisfaction. But that is too many years away to even give it serious
This is only a partially completed version, hence, it being named Part 1. In the
future (very near I hope) I will be adding other doctrines as well, such as: Doctrine of the
Holy Spirit, Doctrine of Salvation, Doctrine of the Church (ecclesiology), Doctrine of the
End Times (eschatology), and more. But for now, this is what I have completed. After
sparked in your heart while reading theology. These are books that I have found
especially insightful, well written, and of proper and sound doctrine. As I continue to find
more and when I release both Part II and the unabridged version, there will be more
added to the list. Especially for the beginner theologian who is less apt at identifying false
teachings and easily swayed into new ideas and teachings, these are the books I would
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I. Doctrine of Revelation
A.- All knowledge of God must come from God
B.- General Revelation
1.- Nature
2.- Providence
3.- Humanity
C.- Specific Revelation
1.- Events
2.- Speech
3.- Incarnation
4.- Scriptures
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V. Doctrine of the Person of Christ
A.- Deity
1.- Power
2.- Pre-existence
3.- Oneness
4.- Authority
5.- Titles
B.- Humanity
1.- Life Stages
2.- Physical Limitations
3.- Human Emotions
4.- Limited Knowledge
C.- Compatibility
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Doctrine of Revelation
The history of humanity in its religious yearnings, theorizing, and seeking of the
knowledge and understanding of God, shows it is a task worthy of all of life’s devotions
and energy. The Scriptures attest to two facts of the knowledge of God: it is both
unattainable (Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:18) and attainable (John 14:7; 17:3; 1 John 5:20). In
these truths we know that God is infinite and man is finite, so complete knowledge of
God is unattainable, but through God’s initiation we can attain some knowledge about
Him and His activities. Because of humans’ separation from God in our finiteness and
His infiniteness all knowledge of God must not only be initiated by Him, but all
knowledge of God must come from Him, as which He is the only source. This knowledge
is referred to as the revelation of God to man, not only in the process, but in the product
as well. Hence, this knowledge can be written, recorded, passed on, and taught to others.
Historically, theologians have divided God’s revelation of Himself into two categories:
people, at all times, and in all places. It is general not only in its availability but also in its
message (less particular and detailed than that of specific revelation). There are three
primary avenues through which God has generally revealed himself: nature, providence,
and humanity. Scripture speaks to God’s revelation in nature in passages like Psalm 19
and Romans 1, that we can gain an understanding of the Creator through what He has
created. While God is not only evident in the result of the original creation, according to
passages like Acts 14:16-17, God’s providence is revealing Himself by the sustaining of
and the progression of creation. Through passages like Romans 2:11-16 and Genesis
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1:26-27, we know that God’s pinnacle of creation of humanity has served as an avenue
for general revelation of God’s in such detailed aspects as mental capacity, complex
physical structure, moral capacity, and spiritual propensity. General revelation serves to
reveal some of God’s attributes (power, supremacy, divine nature, goodness, providence,
intelligence, and living existence), give reason for belief in God, and to condemn
rejecters of God.
these revelations have been manifested in events: dreams (Gen. 20:3; 31:11-13; Joel
2:28), visions (Isa. 6:1; Joel 2:28), human history (Job 12:23; Pss. 47:7-8; 66:7; Isa. 10:5-
13; Dan. 2:21; Acts 17:26), and the casting of the lot (Prov. 16:33; Acts 1:21-26). God
has also revealed Himself through divine speech (2 Sam. 23:2; Zech. 1:1; Eph. 3:5).
According to Hebrews 1:1-3, the most complete and ultimate revelation was through the
incarnation of His son, Jesus Christ. Through the words (Matt. 16:17) and the actions
(John 2:11) of Christ, God revealed, fulfilled, and exemplified His attributes, character,
will, and purpose for all of creation and all of humanity. By God’s sovereignty and
through His direction these revelations have been recorded in the Bible and the Scriptures
speak to its own authority (Matt. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21), not only in it’s use,
but in being the very Word of God, therefore, making it an avenue of special revelation as
well. While general revelation was sufficient to reveal God’s existence, some of His
attributes and to condemn the rejecter, it was insufficient to reconcile humans to God.
Special revelation requires a response from the receiver and enables them to enter into a
Doctrine of God
Our understanding of God directly affects the way in which we live our lives as a
response to who He is and what He does. It is essential that our understanding of God be
correct in what He has revealed and avoid making lofty and mystical assumptions about
what He has not. While no systematic expressions could possibly define God, our best
essence, and God’s immanent acts, our understanding of God through what He does.
God’s nature, His essence apart from His acts, is categorized into: God’s tri-unity
and God’s attributes. Scripture clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deut. 6:4) and
that He alone is to be worshiped (Exod. 20:1-6). God or better clarified, God the Father,
is not contested in His deity, but the difficulties arise in an understanding of the role and
deity of God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). While Jesus’ deity
will be developed in more detail under the “The Person of Christ,” we will reference few
noteworthy passages on Christ’s place in the divine trinity: Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews
1:1-3, and John 1:1-5 all testify to Jesus as having the same nature of God and Jesus’ own
words about His role, authority, and power that could only be rightly ascribed to God
(Matt. 25:31; Mark 13:26-27; 14:62; John 14:7-11). In Acts 5:3-4, lying to the Holy
Spirit is equated to lying to God and in 1 Corinthians 3:16-20, God and Holy Spirit seem
to be interchangeable terms. A glance at the whole of Scripture reveals instances when all
three persons of the trinity are at work simultaneously: act of creation (Genesis 1:26),
reconciliation of His people (Isa. 63:7-10), Jesus baptism (Luke 3:21-22), and the
baptismal formula (Matt. 28:19). We believe in the trinity, not because it is logical or
straightforward, but because God has revealed that this is what He is like. As someone
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once said in regards to the Trinity, “Try to explain it, and you’ll lose your mind; But try
Attributes are permanent and intrinsic to who God is and cannot be intensified or
diminished. God is spirit, not being composed of matter and therefore free from physical
limitation (John 4:24). Jesus’ temporary incarnation is the only exception, but will be
more fully developed and explained under “The Person of Christ.” God is infinite, free
from the bounds of time or eternal (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 32:40), free from the bounds of space
omniscient (Pss. 139:1-6; Heb. 4:13; 1 John 3:20), and free from limitations of power or
omnipotent (Pss. 115:3; Matt. 19:29; Eph. 1:11). God is constant, free from change or
coercion (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). God is life, free from reliance on anything or anyone to
sustain existence (Jer. 10:10; John 5:26). In essence, God is holy, meaning He is separate
and free from creation and those characteristics that limit and control creation.
God’s acts, while a reflection of His nature, are those qualities of God that are
best understood through His relation to creation. While God is just, we only understand
this quality through Him acting justly (Deut. 7:10; Pss. 58:11). God acts personable, in
that He reveals Himself and in the form of revelation through anthropomorphisms and
names (Exod. 3:14; Pss. 16:11). God acts righteously, both in His involvement with and
requirements of creation (Pss. 19:7-9; Jer. 9:24). God acts graciously, not according to
what humans deserve but according to His purpose (Exod. 34:6; Eph. 1:5-8; 2:7-9). God
acts sovereignly, He not only created but continues to work in and through creation
(Prov. 16:9; Matt. 6:26-28; 10:29). God acts lovingly, showing compassion, mercy and
benevolence (Deut. 5:10; Pss. 86:5; 103:13; Matt. 3:17; John 15:13; 1 John 4:8-16).
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Doctrine of Humanity
The doctrine of humanity, when properly developed using biblical revelation and
remaining Theo-centric, is important for understanding our place in the created order, our
relationship to the Creator God, and for a correct understanding of other doctrines such
as: the incarnation, sin, atonement, the church, and eschatology. This doctrine is also a
great subject to begin dialogues with non-Christians since they are often unwilling to
discuss transcendent theological concepts given their unfamiliarity with those topics. To
Genesis 1 gives us a picture of the origin of all creation. Genesis 1:1 states that,
“In the beginning God created…” which is belief on which all Christians can agree, but
how and when God created continues to be a point of disagreement. Countless theories
have been developed, most of them since the seventeenth century when science began
questioning the age of the earth. Some Christians hold to a young-earth view, believing
that God created everything in six literal days and using the genealogies of the Old
Testament to count forward. They believe that science is wrong in its conclusions on the
age of the earth and give various possibilities for its misinterpretations. Others attempt to
reconcile science and Scripture by placing gaps of time between certain events in the
creation account, interpreting “days” to meaning epochs of time, or viewing Genesis 1:1
as the actual creation and the remaining chapter as God’s revelation of that original
creation. While these studies and interpretations are important, what can be agreed upon
is that God is the creator of all of creation (Genesis 1) and humanity is the pinnacle of it
(Genesis 1:26-31).
But what separates humanity from the other living beings of creation? Scripture
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does not speak directly about the exact structure that constitutes the human as a whole,
but passages like Matt. 10:28, 1 Cor. 15:50, and 2 Cor. 4:11, and 5:8-10, make it clear
that there is more to a human than just the visible flesh. We are not like the animals that
have a physical body and cease to exist after death; we have a soul, spirit, mind,
conscience, heart, and will. There is a material and an immaterial make-up of humanity,
but we must be careful about drawing too strong a distinction between our physical
nature and our spiritual one. God created us as unified beings and only He has the power
to distinguish and separate (Heb. 4:12). We do know that God created humans to have
dominion over all creation (Gen. 1:26), multiply (Gen. 1:28), and to walk in fellowship
with Him (Jer. 9:23-24; Hos. 6:6; John 10:14, 27; 17:3) and what truly separates us from
the rest of creation is that we were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). While the
image of God was undoubtedly upon the first man and woman, other parts of Scripture
seem to indicate that the image, at least partially, is still present in all of humanity after
the fall (Gen. 9:5-6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James 3:9). The fullest incarnation of the image of God
is found in Christ and made available to humanity through the work of justification and
regeneration by faith in Christ (Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:9-10). The image of
God is not substantative because God is spirit (John 4:4) but constitutes all the elements
(spirituality, reason, freedom, morality, and abilities) that enable humans to fulfill the
purpose God gave us. Therefore, since all humans posses the image of God and are
created with a purpose, every human is to be treated with dignity and respect and our
ministry should be focused on guiding people to faith in Christ, so that they may be made
into the fullest image of God, fulfill their purpose, and conquer the problem of sin.
Doctrine of Sin
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Humans were created in the image of God and while still possessing some of that
image, we are no longer able to embody the fullest image apart from the saving and
regenerating work of Christ. What happened to the original image and state of humanity?
In Genesis 3, the Bible lays out the storyline and the details of how humanity and with it,
all of creation, has been scarred and affected by the origin of sin. Adam and Eve were the
pinnacle of God’s creation, endowed with His image, innocent, free, and in perfect
harmony with God. Through temptation, the opportunity to sin, and a conscience act of
disobedience, the act of sin, condemnation ensued that resulted in a broken relationship
with God, the presence of pain and suffering, and the guarantee of death (Gen. 3).
The Bible has numerous terms and descriptions for the cause and nature of sin and
some of them include: a deviation from what is right (Exod. 10:1; Job 5:24; Mark 2:5),
worshiping anything or anyone other than God (Exod. 20:4-5; Acts 17:23; Rom. 1:28),
ignoring God’s standards or laws (Rom. 6:19; 1Cor. 9:21; James 2:9), and an inner
dispensation (Pss. 78:8; 1 Peter 2:16). In summary, sin is more than just an outward act,
but envelops the whole person: actions, thoughts, yearnings, and dispensations. It is any
lack of conformity to the written and moral law or standard of God and failing to fully
reflect His glory (Rom. 2:15; 3:23). In short, it is a failure to let God be God. But sin was
not just a problem for Adam and Eve, but has become a universal human problem. (Isa.
Psalm 52:5, Jer. 17:9, Rom. 7:18, and Eph. 2:3 testify that all humans have an
inherent sin nature that leads them to disobedience, rejection, and rebellion against God.
In Rom. 5, Paul lays out the root of the problem that through one man, Adam, sin entered
the world and death spread to all humanity. Theologians debate about how individuals
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become depraved, whether heredity or environment, but what is clear from Scripture is
the extent to which we are depraved. No aspect of a person’s life is left unaffected by sin;
our thoughts, actions, intentions, desires, and relationships have all been corrupted and no
longer glorify God. This does not mean that all humans are as sinful as possible or are all
equally sinful. While humans do posses the ability to do good, according to human
standards, even good or amoral actions that do not come from faith in God and a desire to
glorify Him, are still sinful (Rom. 14:23). Sin is undoubtedly a universal human problem
that goes beyond individuals and has affected all corporate aspects of humans’
relationships and order within our world. The Bible is less focused and concerned on the
universal transmission of sin and explaining its origins, but more so on contemporary and
Not only are the realities of sin universal to all people, but the consequences are
as well. As with the first sin of Adam and Eve, our personal sin separates us from the
God who designed us to walk in fellowship with Him. We have become enemies of God
by rebelling against Him and His standards (Rom. 5:10) and made ourselves subject to
guilt and punishment (Pss. 107:10-16, 119:71; Gal. 6:7-8; Heb. 12:6). We became slaves
to sin (John 8:34; Rom. 1:21-32, 5:21) and are blinded to sin and its necessary
consequences (Matt. 7:3; Heb. 9:27). We endure hardships and suffering from everyday
activities (Gen. 3:16-19). But ultimately, humans are inevitably faced with death: the
physical death of flesh, the spiritual death of being disconnected from our spiritual God,
and the extension and finalization of spiritual death into eternal death. Our depravity
disables our ability to cure ourselves and requires a redemption brought by God Himself.
Humans were created to love, serve, and walk in fellowship with God, but
through sin all have fallen short of God’s intention. With no power or ability to resolve
this problem, God acted on our behalf through the person and work of His Son, Jesus
Christ. Since the beginning of Christian history, theologians have argued to what extend
was Jesus’ divinity and humanity and how did they work together in his life and ministry.
For some, Jesus’ divinity has been a difficult aspect to understand and adhere to,
because of a lack of direct exclamations on Christ’ part; for Jesus never said in such
words, “I am God.” But what we do find, are claims and statements from Christ that
would be completely inappropriate and blasphemous had He not been God. Jesus claims
to have power and authority over the angels (Matt. 13:41), the power to forgive sins
(Mark 2:5), that He came from heaven and was pre-existent to creation (John 3:13, 8:58),
He would one day judge the world (Matt. 25:31-46), He was one with the Father God
(John 10:30), and that to see and know Jesus was to see and know the Father God (John
14:7-9). In Jesus ministry, he claimed to have the authority to redefine God’s laws and
standards (Matt. 5; Mark 2:27-28) and deemed the disciples’ titles of Lord, God, and
Christ for Him were appropriate (Matt. 16:16-17; John 20:28). Other parts of the New
Testament confirm Christ’s full deity, not only in His human form, but from before
creation (John 1:1-5; Heb. 1). Paul spoke of Jesus’ full deity in Col. 1:15-20, 2:9, Phil.
2:5-11, and 2 Tim. 4:1. Above all this, the resurrection of Christ both affirms these
statements and proves the deity of Christ in that only God holds the power over death.
In order for deity and humanity to be united Christ must not to have just appeared
to be human, but His humanity had to be a reality. Without Christ’s humanity, his
sinlessness, death, and resurrection would all be allusions and have no real power for
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forgiveness of sins and reconciliation. The Scriptures speak to the humanity of Jesus in
that he was born a natural birthing process, had and family genealogy, and had a physical
body that could be seen and felt. Jesus grew as a normal human (Luke 2:52). He had
physical limitations: hunger (Matt. 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), and became tired and weary
(John 4:6). Jesus had human emotions: love (Mark 10:21; John 13:13, 11:3), compassion
(Matt. 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34), sorrow (Matt. 26:37), joy (John 15:11, 17:13), anger
(Mark 3:5), and sadness (John 11:33-38). Jesus had special knowledge that the Father had
given Him: thought of individuals (Luke 6:8, 9:47), the Samaritan woman’s lifestyle
(John 4:18), and what was going to happen to Him at His death (John 18:4). But Jesus
also had limited knowledge in which He did not know the answer: how long epileptic boy
had been dead (Mark 9:21) and when His second coming would take place (Mark 13:32).
The most difficult task is not determining if Jesus was either divine or human, but
how He was both fully divine and fully human. On the surface, the two seem to be in
contrast with one another, but Scriptures most certainly agree that He was both fully
divine and fully human (John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 3:16). But is best to look at the
attributes. While humans cannot ascend to the role of being divine, an unlimited and all-
powerful God could certainly descend and choose temporary limitations. We must also
not subject Christ’s humanity to that of our present-day humanity. We are broken
reflections of God’s original intent, but Christ’s humanity was the fullest form of pure,
unadulterated, image bearing humanity. His life and ministry is the greatest example of
Enough could never be said about all that Jesus did and accomplished during His
time on earth. His teachings have influenced people and leaders around the world in
every generation since He taught, even among those who do not profess to be Christians.
His caring and love have been an example to all who witnessed it whether firsthand or
through the written accounts. His healing changed lives and continues to be a testimony
to His power and compassion for those who are hurting. His life was a true representation
of the humanity we were all designed to live and our fullest revelation of God the Father.
But according to passages like Phil. 2:6-11 and John 3:16-17, the ultimate purpose for
Jesus’ incarnation was to die and be resurrected for the forgiveness of sins and to
atonement actually results in our redemption. The beauty and majesty of what Christ did
for us and how it works is beyond humans’ ability to describe with words. Any attempts
narrowly on only one aspect of Christ’s death and resurrection. Rather than adhere to
only one theory, it is best to take a survey of what Scripture says and allow that to paint
Jesus says that His blood is establishing a new covenant between God and His
people (Luke 22:20). No longer just the Jews, but all who would believe in Christ. Just as
the blood of the lamb delivered the Israelites from death in Egypt, the blood of Jesus
delivers believers from death (1 Cor. 5:7). Jesus became our ransom, paying the price for
freedom that the captives couldn’t pay themselves (Mark 10:45; 1 Cor. 6:20). Jesus’
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humility by voluntarily dying on the cross has become an example to us and witnessed
faithfully to God in complete obedience to His will (Phil. 2:5-11). Jesus’ atonement set us
free from bondage and slavery to the law (Gal. 5:1). He canceled the debt to sin in which
we were held hostage (Col. 2:14). Though we were enemies to God through disobedience
and rebellion, we have now been reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:19). Jesus’ life and ministry
was to testify to the truth (John 18:37). Our sin had created hostility in our hearts to God,
but Christ has justified us and restored peace (Rom. 5:1). Not only are we now justified,
but have been saved from the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9). Before, death finalized our
separation from God, but now Christ has abolished death and its power over us (2 Tim.
1:10). Christ broke down the wall of sin and gave us access to God (Eph. 2:14). Christ
was murdered on our behalf, but no one takes His life, He lays it down on His own accord
(John 10:17-18, 15:13). As our High Priest, Christ not only offered the sacrifice, He
became the sacrifice (Heb. 4:14-16). He took our sins upon Himself, to be our substitute
These are only a mere survey of all the Scriptures have to say about the most
accomplished, and completed more than human words can describe and will only be fully
known and appreciated in the final days when everything is laid bare and we meet our
Savior face to face. While Christ came to be the atonement for the world, His death and
resurrection is only atoning for those who confess with their mouths Jesus as Lord, and
believe in their hearts that god raised Him from the dead, for they shall be saved (Rom.
10:9).
Bibliography
Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God - Their Meaning in
Christian Life. New York: HarperOne, 1961.
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