Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth

by Charles C. Ryrie

Overview

Everyone is a theologian of sorts. Theology simply means thinking about God and expressing those thoughts in some way. But sloppy theology is a problem.

As Christians, our thoughts about God need to coincide with what He has said about Himself in the Bible. With his clear understanding of the Scriptures and accessible writing style, Charles Ryrie has written Basic Theology for every student of God's Word, from the lay reader to the seminary student.

Within these pages, you'll find:

• A systematic overview of the Bible's major doctrines, including God, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the church, Satan, sin, salvation, man, angels, demons, events to come, and more
• A glossary of theological terms
• A list of key Scripture passages for the study of theology

Featuring charts, definitions, and Scripture and subject indices, Basic Theology will give you a clear and comprehensive picture of Ryrie's approach to systematic theology. Its 94 chapters are arranged in outline style for easy reference. Considerable emphasis is given to explaining the dispensational view of the end times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802427342
Publisher:	Moody Publishers
Publication date:	01/11/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	656
Sales rank:	721,898
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

CHARLES C. RYRIE (A.B., Haverford College; Th.M. and Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary; Ph.D., University of Edinburgh; Litt.D., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary) is a renowned author and scholar. He has written numerous books, including The Ryrie Study Bible, Basic Theology, Balancing the Christian Life, The Holy Spirit, Dispensationalism Today, Revelation, Survey of Bible Doctrine, and So Great Salvation, which rank among his best-selling titles. Dr. Ryrie is the father of three children and resides in Dallas, Texas.

Read an Excerpt

Basic Theology

A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth

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By Charles C. Ryrie

Moody Publishers

Copyright © 1999 Charles C. Ryrie
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8024-2734-2

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CHAPTER 1

Concepts and Definitions

Prolegomena, the title of this section, simply means prefatory or preliminary remarks. It furnishes the author with the opportunity to let his readers know something of the general plan he has in mind, both its extent and limitations, as well as some of the presuppositions of his thinking and the procedures he plans to use. Prolegomena serve to orient the readers to what the author has in mind for the book.

I. THE CONCEPT OF THEOLOGY

That a book is a work on theology says something at once about extent, focus, and limitations. The word "theology," from theos meaning God and logos meaning rational expression, means the rational interpretation of religious faith. Christian theology thus means the rational interpretation of the Christian faith.

At least three elements are included in that general concept of theology.

(1) Theology is intelligible. It can be comprehended by the human mind in an orderly, rational manner.

(2) Theology requires explanation. This, in turn, involves exegesis and systematization.

(3) The Christian faith finds its source in the Bible, so Christian theology will be a Bible-based study. Theology, then, is the discovery, systematizing, and presentation of the truths about God.

II. THE VARIETIES OF THEOLOGY

Theologies can be cataloged in various ways.

(1) By era: i.e., patristic theology, medieval theology, reformation theology, modern theology.

(2) By viewpoint: i.e., Arminian theology, Calvinistic theology, Catholic theology, Barthian theology, liberation theology, etc.

(3) By focus: i.e., historical theology, biblical theology, systematic theology, apologetic theology, exegetical theology, etc. Some of these distinctions are very important to anyone who studies theology.

A. Historical Theology

Historical theology focuses on what those who studied the Bible thought about its teachings either individually or collectively as in the pronouncements of church councils. It shows how the church has formulated both truth and error and serves to guide the theologian in his own understanding and statement of doctrine. A student can be more efficient in coming to his own understanding of truth by knowing the contributions and mistakes of church history. When it seems appropriate I shall include some history of doctrine in this book.

B. Biblical Theology

Though the term biblical theology has been used in various ways, it serves to label a specific focus on the study of theology. In a nontechnical sense it can refer to a pietistic theology (in contrast to a philosophical one), or to a Bible-based theology (in contrast to one that interacts with contemporary thinkers), or to exegetical theology (in contrast to speculative theology). Some contemporary biblical theologies from a liberal perspective fall under this latter category, exegetical, though the exegesis does not faithfully represent the biblical teaching. Often too their works consist of a running commentary through the Bible held together by some large category like kingdom or covenant or God (if Old Testament biblical theology), or categories like the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and primitive Christianity (if New Testament biblical theology).

Technically, biblical theology has a much sharper focus than that. It deals systematically with the historically conditioned progress of the self-revelation of God in the Bible. Four characteristics emerge from this definition.

(1) The results of the study of biblical theology must be presented in a systematic form. In this it is like other areas of biblical and theological studies. The system or scheme in which biblical theology is presented will not necessarily employ the same categories systematic theology uses. It does not have to use them, nor does it have to avoid them.

(2) Biblical theology pays attention to the soil of history in which God's revelation came. It investigates the lives of the writers of the Bible, the circumstances that compelled them to write, and the historic situation of the recipients of their writings.

(3) Biblical theology studies revelation in the progressive sequence in which it was given. It recognizes that revelation was not completed in a single act on God's part but unfolded in a series of successive stages using a variety of people. The Bible is a record of the progress of revelation, and biblical theology focuses on that. By contrast, systematic theology views revelation as a completed whole.

(4) Biblical theology finds its source material in the Bible. Actually orthodox systematic theologies do too. This is not to say that biblical or systematic theologies could not or do not draw material from other sources, but the theology or doctrine itself does not come from anywhere but the Bible.

C. Systematic Theology

Systematic theology correlates the data of biblical revelation as a whole in order to exhibit systematically the total picture of God's self-revelation.

Systematic theology may include historical backgrounds, apologetics and defense, and exegetical work, but it focuses on the total structure of biblical doctrine.

To summarize: Theology is the discovery, systematizing, and presentation of the truths about God. Historical theology accomplishes this by focusing on what others throughout history have said about these truths. Biblical theology does this by surveying the progressive revelation of God's truth. Systematic theology presents the total structure.

CHAPTER 2

Some Presuppositions

I. THE BASIC ONE

Consciously or unconsciously everyone operates on the basis of some presuppositions. The atheist who says there is no God has to believe that basic presupposition. And believing it, he then views the world, mankind, and the future in entirely different ways than the theist. The agnostic not only affirms we cannot know God, but he must believe that as basic to his entire outlook on the world and life. If we can know about the true God then his whole system is smashed. The theist believes there is a God. He mounts confirmatory evidence to support that belief, but basically he believes.

The trinitarian believes God is Triunity. That is a belief gleaned from the Bible. Therefore, he also believes the Bible to be true.

This stands as the watershed presupposition. If the Bible is not true, then trinitarianism is untrue and Jesus Christ is not who He claimed to be. We learn nothing about the Trinity or Christ from nature or from the human mind. And we cannot be certain that what we learn from the Bible about the Triune God is accurate unless we believe that our source itself is accurate. Thus the belief in the truthfulness of the Bible is the basic presupposition. This will be fully discussed under inspiration and inerrancy.

II. THE INTERPRETIVE ONES

If our source material is so crucial, then we must be concerned how we approach and use it. Accurate theology rests on sound exegesis. Exegetical studies must be made before theological systematization, just as bricks have to be made before a building can be built.

A. The Necessity of Normal, Plain Interpretation

Though a more thorough discussion of hermeneutics will appear in section III, we need to state here the importance of normal interpretation as the basis for proper exegesis. In giving us the revelation of Himself, God desired to communicate, not obscure, the truth. So we approach the interpretation of the Bible presupposing the use of normal canons of interpretation. Remember that when symbols, parables, types, etc. are used they depend on an underlying literal sense for their very existence, and their interpretation must always be controlled by the concept that God communicates in a normal, plain, or literal manner. Ignoring this will result in the same kind of confused exegesis that characterized the patristic and medieval interpreters.

B. The Priority of the New Testament

All Scripture is inspired and profitable, but the New Testament has greater priority as the source of doctrine. Old Testament revelation was preparatory and partial, but New Testament revelation is climactic and complete. The doctrine of the Trinity, for instance, while allowed for in the Old Testament, was not revealed until the New Testament. Or, think how much difference exists between what is taught in the Old and New Testaments concerning atonement, justification, and resurrection. To say this is not to minimize what is taught in the Old Testament or to imply that it is any less inspired, but it is to say that in the progressive unfolding of God's revelation the Old Testament occupies a prior place chronologically and thus a preparatory and incomplete place theologically. Old Testament theology has its place, but it is incomplete without the contribution of New Testament truth.

C. The Legitimacy of Proof Texts

Liberals and Barthians have often criticized conservatives for using proof texts to substantiate their conclusions. Why do they complain? Simply because citing proof texts will lead to conservative, not liberal, conclusions. They charge it with being an illegitimate, unscholarly methodology, but it is no more illegitimate than footnotes are in a scholarly work!

To be sure, proof texts must be used properly, just as footnotes must be. They must actually be used to mean what they say; they must not be used out of context; they must not be used in part when the whole might change the meaning; and Old Testament proof texts particularly must not be forced to include truth that was only revealed later in the New Testament.

III. THE SYSTEMATIZING ONES

A. The Necessity of a System

The difference between exegesis and theology is the system used. Exegesis analyzes; theology correlates those analyses. Exegesis relates the meanings of texts; theology interrelates those meanings. The exegete strives to present the meaning of truth; the theologian, the system of truth. Theology's goal, whether biblical or systematic theology, is the systematization of the teachings under consideration.

B. The Limitations of a Theological System

In a word, the limitations of a theological system must coincide with the limitations of biblical revelation. In an effort to present a complete system, theologians are often tempted to fill in the gaps in the biblical evidence with logic or implications that may not be warranted.

Logic and implications do have their appropriate place. God's revelation is orderly and rational, so logic has a proper place in the scientific investigation of that revelation. When words are put together in sentences, those sentences take on implications that the theologian must try to understand.

However, when logic is used to create truth, as it were, then the theologian will be guilty of pushing his system beyond the limitations of biblical truth. Sometimes this is motivated by the desire to answer questions that the Scripture does not answer. In such cases (and there are a number of crucial ones in the Bible) the best answer is silence, not clever logic, or almost invisible implications, or wishful sentimentality. Examples of particularly tempting areas include sovereignty and responsibility, the extent of the Atonement, and the salvation of infants who die.

IV. THE PERSONAL ONES

One should also be able to presuppose certain matters about the student of theology.

A. He Must Believe

Of course unbelievers can write and study theology, but a believer has a dimension and perspective on the truth of God that no unbeliever can have. The deep things of God are taught by the Spirit, whom an unbeliever does not have (1 Cor. 2:10–16).

Believers need to have faith also, for some areas of God's revelation will not be fully understood by our finite minds.

B. He Must Think

Ultimately the believer must try to think theologically. This involves thinking exegetically (to understand the precise meaning), thinking systematically (in order to correlate facts thoroughly), thinking critically (to evaluate the priority of the related evidence), and thinking synthetically (to combine and present the teaching as a whole).

Theology and exegesis should always interact. Exegesis does not provide all the answers; when there can legitimately be more than one exegetical option, theology will decide which to prefer. Some passages, for example, could seem to teach eternal security or not; one's theological system will make the decision. On the other hand, no theological system should be so hardened that it is not open to change or refinement from the insights of exegesis.

C. He Must Depend

Intellect alone does not make a theologian. If we believe in the reality of the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, then certainly this must be a factor in studying theology (John 16:12–15). The content of the Spirit's curriculum encompasses all the truth, focusing especially on the revelation of Christ Himself which is, of course, found in the Scriptures. To experience this will require a conscious attitude of dependence on the Spirit, which will be reflected in humility of mind and a diligent study of what the Spirit has taught others throughout history. Inductive Bible study is a beneficial way to study, but to do it only is to ignore the results of the work of others, and to do it always can be an inefficient repetition of what others have already done.

D. He Must Worship

Studying theology is no mere academic exercise, though it is that. It is an experience that changes, convicts, broadens, challenges, and ultimately leads to a deep reverence for God. Worship means to recognize the worth of the object worshiped. How can any mortal put his mind to the study of God and fail to increase his recognition of His worth?

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Basic Theology by Charles C. Ryrie. Copyright © 1999 Charles C. Ryrie. Excerpted by permission of Moody Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Who Should Read Theology?  / 9

SECTION I
PROLEGOMENA

1. Concepts and Definitions  / 13
2. Some Presuppositions  / 16
3. The Question of Authority  / 20

SECTION II
THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD

4. The Knowledge of God  / 27
5. The Revelation of God  / 31
6. The Perfections of God  / 39
7. The Names of God  / 51
8. The Triunity of God  / 58

SECTION III
THE BIBLE: GOD-BREATHED   9. Special Revelation  / 71
10. The Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration  / 76
11. Defections from the Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration  / 83
12. The Inerrancy of the Bible  / 87
13. Inerrancy and the Teachings of Christ  / 97
14. Problem Passages  / 107
15. The Canon  / 119
16. The Interpretation of the Bible  / 125

SECTION IV
ANGELS: MINISTERING SPIRITS17. The Existence of Angels  / 137
18. The Creation of Angels  / 141
19. The Nature of Angels  / 143
20. The Organization of Angels  / 146
21. The Ministry of Angels  / 150

SECTION V
OUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL22. The Reality of Satan  / 157
23. The Creation and Sin of Satan  / 161
24. The Activities of Satan  / 166
25. Satan's World  / 172

SECTION VI
DEMONS: UNCLEAN SPIRITS

26. The Reality of Demons  / 179
27. What Are Demons Like?  / 184
28. What Do Demons Do?  / 187

SECTION VII
MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD29. Evolution and Origins  / 195
30. The Bible and Origins  / 206
31. The Creations of Man  / 216
32. The Facets of Man  / 223
33. The Fall of Man  / 230

SECTION VIII
SIN

34. The Biblical Concept of Sin  / 239
35. Christ's Teaching Concerning Sin  / 245
36. The Inheritance of Sin  / 252
37. The Imputation of Sin  / 256
38. Personal Sins  / 261
39. The Christian and Sin  / 264

SECTION IX
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

40. The Preincarnate Christ  / 273
41. The Incarnation of Christ  / 277
42. The Person of Christ Incarnate  / 284
43. Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King  / 292
44. The Self-Emptying of Christ  / 299
45. The Sinlessness of Christ  / 303
46. The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ  / 308
47. The Post-Ascension Ministries of Christ  / 313

SECTION X
SO GREAT A SALVATION48. Some Introductory Considerations  / 319
49. The Biblical Terminology  / 321
50. The Passion of Christ  / 323
51. The Meaning of the Death of Christ  / 329
52. Some Results of Salvation  / 343
53. Theories of the Atonement  / 355
54. The Doctrine of Election  / 358
55. The Extent of the Atonement  / 367
56. The Application of Salvation  / 374
57. The Security of the Believer  / 379
58. What Is the Gospel?  / 387

SECTION XI
THE HOLY SPIRIT

59. Who Is the Holy Spirit?  / 395
60. The Holy Spirit in Old Testament Times  / 399
61. The Holy Spirit in the Life of Our Lord  / 404
62. The Spirit Indwelling  / 409
63. The Spirit Sealing  / 414
64. The Spirit Baptizing  / 417
65. The Spirit Gifting  / 423
66. The Spirit Filling  / 433
67. Other Ministries of the Spirit  / 439
68. History of the Doctrine of the Spirit  / 444

SECTION XII
"I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH"

69. What Is the Church?  / 455
70. The Distinctiveness of the Church  / 460
71. Principles and/or Pattern?  / 467
72. Types of Church Government  / 469
73. Qualified Leadership for the Church  / 477
74. Ordinances for the Church  / 487
75. The Worship of the Church  / 496
76. Other Ministries of the Church  / 502

SECTION XIII
THINGS TO COME

77. Introduction to Eschatology  / 509
78. A Survey of Postmillennialism  / 511
79. A Survey of Amillenialism  / 516
80. A Survey of Premillenialism  / 522
81. God's Covenant with Abraham  / 526
82. God's Covenant with David  / 532
83. An Outline of Future Events  / 536
84. The Tribulation Period  / 540
85. The Rapture of the Church  / 557
86. The Pretribulational Rapture View  / 562
87. Populating the Millennial Kingdom  / 569
88. The Midtribulational Rapture View  / 579
89. The Posttribulational Rapture View  / 582
90. The Millennium  / 592
91. Future Judgments  / 597
92. Resurrection and Eternal Destiny  / 603

SECTION XIV
CENTRAL PASSAGES

93. Some Central Passages for the Study of Theology  / 613

SECTION XV
DEFINITIONS

94. Some Definitions for the Study of Theology  / 623

      Index of Scripture  / 633
      Index of Subjects  / 641