Scripture
The process of revelation has always remained complex and personal to the individual, so it would not be easy to think of it as something general. Holy Scripture does have the meaning of revealing God’s attributes, but it cannot become the first cause of the realization of God (Romans 1:20 AKJV). The act of creation is explicit enough to show all people the truth about God’s existence. In such a case, this should be enough to believe in him and his power of creation.
Theology Proper
The Bible actively expresses the concept of divine simplicity and evidence of manifestation. One of the passages that can confirm and reveal in more detail the nature of God and his mission is James 1:17 AKJV: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
The nature of the divine essence is seen in this verse, making it possible to understand better God’s revelation. In addition, the essence of God can be traced in Exodus 3:14 AKJV “I AM WHO I AM.” This indicates the self-determination of God and the awareness of the attributes of eternity and a self-sufficient, definite reality.
Humanity
In the relationship between humanity and God, the significant problem was the fall. Humanity has always made mistakes throughout history regarding its relationship with God. Thus, humanity has a misperception that must be constantly refined to become what it should be regarding the divine essence.
A relationship with God for humanity can be built through the search for truth, the holy trinity, and spiritual life. Humanity, during its development, has several times departed from the development according to the precepts of God. This means that developing a society where people would obey would be impossible. For this, Christ then ascended to earth to explain to people their mistakes.
Sin
Sin is an integral part of human existence, which introduces significant disadvantages and can make awareness terrible and wrong. Sin is wrong and unworthy, something that anyone should avoid to receive forgiveness and access to the kingdom of God. Genesis 3:11 AKJV states, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” This may indicate that God gives people every possible instruction as to what they should do, so sin can be easily avoided if people listen more actively to the words written in the scriptures.
Christology
Christology views the nature of Jesus Christ as God’s son and prophet who was sent to men to guide them on a path that could lead them to redemption and forgiveness. The nature of Christ is dual but not mixed. He combined the divine essence and human nature, which allowed him to understand people better and communicate with them as equals (Olalekan and Paul 200). The scriptures say that Christ was to become more like people. This was required to understand them better and help them correct their sins (Najoan 112). Extensive consideration of human nature led to Christ dying for people’s sins. In part, this served as an example and motivation for humanity to begin to improve.
Soteriology
Salvation is a critical element in the theology and life of people who may have committed wrong acts and are now looking for redemption to restore their souls. This assumes that the doctrine of election, for example, says that God chose some people for salvation and gave them the knowledge to do so (Wright 50). In the concept of salvation, at the same time, a significant factor is the passage by a person of a particular procedure of actions, which is called “ordo salutis” (Bevins 108). In this way, a person can be cleansed and become saved through actions that will reveal the essence of their soul and capabilities.
Ecclesiology
The Church is a standardizing body designed to support believers in their search for God and provide the necessary support. An important aspect is the difference between the concepts of the kingdom of God and the Christian Church. They are different in meaning and do not intersect, as was established in the theological tradition earlier (Kereszty 318). The difference now lies in the fact that the task of the Church is to ensure the righteous life of people on earth during their lifetime. At the same time, the Kingdom of God should care for those who passed their trials on earth and went to heaven.
Eschatology
The premillennial vision of the kingdom of God is accurate because it tells people that they must stand before God’s final judgment. Then Jesus Christ will descend to earth again to establish the Eternal Earthly Kingdom and order (Moore 11). At the same time, in this kingdom, Jesus will rule for thousands of years. At the same time, in this kingdom, all will rise from their graves, with the difference that the faithful will be lifted to eternal life and the evildoers to eternal torment (Ottuh and Johnson 1). Thus, the concept of the return of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom on earth is logical and confirmed.
Reflections
Several revisions have been made to the doctrinal statements in each category. They primarily concern the structure of introductory sentences that previously did not sufficiently present the topic. The changes also affected some literature, supplementing its list with reliable works. What prompted me to make these changes was that the work did not seem finished enough.
I learned many new things in the process of editing doctrinal statements. An essential element is the correct presentation of information with accurate citations of sources. This approach will improve the accuracy and reliability of the work. Further training in biblical studies may help me by paying more attention to aspects of the scriptures that I have not paid enough attention to. In addition, an essential element for developing theological understanding is the coverage of many literary sources through the reading of their interpretation.
My understanding of the theological method has evolved in parallel as I have explored new layers of information regarding theology. Considering the scriptures from different angles and interpretations each time helps to discover new meanings that were not previously visible in the texts. At this stage of my theological education, it can be said that the attitude of Christian doctrine refers to Christ’s fundamental beliefs and teachings from the Bible. Canonical Christianity refers to the history of the salvation and redemption of people, which is compared with the narrative at this stage of theological development.
Theological understanding largely determines the scope of ministry since it refers to how a person feels and understands religion. In this regard, awareness of specific topics is directly crucial for ministry. For example, the theological topics of ecclesiology may be the most important for me since this area studies the relationship between the Church and the people, which is extremely important for modern society.
Works Cited
Bevins, Winfield. Pneumatology in John Wesley’s Theological Method. The Asbury Journal, vol. 58, no. 2. 2019. Web.
Kereszty, Roch. The Church of God in Jesus Christ: A Catholic Ecclesiology. Catholic University of America Press, 2019.
Moore, Colonel T. Looking forward to the reign of Jesus Christ: Why I am a premillennial (and why it matters). Lamb & Lion Ministries, 2020.
Ottuh, Peter O.O., and Johnson, I E. “The Resurrection of the Dead in Acts 24: 15–16 and Its Eschatological Significance for Africa.” Humanus Discourse vol. 2, no. 3, 2022.
The Bible: Authorized King James Version. Edited by Robert Carroll and Stephen Prickett, Oxford UP, 2008.
Wright, Nigel. Christianity and Secularism: Prospects and Possibilities. Journal of European Baptist Studies, vol. 20, no. 1, 47-62, 2020. Web.