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Theology of Holiness

1. Defining Holiness

   • Necessity of Scripture
     • Role and Limits of Intuition
       • Intuition does not = definition of holiness
     • Role and Limits of Reason
       • Human reason is not infallible or self-suspicious
         • Total Depravity affects our reason too, total redemption makes reason good again.
           • Kataphatic = "God is like"
           • Apophatic = "God is not" Figure out who got is by taking away what he's not
     • Corrective Nature of Scripture
       • Scripture = narrative + authoritative for theology
     • Scripture = Chief instrument for Holy life
       • Scripture is Holy cuz God is holy
   • OT Portrayal of Holiness
     • Ancient Near East, "the holy" = anything different/other (q-d-sh)
       • "holy" not a more/ethical term, but ontology (categorizing)
     • Transcendent
       • A categorically holy other (God is one, but not the only one)
     • Relational
       • Consecration process
       • Derivative/Dependant holiness
         • Nothing but God is fully holy
           • Our holiness is fully dependant upon God
           • Holy stuff can only be holy through God
   • NT Portrayal of Holiness
     • Greco-Roman World
       • Religious world. Everyone had one, not all agreed
       • People took what they wanted for their own purposes
     • Judaism
       • Holiness is heart of God's being
         • focusing pursuit of holiness on seperation
       • Jewish holiness movements
         • Pharisees (torah)
         • Saducees (temple)
         • Essenes/Qumran (monks)
       • Focus on election (chosen people)
       • God is always faithful, people arent

2. Divine Holiness

   • Transcendence
     • Aseity
       • God's existence/maintenance is from Himself, no other
     • Triune Nature
       • God is Holy other, 1 in 3
         • Only God exists this way
         • All parts equally holy
     • Grandeur
       • Greatness is revealed in his Aseity
   • Moral Perfection
     • God says/does things with pure intentions
     • We don't provide God with anything
   • God's Holy Attributes
     • Personality
       • Capable of intimate relationship with others
       • Radically Independant
     • Free
       • No constraints
       • God does what God wants
     • Righteous/Just
     • Veracity
       • God is true "What you see is what you get"
     • Love
       • Unmerited
     • Eternality
       • No confines of physicality
       • Not contained by time or space

3. Nature and Purpose of Humanity

   • Imago Dei
     • Formal sense
       • reflect Imago in ability to reason, create, be responsible, be free, etc
     • Material sense
       • correct creation, broken humanity
     • Indwelling of HS
   • Primeval Innocence
     • Humanity was innocent for a time, therefore sin not essential.
   • Innocence vs. Perfection
     • Innocence = part of perf but doesnt guarantee it
     • human perfection archetype not in the garden, in the upper room (Pentecost)
     • Humanity's chief end is indwelling of HS
   • Natural Limitations
     • To imagine God fully w our physical limitations requires dependence on him
     • Human perfection comes in an n-restricted union with Triune God

4. Nature of Sin

   • Avoiding Metaphoric Myopia/Monarchianism
     • Myopia = Near Sightedness
     • Monarchianism = God is 1 person not 3
     • Necessity of Metaphor
       • Metaphor = only way we can say He is and is not
   • Mosaic Nature of Defining Sin
     • larger picture of sin = lost if we focus in too closely on a small part
   • Metaphors/Analogies for Sin
     • Hamartia - missing the mark
     • Irreligion - ungodly, irreverent, no worship
     • Transgression - walking over the law
     • Iniquity - lack of integrity
     • Rebellion - turning from a right duty
     • Treachery - a breach of trust

5. Nature and Goal of Salvation

   • Common Evangelical Soteriology
     • The Surprising Hurdle to Holiness
       • Strong historical emphasis on holiness
         • late 19th century holiness movement
           • Morphed into a 20th century legalism
       • Truncated view of Christian salvation
         • it's a soteriology with an eschatology, but little teleology
     • Restoration of the Imago Dei
       • More than changing legal status
       • More than restoration of moral innocence
       • More than just restoration of relationship
       • More than just eternal bliss
       • More than just "Get Out of Jail Free"

6. Ecclesiology

   • Foundation of Churches Holiness
     • Ground - Election by the Father
     • Establishment - Reconciled by the Son
     • Perfected - By the Spirit
   • Holy Act of the Church
     • Acknowledgement
     • Apostolicity