"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." — John 17:17 NASB 1995
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FAITHFUL TO THE WORD
Dr. Joshua Nichols
Systematic
Theology
The Knowledge of God — The Highest Pursuit of the Human Mind
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."
Deuteronomy 29:29
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This teaching series walks through the great doctrines of the Christian faith, from Bibliology to Eschatology, exploring what the whole counsel of God reveals about who He is, what He has done, and how His people are called to live. Rooted in the Reformed tradition and governed by the authority of Scripture, each lesson is designed to build theological maturity with both academic depth and pastoral warmth. The aim is not merely knowledge but worship, for to know God truly is to love Him more deeply and serve Him more faithfully.
PAGE CONTENTS
SECTION
I
The Doctrine of the Word of God
Bibliology
The foundation upon which every other doctrine stands or falls. This series examines the nature, inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, sufficiency, authority, and canonicity of Holy Scripture. Before we can know anything about God truly, we must first establish how God has made Himself known, and He has done so supremely and finally through His written Word. We confess that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the very breathed-out Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), without error in all that they affirm, and fully sufficient for faith, doctrine, and practice. Bibliology is not merely the first topic in Systematic Theology, it is the presupposition that makes all the rest possible.
SECTION
II
The Doctrine of God
Theology Proper
The highest and holiest subject of human inquiry, the study of God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. This series explores the existence of God, the divine attributes (His aseity, immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, holiness, justice, goodness, and love), the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the eternal decrees, and the works of creation and providence. To know God truly is the aim of all theology and the purpose for which we were made. We approach this study not as detached observers but as worshippers, trembling before the majesty of the One who dwells in unapproachable light, yet who has drawn near to us in grace through His Son and by His Spirit.
SECTION
III
The Doctrine of the Person and Work of Christ
Christology
The center and climax of the entire Christian faith. This series examines the eternal pre-existence of the Son, the mystery of the incarnation, the hypostatic union of the divine and human natures in one Person, the sinless life of Christ, His threefold office as Prophet, Priest, and King, and the atoning work accomplished at the cross. Christ is not merely a subject within theology — He is the subject of theology. Every doctrine in the Christian faith finds its coherence in Him, and every page of Scripture bears witness to His glory. From the cradle of Bethlehem to the empty tomb to the throne at the right hand of the Father, Christology unfolds the most glorious truth ever revealed: that God became man to save sinners.
SECTION
IV
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
Pneumatology
The study of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal, co-eternal, and consubstantial with the Father and the Son. This series explores the personhood and deity of the Spirit, His role in creation and providence, His work in inspiration and illumination of Scripture, and His indispensable ministry in the application of redemption: regeneration, conviction, indwelling, sealing, sanctification, and the empowerment of the church for mission and ministry. In an age of confusion about the Spirit's work, ranging from neglect to excess, this study seeks to honor the Holy Spirit by teaching what Scripture actually reveals about Him, affirming with conviction that the miraculous sign gifts have ceased with the close of the apostolic age, while the ordinary and powerful ministry of the Spirit continues undiminished in the life of every believer and every faithful church.
SECTION
V
The Doctrine of Humanity
Anthropology
What is man? The question is as old as the Psalms and as urgent as the evening news. This series examines the biblical teaching on the creation, constitution, nature, and dignity of human beings as the image-bearers of God. Topics include the imago Dei and its implications, the original state of Adam and Eve, the unity of the human race, the nature of the soul, the question of human free will and moral agency, the cultural mandate, and the relationship between body and soul. In a culture that has lost its moorings on what it means to be human, the church must be able to articulate with clarity and conviction what God has revealed: that human beings are created, embodied, gendered, morally accountable, and infinitely precious, made by God, for God, and answerable to God.
SECTIONVI
The Doctrine of Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realm
Angelology
A study of the unseen world that Scripture reveals to be as real and active as the visible one. This series explores the nature, origin, classification, and ministry of the holy angels; those "ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). It also examines the fall of Satan and the demonic realm, the nature of spiritual warfare, and the limits of demonic power under the sovereign hand of God. Angelology is often either sensationalized or neglected in the modern church; this study seeks a sober, biblical middle path; taking the spiritual realm seriously without descending into speculation, and grounding every claim in what the Word of God actually reveals.
The Doctrine of Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realm
SECTION
VII
The Doctrine of Sin
Hamartiology
The dark counterpart to the glory of creation, and the necessary backdrop against which the gospel shines with blinding brilliance. This series examines the origin of sin in the fall of Adam, the nature and extent of original sin, the imputation of Adam's guilt to his posterity, the doctrine of total depravity, the distinction between original and actual sin, and the devastating effects of the fall on every dimension of human existence: mind, will, affections, body, and relationships. No one can understand the gospel who has not first understood the catastrophe from which the gospel rescues us. Hamartiology does not merely inform the intellect; it humbles the heart and prepares the soul to receive the grace of God with the desperation and gratitude it deserves.
SECTION
VIII
The Doctrine of Salvation
Soteriology
The crown jewel of Christian theology, the unfolding of God's sovereign, gracious, and invincible work in rescuing sinners from the ruin of the fall and bringing them into everlasting fellowship with Himself. This series traces the golden chain of redemption from election to glorification, examining the great soteriological truths that define the Reformed faith: election and predestination, the effectual call, regeneration, conversion (repentance and faith), justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, and final glorification. These are not mere abstractions, they are the lived experience of every soul whom God has saved. Soteriology answers the most important question any human being will ever ask: How can a sinner be made right with a holy God? And the answer, from first to last, is grace.
SECTION
XI
The Doctrine of the Church
Ecclesiology
The study of that blood-bought, Spirit-indwelt community that Christ calls His own, the church. This series examines the nature and marks of the true church, the distinction between the visible and invisible church, the offices of elder and deacon, the ordinances of believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper, church membership and discipline, the relationship between the local church and the universal church, and the mission of the church in the world. We affirm an elder-led, congregationally accountable model of church polity, recognizing the local church as God's chosen instrument to display His wisdom, proclaim His gospel, and make disciples of all nations. In an age of ecclesiastical confusion and ecclesiological apathy, this study calls believers back to the biblical vision of the church as the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), imperfect, yet loved; embattled, yet unconquerable.
SECTION
X
The Doctrine of Last Things
Eschatology
The study of where the whole story is going, the consummation of God's redemptive purposes in history. This series examines the biblical teaching on death and the intermediate state, the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, heaven and hell, and the new heavens and the new earth. We approach eschatology from an amillennial perspective, affirming that Christ reigns now at the right hand of the Father over a kingdom that is both already and not yet, and that the consummation of all things will come at His glorious, bodily return, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Eschatology is not speculative escapism; it is the church's confident hope and the engine of her present faithfulness. Because He is coming back, everything we do matters, and nothing we suffer is in vain.
A Word About These Resources
Every resource on this page is offered freely and without charge. This ministry exists not for profit but for the building up of the body of Christ. If these materials have been a blessing to you, we would ask only three things: first, that you share them with others who might benefit; second, that you pray for this ministry, that God would sustain it, correct it where it errs, and use it for the advancement of His kingdom and the glory of His name; third and finally if you gained any benefit from these resources, would you consider donating to the ongoing work of this ministry.
These resources are a work in progress. New series and topics are added regularly as the Lord provides opportunity and the Spirit gives direction. If there is a subject you would like to see addressed, or a book of the Bible you would like studied, please do not hesitate to reach out. This ministry belongs to Christ and exists to serve His people.