The notes that follow are from a Bible study on The Being, Names, and Attributes of God. Some of you reading this have gone through some or all of these studies with us; for any, you will be embarking on this study separate from the original groups. Regardless, there is some information I'd like to pass along.
The notes were organized anticipating the dialogue that takes place among believers
actively studying together. For those going through this study on your own (or with a
different group), I believe the outline and notes will be discernible overall, but there may
be some portions that will be more difficult to understand due to lacking the
commentary that was provided when these studies originally took place.
As with any endeavor to seek a deeper understanding of God and His truth, the
primary source used is the Holy Bible. [NOTE: The Scripture references throughout are
representative, but far from exhaustive.] While any and all other sources are rightfully
considered secondary, I am a firm believer in the promise of Christ to build His church.
This began 2,000 years ago and He has gifted many to equip the saints for the work of
service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Eph 4:7-16). Therefore, I am proud to
say that in studying and teaching this topic, I am “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The outline and flow of this study comes from my class notes for Dogmatics 213:
Theology with Prof. David J. Engelsma at the Protestant Reformed Seminary. I gleaned
from a multitude of resources, but those I used regularly throughout this study are as
follows:
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology
Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God
Herman Hoeksema, Reformed Dogmatics
A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God
A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology (Vol. I)
Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity
To pursue and teach on such a grand and glorious topic is like climbing the highest
mountain and reaching its peak. While exhilarating and breathtaking, there is the
trepidation of losing my footing and finding myself in a heap at the bottom. If you
notice anything in these notes that conveys inaccurate information about the One true
God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — please forgive me and inform me regarding the
error of my ways.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mark Dewey
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