SOME EFFECTS OF CENTRALIZING THE INTERPERSONAL

SOME EFFECTS OF CENTRALIZING THE INTERPERSONAL

CATEGORY IN BIBLICAL-SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY:

AN OUTLINE

Virgil Warren, PhD

      Introduction

            A. Centralize

            B. Interpersonal

            C. Biblical-systematic theology

            D. Alternatives transcended

    I. Bases for the Interpersonal Center

            A. The (inter)personal character of ultimate reality

                  1. God’s creatorship: Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:22-31; John 1:1-3; Colossians     

                        1:14-20, etc.

                  2. Trinitarian considerations: Matthew 3:16; John 14:16, etc.

            B. Statements about the gospel in personalized terms

                  1. Preaching Christ: 8:35; 11:20; 17:18; Romans 16:25; Philippians 1:15-18    

                        (cp. Acts 5:42)

                  2. Receiving Christ: Colossians 2:6

                  3. Learning Christ: Ephesians 4:20

                  4. Knowing nothing but Christ: 1 Corinthians 2:2

                  5. Christ as foundation: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

                  6. Central vocabulary: faith, grace, mercy, love, promise

            C. Arguments for the gospel in personalized terms

                  1. Gamaliel’s argument for the resurrection (Acts 5:33-42)

                  2. Paul’s argument for the resurrection (2 Corinthians 15:12-28)

            D. Observations on the Mosaic period

                  1. David and the showbread: 1 Samuel 21:1-6; Mark 2:23-28

                  2. Hezekiah and the Passover observance: 2 Chronicles 30:13-22

                  3. Salvation by faith during the Mosaic period: Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians

                        3:8-14

                  4. “Moses is preached”: Acts 15:21

   II. Effects of an Interpersonal Center

            A. Hermeneutics

            B. Representative doctrines*

                  1. Salvation

                  2. Atonement

                  3. Ethics

                  4. Anthropology

                  5. Pneumatology

                  6. Sanctification

                  7. Ordinances

                  8. Bibliology

                  9. Ecclesiology

 III.      Praxis

            A. Evangelism

            B. Fellowship and Christian unity

            C. Theological Interpretation

Conclusion

            *Some implications of interpersonalism are worked out in What the Bible Says About Salvation (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1982) by this author.

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