CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

THE BIBLICAL STORY AND OUR FAITH

CHRISTOPHER W. MORGAN

WITH ROBERT A. PETERSON

nashville, tennessee

Christian Theology: The Biblical Story and Our Faith

Copyright © 2020 by Christopher W. Morgan

Published by B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4336-5102-1

Dewey Decimal Classification: 230

Subject Heading: DOCTRINAL THEOLOGY / CHRISTIANITY—DOCTRINES / CHRISTIAN LIFE

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain).

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphasis in Scripture quotations is the authors’ own.

The Web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the book’s publication but may be subject to change.

Cover design by Matt Lehman. Cover photo © Beatrix Boros/stocksy.

To Shelley and Chelsey:

I am blessed beyond measure to be your husband and daddy.

—Chris

To Mary Pat, my faithful wife and the love of my life.

To Rob, Matt, Curtis, and David, four caring sons,

and Julie, a great daughter-in-law.

Also, to Noble and Blake, two awesome grandsons.

—Robert

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Knowing God

2. God’s Revelation

3. God the Trinity

4. God’s Attributes and Works

5. Humanity and Sin

6. Jesus

7. Jesus’s Saving Work

8. Salvation

9. The Holy Spirit

10. The Church

11. The Future

12. The Christian Life

Name Index

Subject Index

Scripture Index

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many of God’s richest blessings are the people he has placed in our lives. There are too many to mention all of them by name, but I (Chris) want to express gratitude to those who have impacted this project:

Dr. Robert Peterson, for your collaboration, theological insight, and terrific research and writing assistance.

Dr. Tony Chute and Dr. Greg Cochran, for sharing life, ministry, leadership, administration, and theology together, and for offering helpful ...