it must be answered that in God's own mind, and in the nature of reality itself, true facts and ideas are all consistent with one another. Therefore if we have accurately understood the teachings of God in Scripture we should expect our conclusions to "fit together" and be mutually consistent. Internal consistency, then, is an argument for, not against, any individual results of systematic theology.Systematic Theology, 31
If we ultimately appeal to human reason, or to logic, or to historical accuracy, or to scientific truth, as the authority by which Scripture is shown to be God's words, then we have assumed the thing to which we appealed to be a higher authority than God's words and one that is more true or more reliable. Systematic Theology (78)
Some scholars look with suspicion at systematic theology when -or even because -its teachings fit together in a noncontradictory way. They object that the results are "too neat" and that systematic theologians must therefore be squeezing the Bible's teachings into an artificial mold.... this objection is sometimes made by those who -perhaps unconsciously -have adopted from our culture a skeptical view of the possibility of finding universally true conclusions about anything, even about God from his Word.Systematic Theology, 30
we all have areas like that, areas where our understanding of the Bible's teaching is inadequate. In these areas, it is helpful for us to be confronted with the total weight of the teaching of Scripture on that subject, so that we will more readily be persuaded even against our initial wrongful inclinations.Systematic Theology, 28
The basic reason for studying systematic theology, then, is that it enables us to teach ourselves and others what the whole Bible says, thus fulfilling the second part of the Great Commission.Systematic Theology, 28
When Paul lists the qualifications for elders, it is significant that he combines requirements concerning character traits and heart attitudes with requirements that cannot be fulfilled in a short time but will only become evident over a period of several years of faithful Christian living.Systematic Theology, 916
This skeptical viewpoint must be rejected by evangelicals who see Scripture as the product of human and divine authorship, and therefore as a collection of writings that teach noncontradictory truths about God and about the universe he created.Systematic Theology, 31
The task of fulfilling the Great Commission includes therefore not only evangelism but also teaching. And the task of teaching all that Jesus commanded us is, in a broad sense, the task of teaching what the whole Bible says to us today. To effectively teach ourselves and to teach others what the whole Bible says, it is necessary to collect and summarize all the Scripture passage son a particular subject.Systematic Theology, 27
"The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the only way to God." "The Bible says that Jesus is coming again." These are all summaries of what Scripture says and, as such, they are systematic theological statements. In fact, every time a Christian says something about what the whole Bible says, he or she is in a sense doing "systematic theology" Systematic Theology, 24
Biblical theology gives special attention to the teachings of individual authors and sections of Scripture, and to the place of each teaching in the historical development of Scripture.Systematic Theology, 22
Systematic theology is any study that answers the question, "What does the Bible teach us today?" about any given topic.Systematic Theology, 21 (John Frame cited)
The Bible is clear in the sense that it leaves us no excuses for our disobedience. If God's Word were unclear and we did something wrong, we could go back to God and say, "God, you didn't speak clearly to us, you didn't speak the Word so that we could understand it. So naturally we went our own way. There was no other way to go." Well, that would be foolish. That would be itself a very disobedient response to God's Word. But God speaks His Word to us and speaks it as the one who is authoritative, as the one who judges our behavior, and as the one who leaves us without any excuses.
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened to some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of themWestminster Confession
No detail was too insignificant to be used for the instruction of New Testament Christians. There is no indication that they thought of a certain category of scriptural statements that were unreliable and untrustowrthySystematic Theology, 94
Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.Systematic Theology