Systematic Theology

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

A Compendium and Commonplace Book

DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF

THEOLOGICAL STUDENTS

BY

AUGUSTUS HOPKINS STRONG, D. D., LL. D.

PRESIDENT AND PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY IN THE

ROCHESTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

THREE VOLUMES IN ONE

DELMARVA PUBLICATIONS, INC.

PO BOX 96

HARRINGTON, DE 19952

Published in 2015

About this Volume 
Systematic Theology by Augustus Hopkins Strong, D. D., LL. D. (president and professor of Biblical Theology in the Rochester Theological Seminary) was originally published in three volumes and divided into Eight Parts:

PART I - PROLEGOMENA
PART II - THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
PART III - THE SCRIPTURES A REVELATION FROM GOD
PART IV - THE NATURE, DECREES, AND WORKS OF GOD
PART V - ANTHROPOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
PART VI - SOTERIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THROUGH THE WORK OF CHRIST AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
PART VII - ECCLESIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
PART VIII - ESCHATOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL THINGS

Volume one contended the in Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and the first three chapters of Part 4. Volume 2 contained the remainder of Part 4, Part 5, and the first chapter of Part 6. Volume 3 contained the rest of Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8.

In this volume, we have combined all eight parts. Here is a complete list of the contents: 
Table of Contents

PREFACE

PART I - PROLEGOMENA

CHAPTER I - IDEA OF THEOLOGY

I. Definition of Theology

II. Aim of Theology

III. Possibility of Theology

IV. Necessity.—The necessity of theology has its grounds

V. Relation of Theology to Religion

CHAPTER II - MATERIAL OF THEOLOGY

I Sources of Theology

II. Limitations of Theology

III. Relations of Material to Progress in Theology

CHAPTER  III - METHOD OF THEOLOGY

I. Requisites to the Study

II. Divisions of Theology

III. History of Systematic Theology

IV. Order of Treatment in Systematic Theology

V. Text-books in Theology

PART II - THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

CHAPTER  I - ORIGIN OF OUR IDEA OF GOD’S EXISTENCE

I. First Truths in General

II. The Existence of God a first truth

III. Other Supposed Sources of our Idea of God’s Existence

IV. Contents of this Intuition

CHAPTER  II - CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCES OF GOD’S EXISTENCE

I. The Cosmological Argument

II. The Teleologioal Argument

III. The Anthropological Argument

IV. The Ontological Argument

CHAPTER  III - ERRONEOUS EXPLANATIONS, AND CONCLUSION

I. Materialism

II. Materialistic Idealism

III. Idealistic Pantheism

IV. Ethical Monism

PART III - THE SCRIPTURES A REVELATION FROM GOD

CHAPTER I - PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

I. Reasons a priori for expecting a Revelation from God

II. Marks of the Revelation man may expect

III. Miracles, as attesting a Divine Revelation

IV. Prophecy as Attesting a Divine Revelation

V. Principles of Historical Evidence applicable to the Proof of a Divine Revelation

CHAPTER II - POSITIVE PROOFS THAT THE SCRIPTURES ARE A DIVINE REVELATION

I. The Genuineness of the Christian Documents

II. Credibility of the Writers of the Scriptures

III. The Supernatural Character of the Scripture Teaching

IV. The Historical Results of the Propagation of Scripture Doctrine

CHAPTER III - INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES

I. Definition of Inspiration

II. Proof of Inspiration

III. Theories of Inspiration

IV. The Union of the Divine and Human Elements in Inspiration

V. Objections to the Doctrine of Inspiration

PART IV - THE NATURE, DECREES, AND WORKS OF GOD

CHAPTER  I - THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

I. Definition of the term Attributes

II. Relation of the divine Attributes to the divine Essence

III. Methods of determining the divine Attributes

IV. Classification of the Attributes

V. Absolute or Immanent Attributes

VI. Relative Or Transitive Attributes

VII. Rank and Relations of the several Attributes

CHAPTER  II - DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

I. In Scripture there are three who are Recognized as God

II. These Three are so described in Scripture

III. This Tripersonality of the Divine Nature

IV. This Tripersonality is not Tritheism

V. The Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are equal

VI. Inscrutable, yet not self-contradictory

CHAPTER III - THE DECREES OF GOD

I. Definition of Decrees

II. Proof of the doctrine of Decrees

III. Objections to the doctrine of Decrees

IV. Concluding Remarks

CHAPTER IV - THE WORKS OF GOD; OR THE EXECUTION OF THE DECREES

SECTION I - CREATION

I. Definition of Creation

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Creation

III. Theories which oppose Creation

IV. The Mosaic Account of Creation

V. God’s End in Creation

VI. Relation of the Doctrine of Creation to other Doctrines

SECTION II - PRESERVATION

I. Definition of Preservation

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Preservation

III. Theories which virtually deny the doctrine of Preservation

IV. Remarks upon the Divine Concurrence

SECTION III - PROVIDENCE

I. Definition of Providence

II. Proof of the Doctrine of Providence

III. Theories opposing the Doctrine of Providence

IV. Relations of the Doctrine of Providence

SECTION IV - GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS

I. Scripture Statements and Intimations

II. Objections to the Doctrine of Angels

III. Practical Uses of the Doctrine of Angels

PART V - ANTHROPOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF MAN

CHAPTER I - PRELIMINARY

I. Man a Creation of God and a Child of God

II. Unity of the Human Race

III. Essential Elements of Human Nature

IV. Origin of the Soul

V. The Moral Nature of Man

CHAPTER  II - THE ORIGINAL STATE OF MAN

I. Essentials of Man’s Original State

II. Incidents of Man’s Original State

CHAPTER III - SIN, OR MAN’S STATE OF APOSTASY

SECTION I - THE LAW OF GOD

I. Law in General

II. The Law of God in Particular.

III. Relation of the Law to the Grace of God.

SECTION II - NATURE OF SIN

I. Definition of Sin.

II. The Essential Principle of Sin.

SECTION III - UNIVERSALITY OF SIN

I. Every human being who has arrived at moral consciousness has committed acts

II. Every member of the human race

SECTION IV - ORIGIN OF SIN IN THE PERSONAL ACT OF ADAM

I. The Sciriptural Account of the Temptation and Fall in Gen. 3:1-7.

II. Difficulties connected with the Fall considered as the personal Act of Adam.

III. Consequences of the Fall, so far as respects Adam.

SECTION V - IMPUTATION OF ADAM’S SIN TO HIS POSTERITY

I. Theories of Imputation.

II. Objections to the Augustinian Doctrine of Imputation.

SECTION VI - CONSEQUENCES OF SIN TO ADAM’S POSTERITY

I. Depravity.

II. Guilt.

III. Penalty.

SECTION VII - THE SALVATION OF INFANTS

PART VI - SOTERIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THROUGH THE WORK OF CHRIST AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

CHAPTER I - CHRISTOLOGY, OR THE REDEMPTION WROUGHT BY CHRIST

SECTION I - HISTORICAL PREPARATION FOR REDEMPTION

I. Negative Preparation

II. Positive Preparation

SECTION II - THE PERSON OF CHRIST

I. Historical Survey of Views Respecting the Person of Christ.

II. The two Natures of Christ

III. The Union of the two Natures in one Person.

SECTION III - THE TWO STATES OF CHRIST

I. The State of Humilliation.

II. The State of Exaltation.

SECTION IV - THE OFFICES OF CHRIST

I. The Prophetic Office of Christ.

II. The Priestly Office of Christ.

III. The Kingly Office of Christ.

CHAPTER II - THE RECONCILIATION OF MAN TO GOD,

SECTION I - THE APPLICATION OF CHRIST’S REDEMPTION IN ITS PREPARATION

I. Election.

II. Calling.

SECTION II - THE APPLICATION OF CHRIST’S REDEMPTION IN ITS ACTUAL BEGINNING

I. Union with Christ.

II. Regeneration.

III. Conversion.

IV. Justification.

SECTION III - THE APPLICATION OF CHRIST’S REDEMPTION IN ITS CONTINUATION

I. Sanctification.

II. Perseverance.

PART VII - ECCLESIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

CHAPTER I - THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH. OR CHURCH POLITY

I. Definition of the Church.

II. Organization of the Church.

III. Government of the Church.

IV. Relation of Local Churches to one Another.

CHAPTER  II - THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH

I. Baptism.

II. The Lord’s Supper.

PART VIII - ESCHATOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL THINGS

I. Physical Death.

II. The Intermediate State.

III. The Second Coming of Christ.

IV. The Resurrection.

V. The Last Judgment.

VI. The Final States of the Righteous and of the Wicked.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

PREFACE

VOLUME I - THE DOCTRINE OF GOD

VOLUME II - THE DOCTRINE OF MAN

PART IV - THE NATURE, DECREES, AND WORKS OF GOD

CHAPTER IV - THE WORKS OF GOD; OR THE EXECUTION OF THE DECREES

VOLUME III - THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

PART VI - SOTERIOLOGY, OR THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THROUGH THE WORK OF CHRIST AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

CHAPTER II - THE RECONCILIATION OF MAN TO GOD,