Theology Proper is the doctrinal study of God Himself
—
His existence, nature, attributes, and works.
The term “proper” indicates that this is theology in the strictest sense:
the study of the one true God.
It forms the foundation for every other area of Christian doctrine.
Theology Proper asks and answers the most basic and important question of all:
Who is God?
Theology Proper centers on what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture. It does not attempt to discover God by human speculation alone, but receives the self-revelation of the living God who has spoken. Scripture presents God as the eternal, self-existent Creator, perfect in all His attributes, existing as one God in three Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine undergirds everything else in the Christian faith: creation, providence, salvation, the church, and the hope of glory. Right thoughts about God lead to right worship, trust, obedience, and joy; wrong thoughts about God distort the whole of life and faith.
- God has revealed Himself both through general revelation (creation and conscience) and special revelation (Scripture and ultimately Jesus Christ).
- God is personal, not an impersonal force; He speaks, acts, loves, judges, and enters into relationship with His creatures.
- The one true God exists eternally as three distinct Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who are co-equal and co-eternal.
- God’s attributes are not separate parts of His being; they are the perfections of His unified, simple nature.
- God is both transcendent (exalted above and beyond creation) and immanent (present and active within creation).
- Knowledge of God is both intellectual and relational; it is meant to produce worship, reverence, and obedience.
- All true theology begins with God and returns to God; He is the source, center, and goal of all things.
- Existence of God – The reality of the one true God as the foundation of all that exists.
- Knowability of God – God can be truly known because He has revealed Himself, yet never fully comprehended by finite creatures.
- Attributes of God – The perfections of God’s nature (holiness, love, sovereignty, wisdom, power, faithfulness, and more).
- Trinity – The one God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- God’s Decree and Works – His eternal purpose and His acts of creation, providence, and redemption.
- Names of God – The various names and titles by which God reveals His character.
- Worship of God – The only fitting response to the knowledge of who God is.
- Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
- Exodus 3:14 – “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’”
- Exodus 34:6-7 – “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
- Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
- Isaiah 40:25, 28 – “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One… The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”
- Isaiah 45:5 – “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.”
- John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- John 17:3 – “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
- 1 Timothy 1:17 – “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.”
- 1 John 4:8, 16 – “God is love.”
- Revelation 4:11 – “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things.”
Theology Proper is the heart of all Christian doctrine. Everything else — creation, sin, salvation, the church, and the future — takes its meaning from who God is. To know God as He has revealed Himself is the greatest privilege and the deepest need of every human being. Scripture does not leave us to guess at His character; it discloses Him as the eternal, holy, loving, sovereign, and faithful God who has made Himself known supremely in Jesus Christ. The proper response to Theology Proper is not mere information, but reverence, trust, worship, and joyful obedience to the One who is and who will be forever.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.