Chapter 1: Making & Begetting

I. Why theology?
    A. Theology is not the same as the experience of God.
    B. Theology is like a map.
        1. Theology includes the experience of many people.
        2. But a mere feeling about God is insufficient.
II. Theology is practical.
    A. Preventing bad ideas about God, like popular religion.
    B. Avoids wrong ideas about Christianity.
    C. Preserves correct ideas about Christianity.
        1. Christianity is not just a collection of good advice.
        2. Christianity says the we can become sons of God.
        3. Christianity says that Christ’s death saves us from our sins.
III. Begotten vs. created
    A. We are created; Christ was begotten before all worlds.
        1. “Make” produces something different from self.
        2. “Beget” produces something like self.
    B. Man is made in the image of God but does not have the kind of life God has, i.e., spiritual life.
        1. Bios is biological life, which reaches its zenith in man and is finite.
        2. Zoe is the spiritual life that God has and is eternal.
    C. Christianity presents the means to obtain Zoe.

Discussion Questions: (pp. 153-159)
    1. How has theology touched your personal experience of God? (p. 155)
    2. How dangerous are non-orthodox ideas about God? (pp. 155-156)
    3. Is coming to faith for you like coming to life? How? (Eph. 2:4-5,10) (p. 159)