Systematic Theology Bible Discussion

Chapter 4 Theology- Like Chapter 3, Chapter 4 displays the justice and mercy of God. God even reaches out to Cain and tells him, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him” (vs7). God doesn’t leave us without instruction. The path of righteousness is written, and God warns us of the deceitful nature of sin. After Cain kills his brother, God again gives room for repentance, as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He asks Cain where his brother Abel is (9). Only after Cain denied having any knowledge of his brother did God pass down judgment. It should be noted here that the rightful judgment for Cain would have been death. But God spares his life and exiles him instead. The judgment is still heavy. He removed his profession from him, tilling the ground (2), by declaring that the ground would no longer yield its fruit for him (12), and then exiling him amon...

  Bibliology- This chapter presents a number of theological challenges, especially in regard to the nature of God. A plain reading of the text without context to any other passage in the Bible might lead one to believe that God has a physical body (verse 8), and that He is not omniscient (verses 9-12). This is why an understanding of the complete Bible is important, and it is also helpful to learn from Christian scholars who came before us who have already wrestled with some of these issues. The first issue is the idea that God has a physical body, presented in verse 8. Jesus tells us that God is Spirit, and must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Further, we can affirm the omnipresence of God throughout the Old Testament. This idea is perhaps expressed most beautifully in Psalm 139:7-10: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I ...