Dr. Heiser’s teaching on “primary sources” focuses upon the other nation’s writings that surround the Israel account in the Old Testament and the Second Temple Period literature written at the time of the New Testament [1]. OT times had writings not contained within Scripture, but highly relevant, intellectual material that lends itself to the establishment of solid background from the different nations in contact with Israel during the Near Eastern period. These nations, like the Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Hittites, and Canaanites, had literature able to reveal a great deal about their civilizations. And the New Testament Second Temple period Jewish literature that was written in the Greek world of Alexander portrayed the Hellenized aspects that directly relate to the times and things of the New Testament world.
Professional Theologists must take Dr. Heiser’s teachings to a deeper level of consideration if they want to develop their abilities of precise Scripture interpretation, especially with regard to New Testament issues. The Church, and the early Church Fathers, the Saints and the sinners that have walked the sacred halls of doctrinal debate, wrote letters and reports and verdicts and arguments. Every doctrinal issue that any New Testament Christian Church holds has primary sources that have recorded these beliefs as they developed or deteriorated.
Becker Professional Theological Academy professors require their students to know the primary originators of all doctrinal beliefs, with concise knowledge concerning the primary sources the lead and follow the establishment of official Christian Church belief. Any historical or doctrinal papers written by Professional Theology students must always include primary source material, with a careful tracing of the development based upon these important documents, or the papers will be considered incomplete.
Officially, the following Councils supplied a considerable amount of primary source paper trails that show how each of the important doctrines developed:
Council of Nicaea (First) – (First Ecumenical (“worldwide”) Council) First church council was called by Emperor Constantine in 325, to decide the nature of Jesus. The council ruled that Jesus was both human and divine, and that he was equivalent to the same substance as God the Father. Arianism was made a heresy by their decision, and the Nicene Creed encapsulated this theological doctrine.
Council of Constantinople (First) - (Second Ecumenical Council) Called by Emperor Theodosius I in 381. The council declared the Trinitarian doctrine of the equality of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as expressed by the Nicene Creed.
Council of Ephesus (First) (Third Ecumenical Council) Repudiated Nestorianism and Pelagianism, proclaimed the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos ("God-bearer"), and reaffirmed the Nicene Creed in the year 431.
Council of Ephesus (Second) - (Not and Ecumenical Council) Declared Eutyches orthodox and attacked his opponents. Originally convened as an Ecumenical council in 449, it is not recognized as such, and is actually denounced as a "Robber Council" by the Chalcedonians (Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants)
Council of Chalcedon - (The Fourth Ecumenical Council) of the church was called to debate the nature of God in 451. Jesus was declared to have had two natures from birth, one divine and one human, and combined in equal portions within the single being of Jesus. This council upheld the statements of faith from the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople and reemphasized the decision of the Council of Ephesus. It was held in Chalcedon (Modern Kadikoy, Turkey) when called by the emperor Marcian to reject Monophysite heresy, and to approve the Nicaea and Constantinople Creeds. The council position eventually split Christendom into three parts; in the middle were those who accepted Chalcedon and became the orthodox majority in Byzantium, the Monophysites, and the Nestorian Church. They adopted the Chalcedonian Creed which described the hypostatic union of the two natures of Christ as human and divine. It also reinstated those deposed in 449, and elevated Constantinople and Jerusalem to the status of Patriarchs.
Council of Constantinople (Second) - (Fifth Ecumenical Council) Second Council of Constantinople was called by Emperor Justinian I in 553. The council endorsed the edict of Justinian's, lending support to Monophysitism, which diminished the earlier Council of Chalcedon. It repudiated the Three Chapters as Nestorian, condemned Origen of Alexandria, and decreed Theopaschite Formula.
Council of Constantinople (Third) - (Sixth Ecumenical Council) Third Council of Constantinople was called by Emperor Constantine IV Pogonatus in 680. The council condemned Monotheletism and Monoenergism and endorsed the view of Maximus that Christ had two wills, one human and one divine, acting in perfect accord.
Council in Trullo (Quinisext Council) - (Not considered an Ecumenical Council by the Western Churches) Called in 692 to address matters of discipline by amendment to the 5th and 6th councils, and the Biblical canon.
Council of Nicaea (Second) (Seventh Ecumenical Council) Restored the veneration of icons which had been condemned at the Council of Hieria, 754, and repudiated iconoclasm. (This council is rejected by some Protestant denominations, which condemned the veneration of icons)
Council of Constantinople (Fourth, Roman Catholic) - (Eighth Ecumenical Council) Fourth Council of Constantinople was called by Emperor Basil I in 869-870, to excommunicate St. Photius, resulting in increased animosity between the Western and Eastern churches. It deposed Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople and reinstated St. Ignatius. (This council is accepted by the Roman Catholic Church but rejected as a robber council by the Eastern Orthodox Church.)
Council of Constantinople (Fourth, Eastern Orthodox) - (Eighth Ecumenical Council) Restored Photius to the See of Constantinople and condemned the double-procession doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit in 879-880. (This council is accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Church but not regarded as Ecumenical by the Roman Catholic Church.)
The Reformation, Great Awakening, and the Anabaptist and Puritan movements, are some of many historical events in Church history. Each of these and all other important events had leaders who wrote extensively about their times and the conflicts they faced. Each historic event in the development of Christian churches has many primary source materials that Professional Theologists must know to such a degree that no thought is necessary in their identification. Throughout your studies, we will delve deeper and longer into many of these great leaders of the Early Church movements; as they are developed, it would be wise to keep a file on each, and memorize the people and the writings associated with them so primary sources can be easily identified when needed.
So, not only are primary sources critical to good Biblical interpretation, they are also important to doctrinal identification that was developed through Scripture interpretation efforts. But, take care that primary sources are not used wrongly. Ministerial Theologists, especially those of conservative leanings, rely upon primary sources and ignore modern-day scholarship that God has moved through a deeper understanding. Academic Theologists sometimes throw primary sources out when considering modern-day ideas, sometimes in an arrogant fashion that belittles the efforts of those Saints and sinners of early church development. Professional Theologists must know primary sources and be able to trace the development of Bible interpretation into doctrine into modern-day belief, as well as guide error and faulty thinking back to the place of Scripture Truth when scholarship pushes primary sources away.
Important hint to Professional Theology students: Keep this lists of councils handy; better yet, memorize them early in your student journey. It is imperative that Professional Theologists are able to identify council events and primary source documents that originated from each.
Bibliography
Heiser, Michael S. BI101 Lecture Introducing Biblical Interpretation: Contexts and Resources: LOGOS Bible Software.
Links
About the Author
Kathy L. McFarland is President and Founder of Becker Bible Ministries, Inc. and the Becker Professional Theology Academy. She is also a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She has received her Bachelor of Science degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University, is on track for the Master of Divinity (Professional Ministries Track) degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary & Graduate School in 2016 and will be seeking a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Theology and Apologetics beginning in the fall of 2016. She is the originator of the newest theological movement to encourage Christian leaders to minister within the modern-day marketplace as Professional Theologists. She is also the Curriculum Developer for Becker Professional Theology Academy and a teaching faculty member. Kathy's favorite studies to teach include the connections between Old Testament exegesis, Christian Apologetics, and Bible typology and mysteries.
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