TH 513 Systematic Theology II

Dr. Mark Hardgrove, Instructor

Geisler, Norman Vol. 3
Systematic Theology II
Chapter Seventeen
“The Content of
Salvation”
pp. 524-553
The Content of Salvation

In this chapter Geisler wrestles with the thorny of

issue of what a person must believe (the content of
his faith) in order to be saved.

Though differences between denominations may

be subtle or stark, the question of content is
important in terms of establishing what we must
believe in order to be saved, and thereby
acknowledge one another as “brothers” and
“sisters” in the body of Christ.
Distinctions
 Geisler makes distinctions between different aspects of
believing and of faith:
 The Object of faith vs. the Basis of faith
 The Object of faith vs. the Content of faith
 The Conditions for Obtaining a Gift vs. Conditions for
Losing a Gift
 Absolute Conditions vs. Normative Conditions
 One-Time Normative Conditions vs. All-Time Normative
Conditions
 Explicit Necessary Conditions vs. Implicit Necessary
Conditions
 Consistent Beliefs vs. Inconsistent Beliefs
 Denying vs. Not Believing
The Difference Between
Absolute and Normative
It is normally but no absolutely necessary to use dry wood
in order to build a fire. Similarly, God could will as
normatively necessary what is not absolutely necessary for
someone to be saved. For example, He could will as a
normative salvific condition that all people believe in
Christ’s substituionary death (atonement) on their behalf,
even if this particularly belief were not an absolute
necessity for salvation. The present issue is not whether in
fact Christ needed to die for our sins in order for us to be
saved but whether belief in that reality is an absolutely
necessary condition for salvation.
The Difference Between
Explicit and Implicit
Normative Conditions
What is implicitly necessary for salvation is not
always explicitly so. It would seem that all essential
salvific (saving) truth itself is necessary for salvation
in its comprehensive sense. However, even
granting this (as most evangelicals do) does not
mean that a person must explicitly believe every
element of it in order to receive the gift of
everlasting life. It is possible, for example, that a
certain truly saved person never heard about (let
alone believed in) Christ’s virgin birth or ascension
at the time he believed the gospel and was saved
(cf. Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-6).
Geisler’s Assessment of
Content
In the final slide of this presentation is a
chart (found on pages 544-545 of Geisler,
vol. 3), in which Geisler, using the delimiters
of absolute, normative, explicit and implicit,
indicates what he believes is essential for
salvation.
Absolutely refers to what is nor isn’t an
absolute necessity for belief today to be
saved; that is, whether God could or couldn’t
save someone unless he or she believed it.
Geisler’s Assessment of
Content
Normatively refers to whether
something is mandated by God but is
not absolutely necessary; that is,
whether the belief is required by God
for His own reasons, not because
salvation wouldn’t be possible without
that specific belief.
Geisler’s Assessment of
Content
Explicitly refers to whether a person must
overtly believe in a specific truth in order to
receive salvation.

Implicitly refers to whether or not a certain

truth, while not an explicit part of the belief
content necessary for salvation today, is
implied in another truth in which belief is
explicitly necessary for salvation today.
Geisler’s Assessment of
Content
Familiarize yourself with the chart
on the next slide. Ask yourself if
you agree with Geisler’s assessment
and why you agree or disagree.
What Is Necessary to Believe to Be
Saved? Absolutely Normativel Explicitly Implicitly
y Only
1. Human Depravity No Yes No Yes
2. Christ’s Virgin Birth No Yes No Yes
3. Christ’s Sinlessness No Yes No Yes
4. Christ’s Humanity No Yes No Yes
5. Christ’s Deity Yes Yes Yes No
6. God’s Unity Yes Yes Yes No
7. The Trinity No Yes No Yes
8. The Necessity of Grace Yes Yes Yes No
9. The Necessity of Faith Yes Yes Yes No
10. Christ’s Atoning Death No Yes Yes No
11. Christ’s Bodily Resurrection No Yes Yes No

12. Christ’s Bodily Ascension No No No No

13. Christ’s Present Session No No No No
14. Christ’s Bodily Second No No No No
Coming
Reminders

Know when your final paper is due and

prep for the final exam.