For the session on August 26, 2009, Pastor Terrie Beede presented The Doctrine of Man Part 3: The Fall and the Doctrine of Satan and Demons within his "Studies in Theology" series. The session, like others in the series, was anchored by Paul's exhortation to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, stressing the minister's duty to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine" to ensure both his own salvation and that of his hearers.
This installment followed earlier discussions on the Doctrine of Man, which covered man's origin as God's highest creation, his constitution as a finite being with both material (body) and non-material (soul and spirit) aspects, and his reflection of the Trinity.
Pastor Beede introduced the doctrine of Satan and demons, clarifying its essential connection to understanding the fall of man. He noted that the discussion would focus on Satan's origin, role, purpose, and nature both before and after his fall. The primary scriptural texts used for this examination were Ezekiel 28:1-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15.
The speaker addressed the scholarly debate regarding whether these passages refer solely to earthly kings (the "prince of Tyrus" and "king of Tyrus" in Ezekiel, or the "king of Babylon" in Isaiah) or if they also implicitly describe a supernatural being—Satan. Beede presented arguments for the latter interpretation, noting a significant change in language within Ezekiel 28. While the first part of the chapter addresses an earthly prince on human terms, later verses (starting from verse 12) use language that transcends a mere man, referring to someone who was:
• "Sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty".
• Having "been in Eden, the garden of God".
• Adorned with various precious stones.
• An "anointed cherub that covereth" upon "the holy mountain of God".
• "Perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee".
This shift in terminology, particularly the mention of Eden and identifying the subject as a "cherub," strongly suggests that the text is referring to Satan, a created angelic being who fell due to his pride and the corruption of his wisdom and beauty.
The session laid the groundwork for future studies on the fall of man and the doctrine of sin. The next theological topic in the series was anticipated to be the doctrine of the church.