How Can I Understand the Bible? Installment 1

Under this heading we will be discussing such matters as illumination, hermeneutics (i.e. principles of interpretation), prerequisites for proper interpretation, Then we will move to the general divisions of the Bible including the six covenants, and seven dispensations. I will conclude this study of Bibliology with the distinctions between Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology and I hope many will participate.

I think every believer agrees that illumination is the witness of the God (esp. the Holy Spirit) to the Word of God which enables the believer to understand its content. We have God's Word and we can pray as the Psalmist prayed, "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works... Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." (Ps. 119:27,73)

Let's compare the following verses as well:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 16: 17)

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. (Acts 16: 14)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1Cor. 2:12-13).

Hermeneutics is a word that is (unfortunately) usually confined to the dusty halls of the seminary it simply means interpretation; that is, to explain or tell the meaning of or to present something in understandable terms. In this case we apply hermeneutics to the Bible. We endeavor to understand it and then explain it. Before we get started I must point out that there are two main views of biblical interpretation, and here lies the greatest divide between biblical thinking Christians today. Both start with the notion of Sola Scriptura or Scripture Alone as a premise, and up to this point both schools of thought could give a hearty “Amen!” to all we have affirmed on Bibliology thus far. However, as far as Bibliology is concerned this is where the two schools end in similarity as we will see.

Before, one “rips apart” their perceived “opponent” I would like to lay to rest many misconceptions with a heartfelt disclaimer. First this bloger not only appreciates and has benefited from many fine conservatives in each school, and not only have several in each camp earned my respect as gifted teachers, preachers, and servants in the work of the Lord, but I also have a deep love, and respect for my brothers and sisters in Christ, those who differ with me and those who do not, academically and personally! This goes for those near and far, present and absent. Therefore, if you wish to make comments (and I wish you would) please be as kind as possible and fair. I am growing in this way too; I see no point in bickering, but blessings and growth in understanding. I for one tend to be full of sarcasm; I will try to keep it on hold. Also bear in mind that we will circle back to these ideas again and again. We are not trying to be exhaustive here, but my desire is to begin to get our "theological" feet wet.

Keeping this disclaimer in mind I will present a little explaination and background of the two main ways biblical hermeneutics is understood.

The Allegorical Approach

The word allegory comes from the Greek allEgorein meaning to speak figuratively. According to Merriem-Webster it is "...the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence also: an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression." The adjective is allegorical and means "...having hidden spiritual meaning that transcends the literal sense of a sacred text..."

The allegorical method of interpretation produces Covenant Theology and visa versa Covenant Theology necessitates some form of allegorical interpretation.

This is why; desiring to see Christ, and/or His plan of salvation as it relates to man in every passage, the allegorical interpreter must seek a deeper or hidden meaning of his text often claiming that the Bible is spiritual and must have a spiritual rendering (here we could discuss Origins theory of the trichotomy of man and how it effects this hermeneutical method). This method goes back to the Alexandrian school of thought around 200 AD. It is also known as the Soteriological or Christological approach to Scripture, though in recent years I have heard many try to say that they follow a doxological approach as it “relates” to salvation or Christ or the church. I don't think there is any argument on this point.

The Plain or Normal Approach

The plain and/or normal (not necessarily literal) method of interpretation produces Dispensational Theology.

This is why; each text is unfolded consistently in its plain or normal rendering. Seeking nothing but God's glory in every text, it continued throughout the history of biblical interpretation and was taught in the Antiochene school of thought around 200 AD. The word "doxology" means praise to God or glory to God, that is why this method of interpretation is also known as the Doxological approach to Scriptures.

The later in my view is the best approach because of its grammatical consideration of all the parts of the grammar of each text. It also takes into consideration the actual historical events of each text. Thirdly it is not without theological consideration, which is the teaching of God in each text and a comparison of Scripture with Scripture.

Getting the Most From Bible Study

There are some prerequisite for getting the most favorable results in ones interpretation of the Bible and therefore building ones relationship with our Lord. First to even have a Father/child relationship with God one must be saved, this is the only way one can claim to be a Christian in the biblical sense. Then, when reading the Bible the Christian must depend on the Holy Spirit as the Teacher. Thirdly, the Christian must be teachable and be willing to obey what is taught.

Here are some general principles of interpretation:

1. Interpret grammatically and historically.

2. Interpret according to the immediate and wider contexts.

3. Interpret in harmony with the whole Bible (cf. Scripture w/ Scripture).

When I get the opportunity to teach children’s Sunday school I often ask, "What color is your Bible?" Getting various responses a child will inevitably say "Red!" I will commend the child and tell the class that every Bible should be "read". What about you friend is your Bible read?

WE HAVE A SURE PROPHETIC WORD

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19)

The Hymn

Words: Em­man­u­el Cron­en­wett, 1880.

Music: Wo Gott zum Haus, Geist­liche Lied­er (Wit­ten­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1535)

Tune: Click here.

We have a sure prophetic Word,
By inspiration of the Lord;
And though assailed on every hand,
Jehovah’s Word shall ever stand.

By powers of empire banned and burned,
By pagan pride rejected, spurned,
The Word still stands, the Christian’s trust,
While haughty empires lie in in dust.

Lo, what the Word in times of old
Of future days and deeds foretold
Is all fulfilled while ages roll,
As traced on the prophetic scroll.

Abiding, steadfast, firm, and sure
The teachings of the Word endure.
Blest he who trusts this steadfast Word;
His anchor holds in Christ, the Lord.

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

This is an excellent statement of faith click on to it, then let me know what you think.

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

Earl, does this answer your question?

Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Scriptures, How did we get the Bible?

How Did We Get the Bible?

We have already seen that Scriptures are very important, and that they claim for themselves to be the Word of God. This places a lot of weight on the Bible. We will now begin to look at how we got the Bible in the first place. In doing so there are four terms we should become familiar with; revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, and canonicity.

Revelation

When speaking of revelation we are speaking of the process by which God acts in history, makes Himself personally present to His people, and communicates to them His saving will, purposes, and claims upon their lives. Revelation thus encompasses God's deeds, God's presence, and God's Word; it is both "personal" and "propositional" in nature. We thus learn that revelation is the original deed, and self-presentation, or communication of God to mankind through His Word the Bible. Revelation is the divine act of communicating to man which other wise man would never know.

There are two ideas to consider the first is general revelation or natural revelation, and the second is special revelation. We will treat these in greater detail when we move into Theology Proper. For now, just to dip our toe in the water, general revelation refers to that which God has revealed to man about Himself through the natural world or in a general way. For example in Matthew 5:45 we read, “…He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (NIV) In Romans 1:19-20 we can comprehend, “…that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” Also consider Rom. 2:14-16 and Acts 14: 17.

The second idea is special revelation which means God reveals Him self in “special ways” outside of or apart from the universe, nature, and creation; this is especially true of the Bible. Today we are privileged to have the completed Word of God, the Bible and this is the primary means and only sure means of special revelation.

Inspiration

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2Timothy 3:16-17)

Connected to revelation is inspiration. Inspiration in the biblical sense refers to the divine origin of the Scriptures, through the Holy Spirit's influence upon the human authors. It literally means breathed out. The doctrine of inspiration presupposes God's providential supervision over the entire process of the formation of the canon or recognized Books (this will be treated later), so that the original revelation was recorded and transmitted in ways consistent with the divine intention.

Fundamentalists hold that inspiration is plenary, meaning inspiration extends to all parts of the canonical books and that this plenary inspiration is verbal, meaning it extends to the very words of the text, and not merely the ideas contained therein. In this connection The Earnest Contender holds to the ideas of confluent and organic inspiration. These are words used to denote a view of inspiration which recognizes the instrumentality of the human writer's personality, as opposed to "mechanical" that God took over and/or "dictation" God told them what to write.

Inerrancy

Thy word is very pure... (Psalm 119:140)

Inerrancy or infallibility is the consequence of divine inspiration, preserving the original writers of Scripture from all error in their scripted (written down) teaching. There are some well meaning evangelicals who teach that inerrancy is predicated only of biblical doctrine concerning faith and practice. Still others, especially new evangelicals, who feel that even inerrancy in areas of faith and practice is debatable. Then there are liberals who prefer to be called moderates who deny the doctrine of infallibility out right. The student of God’s Word must exercise discernment in this, and I pray that you do.

The Earnest Contender holds firm to the proposal that inerrancy extends to all matters for which the Bible speaks, including both scientific and historical detail. This is the best approach and has been proven many times over in the field of natural science. This view considers that sound biblical interpretation takes into account such factors as authorial intent, literary genre, colloquial expressions, approximations, anthropomorphisms, and the like.

Canonicity

The authority of the Bible rests in its Canonicity. The 66 books called the Bible were brought together and recognized as sacred Scripture, this process is known as canonization. Each book had to meet certain requirements, for example they must have been written by a Prophet, or an Apostle, or someone in the close company or commissioned by the above, in other words they must claim, and meet the tests of divine authority. To learn more about the canon see the article 27 Is the Number Right?

This has not been an exhaustive study on these terms but merely a glimpse so that we become somewhat familiar with them, and to answer the question “Where did the Bible come from?” I am open for questions here so please ask away.

The next post we will begin to answer the question “How can I understand the Bible?”

Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Scriptures, How did we get the Bible?

How Did We Get the Bible?

We have already seen that Scriptures are very important, and that they claim for themselves to be the Word of God. This places a lot of weight on the Bible. We will now begin to look at how we got the Bible in the first place. In doing so there are four terms we should become familiar with; revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, and canonicity.

Revelation

When speaking of revelation we are speaking of the process by which God acts in history, makes Himself personally present to His people, and communicates to them His saving will, purposes, and claims upon their lives. Revelation thus encompasses God's deeds, God's presence, and God's Word; it is both "personal" and "propositional" in nature. We thus learn that revelation is the original deed, and self-presentation, or communication of God to mankind through His Word the Bible. Revelation is the divine act of communicating to man which other wise man would never know.

There are two ideas to consider the first is general revelation or natural revelation, and the second is special revelation. We will treat these in greater detail when we move into Theology Proper. For now, just to dip our toe in the water, general revelation refers to that which God has revealed to man about Himself through the natural world or in a general way. For example in Matthew 5:45 we read, “…He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (NIV) In Romans 1:19-20 we can comprehend, “…that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” Also consider Rom. 2:14-16 and Acts 14: 17.

The second idea is special revelation which means God reveals Him self in “special ways” outside of or apart from the universe, nature, and creation; this is especially true of the Bible. Today we are privileged to have the completed Word of God, the Bible and this is the primary means and only sure means of special revelation.

Inspiration

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2Timothy 3:16-17)

Connected to revelation is inspiration. Inspiration in the biblical sense refers to the divine origin of the Scriptures, through the Holy Spirit's influence upon the human authors. It literally means breathed out. The doctrine of inspiration presupposes God's providential supervision over the entire process of the formation of the canon or recognized Books (this will be treated later), so that the original revelation was recorded and transmitted in ways consistent with the divine intention.

Fundamentalists hold that inspiration is plenary, meaning inspiration extends to all parts of the canonical books and that this plenary inspiration is verbal, meaning it extends to the very words of the text, and not merely the ideas contained therein. In this connection The Earnest Contender holds to the ideas of confluent and organic inspiration. These are words used to denote a view of inspiration which recognizes the instrumentality of the human writer's personality, as opposed to "mechanical" that God took over and/or "dictation" God told them what to write.

Inerrancy

Thy word is very pure... (Psalm 119:140)

Inerrancy or infallibility is the consequence of divine inspiration, preserving the original writers of Scripture from all error in their scripted (written down) teaching. There are some well meaning evangelicals who teach that inerrancy is predicated only of biblical doctrine concerning faith and practice. Still others, especially new evangelicals, who feel that even inerrancy in areas of faith and practice is debatable. Then there are liberals who prefer to be called moderates who deny the doctrine of infallibility out right. The student of God’s Word must exercise discernment in this, and I pray that you do.

The Earnest Contender holds firm to the proposal that inerrancy extends to all matters for which the Bible speaks, including both scientific and historical detail. This is the best approach and has been proven many times over in the field of natural science. This view considers that sound biblical interpretation takes into account such factors as authorial intent, literary genre, colloquial expressions, approximations, anthropomorphisms, and the like.

Canonicity

The authority of the Bible rests in its Canonicity. The 66 books called the Bible were brought together and recognized as sacred Scripture, this process is known as canonization. Each book had to meet certain requirements, for example they must have been written by a Prophet, or an Apostle, or someone in the close company or commissioned by the above, in other words they must claim, and meet the tests of divine authority. To learn more about the canon see the article 27 Is the Number Right?

This has not been an exhaustive study on these terms but merely a glimpse so that we become somewhat familiar with them, and to answer the question “Where did the Bible come from?” I am open for questions here so please ask away.

The next post we will begin to answer the question “How can I understand the Bible?”

Bibliology: What is the Bible? The Supernatural Origin of the Bible

The Supernatural Origin of the Bible

"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you…” Jer. 30:2 (NIV)

The Bible must have been written by our Creator, for no body but the Lord who created men could know so much about them. This volume reveals the secrets of all hearts. It unveils our privet thoughts. (Spurgeon at His Best, p.24)

This post will bring us to our conclusion of "What is the Bible?" I wish to attest to the supernatural origin of the Bible so that we may apply with confidence its sacred contents to our lives.

The Bible is the Book of God (as noted above in Jeremiah 30:2) it demonstrates that it is of a supernatural origin first of all by virtue of being Theo-centric, meaning it centers on God. Not only is it Theo-centric the God of the Bible is unique in that He is Mono-Theistic and the Mono-Theistic God of the Bible is unique in that He is the Tri-Une God or the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Secondly the Bible shows itself to be supernatural in its origin by its clear presentation of sin and a cure that really works. We noted earlier when we discussed the subject matter of the Bible, that no other so called “Holy Book” can make this claim.

The Bible also displays its supernatural origin in the areas of ethics and morals. “Why?” Because the Bible is comprehensive, that means it touches all areas of conduct not just a few areas and it judges the motives not just the externals. The Bible is the only Holy Book that does this.

The continuity of the Bible too, supports the idea of its supernatural origin, given the facts of many authors, literary forms, time, and places written; the Bible demonstrates remarkable continuity unlike any other "Holy Book". All other "Holy Books" were written primarily by one person so one would expect continuity. Examples are the Koran written by Mohammed, and the Book of Mormon written by Joseph Smith. Even these are full of holes! Yes, I have read them!

Concerning prophecy and fulfillment; the Bible does this in precision detail! We will cover much of these in Eschatology (study of the end times). Prophecy and fulfillment also solidify that the Scriptures have a supernatural origin. Closely related to prophecy are types and anti-types the Bible alone repeats themes all the way through using types and anti-types.

We brought out in the last post the wonder of the (eight) literary forms, the Bible as strictly literature is paramount. No other work has stood up to the scrutiny that the Bible has. One never hears about the discrepancies of Shakespeare, Dickens, or Jane Austen. And for some reason men don't really care if they stand as condemned criminals before Homer (ascribed writer of the Odyssey).

The Bible is also unprejudiced; what is meant by unprejudiced is that there are no perfect heroes in the Bible and imperfect villains. The Bible makes clear the shortcomings, failures and sins of the heroes (e.g. Noah, and David, and Elijah) and even portrays the virtues of the villains. No other "Holy Book" does this like the Bible. In the Koran the villains are villains and the heroes can do no wrong.

When it comes to the area of science many Bible teachers compromise with the theories of evolution and claim that evolution is not compatible with the Bible. They are right the theory of evolution is not compatible with the Bible! Although the Bible is not a scientific book it never has to be revised because of science. On the other hand with the discovery of new evidence "science" so called has had to be revised to conform to the Bible time after time after time. The award winning Answers in Genesis website is the best place to explore science from a biblical perspective give it a try.

Finally there is the enduring freshness of the Bible. The Bible can be read and reread over and over again and still one can discover from its pages something new and lasting that will bring one to a better understanding of God and deepen ones relationship with God each and every time! Try that with Tolkien... it won’t happen. This too makes it obvious that the Bible has a supernatural origin, and that origin is God Himself.

To answer our first question “What is the Bible?” We have examined the terminology, touched on the six primary attitudes toward the Bible, looked at the four wonders of the Bible, and sited its supernatural origin. If you have made it this far you have done well. The answer to our first question is that the Bible is the exclusive Book of God. There is no other book like anywhere! To conclude this segment of Bibliology I will quote Dr. Lewis Sperry Schaffer, founder of Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Schaffer has said, "The Bible is not a book men could write if he would, or would write if he could."

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Doctrinal statement concerning the Bible

Scripture is God's revelation to man in the 66 books of the Bible, 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT with no additional works, and no amendments to their contents (nothing added, and nothing taken away, see Rev. 22:18-19). The Bible in it's original autographs was plenary and verbally inspired by God, and coauthored by God Himself and Spirit-controlled men, it is therefore infallible (i.e. Inerrant) in every matter of which it speaks. The Bible was written by God, and cannot be destroyed, it is therefore eternal. The Bible is the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed, and opinions shall be tried (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet.1:19-21; Is. 40:8; 1 Pet. 1:24-25).
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Next question: How Did We Get the Bible?

Wonderful Words of Life

Wonderful Words of Life

Words & Music: Phil­ip P. Bliss, 1874

The tune: click here

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Refrain

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Refrain

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Refrain

I car­ried that song through two sea­sons of evan­gel­is­tic work, ne­ver think­ing it pos­sessed much mer­it, or that it had the ele­ment of spe­cial use­ful­ness, par­ti­cu­lar­ly for so­lo pur­pos­es. It oc­curred to me to try it one day dur­ing the cam­paign in New Ha­ven, [Con­nec­ti­cut, 1878,] and, with the help of Mrs. Steb­bins, we sang it as a du­et. To our sur­prise the song was re­ceived with the great­est en­thu­si­asm and from that time on to the close of the meet­ings was the fa­vo­rite of all the hymns used. As an il­lus­tra­tion of the hold it got up­on the peo­ple all about that sect­ion of the count­ry, I re­ceived a let­ter from the Sec­re­ta­ry of the Con­nec­ti­cut State Sun­day School As­so­ci­a­tion of­fer­ing me what seemed an ab­surd­ly large sum of mon­ey, if I would, with Mrs. Steb­bins, come to the State Con­ven­tion and sing that one song.

George C. Stebbins, Memoirs and Reminiscences

Bibliology: What is the Bible? The Four Wonders

The Four (4) Wonders of the Bible

There are internal as well as external evidences that the Bible is exactly what it claims to be the Word of God, for that reason it is authoritative, thus it can and should be trusted. I will speak about four wonders of the Bible that provide illustrations that are right on target to make this point clear. The four wonders are its formation, preservation, subject matter, and influence. I hope these serve to answer our question, “What is the Bible?”

Diversity in Unity

The first wonder of the Bible is formation. Formation illustrates diversity in unity. The first time I heard some of these and realized they were true I was struck with awe, because in my mind how else could this happen if the Bible were not of God. It also caused me to love and appreciate my Lord and His Word even more.

There are 66 books of the Bible that were written over a span of 1,600 years. The Bible was written by about 40 human authors (not listed here, in 3 different languages; Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. It was written in at least 3 different places; Israel, Babylon, Egypt.

The writers were of at least 11 various occupations, these are:

1 Kings
2 Soldiers
3 Fishermen
4 Tent makers
5 Priests
6 Statesmen
7 A tax collector
8 Farmers
9 Prophets
10 Shepherds
11 And at least one Medical Doctor

The Bible was written in eight (8) literary forms, this can be important to keep in mind when it comes to hermeneutics or interpretation, we will touch on this later. The eight literary forms are:

1 Narration
2 Biographies
3 Poetries
4 Proverbs
5 Dramas
6 Sermons
7 Letters or Epistles
8 Psalms

These aspects of the formation of the Bible that we have just covered constitute a wonder because it demonstrates vast diversity and yet maintains unity with harmony and not one contradicts the other. No other so called "holy book" can demonstrate this vast diversity and still maintain the unity of its contense.

Preservation

The second of the four wonders of the Bible is preservation. Although we do not have any of the autographa (original autographs), that which were written by Mosses, David, Paul, etc. We do have hand written copies of those originals called manuscripts. What is so very unique about the Bible is how God has preserved these manuscripts.

The Old Testament; before the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls the oldest Hebrew manuscripts we had was the Masoretic Texts dated at 1000 AD. 2500 years have passed since the writings of Mosses. The question is, “How can we be sure of the accuracy of those writings?” Of course by faith, but many times God also let’s us see with our eyes and touch with our hands. In 1947, 48 more Hebrew texts were found, The Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were written between 100 BC and 100 AD

“...so there is a gap of 1000 years between the two manuscripts and as the Archeologists and Textual Critics began to compare... The few differences were minute and never changed the meaning of a verse. For example, "He went to Jerusalem" compared to, "He went unto Jerusalem". (Fructenbaum)

Unless you have an obviously corrupted Bible for example The New World Translation the disparity from one version to another is infinitesimal (minute), my favorite so far is the KJV.

The New Testament; We have so many Greek texts available that by comparing we come very close to the original autographa. At this point we could discuss the transmission of our modern translations but let's not get bogged down here. If one would wish to get deeper into this topic please e-mail me and I will load you down with links galore.

For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you (1Pet. 1:24-25 NIV).

The Bible is indestructible. God promised that He would preserve His Word from destruction. These are four of my favorite historical facts; they are examples to prove that the Bible is indestructible;

Fact 1: The Roman Emperor Maximian said, "...in his day Christianity is [will be] destroyed and worship of the gods is [will be] restored..."

10 years later Constantine declared Christianity the state religion.

Fact 2: French enlightenment philosopher François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire wrote, “50 years from now the world will here no more about the Bible."

50 years later The Geneva Bible Society bought the very printing press Voltaire used to spread his teaching against the Bible.

Fact 3: Tyndale’s English Bibles were destroyed by “the church" until there was only one copy left.

Today there are more English Bibles than any other!

Fact 4: In the time of the American Revolution Thomas Payne said, "When I get through there will not be five Bibles left in America."

He was right there are NOT five Bibles left in America. Today America is the largest producer of Bibles in the world.

The influence the Bible has had both on individuals and on the course and history of nations is undeniable.

Subject Matter

The Third wonder of the Bible is the subject matter. The Bible deals with a great number of subjects in a most unique way, some examples are listed below.

1. The Personality, Unity, and Tri-unity of God.

2. The origin and fall of man, human depravity, the problem of sin.

3. The God/Man, Jesus Christ.

4. Provision of salvation, becoming a child of God.

5. Prophecy, the culmination of history.

No other so called "Holy Book" deals with these subjects. Some deal with similar, but only the Bible deals with this type of subject matter. For example the Koran speaks about sin, but offers no real, permanent solution for it. Some have made predictions about future events, but they are usually obscure or vague and never 100% accurate, like the Bible. Some books speak of eternal bliss but none like the Bible speak about the reality of heaven and hell. Some books may raise man to the heights of being a good servant of God, but the Bible shows us that we can become the children of God. This makes the subject mater of the Bible a wonder indeed.

Influence

The fourth wonder is that its influence both on individuals and on the course and history of nations is undeniable.

The next post will bring us to our conclusion of answering the question "What is the Bible?" We will discover the supernatural origin of the Bible and I will end with a doctinal statement. There will still be two questions left, "Where did we get the Bible?" and "How can I understand the Bible?"

The Gideon’s Bible Introduction

The Introduction of the Gideon’s Bible

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

STANDING ON THE PROMISES

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.” Hebrews 10:23

Words & Music: R. Kel­so Car­ter

The Source

The Tune

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Bibliology: What is the Bible?

Six Attitudes Toward the Bible

There are primarily six attitudes toward the Bible. Sometimes it is necessary to expose false teaching in light of biblical truth. This post will serve to touch on Rationalism, Mysticism, Romanism, Neo-Orthodoxy, and Cults without going into each one to deep. Remember I wish to answer the questions 1. What is the Bible? 2. How Did We Get the Bible? 3. How Can I Understand the Bible? The sixth attitude I will cover is the Orthodox position and this is the official position of The Earnest Contender.

1. Rationalism is the view that human reason alone is sufficient to solve all the problems relating to man's nature and destiny. According to this view the Bible is a nice book written by purely human authors. Man's reason alone, even apart from the Bible, can decide what is true, and therefore the mind is the final authority.

a) Extreme Rationalism says the mind is supreme; there is no possibility of revelation from God. This produces Secular Humanism, Atheism, Deism, Agnosticism, and it also gives a lift to Darwinism or visa versa.

b) Moderate Rationalism says that while there is revelation from God the mind must still be the judge, this produces: Modernism, Religious Liberalism, and Christian Humanism.

2. Mysticism seeks internal contact with the Divine or spirit world and claims that experience is supreme. C.G. Thorne JR. states,

There are many stages in mystical experience, however, and they are individually determined. Three are common: awareness and confession before God, life lived totally under God, and a most personal experience of God (C.G. Thorne JR. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, pp.961, 962)

According to this view the Word of God is incomplete therefore human experience is the authority (cf. Pantheism, and Quakerism). Some in the “charismatic movement” unwittingly fall into this camp because many times they determine what truth is according to experience and test or judge the Bible from personal experience. There are also those who claim direct contact with the spirit world. (eg. Kenneth Copland; Oral Roberts; Benny Hin; and others)

There is a true mysticism, but it has to do with the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (which we will cover latter), but it is the Spirit shedding light on the objective Word of God to the believer.

3. Romanism holds that the Bible with the addition of the Apocrypha (thirteen books added to the Bible in 1546 by the council of Trent) and church tradition are equal in authority. The Bible is the Word of God, says Romanism but it cannot be properly understood apart from the church because it is a product of the church. The church alone has the right to interpret the Sacred Writings, and is therefore the final authority.

Examples of Romanism are: The Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Interestingly many cults fit this pattern as we will soon see.

4. Neo-Orthodoxy stresses a personal encounter with the Divine, the Bible is not the Word of God, but it contains the Word of God.

All Scripture more or less perfectly bears witness to Christ, who is Himself the Word of God. Without a personal encounter with the Divine one is helpless to see anything in the Bible except for paradoxes of the Divine. Once this encounter occurs however then one can begin to determine what parts of the Bible are truth and what parts are not (cf. Karl Barth)

Once one has a Divine encounter parts of the Bible can be seen as revelation as one reads it. I have personally heard a man in this camp say, "The Bible can become the Word of God to you as you read along". Neo-Orthodoxy stresses a personal encounter with God rather than the communication of propositional information. The authority then is experience and sometimes the Bible as it suits you. This approach can be found in many main-line denominations, it is mostly associated with the work of Karl Barth and Emil Brunner, but I am not aware of any one denomination that is strictly Neo-Orthodox. Again it should not be surprising that some charismatics innocently land here.

5. Cults, many times use the Bible to give an appearance of credibility, and to gain acceptance, or approval within their communities, and as a tool to proselytize. Some cults may even claim initially that the Bible is their only authority, but further investigation will prove otherwise. Cults generally claim that the Bible (sometimes their very own translation of it) is authoritative, but cannot be understood apart from some other authority such as other writings (usually written by the founder and or other leaders of the cult), a principle, or the founder of the cult, who is on equal or a higher level than the Bible as God's communicator.

Some examples are: the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Science, Seventh Day Adventism, Unification Church, and the list could go on. These are just some of the cults that claim to be Christian, some have not only sought membership but have also achieved it with the NCCC and WCCC. If you or your church is involved in either of these groups I urge you Get Out! They are apostate and do not adhere to the sound teachings of the Word of God.

6. Orthodoxy is the last view we will consider, this approach is that the Bible and the Bible alone in its entirety is the eternal, inerrant, infallible, plenary and verbally inspired Word and final authority of God to man in every area of which it speaks. The Orthodox view is that the Bible is supreme. Reason, tradition, experience, knowledge, other writings, and human leaders are subject to the Bible. There is no inner light that adds to revelation, and there is no authority given to a church or to men that is equal, above, or goes beyond the Bible.

This is by far the best position, standing head and shoulders above the rest because its premise is found in the Bible and its author is God. Those who hold this position are generally known as Fundamentalist. Baptists have held to this distinctive ever since they have been known as Baptists and have championed this position during the Modernist/Fundamentalist controversy reaching its heights in the 1920's. The GARBC was given birth from this controversy and still champions this precious doctrine of “the faith”. Churches that compromise this position on the side of one or more of the other positions listed above can not be considered Fundamentalists because Sola Scriptura is a fundamental of "the faith" (Jude 3).

These are the six basic attitudes toward the Bible. The Orthodox view of Scripture will be followed in this study and all other studies in this series of Systematic Theology. It is the official position of The Earnest Contender so if something ever comes along and contradicts the Bible; we will go with what the Bible says… every time!

The next post in this series will be about the four wonders of the Bible.

Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Scriptures

Bibliology is the study of or the doctrine of the Bible. The Earnest Contender will seek to answer three questions 1. What is the Bible? 2. How Did We Get the Bible? 3. How Can I Understand the Bible?

What is the Bible?

Do you remember the story about Vince Lambarty? Instead of a football imagine him holding up leather bound Book with gilded edges and a satin marker ribbon saying, “This is a Bible!” He might go on to explain that, “It is the task of the evangelist, the substance of the Bible student, the bone and marrow of the expositor, and the joy of the teacher, to ‘open the Book’.”

Let’s begin by agreeing with the terminology. The word “Bible”, comes from the Greek word Bib-li-os, and means a roll, scroll, or book. Compare Luke 4:17(NIV)and (KJV), “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written…” (NIV) and “…He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written…” (KJV)

The Bible is also referred to as “Scripture” which comes from the Greek word graphei, meaning writings and is used pretty much solely of sacred books.

2Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

2Pet. 3:16 (NIV) “He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

The Bible is also called “the Word of God”. One may ask, “Where do people get the idea to call it the Word of God?” It comes to us from the pages of the Bible itself. The Word of God is the whole Bible; the OT/NT is the Word of God in written form.

Matt. 15:5-6 (NIV) “But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God’, he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”

John 10:35 "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken..."

Heb. 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Testament or Covenant- comes from the Hebrew word Be’rit “cutting”. The NT word is diatheke, “disposition” or “will”. We again refer here to the OT and the NT.

Pentateuch comes from the Greek word penta, “five” and uchos, "a tool" or "implement"; it is applied exclusively to the five books of Moses.

2Chr. 25:4 “…did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses…”

2Chr.35:12 “…as it is written in the book of Moses.”

Ezra 6:18 “…as it is written in the book of Moses.”

Neh.13:1 “…On that day they read in the book of Moses…”

Mark 12:26 “…have ye not read in the book of Moses…”

Torah comes from the Hebrew word for "law" or "instruction". It is the first of the three divisions of the Hebrew canon; Torah (Law), Nebiim (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings).

Matt. 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Matt. 22:40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”

Luke 24:44 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Acts 13:15 “And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Rom. 3:21 “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets…”

We are just starting. We have only covered the terminology on which I think we can all agree. I have not touched on any source that others may refer to as "holy writ" such as the Vedas, the Analects of Confucius, the Tao TŽ Ching, Kojiki, the Koran, the Apocrypha, the Book of Mormon, the Key to Scripture etc. These simply are not relevant to keeping our focus on the Bible in this study.

Next time we will touch on: Six (6) Attitudes Toward the Bible.

KIDS SPEAK ON THE BIBLE

The doctrine of the Bible or Bibliology is a great place to start in our study of Systematic Theology (ST). I know there is some debate weather ST begins with the doctrine of God (Theology Proper) or Bibliology, but for our purpose we will begin with Bibliology. My thinking is if we do not have a proper understanding of the Bible even Theology Proper can get messy. To help illustrate this I have received the following e-mail, and I pass it now on to you. Enjoy!


KIDS SPEAK ON THE BIBLE

THESE WERE WRITTEN BY CHILDREN. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RETOUCHED OR CORRECTED. INCORRECT SPELLING HAS BEEN LEFT IN.

1. IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GUINESSIS, GOD GOT TIRED OF CREATING THE WORLD SO HE TOOK THE SABBATH OFF.

2. ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE. NOAH'S WIFE WAS JOAN OF ARK. NOAH BUILT AND ARK AND THE ANIMALS CAME ON IN PEARS.

3. LOTS WIFE WAS A PILLAR OF SALT DURING THE DAY, BUT A BALL OF FIRE DURING THE NIGHT.

4. THE JEWS WERE A PROUD PEOPLE AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH UNSYMPATHETIC GENITALS.

5. SAMPSON WAS A STRONGMAN WHO LET HIMSELF BE LED ASTRAY BY A JEZEBEL LIKE DELILAH.

6. SAMSON SLAYED THE PHILISTINES WITH THE AXE OF THE APOSTLES.

7. MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS.

8. THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNT CYANIDE TO GET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

9. THE FIRST COMMANDMENTS WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE.

10. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT IS THOU SHALT NOT ADMIT ADULTERY.

11. MOSES DIED BEFORE HE EVER REACHED CANADA. THEN JOSHUA LED THE HEBREWS IN THE BATTLE OF GERITOL.

12. THE GREATEST MIRACLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM.

13. DAVID WAS A HEBREW KING WHO WAS SKILLED AT PLAYING THE LIAR. HE FOUGHT THE FINKELSTEINS, A RACE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.

14. SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVID'S SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND 700 PORCUPINES.

15. WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA.

16. WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE ARRIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER.

17. JESUS WAS BORN BECAUSE MARY HAD AN IMMACULATE CONTRAPTION.

18. ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD.

19. JESUS ENUNCIATED THE GOLDEN RULE, WHICH SAYS TO DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO ONE TO YOU. HE ALSO EXPLAINED A MAN DOTH NOT LIVE BY SWEAT ALONE.

20. IT WAS A MIRACLE WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE TOMBSTONE OFF THE ENTRANCE.

21. THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS.

22. THE EPISTELS WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES.

23. ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN.

24. ST. PAUL CAVORTED TO CHRISTIANITY, HE PREACHED HOLY ACRIMONY WHICH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR MARRAIGE.

25. CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY

Baptists have a long tradition of being people of the Book! For those who are not too familiar with Theology I hope you will feel at home here, and please don’t be afraid to ask a question in the comment section. I do recommend a careful reading of the previous study of prolegomenon first, and at the same time I think you will enjoy this study as well.

The Earnest Contender

Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology 5

What are the Different Kinds of Theological Studies?

As we mentioned before under the heading The Materials of ST, there is a systematic method at deriving at ST each discipline affecting the other. This final portion of Prolegomenon we will state what these different kinds of Theological Studies are.

One that many enjoy is Biblical Theology. According to Dr. Charles Ryrie, a noted and much respected theologian, “Biblical theology is that branch of theological science which deals systematically with the historically conditioned progress of the self revelation of God as deposited in the Bible.” (Ryrie, Biblical Theology of the New Testament, p.12) BT is organized around and within the writers own context.

Terms associated with BT: Categories; Background; Historical and Cultural; Chronological and Progressive;

Historical Theology “...traces the development of the Biblical doctrines from the time of the apostles to the present day, and gives account of the results of this development in the life of the church.” (Strong). HT is a form of church history focusing on the development and understanding of doctrine, unfortunately it can tend toward deviation of true doctrine.

Specific Book Theologies form of Biblical theologies (plural). For example: OT theology, NT theology, Johanian theology, Pauline theology, etc.

“Philosophical Theology is theologizing which draws upon the input of philosophy rather than using merely biblical materials.” (Erickson) An example of this is the philosophy of language.

Integrative Theology is not new; it employs a six step plan as follows:

Problem: Identify the perimeter impact
Historical Hypothesis- solutions
Bible teaching
Formulation
Apologetic Interaction
Relevance for Faith and Ministry

Integrative Theology claims that ST:
…doesn’t take historical theology seriously
…tends to proof text rather than follow the methods of biblical theology
…doesn’t employ a comprehensive enough test for truth
…often doesn’t defend doctrines of opposing views
…doesn’t show the relevance of each issue for the Christian life.

Systematic Theology explained by The Six Blind Men and the Elephant.

The Earnest Contender will attempt to show that ST is a logical, coherent, comprehensive, organization of teaching of Scripture into various divisions of theology.

Delineated

Prolegomenon, introduction to Systematic Theology

Bibliology, the Doctrine of the Scriptures

Theology Proper, the Doctrine of God (mainly God the Father)

Christology, the Doctrine of the Son

Pneumatology, the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Angelology, the Doctrine of the Angels Elect
a) Satanology, the Doctrine of Satan
b) Demonology, the Doctrine of the Fallen Angels

Anthropology, the Doctrine of Man

Hamartiology, the Doctrine of Sin

Soteriology, the Doctrine of Salvation

Ecclesiology, the Doctrine of the Church

Israelology, the Doctrine of Israel (the lost or forgotten doctrine)

Eschatology, the Doctrine of the Last Things

A Survey of the Baptist Distinctives

Last, but not least there is Practical Theology. PT involves application of truths gleaned from theology, for the purpose of the regeneration of unbelievers; and the sanctification, edification, and service to believers.

This concludes our Study of Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology.

Next we will begin Bibliology: the Doctrine of the Bible

THE BIBLE STANDS

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

Words & Music: Hal­dor Lil­le­nas

The tune

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.

Refrain

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

The Bible stands like a mountain towering
Far above the works of men;
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can.

Refrain

The Bible stands and it will forever,
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given,
All its precepts I will obey.

Refrain

The Bible stands every test we give it,
For its Author is divine;
By grace alone I expect to live it,
And to prove and to make it mine.

Refrain

With Bib­li­cal truth un­der in­tense at­tack from mod­ern cul­ture, it’s sad that most hymn­als have dropped this song. We need to be re­mind­ed of its mes­sage.

Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology 4

The Methods of Systematic Theology

The Methods or the way we do ST is just as important as the study itself. There are some prerequisites when it comes to getting the most out of this study here at the Earnest Contender.
The first prerequisite is the acceptance of the authority of the Scripture. The theologian (those who study about God, i.e. you and me) “…is not primarily engaged in the critical task of proving the inspiration and divine character of Scripture, but rather in arranging and exhibiting the positive truth the inspired Scripture sets fourth” (Chafer).

The second prerequisite is the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, illumination, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1John 2:27 NIV)

Another prerequisite is love of the Lord!

Also a disciplined mind, as we try to think God’s thoughts after Him (i.e. humility).

The quest for learning or a commitment to learn is another prerequisite.

Then, some would argue that a working knowledge of the original languages is a prerequisite too. However, keep in mind that while knowledge of the original languages is helpful, it is NOT a prerequisite. One can access this from any reliable concordance, or lexicon. Zodhiates Hebrew/Greek Study Bible is very good for the novice such as me. Also there are many on-line sources as well for those who wish to learn. "How important is knowledge of the original languages?" one asks.

“When I get some money, I will get me some Greek books, after that, some clothes.” (Erasmus)

The last prerequisite I will mention is patient and tireless study, and a lot of hard work.

“Orthodoxy” or “Orthopraxis” (?)

Now if you are still up to learning more about ST it you are doing well, yet there remains a question one should answer in ones own heart. I will give you my answer, but you must give yours. The question is, Are we Pursuing “Orthodoxy” or “Orthopraxis”?

1. Orthodoxy- right belief

2. Orthopraxis- right practice

The answer for me in this study is both! We begin with Orthodoxy and this should spill over into Orthopraxis.

“One can have the right doctrine without the right life practice, but one can not live the right way without the right doctrine” (Fruchtenbaum)

We will conclude Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology Monday, with answering, What are the Different Kinds of Theological Studies?

Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology 3

The Limitations to the Study of Theology

There are certain limitations to the study of ST. For our purpose here I will make a brief mention of each, feel free to jump in and fill any gaps if I miss something.

The first limitation is ignorance, because we posses a fallen nature (or sin nature), even those who are lost and those of us who are redeemed are not sinlessly intelligent.

The Bible clearly points this out, of the lost it says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Cor. 2: 14) and “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2Cor. 4: 4),

Of the redeemed (saved) Scriptures say, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (1Cor. 3:1) and “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Heb. 5:11-14)

The second limitation is finiteness- we are human and finite not God Who is infinite.

God cannot be fully known, but He can be truly known.

The third limitation is revelation. Yes revelation is limited, because while the Bible tells us everything God wants us to know about Him, it does not tell us everything there is to know about Him (Deut. 29: 29; John 20: 30- 31; 21: 25;).

Finally there is the finiteness of language (see “Theology and its Language” in Christian Theology pp. 127-149 Erickson, for a fuller treatment of this)

The source of the problem of language followed by Liberals, Neo-orthodoxy, Eastern religion, etc. is called logical positivism. An example of this is provided by Jimmy Swagart who once claimed, “I don’t need to see a miracle, because the greatest miracle of all can’t be seen, but felt”.

Some of the objections to theological language are:

...language cannot convey transcendent realities,

...human language can never be wholly or infallibly true, and

...human language from primitive cultures cannot be wholly true.

The Earnest Contender does not go along with these week assertions. This is why:

...the Bible teaches that God has spoken in the precise sense of using human language to communicate with man, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Heb. 1:1-2),

...God created man with linguistic abilities,

...God is a competent speaker and is in full control

...communication does not need to be scientifically precise, and

...“Primitive languages” are capable of communicating deep insightful thought.

It can be seen (or felt if you prefer, and may the force be with you) that God primarily uses human languages to communicate to us that which He wants us to know. The Bible, as stated in a previous post, is the Source. It will serve as the Book we will use throughout this study all other ideas, concepts, and feelings must bow to the supremacy of the Bible. Those who rely on any other source are in danger of heresy. We are called to, “...earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3)

Our study, Prolegomenon: Introduction to Systematic Theology will continues next time with the Methods of ST.