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Articles > Systematic
Theology > The
Authority of the Bible > Heretical Views of God Undermine
Authoritative Revelation - An Apologetic Tool
Part X: Heretical Views of God Undermine Revelation: An Apologetic
Tool
I. Introduction
a. This presentation has an apologetics flavor and the reason
why this is important.
i. The inseparability of Apologetics and Systematic Theology
(Endnote 1)
ii. Apologetics as "theology applied to unbelief"
1. In some sense, Apologetics as defined by John Frame is
"the application of Scripture to unbelief"
(Endnote 2)
2. Frame goes on to say that this "shows that apologetics
is part of Christian theology" (Endnote
3)
iii. Purpose of this outline
1. Provide an example of Apologetics arising from theology
2. Provide an illustration of Presuppositional Apologetics
in action
3. Principles of Apologetics are applied to unbiblical beliefs
when it comes to the doctrine of authoritative divine revelation
4. Demonstrate how Presuppositional Apologetics can be utilized
in counter-cult ministries
II. Relationship between God's Character and the Authority of
Scripture
a. God's Character is the foundation for the Authority of God's
Word (Endnote 4)
i. Summary: For God's revelation to be authoritative,
it requires:
1. God's Omniscience, truthfulness (to tell the truth) and
Sovereignty for the authority of His Words to giving truth.
2. God's goodness and immutability for the authority of
His Word to demand compliance.
3. God's Omnipotence and Holy Anger for the authority of
His Word in enforcing compliance.
b. Apologetics ramification
i. It takes a certain God with certain characteristics to
be able to give revelation that is authoritative
ii. Any cults that claim it derive its heresy from the Bible
yet deny any of the listed attributes of God would undermine
a necessary aspect in the foundation of the authority of the
Scripture they claim to believe in.
1. As the foundation for authoritative revelation, the attributes
of these false gods would undermine their own system's unique
source of religious knowledge in their scripture.
a. This would provide the self-defeater for some of these
heresies.
III. Heretical denial of God's attributes and Authoritative Revelation
a. Truthfulness of Authoritative Revelation undermined
i. Denial of God's Omniscience and the problem of truth
1. Open Theists
a. "However, in our view, God decided to create
beings with interdeterministic freedom which implies that
God chose to create a universe in which the future is not
entirely knowable, even for God." (Endnote
5)
2. Since such a god does not know all things, such a god
can not make a universal truth claims since he does not know
all things
3. In contrast to Christianity, God know all things
a. "For the pagans run after all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
(Matthew 6:32)
i. God know so much, but He also cares for people!
ii. Denial of God's truthfulness and the problem of truthful
revelation
1. Greek Mythology
a. "`Shepherds of the wilderness, wretched things
of shame, mere bellies, we know how to speak many false
things as though they were true; but we know, when we will,
to utter true things.'" (Theogeny 2: 26-28)
i. This is what the Muses stated; the Muses in Greek
religion were the source of divine revelation, divinely
inspiring words of poets, etc.
2. Others similar systems
a. Hinduism (Doctrine of Maya and illusion)
b. Islam (Greatest deceiver is Allah, and Allah deceiving
that Jesus was killed, Sura 4:157)
3. Such characteristics imply that there will be falsehood
from the revelation of these god(s) or goddess(es)
4. In contrast, the God of the Bible does not lie
a. "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor
a son of man, that he should change his mind."
(Numbers 23:19a)
iii. Denial of God's Sovereignty and the problem with prophecies
1. Pelegianism
a. ""Many Bible passages, when taken in their
natural meaning, appear to indicate that God does not have
absolute foreknowledge over all his own future actions,
nor over all those of His moral creatures." (Endnote
6)
2. Such denial of His sovereignty means that God can not
control events being fulfilled the way He intended it
3. In contrast, the God of the Bible is Sovereign (Proverbs
21: 31)
b. Authoritative Revelation to demand compliance undermined
i. Denial of God's goodness and the problem of revealed moral
commands
1. Liberalism
a. Some would say that the God of the Old Testament was
evil, etc
2. Such denials of God's goodness result in the need for
another basis for moral standards (Endnote 7)
ii. Denial of God's immutability and the problem of immutable
revealed law
1. Process Theologians
a. From the Stanford Encyclopedia, we read about Charles
Hartshorne's view that:"God is continually attaining
richer syntheses of experience" (Endnote
8)
i. Charles Hartshorne is an important figure in the
Process Theology movement.
2. With a changing god, the revelation will eventually
be irreverent as he changes
a. This would also result in the problem of relativism
3. In contrast, the Biblical God is immutable
a. "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor
a son of man, that he should change his mind."
(Numbers 23:19a)
i. If revelation reveals God's mind, ultimately, He
does not change His mind.
c. Authoritative Revelation to enforce compliance undermined
i. Denial of God's Omnipotence and ability to enforce compliance
of revelation.
1. Neo-Classical Theism
a. Charles Hartshorne has a book titled, "Omnipotence
and Other Theological Mistakes"
2. If God is not omnipotent, then He can not in every instance
enforce compliance and is therefore not always authoritative
in every instance
3. In contrast, the God of the Bible is omnipotent (See
Job 40)
ii. Denial of God's Holy Anger and His desire to enforce
compliance
1. Televangelists
a. Joel Osteen once stated, "There's so much negativity
pulling people down that I think they respond when you say,
'You know what: God's not mad at you; he's on your side,
he's got a good plan for your life, and when we obey what
he wants us to do, we're going to prosper.'" (Endnote
9)
2. Such a god would not be mad enough to desire to enforce
compliance on His revelation
3. In Contrast, the Biblical view of God hates sin
a. "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power;
the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished."
(Nahum 1:3a)
Endnotes
- See the outline, "Introduction
to Systematic Theology: Definition And Its Place With Other Theologies"
- John Frame, The Doctrine of the Knowledge
of God, (Phillipsburg, Presbyterian And Reformed), 87.
- John Frame, Apologetics To The Glory of God:
An Introduction, (Phillipsburg, Presbyterian and Reformed),
1.
- See the previous outline, "The
Authority Of The Bible Part II: God's Word and God's Character"
- John Sanders at http://opentheism.info
- Gordon C. Olson, Sharing Your Faith: The Three
M's of Witnessing, (Chicago, Bible Research Fellowship) TIII pg.
18.
- See my outline "The Moral Argument for
the Existence of God".
- Available at http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hartshorne/
.
- See my article, "Joel
Osteen At A Glance: His Interview".
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