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Articles > Systematic
Theology > The
Self-Attesting Word of God > Meaning and Philosophical Issues
Part XVI: Meaning and Philosophical Issues
I. Definition and Parameters
A. Definition
1. Self-attesting means the Word of God is self-evidencing.
2. Within the Word of God itself there is a rational reason
to believe in the Scriptures:
i. The Bible itself teaches that it is the Word of God
(Endnote 1)
ii. There is something within the Scriptures itself that
is obvious, direct, and rational which powerfully testify
that it is the Word of God even without an argument (Endnote
2)
1. Objection: "It is impossible to have an
obvious and direct knowledge without some form of supporting
argument"
a. But is this objection itself obviously true? If so,
then this disproves this statement and is a useless objection
b. Otherwise, the finite adherent of this position either
must attempt to defend their position with arguments for
each point of their argument, and more arguments to back
up their argument's arguments, etc infinitively (an 'obvious'
impossibility for a finite being);
c. Or eventually stop at some point and say that the
final resting premise of their argument is so 'obvious'
and need no further proof, thereby self-refuting themselves
again
3. The reading of the Word of God shows that it is the Word
of God but Sinners are capable of suppressing the truth
1. Never forget Romans 1:18-20.
B. The crux of the matter: If God has chosen to reveal
himself through His Word, we must not miss God's own identification
(namely, self-identification) of His Word
1. Ultimately, God himself must authenticate His Word.
2. God's own authentication is necessary.
a. If the Word of God itself does not itself testify that
it is the Word of God (whether by direct propositions or otherwise),
then the Bible is not necessarily the Word of God
i. You can vindicate the historical, geographical, and
wise characteristics of the Bible, but there are other books
that are not inspired by God nor are Scriptures that also
gives historical, geographical and practical truths
1. Thus, it is necessary that at a minimum, the Bible
claims to be God's Word!
3. God's own authentication is sufficient
a. Every argument requires premises that would be strong
enough to support its conclusion
i. Claiming that the Bible is the Word of God would requires
the testimony of God Himself
1. This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit which testify
to the truthfulness of orthodox doctrines and the Word
of God itself
II. The inseparable relationship between the doctrine of the
self-attesting and self-authorizing Bible (Endnote
3)
A. Both doctrines are not only very similar, but they require
each other to be coherent.
B. Biblical self-attestation requires the self-authorization
of Scripture
1. Since the Bible is self-authorizing, the internal testimony
of God's Word is legitimate because it rests on the highest
authority of God, which is found in His authoritative Word.
C. Biblical self-authorization requires the self-attestation
of Scripture
1. Since the Bible is self-attesting, the self-authorization
of the Scriptures should be obvious and therefore no one has
any truly rational excuse to deny it
D. Therefore, since both these doctrines require the foundation
of one another to be coherent, one can not pick and choose one
with the other and must accept them as part of one entire unit
of Biblical truths
1. This is the beauty of the coherence of God's truth in systematic
theology and apologetics that we are privilege to appreciate
if we accept doctrines taught in the Bible
a. The next section will provide the verses teaching the
self-attestation of God's Word.
Endnotes
- For an extended treatment of what the Bible
teaches about itself, consult the classical work by Louis Gaussen
titled Theopneustia.
- For a longer development of this idea as it
is formulated by Presuppositional apologists such as Cornelius
Van Til and Greg Bahnsen, please read:
Greg Bahnsen, Van Til's Apologetics: Readings and Analysis
(Phillipsburg, Presbyterian and Reformed), 194-220.
- Please consult my outline, "The
Authority of the Bible Part I: The Self-Authorizing Scripture"
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