tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11918100.post3384734373604637523..comments2023-08-23T03:49:23.364-04:00Comments on Christian Thought: Let Scripture Say What Scripture SaysJulian Freemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16090211379574469969noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11918100.post-92182114861902435722007-03-08T14:23:00.000-05:002007-03-08T14:23:00.000-05:00Hey Julian...I hope you don't mind a comment here....Hey Julian...I hope you don't mind a comment here.<BR/><BR/>You wrote:<BR/>>The trouble comes in when our fallen minds try to take these texts to their 'next logical step' and try to draw conclusions and syntheses that the biblical texts never make.<BR/><BR/>That some think real tensions or paradoxes exist in scripture does not entail that they are unsolvable. It only means that the person asserting their existence doesn't know the resolution to a specific "tension." If one were to believe that they are truly unsolvable, does that not ascribe incoherence to the revelation and by implication incoherernce to the Holy Spirit? Isn't the nature of the revelation that we've been given, given to us so that we might understand it? What purpose is there in God giving a revelation that is unintelligible to fallen creatures? He gave it to us knowing we were fallen. It was necessary for Him to reveal intelligible information about the condition of man and the nature of both the person and work of His Son in order that men might be saved. If we admit there are real paradoxes (and they necessarily must be real if they are unsolvable) in Scripture, and we do not know exactly what they are, how can we be sure that anything in the Bible is true at all?<BR/><BR/>Perhaps I have misunderstood you so forgive me if I have. The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 1.6, says:<BR/><BR/>"The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, <B>or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture</B>: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men."<BR/><BR/>The Westminster divines understood, and I think rightly, that logical conclusions drawn from valid biblical premises were as authoritative as scripture itself. If one were to deny that, then the doctrines of the Trinity, Particular Redemption, any eschatology, etc., would have to be forgotten as they are not clearly laid down, but rather, logically derived. We employ logic with every word we read. To state it simply, I do not think there are tensions or paradoxes in scripture; the revelation from God is perfect. Do I think we've figured it all out? No. But I do think we ought to continue to try to resolve these things in order to understand them. Doing so, we honour both God and His word.D.R. Brookerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01370318162129850102noreply@blogger.com