As an Evangelical Christians it is my firm conviction that the most fundamental building block of my faith is the Word of God. In the words of Dr. Henry it is the “epistemological axiom” upon which all things are built. To deny, distort, or misunderstand the doctrine of revelation poses real problems for the rest of Christian theology and Evangelical epistemology in general. So to better understand the contemporary setting, the current threats and issues related to this doctrine, and to better grasp the doctrine itself I have made it the primary subject of study for 2011. As part of my reading, then, I am tackling all six volumes of Henry’s God, Revelation, and Authority. Despite its being published in 1976 the work still speaks with great relevancy to the contemporary theological scene.
There are a number of current issues touching on the subject of the doctrine of revelation. Though this may seem like a highly academic series of posts I hope to stress the practicality of this conversation for all Christians, from the newest member in the pew to the senior saint in the pulpit. I hope you’ll join me in understanding this very important subject.
The contemporary issues facing the doctrine of revelation are really not any different from the “old” issues facing the doctrine of revelation. The same four issues have confronted the Christian faith from the dawn of its inception. I list them here and will expound on them in the coming days: (1) Authority; (2) Inerrancy; (3) Clarity; and (4) Necessity. While the 19th century Liberal church made significant attempts to depose revelation from its central role in Christian theologizing it has remained intact among Evangelicals to date. Nonetheless this battle, on these four fronts, continues to be waged. Sadly, today revelation is challenged both from outside and from within the Evangelical community. Carl F. Henry’s work does a great job of summarizing the weaknesses of the various views of his day, most of which are still popular today. Equally valuable is John Frame’s new work The Doctrine of the Word of God, of which I have only had a cursory introduction to and yet still find impressive.
In the coming days I will attempt to tackle these subjects and expound on the conflict around each of the four issues and how the evangelical position nonetheless holds up under the weight of the various attacks. Be sure and comeback and, I might add, check out Pastor Matt’s summaries of each chapter of God, Revelation, and Authority.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 