Читать книгу Mathers Systematic Theology - Norman W. Mathers - Страница 11

Men have the knowledge of God that is that God exists by creation. His Godhead and deity is evident by his witness to himself through creation (Ps. 19:1-6, Rom. 1:18-28). God has witnessed to his good giving man the rains and fruitful seasons (Acts 14:17). Paul in Acts 17:23-31 testified that the Lord is the absolute sovereign of both heaven and earth. The Lord God of heaven and earth gives “life and breath and all” (Acts 17:25) [author’s translation] (Aland & Black 1968:486). The word all has the article so that it is better understood as meaning both heaven and earth, all of creation (Arndt & Gingrich 1973:638:2:b:B). They extend the meaning of “the all” to mean the universe as well. God has made all races of men “from one blood” (Acts 17:26) [author’s translation]. God predetermined the length of a nation’s life and the boundaries of each nation (Acts 17:26). He did this so that the nations would seek him (Acts 17:27). Paul argues that man is the offspring of God since man lives, moves, and exists in him. It follows that such being true then we are his offspring (Acts 17:28). Man should not think of the Godhead (deity, divinity) in terms of idols of gold or silver formed by his own hands (Acts 17:29). God is the sovereign of heaven, earth, history and man. The Gentiles suppress the knowledge of God by unrighteousness living (Rom. 1:18). The Gentile infidelity to the truth of God’s existence leads to idolatry and immorality (Rom. 1:19-32). The revelation of God’s testimony via creation if spurned leaves man without an excuse (Rom. 1:20).

Christ held the scriptures to be the Word of God (Matt. 5:17-18, John 10:35). The matter of propositional truth must be stressed as well for the Bible testifies to its own authority (1 Cor. 2:10-13). Both the Old and New Testaments are inspired (2 Tim. 3:16). Paul confirms equal inspiration to both the Old and New Testament when he quotes Deuteronomy and Luke in 1 Timothy 5:18. The very words of scripture are inspired (I Cor. 2:13). The very letters of scripture are inspired by God (Matt. 5:18). Kant emphasized reason and knowledge arrived at by the process or rationalization (Schwarz). Schleiermacher introduced intuition and feeling (Schwarz). These speculations are a stark contrast to special revelation that man would not know unless it was revealed to him (Chafer). Schleiermacher exalted feelings over facts (Schwarz). Schleiermacher’s emphasis on experience was a direct reaction to Kant’s emphasis on knowledge. Hegel understood theology as man’s consciousness of a universal being (Schwarz). This is similar to Schleiermacher’s concept of man having a God consciousness that divine spark which had only to be fanned. Special revelation is more than revelation of the living word, Jesus Christ. It is the entire 66 books of the Bible. Warfield brings out an important point that supernatural revelation is God’s intervention for man’s salvation. Special revelation is what man would not otherwise know unless it was revealed to him (Chafer). The fall of man broke fellowship with the living God (a theophany of Christ in the Garden of Eden). The repeated pattern of sin and judgment in Genesis 1 to 11 is evident by a careful reading of the text. God turned from the world to choose one man, the man Abram. It was through Abram that both the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the scriptures would come. Hebrews 1:1-2 confirms that God spoke previously through the prophet but has spoken in these last days in the age of grace through his eternal son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the final and full revelation of God (Ryrie). The canon of revealed truth closed around A.D. 90-100 (Jude verse 3). Christ is the heir of all things. He is the one through whom God made the ages (Heb. 1:2).

The many words to reveal in the Old and New Testament give a variety of meanings. They are a removal of obstacles, uncovering to perception, disclose, manifest, appearing, appearance, to show, impart, divine communications, of what is seen in both external and internal revelations, the word of the Lord, written word, tradition, and prophetic truth. The Old Testament canon that Jesus used had a three fold division of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (Luke 24:44). Rational philosophy can be detrimental to the Christian faith. It is the combination of Greek philosophy with the Old Testament that led to the erroneous system of Bible interpretation known as Amillennialism. Special revelation is revealed theology. Christ’s Old Testament canon had a threefold division the Law, Prophets, and the Psalms. Psalms is from a third part of the canon known as the Writings. Natural theology must not be confused with natural revelation. Natural theology must be distinguished from natural or general revelation. Natural theology is dependent upon reason not revelation for its proof of the existence of God. The cosmological argument points to a cause behind the world for its existence. The teleological argument focuses on both design and purpose in the universe. A designer possessing creative intelligence and purpose must exist. The anthropological argument points to design and purpose in man. Why does man have five fingers on each hand instead of six fingers? The ontological argument points out that man can not think of any higher idea or higher being than God. The Bible testifies to itself that it is the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13).

Jesus Christ exegeted God the Father. He explained the Father. God is not perceived through sense perception (John 1:18). However, both Moses and Jacob did see God face to face in the Old Testament. The context of John 14 shows that the disciples realized that neither rationalism, experience, nor sense perception were sufficient to bring a man to God. Jesus Christ is the way to the Father’s house. Truth was embodied in a person the God-man, Christ Jesus. In Jesus Christ, there is life eternal. The one who had seen Christ had seen the Father (John 14:9-10). However, it took a revelation from God the Father to understand the person of Christ (Matt. 16:7). The epistles of Colossians and Hebrews should be included to give a fuller and deeper insight into the person of the eternal son, Jesus Christ. He was the creator of all things both visible and invisible (the angelic realms) (Col. 1:16). The glory of God resided in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14-16). Christ is God of very God (Heb. 1:3). Christ took upon himself the form of man (John 1:14, Phil. 2:7-8). Christ manifested the glory of God because he was God (John 1:14, 16, 17-18). There is one God and one mediator between God and man the God-man, Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5).