On Natural Theology: Series Introduction

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The subject of natural theology or general revelation concerns the knowledge of God that is mediated through the natural world. Alister McGrath provides a brief taxonomy of levels that constitute nature: the observable world, human interaction with the world, and human culture and society. (The Open Secret, 126ff.)

These levels will be used in this review as nature, reason, and culture. It is apparent that there is interdependence between the levels, i.e. people’s reasoning of nature develops culture. Or stated differently: culture is a mass of people who are joined together by their understanding (reason) of the world in which they live.

The question at hand, however, is to what extent the revelation of God is found within these levels that make up natural theology. The foundation of how we understand natural theology says nearly as much as what definitions we may develop. In other words, my appeal to the Holy Scripture to articulate my doctrine of general revelation shows that the function and purpose of general revelation is not self-evident.

Alister McGrath’s position on a “Christian natural theology” is aptly stated when he writes, “A Christian natural theology rests on the premise that, although nature may be publicly observable, the key to its proper interpretation is not given within the natural order itself” (The Open Secret, 139).

My position, in short: correct interpretation of the natural order requires that a human interpreter, within the confines of culture, have his or her intellect invaded by the miraculous, particular revelation of God.[1]

In light of this position, over the next few posts we will, God willing, consider three important passages of Scripture that pertain to general revelation: Psalm 19 (today), Job 38 (Thursday), and Romans 1 (Friday).

[1] Calvin writes, “Therefore, since either the custom of the city or the agreement of tradition is too weak and frail a bond of piety to follows in worshiping God, it remains for God himself to give witness of himself from heaven” (I.V.13, italics mine).

Historical Studies and Our Interpretation of Scripture

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In light of my last post, I want to explain more of how I understand the place of historical studies in our reading of Holy Scripture.

Historical studies has a place in our interpretation of the Bible because the Bible is written in human language. Human language is historical phenomena and the Bible’s language is thousands of years old. The parameter of historical studies to philology is more in line with the nature of Scripture—God’s revelation in text. Moreover, God’s revelation in text-testimony of God’s Text—the Logos, Jesus Christ.

Attention to the text will inevitably take us beyond language to concept since the two are so inseparably united. And it is here where I think we have our limits. Concepts are helpful insomuch as they are studied in relationship to language, in the effort of understanding text. And I think the primary area for studying these concepts is the canon, that is, the greater narrative of Scripture. And these concepts of the greater narrative of Scripture inform—but do not determine— apostolic meaning.

This is one reason why I think the Biblical Theology Movement has been so beneficial to biblical studies. It has readjusted the criticism of the 18th and 19th centuries to focus on the Holy Scripture itself with the dogmatic foundation that there really is one message—it is biblical studies based on what the Bible is.

The Greatest Barrier Between Us and This Book

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There is no doubt that visiting Turkey is really cool. I would love to check out the ancient ruins and take lots of photos for my desktop. But if that makes the Bible “come alive” for me then I’ve been doing something wrong.

Contact with the history of the Bible may seem to accentuate the text—and it indeed helps people. But there is a potential expense too great to risk. All the searching in history to vivify the Holy Scripture may actually blur what the Holy Scripture actually is. Yes, a document written in history. Yes, a document written by humans who lived in that history. But more than anything, the revelation of God. This Book is an action, the work of the triune God to reveal himself and reconcile a people for his own.

The greatest barrier between us and this Book is not the history and culture that separate us from its human authors, but the heart of darkness that separates us from its divine author. We need faith more than understanding the geographical layout of Asia Minor. We come to the Holy Scripture in need of an illumining work, not a historicizing one.

The Freest People to Ever Live, Ever

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“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

. . . no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:10, 17)

What is our heritage? The steadfast love of the LORD will not depart from us. His covenant of peace shall not be removed. He has compassion on us, such that nothing can overcome us. No weapon of the enemy, no schemes of the wicked, no assault by the world.

Paul says “All things are yours whether. . . life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s. . .” (1 Cor. 3:21-23). Martin Luther writes:

This is not to say that every Christian is placed over all things to have and control them by physical power—a madness with which some churchmen are afflicted—for such power belongs to kings, princes, and other men on earth. Our ordinary experience in life shows us that we are subjected to all, suffer many things, and even die. . .

The power of which we speak is spiritual. It rules in the midst of enemies and is powerful in the midst of oppression. This means nothing else than that “power is made perfect in weakness” [II Cor. 12:9] and that in all things I can find profit toward salvation [Rom. 8:28], so that the cross and death itself are compelled to serve me and to work together with me for my salvation (Luther, Freedom of a Christian, 290).

In Christ, we are the freest people to ever live on the earth.

It’s the Message that Matters

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So today was the day in our OT class. Having read essays by Longman, Enns, and Sparks, we were set to interact with some critical issues of the Old Testament: Adam is historical? Explain the land of Nod. How should we understand the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2? What about the Ancient Near Eastern accounts?

Three hours of a discussion like this is only worthwhile when the foundation of the discussion affirms that these things are only secondary issues at best. The how of Genesis 1-2 must be submitted first and foremost to the why of Genesis 1-2 — or as Jason DeRouchie says of the text, “see the sermon.” What the Old Testament authors really cared about is the message.

The main error at stake when examining the ‘how issues’ behind the text is that they can distract us from the ‘main issue of the text.’ To be the truest to the text, to the human authors who wrote it, and the triune God who inspired it, we should come to the text as recipients of the LORD’s covenant love. We come to the text in faith and we come to find revelation.

What Do You Do When You Must Study What You Don’t Feel Like Studying?

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What do you do when you must study what you don’t feel like studying?

This is a question for which every seminarian has some kind of answer. The default answer usually makes up two opposing sides of the spectrum: on one end, just don’t study;  on the other end, bite the bullet and study anyway.

I don’t think either option glorifies God, which is our goal in every form of study— especially theology. The immediate corrective is to pray and ask the Father to help us. He has the power and the wealth of grace in Jesus Christ to change our desire. And the way this change happens likely comes through means: a cup of coffee, classical music, rearrangement of study space, preaching the gospel to yourself, etc.

One such means that helps me is to read in a book of interest unrelated to the topic of study that demands my attention. The book may be from another class or it may not even be assigned at all. I have found that pursuing my interest stimulates my study of things that were previously unattractive to me. Don’t dwell on another book to make it a distraction, but use it to get the engine of your cognition cranked up, then jump into whatever came short of igniting your studious passions.