The Theological Answer

Bible Reading: Romans 1: 18-32

Resource: An Introduction to Philosophy by Paul Glenn (Chapter 6, Part Two)

I.  Theology

  1. I have great respect for Glenn, Aquinas and Moderate Realists. Nevertheless, I fundamentally disagree that theology can be “a purely philosophical study, and draws no arguments from revelations”. The things we can know of God depend on two revelations.
  2. The revelation from Nature. Rom. 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
  3. The revelation from Scripture. II Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
  4. What we can know of God comes to us through application of the creation and scripture, both of which are revelations from God to man. Therefore, the study of God is the study of both of these revelations and is not a purely philosophical study.
  5. The error in the definition is that what is called “Natural Theology” Paul tells us is a revelation. Theology: Divinity; the science of God and divine things; or the science which teaches the existence, character and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice. Theology consists of two branches, natural and revealed. Natural theology is the knowledge we have of God from his works, by the light of nature and reason. Revealed theology is that which is to be learned only from revelation.

II.  Numerous theories cloud the issue of God. We shall define the theory, give examples of adherents to the theory, quote the Bible to prove our assertions and refutations of the theory. This approach allows a person to ask themselves what kind of company they keep for any definition of a theory that they happen to agree with. There is overlap or synergy between the categories. A college professor is primarily a rationalist but this error tends toward atheism so he is also a fool. I don’t care how smart someone tells me he is, fundamentally I see him as a schizoid, deluded fool. A Catholic is primarily a Deist, but there are elements of Polytheism and Traditionalism present. I don’t care how good of a person I’m told a particular Catholic is, fundamentally I see him as a person to turn away from, a Heathen and a Pharisee. The college professor may indeed be smart and the Catholic may indeed be good, I take nothing away from that and hear them at face value. But I do not discard the Wisdom and Discretion that the Word of God gives to me, I frame the encounter with Professors and Catholics accordingly.

  1. Theism: A general theory of God; it is the doctrine that God exists.
  2. Devils believe this.

ii. James 1: 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

b.  Atheism: A theory that there is no God.

i.  Fools believe this.

ii. Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

c.  Deism: A belief in God, but not in His Providence or Government of the world.

i.  Catholics, Protestants, Masons, Pseudo-Christian Cults and Occultists believe this.

  1. II Tim. 3: 1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

iii.  Matt. 5: 34-35 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

d.  Agnosticism: The theory of God as the Great Unknowable.

i.  Fundamentalist Christians and Superstitious scientists believe this.

  1. Superstition: Excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or practice; extreme and unnecessary scruples in the observance of religious rites not commanded, or of points of minor importance; excess or extravagance in religion; the doing of things not required by God, or abstaining from things not forbidden; or the belief of what is absurd, or belief without evidence.

iii.  Acts 17: 22-33 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them.

  1. Pantheism: In one way or another identifies God and creatures.
  2. Science Fiction Fans (The Force in Star Wars), Harry Potter Fans (Magic is Neutral Force of Nature), Animists (everything has consciousness), the IAM Movement (33 Discourses) and Baruch Spinoza believe this.

ii. God: The Supreme Being; Jehovah; the eternal and infinite spirit, the creator, and the sovereign of the universe.

iii.  Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

iv.  God – the Creator

1.  Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

  1. Beginning: That which is first; the first state; commencement; entrance into being.
  2. Created: Formed from nothing; caused to exist; produced; generated; invested with a new character; formed into new combinations, with a peculiar shape, constitution and properties; renewed.
  3. Heaven: The region or expanse which surrounds the earth, and which appears above and around us, like an immense arch or vault, in which are seen the sun, moon and stars.
  4. Earth: The particles which compose the mass of the globe.

f.  Polytheism: The doctrine of a plurality of gods or world-rulers.

i.  Heathens believe this.

  1. Heathen: A pagan; a Gentile; one who worships idols, or is unacquainted with the true God. In the Scriptures, the word seems to comprehend all nations except the Jews or Israelites, as they were all strangers to the true religion, and all addicted to idolatry.

iii.  Judges 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

  1. Traditionalism: The doctrine that the only certitude of God that man can attain comes to him, not by reasoning, but by receiving the human tradition which reports a primitive revelation to our first parents.
  2. Lawyers, Professors, Politicians and Pharisees believe this.

ii. Mark 7: 7-9 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

iii.  Refuted by: Rom 1: 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

  1. Rationalism: The theory that human reason can thoroughly investigate and understand all truth; that anything involving mystery is therefore fictional; that God, inasmuch as reason cannot fully comprehend Him, is to be denied or ignored.
  2. Deluded schizophrenics (which identifies the totality of the fallen world )and Sadducees believe this.
  3. Matt. 22:23, 29 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
  4. Gal. 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he decieveth himself.
  5. Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which decieveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

v. Refuted by: Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

vi.  Refuted by: Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

i.  Monotheism: The doctrine of one only God.

i.  Sovereign Grace Independent Baptist Christians believe this.

1.  Deut. 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

2.  Isa. 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

ii. God – the Creator is One LORD

1.  John 1: 1-3, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

2.  One LORD and NOT Two Lords. There is One God in Three Persons, not Two Gods, Father and Son eternally begotten or Three Gods, Father, Son eternally begotten and Holy Spirit eternally proceeding. If you believe the Son is eternally begotten then go re-read the summation of the theory of Polytheism above and quite calling yourself a Christian or a worse a Christian Baptist and start calling yourself a Heathen (for the definition of Heathen given above fits your belief). When water freezes we call it ice, when a puppy grows up we call it a dog, when you imply multiple Gods in your religious doctrines you are a heathen by definition.

iii.  God – the Creator is One LORD, He is One God in Three Persons

1.  Known only by scriptural revelation, the theological philosophy can never reason to this without reference to scripture. (See my disagreement with Glenn and Aquinas in I. above)

2.  I John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

a.  The Father is God (see Deut. 6:4 above)

b.  The Word is God (see John 1: 1-3, 14 above)

c.  The Holy Ghost is God Acts 5: 3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

d.  The formula of the Trinity is not addition (1 + 1 + 1 = 3 Gods) but rather it is multiplication (1 X 1 X 1 = 1 God).

i.  When you compute the area you multiply the dimensions, but it is still a single area you are computing.

ii. Eph. 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

III.  God’s Existence is a Self-Evident Truth

a.  I re-assert my respect for Paul Glenn and moderate realist philosophers. However, I disagree in part with the theological assertion they make that we must “reason out the existence of God”. I believe that the existence of God is self-evident to regenerate men but must be “reasoned out” by unregenerate (natural) men.

i.  I Cor. 2: 10-16 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.