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Revelation and scripture

Revelation and scripture. Contemporary theological positions. “The fountainhead of all false biblical interpretation and of all heresy is invariably the isolation and the absolutising of one single passage .” - Oscar Cullmann , The State in the New Testament , 47 . inspiration.

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Revelation and scripture

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  1. Revelation and scripture Contemporary theological positions

  2. “The fountainhead of all false biblical interpretation and of all heresy is invariably the isolation and the absolutising of one single passage.” • -Oscar Cullmann, The State in the New Testament, 47.

  3. inspiration • Extent of inspiration? • does it cover everything in the Bible or those portions necessary for salvation? • Infallibility and Inerrancy • Both speak to reliability and authority of Scripture • Inerrancy= no error whatsoever • Infallibility = minor mistakes, authorship by fallible human beings BUT main message of Bible, that is the knowledge of God and salvation can be found in Scripture

  4. “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (II Tim. 3.16) • “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (cf. II Peter 1.21)

  5. Theories of inspiration • Intuition Theory • Illumination Theory • Dynamic Theory • Verbal Theory • Dictation (or mechanical) Theory

  6. A Quick word on Luther and Calvin • Luther • Sola Scriptura principle • Part of the larger program of: sola gratia, sola fide, sola Scriptura • A corrective to over focus on human elements/tradition • Scripture has authority over human authority • Canon within the canon • Salvation as focal point of Scripture • All believers can read and understand Scripture

  7. A quick word on luther and calvin • Calvin • Final and ultimate authority of Scripture • Scripture alone (Geneva Confession, 1536) • Scripture as the lens that allows us to see clearly (contrast with general revelation) • “For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any books however fair, are set before them, though they perceive that there is something written are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and sows us the true God clearly.” (Institutes, 1.6.1) • Inner testimony of the Spirit • Self-authentication of Scripture • Simplicity of Scripture- can be understood by all

  8. Excursus: modernity & the Enlightenment • Largely a Western Phenomenon • Watershed • “Age of Reason” • Omnicompetence of reason • Independence of reason • Immanuel Kant, Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone

  9. Enlightenment effects • John Locke: • “Reason must be our last judge and guide in everything.” Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding • Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) • Christianity a supplement to natural religion • The fundamental ideas of Christian belief can be derived from reason without the need for supernatural revelation • religious belief is rationally acceptable only if there is good argument for it • Revelation is subject to reason; reason judges revelation

  10. Enlightenment critique of Theology • Revelation and Scripture • Skepticism/Denial of Miracles • Original Sin • Significance of Jesus Christ

  11. Enlightenment: Effect on theology • Christianity is no longer a ‘revealed’ religion, but a ‘natural’ religion • Influence on view of Scripture: • Denial or questioning of Bible as divine revelation • With divine inspiration called into question, the Bible is not to be differentiated from other types of literature • Thus open to same type of analysis as other works of literature

  12. Enlightenment: Christian reaction • Classical Liberalism • Conservative Christianity • Mainstream Christianity

  13. Classical liberalism • Schleiermacher • “feeling of absolute dependence” as origin of revelation • Oriented towards the infinite • Religion as feeling or “self-consciousness” of dependency • Experience • Event rather than facts • Immanentism • Revelation and Scripture as interpretation of religious experience • Problem with Classical Liberalism’s position

  14. fundamentalism • Reactionary • The Fundamentals: A Testimony to Truth • Inerrancy of Scripture • Deity of Christ • Substitutionary Atonement • Christ’s bodily resurrection • Christ’s literal (premillennial) second coming

  15. Fundamentalism • Propositional nature of revelation • Insistence on Inerrancy • The inerrancy ‘wars’ and Fuller Seminary • Hal Lindsell • God’s perfection Bible as God’s Word Bible is perfect • Going back to classical view of God’s perfection and immutability • Problems

  16. Contemporary Theological positions Regarding scripture and revelation

  17. Neo-orthodoxy • Karl Barth “The Bible is the concrete means by which the Church reflects past revelation, is called to expectation of his future revelation and is thus summoned and guided to proclamation and empowered for it. The Bible, then is not itself as such God’s past revelation, just as Church proclamation is not in itself and as such the expected revelation. The Bible, speaking to us and heard by us as God’s Word, bears witness to past revelation. Proclamation, speaking to us and heard by us as God’s Word, promises future revelation.” (CD I.1, p. ).

  18. Barth (cont.) • Reaction to Classical Liberalism • Classical Liberalism continuity and immanentism, from below • Barth discontinuity and transcendence, from above • Influence of Martin Buber (I-Thou) • Revelation is primarily about encounter, not primarily about revealing information • Emphasis on special revelation • Only revelation that is redemptive is, theologically speaking, revelation • Dismissive of human quest for God

  19. Barth’s three forms of the word: Revealed, written, proclaimed • Proclamation • of the Church • Witness of • Scripture Jesus Christ as the Word of God Incarnate

  20. Barth- Revelation as event • Christ as the center point • Dynamic nature of revelation as event • “The direct identification between revelation and the Bible at issue which is in fact at issue is not one that we can propose or anticipate. It takes place as an event when and where the biblical word comes into play as a word of witness, when and where John’s finger does not point in vain but really indicates, when and where we are enabled by means of his word to see and hear what he heard. Thus in the event of God’s Word revelation and the Bible are one, and literally so.” (CD. I.1, p.113) • The Bible as witness

  21. Barth • Fallibility of Scripture • Reflections

  22. Roman Catholicism • Pre- Vatican II • Bible is the book of the community • Post-Vatican II

  23. An evangelical perspective

  24. evangelicalism • What is Evangelicalism? • General Orientations

  25. An evangelical critique • Dangers of Current Approaches • Importance of Inclusivity

  26. Important affirmations of an evangelical theology of revelation and scripture • Relationship between the Bible and human writers • Relationship between the Bible and revelation • Bible is about both encounter and propositional truth • The Bible as trustworthy • Role of the Holy Spirit

  27. Pannenberg: revelation as history • Christian faith is founded on historical revelation; therefore its claims must be subjected to and substantiated by historical investigation • Basic task of systematic theology is to pursue the question of truth • Main Features of Pannenberg’s View of Revelation • Universal history rather than salvation history is arenat\ of God’s self-revelation • Indirect nature of God’s revelation • Revelation is open to all who have eyes to see • Final validation will happen only at eschaton • Jesus’ resurrection as “proleptic” assurance • The Bible not just about way to salvation, but a historically truthful record of God’s works in universal history

  28. Clark pinnock

  29. Contextual theologies

  30. Contextual theologies: Introduction • Two senses of “contextual • The idea that all theology is contextual • A more limited sense • Not all theology is intentionally contextual • Failure of Enlightenment to recognize its own contextual nature

  31. Emerging themes • Hermeneutics • No such thing as interest-free reading • Experience • Practical Nature of Theology • Hermeneutics of suspicion? • Particularity and Diversity • Inclusivity • Ideological Critique • Liberation as the Goal of Salvation: Social and Political Concerns

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