Marbaniang, Domenic

There have been some who have argued that the psalms of David must not be preached from because of the moral failures of David. The same is lamented of Solomon. However, we know that the Spirit's inspiration overrules the time-bound fluctuations of human character. Not that the text is detached from the author; but that changes in the author do not invalidate the text that has been written. 1. Absolutes declared in the text are not invalidated by any lack of moral conformity and consistency in the author/writer. 2. The authenticity of spirit in the composition of text at a particular time is not invalidated by the lack of authenticity in the author at some other time. 3. The text becomes free of the author at its moment of publication. The author becomes accountable to the text; not vice versa. 4. The text influences how one interprets the text; similarly, how one interprets determines what one gets from the text. Thus, the song is independent of the songwriter as far as truth and ...

A study of the Bible shows that authentic revelation is chiefly verbal. By this is not meant that visions, dreams, theophanies, miracles, and spiritual understanding have not been means of divine communication. What is meant is that revelation comes in an authentic, reliable, and knowable form only through verbal communication. Even in visions, dreams, and supernatural phenomena what ultimately constitutes revelation is verbal testimony. 8.1. General Revelation Vs Revelation as Verbal Testimony Nature cannot be revelatory of God in the same way that a watch is revelatory of a watch maker. Still in the case of the watch, one can have no idea of the specific watch maker, unless first of all he already knows the watchmaker or the watchmaker has inscribed his name on the watch. As far as nature is concerned, for some it may point to a Creator initially, but if the reasoning is taken to its logical conclusion then an entanglement in cosmology and ontology only proves to be a rational vexati...

Emil Brunner sees revelation as not contained in some objective and controllable text or system. To him revelation is the event of divine-human encounter. 3.1. The Meaning of Revelation To Brunner, revelation always means that something, unusual and particular, is made known. [1] 3.1.1. Biblical revelation is the unexpected ‘disclosure’ of God in an unconditional form. One could not have expected along any rational line that God should love, and give his love to a sinner. [2] In revelation, one encounters God himself and not some set of abstract ideas. 3.1.2. Since revelation is not by human efforts but given by God, God becomes the Lord over the believer in revelation. Man cannot be called master of the revelation; he could never have known it. It is God who reveals; it is God who is Master. [3] 3.2. General Revelation and Natural Theology According to Brunner, the teaching of general revelation very clearly given in the Bible. However, while the Bible teaches a general revelation, i...

For Karl Barth divine revelation is Christ and Christ alone. Apart from the revelation of God in Christ, mankind has no hope of in any way coming to a knowledge of divine reality. There are various themes connected to the development of this kind of a theology of revelation. 2.1. Propositional or Personal Revelation? For Barth revelation is not proposition but personal. Revelation is not about creeds but of God himself. One is not called to confess the faith of the Church but called to believe and confess God Himself. [1] Revelation is not an objective something out there. It is something that happens. [2] To Barth, revelation is a concrete, not abstract, knowledge of God and man in the event brought about by the initiative of a sovereign God. [3] Only in the Incarnation does one encounter the Word of God as the Revelation of God himself. The knowledge of God is grounded in God himself, not in nature, history, or human words. 2.2. The Rejection of General Revelation and Natural Theo...

For Charles Hodge philosophy, science, and theology are not at variance with each other. Therefore, the Scriptures must be interpreted in accordance with established facts. 1.1. The Possibility and Necessity of Supernatural Revelation Hodge contends that supernatural revelation is both possible and necessary. Contrary to the deistic concept of a distant and removed God, the ‘Bible reveals a God who is constantly and everywhere present with his works, and who acts upon them, not only mediately, but immediately, when, where, and how He sees fit.’ [1] Therefore, it is also possible for God to reveal himself to man. The necessity of supernatural revelation is something felt and anticipated by man. Humans have questions concerning the origin, nature, and destiny of man which reason and philosophy is not able to satisfactorily resolve. Therefore, revelation is necessary and anticipated. 1.2. The Role of Reason in Revelation 1.2.1. Reason Necessary for the Reception of Revelation. Revelatio...

INTRODUCTION The Meaning of Theology Theology is a study of Christian doctrine and faith. The Queen of sciences, Theology is an attempt towards a systematic exposition of and presentation of Christian doctrine. The Need of Theology For a clear understanding of faith As a rational and articulate defense of faith (1Pe. 3:15) For a systematic presentation of God's revealed truths (2Ti. 2:15) As a guard against heresy and false teachings (Mt. 22:29; Gal. 1:6-9; 2Ti. 4:2-4) For spiritual growth and maturity as Christians (Eph. 4:14). Divisions of Theology Biblical (Exegetical) Theology: Often studied as Old Testament Theology and New Testament Theology based on an exegesis of the Bible. Historical Theology: Study of the origin and development of theological perspectives in the context of their historical background. Systematic Theology: Systems of theology or systematic arrangement of a presentation of doctrines. Practical Theology: Application of Theology. Disciplines: Homiletics, Past...

I am convinced that we can trust the Bible: trust it as the true revelation of God. The pluralism of “revelations” calls for the exercise of the law of non-contradiction. The modern relativistic, pluralistic mood looks at the Bible as another “truth”. But the fact is that there can never be an absolute infrastructure for relative truth. They always differ in their infrastructure though the superstructure might appear to be the same. The trustworthiness of the Bible is a very important issue, since it addresses issues of ultimate concern: Theology, Cosmology, and Teleology (purpose, salvation). And it supercedingly differs from other “revelatory” sources. Either the Bible is true or false; it is either trustworthy or non-trustworthy. How do we know if we can trust the Bible, then? The Philosophical Test of Internal Consistency. In depth study shows that the Bible is never self-contradictory or self-defeating. As a matter of fact, though the books of the Bible were written over a time ...