Ephesians 6:13-14: The Armour of God: Part One
Holy War means two different things depending on whether you are living in the OT or the NT. In the OT the armies of Israel were God’s rod of judgement putting on an end times display of what the final judgement will look like. The land, which represented the new creation was wiped clean of all idolaters. The Israelites were to take up literal sword and shield and apply the death that sin deserves to all sinners in the land. When anyone attacked God’s land or people, the armies of Israel had every confidence that God would bless their...
Read More
The Transcendental Argument
Introduction: Today we want to move on from traditional arguments for God, the ontological, the cosmological and the teleological to some new arguments advanced for the existence of God. Today we want to look at what is known as the transcendental argument for God. This is an argument implemented by Cornelius Van Til, perfected by Greg Bahnsen and is now widely used by Presuppositionalists, this is a particular brand of Reformed apologists. The transcendental argument as a type of argument was first used and named by Immanuel Kant. He proposed the transcendental argument to demonstrate contrary to the scepticism...
Read More
Traditional arguments for God: Part 1
Introduction: I would like us now to begin to look at some of the traditional arguments put forward as proof for the existence of God. These are the ontological, the cosmological and teleological arguments for God. Let me say a few things about how we view them before we lay them out. Firstly, we are in no doubt whether God exists or not. We believe as Romans 1:19-20 explains it that all human beings have a knowledge of God from nature, ‘For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them....
Read More
The Bible: Part 1: Authority
Introduction: We are continuing to put forward positive reasons for faith, and today we start a mini-series looking at the bible as a ground for believing. The 1689 chapter 1 paragraph 5 reads, ‘We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church of God to a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures; and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, and the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of...
Read More
Acts 1:3: The Proof of the Resurrection
Introduction: Acts 1:3, ‘He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.’ Luke the author of Acts wrote two books to a Christian named Theophilus, the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In the opening of the book of Acts here Luke is reflecting on the gospel account of Christ’s resurrection and appearances to the disciples. I want to draw your attention to Luke’s language, ‘by many proofs.’ Luke is saying that Jesus presented Himself and proved the truth of...
Read More