Education for Such a Time As This

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

E.A. Sutherland Education Association

The Biblical Foundation for Adventist Education

Ed Zinke

1. The Knowledge of God in Nature

2. The Authority of the Bible in the History of Theology: Pre-Reformation

3. The Authority of the Bible in the History of Theology: Reformation to Present

4. History of Methods in Biblical Study

5. Principles for Biblical Thought

6. The Biblical Worldview and Adventist Education

7. Doctrine and Personal Relationship with God

Knowledge of God, we've already done this 1.

So we can't determine what God is like by looking at the natural world.

We can't even for sure say that God exists by looking at the natural world, although we can predict that he exists, the evidence is pretty strong.

But even if we can prove that he exists, that doesn't tell us who he is, it just tells us that he exists.

Okay, so knowledge of God is dependent upon his self-revelation.

The nature of the Bible is divinely revealed and therefore the foundation for human thought.

And again, we're going to just assume some of these things as we go along because they would have been developed by others.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and Scripture came by the will of God, not by the will of man.

The nature of theodicy, that 1, I might come back to that 1 later.

That's a little bit complicated, but the book that you have electronically has a chapter in there on the judgment, and the last two-thirds of that chapter are on theodicy.

It's basically bringing God into judgment.

We have theologies even within the Adventist church where we think it's our job to bring God into judgment.

And so that chapter will point out that God is the 1 who reveals himself.

So hermeneutics, the Bible provides the basis for its appropriate hermeneutic and its own worldview within which to interpret it.

Harmony with its nature is the inspired Word of God.

Scripture provides its own worldview and method of interpretation.

So remember my professor that was discussing with me form critical method said that the form critical method was not designed to study the kind of literature the Bible claims to be.

Well, we want to use methods that are designed to study the kind of literature that the Bible claims to be.

And the way we do that is to go and see what the Bible says about itself in order to understand how to study scripture.

All of these other methods had a concept of truth except for postmodernism.

So what is the biblical concept of truth?

Okay, John 1, 14, that he was full of grace and truth.

Yes, But there is absolute truth, okay, because God exists, right, okay, that's a good point.

God exists whether I think he exists or not, okay.

So our concept of truth is, see the other concepts of truth are concepts, they're philosophies.

I mean, it's a pretty radical idea compared to all of the other philosophical systems, but truth is a person.

Basically I'm going to take these together because they're tied together.

So, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God, He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made.

And him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness, and what happened?" By the way, I just finished Sabbath school lesson on the Gospel of John for 2021, turned it in on Friday.

So I hope it's all together the way it should be.

Anyway, 1 thing I noticed as I went through the Gospel of John is that there is a lot of discussion between theology from below and theology from above, which is basically what we've been talking about here.

Theology from human principles versus theology from God's principles.

For example, and this is probably the strongest 1 in the gospel and that's chapter 3 where Nicodemus says, you know, trying to gain favor with Jesus, nobody can do these miracles that you do unless he's from God.

Notice he wasn't accepting as a Messiah, he was saying unless he's from God.

I mean he really sidestepped the question, didn't he, or the comment.

And Nicodemus said, well, how can that be?

You know, and then Jesus went on to bring out Old Testament scriptures.

Yeah, you're a teacher in Israel and you don't know these things.

And then in chapter 4, the woman at the well, Jesus said, I would give you springs of living water.

And she says, how in the world are you going to do that?

You know, theology from below, theology is limited to her world view versus God's world view.

Anyway, this kind of thing and then there are some passages where it's really spelled out, theology from below and theology from above.

So, hopefully you'll enjoy that when it comes.

Okay, so anyway, darkness did not comprehend it.

In the context of his role in the creation of the universe and the declaration that he is the Logos, by the way, Logos, the word in English, translated word is Logos.

The Logos was the rational structure of the universe of Plato.

And here John is telling us the Logos is not the rational structure of the universe, it's Jesus Christ.

So, your word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.

The entrance of your word is to give light, gives understanding to the simple.

Of course, another theme in the Gospel of John is Jesus is the light of the world.

So human knowledge, both the material and spiritual things, is partial and imperfect.

Therefore many are unable to harmonize their views of science and scripture.

Many accept mere theories and speculations as scientific facts, and they think that God's word is to be tested by the teachings of science, falsely so-called.

Pilate asked the question, what is truth?

And some people say it's too bad that he didn't wait for Christ to answer that question.

In the dialogue there, he moved on very quickly.

He was actually trying to save Christ, so it's not like he was malicious in moving on.

But anyway, Jesus, as we've already pointed out, had already answered the question.

The 1 who was the way, the truth, and the life was standing right before him.

God wants us to know him, the only true God, not the God whoever we think he is.

How could they have known how to relate to the tree in the center of the garden?

God gave them the perspective from which to know how to behave relative to that tree and how to think about that tree.

Ellen White says that she argued God of love would not destroy the creatures whom he's created, a philosophical argument.

Actually, there are a number of things involved in that.

Serpent's eating of the tree, it's now speaking.

Imagine if I eat of the tree, you know, I'm that much greater than the serpent.

If I eat of the tree, well, I may be just like the serpent says, I'll become as God.

So I'm going to try the scientific experiment and that will be the basis of my decision on how to relate to it.

Series

The Biblical Foundation for Adventist Education

5. Principles for Biblical Thought

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Attachments

ASI 2009 Seminar: Reaching Your Marketplace

Workplace Soul Winning: Why Christianity?

1h 21m

Is The Bible Truly Unique Literature?

38m

The Biblical Foundation for Adventist Education

3. The Authority of the Bible in the History of Theology: Reformation to Present

53m

Plenary

Who Are You? The Remnant and Its Mission

1h 13m

Into All the World

1h 6m

Myths About Seeking The Lost

34m

The Doctrine of God

The Trinity, Part 1 (The Trinity in the Old Testament)

57m

How to Use Science-Based Creation to Win Confidence- Part 1

1h 30m

Lessons from the Life of Paul

Gospel to the Gentiles

37m

ASI 2009 Seminar: Exploring End Time Issues

New Spirituality and the Emerging Church: Innovative Outreach to the Post Modern World or Mystical Path to “Deep Ecumenism?”

32m

Subodh Pandit: Come Search with Me, Let's Look for God

Just One Way?

59m

Ignite Your Local Church for Mission

Mission of the Word

1h

Sound Doctrine