Part Four In the first part of this series I referenced some things to which I should now like to return. Even before getting into what is meant when the two words “progressive revelation” are brought together, I said that we needed to settle on what revelation is. At bottom revelation is communication from God to man. The next question up is, how accessible a communication is it? Is it both constant and consistent? That is to say, does the …
Category: Biblical Covenantalism
Part Three Revelation Cannot Be Divorced From the Character of the Revealer Plain-speaking is usually thought to be a virtue. One should say what one means. On the other hand, it is not a virtue to use words which one knows beforehand may lead another person to conclude we mean one thing, when, in actuality, we mean something more obscure and inscrutable, or even utterly different. To show how impactful this truth is, I’ll pick an example from another sphere. …
This is a response to comments left for me in the combox at this post about Sam Storms’s views on eschatology. I appreciate the brother bringing them to my attention. I am responding mainly to this: Thanks for the post. I am not sure the last section really represents Sam’s view. He would say that Paul and Peter leave no room for a milennium since Paul has the last enemy death defeated at the parousia in 1Cor 15:24ff, 50 therefore …
Part Two We have seen that the idea of progressive revelation is connected to two things: the intent behind the communication, and the boundaries prescribed by previous revelation/communication. I have said that these two concerns, together with a definition of the adjective “progressive” as building or augmenting one thing upon another, necessitates an approach in which the picture does not change out of recognition, but is trackable both forwards and backwards from every point in the progression. This implies that …
Part One Towards a Definition of Progressive Revelation Progressive revelation relies in the first instance upon the competence of how that revelation has been communicated. To deny this point is to cast doubt upon the utility of the modifier “progressive.” Revelation has to reveal or else it is not a revelation. Progressive revelation has to reveal progressively in a logically connectable way in order to be what it claims to be, and to thereby substantiate itself. The Example of the …
Introduction: The Bible as a Communication The Bible is one Book, not two. It should be read from front to back, not in reverse. Tracing the chronology of Scripture is, in general terms, an important part of Bible study. Everyone is aware that there are cases where specific time-slots cannot be allocated with certainty to some episodes in Judges or the historical vantage point of Obadiah. You will always find a more liberally inclined person ready to correct you about …
SERIES: Christ at the Center: The Fulcrum of Biblical Covenantalism – 1. Introduction: Part 1a, 1b, 1c 2. Jesus and the New Covenant: Part 2a, 2b, 2c, 3. The Covenant God Incarnate: Part 3a, 3b, 4. The Role of Jesus, the Word, as the Ground of Meaning and Significance: Part 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d 5. Christ and the Triadic People of God: Part 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d 6. Jesus and the Restitution of All Things: Part 6a. 6b 7. Christ …
SERIES: Christ at the Center: The Fulcrum of Biblical Covenantalism – Introduction: Part 1a, 1b, 1c Jesus and the New Covenant: Part 2a, 2b, 2c, The Covenant God Incarnate: Part 3a, 3b, The Role of Jesus, the Word, as the Ground of Meaning and Significance: Part 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Christ and the Triadic People of God: Part 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Jesus and the Restitution of All Things: Part 6a. 6b Jesus Christ in Biblical and Systematic Theology Christ …
SERIES: Christ at the Center: The Fulcrum of Biblical Covenantalism – Introduction: Part 1a, 1b, 1c Jesus and the New Covenant: Part 2a, 2b, 2c, The Covenant God Incarnate: Part 3a, 3b, The Role of Jesus, the Word, as the Ground of Meaning and Significance: Part 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Christ and the Triadic People of God: Part 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Jesus and the Restitution of All Things: Part 6a Jesus is supremely an eschatological Figure. By “eschatological” I …
Part One Steve Hays thinks I am unprincipled. Well, he makes charges like that a lot. It’s a tactic. While I grant I may miss something here and there, I do not deliberately decide to skew people’s points – and I do not think any fair minded reader would claim I did. 4. A Metaphorical Bible My main argument relies upon the weight of the wording of the biblical covenants. I call Steve’s interpretations prophetic bromide because they instantly …
