The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox

The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox PDF

Author: BA Bosserman

Publisher: James Clarke & Company

Published: 2015-02-26

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 0227903935

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'The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox' grapples with the question of how one may hold together the ideals of systematic theology, apologetic proof, and theological paradox by building on the insights of Cornelius Van Til. Van Til developed an apologetic where one presupposes that the Triune God exists, and then proves this Christian presupposition by demonstrating that philosophies that deny it are self-defeating in the specific sense that they rely on principles that only the Trinity, asthe ultimate harmony of unity and diversity, can furnish. A question raised by Van Til's trademark procedure is how he can evade the charge that the apparent contradictions of the christian faith render it equally self-defeating as non-Christian alternatives. This text argues that for Van Til, Christian paradoxes can be differentiated from genuine contradictions by the way that their apparently opposing elements discernibly require one another, even as they present our minds with an irresolvable conflict. And yet, Van Til failed to sufficiently vindicate the central Christian paradox-the doctrine of the Trinity-along the lines required by his system. Hence, the present text offers a unique proof that God can only exist as the pinnacle of unity-in-diversity, and as the ground of a coherent Christian system, if He exists as three, and only three, divine persons.

Paradox and Truth

Paradox and Truth PDF

Author: Ralph Allan Smith

Publisher: Canon Press & Book Service

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781591280026

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More than 1,500 years after the foundational church councils, the doctrine of the Trinity is still as central and as puzzling to theologians as ever. Reformed theology has seen increasing calls for the Trinity to live at the center of Christian confession, prompting the need for a fuller biblical and practical understanding of the subject.In recent Reformed thought, Cornelius Van Til and Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. have proposed important trinitarian theologies. Ralph Smith assesses these views and, filling out a Van Tilian perspective with Kuyper's lesser-known covenantal view, he provides a refreshing biblical, historical, and applicable perspective on this key Christian reality.

Foundations of Covenant Theology

Foundations of Covenant Theology PDF

Author: Lane G. Tipton

Publisher:

Published: 2021-06-15

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9780998748757

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Drawing from Genesis 1:1 and subsequent biblical revelation, Lane Tipton argues that before creating the visible world, the immutable triune God created a heavenly temple dwelling, filled that heavenly dwelling with the unchanging glory of his Spirit, and sanctified that heavenly dwelling as the realm of everlasting Sabbath Rest. Adam, as the created image of God and federal head of his posterity, could have advanced through perfect covenantal obedience beyond probation on the mountain of God in earthly Eden into the heavenly dwelling of God in Sabbath Rest. This God-centered and heaven-focused theological backdrop enriches our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, as the second and last Adam in the covenant of grace, who in his humiliation and exaltation has opened the gates of heavenly paradise for his church.

All That Is in God

All That Is in God PDF

Author: James E. Dolezal

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books

Published: 2017-07-13

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 1601785550

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Unknown to many, increasing numbers of conservative evangelicals are denying basic tenets of classical Christian teaching about God, with departures occurring even among those of the Calvinistic persuasion. James E. Dolezal’s All That Is in God provides an exposition of the historic Christian position while engaging with these contemporary deviations. His convincing critique of the newer position he styles “theistic mutualism” is philosophically robust, systematically nuanced, and biblically based. It demonstrates the need to maintain the traditional viewpoint, particularly on divine simplicity, and spotlights the unfortunate implications for other important Christian doctrines—such as divine eternality and the Trinity—if it were to be abandoned. Arguing carefully and cogently that “all that is in God is God Himself,” the work is sure to stimulate debate on the issue in years to come.

Common Grace and the Gospel

Common Grace and the Gospel PDF

Author: Cornelius Van Til

Publisher: P & R Publishing

Published: 2015-03

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 9781596385832

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What Point of Contact does the Christian have with the world in order to bring the biblical message to the nonbeliever? How can the doctrines of election and total depravity be reconciled with human responsibility and the universal offer of the gospel? Does our Lord show favor to saint and sinner alike? Restoring and retypesetting the full text of the original 1972 edition, this collection of annotated essays addresses these questions and more on common grace and its relevance to the gospel. A pioneer in presuppositional apologetics, Van Til sets forth a Christian philosophy of history; examines the views of Abraham Kuyper, Herman Hoeksema, and others; and replies to criticism. A foreword and explanatory notes by K. Scott Oliphint further illuminate his work. Book jacket.

Reforming Apologetics

Reforming Apologetics PDF

Author: J. V. Fesko

Publisher: Baker Academic

Published: 2019-03-19

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1493411306

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Challenging the dominant Van Tillian approach in Reformed apologetics, this book by a leading expert in contemporary Reformed theology sets forth the principles that undergird a classic Reformed approach. J. V. Fesko's detailed exegetical, theological, and historical argument takes as its starting point the classical Reformed understanding of the "two books" of God's revelation: nature and Scripture. Believers should always rest on the authority of Scripture but also can and should appeal to the book of nature in the apologetic task.

The Eternal Covenant

The Eternal Covenant PDF

Author: Ralph Allan Smith

Publisher: Canon Press & Book Service

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 1591280125

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In this book Ralph Smith delves deeper into the discussion at the intersection of covenant and trinitarian theology that he began with 'Paradox and Truth.' Though many Reformed theologians have recognized an agreement between the Father and the Son for the salvation of the human race, few have explored the vast theological possibilities of an eternal covenant that involves all three persons of the Trinity. Instead, covenantal soteriology has focused on the so-called covenant of works between God and Adam, which turns out to be problematic both biblically and theologically. Smith places the eternal covenant in the position it deserves - the keystone of biblical and systematic theology - with profound consequences for the Christian worldview.

No Uncertain Sound

No Uncertain Sound PDF

Author: Camden M Bucey

Publisher:

Published: 2017-03-20

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 9780998748702

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Reformed Forum is a Christian non-profit organization that exists to assist the church in her call to discipleship. We serve the church by communicating the riches of our theological tradition and advancing it according to our confessional boundaries through in-depth research and scholarly discourse. With contributions covering redemptive-historical hermeneutics, theological method, soteriology, worship, ecclesiology, and apologetics, the authors set forth the salient features of their shared Reformed identity.