Van Til’s Observation: The Inter-Relationship of the Doctrine of Scripture and Other Major Teaching of Scripture

Cornelius Van Til is a theologian, apologist and philosopher that I appreciate since he tried to be biblically driven during his life time and academic career (Years ago I posted A SYLLABUS ON CORNELIUS VAN TIL’S HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRIBUTION TO PRESUPPOSITIONAL APOLOGETICS).

His writings are not always easy to read but it is always rewarding for me to work through them especially when he gives great insight with theological and apologetics methods.

I want to share something that I read recently that touches on how how we understand the characteristics of the Bible depend upon other teachings in the Bible on other major areas.

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Van Til does believe in the Perspicuity of Natural Revelation

A few weeks I go I posted “David’s Moon objection to Van Til in his Master’s Thesis “Reforming Virtue””

I thought I add to that with a short post.  In particular I want to deal with those who say Van Til does not believe in the clarity/perspicuity of natural revelation.

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Reviews of Greg Bahnsen’s Apologetics Trilogy

Readers of this blog over the years will realize Greg Bahnsen has shaped my apologetics method more than others.

I appreciated his lectures and his books.

Of the many books he’s written there’s three that people have called Greg Bahnsen’s trilogy.

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Outline Teaching on Messianic Prophecies from Old Testament Narratives

For our Tuesday series at church we have been going over a series on apologetics with the unit on Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. It has been such a joy teaching this series; I’m learning a lot myself along the way.

Here specifically we share the outlines from passages from Old Testament narrative books after the Law of Moses.  I think they are also important in terms of studying Messianic prophecies in the Psalms since the Messianic and Prophetic trajectories of the Old Testament continue after the Law of Moses and sets the expectation that the Psalms would be Messianic and Prophetic given how things related to David have a Messianic trajectory and the Psalms are heavily Davidic in authorship and also the Davidic Covenant is key to understanding the Psalms.

Here are the links to the outlines below:

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Message: Like Father But Worst

About to be with youth group.  Thought about how so many people struggle with bad family history.

Here’s a message titled “Like Father But Worst.”  There’s a lot of good feedback from this message.

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Foolish Objections against Christianity in light of 1 Corinthians 1:18-20

Yesterday I wrote my post “Bible Contradiction? Did Paul go to Jerusalem immediately after his conversion? and from the comments I thought about how I have heard this alleged contradiction has actually been brought up many times including when I was in college by a professor.

Then today I saw this clip from the son of a famous preacher, and this son apostated from Christianity.  These days he’s making videos attacking Christianity.

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David’s Moon objection to Van Til in his Master’s Thesis “Reforming Virtue”

There’s a thesis for a Master’s in Theology over at Southern Seminary that seems fascinating titled “Reforming Virtue: Bavinck’s Method of Engaging with Virtue Ethics from a Reformed Perspective” by David Moon.  It was completed in December 2022.

I want to examine something in the thesis that was critical of Presuppositionalism and its founder, Cornelius Van Til.

If you read this blog you know that I subscribe to Presuppositional Apologetics.  I won’t be rehearsing what Presuppositional Apologetics is but check out here for a compact definition and here for a lists of many lectures and of those many messages check out Apologetics: What Would Jesus Do? 4 Messages if you can’t decide

While I want to comment about the author’s thoughts on Van Til and Presuppositionalism I want to also say there’s things that one can learn from in the thesis and in no way should this post be seen as a dismissal of everything that’s written in the thesis.

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Outline Teaching on Messianic Prophecies from the Book of Moses Series

For our Tuesday series at church we have been going over a series on apologetics with the unit on Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. Here specifically we share the outlines from passages from the Law of Moses (first five books).

Here are the links to the outlines below:

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Review: The Faithful Apologist: Rethinking the Role of Persuasion in Apologetics

K. Scott Oliphint. The Faithful Apologist: Rethinking the Role of Persuasion in Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, February 22nd 2022. 224 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Want to read a biblical book on persuasion in the context of evangelism and apologetics?  This book is worth considering.  It is written by a professor of apologetics, K. Scott Oliphint.  Oliphint teaches at Westminster Theological Seminary and is also a Presuppositional Apologist.  I know some people have told me they think Presuppositionalists have no interests with persuading people but only to refute unbelievers; this book suggests otherwise.  I’m glad that a book on persuasion was written by someone who is a Presuppositionalist!

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Review: Immanuel Kant by Shao Kai Tseng

Shao Kai Tseng. Immanuel Kant.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, November 16th 2020. 232 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Have you heard of the philosopher Immanuel Kant?  Kant as a philosopher is hard to understand and yet Kant was such a watershed individual in philosophy.  Through his writings philosophy went from the trend of large speculation on the “big ideas” of God, freedom, morality, religion, etc., to the overall trend today of being interpretative and analytic, and dare I say “less ambitious” in its scope and aims.  Given Kant’s importance and the difficulties of interpreting him this book has been immensely helpful.  The author Shao Kai Tseng has done a superb job writing this book.  He’s given us a rigorous introduction to Kant from a Reformed standpoint.  A professor of philosophy, the author is also a Reformed Christian with an impressive academic background in philosophy and theology: His Master of Divinity is from Regent College, his ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary and his MSt and DPhil from Oxford. I appreciate that his writing is from a biblical worldview.

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Expository Apologetics Lectures by Voddie Bauchman at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary

We live in a time of great resources in apologetics and theology.  Yet over the years sometimes links and videos are deleted and disappear online.

I have shared years ago a post on Voddie Baucham’s lecture series on Expository Apologetics but the original youtube channel removed it.  However the series “Expository Apologetics” was also delivered at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.  So below are the videos from that lecture series in 2017.

Who is Voddie? Voddie Baucham is the author of “Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word.”

He has also gave lectures on Expository Apologetics and his method is driven by Presuppositional (Biblical) apologetics.  I love how he begins by saying Christian apologetics is not something only for the “elite” Christians.  It is a responsibility of all of us.

Here are the 4 Part Lectures:

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Early October 2022 Presuppositional Apologetics’ Links

Here are links on Presuppositional apologetics or be interesting to those interested in Presuppositional apologetics that were gathered from the world wide web between October 1st-7th, 2022

1.) Cave to the Cross Everyone Is A Philosopher – Ep.196 – Against All Opposition – What Is Philosophy?

2.) 250 Alleged Bible Contradictions Answered

3.) Episode 10 – A Case for Presuppositional Apologetics (Part 6)

4.) Book Review: Expository Apologetics

5.) Using Process Control to see Effects of Evolutionary Thought

6.) Balaam’s Oracles are Messianic Part 1 (Sharing since Messianic Prophecies is one of the ways Scripture is self-evidencing)

7.) Practical Presup Explained & Employed Pt. 1

8.) FRANCIS SCHAEFFER ANALYZES ART AND CULTURE Part 444 Responding to Dan Barker’s book LIFE DRIVEN PURPOSE

Human Reason, Logic & Scientism

Missed the last round up?  Check out the re-blogged post from a friend or here, here and here

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Third Week of September 2022 Presuppositional Apologetics Round Up

Here are links related to Presuppositional apologetics gathered between September 15th-21st, 2022.

1.) Cave to the Cross’ No One Is Neutral, No Not One – Ep.194 – Against All Opposition – Unbelievers Are Not Neutral And Christians Shouldn’t Be – Part 1

2.) Theonomoney Interview: Presuppositional Parenting

3.) Episode 8 – A Case for Presuppositional Apologetics (Part 4)

4.) Bible contradiction? Did God command the Israelites to make him burnt offerings?

5.) Apologetics: What and Why | Apologist Answers

6.) The Geographical Details of Old Testament’s Messianic Prophecies

7.) Always Ready: Chap. 16 Worldviews In Collision

8.) Genesis 49:8-12 is Messianic Prophecy

9.) Animals Minus Traits Equals Evolution?

10.) Van Til: Common grace, ultimate and proximate starting points and arithmetic

Missed the last round up?  Check out the last post

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Apologetics Outline Series Unit 2: Historical Apologetics Lessons

For our Tuesday series at church we have been going over a series on apologetics.  Unit 1 are lessons on Worldview, Unit 2 here is on historical apologetics and I’m currently going over unit three on Messianic Prophecy.

I thought I put together a table of content of unit two below.

Here are the links to the outlines below:

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Presuppositional Apologetics tackling other religions and cults: Bibliography of Books and chapters of Books

For my Presuppositional apologetics series I didn’t want to make it too long and I wish in the future to add more on critiquing other religions and cults from a Presuppositional Apologetics perspective.

I know sometimes some people feel Presuppositional Apologetics often deal more with atheism than the major religions.

I do want to provide a bibliography for others and also for my own reference in the future on Presuppositional Apologetics taking on other religions and cults.

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