Historic Biblical Worldview

Twenty-first century Christians find themselves in a somewhat unique world.    While the western world has witnessed the development of one worldview after another throughout the last centuries, some have predicted that recent shifts in thought will reshape our world like nothing that has come before.   Christians now live in what has been termed a postmodern world that it in many ways post-Christian.

Modern thought that dominated the last century has now given way to post-modernism.  In many ways Christians should be glad to see modernism come to an end.  For years, Biblical Christianity has been bludgeoned by the forces of modernism, with it’s scientific rationalism, humanism, and bias against the past.[i]  The question is, will the post-modern world be better or worse?

Postmodern thought makes new assumptions of reality that go far beyond mere relativism.[ii]  The postmodern may say, what’s true for you is true for you and what’s true for me is true for me.  There are no absolutes.  This relativistic approach to reality pervades the culture of religion, academics, politics, art, literature, music…

The study of worldviews is increasingly more helpful as Christians seek to understand and engage the culture.  Gone is the day when a Christian could share his faith assuming that his listeners valued the Bible let alone had any idea of the basic tenants of Christianity or the biblical narrative.  Thankfully, there is nothing new under the sun.  Christians, for centuries, have sought to understand their culture and meaningfully share the good news of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps there is no better time in human history that we can look to than the time of the reformation to find hope and direction as we attempt to navigate through the changing currents of our time.  The church is in dire need of a modern reformation.  

A worldview is an individual’s basic assumptions about reality, usually unquestioned; an individual’s fundamental outlook on life.[iii]  It’s been illustrated as a lens that shapes the way someone sees things.  The western world has witnessed many worldviews:  dualism, humanism, fatalism, deism, spiritualism, mysticism, pluralism, paganism, atheism, agnosticism, ecumenicalism, synergism, secularism, relativism, pragmatism, positivism, hedonism, and theism.

At the heart of each specific worldview is a unique epistemology, theology, and anthropology.[iv]  Epistemology is defined as the study or a theory of how we get or explain knowledge.[v]  Theology is defined as the study of the knowledge of God.[vi]  Anthropology is defined as the study of man and mankind.[vii]

The reformation was a unique event at a special time in human history.  God raised up able men such as Huss, Savernorola, Calvin, Zwingli, Beza, Bucer, Vermigli, Bullinger, Farel, Knox and others to radically develop a distinctly biblical worldview.  If for no other reason than the density and rapidity of change, sixteenth-century Europe experienced a transformation in worldview that was more nearly a revolution in the conventional sense of the term than perhaps any other comparable period in history.[viii]

The reformers emphasis on the supremacy of Scripture as the final authority was key.  The epistemological implication was that all true knowledge was derived from Scripture alone.  Anthropologically, the reformers concluded from the Bible that man was totally depraved and could only be reconciled to God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.   Theologically, the reformers concluded that God created and sustains everything by his power and for his glory alone. 

These five statements define the reformation worldview:  Sola Scriptura, Sola fide, Sola gratia, Solas Christus, and Sola deo glorio.  The reformers organized and proclaimed these five Scriptural affirmations in order to start a revolution that continues on today.  As one looks across the landscape of modern culture and even the church he is confronted with many problems and is offered many varying solutions.  I see the problems and believe the solution to be an old one, not a new one.  We must, as the reformers did in their day, reaffirm the authority of Scripture and the subsequent statements of unadjusted biblical truth.

The five solas of the reformation have been likened unto the pillars of a building.  These five pillars are absolutely essential to biblical faith and worldview.  The reformers were no mental midgets.  They were rooted and grounded in the metaphysical philosophical teachings of Greek philosopher, Aristotle.  Aristotle formulated a theory of causation which said that there are four causes that bring about everything that has come into existence.  The formal cause (sola Scriptura) is the foundation or blueprint that forms subsequent truth.  The material cause (sola fide) is the material by which the Christian faith/worldview is built with.  The instrumental cause, which is a sub-category of the efficient cause, (sola gratia) represents the tool that true faith is built with.  The efficient cause (solas Christus) represents the person who is responsible for building the building.  The final cause (sola Deo Gloria) represents the purpose for which the building is built.  All five of these pillars are fundamentally necessary for saving faith.[ix]

The doctrine of Scripture alone is the foundation of Christianity.  Denying  the authority of scripture would be like dynamiting the foundation of the Christian faith.  The result would be the topple of the other four pillars.  Biblical Christians for centuries have fought and died for affirming this fundamental doctrine.  The reformers sought in their day to reaffirm this doctrine after the medieval church had synthesized the authority of Scripture with the authority of popes, councils, and church tradition. 

Martin Luther boldly proclaimed this doctrine.  It is the heart of the reformation worldview.  Without a firm conviction of this doctrine, he would not have been able to develop the doctrines of total depravity or justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  His unwavering conviction is best illustrated when he stood before the leaders of the Diet of Worms in April of 1521.   Luther was brought before the council and stood beside a table of his writings and asked two questions: are these your writings and will you recant?   After a one day break, he again stood before the council and answered with these famous words: “Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer.  Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us.  On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me.”[x]  Luther’s words echoed across Europe and eventually to America. 

In 1536, we find John Calvin at the drafting of the Geneva Confession. Sec 1, Sentence 1, plainly states, “First we affirm that we desire to follow Scripture alone as a rule of faith and religion without mixing with it any other things which might be devised by the opinion of men apart from the Word of God. “  Subsequent confessions articulated the reformers commitment to Scripture alone.  From this foundation, the reformation worldview began to develop.  Nothing short of a revolution in the culture and the church began as all of life was viewed primarily though the lense of Holy Scripture.

Scripture Alone

The Authority of Scripture

            The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.[xi] 

            Calvin states in his Institutes, “When that which is set forth is acknowledged to be the Word of God, there is no one so deplorably insolent-unless devoid of both common sense and of humanity itself-as to dare impugn the credibility of Him who speaks.  Now daily oracles are sent from heaven, for it pleased the Lord to hallow his truth from everlasting remembrance in the Scriptures alone.  Hence the Scriptures obtain full authority among believers only when men regard them as having sprung from heaven, as if there the living words of God were heard.”[xii]  The opening article of the Westminster Confession of Faith say’s, “Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation;  therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his Church;  and afterwards, for the better preserving and  propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.”

The sixty-six books that make up the canon of Scripture are the authoritative Word of God and the only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him.  The Scriptures are authoritative because God is the author.  Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  When one reads the Scriptures he is indeed reading God’s words and because they are God’s words they are nothing less than profitable for producing eternal life and righteous living.   

The 1689 Baptist Confession states that “the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.  The authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.”  (chap. 1, Para. 1)   

Ultimately, the conviction that the words of the Bible are God’s words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us an inner assurance that these are the words of our Creator speaking to us.[xiii]  Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”  Those who do not have the Spirit of God are unable to accept biblical truth or affirm the authority of Scripture.  However, those whom are indwelled by the Spirit of God are able because the “Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)  Jesus says in John 10:27, “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Only those who are born again by the Spirit of God are able to hear the voice of the great Shepherd in Scriptures and believe and follow him.

In order to confidently affirm that the Word of God is the ultimate standard of truth, one must consider the character of its author.  This is important because if God himself can be proven to be untrustworthy than so goes his Word.  The Bible attests to the truthfulness of God in many passages. 

Paul greets Titus as “a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.” (Titus 1:1-3)  Paul speaks authoritatively as one sent by God with a mission to proclaim the knowledge of the truth that “God who never lies” entrusted to him.  These verses not only affirm the words of Paul but also more importantly state the trustworthiness of God and his Word.  He never lies; therefore he can always be trusted. 

Similarly, the writer of Hebrews, spoke of two unchangeable things.  “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself…For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.”  (Hebrews 6:13&15)  He goes on in verse 16 to say, “it is impossible for God to lie.”  God made a promise and an oath to Abraham to show his unchangeable character.  So, Paul says God never lies and the writer to the Hebrews goes a step further and says it is impossible for God to tell a lie; therefore, he can always be trusted.

The Bible not only affirms the trustworthiness of God but also affirms it’s own trustworthiness.  Psalm 12:6 say’s, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.”  Proverbs 30:5 say’s, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”  Psalm 119:89 say’s, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”  Jesus say’s in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”  John 17:17 say’s, “Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth.” Since God, who is the author of Scripture, is trustworthy then Scripture itself can be considered inerrant and thus the ultimate source of truth.   

“Let this point therefore stand: that those whom the Holy Spirit has inwardly taught truly rest upon Scripture, and that Scripture indeed is self-authenticated; hence, it is not right to subject it to proof and reasoning.  And the certainty it deserves with us, it attains by the testimony of the Spirit.  For even if it wins reverence for itself by its own majesty, it seriously affects us only when it is sealed upon our hearts by the Spirit.  Therefore, illumined by his power, we believe neither by our own or anyone else’s judgment that Scripture is from God; but above human judgment we affirm with all certainty (just as if we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself) that it has flowed to us from the very mouth of God by the ministry of men.”[xiv]

The Inerrancy of Scripture

It was Augustine who first coined the term “inerrant,” and Luther and Calvin can speak of the Scripture as free from error.[xv]  Inerrancy means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.[xvi]  Although Augustine, Luther and Calvin affirmed inerrancy it was not until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that the doctrine was more fully formulated.  In 1881, this view was articulated most completely by A. A. Hodge and B. B. Warfield in a book entitled, Inspiration.[xvii]  Six key arguments can be drawn from their work.

First, they point out that a sound doctrine of inspiration requires a specifically Christian ontology or view of reality.[xviii]  One must properly understand how God works in the world and specifically in and through the lives of human beings.  God is the sovereign creator and he alone preserves and governs every creature and every action.  With this acknowledgement, one can understand both the divine and human aspects of revelation.  Hodge and Warfield declare that God’s “superintendence” did not compromise creaturely freedom.[xix]  The various human authors of the Bible cannot be considered inspired in and of themselves but God who is the divine author of Scripture worked in and through his human instruments to produce his infallible Word.  “The Scriptures were generated through sixteen centuries of this divinely regulated concurrence of God and man, of the natural and the supernatural, of reason and revelation, of providence and grace.”[xx]

Second, Warfield and Hodge underscore the redemptive-historical unfolding of biblical revelation, defending as organic view of inspiration over a mechanical theory.[xxi]  Hebrews 1:1 say’s, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.”  The term “organic” implies that God did not use the human authors of the Bible in a mechanical way, like a writer uses a pen.  He did not whisper in their ears the words that he wanted them to write.  Instead, he acted on them in an organic way, in harmony with the laws of their own inner being.[xxii]  God used the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles to record the unfolding story of redemption.  He did this perfectly, not through mechanical dictation but through the human authors own personality, temperament, character, gifts, talents, education, culture, vocabulary, diction, and style illumined by the Holy Spirit.[xxiii]  The organic nature of biblical revelation is undeniable as one recognizes the variety of literary forms and presentation in Scripture.  Peter puts it plainly in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Thirdly, Hodge and Warfield faced squarely the questions of contradictions and errors, noting problems in great detail.[xxiv]  The Scriptures were intended to be taught to and understood by all men, even children.  Although most of Scripture can be easily understood there are other parts that seem impossible and other parts that seem contradictory.  Most confusion can be attributed to man’s fallible interpretation or even purposeful twisting to suit his own purposes.  Apparent contradictions, errors, and problems have been noted and seriously studied since the completion of the Canon of Scripture.  The majority of these claims have been sufficiently explained although others remain.  Perhaps, future generations will be able to explain these tough texts or shed greater light on others as progress is made in areas of pertinent study.

Fourth, because it is the communication that is inspired rather than the persons themselves, we should not imagine that the authors were omniscient or infallible.[xxv]  The human authors of the Bible were just that, fallible human men.  The Bible attests to their own fallible natures at every turn.  It is not contradictory to think that these ordinarily fallible men were enabled and guided by the Holy Spirit through ordinary means to providentially produce the inerrant Word of God.  God is a hands on God who is intimately involved with his creation.  He has foreordained everything that happens according to the purpose of His will and he continues to preserve and govern his creation for His glory.

Fifthly, the claim of inerrancy is that “in all their real affirmations these books are without error.”[xxvi]  When we come to the biblical text we must realize the purpose and intent of the record as well as the audience for whom it was presented not the extensive knowledge of the author on any given subject.  This however does not imply that the writings themselves are not truthful.  This has already been discussed.  This is why Hodge and Warfield say, “It is true that the Scriptures were not designed to teach philosophy, science, or ethnology, or human history as such, and therefore they are not to be studied primarily as sources of information on these subjects.”[xxvii]  It is truthfulness, not exactness that we are looking for when we come to the biblical text.[xxviii]

Sixth, these theologians also denied that inerrancy was the foundation of our doctrine of Scripture, much less of the Christian faith.[xxix]  Even if God was not pleased to give us His inerrant Word in written form the truth of Jesus’ life, death burial, and resurrection would remain true.  Scripture is inerrant because it is the inspired record of actual events. 

The Necessity of Scripture

Now that the authority of Scripture and the inerrancy of Scripture have been sufficiently discussed one must consider the necessity of Scripture.  The necessity of Scripture may be defined as follows:  The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character or moral laws.[xxx] 

Apart from biblical revelation man has been naturally endowed with some knowledge of God.  This has been termed general revelation.  Calvin say’s, “There is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of divinity…God himself has implanted in all men a certain understanding of his divine majesty.  Ever renewing its memory, he repeatedly sheds fresh drops.”[xxxi]  Paul makes this truth very clear in Romans chapters one and two.  He argues that even gentiles who “who do not have the law” will face judgment and be held accountable because “God’s law is written on their hearts” and “their conscience bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.”  So, even though this aspect of general revelation is not sufficient for saving faith it is sufficient for God to justly judge and punish them.

A second aspect of general revelation is creation itself.  Calvin say’s, “Lest anyone, then, be excluded from access to happiness, he not only sowed in men’s minds that seed of religion of which we have spoken but revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole workmanship of the universe.”[xxxii]  The Bible is full of passages that affirm this truth.  Psalm 19:1-4 say’s, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”  Creation itself bears witness to the fact that there is a creator.  There is no one under heaven who can deny this.  Like the law that is written on men’s hearts, the testimony of creation is still not sufficient for saving faith but is sufficient to condemn those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.  Romans 1:19-21 clearly states, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

So, all aspects of general revelation are a sufficient witness to the fact that there is a God and that man should worship him but they are inadequate to bring men to saving faith.  This necessitates the giving of special revelation.  Scripture alone gives the good news of how man can be reconciled to God.  Romans 10:13-17 say’s, “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel.’  For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Scripture alone is sufficient for the purpose of bringing men to salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.[xxxiii]

Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, God’s Glory Alone

Now that the foundational pillar has been firmly established, a brief discussion of the other four pillars is necessary for understanding the reformation worldview.   The reformers development of the doctrines of Faith, grace, Christ, and God’s glory are fundamental biblical doctrines that must be understood to form a coherent system of belief.  Beyond forming a system of belief, understanding the five pillars is essential to understanding the story of redemption, although knowledge alone cannot bring fallen man to saving faith.  The redemptive work of Jesus Christ must be effectively applied to bring one to salvation.  Space, time, and personal limitations will limit this discussion but that is no reflection of there importance.   

The following is a summary of questions one through thirty-eight of the Westminster Shorter Catechism in order to concisely explain the story of redemption and the above mentioned doctrines:  God created everything out of nothing, including man, by his powerful word for his own glory—and all very good.  When Adam sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil all mankind sinned in him and fell with him into a condition of sin and misery because of his first disobedience.  The sinfulness of the fallen condition consists of the guilt of Adam’s first sin with its lack of original righteousness and the corruption of his whole nature.  By Adam’s first sin, all mankind was condemned to death both physically and spiritually.  But God, from all eternity, chose some for everlasting life by a covenant of grace and brought them to salvation by a redeemer who is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Son of God took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, shed his blood and died on the cross, was raised again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father.  Fallen man is made to take part in the redemption Christ bought by producing faith in us and so uniting us to Christ in our effective calling.  When the gospel call is made the Holy Spirit is the agent who makes us aware of our sinful condition, enlightens our minds, and renews our will thereby persuading us to turn from our sin and trust in Christ.  Upon conversion, the believer receives many benefits:  Regeneration, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, and Glorification.  Regeneration is the act of God’s free grace by which he causes us to be born again.  Justification is the act of God’s free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight.  He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours.  Justification is received by faith alone.  Adoption is the act of God’s free grace by which we become His sons with all the rights and privileges of being His.  Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which our whole person is made new in the image of God, and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness.  Glorification is the act of God’s free grace that upon death makes our souls perfectly holy while our bodies rest in the grave until the resurrection.  At the resurrection, believers will be raised in glory, publicly recognized, and declared not guilty, and enter into eternity completely happy in the full enjoyment of God forever.

Conclusion

The Scriptures are the only authoritative and infallible source for finding out what man must believe about God and what God requires of man.  The Scriptures clearly teach that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through the channel of faith alone, in Christ the Savior alone.  From start to finish we must affirm that salvation is wholly attributed to God’s gracious plan and work and all for His glory alone.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

The winds of change are swirling all around us as twenty-first century Christians.  We face some new problems but for the most part we face old ones even though they may be packaged in shiny new wrappers.   We must heed Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:19-22, “So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God the Spirit. “ 

As citizens of the kingdom of God, we must live in this world as salt and light.  Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that we live “in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation” among whom we must “shine as lights in the world.”  Paul say’s we are only able to live as light in this world by “holding fast to the Word of Life.”  “Holding fast” means that we must not only believe God’s Word but we must also obey it in order to make our faith sure.  Furthermore, we must “hold fast to the Word of Life” by joyfully pouring out our lives for the sake of the gospel into the lives of others.

The reformation worldview is no less than a biblical worldview, which is why it is still relevant today.   We must continue to refine the lens through which we view the world in order to properly discern between truth and error and meaningfully share the truth of God’s Word with our generation.  Worldly philosophies will come and go but the Word of God stands.  Since we have been given new life by the blood of Jesus Christ, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…and encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  Hebrew 10:19-25

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[i] Gene Edward Veith, Jr.,  Postmodern Times:  A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture  (Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 1994), 19.

[ii] Veith, 19.

[iii] Derek W.H. Thomas, Ph.D.,  Introduction to Theological Studies:  Glossary of Terms  (Virtual, Reformed Theological Seminary, 2010), xxxiv.

[iv] Scott Amos, “The Reformation as a Revolution in Worldview,” in Revolutions in Worldview, ed. W. Andrew Hoffecker (Phillipsburg, New Jersey:  P&R Publishing, 2007), 213.

[v] Thomas, xxii.

[vi] Thomas, xxxii.

[vii] Thomas, xvii.

[viii] Amos, 207.

[ix] Dr. Michael Ross,  2007.  “Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone Part 1,” 44 min., 32 sec.; audio file.  From Monergism  (01-09-2007). 

http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_details/11584/Sola-Scriptura-The-Scripture-Alone-Part-1/ (Accessed April 27, 2009).

[x] Martin Luther.  Excerpts from his account of the confrontation at the Diet of Worms (1521)  translation from H.C. Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church (1903)

http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english233/Luther-Diet_of_Worms.htm

[xi] Wayne Grudem,  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine  (Leicester, Great Britain:  Inter-Varsity Press/Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan, 1994), 73.

[xii] John Calvin, Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeill. Trans.    Ford Lewis Battles  (Louisville, London:  Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 74.

[xiii] Grudem, 77.

[xiv] Calvin, 80.

[xv] Michael Horton, “The Truthfulness of Scripture:  Inerrancy,” Modern Reformation, vol. 19, num. 2, March/April 2010, 26.

[xvi] Grudem, 91.

[xvii] Horton, 27.

[xviii] Horton, 27.

[xix] Horton, 27.

[xx] Horton, 27.

[xxi] Horton, 27.

[xxii] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology  (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1996), 153.

[xxiii] Berkhof, 153.

[xxiv] Horton, 27.

[xxv] Horton, 27.

[xxvi] Horton, 27.

[xxvii] Horton, 27.

[xxviii] Horton, 28.

[xxix] Horton, 28.

[xxx] Grudem, 116.

[xxxi] Calvin, 43-44.

[xxxii] Calvin, 51-52.

[xxxiii] Grudem, 127.

Bibliography

Amos, Scott.  “The Reformation as a Revolution in Worldview.”  In Revolutions in  Worldview.  ed. by W. Andrew Hoffecker.  Phillipsburg, New Jersey:  P&R Publishing, 2007.

Berkhof, Louis.  Systematic Theology.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.

Calvin, John.  Institutes of the Christian Religion.  Ed. by John T. McNeill.  Trans. By Ford Lewis Battles.  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.

Grudem, Wayne.  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.  Leicester, Great Britain:  Inter-Varsity Press/Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan, 1994.

Horton, Michael. , “The Truthfulness of Scripture:  Inerrancy.” Modern Reformation, vol. 19, num. 2, March/April 2010.

Luther, Martin.  Excerpts from his account of the confrontation at the Diet of Worms (1521).  Translation from H.C. Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church (1903)

http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english233/Luther-Diet_of_Worms.htm (accessed 4-29-10)

Ross, Michael. 2007.  “Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone Part 1,” 44 min., 32 sec.; audio file.  From Monergism  (01-09-2007). 

http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_details/11584/Sola-Scriptura-The-Scripture-Alone-Part-1/ (Accessed April 27, 2009).

Thomas, Derek W.H.  Introduction to Theological Studies:  Glossary of Terms.  Virtual, Reformed Theological Seminary, 2010.

Veith, Gene Edwards Jr.  Postmodern Times:  A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture.  Wheaton, Illinois:  

Crossway Books, 1994.

 [1] Gene Edward Veith, Jr.,  Postmodern Times:  A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture  (Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 1994), 19.

[1] Veith, 19.

[1] Derek W.H. Thomas, Ph.D.,  Introduction to Theological Studies:  Glossary of Terms  (Virtual, Reformed Theological Seminary, 2010), xxxiv.

[1] Scott Amos, “The Reformation as a Revolution in Worldview,” in Revolutions in Worldview, ed. W. Andrew Hoffecker (Phillipsburg, New Jersey:  P&R Publishing, 2007), 213.

[1] Thomas, xxii.

[1] Thomas, xxxii.

[1] Thomas, xvii.

[1] Amos, 207.

[1] Dr. Michael Ross,  2007.  “Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone Part 1,” 44 min., 32 sec.; audio file.  From Monergism  (01-09-2007). 

http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_details/11584/Sola-Scriptura-The-Scripture-Alone-Part-1/ (Accessed April 27, 2009).

[1] Martin Luther.  Excerpts from his account of the confrontation at the Diet of Worms (1521)  translation from H.C. Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church (1903)

http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english233/Luther-Diet_of_Worms.htm

[1] Wayne Grudem,  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine  (Leicester, Great Britain:  Inter-Varsity Press/Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan, 1994), 73.

[1] John Calvin, Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeill. Trans.    Ford Lewis Battles  (Louisville, London:  Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 74.

[1] Grudem, 77.

[1] Calvin, 80.

[1] Michael Horton, “The Truthfulness of Scripture:  Inerrancy,” Modern Reformation, vol. 19, num. 2, March/April 2010, 26.

[1] Grudem, 91.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology  (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1996), 153.

[1] Berkhof, 153.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 27.

[1] Horton, 28.

[1] Horton, 28.

[1] Grudem, 116.

[1] Calvin, 43-44.

[1] Calvin, 51-52.

[1] Grudem, 127.