The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Natural Theology 2

Here is a short dialogue illustrating why one must assume something outside the text in order to gather the meaning of the text. Namely, God as He reveals Himself through nature. Otherwise, the claim "I hold to sola Scriptura" is meaningless—
Presups: God is this way.
Others: No, God is that way.
Who has the true knowledge of God?
Presups: We do, because the Bible tells us so.
Others: No, we do, because the Bible tells us so.
Who has the right interpretation?
Presups: We do, because regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Others: We do, because regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
What means does the Spirit use to bring you to a correct understanding of the Bible?
Presups: We are regenerated by the Holy Spirit!
Others: God Himself as He speaks through His works and provides us with basic first principles allowing us to know, read, and speak intelligible things, of which the Scriptures are preeminent.
The key take-away: We must appeal to authority *outside* the self (metaphysics) rather than an alleged innate reality (epistemology) in order to justify our approach to Scripture before other men. Otherwise, the universal claim of both Christian and heretic is, "We believe the Bible," and no one gets anywhere.
I will be criticized for saying this. But remember, even James White appeals to rules of grammar, textual theory, and a host of other things when interacting with Shabir Ali, Bart Ehrman, and everyone in between. What are those rules but first principles preceding our approach to Scripture itself?[/quote

He went on to say the following:

[quote] Special Theology assumes Natural Theology. Authority would be unintelligible as a concept apart from natural revelation.

Natural Theology and Special Theology, have equal authority.