A Biblical Portrait of the Mind.
 

  1. We cannot “prove,” that is, “make known to ourselves and to others,” what God’s will is, without the renewing or transformation of our minds. Romans 12:1-2

  1. Jesus subordinated His divine nature (Philippians 2:6-8) to His Father and grew in knowledge (Luke 2:52) as a genuine human being.
    1. In Matthew 22:23-33, the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with an intellectual argument. Jesus’ options seemed to be:

1.      Deny the resurrection.

2.      Accept polygamy and adultery

3.      Arbitrarily limit her marriage to one brother only.

    1. Jesus addressed the surface issue by denying the condition for the argument to get off the ground.
    2. Jesus could have cited Daniel 12:2. However, knowing Sadducean theology, He knew they did not accept the authority of the book of Daniel.
    3. Instead He cited Exodus 3:6 with His counter-argument hinged on the tense of the Hebrew verb thus showing His intellectual skills by:

1.      Showing His familiarity with His opponents’ point of view.

2.      Appealing to common ground (a text all disputants accepted.)

3.      Used logic to dissect His opponents’ argument and refute it.

    1. This passage establishes the context for Matthew 22:37

  1. Two key words in 1 Peter 3:15; apologia and logos.
    1. apologia means to defend something offering positive arguments for and responding to negative arguments against your position. Acts 14:15-17
    2. logos means evidence or argument which provide rational justification for some belief.

  1. Wisdom comes by studying nature as well as learning Scripture. Proverbs 6:5-6

    1. a. “Ought not a minister to have, first, a good understanding, a clear apprehension, a sound judgment, and a capacity of reasoning with some closeness?” John Wesley.

1.      In that same address, Wesley admonished the clergymen present to study logic, metaphysics, natural theology, geometry, and the ideas of important figures in the history of thought.

2.      Wesley noted elsewhere, “To imagine none can teach you but those who are themselves saved from sin, is a very great and dangerous mistake. Give not place to it for a moment.”

    1. “We must show our Scripture not to be conflict with whatever [our critics] can demonstrate about the nature of things from reliable sources.” Augustine.

  1. Scripture teaches us the value of natural moral law.
    1. Natural moral law is knowable by all people independently of the Bible. (Job 31:13-15, Romans 1-2).
    2. Natural moral law is the source of moral guidance for the state to be just and punish wrongdoers as Romans 13:1-7 teaches. 
  1. Scripture teaches us the value of being qualified to minister from a position of influence. Daniel 1:3-4, 2:12-13, 5:7

  1. If 1 Corinthians 1-2 is in fact an indictment against argumentation and reasoning, then it contradict Paul’s own practice in Acts and his explicit appeal to argument and evidence on behalf of the resurrection in the very same epistle. (Chap 15)
    1. Paul argued against the prideful use of reason.
    2. Was condemning Greek rhetoric.
    3. The gospel cannot be deduced from some set of first principles. 
  1. Colossians 2:8 is a warning not to embrace heresy.
    1. One of the best ways to avoid hollow and deceptive philosophy is to study philosophy itself, so you can learn to recognize truth from error, using Scripture and right reason as a guide.
    2. Paul himself approvingly cited pagan philosophers in Acts 17:28. 
  1. The fact that reasoning alone will not bring someone to Christ, it does not follow that we should not persuade or reason with people.
    1. Preaching alone will not save people without the Spirit’s work. John 3:5-6, Romans 5:3-5, 1 John 4:19
    1. The will is fallen as well, but God still commands people to make a choice to believe. Joshua 24:15
    2. Total depravity means that the entire person, including the intellect, has been adversely affected by the fall and is separate from God. The sinner alone cannot extricate himself from this condition and cannot merit God’s favor. 
  1. Faith is relying on what you have reason to believe is true and trustworthy. The three different aspect of faith are:
    1. notitia refers to the doctrinal content a Christian faith.
    2. assensus notes the assent of the intellect to the truth of the content of Christian teaching.
    3. fiducia captures the personal application or trust involve in faith, an act that primarily involves the will but includes the affections and intellect as well. 
  1. The proper response to Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 8:1 should be humility, not ignorance. Any who place man as the primary knower, that is, man is above God, is out of his mind. (Isaiah 55:9)
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