Greg Bahnsen -- "Presuppositional Apologist" and disciple of Cornelius Van Til at Westminster Theological Seminary -- wrote, "we come into this world cognitively "conditioned" or PREPARED to RECOGN...
Greg Bahnsen -- "Presuppositional Apologist" and disciple of Cornelius Van Til at Westminster Theological Seminary -- wrote, "we come into this world cognitively "conditioned" or PREPARED to RECOGNIZE the indications of our Creator in nature and SCRIPTURE." (p222-3. Note: All quotes in this video are taken from "Van Til's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis" compiled by Bahnsen.)
So Bahnsen says unbelievers can understand the Bible. Such a statement is not a slip-up. In fact, it is very consistent with his system. Bahnsen says that the unbeliever already knows God "deep down". If that's right, then it logically follows that unbelievers have the ability to judge the Bible.
For example, imagine a member of your family -- whom you have known all your life -- writes an autobiography. You would be competent to judge the reliability of the book, right?
Now, the Bible is God's autobiography. So if unbelievers have known God all their lives, "deep down" then they're going to think they are competent to judge the Bible, right? "Why do we need the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible, when we already understand the Being who wrote it?", they can say.
The Apostles constantly battled people who thought they knew God apart from the Bible. They tried to convince men they did not know God "deep down" by nature. A man convinced he is ignorant of God by nature will know he is unable to judge the Bible. Paul declares, "the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God ... [believers] have received ... the Spirit who is from God, so that [they] may know the things given to [them] by God.." (1 Cor 2:11-12)
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Romans 1 is absolutely clear that man knows God (as the creator, not as a Father) but they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. You attack these men in your videos that clearly believe biblically that God is known by all men, but they rebel against Him as the Creator.
whooo! back up the bus! You haven't taken into account the fall. Dr Bahnsen isn't a stupid as you portray him to be. Andrew you are a showing the marks of a spiritual babe i.e the self righteous stage! I assume you are a Clarkian, and it's Bahnsen, not "Bansen"!
Sad. You are lost in a sea of confusion. I'm glad you are an interested beginner, though. You need to understand Bahnsens' perspective before you spew your illogic. You are denying Romans 1. Withdraw your cooky video.
Not only is Andy failing to understand Bahnsen's Position. He fails to understand the teaching of the Holy Spirit in the Word. Romans 1 -3 teach that all know that there is a God. Bahnsen political view (reconstructionism) like his apologetic is grounded in the Bible) But all because an arguement is bible based does not make it valid nor true.
or example it is written in the Bible that "There is no God" (ps 14:1,ps 53:1) of course the argument is bases on a statement out of context. Likewise Andy is attacking Bahnsen out of context. Likewise Bahnsen basis for reconstructionism is out of covenant context.
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Bahnsen 1 Misguided Critic 0
Position. He fails to understand the teaching of the Holy Spirit in the Word. Romans 1 -3 teach that all know that there is a God. Bahnsen political view (reconstructionism) like his apologetic is grounded in the Bible) But all because an arguement is bible based does not make it valid nor true.