The Doctrine of God in the Early Church

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Modern rationalism

• Modernists demand logical and rational proof for faith
• Influence of modernist thinking on evangelical churches

The Need for Extra-Biblical Evidence

• Modernist demand for proof of Jesus' resurrection
• Rejection of accepting the Gospels without additional evidence
• Critique of prioritizing reason over apostolic testimony

Paganism of Rationalism

• Christians view rationalism as contrary to faith
• Faith as a leap into the darkness, not grounded in rationalism
• Faith in Scripture based on testimony, not reason

Authority of Apostles and Prophets

• Apostles and prophets derive authority from divine inspiration, not rational verification
• Modernist criteria seen as undermining this authority

Faith Over Reason

• Community of faith accepts the Old and New Testaments as the inspired, inerrant Word of God
• Acceptance based on faith, not logical or rational arguments

Modernist vs. Pre-Modern Authority

• Modernists require personal consent and rational validation of authority
• Pre-modern view: authority is inherited and accepted without personal validation
• Lordship of Christ as an example of non-consensual authority

Rationalism in American Culture

• Authority in America is based on individual consent
• Contrast with biblical authority, which is inherited and non-negotiable

Scriptural Inspiration and Inerrancy

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17: Scripture as inspired and profitable for teaching and training
• 2 Peter 1:20-21: Prophecy as divinely inspired, not humanly constructed
• Context of these passages in addressing false teachers and error

Conclusion

• Inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture provide a reliable source of truth
• Faith in the truthfulness of Scripture is grounded in its divine origin, not in rational proof
• Call to embrace the distinctively Christian view of authority and truth

Q&A and Final Thoughts

• Discussion on the difficulty of maintaining Christian authority in a modern context
• Emphasis on the challenge of living a distinctively Christian life in a rationalistic world
• Encouragement to uphold the doctrine of inspiration and inerrancy against modernist critiques

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.