Lesson 3 Epistemology and Revelation (Part I) Flashcards
Brute Facts
All things take their meaning from the Son, and thus, there are no “brute facts”—all facts are revelatory facts.
Every element of existence, from the natural world to human reasoning, is intelligible only in relation to the Son. (Van Til)
Prejudiced Witness
Christ is the “prejudiced witness,” meaning that His interpretation of reality is absolute and authoritative.
Any attempt to understand reality apart from Christ results in failure, as it denies the very foundation upon which knowledge stands.
Every discipline finds its ultimate coherence in Christ.
How do we know rightly?
To know anything rightly, one must know it in relation to Christ, for He alone defines the meaning and purpose of all things.
Preeminence of Christ
The doctrine that Christ is supreme over all things, including knowledge, creation, and redemption.
He is the revealer and the revealed.
Christ is Creator, Sustainer of all things
John 1:1-3;
Colossians 1:16-17
Christ the image of God
Colossians 1:15-20
Protokos
Firstborn; Christ is the firstborn of all Creation.
He is what man was meant to be.
Christ is sovereign over all things, seen and unseen
Colossians 1:16-17
Christ the fullest revelation of God
Hebrews 1:1-3
dynamic concept of upholding creation
Christ is not just keeping things in existence; He is leading creation to its ultimate fulfillment. This aligns with the biblical theme of God’s sovereign plan unfolding through history, culminating in the full realization of His kingdom.
Christ is heir to all things
Hebrews 1:2
Christ’s Preeminence and Knowledge
To think rightly is to think with reference to Christ.
Every pursuit of knowledge, every aspect of life, and every interpretation of reality must be rooted in the understanding that the Son of God is preeminent over all things.
Without Him, knowledge is fragmented and incomplete. With Him, all things hold together.
Warning against false ways of thinking
Colossians 2:3,8
fundamental epistemological divide:
knowledge is either in submission to Christ or in opposition to Him.
Thus, the Son of God is not merely the beginning of knowledge but also its end. Knowledge is a moral act, requiring submission to Christ as the foundation of wisdom and understanding. To think apart from Him is not just an intellectual mistake; it is an act of rebellion.
How is knowledge both an intellectual and spiritual matter?
The light of Christ’s knowledge operates on two levels:
1. Objective Revelation – Christ reveals truth about God, creation, and redemption through His Word and through the created order.
2. Subjective Transformation – The Holy Spirit enables believers to understand, accept, and live according to this truth.
Thus, knowledge is both an intellectual and a spiritual matter.
Christ’s awareness of His divinity and Messianic role
Luke 10:21-22
Matthew 11:25-27
Son’s authority in revelation
Luke 10:22
Epistemological Principles revealed in Luke 10:22
- Knowledge of God is Personal, Not Merely Intellectual – Knowing God is not just about acquiring facts; it is about entering into a relationship with Him through Christ.
- Revelation is Sovereignly Given, Not Earned – The Father’s truth is not discovered through human effort but is revealed by the Son according to His will.
- Faith is Essential to Knowing God – Since knowledge of the Father comes only through the Son, it requires faith in Christ’s authority and His revelation.
The Son’s joy in carrying out the Father’s will
Luke 10:21;
Hebrews 12:2
Christ as mediator
1 Timothy 2:5;
Hebrews 8:6
Revelation as an act of grace
Luke 10:21;
Ephesians 1:6,9-10
The Joy of Revelation
Luke 10:23-24
Dimensionalism
Kant’s epistemology introduced a bifurcation of reality into two spheres: the phenomenal and the noumenal. The phenomenal realm consists of what can be experienced through the senses—observable, measurable reality, which is the domain of science. The noumenal realm consists of what lies beyond sensory experience, including morality, God, and the spiritual realm, which Kant assigned to the domain of religion. ( Immanuel Kant)
Biblical counters to “dimensionality”
– All Creation is Unified - Col 1:16-17
– Christ’s Authority is Comprehensive – Hebrews 1:3
– Human Thinking is Covenantally Bound - Romans 1:18-21 thinking apart from Christ leads to epistemological rebellion.
