CHRISTIAN EPISTEMOLOGY

1 PETER 1:10–16

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed

(1 Peter 1:13).

This week we will study five aspects of a Christian philosophy, based on Ligonier’s series A Blueprint for Thinking. These five areas, beginning with Christian epistemology, are the essential elements which determine a person’s worldview. Epistemology is the study of knowledge and truth, and so we begin with 1 Peter 1:13: “Gird up your minds for action.”

When people today express an opinion, they usually say, “I feel” instead of “I think.” Truth today is considered a matter of personal feeling. In a recent international examination in the area of mathematics, American students finished last; but when asked how they thought they had done, the Americans perceived that they had finished first. They felt good about themselves, and it did not occur to them that any objective standard outside of themselves could contradict their feelings.

Thinking, however, is hard work, not a casual endeavor. If you have ever had to think hard through a serious problem, in school or in your life, you may have noticed that your forehead broke out in sweat. The Christian is called to be a thinker.

Epistemology answers the question, “How should we evaluate a claim?” There are three partially correct answers to that question. The first is that of rationalism, which says that the way to truth is through the mind. Truth is what makes sense logically. This is true, but not the whole truth, as rationalism falsely claims.

The second way is that of empiricism: The way to truth is through the senses. Truth comes through the study and observation of the world. Again, this is partly true, but it is not the whole truth.

The third way is that of pragmatism: Truth is what works. If something works, if it gets results, then it is true. Once more, this alone is not the whole truth.

Christianity affirms the value of each of these. God’s truth is a rational, systematic, non-contradictory whole. God’s truth squares with the reality of the world around us. And God’s truth works when we test it. Ultimately, however, the Christian knows that truth comes by revelation. God reveals truth supremely in a book He Himself has written, and a world He has created.

CORAM DEO

Job 38–42

God is omniscient. He can never be wrong. Therefore, if some biblical passages seem to conflict, we know they are harmonious. If something in the Bible seems to conflict with science, we know they are really harmonious. If some biblical teaching seems not to work, we know it will. Commit again to trusting God in His Word.

For further study: John 7:16–18; 8:14–16, 28–32; 14:1–7

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october