Biblical Criticism & Liberal Theology¶
We've crafted an unofficial, source-cited, non-commercial index of Dr. R.C. Sproul's publicly available teachings, weighted by how many independent sources corroborate each point. The content is authored by Dr. R.C. Sproul and published by Ligonier Ministries (a few items are third-party YouTube re-uploads); see the Methodology & Rights page for more info. Quotations are brief, linked to their source, and reproduced for study under Ligonier's Copyright Policy (ligonier.org/copyright-policy). This site is humbly offered for personal use only, out of love and respect, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ligonier Ministries or St. Andrew's Chapel.
91 positions — 7 corroborated across multiple sources.
Well-attested positions¶
Independently stated in two or more of his messages.
Textual criticism is an accurate science that allows scholars to reconstruct original documents by examining thousands of manuscripts and their textual families.
The science of textual criticism, which is the science of reconstructing the original documents, is one of the most exact, impressive sciences that we have in the field of biblical studies. We have thousands of manuscripts that have been copied from the first century onward, and by examining all those carefully and the textual families in which they exist, it has become a rather precise science to reconstruct the original documents.
Corroborated across 3 sources: The Witness of Matthew (Ligonier article) · The Great Commission (Ligonier) · The Pool of Bethesda (Ligonier)
Nineteenth-century liberalism chose to revise Christianity to align with modern theories rather than close the churches.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
Or do we revise our understanding of Christianity in such a way as to make it compatible with modern theories of man and the world? Well, again nineteenth century liberalism obviously chose the latter course and tried to reduce the significance of the teaching of the New Testament and the ministry of Jesus to a this-worldly concern for social and humanitarian issues, that the kingdom of God which was the motif that the biblical scholars understood that unified the Old and the New Testaments.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 4:59
Interpreting Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God using the methods of nineteenth-century liberals is fundamentally incorrect and dishonest.
Now, understand this technical point. Schweitzer is saying to try to interpret Jesus' teaching of the kingdom of God and His future prophecies the way the nineteenth century liberals were doing was fundamentally not only incorrect but dishonest, not really dealing with the plain teaching of the text of Scripture.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 6:12 · R.C. Sproul @ 11:30
The Geneva Bible was the first Bible to include theological notes in the margins, and it was widely used in England and America for a long period.
This Bible, called the Geneva Bible, was the first Bible to have theological notes printed in the margin, which notes were heavily influenced by Calvin’s preaching. This Bible was the predominant Bible among the English for the next hundred years before it was supplanted by the popular King James Version.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Crossing the Channel (Ligonier article) · How the Reformation Spread (Ligonier article)
Bultmann argued that the Bible must undergo 'demythologizing' to be relevant to modern people, stripping away its mythological elements to reach the salvific core.
Bultmann went on to make a distinction between history and mythology, arguing that the Bible is a mixture of both. In order for the Bible to be relevant to modern people, it must first be stripped of its mythological husk in order to penetrate the salvific core. That is, it must be submitted to the task of “demythologizing.”
Corroborated across 2 sources: An Historic Faith (Ligonier article) · Tota Scriptura (Ligonier article)
Theologial liberalism is defined not as a philosophical bent, but as a distinct historical movement that emerged in the nineteenth century.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
However, when we speak of liberalism in the field of theology, we are not thinking of a frame of mind or a philosophical bent but a distinct historical movement that captured the minds of many churchmen in the nineteenth century.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Liberal Agenda (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 5:46
The Religious Historical School applied evolutionary principles to biblical religion, suggesting that all religions follow a predictable pattern of development.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
The Religious Historical School was a school of thought that dominated liberal theology in the nineteenth century that applied these principles of evolution to biblical religion, saying that biblical religion follows the same basic pattern that all religions follow in their historic development, that religion begins in a simple manner and then develops to a more complex viewpoint.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 8:06 · R.C. Sproul @ 0:07
Further positions¶
Drawn from a single high-trust (official transcript) source.
The current cultural commitment to relativism is fundamentally similar to the assumptions of the ancient Sophists.
We’re seeing it all around us as so many people in our culture are committed to a philosophy of relativism, which foundationally is no different from the assumptions brought to the realm of education by the ancient Sophists.
Source: Against the Sophists (Ligonier article)
Studying church and world history is necessary to identify enduring principles that the church has understood to apply across all ages.
I also think we need to study church history so that we can see those principles and precepts that the church has understood as applying across the centuries and speaking to Christians of all ages.
Source: The Applicability of God’s Word (Ligonier article)
The Reformed theology of the 19th century was strongly influenced by the classical Reformed thought of 17th-century Geneva, particularly through the work of Francis Turretin.
Each of these four men had been strongly influenced by the classical Reformed thought of seventeenth century Geneva, especially through the work of Francis Turretin.
Source: B.B. Warfield: Defender of the Faith (Ligonier article)
Although Warfield was related to the Dutch theologians' understanding of historic Calvinism, his views were more aligned with the Scottish Reformed tradition than the Dutch one.
Though he was closely related to those Dutch theologians’ understanding of historic Calvinism, Warfield was more in line with the Scottish Reformed tradition than that of the Dutch.
Source: B.B. Warfield: Defender of the Faith (Ligonier article)
Open debate is difficult to achieve in academic settings because the host or professor controls the discussion and can silence the guest/student.
At any time in the course of such discussions, the comments of the guest can be silenced.
Source: Be Prepared (Ligonier article)
The classroom and many universities are not places where open debate is usually encouraged.
The classroom is not a place where open debate is usually encouraged. To the contrary, on the campuses of many universities and even seminaries, open season has been declared on Christian students.
Source: Be Prepared (Ligonier article)
Protestant Scholasticism is viewed by critics as a deformation of biblical thought into dry formulations, rather than a lively rediscovery of truth.
To the scoffers of this present age, Protestant Scholasticism is seen as a reification or calcification of the dynamic and liquid forms of earlier Reformed insight.
Source: Biblical Scholasticism (Ligonier article)
The popular belief that the church alone suppressed Galileo's discoveries is historically inaccurate.
Though the facts of history show otherwise, the impression that has been passed down to us is that the church and the church alone was guilty of suppressing Galileo’s discoveries.
Source: The Christian and Science (Ligonier article)
The gap theory, which suggests the original creation was marred and later reconstituted, is not explicitly taught in Scripture and is contradicted by the broader context of the Bible.
However, Scripture nowhere explicitly teaches that the original creation was marred and then after many years reconstituted. The broader context of the whole of Scripture militates against the gap theory.
Source: The Creation Doctrine in Reformed Theology (Ligonier article)
The framework hypothesis, developed by Nicholas Ridderbos, suggests that the literary form of the book's chapters differs from one another.
He argued that the literary form of the book’s first few chapters differs from that of its later chapters.
Source: The Creation Doctrine in Reformed Theology (Ligonier article)
Reformed theology is theocentric, meaning its central focus is God, not human beings.
The central focal point of Reformed theology is God, and it’s the doctrine of God that permeates the whole of the substance of Reformed thought. Thus Reformed theology, by way of affirmation, can be called theocentric.
Source: The Fine Points of Calvinism (Ligonier article)
Biblical claims, especially historical ones, should be tested using common standards of historiography, such as archaeology.
There are certain elements of the Scripture, such as historical claims, that are to be measured by the common standards of historiography. I invite people to do that—to check it out.
Source: How Do We Know the Bible Is True? (Ligonier article)
Nineteenth-century liberalism rejected miraculous events described in Scripture, viewing them as pre-scientific myths.
Those events that are defined or described in Scripture as being miraculous, indeed, caused by the supernatural agency of God, were rejected as naïve, pre-scientific myths that found their way into the original documents of Scripture.
Source: The Liberal Agenda (Ligonier article)
The modern church faces a serious erosion of biblical authority and a widespread rejection of doctrine's foundational importance.
Within evangelicalism itself, we have seen a serious erosion of biblical authority, a willingness to negotiate the biblical gospel itself, and a widespread rejection of doctrine as being unimportant and in no way foundational to the Christian faith.
Source: The Liberal Agenda (Ligonier article)
The 'new theology' movement within the Western wing of the Roman Catholic Church was more compatible with historical Protestantism than classical orthodox Latin Roman theology.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
Much of the Western wing adopted what was called the nouvelle théologie , “the new theology,” which was much more compatible with historical Protestantism than the classical orthodox Latin Roman theology.
Source: Misunderstanding Vatican II (Ligonier article)
The biblical view of history is linear-progressive, asserting that history has a beginning and moves toward a divine purpose (telos).
Over against this view stands the biblical view of linear-progressive history. This understanding does not say that history moves in a steady incline, moving toward some evolutionary climax; rather, it indicates a movement of history that looks more like a corporate chart displaying troughs and peaks while in the long term moving in an upward direction.
Source: Moving Toward the Goal of History (Ligonier article)
The history of art, particularly in major museums, shows a dominant religious and specifically Christian orientation.
If you were to go to the Louvre in Paris or to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and peruse the history of art, you would see that it's dominated by a religious orientation, and specifically, a Christian orientation.
Source: Our Beautiful God (Ligonier article)
The higher criticism school of biblical scholarship viewed biblical religion as a gradual development, suggesting that belief in one God was a late development in history.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
In the “higher criticism” school of biblical scholarship, biblical religion was viewed as a gradual development from a primitive belief in many gods to a higher view of monotheism. This perspective saw the belief in one God as a late development in the history of religion.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
The evolutionary approach to the Bible suggested that key figures like Moses were not true monotheists and that the belief in one God was a late development.
Moses, it was said, was not really a monotheist and Abraham was a myth.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
The question of who decides what is important is a critical issue when considering relativism.
The question we must raise with relativism is, who decides what is important? On what basis are decisions made?
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
The dominant world view of American culture is not based on religion or mythology, leaving philosophy as a potential candidate.
If there is a consensus among analysts of American culture they would agree that our unity is no longer (if ever) based on a religious system. Nor is mythology a likely candidate. Though we live in society with an ever-accelerating growth of central government we are not (yet) totally statist. That leaves one option, philosophy.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Christianity and secularism conflict because the biblical worldview considers the long-term, while secularism limits all value and activity to the present time.
This is precisely where Christianity and secularism collide. This is the point of conflict. The biblical world view has a long-term view of human life. The term is much longer than that of secularism.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Attempting to synthesize classical Christianity with secular philosophy is impossible because the root concepts of the two worldviews are fundamentally incompatible.
The root concepts of Christianity cannot be unified with the root concepts of secularism. If we seek to breed them the result will be a grotesque hybrid.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
The Bible is the primary source for all three theological disciplines: biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology.
In fact, the Bible is the primary source for all three theological disciplines: biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology.
Source: The Sources of Systematic Theology (Ligonier article)
Systematic theology integrates data from the Bible, historical controversies, church creeds, and the insights of great teachers.
The systematician's job is to look at the source of biblical data; the sources of the historical developments that come through controversies and church councils and their subsequent creeds and confessions; and the insights of the great minds with which the church has been blessed over the centuries.
Source: The Sources of Systematic Theology (Ligonier article)
Reformation theology declined in the Western world due to the pressures of liberal theology and Arminian theology.
By the end of the twentieth century, Reformation theology declined dramatically in the Western world, being assaulted by nineteenth century liberal theology on the one hand, and the influence of Arminian theology on the other.
Source: The History of the Reformation (Ligonier article)
The conflict over religious viewpoints in public schools arises because the state cannot propagate a religious view without discriminating against nonreligious people, and vice versa.
If the state propagates a religious viewpoint the nonreligious people feel discriminated against. If the state propagates a nonreligous viewpoint then the religious people feel discriminated against.
Source: The Importance of Cultural Awareness (Ligonier article)
A neutral education is impossible because every curriculum inherently takes a viewpoint, either considering God or not.
A neutral education is one that is neither proreligion or antireligion. It is neither pro-God nor anti-God. It seeks to keep God out of educational issues. The only problem with the solution is that the ideal is impossible. There is no such thing as a neutral education.
Source: The Importance of Cultural Awareness (Ligonier article)
Modern sophism is characterized by a left-wing political agenda that is reshaping academic policies and curricula.
Now, hiring policies, entrance policies, and curricula are being reshaped by a left-wing activistic political agenda.
Source: The Politization of Truth: The New Sophism (Ligonier article)
The modern trend shows an antipathy toward rationality and logic, leading to a decline in systematic theology and an expansion of biblical theology.
We are living in a time of unprecedented antipathy toward rationality and logic. Where systematic theology used to reign supreme in theological seminaries, it has all but vanished, exiled to the perimeter of academic studies.
Source: The Theologian (Ligonier article)
The group opposing orthodox Reformed theology was called the Remonstrants because they were protesting certain doctrines within their own theological heritage.
The group that led the movement against orthodox Reformed theology was called the Remonstrants. They were called the Remonstrants because they were remonstrating or protesting against certain doctrines within their own theological heritage.
Source: TULIP and Reformed Theology: An Introduction (Ligonier article)
The word 'liberal' derives from the Latin root 'liber,' which means 'free.'
The root word is the word, liber. If you know your Latin, you know that that word means, or meant originally simply "free."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:23
Linguistically, to be liberal means to be able to think critically and be free from human conventions and traditions.
Well, free from what? Well, I think in its most noble and virtuous sense to be liberal is to be able to think critically, in the sense of being free from the trappings of all human convention and human tradition.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:03
The authentic liberal, in a noble sense, is someone who eagerly pursues truth as freely as possible without being enslaved by human conventions.
And so, the authentic liberal, historically, is the one who is eager to pursue truth as freely as possible without being enslaved by human conventions.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:19
He argues that if 'liberal' means being open to any idea without convictions, it is not a rigorous pursuit of truth.
If that is what we mean by liberal or liberalism, I hope that no Christian is a liberal in that sense, because that's not a rigorous pursuit of truth wherever it may be found.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:08
The current age, characterized by neo-liberalism, poses a threat to classical Christianity, particularly regarding the doctrine of the atonement.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
I would say that the greatest heyday of 19th century theology in the most foundational precepts that it taught and embraced is right now. We are living in what contemporary theologians call the age of neo-liberalism, or basically, the central and cardinal points of 19th century theology have—in many circles, in many institutions, and in many denominations—not simply made inroads, ladies and gentlemen, but have, in fact, triumphed, have gained control.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 31:28
Sproul asserts that the core problem of 19th and 20th-century liberal theology is fundamentally unbelief and hostility to Scripture.
He said that he could, that is, Brunner, could reduce the driving force of 19th and 20th century liberal theology to one word, "unbelief."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 34:49
Sproul claims that liberal theology is not only anti-supernatural and anti-personal redemption, but that this is its fundamental core.
You see, liberal theology is not only anti-supernatural and anti-personal redemption, it is at its core,
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 32:53
The world is currently recognizing the bankruptcy of liberalism, evidenced by the shift in seminaries and church growth.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
The good news is, and the point with which I'll close, is that I think culturally, nationally, and internationally, the world is waking up to the bankruptcy of liberalism.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 43:37
By the 19th century, the main philosophical debate shifted from whether God exists to explaining the persistent human tendency toward religious expression.
By the middle of the 19th century, the climate of philosophical skepticism was such that in the main, philosophers were not debating the question, "Does God exist?" It was tacitly assumed by most of them as a foregone conclusion that God does not exist. And so, the question most of the able atheists of the 19th century were addressing was this question, "Since there is no God, why is it that man seems to be incurably homo religiosus?"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 9:00
Some classical dispensationalists believe that the ethics taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are not relevant to the contemporary church but are a kingdom ethic for the end times.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
Some, if not most classical dispensationalists believe that the ethic taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount has no relevance to the contemporary church, but it is a kingdom ethic that will only be implemented at the end of the time after Christ comes back when He will establish His kingdom.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:48
The development of theological terms throughout church history is primarily due to the church's commitment to theological precision.
They arise principally because of the church's commitment to theological precision.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:37
The opening line of Scripture challenges secular theories of nature and the cosmos, setting the Judeo-Christian faith in conflict with secular views.
We often overlook the fact that in that statement the gauntlet is thrown down, the challenge is made to all theories of secular philosophy, and at this moment, from the very first line of Scripture the Judeo-Christian faith is set on a collision course with secular views of nature and of the cosmos.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:40
Interpreting the Bible requires distinguishing between various literary forms, such as poetry, historical narrative, and didactic literature.
But, for example, to interpret the Bible literally requires that we be able to distinguish between poetry and historical narrative, between didactic literature, between wisdom literature and apodictic literature.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:58
Interpreting the Bible requires careful attention to its literary form, as both liberal and conservative approaches can distort the text.
the idea of distorting the Bible by mistreating its literary form is a pitfall that is shared both by the liberal and by the conservative, and if we're really going to interpret the bible literally, we will be careful not to ignore the literary forms in which the Bible is written.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:29
Atheists, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, were trying to answer why humanity remains devoted to religion despite the conviction that no God exists.
we found that the atheists – particularly in the Nineteenth and the Twentieth Century – were trying to answer this question. “We know,” they said, “that there is no God, but the problem that still vexes us is that in spite of the fact that we’re convinced there is no God, why is it that mankind seems to be incurable homoreligiosus – that is why is it that everywhere we go we find people devoting themselves to the pursuit of religion?”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:47
Modern theology often attempts to remove the Gospel from its historical context, which Sproul critiques as a speculative answer.
All kinds of attempts have been made in modern theology to dehistoricize the Gospel, to rip it out of the context in history and put it in some existential realm or supra-temporal realm, what Rudolph Bultmann calls a theology of timelessness.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:22
Liberal theologians sought to maintain the church's cultural relevance by stripping the New Testament of supernatural elements and focusing only on ethically relevant material.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
But in order to do that, we have to revise its original meaning and extrapolate from the New Testament just that relevant material, and free it from all that primitive business of miracles and the supernatural.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:18
The classical method's primary goal is to determine the objective meaning of the past before attempting to apply it to the present day.
the classical method is to seek the objective meaning of the past -- that's number one -- then after we understand what it meant then, then we face the question of applying it to our present day situation. But as much as possible, we try not to let our present-day situation color or distort the original meaning of the text.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:25
This method assumed that history, art, and religion all move from simple to complex, suggesting that all religions emerge from animism and polytheism before moving to monotheism.
And the governing assumption was that religion does the same thing and that all religions emerge from primitive types of animism and polytheism, and then as it gets more sophisticated, moves to monotheism and to a more highly structured ethical abstract system
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:46
The Documentary Hypothesis was a standard procedure in seminary that suggested the first five books of the Bible were not written by Moses but by various sources over many centuries.
When I went to seminary, it was standard operating procedure, you were considered a backwoods idiot if you did not accept the documentary hypothesis of the Old Testament. I'm sure most of you have heard of that, that the first five books of the Bible were not written by Moses, but they were written by various sources at various periods of history and their sources are indicated by the number J, E,D, and P
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:00
The study of theology focuses on God Himself, while the study of religion merely examines human behavior.
The difference is this: the study of theology is the study of God Himself, first and foremost. The study of religion is the study of particular type of human behavior.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:28
Applying biblical passages to modern culture presents complex questions regarding whether a rule is a universal principle or a temporary custom.
Does that mean that the only kind of evangelism that’s valid in the sight of God is that which is done in bare feet? Does that principle mean that Billy Graham is negligent and derelict and disobedient when he takes a suitcase with him when he goes on a mission, or was there a specific reason for that specific time and that specific place why Jesus put those restrictions upon His disciples?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:28
The greatest threat to the church is the desire to be acceptable to secular culture.
I think the greatest threat to the church in our day is based in our profound desire to be acceptable to the secular culture.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
Historically, the church has had a religious duty to exercise 'prophetic criticism' regarding the culture in which it lives, including ethical issues.
Most churches, historically, all the way back to Old Testament Israel have seen that part of their religious duty was to exercise what is called 'prophetic criticism' to the culture in which they live.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:56
A theory developed by critical scholars suggests that religion progresses through stages: animism, polytheism, henotheism, and finally monotheism.
And the theory was this: that religion begins with animism and then progresses to polytheism, and then progresses to henotheism, and then progresses to monotheism.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:45
The Westminster Confession of Faith is described as the most comprehensive, systematic expression of historic Reformed theology.
that document that was produced in the 17th century in England by the Westminster Divines that is the most comprehensive, systematic expression of historic Reformed theology ever set on paper.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 20:33
The chief criticism of biblical scholars is that Jesus taught his return would happen within a limited timeframe, specifically restricted to the first century.
namely, that Jesus thought and taught that He would return, that He would appear, that He would come again, that his parousia, His coming or manifestation would occur within a certain timeframe, a timeframe that was restricted to the first century, and to the context of no more than 40 years from the time that He predicted it.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:07
Theological liberalism, which was a theology of unbelief, had spread and infected mainline denominations and even the seminary in Princeton.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
The theology called liberalism that had spread through Europe in the nineteenth century, which was basically and foundationally a theology of unbelief, had infected the mainline denominations in our country.
Source: The Baptism of Jesus (Ligonier)
Nineteenth-century liberals systematically removed any supernatural elements from the New Testament record.
Systematically, nineteenth-century liberals took out of the New Testament record anything that smacked of supernaturalism. The virgin birth was severely attacked, as were the atonement of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the transfiguration of Christ, and the ascension of Christ.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
The miracles of Jesus were discarded wholesale by nineteenth-century liberals.
All the miracles of Jesus were thrown out wholesale.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
Although rejecting supernatural claims, nineteenth-century liberals still praised Jesus for his ethical insights and viewed him as a great moral teacher.
Though they rejected the supernatural claims of Jesus, they lauded Him for His ethical insights and honored Him as a great moral teacher.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
In the 17th century, a group of theologians protested against certain doctrines of Calvinism, leading to the controversy known as remonstration.
In seventeenth-century Holland, a group of theologians rose up out of the Dutch Reformed Church to protest against historic Reformation theology. Along with Arminius, they entered into what was called remonstration , a protest against some of the doctrines of sixteenth century Calvinism.
Source: The Golden Chain (Ligonier)
People who question core doctrines like the resurrection or virgin birth lack knowledge of biblical and church history.
I try to answer that question patiently and politely, but I want to say: “Where have you been? Don’t you know biblical history? Don’t you know about church history?”
Source: If It Is of God (Ligonier)
Some theological controversies, like the debate between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism, are significant and not merely useless intellectual exercises.
But as difficult and as controversial as that issue has been historically, it is not without significance. I believe it makes a big difference whether we come down on the side of supralapsarianism or on the side of infralapsarianism.
Source: Israel's Rejection & God's Justice (Part 3) (Ligonier)
Classical liberalism is criticized for denying Christ's deity, allowing the human nature to overshadow his deity, while some evangelicals are criticized for overemphasizing deity to the point of neglecting his humanity.
I’ve seen so much confusion about the mystery of the incarnation, where classical liberalism so denies the deity of Jesus that they allow the human nature of Christ to swallow up His deity. On the other side of the aisle, evangelicals so zealous to proclaim the deity of Jesus Christ will often so strongly affirm His deity that they end up allowing the deity to swallow up the humanity, so that there is nothing human left of Jesus.
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
Jesus demonstrated advanced learning and knowledge that astonished the religious scholars who were discussing theology.
They couldn’t believe the insight and provocative questions coming from the mouth of this twelve-year-old boy. He was obviously a child prodigy, but a child prodigy of such advanced learning that they had never ever witnessed anything like this in their lives. They saw clearly that this child knew more than they did at every point.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
When he was twelve years old, Jesus was deeply engaged in discussing theology with rabbis and jurists in the temple.
We are told in Luke 2 that He was so captivated by Jerusalem that He spent his time in the temple discussing theology with the rabbis and the jurists of the hour.
Source: Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem (Ligonier)
The theological problem in early Christian thinking was the influence of Hellenistic philosophy and oriental dualism.
What is the theological problem? The theological problem is the influence of ancient Hellenistic philosophy and oriental dualism on early Christian thinking.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 3) (Ligonier)
In the ancient Jewish world, students were expected to apply to study with a rabbi, passing examinations and proving their qualifications.
Students would apply to study with a rabbi, just as we do in our educational systems today, and they would have to jump through hoops, pass examinations, and make sure they were qualified before they would be accepted to study under Hillel, Akiba, Gamaliel, or whomever.
Source: Beginning of Jesus' Public Ministry (Ligonier)
The religious historical school attacked supernatural narratives in Scripture because they assumed there was no divine supernatural intervention in history.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
This school attacked every narrative found in Scripture, particularly the New Testament, that involved a miracle or the supernatural because the tacit assumption of the critics was that there is no such thing as divine, supernatural intervention in history.
Source: Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
The scribe's question was not about historical chronology but about the priority or most important commandment.
The question is not of temporal chronology. Jesus is not being asked, “What was the first commandment God gave?” That is not the question. When he says, “What is the first commandment,” it is not a question of chronology but of priority .
Source: The Great Commandment (Ligonier)
Textual criticism is an impressive science that uses thousands of manuscripts and external and internal analysis to reconstruct original biblical documents.
The science of textual criticism, which is the science of reconstructing the original documents, is one of the most exact, impressive sciences that we have in the field of biblical studies. We have thousands of manuscripts that have been copied from the first century onward, and by examining all those carefully and the textual families in which they exist, it has become a rather precise science to reconstruct the original documents.
Source: The Great Commission (Ligonier)
Some 19th-century liberal scholars attempted to remove the supernatural element from the biblical text, such as by suggesting the disciples mistook a visual illusion.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
Last week, I mentioned the nineteenth-century assault on the integrity of Scripture by European liberals who de-supernaturalized the biblical text. These same scholars, as noted by Albert Schweitzer in The Quest of the Historical Jesus , explained this incident by saying that it must have been misty that night with the wind churning up the water, and Jesus was out there during the fourth watch, which is between three and six o’clock in the morning.
Source: Jesus Walking on Water (Ligonier)
Some critics questioned Jesus' accuracy regarding the historical circumstances of David's activity, specifically citing the high priest.
Some critics would say, “Obviously, Jesus didn’t get it straight because He mentioned Abiathar rather than Ahimelech.”
Source: Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
The speaker details how various rabbinic schools created complex and often restrictive rules regarding permissible actions on the Sabbath.
For example, in their definition of not going beyond necessary labor, they argued that it would be a sin on the Sabbath day to untie a knot. If you got a knot in your shoelace, you must leave it knotted until the Sabbath is over because it is unnecessary work to do that.
Source: Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
The Shammai school held a conservative view that only shameful acts of sexual infidelity justified a divorce, while the Hillel school held a much broader, liberal view.
The Shammai school, which was the conservative school, argued that the only thing that would justify a divorce would be some shameful act of sexual infidelity. Anything less than that was not to be viewed as grounds for divorce, and the couple, even though they may have been fighting and unhappy, would have to stay together. On the other hand, the Hillel school was the liberal rabbinical school, and they took a much broader view of interpreting what Deuteronomy meant by the “unclean thing.”
Source: Marriage and Divorce (Ligonier)
When being conservative, one must always critically evaluate what specific tradition or belief they are attempting to preserve and the reason for doing so.
If you are a conservative as I am a conservative, we must always ask ourselves the question, “What is it we’re trying to conserve and why?”
Source: New Wineskins (Ligonier)
Liberation theology is criticized for attempting to combine historic Christian theology with Marxist philosophy.
Liberation theology came to us by theologians who sought to synthesize historic Christian theology and Marxist philosophy, which are strange bedfellows indeed.
Source: The Parable of the Minas (Ligonier)
The Christian church's historical mentality should not be militaristic or bellicose, but rather to strive for peaceful neighborliness and use force only as a last resort.
The mentality of the New Testament and the Christian church historically has not been to encourage a bellicose national posture or a militaristic style that tries to scare everyone else away. Rather, it is to attempt as a nation to be good neighbors to other nations, to be loving to other nations, and to use the sword as the last possible resort when the defense of the people becomes a clear and present measure of necessity.
Source: Submit to Government (Part 2) (Ligonier)
He believes that his lectures on the history of humanism and Spencer’s social Darwinism would have been acceptable in a secular university.
I feel comfortable saying that lecture on the history of humanism would have been acceptable in virtually any secular university in America today. The second lecture was on Spencer’s social Darwinism of the nineteenth century, a historical analysis of the impact of Darwinian theory on social philosophy.
Source: The Unjust Judge (Ligonier)
If one's theology is idolatrous and causes pride, they must engage in more theological study because their current understanding of God is superficial.
I would add that if you have a theology that’s idolatrous and puffs up, then you need to do more work in theology because you have a very superficial understanding of the things of God.
Source: Can sound theology become an idol in my life? (Ligonier Q&A)
When encountering liberal theology, one can immediately identify the philosophical assumptions and presuppositions that cause deviations from historic, orthodox Christianity.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
But when I run into things like liberal theology, I immediately see the philosophical assumptions and presuppositions that undergird and have prompted these deviations from historic, orthodox Christianity.
Source: Should Christians study philosophy? (Ligonier Q&A)
The historical theological tradition, including the Westminster Divines, did not hold a single, unified view on eschatology.
So, there is no monolithic view for either Luther, Calvin, or even later theologians like Edwards and so on.
Source: What view did John Calvin and the other Reformers take on eschatology? (Ligonier Q&A)