For
Dr. Vander Wiele
Theological Position Paper
By
Roberto M. Lopez
RLGN 489 D06: Ministry Praxis Capstone
Lopez 2
Metaph ys ics
“Metaphysics might be defined as the investigation of the ultimately real”1. It is,
obviously, the core and soul of philosophy. As the word metaphysics suggests, this discipline
focuses in that what is beyond or after the tangible. It is the branch of philosophy that examines
the true nature of reality, whether visible or invisible. Although the term is not easily defined,
basically, metaphysics is the philosophical study of being and knowing. Descartes aptly defined
philosophy as “a tree whose root is metaphysics”2.
Christian tradition affirms that God is the ultimate reality. The Scriptures attest to two
facts: the incomprehensibility of God (Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:18) and the knowability of God (John
14:7; 17:3; 1 John 5:20). “To say that He is incomprehensible is to assert that the mind cannot
grasp the knowledge of Him. To say that He is knowable is to claim that He can be known. Both
are true, though neither in an absolute sense”3. Yes, God can be known to an extent, but he
cannot be fully understood by the finite human mind.
God is the only source of the knowledge man can acquire of Him. In other words, man
knows there is a God, and he knows what he knows of Him because God has self-reveled. The
Triune God has reveled himself to humanity through General Revelation, which avenues include
creation and its organization (Romans 1:19-21; Psalm 19:1), and through the Especial Revelation
of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21) and His son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). The later, is the ultimate
revelation of God and, therefore, the ultimate revelation of reality. Chesterton and Shaw clearly
express how this concept of reality is perceived by the incredulous mind,
1 Donald G. Bloesch, A Theology of Word & Spirit: Authority & Method in Theology (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2005), 44.
2 Ibid.
3 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1999), 26–27.
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“You are free in our time to say that God does not exist; you are free to say that He exists
and is evil; you are free to say … that He would like to exist if He could. You may talk of
God as a metaphor or mystification; you may water Him down with gallons of long
words, or boil Him to the rags of metaphysics; and it is not merely that nobody punishes,
but nobody protests. But if you speak of God as a fact, as a thing like a tiger, as a reason
for chanting one’s conduct, then the modern world will stop you somehow if it can. We
are long past talking about whether an unbeliever should be punished for being irreverent.
It is now thought irreverent to be a believer”4.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of the method of acquiring knowledge. It is concerned with
how the mind relates to reality, and whether these relationships are valid or invalid. It answers
the questions of, how do we know what we know? And, evaluates the method(s) by which we
reached conclusions. “Some conceive of epistemology as an attempt to refute skepticism, the
denial that knowledge is possible”5.
One approach to epistemology, agnosticism, “claims we cannot know reality, whereas
realism asserts that we can know reality”6 and understand it to some extent. Some assert that the
key elements for a proper epistemology are our senses, reason, logic and objectivity that allow us
to gain knowledge, acquire understanding, maintain consistency and draw abstract concepts of
specific reality we observe in our world. In the last centuries the empirical method has taken
supremacy in our world’s quest for knowledge and discovery.
4
5
6
Chesterton, G. K., and George Bernard Shaw. "We Are Free to Say ..." Bible.org. November 9, 1992. Accessed
April 18, 2016. https://bible.org/illustration/we-are-free-say-….
C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 2002), 39–40.
Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1999), 215.
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Christians on the other hand, believe that not only God is the ultimate reality, but He is
also the ultimate source of knowledge. Orthodox Christology affirms that Jesus is the second
member of the triune Godhead and defends His incarnation that yielded the mystery of the God-
Man through the Holy Spirit and the vicarious sacrifice for humanity. The Scriptures clearly
stress that Jesus is God (John 1:1; John 20:28; Colossians 1:15) and the He is “the truth” (John
14:6). He does not possess some level of truth or knowledge but he incarnates truth and
knowledge. Though we may not accurately perceive or understand the real world at times, the
same does not apply to the Almighty.
“Therefore, truth is that which conforms to reality as it is perceived by God”7. The
beginning of knowledge is acknowledging there is a creator and ruler of the universe (Proverbs
1:7). But, “A full knowledge of God is both factual and personal. To know facts about a person
without knowing the person is limiting; to know a person without knowing facts about that one is
shallow”8. We know the truth through a relationship with the truth, Jesus Christ. Truth cannot be
defined by the subjective standards of finite humans, but it is determined by the ever-objective,
never changing ultimate source of truth (Hebrews 13:8).
Axiology
“The study of morality and values is called axiology (axios is Greek for worth or value).
The moral, or axiological, argument tries to show that moral values must be objective and
universal to make any sense”9. With the rise of postmodernism, the moral compass of humanity
and particularly of western civilization seems to be ever fading. Are right and wrong subjective
realities that are simply a matter of opinion or are they objective realities that apply to all people
7 "Ligonier Ministries." Ligonier Ministries. Accessed April 18, 2016.
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/god-truth/.
8 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical
Truth (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1999), 28.
9 Doug Powell, Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian Apologetics (Nashville, TN: Holman
Reference, 2006), 71.
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at all times? If they are a matter of opinion how could we know for sure, for example, whether or
not Adolph Hitler’s accomplishments were good or evil?
Christians’ moral compass is contingent on the special revelation of God, namely
Scriptures and the person of Jesus Christ. In the Scriptures we are constantly reminded of the
contrast between the intrinsic Holiness of God (Leviticus 11:44-45; Psalm 99:9) and the
sinfulness of man (Romans 3:23). Through the written Word, God communicates His moral
standard and establishes a separation between His purity and man’s degradation. In 2 Timothy
3:16-17, Paul clearly affirms the connection between Scriptures and morality, “All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
God holiness is also portrayed in the sinless nature and life of the incarnate Son.
Sinlessness in our Lord means that He never did anything that displeased God, violated the
Mosaic Law under which He lived on earth, or in any way failed to show in His life at all times
the glory of God (John 8:29). Jesus’s life was not only the clearest expression of the living God,
but also God’s example of His plan for the original man and the moral standard for humanity. As
Ryrie explains, “A proper view of the holiness of God should make the [person] sensitive to his
own sin (Isa. 6:3, 5; Luke 5:8)10”. Though sinlessness is an impossible attribute to be achieved in
the current human state, Christians believe in regeneration through the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). In
addition, the pursuit of holiness and righteousness of life is taught many times as a central
concern for Christian people in the pages of the New Testament (e.g. 1Peter 1:16; 1 Juan 3:9;
5:1).
Educational Ministry Praxis
10 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 1999), 42.
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The great commission encompasses the heart of God when it comes to ministry (Matthew
28:19-20). Ministry is all about making disciples. The formula to make disciples is by teaching
them to obey everything that Jesus commanded. Jesus lifestyle of dependence and obedience to
the father is the centerpiece of discipleship and those who share the privilege of teaching and
preaching in the Kingdom should not only be familiar with Jesus lifestyle, but they should be
incarnating it. The Christian teacher should follow the example of Christ in order to be a reliable
source of guidance for the younger believers (1 Corinthians 11:1). Ministry takes effort and
discipline (1 Timothy 4:7-8), but it also takes an unbreakable compromise with the Holy
Scriptures (1 Pedro 2:2).
Leadership Praxis
The heart of Christian leadership is humble service (Matthew 20:25-27) and its goal is
Christlikeness. It is not based on authoritarianism, but on example (1 Peter 5:3). The focus of
Christian leadership is never the benefit of the leader, but the growth and the wellbeing of the
followers. Notice the purpose of the following ministries, “So Christ himself gave the apostles,
the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so
that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge
of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”
(Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV). Jesus and Paul placed high priority on training people for ministry
(Matt. 4:19; 2 Tim. 2:2) “with the goal of producing effective workers with servant hearts
capable of expanding Jesus Christ’s rightful reign over his creation, leaving future generations a
legacy to emulate”11.
11 A. Scott Moreau, Harold Netland, and Charles van Engen, Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, Baker
Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Baker Books; A. Scott Moreau, 2000), 964.
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Bibliography
Bloesch, Donald G. A Theology of Word & Spirit: Authority & Method in Theology. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Caldwell Ryrie, Charles. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical
Truth. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999.
Chesterton, G. K., and George Bernard Shaw. "We Are Free to Say ..." Bible.org. November 9,
1992. Accessed April 18, 2016. https://bible.org/illustration/we-are-free-say-….
Evans, C. Stephen. Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Moreau, A. Scott, Netland, Harold and Van Engen, Charles. Evangelical Dictionary of World
Missions, Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Baker
Books; A. Scott Moreau, 2000.
L. Geisler, Norman. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker Reference Library.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
_______. God is Truth: Ligonier Ministries. Accessed April 18, 2016.
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/god-truth/.
Powell, Doug. Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Nashville, TN: Holman
Reference, 2006.
