Apologetics to the Glory of God

Author: C. L. Bolt

  • “Hat Tricks – Episode 1” Is Fixed!

    If you downloaded the new Hat Tricks podcast earlier today then you may have gotten a bad copy. Corrections have been made to the audio and the podcast is still available at the original place here. Sorry for the inconvenience!…

  • Wrongly, Plantinga

    According to John Calvin, “As soon as ever we depart from Christ, there is nothing, be it ever so gross or insignificant in itself, respecting which we are not necessarily deceived.” Perhaps Calvin means only what we have already noted: one who doesn’t know God fails to know the most important truth about anything else. He may mean to go even further, however: perhaps he means to say that those who don’t know God suffer much wider ranging cognitive deprivation and, in fact, don’t really have any knowledge at all. (This view is at any rate attributed (rightly or wrongly) …

  • The things you find while not looking for them…

    “NB that choosing hats errantly supposes that by rational Bahnsen means deductive. But anyone with even a modicum of familiarity with Bahnsen and Van Til would know that both of them considered induction rational.” – Mark

    Someone taking shots at me and my understanding of Bahnsen from afar as it were recently made the claim quoted above. I responded to his entire argument here.

    Tonight as I was scanning Bahnsen for something completely unrelated I happened across the context of the passage from Bahnsen that was the focus of the discussion Mark was responding to.

    But we realize even

    …

  • Discussion With Nocterro: Incomplete Final Response

    Below are the links to the previous parts of an informal debate that I began with Nocterro some time ago. Unfortunately Nocterro had to take a break from the exchange and shortly thereafter I needed to as well. The final comments I offer here are rather incomplete and do not summarize the argument up to this point nor touch on every point which was a matter of contention. Nocterro has requested that I go forward with posting what I have anyway and I am happy to oblige. I want to thank Nocterro for being willing to engage in this discussion …

  • Praxis Presup: Episode 2

    Praxis Presup
    Episode 2 – April 23, 2010
    Chris Bolt and Mike Berhow

    Chris Bolt and Mike Berhow discuss hatred of the God of the Old Testament. Some of the points that are covered include arguments used by the so-called “New Atheists”. Praxis Presup 2

    …

  • “Silly” Arguments

    The attempts of liberals to interpret Scripture according to their own would-be autonomous categories have always struck me as exercises in futility due to the admission that they have already rejected Scripture anyway. The lengths to which people will go in an attempt to justify sin in themselves and in others are rather incredible. One can know this by taking a look at how one attempts to justify one’s own sin. [Edit: Payton Alexander has expressed to me that he does not wish to be labeled a liberal. I cannot find any place where I have given him that label.]…

  • Did the Fathers Know the Gospel?

    T4G 2010 -- Session 7 -- Ligon Duncan from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

     

     Recommended Texts:

    The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (Hardcover) – Michael W. Holmes

    Early Christian Doctrines: Revised Edition – J. N. D. Kelly

    Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of our Faith – 3 Vol set by David T. King and William Webster

    The Great Jesus Debates: 4 Early Church Battles About the Person and Work of Jesus – Douglas W. Johnson…

  • Is Homosexuality Condemned In Genesis 19?

     Summary

    The account recorded in Genesis 19 is examined in terms of the debate over whether or not the passage condemns homosexuality. It is stated that rejection of the interpretation of the passage as pertaining to the issue of homosexuality requires the provision of a superior interpretation which is still faithful to the text yet does not have anything to do with the condemnation of homosexuality. After considering a number of such alleged interpretations it is concluded that interpretations of the Genesis 19 passage wherein homosexuality is not condemned are inconsistent with the text while an interpretation of the passage …

  • Islam: A few brief considerations

    “Islam claims that the Gospels are inspired by Allah. The Gospels teach that Jesus is God. The Koran says he is not. Therefore, the contradiction is that Jesus is and is not God. Is the Muslim really going to accept both these claims about Jesus:

    (J1) Jesus is very God of very God.
    (J2) Jesus is not very God of very God.

    Or:

    (J1A) Jesus was crucified and died for the sins of man.
    (J2A) Jesus was not crucified and did not die for the sins of man.

    Or, inconsistencies between their own apologetic practices and what their own holy

    …

  • Homosexuality and Imploding Hypotheticals

    Thrasymachus at Urban Philosophy has written a post wherein he attempts to educate some of us on how to not be a “religious nutter” in the context of the ethics of homosexuality. He writes, “Assume God exists. Assume Christianity is true. Imagine yourself as a Christian.” Thankfully I do not have too much difficulty accepting these assumptions for the sake of argument.

    Thrasymachus next writes, “Say you know that there’s a mountain of evidence suggesting that homosexuality isn’t bad, yet your religious beliefs say it is bad.” Unfortunately it is impossible for me to accept the first assumption of …