Apologetics to the Glory of God

Category: Common Objections

  • Jeremiah 31 and Newness

    Most Covenantal discussions revolve around what, precisely, is new about the New Covenant.  Much ink has been spilled, and literary armies have marched forth to battle on the strength of this one word.  A newer entrant to the lists has their own opinion on the matter, and believes that the newness consists in a complete distinction from the old.  As one adherent of New Covenant Theology stated to me in conversation, the difference lies in “newness” and “not like”.  In a sense, this is true. What we bring to bear on these words, presuppositionally, will determine what we think they …

  • On Proper Analysis – Scott Terry and VanTillianFire

    The author, Aaron Dale, at the blog “Van Tillian Fire,” has written a critique of my much-critiqued “Dear Sye” post.  For reasons unbeknownst to me, he neglected to read the post of the following day, “The Shattered Stained Glass Window”, as well as the post “A Necessary Distinction.”   Why is this important, you ask?  It is important because these were written several months ago – and written specifically to provide specifics about issues I left unstated, or merely referred to in general terms in the initial post.  Why did I leave them unstated? I left them …

  • Wherein Bruce Gerencser Combats The Vast Evangelical Conspiracy

    Well according to Whipps, I am absolutely, totally wrong about, well, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I will leave it to the readers of this blog to determine the veracity and value of his screed. One thing I have learned is not to get into … wars with people like Whipps. I answered him with two blog posts and only did so because he has commenting shut off on his “teaching” posts. He will tire of me eventually and move on to some other “important” battle. He will certainly think himself vindicated and I am quite happy to allow him to think so.

    Here’s

    …

  • The Haberdashery of Bruce Gerencser

    I have been watching, with interest, the stream of attempted rebuttal flowing from Bruce’s virtual pen today.  We began the day with the assertion that yesterday’s post was a “deconstruction” of Bruce’s story.  I found that odd, myself.  Especially since I am the author of the post, after all.  When you intentionally include such sentences as “See, Bruce doesn’t need to inflate his resume” or, ” I don’t have any concern with rewriting his story”, or even ” What is actually relevant is whether your resume has any bearing on what you actually have to say.”  Now, I understand …

  • When your resume is irrelevant – your testimonial does the trick

    impeccable resumeI got a Google Alert this morning for the term “presuppositionalism.”  Of course, as is usually the case, it was an atheist using the term.  In this case, however, it was actually irrelevant to the entire post, as far as the author, Bruce Gerencser, is concerned. The only reference to it was a wikipedia link.  I’m actually fairly sure he isn’t especially familiar with it, and that itself is unimportant.  What interested me was his resume, and his testimonial.  You see, the author is a pastor, and a former Calvinist pastor, to boot.  Of course, he was a former …

  • Peripatetic 30 – Simplicity, Systematic Theology, and Sanctification

    Recorded in mid-March; covers the relationship between Divine Simplicity and Systematic Theology, and goes through Ephesians 6 to emphasize the unity of the Christian life and the apologetic task. Additionally, as major examples, addresses practically all of the same subjects recently addressed on the blog, and gives a theological background for my recent comments about a variety of issues, as well as expanding on the previous episode.…

  • Peripatetic 29 – Theological Inclusivism

    On the perils of such beliefs, and examples thereof; to include C.S. Lewis, Kurt Jaros, Chris Date, William Lane Craig, and others.…

  • A Necessary Distinction

    In the midst of the turmoil which controversy creates, it is always refreshing to encounter an irenic, yet firm response in the midst of a variety of hasty and conjectural surmises.  That irenicism was, of course, the response of Mike Robinson, who many will know from his books and posts on a variety of subjects related to apologetics. When his response was brought to my attention, I was excited to see that he had commented on the situation.  Unfortunately, his post was in response only to the initial statement, which was intentionally designed to bring attention to the general …

  • The Shattered Stained Glass Window

    A lot of people seemed upset when I posted an encouragement and admonishment to Sye Ten Bruggencate yesterday.  The fallout seems to consist of either those praising me for doing so, or vilifying me for same.  I’m no stranger to controversy, obviously, so I have been watching the general trend of commentary.  The fallout from my detractors, on the main, seems to have missed the central meat of the post.  Sure, I mentioned several things only in general, but most of our regular readers know what I was referring to.  I’ve said the same things I am saying now over …

  • Return of the Presuppositionalist: A counter-critique of a critique of presuppositionalism.

    phantommenace-300x225-150x150I was sent a link to view (a 4 part series) which ended in a critique of presuppositionalism. The full article can be found here:

    Revenge of Objectivity: Preunderstanding, Presuppositions, and First Principles (Part 4)

    Feel free to read the whole 4 part series.

    So, lets get started:

    “Naturally, the same problems with any representationalist epistemology are also embedded in the representationalism found within the presuppositional system.”

    Presuppositionalism runs on a revelatory epistemology, not a representationalist epistemology.

    “While the Thomist would certainly agree that God is the ultimate cause of all reality other than Himself and that the universal forms …