Can We Have Knowledge of God?

1. Can We Have Knowledge of God?

2. Belief in God is contrary to the evidence or a leap of faith without evidence “Faith” cannot be reasonable since it is not based on reasons or evidence Skeptical Challenge

3. “Faith is belief and action based on what one considers to be trustworthy.” • Trust in someone or something Biblical Faith

4. This trust is in the God who has revealed Himself in creation, history, through scripture, and in the Incarnation • General revelation • Universal • Available to all people, in all times, in all places Biblical Faith

5. This trust is in the God who has revealed Himself in creation, history, through scripture, and in the Incarnation • Special revelation • Particular • Available to some people, in some times, in some places Biblical Faith

6. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. General Revelation & Knowledge of god

7. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. [Romans 1:18-25 NRSV] General Revelation & Knowledge of god

8. Notice what Paul claims: • God has made himself known to mankind • People have no excuse for failing to know about God • People know about God but suppress this knowledge General Revelation & Knowledge of god

9. Notice what Paul claims: • It is foolish to reject this knowledge of God • God hands people over to their foolishness • People suffer as a consequence of this foolish rejection of God General Revelation & Knowledge of god

10. Natural Theology • Although Paul does not develop a ‘natural theology,’ his teaching in Romans 1 suggests such a possibility General Revelation & Knowledge of god

11. Natural Theology • Can we ‘prove’ that God exists? • What counts as ‘proof’? • Valid argument • Plausibly true premises (premises are more plausible than their negation) General Revelation & Knowledge of god

12. Natural Theology • Despite the dismissal of many skeptics and atheists, there are powerful arguments in support of Theistic belief • Natural Theology demonstrates that faith has good reasons General Revelation & Knowledge of god

13. Natural Theology (a sample argument) 1. If something exists, it has an explanation of its existence (if P, then Q) 2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God (if Q, then R) 3. The universe exists (P) 4. Therefore, God (R) General Revelation & Knowledge of god

14. The argument is valid (the conclusion logically follows from the premises) • The premises are more plausibly true than their negation • Premise 2 is logically equivalent to the Atheist’s claim that the universe ‘just is’ (it has no explanation) General Revelation & Knowledge of god

15. Therefore, the conclusion is more plausibly true than its negation • Therefore belief in God is rational and disbelief is not rationally justified General Revelation & Knowledge of god

16. Limitations of Natural Theology • There is a difference between knowing about God (as an object of knowledge) and knowing God (personal knowledge) General Revelation & Knowledge of god