TRUTH: The Metaphysical Order (a)

Part 6 The Secondary Mandate – Teach that Which Transforms

• Session 6.24 Secondary Task # 2:Teaching that Which Transforms – Internal Self- Government

• Session 6.25 Secondary Task # 2:Teaching that Which Transforms – All That I Have Commanded: Creation Ordinances

• Session 6.26 TRUTH: The Metaphysical Order (a)• Session 6.27 TRUTH: The Metaphysical Order (b)-

The Principles of Freedom• Session 6.28 GOODNESS: The Moral Order• Session 6.29 BEAUTY: The Aesthetic Order

The Text

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Overview of this Secondary Task

• Teaching that which transforms– Obedience – Internal Self-Government, the key

to transformation - All that I have commanded – Jesus is the law-giver – Transcendent Ordinances

• Metaphysical Laws – TRUTH • Moral Laws – GOODNESS • Aesthetic Laws – BEAUTY

Outline

• Introduction: “Two Wings” – Faith and Reason

• God’s Self-Revelation

• The Biblical View of Mind – Human Reason

• The Metaphysical Order

• The “Protestant Ethic”

• Ten Principles of a Free Society

Revealing God’s Order-The Principles of Freedom

God’s Order

Revealed

CreationSelf-evident

Truth

Word of God

Human Reason

Principles of Freedom

The Two WingsFaith and Reason

The Metaphysical Order

• “Branch of speculation which deals with the first causes of things"

• Beyond the physical

• First Principles

• Fixed Principles

• Meta-Narrative

The Mind

• Read Matt. 22: 37- 38; 2 Cor. 10: 5; Rom. 12: 2

• Question: What do these passages reveal about our mind?

Repent

• Question:

What does repentance mean to you?

Repent• Repent: “to sorrow or be pained

for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonor to his character and government”

• Greek –metanoeo to change one’s mind, i.e., to repent. to change one’s mind for better

• From:– Meta – with– noeo – to perceive with the mind,

to understand, to have understanding

Where does freedom come from?

• Read Psalm 119: 43-48; John 8: 31-32; Acts 17: 11

• Questions: – What were the Bereans

concerned with?– Where does freedom come

from?

• Freedom is the outcome of the pursuit of truth!

The Place of Reason

• Read Genesis 2: 16-17, 19-20; Is. 1: 18; Acts 17: 2; 18: 4

• What do these passages reveal about God and man’s nature?

Apprehending God’s Self-Revelation

•WorksWorks•ReasonReason

• WordWord

• FaithFaith

Reason and RevelationREASON

NON-REASON

REVELATION NO REVELATION

− Jews

− Christians

− (moderate) Muslims

− Atheism

− Pagan humanism

− Muslims (Jihadists)

− Some Christians− Some traditional

religions

− Pagan Animism

− New Age

CHRISTIAN WEST POST-CHRISTIAN WEST

POST-MODERN WEST

Focus on life

Focus on death

Faith and Reason

• The reason and facts of General Revelation supplement but do not supplant Special Revelation.

• At times faith transcends the rational, reason, but it is not inconsistent with reason.

The Conscience

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, ….”

Romans 2:14

National Obedience

“… it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;”

George WashingtonThanksgiving Day 1789

God’s Self-Revelation

The Creation Communicates

• Read Psalm 19: 1-4; 111: 2; Acts 17: 22-28; Romans 1: 18-20

• Questions: – How has God revealed himself?– To whom has he revealed himself?– What has he revealed about himself?

God’s Self-Revelation in His Works

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; 19 because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

Self-Evident Truth

"God does not play dice with the universe."

Albert Einstein

Order in the Universe

The Biblical View of Mind

Human Reason

Examples• Ginosko - know, recognize,

understand• Gnosis - knowledge• Epignosis - full knowledge,

worldview, conscious awareness

• Gnome - purpose, decision, judgment, advice

• Gnoridzo - to make known• Logikos - reasonable, logical• Dokeo - to think• Logos - account• Nous - mind or understanding• Phronimos - wise person

Romans 12:1-3• “... offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to

God -- this is your spiritual [logikos: reasonable, rational] act of worship [service].”

• “... be transformed by the renewing of your mind [nous: the intellect, i.e., the mind].”

• “Then you will be able to test and approve [dokimazo: to test, approve, examine, discern, prove] what God’s will is...”

• “... do not think [huperphurneo: to esteem oneself over much, arrogant] of yourself ...”

• “... more highly than you ought [phroneo: to exercise the mind] ...”

• “... but rather think [phroneo: to exercise the mind] of yourself...”

• “... with sober judgment [sophroneo: to be of sound mind], ...”• “... in accordance with the measure of faith [pistis: evidence,

moral conviction]* God has given you.”

* note link of faith and reason

The Metaphysical Order

Judeo Christian Order*• It was the order found in the Bible that is

the order of free and just societies.

• Three major parts to this order:– The Metaphysical Factor (related to the non-

material universe)– The Human Factor (related to mankind)– The Creation Factor (related to “nature”)

* For more see Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Culture

Judeo-Christian Order

• Ultimate Reality is:– Personal (relational, community)– Ethical (moral, good, just)– Intelligible (rational, reasonable)– Beautiful (glorious, splendorous)

The Metaphysical Factor

The Human Factor

• Human life is sacred

• Mankind is in rebellion

• All people and nations have equal value

• All people and nations are unique

• Work is sacred

The Creation Factor

• Creation is an open system

• Man has dominion over creation

• There is progress in the material world

• Bounty is to be created and stewarded

The Protestant Ethic

The Protestant Ethic”

• Max Weber

• 1864-1920 • German • Social Philosopher

Prof. David S. Landes Harvard Professor of Economic History

David S. Landes

Five Major Points of the

Judeo-Christian Ethic

Judeo-Christian Ethic

The Dignity of Labor!

Landes: “Judeo-Christian respect for manual labor”

Judeo-Christian Ethic

Man has dominion over nature!

Landes: “The Judeo-Christian subordination of nature to man. This is a sharp departure from widespread animistic beliefs and practices that saw something of the divine in every tree and stream…”

Judeo-Christian Ethic

History is going somewhere!

Landes: “The Judeo-Christian sense of linear time. Other societies thought of time as cyclical, returning to earlier stages and starting over again.”

Judeo-Christian Ethic

Man the imago Dei !

Landes: “…also a sense of power that would in the long run raise men almost to the level of gods.”

Judeo-Christian Ethic

Man is a free moral agent, a steward of creation!

Landes: “Enterprise was free …. Innovation worked and paid; rulers and vested interests [in Europe] were limited in their ability to prevent or discourage innovation.”

Comprehensive – Salvation and Social Transformation

• Early Church – The Word Became Flesh!

• The Reformation – Social Transformation of Northern Europe

• The First Great Awakening– Wesley– Carey - India– Wilberforce - Slavery– Children of Calvin’s school in

America