Sárospataki Füzetek 1. (1997)
1997 / 1. szám - M. Eugene Osterhaven: The Foundation of our Faith and Theology. (Hitünk és theológiánk alapja. - Fordította: Rácsok Gabriella)
THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH AND THEOLOGY failL an«! llieology is God himself as ke comes lo us in liis revealed w ord. There are indeed profane people wilk lillle apprecialion for religion who want proof by rational arguments llial Moses an d Ike propkels spoke for God... But I repiy. lkat tke testimony of ike Spirit is superior to all reason. For. as God alone is a sufficient witness of kimself in kis word, so also ike word will never gain credit in tke kearls of men. till it ke confirmed ky tke internal testimony of tke Spirit, it is accessary, tkerefore. tkat tke same Spirit wko spoke ky tke mou tks of tke propkels. skouid penetrate into our kearls. lo convince is lkat tkey faitkfully delivered tke oracles wkick "ere divinely entrusted lo tkem. (9) Tke Holy Spirit must illuminate our minds, leack and convince us. confirm and seal tke Word in our kearls. Scripture is tkus self-authenticated. carrying wilk its own evidence, and ougkt not lo 1. » made tke subject of demonstration and arguments from reason: kul it obtains tke credit wkick it d eserves wilk us ky tke testimony of tke Spirit, kor tkougk it conciliates our reverence ky its internal majesty, it never seriously affects US till it is confirmed ky tke Spirit in our kearls. TÍO) Tk is is tke foundation for fa ilk and tkeology. according lo tke Genevan Reformer. Just as no man can kave tke least knowledge of true and sound doctrine w itkout kaving keen a disciple of Scripture. (II) so no one can understand Scripture w ilk out tke kelp of tke same Spirit wko gave it lo tke ckurck tkrougk propkels and apostles in tke first place. IV. When I compare tkis position of Calvin wilk tkat of tke Old Princeton Sckool. a sekool wkose men deligkted lo ke known as Calvinists. I am puzzled as lo kow tkey could depart so far from tke spirit and teaching of tke Ref ormer. How was it possible/ How could tkey develop so rationalistic a position and system/ I am unsure of tke answer. kul 1 h ave thought lkat it might ke their own brilliance as scholars and tke environment in wkick tkey lived. Ike Alexanders, tke Hodges, B.B. W arfield. and olliers al Princelon were great men and. in particular, great scholars. An d they were prodigious workers. One of my own teachers al Princeton. Professor William Park Armstrong wko began leaching there' in 1899. told me lkat Dr. Warfield would kave a half a day s work done ky the lime the rest of Princelon was gelling out of bed! Dr. Warfields chief theological opponent. C.A. Briggs, once said that Professor w ar field had tke sharpest. 75
