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1995-06-12
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I. PHILOSOPHY
Metaphysics
The word METAPHYSICS is taken from Aristotle's works, "after
the PHYSICS." His PHYSICS dealt with the area of the scientific
and his METAPHYSICS dealt with basic assumptions, first
principles, and the religious, including cosmology and ontology.
Cosmology
Cosmology deals with the origin and structure of the
universe. Science can understand the nature of the universe to a
limited extent. However, science does not understand the nature
of the universe well enough to demonstrate scientifically
how the universe came into being--it is out of the realm of
science.
As Christians, we believe that the world was created by God
and it is sustained by God: "In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). (Also see Hebrews 1:2-3).
The universe is devolving. The only principle of "evolution" in
effect today is the work of God in redeemed man. Later, God will
make a new heaven and earth:
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens
will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed
by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid
bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what
kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and
godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed
its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of
the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a
new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2
Peter 3:10-12).
Ontology
Ontology is that branch of philosophy that seeks to explain
the nature of being or reality. Is what we experience through
our senses all there is? Is it reality? Yes, but God is
Ultimate Reality--His creation is reality. God alone is
eternally self-existent, whereas His creation is finite. His
creation is dependent on Him. We are not PANTHEISTS (From Greek,
PAN = "all" + THEOS = "God," hence, "All is God" or "God is
All"), but rather we are PANENTHEISTS: (From Greek, PAN = "all"
+ EN = "in" + THEOS = "God," hence, we are "all in God." "For in
him [God] we live and move and have our being...." (Acts 17:28).
From metaphysics, we logically move to epistemology.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that seeks to
define truth and discover the nature of knowledge.
Absolute truth exists only in the mind of God. Jesus is
Truth personified, the greatest revelation of truth from God to
human beings: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John
14:6). "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1). "In the past, God
spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and
in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by
his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom
he made the universe." (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Absolute truth is communicated to us in abstract form from
the Bible. As we read it, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible,
which is the objective revelation of the Word of God.
Human beings discover relative truth through their
experience, or interaction with creation. Refined human
experience we call scientific method, which produces relative
truth or knowledge, the results of which are always tentative and
subject to revision.
Logically, we proceed to the next branch of philosophy which
is axiology.
AXIOLOGY
Axiology deals with the nature and types of values. We will
deal with two kinds of values: (1) Ethics and (2) Aesthetics.
Ethics
Ethics is the study of moral good and evil. Natural evil,
such as earthquakes, accidents and tornados are excluded unless
it is demonstrated that a free moral agent caused the evils.
The only valid source of ethics is God Himself, as
transmitted to us through His Son Jesus and the written Word.
Human experience is invalid as an ethical standard.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics deals with the nature of beauty. The standard
for the beautiful is found in the mind of God. It was reflected
in His pristine (original) creation--before the fall of man.
Spiritually, holiness is beautiful--the good and the beautiful
belong together. Rationally, that which is logical is beautiful,
but since man's reason is fallen, his mind cannot be the
standard--it must be renewed by the Word of God for both content
and logical form. Physically, that which is symmetrical and
flawless is beautiful.
From the study of values, we then seek to discover whether
or not there is any purpose or end to which history is moving.
Teleology
Teleology is the study of final causes. The Christian
dismisses the ideas that the universe is simply a machine, or
that human beings generate purpose in life. God has a purpose in
history--it is "His story." Through Jesus, His Son, He is
reconciling mankind to Himself, and redeeming His creation:
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God
to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the
one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will
be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only
so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption
as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19-23).
From a biblical philosophy flows a biblical view of
education.
END