What is crucial is to have the means by which we can determine the truth or falsity of incompatible exegeses. 1, Rom. Are There Many Paths to God? Either God predetermines all things or there is genuine human freedom and responsibility. Jettisoning the laws of logic is not a responsible intellectual or interpretive option. For Ravi, in particular his style of evangelism for which he excels, is to emphasise the need to ‘walk on the two feet of truth and relevance’ and the exclusives that go with that. Ravi Zacharias — American Author Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias is an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist. But to hold to both determinism and contingency is to hold to a contradiction. We can know that its interpretations cannot be true. Ravi Zacharias (born 26 March 1946) is an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist. And although Calvinism can still be critiqued on those grounds, the Calvinist is impervious to such critiques, thereby isolating himself from the probative force of the deliverances of philosophical reflection along with the deliberations of our moral intuitions, let alone the sound alternative exegetical treatments of the controversial texts that non-Calvinists put forward. Your generous support is 'Connecting Faith to Life'. Your favourite Vision programs are now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and Google Podcasts. They will emerge as the more faithful expressions of authorial intent. Wheaton College, M.A. Granted, coherence is not a sufficient condition for determining interpretive validity, but it is a necessary condition. And the moment you make a truth claim you are violating determinism." And yet, we cannot embrace an interpretive and theological relativism or religious pluralism. If indeed “post-truth” is the new word of the year in our postmodern lexicon, we might well say that it all depends on what “is” means. So we have seen that the Calvinist and non-Calvinist soteriologies are mutually exclusive. Jan 24, 2019. “The challenge” the Calvinist has placed before us is to accept their interpretations as valid despite their incoherencies, inconsistencies and contradictions. This is akin to the type of challenge that Ravi said is “impossible to meet” that he found in the reasoning of Islamic scholars. Therefore, both of these incompatible soteriologies cannot be the biblical truth about sovereignty and salvation. In this session, Ravi Zacharias examines the issues of truth in our society, demonstrating the necessity and existence of objective truth as foundational to the Christian message and all of life. It cannot be both. Only one of them may be true. In contrast, all else being equal, the hermeneutic of coherence would better reflect the meaning of the author in any particular text and in relation to other texts. It fails because coherence is a necessary condition for declaring an interpretation valid, and the Calvinist interpretations result in incoherence. But this ability has been taken from us by the one who adopts a hermeneutic of incoherence, and we are left with the problem that Ravi so aptly described when he said, “And if one denies that the laws of logic apply to reality, how do we ever even converse? The primary issue is not that the fundamental doctrines of Calvinism and non-Calvinism differ. So Ravi has made at least three important points here that I would like to apply to the Calvinist / non-Calvinist controversy. ( Log Out /  Zacharias apparently co-owned two “day spas,” and three of his former employees allege he engaged in extreme misconduct: The women who worked at the spas said when Zacharias wasn’t traveling with RZIM, he came in for treatment two or three times a week. “So what do you do when there are conflicting truth claims?”, [1] Ravi Zacharias, “The Uniqueness of Christ in World Religions, Part 1.”  Let My People Think podcast. Jesus Talks with Krishna (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2008). : Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass-Marketed Spirituality (Audio Download): Ravi Zacharias, Ravi Zacharias, Hachette Audio: Amazon.com.au: Audible No. Their hermeneutic of incoherence leaves the Calvinist free to take refuge in their own exegesis of the relevant texts and to excuse their logical and moral problems by resorting to “mystery” or “incomprehensibility” thereby transferring the problem to Scripture itself and away from the question of the accuracy of their textual exegeses and interpretations of that Scripture. Yet, two mutually exclusive theologies and soteriologies are being embraced in the evangelical church today. That is, it is part and parcel of their philosophical assumptions that their interpretive conclusions need not be coherent, consistent or non-contradictory. But RZ’s issue went far deeper and I am having trouble finding anyone who recognizes what is going on here. Those who jettison the laws of logic cannot be reasoned with regarding the truth or falsity of their position or beliefs. By Ravi Zacharias. Furthermore, when one accepts a hermeneutic of coherence and is confronted with interpretations that do not conform to those universally valid laws of logic by which we determine what is true from what is false, then those interpretations and doctrines must and will be deemed false. The pantheist affirms something very different to the theist. Zacharias illustrated the importance of truth by telling how he once witnessed part of a trial in which a man had been accused of rape by two young girls. The Calvinist makes salvation both unconditional and conditional. The truth of a matter needs to be both pursued and communicated as lovingly as possible. I will show how his remarks have direct application to the debate between Calvinists and non-Calvinists. We cannot anchor our task or the debate in reality. in the category "theology and doctrine" and Christian bestsellers Light in the Shadow of Jihad and The Grand … On the basis of the philosophical assumptions or hermeneutical principles discussed above, we can know that the Calvinist’s hermeneutic is faulty precisely because it is a hermeneutic of incoherence. They want us to remove rational and moral considerations from the interpretive task. Correspondence theory of truth says that truth corresponds to actuality. Over 80% of our income is from the freewill gifts of wonderful people just like you. © 2021 Vision Christian Media (United Christian Broadcasters Australia Limited) Locked Bag 3 Springwood QLD 4127, An active member of the UCB International Christian media family. Wheaton College, M.A. So the answer to Ravi’s question “What do you do when there are conflicting truth claims?” requires us to adopt the non-Calvinist’s hermeneutic of coherence. This book is fresh, insightful, and important, and faces head on today's most urgent challenges to Christian faith. Most Christian leaders, pastors and laypersons have relegated these important theological and soteriological differences to the side-lines, labeling them “non-essential” or “secondary” doctrinal matters. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. We should speak the truth in love. And if one denies that the laws of logic apply to reality, how do we ever even converse? We can call this non-Calvinist interpretive approach a hermeneutic of coherence. Ravi Zacharias is a noted apologist who is famous worldwide for defending theism and Christianity. Apologetics - Ravi Zacharias - Defending the Faith. Listen to Ravi’s lecture “The Uniqueness of Christ in World Religions, Part 1” for additional context on my remarks below. And as important as one’s exegesis is, it is not even a matter of what the Calvinist or non-Calvinist has concluded exegetically that is at issue here, not only because there is good and bad exegesis, but because we have to have some means by which to determine the truth among competing and conflicting exegeses. The incoherencies and contradictions in this both/and “logic” are obvious. But the counterpoint is how does one really ever come to grips with truth if it is not put in contrast with conflicting truth claims. Some of the most powerful evidence that proves Jesus to be Whom he claimed to be is found in the historical fulfillment of the prophsies He foretold in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. In Why Jesus?, Ravi Zacharias looks at the impact of this "storm" by discussing the 60s-70s "Age of Aquarius," actor Shirley MacLaine's book and TV series Out On a Limb, author James Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy), Rhonda Byrne (The Secret), Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), and other books by Eckart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, the Dali Lama, and … In Jesus Among Secular Gods, Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale challenge the popular "isms" of the day, skillfully pointing out the fallacies in their claims and presenting compelling evidence for revealed absolute truth as found in Jesus. The evangelical church needs to demonstrate that it cherishes truth and the gospel enough to foster serious and civil discussion on these hermeneutical matters. Intellectual integrity demands it. Ravi asked, “What do you do when there are conflicting truth claims?”  His answer was to affirm the laws of logic and the law of non-contradiction. So which position is wrong and which is right? They need not make logical sense according to the either/or form of logic. Linguistic theory of truth states that truth is a product of language. Ravi explains it this way. • Truth is not what is publicly proved. This should have profound implications for the thoughtful Christian. And this is why the Calvinist position fails. Posted by Ravi Zacharias on January 24, 2011 to his Just Thinking Broadcast at RZIM Ministries. Now, we can evaluate the Calvinist and non-Calvinist positions on this same criteria of their philosophical assumptions. The Calvinist and non-Calvinist interpretations are conflicting truth claims and therefore cannot both be true. No man comes unto the Father but by me,” it is a most reasonable statement. Just as postmodern is neither post nor modern but existed in the first conversation at creation’s dawn— Wheaton College, B.A. The moment you open your mouth you assume a meaningful statement is about to be made, and if somebody challenges that statement, how do you anchor anything in reality…So what I would like to do is first establish the laws of logic…[1]” (Italics mine). Ravi concludes, “Now, it is therefore more logically possible that all the religions in the world are wrong, but it is not logically sensible to say that all the religions in the world are right. We live in a post-truth society—that’s what The Economist claimed at the close of 2016 when Oxford English Dictionary chose “post-truth” as its Word of the Year.Go back a bit further, and having eleven percent of America believe that you are “honest and trustworthy” was good enough to have a nine percent lead in the race to be the next President of the United States. 5 Ravi K. Zacharias, Why Jesus? It is as Ravi said, “…if one denies that the laws of logic apply to reality, how do we ever even converse? The preservation of Christian unity and concerns over division should not be allowed to derail our passion for pursuing and coming to know what is true with respect to these differences. Therefore, it is a matter of which hermeneutic is in play. As Ravi asks, “What do you do when there are conflicting truth claims?”, This question brings us to our second point. The reason we address these issues isn’t to hurt the church’s testimony, but to demonstrate that the Christian Church, having a perfectly capable Savior, can confess our sins and be forgiven. Coherence is a necessary element in a sound hermeneutic and therefore is the hermeneutic that can best provide us with the meaning the author intended. It is easy to trample underfoot truths and ideas that others greatly treasure. We have to come to grips with the truth of a matter otherwise we are not being responsible Christian theologians, philosophers or apologists. in Biblical Studies ('83) John Hick vs. Chris Sinkinson – Classic Replay,” August 8, 2020, Accessed August 28, 2020.  https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable/Episodes/Unbelievable-Are-there-many-paths-to-God-John-Hick-vs-Chris-Sinkinson-Classic-Replay, [6] See my paper, “Voddie Baucham’s No Good News “Gospel”: An Assessment of His Sermon on Romans 9:30-33.”. Only God knows how many tens-of-thousands of people will spend eternity burning in Hell, because apostate ministers like Ravi Zacharias refused to tell them the whole truth that human effort plus partial faith in Christ is a false plan of salvation that leads to damnation in Hell. So for the non-Calvinist, interpretive conclusions that are in logical and moral contradiction cannot both be true. Science would operate with pragmatic truths. Therefore, on the basis of the laws of logic, we can know that the hermeneutic that allows for incoherent interpretations cannot and does not provide us with an accurate understanding of the texts. The first is that two contradictory belief systems cannot both be true. Message 7, Origin, Meaning, Morality, Destiny: Note: This content is no longer featured because of the teacher’s egregious sin and misconduct. Who then can argue with “a mystery” or with what is “incomprehensible.”  Moreover, “tension” and “antinomy” are misnomers for incoherence. A truth can be privately known (for example, the location of buried treasure). Ravi Zacharias, Os Guiness, RC Sproul - YouTube It is a most reasonable statement because truth by definition is exclusive. For that would make the propositions incoherent and contradictory. It does not fit reality. (1:12 – 3:09), [5] If you want to hear how the both/and way of “thinking” results in relativism with respect to issue of truth, pluralism with respect to religion and is actually self-defeating see Justin Brierley,  “Unbelievable? The Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) investigated Zacharias in 2017 after a married Canadian woman, Lori Anne Thompson, alleged that they had a sexting relationship. We must acknowledge that one or the other of these soteriologies is not what the Bible teaches and therefore needs correcting. Regarding Ravi Zacharias’s time of study in Cambridge, below is a statement from Professor Jeremy Begbie: "I can confirm that Ravi Zacharias was a visiting scholar at … Most evangelical Christians have adopted a theological and soteriological relativism with respect to the Calvinist and non-Calvinist differences. Some of the most powerful evidence that proves Jesus to be Whom he claimed to be is found in the historical fulfillment of the prophsies He foretold in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. The both/and idea, as far as logic goes, simply does not work. Therefore, those who employ a hermeneutic of coherence, in conjunction with other essential interpretive practices, have supported the validity of their interpretations, while those who employ a hermeneutic of incoherence must conclude that the pertinent texts are being misinterpreted in some respect. According to this way of thinking, two contradictory things can both be true. And that is not merely a matter of doing exegesis – even good exegesis – although if rightly done by two or more exegetes, the results should significantly align. In his book ‘The Logic of God’, he explained it like this: “Truth by definition is exclusive. If the laws of logic apply to reality, then those laws, and especially the law of non-contradiction, cannot be ignored, even in biblical interpretation and theological construction. It violates the laws of logic. The Calvinist exegeses and interpretations of the texts in question (e.g., Eph. Hence, we can distinguish between an exegesis that is true to the text from one that is not by the presence or absence of logical coherence, consistency and non-contradiction. Therefore, interpreting the Bible requires that we incorporate the laws of logic, which includes the law of non-contradiction. Ravi’s words about being sensitive to the positions and ideas of others are well taken. I’m not talking about their fundamental doctrines. The new revelations concerning Ravi Zacharias have shocked much of the evangelical world, but they’re no surprise to Steve Baughman. The programs seek to explore issues such as life's meaning, the credibility of the Christian message and the Bible, the weakness of modern intellectual movements, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and other topics mixing biblical teaching and Christian apologetics. On this episode of The Roys Report, Julie … I’m talking about their philosophical assumptions.”[4] (Italics mine). But the either/or idea fits reality and therefore allows us to raise the question of whether something is true or false while also providing us the path for getting to the truth of the matter in question. And this leads us to Ravi’s third point about the impossibility of meeting the challenge that the both/and form of “logic” presents and the arguments it offers. This exclusivity of conflicting truth claims applies to world religions. The Greek word for “truth” is aletheia, which literally means to “un-hide” or “hiding nothing.” It conveys the thought that truth is always there, … The programs seek to explore issues such as life's meaning, the credibility of the Christian message and the Bible, the weakness of modern intellectual movements, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and other topics mixing biblical teaching and Christian apologetics. Two years ago, Steve published an exposé on Ravi, revealing a pattern of sexual misconduct and deception by the famous apologist and those around him.Yet few paid any attention. Even though he is obviously fluent and eloquent in English, he does speak with an Indian accent and his native language is likely not English. The answer is that you do what Ravi did when evaluating world religions. A defender of traditional evangelicalism, Zacharias is the author of numerous Christian books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award winner Can Man Live Without God? So what can we say about these principles in relation to the Calvinist / non-Calvinist controversy? Rooted in truth. It seeks to discern those principles, by which if we interpret accordingly, should result in interpretations that more accurately express the author’s intended meaning and therefore can be deemed valid interpretations. ( Log Out /  • Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know. “In the 1950s kids lost their innocence. 6, et al.) If everything is true, then nothing is false. ― Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods: ... “Truth by definition excludes.” ― Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message. Change ), “My Hope America” – Reflections on Two Incompatible Gospels, A Christian’s Reflections on an Election in America, Christian Reflections on the Present Turmoil in America, 1 Timothy 2:4-6: Leighton Flowers, Charles Spurgeon and the Hermeneutical Divide, Ravi Zacharias on How to Come to Grips with the Truth, William Lane Craig’s Sound Evangelical Hermeneutical Principle, Ryken v. Ryken: Calvinist Inconsistency in Light of Billy Graham’s Gospel, The Friends of Israel, the Sovereignty of God and Election, Open Letter to Dr. Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary, Open Letter to Dr. Ed Stetzer and Dr. Greg Strand of the EFCA, https://www.rzim.org/listen/let-my-people-think/the-uniqueness-of-christ-in-world-religions-part-1-1, https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable/Episodes/Unbelievable-Are-there-many-paths-to-God-John-Hick-vs-Chris-Sinkinson-Classic-Replay, “Voddie Baucham’s No Good News “Gospel”: An Assessment of His Sermon on Romans 9:30-33.”. The Calvinist has jettisoned logical and moral reasoning from their hermeneutic. Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality (New York: FaithWords, 2012), 55. Add to the above that the Calvinist affirms something very different than the non-Calvinist. More on this below, but suffice it to say here that given the nature of this controversy the laws of logic apply. 6 Thomas Nagel, The Last Word (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 130, emphasis mine. 109 likes. [7] John MacArthur, The Truth War; Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), xxv. And although the Calvinist’s “doctrines of grace” are the full and final explanation as to how and why one person is saved and another is not, these doctrines cannot, and usually are not, employed by Calvinists in evangelism. Although my field of study is philosophy of religion, and I do an awful lot of lecturing on the theme around the world, I also want to be very, very sensitive because it is easy to bring offence when you’re dealing with something like this. We are forced into an interpretive and theological relativism as far as the Calvinist doctrines are concerned. This is why the primary issue is not “my exegesis indicates…”  Both sides have their exegesis of the pertinent texts. So the principle of non-contradiction is inviolable with respect to biblical interpretation and evaluating one’s interpretive conclusions or doctrines. Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was born in Madras, now Chennai, in 1946, in the shadow of the resting place of the apostle Thomas, known to the world as the “Doubter” but to Zacharias as the “Great Questioner.” Zacharias’s affinity with Thomas meant he was always more interested in the questioner than the question itself. They were liberated from their parents by well-paying … These two contradictory positions cannot both be true. We have seen that they must, for they apply to all of reality. You can access it here. As Ravi stated, “Truth by definition is exclusives so you have to make the argument to defend the exclusivity, but relevance is the story and the illustration and the arts.” He points to how the media uses labels differently for fanatics from Islam than those who are Christian extremists as an example of how truth is … View all posts by Stephen C. Marcy. I submit to you that the Calvinist has a very different hermeneutic under which they perform their interpretive task and support their interpretive conclusions. Their logical and moral difficulties ultimately do not matter in an assessment of the validity of their interpretations. And yet, the Calvinist also affirms human freedom, responsibility and culpability for our actions along with the contingent nature of reality. We must work on the philosophical assumption that the laws of logic are indispensable if we are to make sense of the text. Therefore, the options are that one is true and the other false or both are false. So, more fundamentally, our hermeneutic has to include coherence. Ravi states. The Calvinist and non-Calvinist gospels cannot both be true. A one-minute, daily program featuring excerpts from Ravi Zacharias. It has to abide by the laws of logic which apply to all of reality. “Now this is really the fundamental problem that I find as a Christian lecturer and a philosopher dealing with the Islamic worldview. This is why the controversy continues. Zacharias illustrated the importance of truth by telling how he once witnessed part of a trial in which a man had been accused of rape by two young girls. Why Jesus? What I want to stress here is that the Calvinist and non-Calvinist theological and soteriological beliefs are mutually exclusive. So Ravi’s establishment of the laws of logic in this lecture has raised the issue of whether these same laws apply to biblical interpretation. In a lecture on the uniqueness of Christ in world religions, Ravi Zacharias begins with a defense of the laws of logic and their indispensability for coming to the truth on a matter. A defender of traditional evangelicalism, Zacharias is the author of numerous Christian books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award winner Can Man Live Without God? It has no logic to it at all. Recall that the fundamental problem Ravi found with the both/and way of reasoning is that it leads to nonsense. in Interdisciplinary Studies - Old Testament Theology and Educational Ministries ('97) ( Log Out /  It leads to nonsensical conclusions and thereby cannot lead one to the truth. Our postmodern culture strives to convince us that there is no such thing as objective truth and that no religious truth claim is better than any other. The moment they put pen to paper we assume a meaningful statement was about to be written and that those statements, in relation to their immediate and broader contexts, are free of incoherence, inconsistency and contradiction. More than 2,300 people packed into the church's auditorium for the event and thousands more watched via the Internet, a Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) spokesperson told CP. And since the laws of logic apply to reality, they also apply here. If we are going to affirm the laws of logic and the law of non-contradiction, then it is incumbent upon us intellectually and interpretively to reject the Calvinist’s hermeneutic of incoherence. Steinway Concert Piano Technician That is the positive and the noble aesthetic side of it. And boasts of present unity and non-division ring hollow when both of these two mutually exclusive positions are given biblical and practical legitimacy in most evangelical churches. The term "prejudice" has taken on a bad connotation in today's culture and its definition has been expanded to include anyone who holds up an exclusive version of truth. Truth and love are not mutually exclusive. Truth and Relativism. You evaluate the conflicting truth claims on the basis of the laws of logic and the law of non-contradiction. And therefore important biblical texts and the truths they contain, including the very gospel itself, have also been side-lined with them. Most believers fail to understand that not only our capability to rightly divide the Word of truth is at stake here, but the character of God and the gospel message are also at stake. They both may be wrong, but as mutually exclusive positions they both cannot be right. In contrast, if our hermeneutic incorporates the philosophical assumption that the laws of logic apply to biblical exegesis, interpretation and theological construction, that is, if we hold to a hermeneutic of coherence, then it will be those interpretations that are marked by coherence, consistency and non-contradiction that will be deemed the more valid interpretations. Reading in context is to expound the author’s thoughts throughout the text in a coherent manner. The reason we address these issues isn’t to hurt the church’s testimony, but to demonstrate that the Christian Church, having a perfectly capable Savior, can confess our sins and be forgiven. When the Calvinist’s interpretations are found to be incoherent, inconsistent or contradictory, these logical difficulties hold no interpretive significance for the Calvinist as to determining the validity or invalidity of their exegeses and interpretations. They are the Calvinist and Arminian or other non-Calvinist systems of belief. Note that the non-Calvinist certainly affirms God is sovereign over his creation while humans are genuinely free, responsible beings, but their philosophical assumptions or hermeneutic does not allow them to define God’s sovereignty as a universal divine causal determinism. But this is to knock the rational grounds right out from under us – the rational grounds we need to discern whether or not an interpretation is valid. Ravi Zacharias discusses the definition of relativism and how it is applied to truth in our culture. The Death of Truth and a Postmortem. 9, Jn. 4 Ravi K. Zacharias, New Birth or Rebirth? Apologetics - Ravi Zacharias - Defending the Faith. result in incoherence, inconsistent and contradictory doctrinal results with other texts, themes and the worldview of Scripture itself. What do you do when there are conflicting truth claims? The moment you affirm something you exclude anything that challenges that. • Truth is not simply what is believed. The moment you open your mouth you assume a meaningful statement is about to be made…” We say the same for the biblical authors. In contrast, the non-Calvinist interprets on the basis of an either/or form of logic. Rather, the real problem lies in their differing philosophical assumptions. “…when Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. The differences are familiar to most Christians and have mainly to do with the doctrines of God’s sovereignty and salvation. Their exegeses and doctrinal conclusions become the a priori truth about the text. Ravi Zacharias died in May 2020 from cancer Ravi Zacharias' denomination has launched a second investigation into the late apologist following fresh sexual misconduct claims. The only option for the Calvinist is to assert question-begging incomprehensible mystery. And by the way, I have debated some of the best of them in the other part of the world – they have never really responded to this challenge. Broadcast date August 22, 2020.  https://www.rzim.org/listen/let-my-people-think/the-uniqueness-of-christ-in-world-religions-part-1-1  Accessed August 25, 2020. On the either/or form of logic two contradictory propositions, even theological propositions, cannot both be true. Chapter 12 – A Hermeneutic of Coherence: Principles and Issues in Exegesis and Interpretation. In the examination of truth, Ravi Zacharias says that the veracity of truth depends on three unavoidable principles: “logical consistency, empirical adequacy and experiential relevance”.

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