“The believer and the unbeliever recognize two different final standards for living including that aspect of living known as thinking, reasoning, and arguing. They are divided by their ultimate commitments, either to Christ or to some other authority (usually themselves).” AutonomyApologeticsChristian ApologeticsChristian PhilosophyTheonomyChristian Epistemology Author:Greg L. Bahnsen
“A person cannot have it both ways regarding his final standard or ultimate reference point. He presupposes and reasons either according to the authority of God or according to some other authority. Attempting to be neutral about God's ultimate authority in determining what we know is a result of a bad attitude toward God's ultimate authority. It is a way of saying that one does not really need the work of Christ to save him in his reasoning.” AutonomyApologeticsChristian ApologeticsTheonomyChristian Epistemology Author:Greg L. Bahnsen
“Apologetics involves a conflict over ultimate authorities — that is, a conflict over our presuppositions or final standard. What should be the source of a person's presuppositions? For the unbeliever, it will be some authority for reasoning other than the word of God, while for the believer it is God's revelation.” Christian ApologeticsChristian PhilosophyPresuppositional ApologeticsPresuppositionalismChristian Epistemology Book:Van Til's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis Source: Van Til's Apologetic: Readings and Analysis
“In the nature of the case, God is the final authority. But if God's authority must be authorized or validated by the authority of human reasoning and assessment, then human thinking is more authoritative than God Himself — in which case God would not have final authority, and indeed would no longer be God. The autonomous man who insists that God can only be accepted if His word first gains the approval or agreement of man has determined in advance that God will never be acknowledged as God (the final authority).” Christian ApologeticsChristian Epistemology Author:Greg L. Bahnsen