The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14
Dr. R. C. Sproul was a well-educated philosopher and theologian of Christianity. His studies, writings and, teachings have given us great help to understand the relationship between faith and reason. We understand that the effects of sin upon humanity are universal and complete. There is not a part of humanity that is not corrupted by the curse of sin. Dr. Sproul often spoke, taught and, wrote of the role of the mind, the modern neglect of the intellect and the law of non-contradiction. In our verse today, Paul writes of the Triune nature of our God. Understanding the Trinity of our God is one of the most difficult doctrines of all Christian faith. Through faith and reason, the Christian faith in the Triune nature of our God can be demonstrated by utilizing the logical law of non-contradiction. The law of non-contradiction states that “’A’ cannot be both ‘A’ and ‘non-A’ at the same time and in the same relationship.” The qualifiers “same time” and “same relationship” are very important. Attempts to deny the law of non-contradiction try to give examples from the natural world that seem to render the law invalid, such as water. Water can be a liquid, a solid and, a gas and, therefore, the law of non-contradiction must not be true. However, the qualifier “same time,” makes this an inaccurate assumption. A molecule of water can be a liquid, a solid and, a gas, but that molecule is never a liquid, a solid and, a gas at the same time. The qualifier “same relationship” is equally important, especially in Christian theology. Many people mistakenly believe that when we confess the doctrine of the Trinity, we confess a contradiction because the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one in essence and three in person. But this is not a contradiction because the relationship in which God is one is not the same as the way in which He is three. God is one in essence but three in person. If we said God was one in essence and three in essence, we would have a contradiction in the very being of God and would, thus, have to reject this teaching. Rather, the Trinity of persons in the Triune God is a mystery, a paradox, something that appears to be contradiction, but when explored further, it really is not. The Christian faith has many paradoxes, but no contradictions. The law of non-contradiction is presupposed in everything we do. If it were not true, all of the words on this page could have an infinite number of contradictory meanings and intelligible discourse would be impossible. The law of non-contradiction is not foreign to Christianity but is a tool to be eagerly embraced for faith and life. All drivers obey the law of non-contradiction. No one pulls out into the path of a speeding 18-wheeler thinking that the truck is both going to hit them and not hit them at the same time. When someone claims that contradiction and truth are compatible, show them that they obey the law of non-contradiction everyday without even thinking about it.
Source: S C Ball January 7, 2024
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