Revelational Epistemology: An Overview
Revelational epistemology is a view of knowledge that begins with the self-revelation of God in Scripture. It maintains that the knowledge of God is the necessary starting point for all human understanding, and that the authority of Scripture is self-attesting. This view stands in opposition to systems of autonomous reasoning that prioritize human intellect or empirical evidence over divine revelation. According to Greg L. Bahnsen, who built upon Van Til’s work, revelational epistemology recognizes the words of God as the ultimate standard of truth, thereby shaping the Christian’s understanding of every aspect of theology and apologetics.
Central to this epistemological stance is the rejection of the so-called “neutral ground” between the believer and the unbeliever. For Bahnsen, neutrality is a myth, as all individuals approach reality with presuppositions that shape their interpretation of facts. This recognition is crucial because it undercuts the claims of those who argue that the doctrine of preservation must be subject to independent verification by human standards or methodologies. As we will explore, revelational epistemology allows for the doctrine of preservation to be defended on theological grounds, rather than subjected to the ever-changing conclusions of secular scholarship.
The Doctrine of Preservation and Revelational Epistemology
The doctrine of preservation maintains that God, who inspired His Word, has also faithfully preserved it throughout history. This is not merely a statement about the endurance of the biblical text, but a theological conviction that God’s words, once given, retain their divine authority and reliability. Historic confessions such as the Westminster Confession of Faith affirm that God, in His providence, has kept His words pure in all ages, thus preserving them from corruption. This conviction is grounded in the belief that the God who inspired the Scriptures would not allow His words to be lost or fundamentally altered.
Revelational epistemology provides the necessary framework for upholding this doctrine because it views Scripture as the self-authenticating revelation of God. As Bahnsen argued in his work Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated and Defended, the Christian must presuppose the truth of Scripture rather than subject it to external verification. This approach is consistent with the biblical teaching that God’s words are pure (Psalm 12:6), eternal (Isaiah 40:8), and that they will not pass away (Matthew 24:35). By affirming revelational epistemology, the Christian acknowledges that the preservation of Scripture is not contingent upon human efforts or scholarly reconstructions, but upon the sovereign will and providence of God.
Challenges to the Doctrine of Preservation
One of the central challenges to the doctrine of preservation comes from modern textual criticism, which often operates under the assumption of neutrality and autonomy in its approach to historical texts. Textual critics frequently employ a methodology that seeks to reconstruct the “original” text of Scripture based on surviving manuscript evidence, applying principles that are rooted in Enlightenment rationalism and naturalism. This approach inherently denies the premise of divine preservation, treating the biblical text as a mere artifact subject to the same decay and corruption as any other ancient document.
Underpinning this methodology is the rejection of revelational epistemology. Instead of beginning with the self-attesting authority of Scripture, modern textual criticism often assumes the superiority of human reasoning and empirical methodologies. The result is an ongoing effort to establish the authority of Scripture through external criteria, such as manuscript age or textual variants, rather than through the testimony of Scripture itself. By doing so, textual critics implicitly deny the sufficiency and authority of the preserved text, undermining the confidence of believers in the reliability of their Bibles.
This challenge is not merely academic. It has real-world implications for the church’s doctrine of preservation. If Scripture’s authority is contingent upon the conclusions of textual critics, then the doctrine of preservation collapses into uncertainty, leaving believers without a firm foundation for their faith. By contrast, the Confessional Bibliology perspective insists that God’s providential preservation of His Word is a matter of theological necessity, not merely historical probability.
The Theological Necessity of Preservation
Revelational epistemology asserts that the authority of Scripture is self-attesting and that God’s Word carries with it the inherent evidence of its truthfulness. This perspective is essential for defending the doctrine of preservation because it recognizes the nature of Scripture as divinely revealed and divinely sustained. If God’s revelation is the ultimate standard of truth, then it follows that His words must be preserved in order to continue fulfilling their role as the foundation of all knowledge and authority.
Greg L. Bahnsen, in advancing Van Til’s apologetic method, emphasized that Scripture’s self-attesting nature means it does not require external validation. The authority of God’s Word rests in its divine origin, not in human corroboration. This understanding of Scripture’s authority is crucial for defending the doctrine of preservation. If the words of Scripture are truly God’s words, then God’s faithfulness to His covenant people necessitates their preservation. To assert otherwise is to question God’s faithfulness and the reliability of His revelation.
Furthermore, Bahnsen’s emphasis on the noetic effects of sin—the impact of sin on human reasoning—reinforces the importance of revelational epistemology for the doctrine of preservation. The noetic effects of sin mean that human reason, apart from divine revelation, is fundamentally flawed and unreliable. Thus, any attempt to reconstruct the biblical text using purely human methodologies will inevitably be tainted by the presuppositions of fallen humanity. By contrast, beginning with the presupposition of God’s self-attesting Word ensures that the doctrine of preservation remains grounded in the authority of Scripture rather than the shifting sands of human opinion.
The Relationship between Inspiration and Preservation
An essential aspect of revelational epistemology is the recognition that inspiration and preservation are inseparably linked. If God has inspired the Scriptures, then it follows that He would also preserve them. The words of Scripture, being God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), are inherently authoritative and infallible. Their preservation is not a separate act but an extension of God’s original act of inspiration. By preserving His words, God ensures that their authority and truthfulness remain intact for future generations.
Confessional Bibliology emphasizes this relationship by upholding the traditional texts—the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Textus Receptus Greek text—as the preserved words of God. This position is not merely a matter of historical tradition, but a theological conviction rooted in the doctrine of preservation. By affirming these texts, Confessional Bibliology asserts that the same God who inspired the Scriptures has also preserved them, ensuring that His people have access to His words.
This conviction stands in contrast to modern textual criticism, which treats the biblical text as a mutable entity subject to reconstruction. In rejecting the presupposition of revelational epistemology, textual critics undermine the relationship between inspiration and preservation, treating the preservation of Scripture as a matter of historical accident rather than divine providence. By affirming revelational epistemology, Confessional Bibliology upholds the unity of inspiration and preservation, recognizing both as acts of God’s sovereign will.
The Implications for Christian Apologetics
Defending the doctrine of preservation is not merely an academic exercise; it has profound implications for Christian apologetics. If the authority of Scripture is contingent upon the findings of textual critics, then the Christian faith is left vulnerable to the shifting conclusions of secular scholarship. However, by embracing revelational epistemology, the believer can confidently assert that God’s words have been preserved and that Scripture remains authoritative and trustworthy.
Greg L. Bahnsen’s presuppositional apologetics provides a powerful framework for defending the doctrine of preservation against the challenges of modern textual criticism. By starting with the self-attesting authority of Scripture, Bahnsen’s approach exposes the futility of autonomous reasoning and emphasizes the necessity of divine revelation. This apologetic method calls believers to reject the myth of neutrality and to ground their confidence in God’s Word, rather than in the conclusions of fallen human reason.
For Confessional Bibliology, this approach is essential. It affirms that God’s preservation of His Word is not subject to the whims of human scholarship but is an expression of His covenantal faithfulness. By upholding revelational epistemology, Confessional Bibliology provides a robust defense of the doctrine of preservation, offering believers the assurance that the words they possess today are indeed the preserved words of God.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the doctrine of preservation cannot be properly understood or defended without a firm commitment to revelational epistemology. Greg L. Bahnsen’s presuppositional apologetics offers a necessary framework for upholding this doctrine by emphasizing the self-attesting authority of Scripture and rejecting the myth of neutrality. By beginning with the revelation of God as the foundation of all knowledge, believers can confidently assert that God’s words have been preserved and that His Scriptures remain authoritative and trustworthy.
Confessional Bibliology’s affirmation of the traditional texts as the preserved words of God aligns with this epistemological foundation, rejecting the autonomous methodologies of modern textual criticism. In doing so, it provides a robust defense of the doctrine of preservation and calls believers to trust in the faithfulness of God, who has not only inspired His Word but has also preserved it throughout history
