Category Archives: John M. Frame

The Message of Cornelius Van Til (John M. Frame)

Articles, General, John M. Frame

“The Message of Cornelius Van Til” by John M. Frame

Beneath all of Cornelius Van Til’s technical terminology and philosophical depth was a warm faith in Jesus Christ. He loved to quote the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

 

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful savior Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto him.

 

At the most fundamental level, that was the message of Dr. Van Til. He saw his work in apologetics and theology as a form of preaching, preaching that wonderful, warm, comforting gospel. …

Presuppositional Apologetics: An Introduction (John M. Frame)

Apologetics, Articles, John M. Frame

“Presuppositional Apologetics: An Introduction” [Part 1] [Part 2] by John M. Frame

In defending the Christian faith, the most important question before us is “What sort of defense will best glorify our God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31)?” God forbid that in seeking to defend the faith before others we should in that very act compromise it.

 

The so-called “presuppositional” school of apologetics is concerned above all with answering this question. Of course, there are other questions in apologetics which, although of less ultimate importance, also deserve answers. Presuppositionalists have discussed those too. But in view of our space limitation, and in order to do justice to the main thrust of presuppositionalism, I must focus our attention on this most important question and then as space permits relate some other issues to this one. …

Presuppositional Apologetics (John M. Frame)

Apologetics, Articles, John M. Frame

“Presuppositional Apologetics” by John M. Frame

1. Presupposing God in Apologetic Argument

 

Presuppositional apologetics may be understood in the light of a distinction common in epistemology, or theory of knowledge. In any factual inquiry, it is important to distinguish between the ideas we have prior to the inquiry and those we gain in the course of the inquiry. No one, of course, embarks on an investigation with an empty mind. If indeed we had done no previous thinking, nothing would motivate us to seek further information. …

Machen’s Warrior Children (John M. Frame)

Articles, General, John M. Frame

“Machen’s Warrior Children” by John M. Frame

From 1923 to the present, the movement begun by J. Gresham Machen and Westminster Theological Seminary has supplied the theological leadership for the conservative evangelical Reformed Christians in the United States. Under that leadership, conservative Calvinists made a strong stand against liberal theology. But having lost that theological battle in the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., they turned inward to battle among themselves about issues less important—in some cases, far less important—than liberalism. This essay describes 21 of these issues, with some subdivisions, and offers some brief analysis and evaluations. It concludes by raising some questions for the Reformed community to consider: Was it right to devote so much of the church’s time and effort to these theological battles? Did the disputants follow biblical standards for resolution of these issues? Was the quality of thought in these polemics worthy of the Reformed tradition of scholarship? Should the Reformed community be willing to become more inclusive, to tolerate greater theological differences than many of the polemicists have wanted? …

Johnson on Van Til: A Rejoinder (Frame & Hays)

Apologetics, Articles, John M. Frame, Steve Hays

“Johnson on Van Til: A Rejoinder” by John M. Frame and Steve Hays

John Johnson has taken the position that Van Tilian apologetics can at most prove a generic theism, but not Christian theism. He further alleges that a Muslim apologist could just as well deploy a presuppositional defense because, in Johnson’s opinion, Van Tilian apologetics offers no way to broker rival religious claims. His final contention is that the presuppositional method robs the Christian apologist of appeal to the Resurrection, in direct contravention of NT practice.

 

The purpose of this paper will not be to offer a full-blown exposition and defense of Van Tilian apologetics. Rather, its aim is limited to a rebuttal of Johnson’s leading contentions. …

Divine Aseity and Apologetics (John M. Frame)

Apologetics, Articles, John M. Frame, Theology

“Divine Aseity and Apologetics” by John M. Frame

The term aseity comes from the Latin phrase a se, meaning “from or by oneself.” In the theological literature, the term designates a divine attribute by which God is “whatever he is by his own self or of his own self.” Since God is a se, he does not owe his existence to anything or anyone outside himself, nor does he need anything beyond himself to maintain his existence. He is not like the idols that depend for their existence on select materials, skilled craftsmen, and ritual offerings (Isa. 40:19-20, 44:15-17, Psm. 50:8-15). Indeed, he has no needs at all (Acts. 17:25). So the terms self-contained, self-existent, self-sufficient, and independent are often used as synonyms for a se. …

The Martin-Frame Debate

Apologetics, Debates, John M. Frame

The Martin-Frame Debate on the Transcendental Argument for the Non-Existence of God

This debate is about Martin’s 1996 article, “The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God” (TANG), which attempts to reverse the claims of the transcendental argument given by presuppositionalist apologists. The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God demonstrates God’s existence by showing that knowledge itself would be impossible if the Christian God did not exist.

Cornelius Van Til (John M. Frame)

Articles, General, John M. Frame

“Cornelius Van Til” by John M. Frame

Cornelius Van Til was born on May 3, 1895, in Grootegast, the Nether­lands, the sixth son of Ite Van Til, a dairy farmer, and his wife Klazina. At the age of ten Cornelius moved with his family to Highland, Indiana. He picked up English quickly and spoke thereafter with very little trace of an accent.

 

The first of his family to receive a formal higher education, Van Til in 1914 entered Calvin Preparatory School in Grand Rap­ids, where he remained to study at Calvin College and at Calvin Theological Sem­inary. These institutions were all schools of Van Til’s denomination, the Christian Re­formed Church, which was made up mostly of Dutch immigrants like himself. But after his first year of seminary, Van Til trans­ferred to Princeton Theological Seminary. In those days, Princeton was an orthodox Calvinistic school, as was Calvin, and there was much mutual respect between the two; but Princeton’s roots were in American Presbyterianism rather than in the Dutch Reformed tradition represented by Calvin. While in seminary, Van Til was also ad­mitted to Princeton University as a gradu­ate student in philosophy, working on a doctorate as he completed his seminary course. In 1925 he completed a Th.M. at the seminary and married his childhood sweetheart, Rena Klooster; in 1927 he com­pleted a Ph.D. at the university. …