As with any thoughtful work that makes truth propositions, I need to state upfront what my assumptions (or ‘givens’) are for this discussion. They make up the perspective or point-of-view that I reason from. They are also beliefs (or ‘postulates’) that I will not necessarily argue for, but rather they will be my starting points.
- The first will be, that the Bible is the “Word of God.” In numerous places, it makes this claim for itself. In other places, it is also an unspoken assumption, another ‘given’ in and of itself. To not go too deeply into the framework behind this assumption, I must say that the words written are still the words of men. That is, the authors’ styles and cultures have not been ‘overwritten’ but have rather been directed, resulting in the communication of God’s word to mankind.
- Secondly, as just implied, the words of scripture can be ‘true’ and still be poetic, stylistic, and thus not to be taken literally. An example would be the “four corners of the earth” in Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 7:2, and Revelation 20:8.
- Thirdly, that the cosmos and mankind were created by the power of God at an exact place and time. The exact mechanisms and processes involved are not delineated in a scientific way, but the sole agency and design of the divine being is another given—both in scripture and in this discussion.
- Fourth, that Jesus Christ is the third person of the Godhead come in the flesh. He was conceived of God and born of a virgin at a particular place and time in history, with the express intent of the salvation of mankind.
- Fifth, that sin is a real phenomenon with real consequences for both humanity and nature, and that it was a result of a particular choice made freely by our original parents, Adam and Eve.
- Sixth, that there is a real heaven and hell. Even though the scriptures use visual symbols for each—such as a gold-and-glass city or a lake of fire—we don’t know the exact nature or location of either.
- Finally, that there is a real, pre-ordained time of judgment, but along with this, there is a real, pre-ordained means of salvation from that judgment.
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These statements make up key portions of what is traditionally called ‘orthodox Christianity’. They are my assumptions and, as such, they will not be argued for per se in this blog. That being the case, I would still hope that some of them—if not all—will actually be illustrated by the metaphors that will be presented here.