How certain are you of what you know?
John Frame describes "absolute certainty" as the lack of any doubt at all.
Is this kind of indubitability even possible this side of heaven?
My friend David O. argues persuasively that no, it is not. David argues that we may have internal assurance of our beliefs (he employs the term certitude), but our knowledge will never reach the level of being 100 % unquestionable ... at least not this side of glory.
In re-reading John Frame's essay entitled Certainty, (which inspired David's post) I don't see that John Frame disagrees with David's point. Frame does not actually address it. Frame is arguing for something different.
John Frame argues,
"God’s word is the criterion by which we can measure all other sources of knowledge ... and it is the responsibility of the Christian to regard God’s word as absolutely certain, and to make that word the criterion of all other sources of knowledge ... But the Christian regards God’s word as the ultimate criterion of truth and falsity, right and wrong, and therefore as the standard of certainty. Insofar as we consistently hold the Bible as our standard of certainty, we may and must regard it as itself absolutely certain."
Regarding God's word as absolutely certain is not the same thing as being absolutely certain that God's word is absolutely certain.
I'll let that sink in a bit.
Frame's argument is that we regard God's word as the ultimate criterion of truth and falsity. We treat it that way. We allow God's word to shape our view of reality rather than the other way around.
Frame's thesis is not a dogmatic call for all Christians to achieve absolute certainty in their knowledge. It is a call to ground our epistemology on the highest standard of truth we can possibly find -- the very word of the God who has absolute certainty about everything and who cannot lie (Heb 6:18). Even though we don't have absolute certainty, God certainly does ;)
I certainly like this. I want to read more about Frame. Didn't you post on him earlier? My brain! Too many connections!
Posted by: Lingamish | May 23, 2006 at 00:40
Ahh, I am having a short circut in my thought process. To Much Information, Does not compute...Must have caffiene injection before my mental harddrive rewires and shuts down!!
To early in the morning to get to deep. I look forward to reading the essay today and will comment more soon. Scratching at the surface I would say...agreed.
Posted by: Carl Holmes | May 23, 2006 at 06:36
"Didn't you post on him earlier?"
Yes. I mentioned him on the Still Kicking post.
https://mrdawntreader.com/the_dawn_treader/2006/05/still_kicking.html
"Must have caffiene injection before my mental harddrive rewires and shuts down!!"
LOL. Get your Starbucks and settle in and read Frame. I actually read his essay about four times. It was on my fourth trip through that it dawned on Mr. Dawntreader that Frame was making a nuanced argument that we consider God's word itself as absolute certainty -- versus attaining absolute certainty ourselves. That was my ah hah moment. And yes, I had imbibed six cups of coffee by then too.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | May 23, 2006 at 07:21
I've been arguing with skeptics for years claiming that they are demanding a level of certainty from Christianity that they don't expect from anything else in life, and that it is impossible to know anything for certain, anyway -- an no, I am not certain of that, but I believe it strongly. :)
Posted by: BK | May 23, 2006 at 10:06
"I've been arguing with skeptics for years claiming that they are demanding a level of certainty from Christianity that they don't expect from anything else in life, and that it is impossible to know anything for certain, anyway"
Touché.
Sometimes, however, the challenges come from Christians.
For example,
"In Van Til’s view, the great mistake of this tradition [evidential apologetics] was in using rationalistic arguments that concluded that the truths of Christianity are probably true. Van Til thought probabilistic arguments detracted from the certainty of faith and the absolute authority of Scripture as the written word of God."
Faith Has Its Reasons, Chp 13, "Apologists Who Emphasize Revelation", section entitled "Cornelius Van Til"
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | May 23, 2006 at 12:18
Wouldn't the fact that Jesus walked this earth with absolute certainty mean that it is possible?
This is not meant to be a "well duh" question. Nor is it meant to be cute. I am actually asking the question.
For the last year or so I have been wrestling with the concept of, "Christ had 100% certainty, faith, and knowledge, and we have Christ in us." There are times when that concept grips me and sends a thrill throughout my whole being! It causes me to want to actually go for it and live every moment exactly like Christ. But inevitably, I very quickly get into a situation in which I have no idea what to say, do, feel, think...etc in order to be like Christ.
Did God create us in such a way that, even with the Spirit and Christ in us, it would still be impossible for us to live with 100% certainty, knowledge, and faith? Or is it possible for us to do it, but no one but Jesus knew how to tap into the Spirit's power?
Posted by: Danny Kaye | May 23, 2006 at 13:22
"God create us in such a way that, even with the Spirit and Christ in us, it would still be impossible for us to live with 100% certainty, knowledge, and faith?"
I think David Opderbeck's essay, which I linked to in my post, addresses your question head on.
We are called to know God and know His word. Knowledge is true beliefs with justification. We can certainly add to our justification be adding more evidence. As we do so, our knowledge becomes more sure ... moving ever closer toward that 100 % mark.
I don't think there is anything dishonoring to God by having 98 % certainty versus 100 % certainty ... do you?
Either way, we place our trust in Him and in the finished work of Christ. And it is ultimately that trust which matters.
Not being able to achieve 100 % certainty does not bother me in the least. It has no practical effect on my walk with Christ whatsoever. In other words, I don't feel down or guilty about it.
Like Frame says, I believe that God's word is absolutely certain in itself -- and I treat it as such.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | May 24, 2006 at 08:17
This is good! Maybe I was misunderstanding Frame a bit then.
Posted by: dopderbeck | May 24, 2006 at 13:19
Interesting thoughts.
I would say it is possible to have absolute certainty, and that david o has merely redefined certainty as being unquestionable (by others like David I would guess). As you have mentioned, an internal assurance (provided by the holy spirit) means it is indeed possible for us to be 100% certain. I doubt very much that it will convince others though, but that is a different question
Posted by: Alan Grey | May 25, 2006 at 01:01