How to know?

"CRITIAS: 'Here then, Socrates, is the plan we have made to entertain you. We thought that Timaeus, who knows more about astronomy than the rest of us and who has devoted himself particularly to studying the nature of the universe, should speak first, and starting with the origin of the cosmic system bring the story down to man.'" - Plato, Timaeus, pg. 40

Of course apart from Revealed truth no one knows God. Who can pry into the mind of God? No one. God alone reveals secrets. The history of worldly education is that it is done apart from God and His word. Instead man has endeavored to know the hidden things by what he sees on earth. The grave question to ask is how do you know? The epistemic question is important in knowing anything at all. How does one derive his or her knowledge of the universe, what Method is used to gain knowledge? The Christian knows truth by the word of God and by faith we know that God created the universe.

God is above the law by Clark and Perkins

It is interesting to read theology through history, for by doing so one can see the history of a position. This is not to say that theology depends on history. Theology depends on God's word alone the Bible.

Gordon Clark believed that God is Ex Lex. I agree as well. But Clark wasn't the first theologian to affirm this doctrine. William Perkins also believed this to be the case too.


"God is neither responsible nor sinful, even though he is the only ultimate cause of everything. He is not sinful because in the first place whatever God does is just and right. It is just and right simply by virtue of the fact that he does it. Justice or righteousness is not a standard external to God to which God is obligated to submit. Righteousness is what God does. Since God caused Judas to bestray Christ, this causal act is righteous and not sinful. By definition God cannot sin. At this point it must be particularly pointed out that God's causing a man to sin is not sin. There is no law, superior to God, which forbids him to decree sinful acts. Sin presupposes a law, for sin is lawlessness. Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. But God is 'Ex-lex.'" - Gordon H Clark, Religion, Reason, and Revelation, pg. 175


"We must understand every commandment of the law so, as that we annex this condition: unless God command otherwise. For God being an absolute Lord, and so above the law, may command that which his law forbiddeth. So he commanded Isaac to be offered, the Egyptians to be spoiled, the brazen serpent to be erected, which was a figure of Christ." - William Perkins, A Golden Chain, pg. 55

The way of a Christian Man

Plato, in his last book of the Republic, speaks of the problems of poetry and painting in that they are far removed from the truth or the way things are. Today, we could say the same in the movie industry. The makers of the movies put together an imitation of what is and often times places in his or her own propaganda or what they want to teach the masses. But, of course, Plato was not a Christian nor was he Jewish. Plato was a greek philosopher and did not believe the Bible. The Christian should rather base his or her way of life on Scripture and not on what some sort of imitation says. What does the Bible say about what God is or what man is or what love is? How do we know what love is but by the Bible alone? Experience is an unfortunate thing. Many professors teach it as the rule of life. They basically deny the Bible alone as the word of God. We do well to read what the Scripture says. Till then, we know not what it means to be a Christian; even if we call ourselves Christians. Jesus made this point talking to the pharisees and other Jews who said they had Abraham as their father. The response of Jesus cut down their hypocrisy.

Christians still sin but we are not forsaken

"The adultery of David with Bathsheba is an example, not to move us to evil: but if (while we follow the way of righteousness) any chance drive us aside, that we despair not. For if we saw not such infirmities in God's elect, we which are so weak and fall so often should utterly despair and think that God had forsaken us." - William Tyndale, the Obedience of a Christian Man, pg. 163


I remember once talking to an old friend of mine from Southwestern. He was a Lordshiper who said that if we sin then it shows we were never of Him. I tried asking my friend for clarification. He kept saying the same thing every time I asked. So the conclusion is that he must have meant every word. This is the conclusion of Lordship salvation or legalism. If you sin once then you are not a Christian. However this not what Tyndale said. To be a Christian is a spiritual matter not a physical matter.

Free Will is a doctrine that is not grounded from Scripture

"Aristotle saith [or says], give a man a law and he hath [or has] power of himself to do or fulfil the law and becometh righteous with working righteously. But Paul and all the scripture saith, that the law doeth but utter sin and helpeth not." - William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, pg. 21

Reading the Bible through its entirety one can see that the diabolical doctrine of free will is not found. Free Will is not a topic remotely close to any of the propositions of the Bible. In all instances, the Bible says that man is enslave to sin and God determines all things. Just by these two assertions free will radically oppose. We must read the Bible without any of the man made lenses of today.

No matter how much we sin even after conversion Christ's blood has purged us from it's results

"If any man repent truly and come to the faith and put his trust in Christ, then as oft as he sinneth of frailty, at the sigh of the heart is his sin put away in Christ's blood. For Christ's blood purgeth ever and blesseth ever." - William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, pg. 138

No where in this paragraph does Tyndale say that a Christian who sins after conversion is not saved. Macarthur says this and tries to ground it in the Reformed view. We need to beware of those who call themselves teachers and judge what they say.

No man is so great a sinner that he cannot be saved

"I say that no man is so great a sinner, if he repent and believe, but that he is righteous in Christ and in the promises: yet if thou look on the flesh and unto the law there is no man so perfect that is not found a sinner. Nor any man so pure, that hath not somewhat to be yet purged." - William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, pg. 59

Wives are to submit to their husband

"After that Eve was deceived of the serpent, God said unto her (Genesis 3), thy lust or appetite shall pertain unto thy husband and he shall rule thee or reign over thee. God which created the woman knoweth what is in that weak vessel (as Peter calleth her) and hath therefore put her under the obedience of her husband to rule her lusts and wanton appetites. Peter (1Peter 3) exhorteth wives to be in subjection unto their husbands, after the example of the holy women which in old time trusted in God, and as Sara obeyed Abraham and called him lord. Which sara before she was married, was Abraham's sister and equal with him: but as soon as she was married was in subjection and became without comparison inferior. For so is the nature of wedlock by the ordination of God. It were much better that our wives followed the example of the holy women of old time in obeying their husbands, than to worship them with a Pater Noster, an Ave and Credo, or to stick up candles before their images. Paul (Ephesians 5) saith: women submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the wife's head even as Christ is the head of the congregation. Therefore as the congregation is in subjection to Christ, likewise let wives be in subjection unto their husbands in all things. Let the woman therefore fear her husband, as Paul saith in the said place. For her husband is unto her in the stead of God, that she obey him and wait on his commandments. And his commandments are God's commandments. If she therefore grudge against him or resist him she grudgeth against God and resisteth God." - William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, Pg. 34

Nothing that is done apart from the Spirit is good

"Thou mayest hereby perceive that all that is done in the world (before the spirit of God come and giveth us light) is damnable sin, and the more glorious the more damnable: so that that which the world counteth most glorious is more damnable in the sight of God, than that which the whore, the their and murderer do." -William Tyndale, The Obedience of  a Christian Man, pg. 44