Dr Paul Allen

Think on These Things Someone has suggested that the mind is the taproot of the soul. That being so, one needs to carefully and effectively feed his or her soul by sinking one’s taproot deep into God’s mind in Scripture. One may ask, “What food will feed my soul?” Paul’s menu for the mind includes thought entrées that are (1) “true,” (2) “honourable,” (3) “just,” (4) “pure,” (5) “lovely,” (6) “commendable,” (7) “excellent” and (8) “worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8).  In meditating on God’s Word and thinking on these things, Christians will avoid setting their minds on earthly things (Phil. 3:19) and being double-minded (James 1:6–8). The Balanced Mind Are divine revelation and human reason like oil and water—do they never mix? Christians have sometimes reached two erroneous extremes in dealing with divine revelation versus human reason. On one end of the spectrum is anti-intellectualism, which basically concludes that if a subject matter is not discussed in the Bible, then it is not wo...

GENESIS 40:8b "Joseph said to [ Pharaoh 's officers], 'Do not interpretations belong to God ) Please tell [your dreams] to me.'" In the Westminster Confession of Faith , which was written by men who embraced the biblical theology of the Protestant Reformation , we read that although natural, or general, revelation manifests the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, it is insufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. However, God did not leave us without revelation that teaches us how we can be saved. Thus, "it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manners, to reveal himself, and to declare" His will of salvation to His people (1.1). Here, the confession references what we call "special revelation." Special revelation is that revelation from God that tells us the way of salvation and what it means to live in a manner that pleases Him. Typically, we identify Scripture as special reve...

Romans 1:18-32 "Although they knew God , they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (v. 21). God has revealed Himself so clearly in the natural order that no person will ever be able to stand before the Creator and claim that there is insufficient evidence that He exists and should be worshiped. We have already seen how the Bible teaches this in texts such as Psalm 19 , and to day's passage makes the point with even greater forcefulness. As Paul says in Romans 1:20 , God's "invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Romans 1:18-32 proclaims not only that the Lord has plainly revealed Himself in nature, but it also tells us that there are certain limits to natural revelation. To put it simply, we receive enough truth about God in natural...