Otto Weber (PhD Edit)

Neuschwanstein Castle-trekearth

Otto Weber (PhD Edit)

Preface

Another PhD edit which adds depth to my PhD presented on this website and also isolates certain key Theologians and Philosophers, even if not key thesis exemplars.

Originally placed on this website 20131103 and with slight revisions for an entry on academia.edu, 20240710.

Omnipotence

Otto Weber suggests God has unlimited capacity[1] and unrestricted will.[2] God is unrestricted in what he determines within self and outside of self.[3] Presbyterian theologian John M. Frame admits the term omnipotence is not in Scripture,[4] but reasons the concept is Biblical.[5] He deduces that based on the Bible, it is impossible for anything to occur outside of what God has willed to happen.[6] 

(2024 note: Philosophically and theologically, I reason that God's eternal, infinite nature and attributes are never contradictory and/or illogical. By this I mean God cannot cease to exist, or create another infinite God, as examples. Omnipotence would be an aspect of divine, infinite nature)

Sola Scriptura 

Weber reasons the Reformation standard of sola scriptura firmly upheld Reformed views against counter propositions.[7] The Scripture is authoritative because it is the vehicle by which the Holy Spirit speaks, and therefore has divine authority.[8] The Bible is the product of the Christian community that produced it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.[9] As Anglican Rowan Williams states, ‘Revelation is the statement of God’s autonomy.’[10] God explains who he is and becomes his own ‘alter ego’ as Christ.[11] Roman Catholic theologian Alan Schreck states his Church agrees that the Bible is the inspired word of God,[12] but does not believe that the Bible is the only source of Revelation and spiritual guidance for Christians.[13] A dividing point between Protestants and Catholics comes with Schreck’s idea that God within Catholic thought continues to select certain individuals that teach with God’s authority through the Holy Spirit.[14] Protestant and those within the Reformed camp have, at times throughout history disagreed, with the Biblical and theological interpretations of certain Roman Catholic leaders, in particular the Pope,[15] believed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.[16]

Christology 

Weber explains that only God could bring peace to God and humanity, and this takes place through Christ.[17] Christ stood completely with human beings and yet was God.[18] Thiessen suggests that ‘no exact psychological analysis of the unique personality of Christ is possible.’[19] Jürgen Moltmann (1993) admits there is a mystery in regard to Christ and his incarnation.[20]  here is a mysterious incarnation of God into a reality that is ‘temporal, decaying, transitory existence in which men live and die.’[21] The eternal presence of God somehow in the incarnation exists among persons as God takes on ‘transitory, mortal being’ in order to become and cause humanity to become ‘intransitory’[22] and immortal, never facing death once again.[23] The New Testament depicts Christ as full deity with full divine power, and at the same time presents him as having the results of human finitude and mortality.[24] His deity should not be asserted in a way that negates his humanity and vice-versa.[25] Christ is equal to the Father in essence and nature as God,[26] and yet as human being he submitted to the Father in order to accomplish his earthly mission. Jesus Christ has a determination to be God, our God, and to be the reconciler of the world.[27]

---

[1] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[2] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[3] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[4] Frame (2002: 515).

[5] Frame (2002: 515).

[6] Frame (2002: 518). Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[7] Weber (1955)(1981: 113-114).

[8] Franke (2005: 150).  Lindsell (1976:  28-40).

[9] Franke (2005: 151).  Lindsell (1976:  28-40).

[10] Williams (2007: 116).

[11] Williams (2007: 116).

[12] Schreck (1984: 41). 

[13] Schreck (1984: 42).   Strictly speaking as noted, those in Reformed theology do trust in non-Biblical truths for spiritual guidance.  Calvin admitted this in the context of Scripture and tradition.  Calvin (1543)(1996: 64).   I should also add that any reliance on philosophy and philosophy of religion is not strictly Biblical and I and many  Reformed scholars look to philosophy for truth. 

[14] Schreck (1984: 42). 

[15] Calvin explains, within The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, his opinion that at that point in history the Papacy was beyond Reform.  Calvin (1543)(1996: 17).

[16] Schreck (1984: 42). 

[17] Weber (1955)(1981: 383).

[18] Weber (1955)(1981: 383).

[19] Thiessen (1956: 305).  J.S. Whale explains that Christ is unique and to explain him leaves one in paradoxes.  Whale (1958: 106).

[20] Moltmann (1993: 88).  Christ has two natures in one person and there is an attempt to correlate the human and divine in Christ, but it remains a mystery.  Whale (1958: 105).

[21] Moltmann (1993: 88).

[22] Moltmann (1993: 88).  Lasting forever.

[23] Moltmann (1993: 88).

[24] Franke (2005: 72).

[25] Franke (2005: 72).

[26] Bavinck (1918)(2006 : 276 Volume 2).  Barth (1932-1968: 371). 

[27] Williams (2007: 130).

----

BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed Dogmatics Volume 2: God and Creation, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.html 

CALVIN, JOHN (1540)(1973) Romans and Thessalonians, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1550)(1978) Concerning Scandals, Translated by John W. Fraser, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1554)(1965) Genesis, Translated by John King, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.

FRAME, JOHN M. (1999) ‘The Bible on the Problem of Evil: Insights from Romans 3:1-8,21-26; 5:1-5; 8:28-39’, IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 1, Number 33, October 11 to October 17, Fern Park, Florida, Third Millennium.

FRAME, JOHN M. (2002) The Doctrine of God, P and R Publishing, Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

FRANKE, JOHN R. (2005) The Character of Theology, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

FRANKE, JOHN R. (2005)  The Character of Theology, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

GUNDRY, ROBERT H. (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids.

HINDSON, EDWARD E. (1874-1890)(1980) ‘Introduction’ within SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. Dogmatic Theology,  Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

LINDSELL, HAROLD (1976) The Battle for the Bible, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1993) The Crucified God, Minneapolis, Fortress Press. 

MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1999) ‘Perseverance’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.

SCHRECK, ALAN (1984) Catholic and Christian, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Servant Books. 

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology,  Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology,  Volume 2, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WEBER, OTTO (1955)(1981) Foundations of Dogmatics, Volumes 1 and 2, Translated and annotated by Darrell L. Guder, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.

WILLIAMS, ROWAN (2000) On Christian Theology, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.

WILLIAMS, ROWAN (2007) Wrestling with Angels, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids. 

---

[1] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[2] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[3] Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[4] Frame (2002: 515).

[5] Frame (2002: 515).

[6] Frame (2002: 518). Weber (1955)(1981: 440).

[7] Weber (1955)(1981: 17).

[8] John Frame recognizes in light of Biblicism that there is still value in traditions, confessions and church history, although he believes in the sufficiency of the Scripture.  Frame (2002: 10). Biblicism is a wrong extreme but Frame desires that Scripture be correctly understood.

[9] Weber (1955)(1981: 17). Weber makes an excellent point as through academic theological blogging, for example,  I have found that some evangelical fundamentalists downplay the use of theology and any scholarship.  They prefer a plain literal read of the Bible and are sceptical of any scholarship that may challenge their views.

[10] Franke (2005: 8).

[11] Franke (2005: 9).

[12] Franke (2005: 9). Franke reasons that, with his approach, existing theological models will not be forced upon the Scripture.

[13] Franke (2005: 9). Although Christian orthodoxy is important Robert H. Gundry points out that the New Testament covers a time period of less than a century, while the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) covers thousands of years of history.  Gundry (1981: iii). Christian doctrine and orthodoxy needs to correctly understand the Hebrew Bible in context and not ‘read’ the New Testament into the original text.

[14] Hindson (1874-1890)(1980: iv).

[15] Hindson (1874-1890)(1980: iv). This is the case in all theological writing and especially in academic writing and research.

[16] Hindson (1874-1890)(1980: iv). Frame (2002: 10).

[17] Scripture is also not to be evaluated in isolation as various Scripture needs to be compared. Erickson (1994: 21).

[18] Shedd (1874-1890)(1980: 4 Volume 1).

[19] Shedd (1874-1890)(1980: 4 Volume 1).

[20] Weber (1955)(1981: 113-114).

[21] Franke (2005: 150). 

[22] Franke (2005: 151). 

[23] Williams (2007: 116).

[24] Williams (2007: 116).