Henry C.Thiessen (PhD Edit)

New York, Time

I bought Thiessen’s 1956 theology textbook used while an undergrad at Columbia Bible College. I find his work useful even though he takes an incompatibilist position in contrast to my compatibilist one.

A Biblical Studies Professor at Columbia Bible College was quite dismissive of Thiessen stating, paraphrased that ‘Thiessen was a dispensationalist’.

One of my local unofficial Doctoral, PhD advisers stated, Thiessen was basically a compiler of information and not very original. Also dismissive.

Based on this limited work I shall let you form your own opinion. With your limited free will and finite nature as a secondary cause of thoughts, actions and acts.

Naturalism

Wheaton professor, Henry Clarence Thiessen (1956) explains that since naturalism holds that nature is the whole of reality, everything that occurs is due to the laws of nature.[1]  He comments Scripture recognizes the existence of the laws of nature, but it is reasoned they do not operate independently of God.[2] God concurs with the laws he has established,[3] and Thiessen reasons that miracles and revelation can occur when God operates outside of laws he established.[4] 

Incompatibilism

Thiessen writes God knows the future,[5] and that is defined as foreknowledge.[6]  He also points out that God’s prescience does not mean God predetermined these actions.[7]  Thiessen is noting that human acts within God’s prescient foreknowledge are still significantly free.[8]

Leibniz has a different view than Thiessen,[9] that is deterministic and reasons that foreknowledge has to do with God’s determined will and is not dependent on free human actions.[10] This predetermination should not be understood as by necessity eliminating all human choice.[11]  Erickson takes a reasonable compatibilistic position and writes God with foreknowledge sees many possibilities and influences that will be present, and then acts accordingly to his will.[12]  

Thiessen from an incompatibilist position writes that God does not want to create automaton type beings with no choice in whether or not they would glorify God.[13] For Thiessen, humanity can only truly glorify God by choosing to do so while still having the opportunity to choose not to glorify God in disobedience.[14] This concept appears on the surface to be primarily in line with noted incompatibilism and free will approaches almost verbatim.[15] 

On Scripture

Thiessen dismisses the idea of a dictation theory of Scriptural inspiration, as the writers of Scripture were not persons that merely had divine information dictated to them.[16] The writers of Scripture were not ‘mere secretaries’ that wrote words dictated to them by the Holy Spirit.[17] It can therefore be reasoned it is not the Holy Spirit’s grammar being used.[18] The distinctive style of Biblical writers based on the study of original languages makes the dictation theory quite unlikely.[19] The concept of Biblical inspiration, with the Holy Spirit serving as guidance for the Biblical writer, seems both orthodox and reasonable.[20] The Biblical authors had full use of their intellect and used their own grammar, but were guided to write God’s word without error and omission.[21] The Holy Spirit guided the thoughts of Biblical writers.[22] Shedd names this basic theory of Biblical inspiration as ‘plenary inspiration’ meaning writers were moved by the Holy Spirit in respect to thought and language and were kept from error.[23]  

Modern theology needs to correctly discern what the Spirit is stating through the Bible and this needs to be done through proper research techniques.

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

ERICKSON, MILLARD (2003) What Does God Know and When Does He Know It?  Grand Rapids, Zondervan. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1975) Philosophy of Religion, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1978) The Roots of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1996) ‘Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

GEISLER, NORMAN, L (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

LEIBNIZ, G.W. (1710)(1998) Theodicy, Translated by E.M. Huggard Chicago, Open Court Classics.

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

PACKER, J.I. (1996) ‘Regeneration’ in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

PACKER, J.I. (1973) Knowing God, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

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.

---

[1] Thiessen (1956: 186).

[2] Thiessen (1956: 186).

[3] Thiessen (1956: 186).

[4] Thiessen (1956: 186).

[5] Thiessen (1956: 125).

[6] Thiessen (1956: 125).

[7] Thiessen (1956: 126).

[8] Thiessen (1956: 126).

[9] Thiessen (1956: 126).

[10] Leibniz (1710)(1998: 147).

[11] Leibniz (1710)(1998: 147).

[12] Erickson (1994: 360).

[13] Thiessen (1956: 248).

[14] Thiessen (1956: 248).

[15] Geisler (1986: 76-77).

[16] Thiessen (1956: 106).

[17] Lindsell (1976: 32).

[18] Thiessen (1956: 106).  People were not robotically inspired to write Scripture.

[19] Erickson (1994: 207).

[20] Thiessen (1956: 106).  Lindsell (1976: 30).

[21] Thiessen (1956: 106).  The Scripture was presented accurately via inspiration, states Erickson.  Erickson (1994: 199).  J.I. Packer reasons God and Christ sent the Holy Spirit to teach his people the truth and to save them from error.  Packer (1973: 61).  

[22] Erickson (1994: 215).

[23] Shedd  (1874-1890)(1980: 72 Volume 1).