Choosing The First Principle

With Special Revelation (the Bible), God has chosen to reveal information to us about God in words rather than images. With General Revelation (creation), God has chosen to reveal to us information about God in images rather than in words.

Verbal communication in superior because it can be more precise, accurate, and extensive. Since the Bible is God’s Word to man in written form as means of communication, a worthy theological system must be derived from it rather than relying on non-verbal things such as religious feelings and experiences.

So here is the first place to begin: Every system of thought begins with a first principle, and on this basis derives the rest by inductive or deductive reasoning, usually a combination of the two.

Keep in mind when using induction reasoning that it is a formal fallacy, due to its structure of reasoning since the conclusion is never a logically necessary result of the premises. You see, the fallacy with induction is when one reasons from particulars (empirical data such as experiences and sensations) to universals (logical conclusions that formulate accurate worldviews).

Deduction proceeds from premises to conclusions by logical necessity. Deduction reasoning never produces information that is not already implicit in the premises.

Therefore, we assert using the Bible as the “First Principle,” and deductive reasoning as a means to formulating a biblical theology and a healthy, accurate and realistic worldview, must contain all the information for the rest of the system to hold together.

Knowledge that is rooted in reality is impossible on the basis of induction using empiricism, since the first principle is not adequate enough to construct an adequate worldview. Whatever first principle is used with induction and empiricism, there cannot be a higher authority to justify calling it a first principle or otherwise it would not stand on its own as a first principle.

To call something a first principle on the basis of authority must not have anything higher than it. Underneath the first principle of authority come other lower principles of authority. Therefore, the first principle of a system of thought must be self-authenticating – i.e. it must stand on its own.

I say all this to say this: The Bible is the ultimate authority (or the First Principle) of thought used to formulate an accurate worldview. The Bible is our starting point, our foundation of our thinking, and from it, we can use deductive reasoning to formulate an accurate understanding of the mind and thoughts of God – of course, all aided by the supreme guidance of the Holy Spirit. There is no other authority higher than the Bible, so we can safely use it as our First Principle of thought.