Historical Theology

The church has historically affirmed belief in the reality of another sphere of existence beyond the realm of human beings and the visible world. This spiritual realm is inhabited by (1) angels, which are “created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies”; and (2) demons, which are “evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world.”1

Chapter 7 THE SUFFICIENCY AND NECESSITY OF SCRIPTURE

the second group are Christians who insist that Scripture’s sufficiency rules out any integration of biblical truth with humanly derived knowledge

In the first camp are included Christians who seek to integrate biblical instruction about human beings, the church, leadership, preaching, and the like with the best insights of secular psychology, sociology and demographic studies, business theories, secular leadership principles, communication techniques, and much more.

before made known

God’s truth has been fully declared. Accordingly, what occurs in revelation within the Christian community is not new truth that goes beyond the special revelation (if so, it is spurious and not of God). It is only a deeper appreciation of what has already been revealed, or a disclosure of some message for the contemporary situation that adds nothing essentially to what he has be

Wayne Grudem (from a third wave evangelical perspective)96 articulated a traditional view of Scripture’s sufficiency and necessity while maintaining the legitimacy of ongoing prophetic revelation.

Another challenging situation for the doctrine of Scripture’s sufficiency was one of the characteristic elements of Pentecostal/charismatic theology. With claims of direct guidance by the Holy Spirit and divine revelations through such continuing gifts as prophecy and the word of knowledge, proponents of this theology were accused of minimizing or even undermining Scripture’s sufficiency.

Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith or be thought requisite or necessary for salvation.

Methodists embraced four sources for theological understanding: Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason