Biblical Discernment in Secular Culture and Worldviews
Biblical Discernment in Secular Culture and Worldviews
The concept of biblical discernment is rooted in the biblical text itself, where it is written that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" [8]. This highlights the need for spiritual discernment to understand God's revelation.
In Christian theology, discernment is understood as the ability to distinguish between truth and error, good and evil. According to John Calvin, this discernment is a gift from God, who "rules [the minds of men] every moment" [6]. Charles Hodge further explains that this discernment is not just a natural ability, but is rather a product of the illumination of the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to "apprehend the truth, excellence, and glory of things already revealed" [5].
The Bible teaches that not all people have this discernment. The "carnal man" or "natural man" lacks spiritual understanding, while the "spiritual man" has the capacity to discern spiritual things [1, 7]. John Gill notes that spiritual men have an understanding enlightened by the Spirit of God, allowing them to judge spiritual things [7]. This distinction is crucial in understanding how Christians should engage with secular culture and worldviews.
In a world filled with diverse and often conflicting ideologies, Christians are called to exercise discernment. According to Charles Hodge, the Bible is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice, and Christians must test all other sources of knowledge against its teachings [10]. The Scriptures teach that even the Holy Spirit's guidance is to be evaluated in light of the written Word [8].
The early Church Fathers also emphasized the importance of discernment. Augustine noted that the gospel is perceived differently by the "carnal" and the "spiritual" [1]. This distinction is not just about individual understanding but also about the communal interpretation of Scripture within the Church.
Different Christian traditions have approached discernment in various ways. The Reformed tradition, as represented by Calvin and Hodge, emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in illuminating Scripture and guiding believers in their understanding of the world [5, 6]. The Catholic tradition, as represented by Aquinas, also highlights the importance of infused knowledge and the role of the intellect in discerning spiritual truths [2].
In engaging with secular culture and worldviews, Christians must be aware of the potential for error and deception. According to Hodge, one of the greatest sources of error in theology is the neglect of the inward guide of the Holy Spirit [9]. Christians must be cautious not to adopt conclusions that contradict the teachings of Scripture or the inward teachings of the Spirit.
Ultimately, biblical discernment in secular culture and worldviews requires a deep understanding of Scripture, a commitment to the authority of the Bible, and a reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As Hodge notes, the Bible provides a "normal authority as a rule of faith" that is essential for distinguishing truth from error [4].
The complexities of modern culture and the diversity of worldviews demand that Christians cultivate this discernment. By doing so, they can navigate the challenges of living in a secular world while remaining faithful to their biblical convictions. The historical development of Christian theology demonstrates a continual growth in understanding, as believers have grappled with new ideas and challenges [3].
Sources
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVI. 12, 33 (continuea). (part 2): to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Gentiles foolishness; and to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God, and the wisdom of God;"(1) but to the carnal, as babes who held it only as a matter of faith, and to the spiritual, as those of greater capacity, who perceived it as a matter of understanding; to the former, therefore, as a milk-draught, to the latter as solid food: not that the former knew it in one way out in the world at large, and the latter in another way in their secret c”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Knowledge Imprinted or Infused on the Soul of Christ, Art. 6: Article: Whether this knowledge was distinguished by divers habits? I answer that, As stated above (Articles [4],5), the knowledge imprinted on Christ's soul has a mode connatural to a human soul. Now it is connatural to a human soul to receive species of a lesser universality than the angels receive; so that it knows different specific natures by different intelligible species. But it so happens that we have different habits of knowledge, because there are different classe”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 37: effected by a continual and gradual progress. The same progress has taken place in theological knowledge. Every believer is conscious of such progress in his own experience. When he was a child, he thought as a child. As he grew in years, he grew in knowledge of the Bible. He increased not only in the compass, but in the clearness, order, and harmony of his knowledge. This is just as true of the Church collectively as of the individual Christian. It is, in the first place, natural, if not inevitable, that it should be so. The Bible, altho”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 42: of the seed of Abraham, and of the house of David; that He was to be born of a virgin, to be a man of sorrows; that He was crucified and buried; that He rose again the third day; that He ascended to heaven; that He is to come again without sin to salvation, although truths on which our salvation depends, are not intuitive truths; they are not truths which any exaltation of the religious consciousness would enable any man to discover of himself. 4. According to this theory the Bible has no normal authority as a rule of faith. It contains n”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 9: by God in His Word ( 1 Cor. ii. 10-16 ). It is not, therefore, a revelation of new truths, but an illumination of the mind, so that it apprehends the truth, excellence, and glory of things already revealed. And second, 16 This experience is depicted in the Word of God. The Bible gives us not only the facts concerning God, and Christ, ourselves, and our relations to our Maker and Redeemer, but also records the legitimate effects of those truths on the minds of believers. So that we cannot appeal to our own feelings or inward experience, as ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 38: them day by day, oJion ejp e\ma" a[geisi. And 238 certainly experience shows when those who were most skilful and ingenious stand stupefied, that the minds of men are entirely under the control of God, who rules them every moment. Hence it is said, that “He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way,” ( Ps. 107:40 ). Still, in this diversity we can trace some remains of the divine image distinguishing the whole human race from other creatures. 18. We must now explain what the p”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 8:9: They are all plain to him that understandeth,.... Whose understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of God; who is a spiritual man, that has a discerning, and can judge of spiritual things: as for the carnal man, let him have what natural knowledge or wisdom he will, he cannot know these things; for they are spiritually discerned, and can only be discerned by spiritual men. The Bible is a sealed book to others, learned or unlearned; the mysteries or doctrines of the Gospel are hid in parables from such; but those to whom Christ has given an understanding to know him, ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 54: to be judged by the written Word as the only infallible rule of faith or practice; so that if an Apostle or an angel from heaven should preach any other gospel than that which we have received, he is to be pronounced accursed. ( Gal. i. 8 .) “We are of God:” said the Apostle John, “he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” ( 1 John iv. 6 .) The Scriptures teach that not only the Holy Spirit, but also other spirits good and evil have access to the mind”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: guide to the knowledge of the truth. It has an authority second only to that of the Word of God. One great source of error in theology has always been the neglect of this inward guide. Men have formed their opinions, or framed their doctrines on philosophical principles, or moral axioms, and thus have been led to adopt conclusions which contradict the inward teachings of the Spirit, and even their own religious consciousness. The only question is, How can we distinguish the human from the divine? How can we determine what in our experien”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 21: These are subjects on which philosophy undertakes to speculate and dogmatize; if in any case these speculations come into conflict with what is taught or necessarily implied in the Bible, they are thereby refuted, as by a reductio ad absurdum . And the disposition which refuses to give up these speculations in obedience to the teaching of the Bible, is inconsistent with Christianity. It is the indispensable condition of salvation through the gospel, that we receive as true whatever God has revealed in his Word. We must make our choice bet”