NOTES
An Introduction to Christian Ethics
Introduction: Our period in history is marked by increasing lawless-ness and social
unrest._____________________________________________________________________________
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Some Necessary Definitions:
Ethics may be defined________________________________________, i.e., what people consider to
be_______________________________________________________. These opinions flow out of
the presuppositions an individual holds.
Presuppositions
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____________It is crucial when discussing different points of view to be able to detect the other
person’s presuppositions, since the strength of their argument often depends on the validity of these
preconceived notions. Presuppositions, in turn, often flow out of an individual’s worldview.
A Worldview
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_________It depends on such personal factors as family upbringing, the culture one has been
brought up in, education, and experiences. It colors the way a person looks at life. Everyone has a
worldview, and there are presently 3 major and competing worldviews in our nation, which will be
discussed later:
JUDEO-CHRISTIAN_______________________________________________________________
MODERNIST RATIONALISM
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POSTMODERNISM______________________________________________________________
Absolute Truth __________________________________________________________________________________
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Relativism.
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II. Different Approaches to Deciding What Is Right and Wrong
ANTINOMINIANISM (Grk: „anti‟ = “instead of” + „nomos‟ = “law”). There are no objective moral
laws or principles by which an issue can be judged as being right or wrong, good or evil
GENERALISM - There are general laws but no universal or absolute laws. These general rules may
occasionally be broken.
SITUATIONISM - There is only one law or norm, and it applies universally. This rule typically states
that in any situation one must do the loving thing, or the thing which brings the greatest good to the
greatest number of people.
ABSOLUTISM - There are absolute, universal laws. This is the biblical approach, although a form of
absolutism known as natural law, which holds that certain laws of conduct are universally known by
reason or intuition apart from special revelation, has been supported by theists and unbelievers alike
(see Rom. 1:18 32 and 2:14-16). Christians view absolutism one of three ways:
UNQUALIFIED (non-conflicting) absolutism believes in many absolute laws that never
conflict and should never be broken.
IDEAL (conflicting) absolutism believes that universal laws do sometimes come in conflict,
and although one may be forced to break one law (e.g., err or sin) to keep another, doing the lesser
evil is excusable or forgivable.
GRADED absolutism (hierarchicalism) believes that universal laws are divinely “graded” as to
their significance, and when they come in conflict we are responsible to obey the “higher” law.
II. A Biblical Basis for Decision Making
Among God‟s attributes are that:
He is the GOD of TRUTH (Psalm 31:5),
He SPEAKS only the truth (Isa. 45:19),
and that truth is UNCHANGING (Mal. 3:6).
His truths—for instance, those dealing with salvation and the nature of mankind—
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______ Note Jesus‟ dogmatic assertion that he was THE TRUTH (John 14:6).
Given the above, this means that what God—and His prophets in Scripture—say about ethical issues
of right and wrong, good and evil is TRUE,
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_________The biblical principles of purity, justice, honesty, love, etc. which form the basis of biblical
ethics flow out of the NATURE of GOD, since God is love, just, truth, etc. Biblical ethics, therefore, are
a reflection of and are grounded in the Creator Himself.
**** Note: It is obvious that many of the ethical issues we deal with today are not specifically
addressed in the Bible, since the writers of Scripture did not live in a day where, for instance, the
control of certain aspects of life and death medically (or via genetic engineering) was possible as it is
today. However, there are principles set forth in the Scriptures by which such contemporary ethical
issues may be evaluated.****
IV. The Historical Decline of Biblical Ethics
(How We Got Where We Are)
Western culture (Europe and America) was once characterized by a Judeo-Christian ethic; the Bible
dictated the norms and absolutes that men, women, and society in general lived by. Scientists,
mathematicians and philosophers presupposed a Creator and merely sought to discover His truth
and design which were already inherent in nature. Thus, not only morality but the very concept of
TRUTH ITSELF was grounded in the character and nature of God. A number of historical movements
or periods eventually led to the gradual abandonment of this biblical ethic, and are summarized as
follows:
The RENAISSANCE (12th - 16th centuries )
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ENLIGHTENMENT or Age of Reason (17th - 18th centuries) __________________________________________________________________________________
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The INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (18th - 19th centuries) __________________________________________________________________________________
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These historical trends, in turn, created a fertile ground for the revolutionary thoughts of several
men whose ideas have greatly impacted the 20th century:
CHARLES DARWIN (1809 - 1882)
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KARL MARX (1818 – 1883)
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FREDERICH NIETZSCHE (1844 - 1900)
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SIGMUND FREUD (1856 - 1939)
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Values were now relative and man-made.
Since there was no God, there was no higher authority to appeal to than the individual himself.
This laid the foundation for the two prominent non-Christian worldviews that have ruled Western
society during the last half of the 20th century:
Modernism - a merger of SCIENTIFIC NATURALISM, which holds that life is the product of impersonal,
random processes acting through time, and LIBERAL RATIONALISM, which realizes that, since man is
on his own, he makes the rules. Whereas scientific naturalism provides our modernist culture with its
view of reality, liberal rationalism provides the ethic. In our society, this liberal ethic focuses on
individual rights and autonomy almost to the exclusion of group concerns.
Postmodernism - a philosophy that has emerged during the last two decades of this century.
Whereas postmodernism agrees with modernism that there are no absolutes, it rejects modernist
rationalism and any insistence on truth. Intellect is replaced by the will, and emotions (feelings) take
precedent over reason. What was considered historical reality is now DECONSTRUCTED (changed) to
suit preconceived liberal biases. Morality and truth do not exist objectively but are constructed by
the individual society. MULTICULTURISM is promoted; the concern of the “group” takes precedence
over the individual. From its conception Postmodernism has collapsed in on itself.
V. A Biblical Response
In response to the assertions above, a Christian might counter with one of the following approaches:
Challenge their PREMISE (presuppositions) - Grant their premise—that the God of Christianity and
the Bible is unreal (the myth of a prescientific imagination)—and “anything goes” so far as ethics are
concerned, with virtually any form of immorality being justified.
But if God (as revealed in the Scriptures) does indeed exist, then their view of reality is warped and
they will ultimately face the consequences of offending a holy God. This approach rests on the
authority of Scripture and finds support in Christian apologetics, which is outside the realm of this
series.
Challenge the CONSISTENCY of their Worldview - If there is no higher authority than the individual,
and especially if reason cannot be appealed to, then who can say, with any authority, what is right or
wrong? Hitler justified his ethic of genocide, and the question of “rightness” or “wrongness” is purely
a matter of opinion! Or as Yale Law School professor Arthur Leff notes, the response to assertions of
authority in our society is “the grand sez who.” Right becomes defined by who has the most might!
Challenge the “FRUITS” of their Ethics - Since the Judeo-Christian (biblical) ethic has been discarded
by more relative, liberal norms, crime has soared, suicide has mushroomed among youth, sexually
transmitted diseases have become epidemic, and the list of social blights goes on. The grim
consequences of our changing values will be spotlighted in future lessons.
Christian Perspectives 12, 2015-2016 Adapted from Reason in the Balance by Phillip E. Johnson (Intervarsity
Press) Lifeviews by R.C. Sproul (Revell.A Shattered Visage by Ravi Zacharias (Baker Books) Can Man Live
Without God by Ravi Zacharias (Word Publishing) Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. (Crossway
Books) ) © Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR