Presupposition: The Belief Killer
Periodically, my dad spoke this phrase to me when I was just a small boy, “We’re going to see a man about a horse.” He typically said it in the car while our family was driving somewhere. Of course, I didn’t know all my parents travel plans but that didn’t stop me from constant inquiry. “Where are we going?” “Are we there yet?” “When are we going to be home?” And then came my dad’s reply. I still remember how gullible I was. But, why was I so gullible? Well, at that age, I only took things at face value. If my dad said something I believed it. So, at a young age, I carried the presupposition that nothing was a joke and everything said was to be believed as truth – or, at least, truth as I wanted to understand it – a presupposition.[1]
When it comes to understanding the message of God, most people, if not all, carry some sort of presupposition(s). One in particular is the presupposition that God is love.[2] Now Scripture does teach the truth that God is love. One well-known passage is "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16; cf. John 3:36). The problem comes when the concept of a loving God runs up against the concept of a just God. He is both, like many of our parents are both, but many people only focus on His loving attribute superseding His expectation of an obedient faith (John 3:36; Romans 1:5; 16:26; James 2:14ff). Unfortunately, people will attempt to bend Scripture to their presupposition(s) rather than letting Scriptural truth form the understanding of godly knowledge (Matthew 28:19-20; John 17:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Thankfully, some people will use their presupposition(s) as a tool or a beginning in their learning process of God and change their concepts as truth is taught to them more clearly. Sadly, others will force their presupposition and lift their beliefs over God’s beliefs.[3]
But what a “forced” presupposition does, on any particular subject in Scripture, is to assert that ALL Scripture contradicting the presupposition must be discounted. For example, Scripture teaches against homosexuality as a lifestyle that God does not permit.[4] But those who carry a presupposition that God is love would excuse those passages against homosexuality and/or change the meaning of the context of Scripture based on their belief system prior to the proper understanding of Scripture. The reality is that many presuppositions can be wrong when it comes to Scripture. A student of the Word is not to search for what he thinks the Bible should say and mean; rather, the job is to draw out [exegesis] God’s meaning through the various teachings in the word; thereby, allowing God’s word to be the guide that mold’s our thinking rather than forcing scripture to comply to our preconceived wants or ideas.
The Lord’s humbled . . . John A. Reeves
[1] A definition of presuppose: “To be based on the idea that something is true or will happen.” Encyclopedia Britannica
[2] Other presuppositions are, but are not limited to: If you are good and godly then God will always bless you with physical wealth. America is the new Israel. God is a myth. God cannot become physical because He is too holy and good. The rich are ungodly and the poor are godly. Jesus is not the only one way to get to Heaven. God’s message evolves for the times. The apostle Paul was homophobic and a sexist.
[3] One example is shown when Jesus was in His hometown proclaiming that God’s message is also for the Gentiles (Luke 4:17-29)
[4] Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:22; Deuteronomy 22:5; Judges 19:22; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 23:7; Romans 1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10