In this session we start by discussing important issues that have arisen in church history about human language about God. We defend the idea that we can know valid truth about God through the analogical use of language. This is particularly clear when we see that God is the one who speaks to us in Scripture using terms we can understand. We define categories of how language is used in respect to different orders of being. Some have claimed that all language about God is equivocation. But if there are valid analogies that reveal truth from God about who He is and these are given in terms that are meaningful to us, we can then speak about God without equivocation. This topic is important because Emergent and other skeptics have pushed us toward mysticism while denying the validity of logic and human language.

Those who deny that truth about God can be validly conveyed by human language make their claims using human language. Their books speak about God, His nature (as they see it) and what we can and cannot know. Thus they use what they at the same time declare to be invalid. This is absurd. Such absurdities should be seen for what they are. We also show the danger of using Eastern meditation hoping to experience some transcendent reality beyond language. The lies people believe today can be traced to the lies the Serpent told Eve in Genesis. The Bible tells us the truth and we need to know and understand it. On the mount of transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. We see echoes of God meeting Moses in the OT on Sinai. In other cases God met people in association with mountains. In Luke 9 they discuss Jesus’ “exodus” which was about to be accomplished. Jesus is the Prophet predicted by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. In the next session we will continue the discussion of Luke 9 and what happens on the mount of transfiguration.

Class slides and handouts are available under the Downloads tab.