Protestant Baptist Denomination vs. Presupposition Verification System
Step 1: Identify Core Presuppositions
Epistemology (How does it claim to know truth?)
• Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone is the ultimate authority.
• Perspicuity of Scripture – The Bible is clear enough for any believer to interpret correctly.
• Illumination of the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit guides each believer to understand Scripture.
Metaphysics (What is real?)
• God as Supreme Being – God is omnipotent, omniscient, and sovereign.
• Dualism – Material and spiritual realities exist.
• Man is Fallen – Human nature is totally depraved due to original sin.
Ethics (What is the moral foundation?)
• Divine Command Theory – Moral law is determined by God’s commands in Scripture.
• Objective Moral Law – There are absolute moral truths rooted in God’s nature.
• Justification by Faith Alone (Sola Fide) – Morality is secondary to salvation; salvation is through faith alone in Christ.
🔹 Preliminary Concern:
• Sola Scriptura raises an immediate issue: Where does Scripture claim that it alone is the rule of faith?
• Perspicuity of Scripture assumes individual interpretation is reliable, yet Protestants have fractured into thousands of denominations, each claiming Spirit-led clarity.
✅ Proceed to next steps.
Step 2: Internal Coherence Test
✅ Non-Contradiction Test
• Does Baptist theology contradict itself?
• Yes. It holds that “Scripture alone” is the sole authority, but nowhere does Scripture teach this doctrine explicitly.
• Yes. It claims the Bible is “clear,” yet thousands of Baptist groups interpret it differently.
✅ Logical Consistency Test
• Does it logically follow that Scripture alone is enough if the Bible never claims that?
• No. Sola Scriptura is self-refuting since it cannot be established from Scripture alone.
• No. Perspicuity fails because if Scripture were truly clear, why do Baptists (and Protestants in general) split over its meaning?
✅ Category Mistakes Test
• Does it conflate categories?
• Yes. It treats the Bible as if it is a self-interpreting authority, ignoring that a teaching authority (Magisterium) is needed.
• Yes. It assumes every believer is their own final interpreter, yet in practice, pastors exercise authority over their congregations.
🔹 Result: Fails internal coherence.
Sola Scriptura is self-refuting, and the doctrine of “clear Scripture” contradicts the thousands of Baptist splits.
Step 3: Explanatory Power and Scope
✅ Does it explain the foundational realities of knowledge, morality, and existence?
🔹 Concerns:
• Moral disputes: Without a single interpreter of Scripture, Baptists cannot resolve moral disagreements authoritatively.
• Epistemology: How do Baptists verify correct interpretation of Scripture?
🔹 Verdict:
• Partially succeeds, but fails to provide explanatory power for resolving doctrinal disputes.
Step 4: Epistemic and Knowledge Coherence
✅ Justification of Knowledge Test
• How does Baptist theology justify its ability to know truth?
• Fails. It assumes that Scripture alone is sufficient, yet it has no way to verify that a person’s interpretation is correct.
✅ Self-Reference Consistency Test
• Can Baptist epistemology apply its own principles to itself without contradiction?
• Fails. Sola Scriptura is a non-biblical assumption that relies on an extra-biblical principle to prove itself.
✅ No Borrowed Capital Test
• Does Baptist theology borrow epistemic principles from another worldview while rejecting that worldview’s foundation?
• Yes. It uses the Catholic Church’s canon of Scripture while rejecting the Church’s authority to define doctrine.
• Yes. It assumes a divine teaching authority (the Bible) without a divinely appointed interpreter.
🔹 Verdict:
• Fails epistemologically. The entire system collapses without an authoritative interpreter.
Step 5: The Livability Test
✅ Can this worldview be consistently lived out?
• Fails. Baptists claim that “Scripture alone” is clear, yet disagree even on essential doctrines like baptism, free will, and salvation.
• Fails. Without a final authority, Baptist churches rely on human leadership and subjective interpretations.
• Fails. The doctrine of Sola Fide (faith alone) leads to confusion about moral obligations.
• Some Baptists emphasize obedience and works (contradicting faith alone).
• Others emphasize “Once Saved Always Saved”, making moral living unnecessary.
🔹 Verdict:
• Fails practical application. It cannot maintain doctrinal unity.
Step 6: Comparison Against Other Systems
🔹 Verdict:
• Baptist theology cannot defend itself against Catholicism or Orthodoxy, as both provide a more consistent epistemology.
Step 7: Ultimate Conclusion – Is Baptist Theology the Fullest in Truth?
✅ Fails if:
• It contradicts itself at any level. (It does)
• It fails to explain the foundation of knowledge. (It does)
• It collapses under epistemic scrutiny. (It does)
🔹 Final Verdict:
❌ Baptist theology fails the PVS system.
• Sola Scriptura is self-refuting.
• No final authority exists to resolve disputes.
• It borrows its canon from Catholicism but rejects the Church’s authority.
• It cannot justify its own epistemology without contradiction.
• It is unlivable due to constant theological fragmentation.