Biblical Worldview Definition
The Christian worldview is the basis for how we interpret everything we observe. For example, creationists and evolutionists can simultaneously look at the same evidence, such as dinosaur fossils, and come to different conclusions. This is because their worldview (or starting point) is different. The Christian worldview begins the belief that God exists and His Word is true. The atheist worldview begins with the belief that all that exists is mass and energy and God does not exist.
What is a definition?
• The act of making something definite, distinct, or clear.
• Identifying the essential qualities that clearly identify, without any ambiguity, the word, item, or event.
A proper definition must include the necessary attributes or entities that clearly distinguish it from everything else in the universe. This list is called the definition domain.
The biblical worldview
The establishment of a biblical worldview requires selecting specific doctrines, statements or events in the Bible that are needed to distinguish it clearly and unambiguously from all other worldviews, philosophies, and cults. This list is referred to as the biblical worldview definition domain. The biblical worldview definition domain contains 19 attributes (doctrines). Each of the 19 attributes is significant to understanding other major doctrines and/or the Gospel. To truly have a biblical worldview all 19 attributes must be accepted as true. If one or more of the 19 attributes is not agreed upon as true, then it is not a biblical worldview.
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Article # |
Biblical Worldview Definition |
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1 |
There is only one God – monotheism (Deut 6:4; 1 Tim 2:5) |
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2 |
The Trinity: One God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14) |
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3 |
The sovereignty of God (Acts 17:24; Col 1:16-17) |
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4 |
The holiness of God (Heb 7:26; 1 Pet 1:14-16) |
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5 |
The wisdom of God – He knows the end from the beginning (Gen 3:15; Isa 42:9, 46:10; Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:2, 20; Jer 1:4-5; 1 John 3:20; Ps 147:5) |
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6 |
The righteousness of God (Ps 92:15; Isa 45:19; Rom 3:5; 2 Tim 4:8; Rev 15:3) |
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7 |
God’s Word is true and we are to be set apart by His Word (John 17:17). The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21) |
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8 |
The Virgin Birth (Mat 1:22-25) |
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9 |
The hypostatic union: Jesus is fully man and fully God (John 1:1, 1:14) |
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10 |
Jesus led a perfect life without sin (2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15) |
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11 |
The physical death and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor 15:3-4) |
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12 |
Doctrine of man, woman and marriage (Gen 1-2; Mat 19:4-5; Mark 10:6; 1 Cor 7:2) |
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13 |
Everyone has sinned (Rom 3:23) |
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14 |
There is only one way to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 1 Cor 15:3-4) |
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15 |
Salvation is by grace alone and not by anything we can do (Eph 2:8-9) |
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16 |
The second coming of Jesus Christ (Mat 24:27-31; Rev 19:11-16) |
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17 |
A literal heaven and hell (Rev. 20-22) |
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18 |
The worldwide Flood that covered the entire earth (Gen 7-9; 1 Pet 3:20) |
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19 |
The natural, historical interpretation of the first three chapters of Genesis • God is the Creator of everything, which can be broken into the material (matter) and the non-material (Gen 1; Col 1:16) • God spoke the Universe into existence by His great power (Gen 1; Ps 33:6,9; Heb 11:3) • A creation in six literal days (24-hour days) about 6,000 years ago • A perfect original creation (Gen 1:31) • A literal Adam and Eve • The Fall (Gen 3) |
