Covenant Presbyterian Church of Chicago

A Supernatural Profession

Christian supernaturalism is, I am persuaded, a central doctrine that needs to be reaffirmed throughout the ages because of the adamant skepticism of staunch atheism and liberal Christianity. Every which way we turn, the supernaturalism of the Christian God is blatantly repudiated and mocked; it is said that Christians are irrational, unsophisticated, and naïve for believing in such myths and fables. Consequently, many are led astray from such criticisms. Because of the ‘anti-doctrinal’ precept of the modern church today, believers are left defenseless against such intimidating attacks on the faith. The faith once for all delivered to the saints, which they must earnestly contend for; the neglect of which strips God of His refulgent majesty and reduces Him to a mere creature. Therefore, like never before, the Christian Church is in dire need to be reacquainted with the supernaturalistic Christian confession, which B.B. Warfield articulated so plainly and persuasively in his essay ‘Christian Supernaturalism.’

Warfield contends that all genuine Christians are to earnestly affirm the following truths: God is supernatural, God acted supernaturally in creating the universe, God wrought about our redemption supernaturally, God reveals this supernatural redemption to us by a supernatural means, and lastly, God saves us supernaturally. ‘Thus,’ says Warfield, ‘we may fortify ourselves against that unconscious yielding of the citadel of our faith to which every one is exposed who breathes the atmosphere of our unbelieving and encroaching world.’1 In other words, with such rudiment profession, Christians are safeguarded from the anti-supernatural unbelief of our day. As well as the prevailing indifference towards the supernatural amongst Evangelicals who have abandoned this profession in exchange for pragmatism. Let us therefore, with unwavering persistence, uphold and confirm this supernatural confession.

1Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, ‘Christian Supernaturalism,’ in Biblical and Theological Studies,
ed. by Samuel G. Craig (Pennsylvania: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1968),
p. 21.