Propositional Truth

Truth that can be stated in propositions; subject-predicate statements that correspond to reality. “The tomb was empty.” “Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilate.” “God exists.” Schaeffer insisted that biblical revelation is propositional: God communicates in words and sentences that convey actual information about actual reality. This stands against the modern tendency to treat religious language as merely symbolic, poetic, or existential; a way of expressing inner feelings rather than making claims about the external world. If revelation is not propositional, then Christianity cannot make truth claims at all; it becomes one more private upper-story experience with no contact with the lower story of verifiable facts. Schaeffer argued that the Bible presents itself as propositional revelation; God speaking in language; and that this is the only kind of revelation that can bridge the gap between the infinite Creator and finite human understanding.