# “The Savior from the sin of autonomy” by Cornelius Van Til

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2009/02/04/the-savior-from-the-sin-of-autonomy-by-cornelius-van-til/
- Published: 2009-02-04T20:24:08-06:00
- Author: tollelege

“Dear Dr. Howe:

You are certainly right in saying that I did not, in the discussion among Mr. White,
Mr. Grey, and Mr. Black, make any sharp distinction between witnessing to and defending
the Christian faith. I am not convinced by the evidence from Scripture which you
cite that any sharp distinction between them is required or even justified.

My defense of the truth of Christianity is, as I think of it, always, at the same
time, a witness to Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We do not really 
witness to Christ adequately unless we set forth the significance of His person 
and work for all men and for the whole of their culture. But if we witness to Him
thus then men are bound to respond to Him either in belief or disbelief.

If they respond in disbelief they will do so by setting forth as truth some ‘system
of reality’ that is based on the presupposition of man as autonomous. I must then
plead with them to accept Christ as their Savior from the sin of autonomy, and therewith,
at the same time, to discover that they have been given, in Christ, the only foundation
for intelligent predication.

—C. V. T.”

–Cornelius Van Til, in _Jerusalem and Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy
and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til_, Ed. E. R. Geehan, (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian
and Reformed, 1977), 452.

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