What does the Bible actually say about natural law? In part two of our three-part series, host Phil Cecil and his guest make the biblical case that God has woven a real, knowable moral order into creation — one that even unbelievers can perceive.
Guided by three questions (Is there an objective moral order? Has it been revealed? Can the unregenerate perceive it?), they walk through the key Old Testament texts: the ordered creation and image of God in Genesis 1–2, the universal Noahic covenant and the institution of human government in Genesis 8–9, and the wisdom-in-creation theme of Proverbs 3 and 8. Along the way they explore why capital punishment is distinct from murder, the “two governments” framework, Solomon’s famous judgment between two mothers, and Old Testament unbelievers like Abimelech and Jethro who clearly grasp God’s moral order. They then turn to the New Testament, beginning with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 and what our instinctive moral reactions reveal about the law written on the heart.
The discussion continues in part three next week. Theologically Driven is a podcast of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn more at dbts.edu.
00:00 Introduction and recap
02:24 Three guiding arguments for natural law
06:16 Genesis 1–2: an ordered, purposeful creation
09:08 The image of God and human nature
13:33 The Noahic covenant and human government (Genesis 8–9)
20:53 Wisdom in creation: Proverbs 3 and 8
26:32 Solomon’s judgment and the limits of “rules”
28:52 Unbelievers who perceive moral order: Abimelech and Jethro
32:13 Turning to the New Testament: Jesus in Matthew 6
35:06 What our moral instincts reveal
36:37 Wrapping up — and a look ahead to part 3