Topical Discussion Question #2

Is it possible for a natural law ethic to honor the sufficiency of Scripture? Define both “natural law” and “sufficiency of Scripture” and present your analysis.

The Aristotelian view on natural law that Aquinas attempted to Christianize creates a dichotomy between earthly and heavenly happiness.  By focusing on the natural law, which is to say that there is a "moral order, found in nature and man himself," then the one who believes in a natural law ethic would believe in the sufficiency of nature.  You would need nothing more than what is revealed in nature - through the environment, through science, biology, anthropology, etc - to define your ethical norms.  The natural law proponent would find all they need for earthly happiness, understanding, and knowledge in the world around them to apply the tenants of that ethic to their lives and to the lives of others.

Unfortunately, due to the sufficiency of Scripture over nature, there is no such dichotomy between earthly and heavenly happiness.  Scripture, as God's revealed Word and therefore His special revelation, is needed by mankind to apply a true ethic to the world order. Scripture provides our basis, and interpretive lens through which we will see ourselves and the world around us.  It is sufficient for providing the norms that are needed to apply a true ethic to life.

Due to the fall, and the infectious nature of sin, the ramifications of that historical event have not only created a problem for man when interpreting nature, but have also created the need for the restoration of God's word and man's access to it through special revelation.  This is how God speaks to us today, and is how we are to interpret both the world around us and ourselves through Scripture's lens.  In God's speaking to us, and our existential revelation in applying his words to our situational perspective - our true ethic is revealed in the way we live our lives.  Natural law is insufficient to provide that revelation, but Scripture is more than sufficient to do so.