USING PROOF OF THE DEITY AND INFALLIBILITY OF THE BIBLE AS GIVENS
The natural starting point of the surety of the inspiration and existence of a super natural Being allows for a solid foundation. The complexity and obvious design of everything in our universe proves the existence of a designer, creator God. The complexity of DNA alone is enough to indicate God's great biological engineering.
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” (NKJV)
Further, a true believer must become proficient in understanding the word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Keeping thesecore truths in mind, let us look at some principles that have been developed to help us deal with perceived Biblical Difficulties. Further, the book of Daniel provides divine inspiration of the Bible.
ERROR # 1 IS ASSUMING THAT SOMETHING IS “UNEXPLAINABLE”
It is a mistake for a Bible critic to assume that what has not yet been explained will never be understood. The Bible and ancient history are like science in that when a scientist comes upon an anomaly in nature he does not just give up. They investigate it with a focus. Bible critics once proposed that Moses' writings were a fraud because writing did not exist in his lifetime. Then discoveries were unearthed which proved that the written language existed for a thousand years prior to Moses. God is never wrong!
John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”
Psalms 119:160, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
It will probably take years of study and a better grasp of the ancient world for us to fully comprehend the wisdom of some of God's rulings, but we can know that God is never wrong.
ERROR # 2 IS ASSUMING THE BIBLE IS WRONG UNTIL PROVEN TRUE
This is the starting position of most worldly biblical scholars. They think they have found a minor difference in the testimony of witnesses or with secular history. For instance, why don't Egyptian hieroglyphics cover the events in the book of Exodus? Archaeologists have learned now that the Egyptians sometimes exaggerated their nation’s greatness and left out defeats. Critics presume that the Bible is false –– no wonder they conclude that it is riddled with errors and look at revelations regarding king Belshazzar. The Bible proved to be right after all. Yet they love to have it be wrong.
Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truthin unrighteousness,”
Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;”
Worldly wisdom has led mankind down blind, evil avenues like eugenics, abortion, communism –– or a lighter version, fascism –– genocides, euthanasia and total war etc.
ERROR # 3 JUDGING GOD & HIS WORD BASED ON EVIL HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Worldly critics of the Bible may base their skepticism on rejection of man's chaotic and sometimes violent religious activities. They use violent human actions to reject all religion and God. If they knew the Bible they would realize that this very book predicts this kind of evil among mankind.
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
The Bible contends that people deceive themselves into justifying whatever evil, selfish thing they wish to do because our hearts are desperately wicked, but we do not realize it. This is Satan's society for now, until the second coming of the Messiah.
2 Timothy 2:26, “…and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
Matthew 24:9-11, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
If they would read the Bible with an open mind they would see that religious infighting and Satanic deception is to be expected.
ERROR # 4 IS IN NEGLECTING CLEAR VERSES FOR DIFFICULT ONES
When Paul was battling the clever over-regulation of the circumcision parties’ influence, they took his words out of context to make faith and grace a license to sin and ignored the clear dynamic verses stating unequivocally the opposite. Note the following :
James 2:14-20, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’ 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe –– and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”
Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”
Of course we do not earn our own salvation, but it is ridiculous to expect God to teach us that sin is acceptable because we are “under grace.”
ERROR # 5 IS ASSUMING THAT A PARTIAL REPORT IS A FALSE REPORT
Critics willingly assume that divergent accounts are false ones. However, time and space seldom allow for every detail to be present in each WRITTEN account. Further, if all four witnesses said the exact same thing it would be highly suspect. Let us look at differences between Matthew 28:5 and John 20:12 as one example critics have mentioned.
One account says “two angels” while the other focuses on one angel, but it does not say only one was present:
Matthew 28:2-6, “And…there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended…came and rolled back the stone from the door…3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus…6 He is not here; for He is risen…see the place where the Lord lay.’”
John 20:11-12, “But Mary stood outside…she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”
Mathew focuses on the rolling back of the stone while John focuses on what the two angels inside the tomb said to Mary. The two writers emphasize different parts of the story and together they make the narrative richer and more revealing. But no real contradiction exists and no justification for rejecting biblical inspiration is present.
ISSUES : MANY WISH TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES MORALS WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN STANDARD AND STILL BE CONSIDERED SPIRITUAL. IS THIS APPROACH GOING TO GROW OR NOT?
