The Bereans “examin[ed] the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
One website
that addresses the relationship between Jesus Christ and the concept of truth
says at its outset that truth is about more than simply
facts. Even so, it further states that
truth-claims must harmonize with the phenomena they address. To this
progression of thinking I say, “Amen!”
What I most fear in regard to current views on truth is the failure
of many Christians to grasp that the concept of truth is a very high
priority in Holy Scripture. For this
reason I am urging a Bible-based Reformation in our apologetic task to
the end that evangelicals appeal to phenomenal evidence (not just “pious” stirrings) to undergird our
conviction that God exists. The context that I am employing in framing my
argument is the concept of the creation of the universe. The crisis I decry is the 40% of Christians
(prodded by intractable leaders) who oppose
the very strongest body of scientific evidence for the
existence of God; which is the Big Bang (BB). They oppose it because they allege that it
contradicts the first chapter of Genesis (G1) and for that
very reason they reject every scientific claim that conflicts with their
interpretation of G1.
I am
assuredly NOT disparaging the text of Genesis 1. To the contrary, concerning the duration of
its’ creation periods with respect to both the word “day,” and the “evening…morning”
refrain, the Hebrew text yields substantial clues that the Day-Age
interpretation is the superior view.
Indeed, in my paper “The Biblical Demand…,” I list many conservative
scholars who embrace the “eon” reading of “days.” Further, by their denial of a BB beginning,
Gen. 1:1 is deprived of any coherent connection to the creation days, while by
contrast, the BB unites chapter 1 by locating the Big Bang in Gen. 1:1
as the very first event of Creation.
This grammatical correction “coincidently” also unites 1:1 with
established scientific facts.
The YECs’
malignment of science that I referenced earlier ignores the truth that the
Apostles’ Creed highlights actualities; not
abstractions! For this reason we ought
to ignore YECs’ obstructions that are so-far hindering our charge to intellectually
commend the existence of God.
Consequently we should frame arguments that are both biblically-faithful
AND scientifically-factual that can dissipate the wave of materialism
that is sweeping multitudes away from belief in God. The polemic at hand entails two camps: (1)
Young-Earth-Creationism which, on the alleged authority of G1, ignores
much of science to enable its’ claim that creation happened thousands of years
ago, and (2) the Big Bang, which draws on the entire factual
evidence that indicates the cosmos began out of absolutely nothing 13.7
billion years ago. Notice the irony! While the “Bible-only” view denies Ps.
19:1’s claim that it is nature that declares God’s glory;” by
contrast even certain leaders in the science-only view harmonize
the Big Bang with Genesis 1:1.
For my entire four page
article that includes a total of 42 footnotes, visit my “articles” section at
my website: www.christianityontheoffense.com
