Apologet Methods: The Bible's? or "Their's"?

 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