One Minute Apology 3
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The first scientific clue that the universe was created was discovered by Edwin Hubble when he noticed through the telescope on Mount Wilson (north of Los Angeles) in 1931, that faint blotches of light were “red-shifted.” He realized that they were galaxies outside of our own Milky Way Galaxy which are flying away from each other. Because this proves the universe is expanding, it also proves (by extrapolating backwards in time) that it had a beginning out of nothing in a manner that Genesis 1:1 declares which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Atheists have no possible way of explaining this beginning by scientific causes. Therefore the only rational cause is God.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The first scientific clue that the universe was created was discovered by Edwin Hubble when he noticed through the telescope on Mount Wilson (north of Los Angeles) in 1931, that faint blotches of light were “red-shifted.” He realized that they were galaxies outside of our own Milky Way Galaxy which are flying away from each other. Because this proves the universe is expanding, it also proves (by extrapolating backwards in time) that it had a beginning out of nothing in a manner that Genesis 1:1 declares which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Atheists have no possible way of explaining this beginning by scientific causes. Therefore the only rational cause is God.
One Minute Apology 4
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The strongest scientific evidence I mentioned in “Apology 3” last week which “proves” that the universe was created by God out of nothing (Genesis 1:1) is that all galaxies have been flying farther apart from each other ever since the “Big Bang” (just like “shot” exiting a shotgun barrel). For similar reasons, this expansion also began slowing down immediately, even as the universe has been cooling down ever since, just as astronomic instruments record. One might reasonably ask then, “If the case for God is so strong, why do so many scientists dismiss God’s existence?” I reply that their own books often dismiss these documentable facts altogether by instead speculating on theories that can never be proved.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The strongest scientific evidence I mentioned in “Apology 3” last week which “proves” that the universe was created by God out of nothing (Genesis 1:1) is that all galaxies have been flying farther apart from each other ever since the “Big Bang” (just like “shot” exiting a shotgun barrel). For similar reasons, this expansion also began slowing down immediately, even as the universe has been cooling down ever since, just as astronomic instruments record. One might reasonably ask then, “If the case for God is so strong, why do so many scientists dismiss God’s existence?” I reply that their own books often dismiss these documentable facts altogether by instead speculating on theories that can never be proved.
One Minute Apology 5
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The scientific evidence which proves the universe is expanding (see last week) does not undermine the Bible. To the contrary, the prophet Isaiah in 40:22 speaks of God as the one “who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.” Indeed five different Old Testament writers echoed this same declaration for a total of eleven times. These passages include Job 9:8, Psalm 104:2, Isaiah 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13, 51:13, Jeremiah 10:12, 51:15, and Zechariah 12:1. This does not mean these writers in their own time understood the discoveries of modern astronomy. Since the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), who alone understands cosmology even better than today’s greatest scientists (duh!), we have grounds to see the above statements as portions of God’s revelation.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The scientific evidence which proves the universe is expanding (see last week) does not undermine the Bible. To the contrary, the prophet Isaiah in 40:22 speaks of God as the one “who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.” Indeed five different Old Testament writers echoed this same declaration for a total of eleven times. These passages include Job 9:8, Psalm 104:2, Isaiah 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13, 51:13, Jeremiah 10:12, 51:15, and Zechariah 12:1. This does not mean these writers in their own time understood the discoveries of modern astronomy. Since the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), who alone understands cosmology even better than today’s greatest scientists (duh!), we have grounds to see the above statements as portions of God’s revelation.
One Minute Apology 6
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The New Testament (NT) never mentions the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as an accomplished event. This astounding crisis, among other things, brought an absolute end to the Jewish system of sacrificing animals to atone for the sins of their people. Why then this omission of mention? This reality would have actually bolstered the Christian claim that the blood of Jesus, the “Lamb of God,” replaces the Jewish sacrificial system. So the NT is silent about that point because the Jewish “disaster” had not yet happened. This is a strong argument that virtually all the NT books were written before that date, that is, within 40 years of Jesus’ death and resurrection in 33 A.D. Since multitudes of eye-witnesses of Jesus’ passion circulated in that time, the popular charge that the Gospels are merely legend or myth, falls apart.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
The New Testament (NT) never mentions the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as an accomplished event. This astounding crisis, among other things, brought an absolute end to the Jewish system of sacrificing animals to atone for the sins of their people. Why then this omission of mention? This reality would have actually bolstered the Christian claim that the blood of Jesus, the “Lamb of God,” replaces the Jewish sacrificial system. So the NT is silent about that point because the Jewish “disaster” had not yet happened. This is a strong argument that virtually all the NT books were written before that date, that is, within 40 years of Jesus’ death and resurrection in 33 A.D. Since multitudes of eye-witnesses of Jesus’ passion circulated in that time, the popular charge that the Gospels are merely legend or myth, falls apart.
One Minute Apology 7
An apology is not an “I’m sorry, but a declaration!
Not every Christian approves of apologetics. Their objection is that since the Bible is God’s Word, it is not appropriate to seek evidence to support our faith. Yet Surprisingly the Bible does not disapprove of evidence. To the contrary Psalm 19:1 says all of God’s creation gives evidence for His existence, while Romans 1:18-20 says it is sinful to suppress nature’s testimony. Also, in John 14:11 Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works [miracles] themselves.” Even in John 20:26-29 He did not belittle evidence per se, but instead chided Thomas for not believing the eye-witness testimony of his brothers and sisters. My paper, “The Pervasive Employment of Apologetics,” highlights over 80 clear examples in the Bible where it highlights apologetic arguments in order to advance faith in God. You may request a copy through the office.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry, but a declaration!
Not every Christian approves of apologetics. Their objection is that since the Bible is God’s Word, it is not appropriate to seek evidence to support our faith. Yet Surprisingly the Bible does not disapprove of evidence. To the contrary Psalm 19:1 says all of God’s creation gives evidence for His existence, while Romans 1:18-20 says it is sinful to suppress nature’s testimony. Also, in John 14:11 Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works [miracles] themselves.” Even in John 20:26-29 He did not belittle evidence per se, but instead chided Thomas for not believing the eye-witness testimony of his brothers and sisters. My paper, “The Pervasive Employment of Apologetics,” highlights over 80 clear examples in the Bible where it highlights apologetic arguments in order to advance faith in God. You may request a copy through the office.
One Minute Apology 8
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
If Christianity is so clearly true as Pastor Gary suggests it is, then why don’t more scientists believe in God? I am certain most of you have asked yourself this because it is, in fact, a very reasonable question. For the next four weeks I will offer different reasons why “educated” people reject or dismiss belief in God. Stated briefly in advance, (1) scientists, like the rest of us (John 3:19) resist the authority of God in their lives, (2) many assume, without proof, that science and Christianity can’t possibly be reconciled, (3) with respect to causation, many won’t consider any explanation for the existence of the universe except mechanistic forces, and (4) the previous prejudice accounts for why many scientists haven’t even investigated the evidence. But be assured that the evidence I lay out each week is rock solid. Stay tuned!
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration!
If Christianity is so clearly true as Pastor Gary suggests it is, then why don’t more scientists believe in God? I am certain most of you have asked yourself this because it is, in fact, a very reasonable question. For the next four weeks I will offer different reasons why “educated” people reject or dismiss belief in God. Stated briefly in advance, (1) scientists, like the rest of us (John 3:19) resist the authority of God in their lives, (2) many assume, without proof, that science and Christianity can’t possibly be reconciled, (3) with respect to causation, many won’t consider any explanation for the existence of the universe except mechanistic forces, and (4) the previous prejudice accounts for why many scientists haven’t even investigated the evidence. But be assured that the evidence I lay out each week is rock solid. Stay tuned!
One Minute Apology 10
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
If Christianity is true as I argue it is, why don’t more scientists believe in God? The second reason I briefly listed in Apology 8 notes, “Many assume…that science and Christianity cannot possibly be reconciled.” But that position is false. While they may conflict in some cases, that does not mean they must always be in conflict. Indeed the same truth can often be expressed in both scientific and non-scientific language. For example, Genesis 1:1 harmonizes perfectly with the Big Bang. And it isn’t only Christians who have to be corrected in cases of conflict. While it is true that people in the Middle Ages, who believed the Sun revolved around the earth, were corrected by scientific calculations, the opposite happened in the 20th Century. For example, until the discovery of the Big Bang, scientists held that the cosmos always existed, while Genesis 1:1’s declaration of creation, was right all along.
An apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
If Christianity is true as I argue it is, why don’t more scientists believe in God? The second reason I briefly listed in Apology 8 notes, “Many assume…that science and Christianity cannot possibly be reconciled.” But that position is false. While they may conflict in some cases, that does not mean they must always be in conflict. Indeed the same truth can often be expressed in both scientific and non-scientific language. For example, Genesis 1:1 harmonizes perfectly with the Big Bang. And it isn’t only Christians who have to be corrected in cases of conflict. While it is true that people in the Middle Ages, who believed the Sun revolved around the earth, were corrected by scientific calculations, the opposite happened in the 20th Century. For example, until the discovery of the Big Bang, scientists held that the cosmos always existed, while Genesis 1:1’s declaration of creation, was right all along.
One Minute Apology 11
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
If Christianity is true as I argue it is, why then don’t more scientists believe in God? In Apology 8, I list as a third reason, namely that many (not all) scientists will not consider any cause for the beginning of creation except mechanistic forces. Is that a fair demand? No! The problem with that insistence is that, prior to the universe, there was absolutely nothing material at all. There was neither matter, nor energy, nor space, nor time, through which scientific processes could even conceivably work to bring the cosmos into being. Consequently the only rational answer to the question, where did the universe come from is, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
If Christianity is true as I argue it is, why then don’t more scientists believe in God? In Apology 8, I list as a third reason, namely that many (not all) scientists will not consider any cause for the beginning of creation except mechanistic forces. Is that a fair demand? No! The problem with that insistence is that, prior to the universe, there was absolutely nothing material at all. There was neither matter, nor energy, nor space, nor time, through which scientific processes could even conceivably work to bring the cosmos into being. Consequently the only rational answer to the question, where did the universe come from is, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
One Minute Apology 12
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
Ken Ham (answersingenesis.org) charges that the Big Bang (B.B.) is atheistic and anti-biblical. Yet Genesis 1:1 to the contrary teaches five truths which harmonize with the B.B., while they challenge Ham’s “young-earth” views. (1) The creation of the entire universe happened even before Day One. (2) It was all created out of nothing. (3) The sun, as part of “the heavens” in 1:1, existed prior to Days One and Four. (4) No duration of time is mentioned regarding the events in 1:1, and so it could entail billions of our years. (5), Since our eternal God (Deuteronomy 33:27) stands outside of time so that it does not limit His power, even eons of time are nothing to Him (Psalm 90:4); but only to us. Except for item number 3, Mr. Ham never mentions these truths.
Request from the office my paper, “How Genesis 1:1, 2 Easily Accommodates the Big Bang.”
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
Ken Ham (answersingenesis.org) charges that the Big Bang (B.B.) is atheistic and anti-biblical. Yet Genesis 1:1 to the contrary teaches five truths which harmonize with the B.B., while they challenge Ham’s “young-earth” views. (1) The creation of the entire universe happened even before Day One. (2) It was all created out of nothing. (3) The sun, as part of “the heavens” in 1:1, existed prior to Days One and Four. (4) No duration of time is mentioned regarding the events in 1:1, and so it could entail billions of our years. (5), Since our eternal God (Deuteronomy 33:27) stands outside of time so that it does not limit His power, even eons of time are nothing to Him (Psalm 90:4); but only to us. Except for item number 3, Mr. Ham never mentions these truths.
Request from the office my paper, “How Genesis 1:1, 2 Easily Accommodates the Big Bang.”
One Minute Apology 13
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
Over recent weeks I have considered the question, “If Christianity is true, as I claim it is, why don’t more scientists believe in God?” Surveys indeed show that while 95% of our population believes in God, only 51% of “scientists” do (https://www.pewforum.org /2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/). In OMA # 8, my 4th point concerned the power of prejudice to shut down one’s intellectual curiosity. Just like the rest of us, it is impossible for scientists to know about subjects they won’t bother to even look at (creation). For that reason, their refusal to consider certain kinds of evidence results not only in judging without knowledge (called prejudice), that posture also exhibits a profoundly anti-scientific attitude.
Ask the office for copies of my two papers, “How Genesis 1:1, 2 Easily Accommodates the Big Bang,” and “16 Clues in the Text of Genesis 1 Indicate that Creation is Ancient.”
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but an official declaration!
Over recent weeks I have considered the question, “If Christianity is true, as I claim it is, why don’t more scientists believe in God?” Surveys indeed show that while 95% of our population believes in God, only 51% of “scientists” do (https://www.pewforum.org /2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/). In OMA # 8, my 4th point concerned the power of prejudice to shut down one’s intellectual curiosity. Just like the rest of us, it is impossible for scientists to know about subjects they won’t bother to even look at (creation). For that reason, their refusal to consider certain kinds of evidence results not only in judging without knowledge (called prejudice), that posture also exhibits a profoundly anti-scientific attitude.
Ask the office for copies of my two papers, “How Genesis 1:1, 2 Easily Accommodates the Big Bang,” and “16 Clues in the Text of Genesis 1 Indicate that Creation is Ancient.”
One Minute Apology 14
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a legal declaration of truth!
How does the Bible regard science? Both skeptics and certain believers (for different reasons) suspect that it is opposed to scientific study because its outcome would likely undermine belief in God. I say to the contrary that the scientific case for God’s existence is stronger than ever! But my point here is to clarify what God’s Word really says about this matter. Psalm 19:1 says that both the sky above and the natural world around us declare God’s creative work. To this day science cannot answer either how the universe came into existence out of nothing, or how the glorious variety of living creatures is so abundant. The Bible never warns us to distrust proven science. To the contrary Romans 1:18-20 warns us to not suppress the witness of nature, but instead notice that it reconciles with God’s revealed Word.
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a legal declaration of truth!
How does the Bible regard science? Both skeptics and certain believers (for different reasons) suspect that it is opposed to scientific study because its outcome would likely undermine belief in God. I say to the contrary that the scientific case for God’s existence is stronger than ever! But my point here is to clarify what God’s Word really says about this matter. Psalm 19:1 says that both the sky above and the natural world around us declare God’s creative work. To this day science cannot answer either how the universe came into existence out of nothing, or how the glorious variety of living creatures is so abundant. The Bible never warns us to distrust proven science. To the contrary Romans 1:18-20 warns us to not suppress the witness of nature, but instead notice that it reconciles with God’s revealed Word.
One Minute Apology (OMA) 16
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Both Isaiah (36-37) and 2nd Kings (18-19) narrate Assyrian King Sennacherib’s (Scb) assault on Judah and its capital city, Jerusalem. I closed my previous OMA (15) by hinting that while Scb. described his encounter with Hezekiah as having “shut [him] up like a bird in a cage,” he neglected the further detail that his own military was suddenly “struck down,” as in decimated (Isaiah 37:36). One should not be surprised by Scb’s. omission. Ancient empires in that day rarely recorded their own military losses in their chronicles or inscribed them on their monuments, while the Bible, in stark contrast, was an open record of Israel’s sins, weaknesses, and failures. Since for example the Old Testament freely unaired Israel’s “dirty laundry” to the entire world, we have strong reason to hold that the history the Bible narrates is trustworthy.
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Both Isaiah (36-37) and 2nd Kings (18-19) narrate Assyrian King Sennacherib’s (Scb) assault on Judah and its capital city, Jerusalem. I closed my previous OMA (15) by hinting that while Scb. described his encounter with Hezekiah as having “shut [him] up like a bird in a cage,” he neglected the further detail that his own military was suddenly “struck down,” as in decimated (Isaiah 37:36). One should not be surprised by Scb’s. omission. Ancient empires in that day rarely recorded their own military losses in their chronicles or inscribed them on their monuments, while the Bible, in stark contrast, was an open record of Israel’s sins, weaknesses, and failures. Since for example the Old Testament freely unaired Israel’s “dirty laundry” to the entire world, we have strong reason to hold that the history the Bible narrates is trustworthy.
One Minute Apology 17
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Messianic Prophecy is a type of prophecy that foretells the ultimate coming of the Christ, as in Jesus Christ. “Christ” is the Greek term for Hebrew word “Messiah,” both of which literally stand for “the anointed one,” that is, the king or emperor. Each of the 456 Old Testament prophecies that have been applied to the “Messiah” in ancient rabbinic writings, foretold a singular aspect of the coming of Jesus; but none would tell the whole story—far from it. The Apostle Peter wrote following Jesus’ earthly life, “The prophets…searched and inquired…what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” (1 Peter 1:10-11). So these prophecies were each like a single piece of a puzzle which made little sense until they were shown to fit into the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and Him alone. If this leaves you puzzled, there’s more to come!
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Messianic Prophecy is a type of prophecy that foretells the ultimate coming of the Christ, as in Jesus Christ. “Christ” is the Greek term for Hebrew word “Messiah,” both of which literally stand for “the anointed one,” that is, the king or emperor. Each of the 456 Old Testament prophecies that have been applied to the “Messiah” in ancient rabbinic writings, foretold a singular aspect of the coming of Jesus; but none would tell the whole story—far from it. The Apostle Peter wrote following Jesus’ earthly life, “The prophets…searched and inquired…what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” (1 Peter 1:10-11). So these prophecies were each like a single piece of a puzzle which made little sense until they were shown to fit into the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and Him alone. If this leaves you puzzled, there’s more to come!
One Minute Apology 18
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Although “Back to the Future” is a favorite movie of mine, in reality it is scientifically impossible for humans to travel back into the past or into the future. Nevertheless ancient Rabbi’s accumulated 456 prophecies from our Old Testament which they believed pertained to the coming of the Messiah. Concerning our celebration of Christmas, one of these predictions said, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrethah…from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2). It is provable that this prophecy was uttered over 500 years prior to the fact of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem which, in those days, was an unlikely site due to its being so tiny. This pre-diction was correct because God, who stands outside of time (Isaiah 41:4, Revelation 1:8), spoke through His prophet Micah, by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit.
One Minute Apology 19
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
The media today routinely ridicules everyone who denies that the recent Presidential election was honest. Yet the grounds for their scorn cannot hold a candle to our case that Jesus is the Son of God. Rather, instead of offering evidence, the media not only censors every fact that, in any way, challenges their cherished views, they also resist their own investigation, and refuse to answer honest questions. The Bible, by contrast says both, “Put God to the test” (Malachi 3:10), “Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia in Greek) for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Indeed, Christians eagerly invite others to challenge what we believe since the grounds of our faith will not fail, but instead shine, under scrutiny. For this evidence, consider Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Faith.”
One Minute Apology 20
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Among the most common criticism of the Christmas story as recorded in Luke 1:1-20 concerns its mention of a Roman Census, because, as they say, no Emperor would have wished such upheaval in their own empire by requiring its citizens to return to the place of their birth in order to register there! Indeed, imagine for yourselves the level of chaos that such a command would have produced! Yet even though the ancient historian Josephus wasn’t referring specifically to Luke, he wrote of a similar census in 8 B.C. (Antiquities, Bk. 18, Ch. 1). This event is also mentioned in Acts 5:37. Although the correlation of this census with the birth of Jesus is uncertain, it does prove that such events as Luke described were in fact conducted every 14 years or so. Indeed, Luke, who was an educated medical doctor, is renowned for his historical accuracy. We will be hearing more about his care in up-coming columns.
One Minute Apology 21
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Yesterday afternoon (12/30/20) as Ann and I were out walking, the sky was beautiful, clear, and ablaze; not just with the Sun setting behind us, but also with a full-moon ahead, utterly aglow. It was spectacular! Science gives solid clues not only that it was created by God, but also that in the multitudes of ways that He fashioned it so that we can thrive within His creation. The moon is a vivid example. If we didn’t have a moon just the size it is and also the distance from us that it is, we could not live here. Both of those factors are exactly what they are so that, to give some examples, it causes the tides in the oceans which in turn moderate both our oceanic and atmospheric temperatures, even as it freshens the air. The winds they cause contribute to frequent weather changes, which plants and animals need to flourish. And finally, the revolving moon stabilizes our rotating planet so that it doesn’t wobble too much! These truths are mentioned in astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross’ book, Why the World is the Way it Is.
One Minute Apology 21
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Yesterday afternoon (12/30/20) as Ann and I were out walking, the sky was beautiful, clear, and ablaze; not just with the Sun setting behind us, but also with a full-moon ahead, utterly aglow. It was spectacular! Science gives solid clues not only that it was created by God, but also that in the multitudes of ways that He fashioned it so that we can thrive within His creation. The moon is a vivid example. If we didn’t have a moon just the size it is and also the distance from us that it is, we could not live here. Both of those factors are exactly what they are so that, to give some examples, it causes the tides in the oceans which in turn moderate both our oceanic and atmospheric temperatures, even as it freshens the air. The winds they cause contribute to frequent weather changes, which plants and animals need to flourish. And finally, the revolving moon stabilizes our rotating planet so that it doesn’t wobble too much! These truths are mentioned in astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross’ book, Why the World is the Way it Is.
One Minute Apology 22
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
The biblical character named Luke wrote over a fourth of the New Testament that includes The Gospel According to Luke and also its sequel, The Book of Acts. It is also vital to know that Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14), and for that reason was habitually careful to get his facts right not only medicine, but the life and times of Jesus (Luke 1:1-4). How careful was he? Skeptical professor Sir William Ramsey of the University of Tubingen in Germany doubted that he was accurate at all. To prove it he travelled to Asia Minor (now modern Turkey) with the Book of Acts in hand to check out every site that Luke recorded in Acts. What he discovered overturned his skepticism. He concluded that, not only every location, also but every single personal title (tribunal, magistrate, clerk, proconsul, etc.) was correctly assigned to the right persons. This is especially significant because the governmental systems varied from city to city across the Roman Empire. After Ramsey’s 20-year investigation covering thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine islands, he concluded that “Luke made no mistakes” (Norman Geisler. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. (Baker, 1999), p. 431).
One Minute Apology 23
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
For the sake of improved clarity this is a thorough rewrite of what appeared in this weekend's bulletins
I was criticized recently by another Christian in the Daily American for my interpretation of Genesis regarding the age of creation. My view that it is around 13-billion years old, hinges on whether Gen. 1:1 is a heading, or rather the first stage in creation. Hebrew grammar is clear that 1:1 isn’t a heading for the reason that the next verse (1:2) begins with the conjunction, “and.” This means 1:2 can’t be the first verse of the narrative because no story or chronicle ever starts with the word “And.” So when 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” it means the entire cosmos was created prior to the first creation Day (1:3-5). Since time is fundamental to our experience as earthlings, what God created in an instant because He stands outside of time (2 Peter 3:9), can without contradiction be measured by us to be around 13 billion years. 1:1-2 can easily accommodate that timeframe.
One Minute Apology 24
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
The story is told of a budding scientist looking into a microscope while at the same time drawing a picture of what he was seeing. When he finished, he eagerly called his supervisor to identify the “strange creature” he had sketched. But the director instead replied, “It seems that you have just drawn a picture of your own eyelash,” for the student had mistakenly confused a few of his own hairs for what he was hoping to discover with the lens. On a more serious note, in John 9:39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into the world that those who do not see may see…” This was His way of warning that we too often miss out on truth unless Jesus is allowed to open up our minds and hearts the much larger reality of life He reveals. On the other hand, if we resist those truths, we will shut ourselves off from His truth.
One Minute Apology 25
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
What’s wrong with revelation? In academics that includes especially the natural sciences, the notion that the Bible is the Word of God, is mockingly rejected out of hand. “Who needs the Bible?” they say, “We will stick to facts that we can see and measure!” Yet such objections are wrong-headed. Do these people treat spouses or friends that way by sitting in silence while they examine the person in front of them? Of course not! We can only actually know and understand another person by not only speaking, but also listening to each other. To shut out the Bible represents the same postures that are represented above. If one will not read the Bible, it is their fault that they cannot possibly know God. Stay tuned as we consider another common, though faulty, objection to reading the Bible in the coming weeks.
One Minute Apology 26
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
Just recently a letter by a Christian to the Editor of The Daily American newspaper said readers should stop listening to science and instead “simply believe.” Well, what does the Bible actually say about that question? It in fact never once demands denying evidence outside of the Bible, whether it be from science or history. With my website (www.christianityontheoffense.com) now up and running, you can now access my article, “The Pervasive Employment of Apologetics in the Bible,” which includes 60 examples (tactics, incidents, and statements) from both Testaments, including from the life and teaching of Jesus. At my website, click the “4 lines” icon on the top left of the screen and then click the word, “articles.”
Less-than Two Minute Apology 28
An Apology is not an “I’m sorry,” but a declaration of truth!
There are 12 historical facts surrounding Jesus’ resurrection which, as Dr. Gary Habermas states, “even the harshest critics agree are historically sound.” These facts include (1) Jesus died by crucifixion, (2) He was buried, (3) His disciples despaired over His death, (4) the tomb was found empty a few days later, (5) the disciples were convinced they literally met the risen Jesus, (6) they were transformed from cowards to becoming His bold witnesses, (7) His resurrection became their main message, (8) it was preached right at the scene of the “crime” (Jerusalem), (9) this preaching this caused the Church to grow, (10) the primary worship day changed from Saturday to Sunday, (11) and Jesus’ skeptical brother James, and (12) arch-enemy of Christianity, Paul of Tarsus, were both converted to faith in Jesus Christ. Skeptics today must come to terms with all of these facts if they are to explain away Jesus’ resurrection. Stay tuned these coming weeks to see why only the Biblical message of Easter fits all of these facts.