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Has God Spoken? How
Can We Know the Bible is from God? By Massimo Lorenzini We live in an age where it is popular to question authority. People want to assert their own opinions as if they are as valid as any expert. This is why T.V. and radio talk shows are so popular. People say things like, “To me heaven is like…,” “My God would never send anyone to hell….” This makes belief in the authority and inspiration of the Bible increasingly unpopular. But, has God spoken? That’s the question. Facts, not opinions, matter. We don’t just believe the Bible based on faith as the world defines faith (belief in something we have no rational basis for or evidence to support). A Sunday School teacher asked a boy what faith is. He said, “Teacher, faith is believing what you know ain’t so!” No, real faith is trust or confidence in something or someone based on reliable data that we perceive ourselves or that is based on a reliable authority. Christianity stands or falls on the reliability of the Bible which claims to be an inspired record of God’s dealing with mankind throughout history. Biblical faith is believing the Word of God, agreeing with its declarations and pronouncements, submitting to its commands, and trusting in its promises. We must ask ourselves what kind of book is the Bible? Is it a book by men about God? Or, a book given by God to men? The Bible claims to be inspired. What do we mean by inspiration? God superintended the writing of Scripture using humans (with their style, personalities, culture, etc.). This rules out dictation or automatic writing. The Inspiration of Scripture 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [lit. “God-breathed”], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:15-17).[1] Here’s how a popular paraphrase renders these verses: 15b There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us (2 Tim 3:15b-17, The Message). Scripture finds its origin or source in God Himself. When you hear a speaker, you are hearing his words by his breath. And while his breath passes through his larynx, out of his throat, and is articulated by his tongue and lips, it all starts with breath. That’s why we shouldn’t cuss—it’s bad breath! So God creates and brings life by means of His powerful Word: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Gen 2:7). By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps 33:6). God’s Word emanates from within Himself and is the agency in His creation of the universe. God brought creation into existence by the power of His Word: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Over and over again in Genesis chapter one we see the phrases “Then God said…,” “And God called…,” “And God blessed them, saying….” God’s Word is central to all He does in His creation, even
in his sustaining of the universe: “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Christ is
called the Word of God and the One through whom God created the universe: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14). God’s Word occupies a preeminent position in the way God deals with His creatures. We will see more on this later. But for now I want you to understand a little bit about how closely related God’s Word is with God’s person. You cannot separate God from His Word. How you relate to God’s Word is how you relate to God Himself. Christians believe in “verbal, plenary inspiration.” “Verbal” refers to the words; “plenary” refers to all of the words. Every word of the Bible is inspired by God, not just the thoughts, ideas, or concepts. It’s a fact that you cannot have thoughts without words any more than you can have music without notes or mathematics without numbers. So the words are very important. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matt 5:18). Why should we believe these claims? There are seven reasons or seven lines of argument in defense of the Bible as God’s Word. In order to help us remember these seven reasons we will use the hand as a mnemonic device (memory tool).[2] This is helpful because although you won’t always have these notes with you, you will always have your hand with you (I hope!). Now the first six reasons are evidential which is good because it shows that belief in the Bible is connected with objective evidence that is outside of us. But the seventh reason I consider the most important and that is why I have devoted the majority of this booklet to it. The seventh reason is more experiential with regard to the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit and presuppositional with regard to the apologetic method. Don’t worry if you have no idea what I’m talking about right now. It will become clear when you get to it. I only say all this because I want you to be sure to get to that seventh reason for belief in the Bible because I believe it is by far the most compelling. Now, let’s turn our attention to the first of the seven reasons to believe the Bible is God’s Word. 1. (Pinkie) Prophecy - supernatural predictions of the future that are precise, detailed, and accurate. when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deut 18:22). 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure’ (Isa 46:9-10). King Cyrus of Persia was predicted by name 150 years prior to his reign (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). Isaiah also predicted that Cyrus would be the one to send the Jews back to Jerusalem after their 70 year exile in Babylon. 70 Weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-25. From the decree of Artaxerxes, King of Persia, in 445 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in A.D. 33 is 483 years according to the Jewish lunar calendar of 360 days per year (69 “sevens”). The final seven years will take place during the future Great Tribulation period. Daniel, under the inspiration of God, predicted the exact timing of the Messiah’s death over 500 years before it occurred! There are 191 different predictions about the Messiah. The odds of fulfilling just 8 of these would be 1 in 1017. To understand this number, imagine Texas filled with silver dollars 2 ft. thick and only one silver dollar is painted red. If you were blindfolded and dropped by parachute into Texas and randomly picked out one silver dollar, the odds that you would pick the red one is 1 in 1017. The chances of fulfilling 48 predictions would be 1 in 10157. To understand that number try this analogy: You have one square inch of electrons and you can count 215 electrons per minute, it would take 19 million years times 19 millions years times 19 millions years to count them all. Obviously, to fulfill predictive prophecy that is detailed and precise is no small feat. Sum: supernatural predictions. 2. (Ring Finger) Unity - Diversity of authors, settings, and topics yet converging on a unity of testimony. There is one Bible made up of 66 Books. The Bible is a book of broad diversity: (a.) Diverse times (over 1400 yrs.); (b.) Diverse places (prisons, battlefields, wilderness, palaces); (c.) Diverse authors (about 40) such as Luke a physician, David a shepherd/king, Joshua a general, Matthew a tax collector, Paul a Pharisee, Peter a fisherman; (d.) Diverse kinds of literature (law, history, poetry, prophecy); (e.) Diverse topics (if you have 5 people writing about one controversial topic, you’d have five opinions!) such as origins, history, wisdom, law, salvation, destiny; (f.) Diverse languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek). Though made up of many kinds of literature written over a long
period of time under diverse circumstances and by many authors, the Bible has a
unifying theme: The glory of God in the creation, fall, and redemption of
mankind. There is one Bible made up of two “testaments.” The Christian Bible has two main divisions, the Old and New Testaments. The meaning of “Testament” is “covenant,” “treaty,” or “binding agreement.” The Old (or Mosaic or Sinaitic) Covenant concerns Israel while the New Covenant concerns the church. The Relationship of the Old and New Testaments
In short, the Old Testament points forward to the coming of Jesus Christ and the salvation He would accomplish, while the New Testament looks back at the salvation achieved through His life, death, and resurrection, and looks forward to the final salvation which will be accomplished when He comes again to physically establish His kingdom on earth.
Sum: supernatural unity. 3. (Big Finger) Answers the big questions in a way that is consistent with the way we experience and perceive the world and in a way that is internally cohesive. A man went on a quest to find the meaning of life. His search led him to Northern India. He asked the guru why bad things happen to good people. The guru said, “The world is dew.” The man retorted in disbelief, “The world is dew?!” The guru sheepishly asked, “You mean the world is not dew?” Rather than offering meaningless concepts that don’t give satisfactory explanations of the world as we experience, the Bible gives satisfying answers to the big questions of life that are consistent with reality: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? It has explanatory power and practical value. Sum: supernatural insight. 4. (Index Finger) Historical accuracy - Consistent with archaeology and history, the Bible gives unimpeachable testimony supported by a tremendous amount of manuscript evidence. Renowned archaeologist William Albright said, “Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.” These are not fables like the giant Paul Bunyan and his ox named Blue. The accounts list exhaustive details about times, peoples, and locations that can all be checked out and verified. National Geographic magazine uses the Bible as a source book in its diggings. The Bible is the only sacred book that can look to historical evidence to support its claims. Sum: supernatural events. 5. (Thumbs up) Changed lives - The Bible transcends time and culture to radically transform sinners into saints. J. Herbert Kane in his book A Concise History of the Christian World Mission wrote: The raw material out of which the churches were built differed widely from place to place. It included the Brahmins of India, the literati of China, the Samurai of Japan, the Hottentots and Bushmen of Africa, the Indians of South America, the headhunters of New Guinea, the cannibals of the South Seas. All walks of life and all classes of men were included in the gospel invitation. Old and young, rich and poor, literate and illiterate, captains and coolies, soldiers and slaves, tribal chiefs and medicine men, fakirs and philosophers, princes and paupers, scholars and scavengers—all found their way into the Christian fold; all became members of the body of Christ.” The Word of God is powerful. It changes people from sinners into saints. · “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom 1:16). · “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). · “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). · “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12-13). · “. . . having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet 1:23). · “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth” (Jas 1:18a). Sum:
supernatural impact. 6. (Fist) Survival
through time and persecution. Biblical testimony:
The Bible is not the “book of the month,” it’s the book of the Ages! Voltaire, the noted French infidel, said in 1778, “In 100 years Christianity will be swept from existence and passed into history.” What happened? Voltaire was swept from existence and passed into history and the Bible is still here! And to show that God has a sense of humor, fifty years after his death the Geneva Bible Society used his printing press and house to print stacks of Bibles. If the Bible were not from God, men would have destroyed it long ago. John Cummings said, “the empire of Caesar is gone, but the Word of God still survives, the legions of Rome are moldering in the dust, but the Word of God still survives, the avalanches that Napoleon heaped upon Europe have melted away, but the Word of God still survives, the pride of the Pharaohs has fallen, but the Word of God still survives. Tradition has dug for it a grave. Many a Judas has betrayed it with a kiss. Many a Demas has forsaken it, but the Bible still survives!” Charles Spurgeon declared, “Hammer away ye hostile hands, your hammers break, God’s anvil stands.” Sum: supernatural survival 7. (Raised Hand) The Bible’s own testimony. In innumerable passages the Bible declares or assumes itself to be the Word of God. Again, I consider this to be the most powerful reason to believe the Bible is God’s Word, even though on the surface this seems to be the weakest one. Read on to see what I mean. Supernatural Testimony Concerning God’s Word The Bible is Self-Attesting. We believe the Bible is God’s Word because it is God’s Word. Sounds like circular reasoning you say? I’ll address that in a moment. First some foundation must be laid with a biblical frame of reference. In order to understand and appreciate the Bible’s claim to be God’s Word we must understand some basic building blocks of the biblical worldview. We cannot come to the Bible with naturalistic or human ideas about the world and then seek to interpret the Bible. Rather, we must look at the world through the lens of what the Bible says about it in order to really know what it teaches. It is very important that you read the following with an open mind seeking to understand rather than argue. First, seek to understand, then decide if you believe it. The Main Issue. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). This verse sums up the issue very well; that men have all received general revelation (knowledge about God known intuitively and from the creation itself) and some have received both general and special revelation (special revelation is particular knowledge about God that is revealed to a specific individual or group). In either case, light has come into the world. The problem is that men don’t love the light. In fact, this verse from the lips of Jesus tells us that men loved darkness rather than light. The reason is said to be because “their deeds were evil.” Implicit in that statement is that they prefer to remain in the darkness where they can attempt to sustain their position of supposed independence from God (rebellion). The Christian Message is its own best apologetic. The basic message of the Bible/Christian worldview is the glory of God in the creation, fall, and redemption of mankind (Revelation 4:11; 5:8-14). God is independent (self-existent and self-sustaining), immutable (unchanging), infinite (limitless in ability), sovereign (rules freely), holy (separate from sin), transcendent (separate from the created universe), and immanent (near and active in His creation). CREATION The Creator/creature distinction. God is our Creator, and we are His creatures. God is independent, and we are dependent. Man is the divine image-bearer (Genesis 1:26-27). Man was created to live under the authority of God as a vice-regent of the earth (Genesis 1:28-29; Psalm 8). God governs man by His Word (revelation). Man was created to live under the authority of God’s Word (Gen 2:15-17). Man’s obedience was tested by God’s commandment (Gen 2:17). The curse came by God’s Word (Gen 3:11, 14-19). The promise of redemption came by Word (Gen 3:15, 21). The human race was preserved by one man’s obedience to God’s Word (Gen 6:9-8:19). The human race was reconstituted by God’s promises (Gen 8:20-9:17, the Noahic Covenant). Abraham was called and given promises (Gen 12:1ff, the Abrahamic Covenant). Israel was told to keep every command of God (Deuteronomy 4:1-14; 5:30-33; 6:1-9; 7:11-16). The Words of Jesus and His apostles are also authoritative as God’s Word (Matt 7:21-29; John 6:63-68; Rom 1:16ff; Gal 1:1, 8ff; 2 Pet 3:16; Rev 1:11). So we see that God’s Word is paramount in His dealings with man. “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138:2). Revelation over reason. God’s Word, not human reason (rationalism) or sense perception (empiricism), is the ultimate criterion for truth (remember, you are seeking to understand, not dispute. I can hear you wanting to argue this point. But hear me out first, okay?). Naturalism is the opposite. “If you reject naturalism you are rejecting science,” said one science professor. Note, he mandates naturalism as a worldview as the starting point to legitimize all claims to scientific knowledge. We are not really neutral when it comes to evaluating truth claims. Human reason and sense perception are to operate on biblical premises, subject to the Word of God because, as the Word of God, it is the highest standard of truth. Reason and sense perception are not themselves the standard for truth. They are simply the means of receiving God’s revelation. Reason and empirical senses cannot teach you anything without supplied data (God’s revelation or Satan’s lie of supposed autonomy); just as a computer can’t do anything for you without a program that supplies data. We must “believe in order to understand” as Anselm said. Or as Augustine put it, “I believe, therefore I understand.” It’s like offering a blind man special glasses that will give him 20/20 vision and he can see what the world looks like, but he refuses because he wants to see what the world looks like first. We can only see with the “spectacles of faith.” God has spoken… · General Revelation: Ps 19: 1-6; Rom 1:18-22; 2:14-16 · Special Revelation: Ps 19:7-11; 2 Tim 3:15-16 FALL … we are not listening. Satan’s lie in Genesis 3:1-5: 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan deceived Eve into believing that she could be the final determiner of right and wrong. She didn’t need to submit to God’s Word. She could choose for herself what to believe and be successful. This was a deadly lie. As a result of Eve’s sin, and Adam
with her, the deception that man can live independently of God and do it
successfully has passed on to all who came after them as our basic default
position as fallen, sinful people. Man’s basic commitment is not truth but
autonomy. The unbeliever never thinks nor acts according to any principle
other than his own supposed independence. Man is a rebel, a sinner,
by nature and by choice. Man’s sin affects his thinking as well as his behavior
(Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Eph 4:17-18; Rom 1:18, 21, 25, 28; 1 Cor 2:14). REDEMPTION Nothing less than the miracle of regeneration is needed for man to submit to God (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 36:26-27; Matt 11:25-28; John 3:3-8; 1 Cor 2:6-16; Eph 4:13; Phil 1:9; Col 1:9ff; 3:10; 2 Tim 2:25; 1 Pet 1:23; 2 Pet 1:2ff; 3:18; 1 John 4:7) In regeneration (being spiritually born again), God graciously delivers sinners from the dominion of sin (Rom 6:14). We are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be God’s Words as we read the Bible with the illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:4-5,12ff; 2 Cor 4:6; Eph 1:17ff; Heb 6:4; 10:32; 1 Thess 1:5). One classic Protestant teaching document, The Westminster Confession of Faith (Ch. 1, paragraphs 4 and 5), says the following about how God’s Spirit enables us to comprehend the divine character of Scripture: “The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.” “We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.” Our ultimate conviction that the words of the Bible are God’s Words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us an inner assurance that these are the words of our Creator speaking to us (cf. John 10:27). The conviction that the words of Scripture are the words of God does not come apart from the words of Scripture or in addition to the words of Scripture. It is not as if the Holy Spirit one day whispers in our ear, “Do you see that Bible sitting on your desk? I want you to know that the words of that Bible are God’s words.” The Word and Spirit together in one voice give certainty regarding God’s Word which gives us the confidence to believe it and be changed by it. As one preacher said, “If you have the Bible without the Spirit, you will dry up. If you have the Spirit without the Bible, you will blow up. But if you have both the Bible and the Spirit, you will grow up.” The Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit. The regenerated believer then has certainty of the truth of God’s Word by means of the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit: (John 14:16-17,26-27; Rom 8:15-16; Gal 4:6; 1 John 3:21,24b,4:13). John Calvin wrote, “Scripture will ultimately suffice for a saving knowledge of God only when its certainty is founded upon the inward persuasion of the Holy Spirit” (Institutes Vol. I, viii, 13). So two things came together for Calvin to give him a “saving knowledge of God” – Scripture and the “inward persuasion of the Holy Spirit.” Neither alone suffices to save. I am indebted to John Piper for help in understanding Calvin on this point. Here is what Piper said, But how does this actually work? What does the Spirit do? The answer is not that the Spirit gives us added revelation to what is in Scripture but that he awakens us, as from the dead, to see and taste the divine reality of God in Scripture, which authenticates it as God’s own word. He says, “Our Heavenly Father, revealing his majesty [in Scripture], lifts reverence for Scripture beyond the realm of controversy” (I, viii, 13). There is the key for Calvin: the witness of God to Scripture is the immediate, unassailable, life-giving revelation to the mind of the majesty of God manifest in the Scriptures themselves. Therefore illumined by [the Spirit’s] power, we believe
neither by our own [note this!] nor by anyone else’s judgment that Scripture is
from God; but above human judgment we affirm with utter certainty (just as if
we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself) that it has flowed to us from
the very mouth of God by the ministry of men (I, vii, 5). [3] The apostle John taught this in 1 John 5:6-13: Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood--and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God's testimony is greater, because it is God's testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (Holman Christian Standard Bible). Again, Piper explains: In other words the “witness of God,” that is, the inward witness of the Spirit, is greater than any human witness – including, I think John would say in this context, the witness of our own judgment. And what is that witness of God? It is not merely a word delivered to our judgment for reflection, for then our conviction would rely on that reflection. What is it then? Verse 11 is the key: “The witness is this: that God has given us eternal life.” I take that to mean that God witnesses to us of his reality and the reality of his Son and his Word by giving us life from the dead so that we come alive to his majesty and see him for who he is in his Word. In that instant we do not reason from premises to conclusions, we see that we are awake, and there is not even a prior human judgment about it to lean on. When Lazarus wakened in the tomb by the call or the “witness” of Christ, he knew without reasoning that he was alive and that this call waked him. Here’s the way theologian J. I. Packer put it: The internal witness of the Spirit in John Calvin is a work of enlightenment whereby, through the medium of verbal testimony, the blind eyes of the spirit are opened, and divine realities come to be recognized and embraced for what they are. This recognition Calvin says, is as immediate and unanalysable as the perceiving of a color, or a taste, by physical sense – an event about which no more can be said than that when appropriate stimuli were present it happened, and when it happened we know it had happened.[4] The Word of God becomes the final arbiter and ultimate criterion for truth: Peter declared that Scripture is even more authoritative than the first-hand witness of Christ’s transfiguration, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word” (1 Peter 1:16-21, ESV). When one is born again, he has certainty concerning God’s Word. 1 John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly [“for certain,” NASB] that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” John 3:33, “He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.” Luke 1:4, “that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” John 20:31, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” Believers then are to grow by believing and practicing God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). OUR APOLOGETIC METHOD (How we
defend the Bible) The gospel takes aim at the unbeliever’s worldview, his undeclared assumption of autonomy. Imagine a student is so blindly paranoid that he thinks his professors are out to kill him. He resists evidence to the contrary, twisting it so that it reinforces his presuppositions. You remind him of Professor Jones who was kind towards him. The student says he was only trying to gain his confidence so that it would be easier to murder him. Why else would he have been so kind? His kindness proves his murderous intent. All one can do is ask the student to change his presuppositions so that he will see the evidence in new light. This is what we do in our apologetic.[5] We challenge the unbeliever to lay down his faulty presupposition of autonomy and see that he is indeed a creature of God and must, of necessity, submit to God as his rightful Owner based upon the Word of God. The Bible, being God’s Word, is alone ultimately authoritative. As such it functions as our ultimate criterion for truth and our reason and senses must function in accord with its claims. In order to rightly evaluate truth claims we must learn to see in totals, not bit and pieces, as Francis Schaeffer said. We must come to an awareness of what our underlying assumptions about reality are which influence how we interpret new data. This is called epistemological consciousness. Epistemology is one’s theory of knowledge; how we know what we know. This will allow us to see if there is any incongruity within a worldview and give us more insight into why people believe what they do and why they end up agreeing or disagreeing with certain viewpoints or claims. In the end the non-Christian’s ultimate criterion for truth, his epistemology, comes down to self rather than Christ. This is because he is more committed to his own autonomy (living how he wants to live) than he is to the truth which would lead him to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The problem is moral rather than intellectual. Show the non-Christian the absurdity of such a position (without God you cannot account for the existence of the universe, laws of logic, human dignity, etc). But do not use the unbeliever’s truth standards. To do so would be like trying to rescue someone from quicksand by getting into the quicksand. We cannot stand on the same ground. There is no neutrality; there is no epistemological common ground. We defend the faith from the
position of our Christian worldview (1 Peter 3:15). We are either for Christ or
against Him (Matt 12:30). We must repudiate unbelief as foolish (Psalm 14:1)
and offensive to God. For example, if I asked someone “What’s your name?” and
after they told me I said, “I don’t believe you!” This would imply that I
believe the person asked is a liar. No doubt he or she would find this very
offensive. How much more so is it offensive to disbelieve God who cannot lie?
Therefore, God will certainly judge severely all who do not believe Him. Our
only proper response is to believe God: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Perhaps a fictional dialogue would help to illustrate what I’ve been
saying. Dialogue Between A Christian and
An Atheist Atheist: I am an atheist and evolutionist.
Prove to me there is a God. Atheist: My standard for truth is whatever makes sense to me. Christian: Exactly! And because of your rebellion and hostility to God you will never submit your reasoning to God’s truth because you are unwilling to do so. It’s not a matter of having the right information; it’s a matter of not having a willingness to surrender your life to Christ. What about circular reasoning? The truth is everyone uses circular reasoning when it comes to a starting point in reasoning. Circular reasoning is normally a logical fallacy when you assume the conclusion you are attempting to argue for. But when it comes to an ultimate criterion for truth, a certain amount of circularity is unavoidable. To deny circularity when it comes to an ultimate authority or truth standard is to subject oneself to an infinite regress of reasons. Someone argues for A, and then when challenged he appeals to B and C. And then when challenged on that he appeals to D, E, F, and G as arguments for B and C. And then the process keeps going on and on. If it doesn’t stop somewhere with something as the “given” or starting point (i.e. the beginning of the circle), then you end up with an infinite regress. Michael Kruger illustrated it this way: Imagine someone asking you whether the meter stick in your house was actually a meter long. How would you demonstrate such a thing? You could take it to your next-door neighbor and compare it to his meter stick and say, “see, it’s a meter.” However, the next question is obvious, “How do we know your neighbor’s meter stick is really a meter?” This process would go on infinitely unless there were [sic] an ultimate meter stick (which, if I am not mistaken, actually existed at one time and was measured by two fine lines marked on a bar of platinum-iridium allow). It is this ultimate meter stick that defines a meter. When asked how one knows whether the ultimate meter stick is a meter, the answer is obviously circular: The ultimate meter stick is a meter because it is a meter. This same thing is true for Scripture. The Bible does not just happen to be true (the meter stick in your house), rather it is the very criterion for truth (the ultimate meter stick) and therefore the final stopping point in intellectual justification.[6] Thus, every worldview must have an ultimate, unquestioned, self-authenticating starting point (e.g. the meter stick; the ultimate meter stick is a meter because it is a meter). Examples of Circular Reasoning · “My reason is my ultimate authority because it seems reasonable to me to make it so.” · “Logical consistency is my ultimate authority because it is logical to make it so.” · “The findings of human sensory experiences are the ultimate authority for discovering what is real and what is not, because our human senses have never discovered anything else: thus, human sense experience tells me that my principle is true.” · “I know there can be no ultimate authority because I do not know of any such ultimate authority.” We begin with the Bible to defend the Bible because it is our conviction that the Bible, being the Word of God, is the ultimate standard for truth. When the unbeliever (naturalist) begins with rationalism and empiricism, he is also arguing in a circle even though he doesn’t acknowledge it. The unbeliever doesn’t bother to prove rationality or empiricism. He doesn’t give a basis for it justifying its existence or why these should be held as the ultimate tests for truth. He simply presupposes them. In fact, the unbeliever treats these as “givens” to the extent that to him it is unthinkable to even question them as being the ultimate standard for truth. They are simply assumed as part of the unbeliever’s worldview. It is impossible to accurately judge the claims for Christianity atomistically (each claim individually) and neutrally. Facts only have meaning by their place within the larger worldview. One’s worldview determines the interpretation of facts. A man thought he was dead and no matter what anyone said to persuade him otherwise, he believed he was dead. He finally went to see a physician to find out if he could be convinced he was not dead. After several questions the doctor asked the man, “Do dead men bleed?” The man said, “No, dead men do not bleed.” So the doctor took a needle and pricked him and he began to bleed. In amazement the man declared, “Why look at that! Dead men do bleed!” His presupposition of being dead determined his interpretation of the facts. Faith is a moral issue more than an intellectual issue. We must repent of our autonomous use of reason. We must repent not only of the content of our beliefs, but also of the method by which we think. We must repent of what we think and how we think. Whose truth verification scale will we use, God’s or our own? Because of man’s depravity, he will never repent and believe by appealing to the mind with evidences for the Bible. The natural man has a perpetual allegiance to himself. He will never surrender his will to God’s lordship. Man by nature hates God and does all in his power to hide from Him. The natural man will always misinterpret the facts and evidences for the Bible in an effort to maintain his supposed autonomy. If Christianity is true, then we are obligated to argue from the Christian position. We cannot grant sinful, rebellious man neutral ground upon which to weigh the evidence for God since there is no such neutral ground (creation itself is a witness to God). Autonomous use of reason is the problem, not the solution! Autonomous reasoning is what led man into the fall. It can never lead one to God. Man is a finite, dependent creature of God and he is dependent upon God for knowledge as much as He is for his existence. This is God’s world. There is no neutral ground to stand upon and evaluate the evidence for God. All creation is evidence! Since all of creation is evidence for God, we can liken the universe to a giant bubble that we live in. We cannot step out of that bubble to stand on “neutral” ground and examine the evidence. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Ultimately, we call the unbeliever to repent of autonomous use of reason and submit his thinking to God’s revealed knowledge as his starting point in all reasoning. He must exchange his ungodly worldview for the biblical one. What separates the
Bible from all other claims to ultimate authority, including other religious
writings? “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because I see everything else.” –C. S. Lewis. We must “believe in order to understand” (Anselm); “I believe, therefore I understand” (Augustine). The biblical worldview is the only truly livable worldview. Only God’s Word can give us a satisfying picture of reality simply because it is the truth. I realize that this is a very strong claim with massive implications. Are there ways we can identify how the biblical worldview is truthful in contrast to competing ideas and beliefs that reduce to absurdity? Ways that we
comprehend the truthfulness of a worldview. There are at least six tests[7] we can apply to any worldview or truth claim (note that the three sub points under correspondence can stand alone as tests for truth claims, but they seem best placed as aspects of the correspondence test). 1. Coherence – Internally consistent (with itself and all other true propositions). It fits together internally without inconsistencies. It helps us interpret and organize the data of our physical experience along with the data from other sources (general and special revelation, other human truth claims). It’s based on the divine image in man (rationality, laws of logic, judicial sentiment, relational capacity, human dignity, etc.). It is clear, makes sense, fits together. It doesn’t self-destruct. 2. Correspondence – Externally consistent; corresponds with reality and with our experience of it. Known by observation; uses empiricism. It fits with our experience of the world. It fit with the external facts we know from science and our physical senses. Based on creation (laws of physics, natural sciences, history). a. Why do I believe Christianity is true? Because it corresponds to the world the way we find it and the way we were meant to live in it. It is consistent with the way we experience and perceive the world. Every other religion or worldview violates this. i. Christianity answers the big questions of life: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? The answers the Bible provides are truly livable. They address real concerns. A. Explanatory Power. It explains what it claims to explain. Other views simply do not provide an adequate explanation of the world as we experience it. Christianity does truly satisfy our curiosity and desire to understand reality. B. Practical Value. It is practically relevant. Water will quench thirst and a true worldview will meet man’s deepest needs. Only truth will ultimately satisfy. Only Christianity has the answers to man’s needs. It is practical. It makes a positive difference. C. Logical Consequences. The logical and practical consequences of Christianity do not lead to absurdity or unlivable outcomes. The consequences of all other worldviews, when carefully applied consistently, simply lead to an unbearable outcome. For example, communism created an “evil empire” out of the Soviet Union. It was obviously founded on wrong ideas about man, economics, and government. 3. Authority – Is the truth claim based on a reliable authority? The truth claims of Christianity are based on the highest authority in the universe—Jesus Christ! We have an accurate source of knowledge of Christ in the written Word of God. a. Virtually everything we know and every decision we make is made by trusting some authority. i. Everything we know of history before our time, geography, science, and things out of reach of our direct senses we take on some authority. ii. All our choices and future plans reflect our trust in authority: flying on a plane, mailing a letter, taking medicine, facts of history, daily news, etc. iii. We have to take things on authority before we can even learn them from experience (driving a car, using an elevator, snowboarding, etc). b. Our vital question should be: Is our authority reliable? Why should I believe it? Can it be trusted? c. Why do I believe Christianity is true? Because Jesus said it is... i. Jesus as authority. The identity of Jesus is the central issue to Christianity. He is absolutely unique. Jesus Christ must be discredited to disprove Christianity. After applying these tests we must conclude that the Christian worldview is true and we are therefore obligated to respond by faith. The Reformers identified three aspects of biblical faith: · I understand with my mind – notitia. · I accept with my emotions – assensus. · I trust with my will – fiducia. CONCLUSION So, ultimately, we believe the Bible is the Word of God because it is self-attesting and self-authenticating. In fact, it is, for the believer, the very standard of truth by which all other claims are judged (Matt 4:4; John 17:17; 2 Tim 2:15; 1 Thess 5:21; Jas 1:18). Sum: supernatural
testimony. ADDENDUM The “Canon” of the Bible When we say the Bible is the Word of God, what exactly are we talking about? Which books exactly are the ones that make up “the Bible?” This is a question of canonicity. The word “canon” means “standard” or “rule.” When we speak of the “canon” of the Scripture we mean those books which are recognized as the true Word of God. How do we know which books are part of the Word of God? A. The Test of Canonicity: Inspiration The true test for canonicity is the inspiration by the Holy Spirit. The books that are part of God’s Word were written by individuals led and directed by the Spirit of God. “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God [lit. “God-breathed”] and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” (2 Timothy 3:15-17, NLT). “Above all, you must remember that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved [or “carried along”] the prophets to speak for God” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NLT). Contrary to many false claims, no church council made any book a part of the canon. In other words, man never determines canonicity; it is simply recognized by man as having been inspired by God. Over the centuries, God’s people have recognized God’s authentic voice and power in these 66 books. The church councils only recognized and approved what the Spirit had already confirmed to His people. B. Criteria for the Canonicity of the Old Testament (canon closed ca. 425 B.C.; recognition settled ca. A.D. 70-90) The following questions were raised when God’s people tested the inspiration of individual books (From Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible): 1. Is it authoritative? Does it claim to be from the Lord? 2. Is it prophetic? Was it written by a man of God? 3. Is it authentic? Is it consistent with other revelation? Does it record facts as they actually occurred? 4. Is it dynamic? Does it come with the power of God? 5. Was it received? Has this book been accepted generally by the people of God? C. Criteria for the Canonicity of the New Testament (canon closed ca. A.D. 90; recognition settled by A.D. 367 when Athanasius listed them in an Easter letter). 1. Apostolicity: Was it written by an apostle or someone closely associated with an apostle? 2. Antiquity: Is it traced to the time of the apostles? 3. Orthodoxy: Does its teaching agree with the apostolic teaching? 4. Reception by the churches: Did the Christian churches accept it? 5. Spiritual value: Did it have the power to change lives? D. Books Which Failed the Test of Canonicity (not inspired) 1. Rejected books mentioned in the Old Testament Examples: Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num 21:14); The Book of Jashar (Josh 10:13; 2 Sam 1:18); The Words of Gad the Seer (1 Chr 29:29); The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite (2 Chr 9:29); The Visions of Iddo the Seer (2 Chr 9:29); etc. 2. The Apocrypha “Apocrypha”
means “secret writings.” Some of these books are included in the Roman Catholic
Bibles. They include historical, wisdom, prophetic, and religious romance
literature. These do not have the same character as Scripture. They include
historical errors, teaching contrary to Scripture, and lack prophetic power.
They were written between 400 B.C. and A.D. 1. 3. The Pseudepigrapha “Pseudepigrapha” means “falsely
written.” These were written between A.D. 1 and A.D. 100. Among these books are
false writings such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Paul.
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the New King James Version. [2] The idea for the first six of these reasons and the hand as mnemonic device comes from Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason (www.str.org). [3] Lecture by John Piper, “The Divine Majesty of the Word: John Calvin, The Man and His Preaching,” from the 1997 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors (www.desiringgod.org/library/biographies/97calvin.html). [4] J. I. Packer, “Calvin the Theologian,” in John Calvin: A Collection of Essays, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1966), p. 166. “Rejecting both the Roman contention that the Scripture is to be received as authoritative on the church's authority, and with it the idea that Scripture could be proved divinely authoritative by rational argument alone, Calvin affirms Scripture to be self-authenticating through the inner witness of the Holy spirit. What is this 'inner witness'? Not a special quality of experience, nor a new, private revelation, nor an existential 'decision', but a work of enlightenment.” [5] For further teaching on presuppositional apologetics, see the series by Jay Wegter on “Biblical Apologetics” at www.frontlinemin.org/apologetics.asp. [6] Michael J. Kruger, “The Sufficiency of Scripture in Apologetics,” in The Master’s Seminary Journal, 12/1 (Spring 2001) 81, n. 31; available online at www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj12m.pdf. [7] These epistemological tests are here in abbreviated form. For more, see Massimo Lorenzini, “Testing Truth Claims,” at www.frontlinemin.org/testing.asp.
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