This week we are beginning a new study called, “A Case for the Old Testament.” Now before you start to yawn and leave this post, WAIT! The Old Testament is GOLD when it comes to really understanding the roots of Christianity and the real reason why Jesus did what He did in the New Testament! The Old Testament is filled with hundreds of prophecies that come to fulfillment hundreds of years later, and there are tens of thousands of archeological finds that support the Old Testament Biblical accounts of people and events in real history. The Old Testament is not a bunch of old books containing myths or fables, but actual historical narratives of real people and places that are part of an overarching message from God.
Included in all that is a “Scarlet Thread” that runs throughout the entire 66 books of the Christian Bible (and we will cover the validation of these 66 books as being the only authoritative and inspired ones). This “Scarlet Thread” is Jesus! He is there in the beginning; we find Him throughout the Old Testament interacting with people in person as well as in visions and dreams; and we find Him in foreshadows and typologies in the lives and events of many prominent players throughout. The Old Testament, along with the New, reads better than any good novel, and the storyline is seamless even though the books of the Bible are penned over a 1500 year span by 40 some writers yet altogether authored by the inspiration of God!
Before we dive into this new study it is important to review the focus of these posts and this website in particular. Throughout the year we run studies on various topics, all under the banner of making “A CASE FOR CHRISTIANITY.” These studies focus on God’s Word found in the Christian Bible with an emphasis on Apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith). If you are a Christian, and/or a seeker of truth, then it is important to know what we believe, and why we believe it, so that we can present this truth to a culture that often misrepresents the Christian faith.
Ministry Statement
- The purpose of this ministry is to provide participants with the information and tools needed to address the questions asked of Christians in our culture today (1 Peter 3:15). This includes an emphasis on developing our Christian walk through:
- Prayer—modeling Jesus (Matthew 6:9-13; John 17)
- Proper Biblical interpretation through the use of hermeneutics (Matthew 22:37; 2 Timothy 2:15)
- An apologetic defense of the historicity, inerrancy and inspiration of the Christian Bible and the teachings therein (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:20)
- Discipleship—sharing with others; learning together (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 10:23-25)
- This ministry believes that it is the responsibility of every person to invest serious time looking into the claims of Christianity because what we believe to be true about God, human purpose, and destiny defines us in this life and more importantly in the next. (John 14)
- This ministry is committed to providing Biblical truths based on the entirety of Scripture—both Old and New Testaments. (Matthew 5:17-18; 2 Peter 1:16-19)
- This ministry believes that the most important question we must answer in this life is the one Jesus asked of his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:27-29; John 14:6-7)
Our Motto:
This life is temporal—eternity is forever.
Own your faith!
Know what you believe and why you believe it!
Then share it with others!
Why we need to become Biblically literate Christians in our culture today:
If you follow the daily news, and if you’ve had much experience in public education, you are probably in tune to the fact that we are in a post-Christian era, in fact many experts would say that western society has moved toward an anti-Christian culture in general with Biblical illiteracy at an all time high, even among professing Christians. We see this supported by recent statistics from research groups like Barna, the Pew Research Center, and Biola University who keep a pulse on religious issues, attitudes, and trends shaping our culture.
One of the many disturbing signs seen in these statistics is that more people are checking the religious affiliation category of “None” on surveys, and most alarming is the rise in the number of young people who identify here. “Nones” profess no religious affiliation (and this can include atheism, agnosticism, or just plain apathy). “Nones” have jumped to the third largest category worldwide, moving Hinduism to number four, while Christianity and Islam hold the top spots.
Studies also show that upward of 70% of young people between the ages of 18-30, who grew up in Christian homes, are leaving the faith with less than one-third reported returning as they age. These studies show that doubts about Christianity did not begin in the college years, but way back in elementary and middle school.
In today’s world Christians face battles not just at school or in the workplace, but also internationally. This is because everyone is involved in some form of social media on the “worldwide web.” Statistics show the top two categories of social media literature today are either in some form of pornography or religion, and this is what our kids see regularly.
When it comes to social media, what side of the battle will you be on?
Why Study The Bible?
Because we are losing the battle in the culture war and thus losing our next generation!
Biblical literacy is at an all time low, even among professing Christians. Muslims know their Quran, Mormons know their Book of Mormon, Jehovah Witnesses know their Watchtower Society Bible (New World Translation), so why are Christians not experts of their faith?
In May of 2017, Barna took a survey highlighting practicing Christians who consider their faith important, and who attend church regularly. The survey showed that only 17% actually have a Biblical worldview. Unfortunately, Christians not having a worldview based on the Bible opens the door for “syncretism” (a blending of beliefs). This study points out four tenets of other worldviews that have infiltrated Christian beliefs:
- 61% of Christians agree with ideas rooted in the views of New Spirituality (Examples: All people pray to the same god; meaning and purpose come from becoming one with all that is; if you do good you will receive good and vice-versa)
- 54% of Christians resonate with Postmodernist views (Examples: No one can know for certain what meaning and purpose there is to life; what is morally right or wrong depends on what an individual believes; if your beliefs offend someone it is wrong)
- 36% of Christians agree with ideas associated with Marxism (Examples: Private property encourages greed and envy; the government, rather than individuals, should control as much of the resources as necessary to ensure that everyone gets their fair share; If the government leaves them alone, businesses will mostly do what’s right)
- 29% of Christians believe ideas based on Secularism (Examples: A belief has to be proven by science to know it is true; a person’s life is valuable only if society sees it as valuable; meaning and purpose come from working hard to earn as much as possible so you can make the most of life since this is all that there is)
Kennth Berding, Professor of New Testament at Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, in a 2014 Biola Magazine article wrote this:
“In 1986, Neil Postman published an influential cultural essay titled “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” He argued that personal freedoms would disappear not when a totalitarian government imposed oppression from the outside (like George Orwell pictured in his book 1984), but rather when people came “to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think” (like Aldous Huxley depicted in Brave New World).” Berding citing Postman:
- “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books.
- What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.
- Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information.
- Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.
- Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us.
- Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.
- Orwell feared we would become a captive culture.
- Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.”
What is alarming is that Huxley’s view has come to pass in the twenty-first century! So where does that leave us when we try to encourage Biblical literacy among Christians today, especially young people? If the Bible forms our worldview how do we develop that sense of importance when no one seems to care about reading it?
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3 (NASB)
Where is the real battle?
Spiritual Warfare
We must be careful because even solid Christians can become “indoctrinated” through popular culture and secular education. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:22 that in the last days “even the elect might be deceived,” and Paul cautions believers in Colossians 2:8 by saying, “see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
Mature Christians can sincerely believe that they have a Biblical worldview, but studies continue to show, as we’ve seen above, that they may be sincerely wrong. Developing a Biblical worldview takes time and practice. It is a lifetime commitment and part of what we should desire as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus. How often do you spend time with God’s Word?
If Bible study is new for you, or you’ve never made a commitment to it before, or you’ve been skeptical of it in general, spend some time with fellow Christians over the next few weeks going through this study and reading your Bible on a regular basis.
We need to get in the game! We need to own our faith, know what we believe and why, and then share it with others!
Bible Study:
If you’re just starting out with us begin at the beginning: Read Genesis Chapters 1-11 and then go to our previous study posts on “A Case for Creation 101” where there are 12 consecutive posts that address the major issues that the culture asks about those chapters. In particular, we give reasons to believe that God is the Creator of all things versus the secular theory of evolution that teaches all living things came about by mindless random chance. Read Genesis 1-11 knowing that God gave that information in order for us to understand who He is, what happened in human history, and how He promises to rescue us through His Son Jesus. There are study questions along the way and we will begin studying Genesis 12-50 here next week. If you have been following with Case for Creation, then review Genesis chapters 1-11 and focus on chapter 11 and the lineage, family and person of Abram (Abraham).
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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