“A Bible that’s falling apart, usually belongs to someone who isn’t!” -Charles Spurgeon
Last week, and over these next few weeks, we are doing an “encore” presentation from our Case for Genesis class last year. This is a Christian Apologetics based class that looks at reasons to believe, defend and trust in the Biblical accounts. We are reviewing some of the important presentations that support the reliability, historicity and inspiration of the Christian Bible, starting with Genesis. In part one we did an overview of the ministry and purpose of this class, along with tools and methods that will help you study Scripture.
This week we will look at the Christian Apologetic Roadmap that helps guide our focus and gives us confidence that what we are reading in the Christian Bible is from God. The Christian Worldview is grounded in truth that corresponds to reality, and comes from knowing that because God exists miracles are possible. One of the greatest miracles is God’s written Word passed down over time, and because we can have confidence in that, we can trust that Jesus is who claimed to be! If you are new to Bible study, or been around the Bible all your life, this is a good class for you!
Watch part two of the Class Introduction Presentation here:
Overview Notes from the presentation
A Case for Genesis
Class Introduction, Part Two
Some Troubling Statistics
Americans polled by Gallup: July 2022
- Record low 20% say Bible is the literal Word of God – down 24% from 2017, half of what it was in the 1980’s
- New high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of “fabless, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man”
Shift in attitude about the Bible indicates a downturn in overall religiosity in the in the U.S. adult population, this includes declines in the following:
- formal identification with a religion
- self-reported membership in a church
- self-reported religious service attendance
- personal importance of religion
- belief in God
- Side Note: Sadly, this corresponds to the teen mental health crisis being at an all-time high; adult and teen suicide, drug abuse, homelessness and all forms of PTSD are also reported at alarming rates nationwide – why?
THE CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC ROADMAP
A Christian Worldview Foundation must include belief that…
- The Biblical Worldview is based on truth that is grounded in reality
- God exists
- Miracles are possible
- The Bible is the Word of God
- Jesus is who He claimed to be, did what He said He would do, and will come again to establish His Kingdom on Earth!
Overview of the Roadmap:
1. The Biblical Worldview is based on truth that is grounded in reality
Pilate asked Jesus:
“WHAT IS TRUTH?”
“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”” John 18:36-38
Objective truth (definition): “Truth is that which corresponds to reality”
The Christian Biblical Worldview provides the reality needed to answer life’s most important questions (origin – purpose – destiny)
2. God exists and the God of the Bible best matches the reality of the evidence
Major Arguments for the existence of God
- Ontological
- Cosmological
- Teleological
- Universality of the Moral Law
- The Biblical correspondence
According to J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Homicide Detective:
“These are very different categories, some are revealed through sciences, others through philosophy. There is a lot of evidence [in each category] to consider, and the different categories of evidence point to the same reasonable inference. There’s one common causal factor that could explain all the pieces in every category: GOD”
3. Miracles are possible
God does exist; therefore, miracles ARE possible!
Dictionary definition for the word miracle:
“A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”
“If we admit God, must we admit Miracle? Indeed, indeed, you have no security against it. That is the bargain.”
-C.S. Lewis (Oxford professor, author and atheist turned Christian)
“A miracle is something which would never have happened had nature, as it were, been left to its own devices.”
-Antony Flew (Philosopher and former atheist)
Miracles vs. Natural Law
Miracles can be described as:
“Special acts of God that interrupt the normal course of events.”
- In contrast, natural laws are laws that have been instituted by the Creator and the Creator can manipulate these laws to point His Creation towards Him and His purpose.
- Natural laws are only descriptive of what God has set in motion, not prescriptive of what must always happen.
- Natural laws describe what happens regularly by means of natural causes, whereas miracles describe what happens rarely by means of supernatural causes.
4. The Bible is the Word of God
The King’s Seal
- In ancient times a King’s Seal (or sign) authenticated their messages.
- A Seal (or sign) must be unique, recognizable, and something only the King possesses.
- God’s Seal (or sign) of authentication could be found in His ability to control Creation outside the established rules of nature, i.e. miracles.
- Miracles can be considered as a Seal (or sign) to confirm an authenticated message from God—we find this message recorded in His Word, the Bible.
There are several ways God has communicated
- His Word: Special Revelation (see 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22-25; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- His Creation: Natural Revelation (see Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 89:11-12; Romans 1:19-20)
- His Son, Jesus: The New Covenant (see Psalm 89:3-4; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:15; 2 Peter 1:16-19)
- His Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Truth (see John 14:15-16; John 15:26; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4)
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.” 1 Chronicles 16:11-13
(Jesus speaking) Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” John 10:37-38
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:16-21
Screwtape, the senior demon, to his disciple Wormwood…
“You must have wondered why the Enemy (God) does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish, he can only woo.”
–From C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape letters
5. Jesus is who is claimed to be, and did what He said He would do, and will come again to establish His Kingdom on Earth!
God exists, miracles are possible, and the Bible is the Word of God, therefore, everything it says about Jesus, His birth, life, ministry, purpose, death and resurrection is true!
Remember Jesus’ Question to His Disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”
Bible Study
Each week we will have Bible study following the presentation. There will be questions presented here for your review in a small group or individually. This week will be a reflection on the presentation and some general Bible questions to prepare you to study Genesis next week.
Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.
1. Review of Class Topic:
View the class presentation, then with your group, discuss the content by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.
Reflection Questions:
2. How do you answer Jesus’ question to His Disciples? (From the end of the Apologetic Roadmap)
3. The word truth is found 192 times in the Bible (NASB) The word truth is found in the Gospel of John 26 times! Read through the following examples from the Gospel of John…
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. John 3:21
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:31-32
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? John 8:44-46
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me John 15:26
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13
I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. John 17:15-19
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. John 18:37-38
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. John 19:35
4. How important do you think the concept of truth is to God, and how has today’s culture changed the meaning of truth?
5. In preparation for next week’s study, practice searching your Bible by reading some of these examples concerning God’s creative nature and a few other Biblical connections to Genesis:
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- Psalm 8:1-9
- Psalm 19:1-14
- Psalm 139:13-16
- Isaiah 40:21-26
- Matthew 19:3-7
- Matthew 24:38-39
- 2 Peter 3:3-7
Close in prayer and exchange prayer cards.
Join us next week as we continue our “Case for Genesis” with a look at the hermeneutics of the book!
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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.
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Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15