This week’s presentation is on Worldview, and we will focus specifically on the importance of knowing your own Worldview in addition to some of the foundational aspects of other Worldviews that we find in our culture today. This will include, not only religious Worldviews, but ones that permeate education, society, science, politics and more. As Christians we need to understand the importance of having a Christian Worldview based on the Bible, and how the truths of a Biblical Christian Worldview give the best answers to the most important questions people ask today.

Check out this week’s class presentation on this topic:

Overview notes from the presentation:

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS, LET ME EXPLAIN!

Own your faith, know what you believe and why you believe it!

Topic #1: Conversations About Worldview and Truth

Part 1: Focus on Worldview

Study Bibles: Versions and Translations

Literal Translation	Dynamic Equivalent	Paraphrase
-New American Standard Bible -King James Version -New King James Version -Revised Standard Version -New Revised Standard Version -English Standard Version	-New International Version -[Holman] Christian Standard Bible -New Living Translation -New English Version -Revised English Version	-Message Bible -Good News Bible -Living Bible -Phillips -New Century Version
Word for word translations. Most difficult reading, but works closest to the original Hebrew/Greek.	Thought for thought translations. Clearer reading with closest meaning possible – finds equivalent concepts in English.	Easiest to read, with storylike qualities. Not recommended for in-depth study.

Recommended Resources for going deeper in your studies:

Supplemental books

Knowing The Bible 101, by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz

Essential Bible Companion, by John H. Walton, Mark L. Strauss, and Ted Cooper Jr.

Timelines and Charts (and other quick reference guides) from Rose Publishing

Websites and Apps

biblegateway.com – App and website for Bible reading, studies, commentaries and articles

gotquestions.org – App and website for Christian Apologetics and Bible related questions

Biblehub.com – App and website for Bible study, Hebrew and Greek word studies, and more

truthfaithandreason.com (class website) weekly posts that review the information for the topics covered in this class—(the website also posts on Facebook and Twitter)

Topic #1: Conversations About Worldview and Truth

What is a Worldview?

• Worldview: A set of beliefs and presuppositions used to define a position, or stance, on various situations and subjects of life.
• The lens through which we view the world and important issues.
• The ideology and principles that guide our thoughts, actions, and reactions to various circumstances we experience in life.
• The tool of thought we use to address the most important issues of life, for example…

Five of life’s most important questions for a Worldview to answer:

1. God: Does God exist?
2. Origin: Where did we come from?
3. Purpose: Why are we here?
4. Evil: What is wrong with the world?
5. Destiny: Where are we going?

A Christian Worldview, based on Biblical truths, offers the best answer to these kinds of questions!

Worldview Comparison:

VIEW ON	SECULAR WORLDVIEW                       VS.	CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
1. God	No god, or we cannot know anything for sure about god – The supernatural cannot be measured through secular scientific methods	As our Creator we can know the one true God through His Word; He is a personal God, and we can further know Him through His Son Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit
2. Origin	Random evolutionary processes	God’s Creation/Intelligent Design
3. Purpose	To do whatever helps us survive and continue as a species; just be a “good person” (humanism); take care of self first, then others	To pursue God’s plan in Scripture; imitate the person of Jesus; follow the Great Commission: Love God first, then fellow humans, self last
4. Evil	Humans not innately responsible but can regulate, or fix it	Satan; The Fall; Human freewill
5. Destiny	Dust, no one knows	Heaven—eternity with God through Jesus Christ
Truth	Relative; based on cultural norms	Absolute-based on reality and God’s Word
Culture	Whatever society accepts-changes with time	Biblical—God centered, never changes
Politics	Culture shapes the vote	Biblical values shape the vote
Education	Humanism—man centered	Biblical—God centered
The Sciences	What we can test and observe; human discoveries; no god or supernatural allowed	God created with intelligent design – discovery flows from there; science is the pursuit of God
The Arts	Representative of a feeling/moment in time	Beauty based on God’s design and purpose
Humanity	Evolved from lower life forms – all are not equal	Made in the image of God – all are equal

Theism vs. Atheism (and everything in between)
Four basic religious Worldviews on God and life:

1. Theism: Belief in a personal God who created the universe but is not the universe.

Example: The Painter and his painting

• Christianity
• Judaism
• Islam

2. Pantheism: Belief in an impersonal God that literally is the universe.

Example: The Painter is the painting

• Most Eastern varieties of Hinduism (which also includes forms of polytheism=many gods)
• Some forms of Buddhism (which can also be atheistic)
• Many forms of ‘New Age’ beliefs

3. Atheism: No belief in any form of God.

Example: the painting has always existed, no one painted it

• Humanism
• Naturalism
• Materialism
• Evolutionism
• Physicalism

4. Agnosticism: Unsure about the question of God; a decision to be empty minded on the subject of God

Example: Can’t know the Painter, or don’t want to know anything about the Painter

• Postmodernism
• Deconstructionism
• The newly defined “Nones” (no religious affiliation)

Summary of Religious Worldviews on God:

God made all         ///       God is all         ///       no God at all

 (Theism)                      (Pantheism)                  (Atheism)

No decision is a decision against God

 (Agnosticism)

What Worldviews are dominant in our culture today?

Twentieth/early twenty-first centuries: “The Isms”

• Philosophical changes in the universities over the past century have led to many of the ‘isms’ we see in the 21st century…

In science:

Evolutionism, Naturalism, Materialism, Physicalism

In culture:

Modernism, Postmodernism, Secularism, Socialism

In society:

Relativism, Hedonism, Anarchism

In religion:

Pluralism (tolerance of all religions as being true), Skepticism, Agnosticism, [New] Atheism

In Christianity:

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY

Word-Faith Movement: Prosperity Gospel

Progressivism (a type of Christian Pluralism that promotes deconstructionism)

Next week we will delve a little deeper on some of the “Worldviews” held within Christianity itself as well as a world religion comparison and how to develop a Christian Worldview.

Reflection

If you only had one minute for each question, to the best of your ability, give an answer in your own words (Note: the first three are from last week’s introduction)

1. What are four important things a Christian should work on, and model, in their walk with God? (Hint: from our Ministry Statement)
2. What is Christian Apologetics? Give an example
3. What is Hermeneutics? Give an example
4. What is a “Worldview” and why is it important for a Christian to understand?

Bible Study

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.

NOTE: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions. Cite your sources to share with your group.

Daily Devotional: Read one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs for five days and take two days off. This week read Proverbs chapters 1-5, note any questions you may have, or anything that stands out to you as a life application.

1.  From your daily devotional reading in the book of Proverbs, discuss the following:

a. What is the main purpose of Solomon’s writing of these Proverbs? (1:2-7)

b. What does it means to “fear the LORD” as used in verse 1:7?

c. What are some take-aways, or life applications, you learned from the reading of these first five chapters of Proverbs?

Read the following sections of the Bible that relate to Ephesians, then to the best of your ability answer the following questions:

2. The book of Acts is a blueprint for most of Paul’s Epistles. Go to the book of Acts and read chapters 18:19-21; 19:1-41; 20:17-38. Summarize what you learned about Paul’s experience with the people of Ephesus to help us understand Paul’s relationship with these people, and a little more about the purpose for the Epistle.
3. Go to the book of Revelation and read chapter 2:1-7. What does Jesus have to say (through the Apostle John’s writing) about the Church of Ephesus? How can Jesus’ assessment of the Church of Ephesus help us in our Christian walk today?

Join us next week as we continue our new study in Christian Apologetics and the book of Ephesians!

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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