Not many people argue with the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, since there is as much evidence to support that he lived as there is for most other historical figures. This evidence comes from both Christian and secular sources, such as the prized writings of Josephus and Tacitus. Modern scholars are in agreement that Jesus existed, was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified by Pontius Pilate.
The disagreements start when it comes to the reliability of the New Testament in accurately depicting what Jesus said and did. Many people dismiss the Bible as mythology and refuse to see it as a historical document. Josh McDowell was one of these skeptics who set out to disprove the Bible but only ended up confirming its historicity. He states in his book, More Than a Carpenter, "If one discards the Bible as unreliable historically, then he or she must discard all the literature of antiquity. No other document has as much evidence to confirm its reliability" (revised and updated edition, copyright 2009, pg 87). Some of the reasons he cites are:
-The vast amount of early manuscripts that we still have available to us today (over 20,000). This rules out the idea that today's Bible is different from the original writings, since we can compare.
-The closeness of the text to the events they describe (all written by AD 80). No legend has ever been developed in this short amount of time.
-The fact that the writers of the New Testament were either eyewitnesses to the events they described or in close relationship with eyewitnesses.
-The fact that the books of the New Testament were circulated among those (some sympathetic to Christianity, and some opposed) who had witnessed the events and could have contested any false information.
-The evidence from secular writings and archaeological findings that verifies the accuracy of events recorded (i.e. - that Romans crucified Jesus, that Jesus was believed to be risen from the dead and was worshiped as God, and that his tomb was empty).
Another man that first set out to disprove the Bible, only to be convinced of its authenticity, was Nabeel Qureshi, once a devout Muslim, and now author of the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (very interesting book; I highly recommend it). He would not be convinced to embrace Christianity until he had spent years researching and considering every alternative, because the Muslim faith was so ingrained in him and so important to his family. This website has a PDF of "Expert Contributions" from different professors, researchers, and authors that expand on the themes in his book.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
Are science and God incompatible?
As science advances, and we understand more about the world we live in, many people feel confident in saying that we don't need God anymore. God was for the people of the past who needed to invent a reason why the sun rose and set each day, explain what causes earthquakes, and understand how it is that life exists. But now we understand the scientific principles behind all of these phenomenon, so why continue with this blind belief in some supernatural being that we can't see or prove the existence of?
There are many problems with this argument. For one, the very fact that we can understand the universe, and that it is ordered and follows certain laws of nature, is evidence of an intelligent designer.
Furthermore, as science keeps uncovering new findings, we are realizing that there is a complexity to life that we never dreamed possible. Darwin did not even know of the existence of genes, but now we understand that life if made up of elaborate cells, which are directed by an intricate molecule called DNA. Scientists have discovered not only atoms, but subatomic particles. Darwin's theory makes sense if life is made up of molecular blobs, but could a single-celled organism really arise from nothing, and then develop into the complex multicellular organisms that exist today?
As we turn our attention from microscopic to macroscopic realities, exploring the solar system and beyond, we are finding that the Earth is so fine-tuned to support life that the chances of it being an accident are inconceivable.
Most everyone I know is trying to find out how to make their life purposeful. But how can there be purpose if we are all here by accident and created by blind evolution?
Do you believe in right and wrong? Where does your morality come from - did the process of evolution create it?
Here is a question that I remember hearing in 2001, from my atheist biology teacher - If we are made up of just chemicals, how can we feel emotions? How are we capable of love?
Science and God are not incompatible. Science explains how things work. The existence of God explains why they work in the first place.
"In the end, belief in God, especially the biblical God, is an act of faith. But so too is believing that our existence is simply the result of chance."
-Eric Metaxas: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26659
The scientific case for Intelligent Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2d7aKN-X5M
The history of the scientific theory of Intelligent Design: http://www.discovery.org/a/3207
There are many problems with this argument. For one, the very fact that we can understand the universe, and that it is ordered and follows certain laws of nature, is evidence of an intelligent designer.
Furthermore, as science keeps uncovering new findings, we are realizing that there is a complexity to life that we never dreamed possible. Darwin did not even know of the existence of genes, but now we understand that life if made up of elaborate cells, which are directed by an intricate molecule called DNA. Scientists have discovered not only atoms, but subatomic particles. Darwin's theory makes sense if life is made up of molecular blobs, but could a single-celled organism really arise from nothing, and then develop into the complex multicellular organisms that exist today?
As we turn our attention from microscopic to macroscopic realities, exploring the solar system and beyond, we are finding that the Earth is so fine-tuned to support life that the chances of it being an accident are inconceivable.
Most everyone I know is trying to find out how to make their life purposeful. But how can there be purpose if we are all here by accident and created by blind evolution?
Do you believe in right and wrong? Where does your morality come from - did the process of evolution create it?
Here is a question that I remember hearing in 2001, from my atheist biology teacher - If we are made up of just chemicals, how can we feel emotions? How are we capable of love?
Science and God are not incompatible. Science explains how things work. The existence of God explains why they work in the first place.
"In the end, belief in God, especially the biblical God, is an act of faith. But so too is believing that our existence is simply the result of chance."
-Eric Metaxas: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26659
The scientific case for Intelligent Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2d7aKN-X5M
The history of the scientific theory of Intelligent Design: http://www.discovery.org/a/3207
Friday, March 13, 2015
What it means to be a Christian, part 2
In my last post, I wrote about how salvation is not a ticket to heaven but an entryway into a new way of life, where we do things that lead to eternal life. I pointed out that life is hard, with or without God. The difference for a Christian is that suffering goes hand-in-hand with hope, because we know that our troubles are temporary and that we don't have to depend on our own strength to get us through:
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand" (Psalm 37:23-24).
This is the important point I left out of my last post... Salvation is not about our efforts. It's about our acknowledgment of and reliance on God's strength and goodness, like a child holding onto a parent's hand, depending on their guidance and protection. The most important lesson we can learn from our sufferings is that we are frail, like jars of clay, and in need of a power greater than our own...
"We have this treasure [the Good News of Jesus] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).
This song came on my Pandora station while I was typing, and I thought it very appropriate:
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand" (Psalm 37:23-24).
This is the important point I left out of my last post... Salvation is not about our efforts. It's about our acknowledgment of and reliance on God's strength and goodness, like a child holding onto a parent's hand, depending on their guidance and protection. The most important lesson we can learn from our sufferings is that we are frail, like jars of clay, and in need of a power greater than our own...
"We have this treasure [the Good News of Jesus] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).
This song came on my Pandora station while I was typing, and I thought it very appropriate:
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
What it means to be a Christian
What is salvation? You used to live for yourself - for your own happiness and success - which was often at the expense of others, or at the expense of what was right. This is called sin, and sin leads to death and judgment.
"But now [if you have surrendered your life to Jesus] you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life" (Romans 6:22).
Salvation is not an event, but the entryway into a new lifestyle. Suffering is part of this lifestyle.
Romans 8:17-18 says that we share in Jesus' suffering so that we may share in His glory, and that what we suffer now pales in comparison to the glory that is to come.
Olympic athletes train tirelessly for years to be able to compete in the games. They go into the process knowing that it's going to require sacrifice (devotion of their time, separation from family, pushing through the pain of physical training, injuries, disappointments...). But they know that if they want the glory of the gold medal, they have to endure the pain.
Becoming a Christian is a commitment to a way of life that is difficult but that leads to the greatest prize worth fighting for - holiness, eternal life, and a relationship with your heavenly Father.
I was listening to a really great sermon by Francis Chan, and he made an analogy that went like this: When you become a Christian, you enter into a war. What soldier comes back to his commanding officer after the first day of battle and complains, "They were shooting at meeee!!!" Yet so often, we as Christians do this: God, why is my boss treating me like this? God, why didn't you solve this problem for me? God, why do I have so many bills? God, why is life so hard? We have to realize that hardship is part of life, and becoming a Christian doesn't make the hardship go away. In fact, it often invites more hardship, but as a Christian, hardship has an eternal purpose.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18
*I left out a big part of what it means to be a Christian, but that will come in a later post.
*I've been writing about the topic of suffering since December. This post just describes a part of one aspect of it. The posts below are an attempt at understanding other facets of suffering.
*I left out a big part of what it means to be a Christian, but that will come in a later post.
*I've been writing about the topic of suffering since December. This post just describes a part of one aspect of it. The posts below are an attempt at understanding other facets of suffering.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Remembering God's goodness
Many times in the Bible, God commands His people to set up memorials, establish traditions, and keep records in order to remember the good things He has done for them. A New Testament example is the Last Supper, which Jesus told His disciples to do routinely in order to remember His sacrifice (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Exodus is replete with examples of God setting up reminders for His people, starting with the Passover, when God leads the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt.
Chapter 16 of Exodus tells how the Israelites grumble against Moses for taking them out of Egypt to starve, and God responds by sending them quail in the evening and manna in the morning (Exodus 16:13-15). God then says to keep some of the manna in a jar and preserve it for generations to come so that the Israelites will remember how God provided for them in the desert (Exodus 16:32-33).
Chapter 17 tells how the Amalekites attack Israel, and God gives Israel victory (Exodus 17:8-16 - it's a good story, could be the subject of a whole new blog post). God tells Moses to write it down so that it will be remembered (verse 14).
Sandwiched in between these two miracles that God performs on Israel's behalf, and these two ways that God attempts to keep the miracles in Israel's memory, is an account of the Israelites complaining again. They have no water and are going to die of thirst. Apparently they don't remember how God sent plagues on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, or gave them bread from heaven, and they think this is the end of the road. They're angry with God and with Moses. Moses asks God what he is to do, and God tells him to strike a rock, and out of it comes water (Exodus 17:1-7).
As I read these stories, I am baffled at how quickly the Israelites forget God's goodness and how easily they are convinced that not following Him would be better (Exodus 16:3). And yet, I do the same.
God gives me clear direction, such as when He led me to go to Honduras for a time. There was so much confirmation and providence. But a couple of weeks in Honduras, and I realized it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I began to wallow in discontentment and question whether I could really stay there. Yet God was faithful, and the entire two-and-a-half years I was there, He provided for my needs, albeit at the last minute to teach me dependence on Him.
God blesses me beyond measure - a wonderful family, a great education, work, a car, a computer, an amazing husband... But then something happens. My job doesn't turn out to be so wonderful. My car dies. I have to wait in line at the grocery store, for goodness' sake. And suddenly my thoughts are focused on what's not right in my life instead of on the One who makes all things work together for good.
So I have a proposal. How about every time a negative thought enters my head, I counter it with a positive one... I'm so bored at work*... Thank God I have a job and more than enough money to live on. How about when I start to worry about what could go wrong, I bring to remembrance the good things God has done...My car is old, and it's making sounds that scare me. What if it needs a really expensive repair? How will I afford it?...Remember that time in Honduras when I didn't know how I'd pay for the next week's groceries? Then God dropped $500 in my lap.
Give it a try. Pay attention to your thoughts, and the next negative thought that comes up, replace it with something positive. Remember God's goodness.
*Note - The boredom at work does not refer to my current job, nor to any of my teaching jobs.
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
Exodus is replete with examples of God setting up reminders for His people, starting with the Passover, when God leads the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt.
Chapter 16 of Exodus tells how the Israelites grumble against Moses for taking them out of Egypt to starve, and God responds by sending them quail in the evening and manna in the morning (Exodus 16:13-15). God then says to keep some of the manna in a jar and preserve it for generations to come so that the Israelites will remember how God provided for them in the desert (Exodus 16:32-33).
Chapter 17 tells how the Amalekites attack Israel, and God gives Israel victory (Exodus 17:8-16 - it's a good story, could be the subject of a whole new blog post). God tells Moses to write it down so that it will be remembered (verse 14).
Sandwiched in between these two miracles that God performs on Israel's behalf, and these two ways that God attempts to keep the miracles in Israel's memory, is an account of the Israelites complaining again. They have no water and are going to die of thirst. Apparently they don't remember how God sent plagues on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, or gave them bread from heaven, and they think this is the end of the road. They're angry with God and with Moses. Moses asks God what he is to do, and God tells him to strike a rock, and out of it comes water (Exodus 17:1-7).
As I read these stories, I am baffled at how quickly the Israelites forget God's goodness and how easily they are convinced that not following Him would be better (Exodus 16:3). And yet, I do the same.
God gives me clear direction, such as when He led me to go to Honduras for a time. There was so much confirmation and providence. But a couple of weeks in Honduras, and I realized it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I began to wallow in discontentment and question whether I could really stay there. Yet God was faithful, and the entire two-and-a-half years I was there, He provided for my needs, albeit at the last minute to teach me dependence on Him.
God blesses me beyond measure - a wonderful family, a great education, work, a car, a computer, an amazing husband... But then something happens. My job doesn't turn out to be so wonderful. My car dies. I have to wait in line at the grocery store, for goodness' sake. And suddenly my thoughts are focused on what's not right in my life instead of on the One who makes all things work together for good.
So I have a proposal. How about every time a negative thought enters my head, I counter it with a positive one... I'm so bored at work*... Thank God I have a job and more than enough money to live on. How about when I start to worry about what could go wrong, I bring to remembrance the good things God has done...My car is old, and it's making sounds that scare me. What if it needs a really expensive repair? How will I afford it?...Remember that time in Honduras when I didn't know how I'd pay for the next week's groceries? Then God dropped $500 in my lap.
Give it a try. Pay attention to your thoughts, and the next negative thought that comes up, replace it with something positive. Remember God's goodness.
*Note - The boredom at work does not refer to my current job, nor to any of my teaching jobs.
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
Thursday, January 22, 2015
The process of deliverance
I have been reading the book of Exodus and am struck by how many analogies can be drawn between the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt and our lives as Christians.
To begin with, God has a plan to deliver His people - to rescue us from our afflictions and to bless us with good things (Exodus 3:8, Romans 8).
But that doesn't mean life is easy.
I think that many people, when they think of the Exodus, think of the plagues God sent on the Egyptians and how He led the Israelites into freedom, parting the Red Sea to make their escape possible.
But we don't think so much about how the Israelites lived in slavery for 400 years (Exodus 1:11, Exodus 12:40). Ever since sin entered the world, life has been hard, and God allows His people to experience suffering. The difference between the suffering of God's followers and the suffering of those who don't belong to Him is that we have hope. God promised long before the Israelites became slaves that they would be enslaved and mistreated, but that He would deliver them (Genesis 15:13-14). Similar to when Jesus promised that His followers would have troubles but that in the end, they would overcome (Troubles).
Even when God initiates His plan to save His people, the suffering doesn't end. In fact, it gets worse. The first time Moses goes to Pharaoh to tell him to let God's people go, Pharaoh responds by working the Israelites harder (Exodus 5:6-21). The Israelites react as many of us do when life gets harder - they complain to Moses and blame him for this added misery. We assume that when bad things happen, someone must be to blame. Is God not as good as I thought He was? Is there someone in my life who is at fault? Did my own sin cause this? We fail to realize that when God acts, the Enemy feels threatened and needs to show that he is still powerful. I love the following example of this concept:
"So [in obedience to God's instructions] Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs" (Exodus 7:10-12).
I love this passage because it is an image of the truth that no matter how the Enemy tries to compete with God and make us trust more in the evil that is in the world than we trust in God, God's work always trumps the Enemy's. No matter how much goes wrong in your life, God is still more powerful, and His plan to do you good will be the one that triumphs.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " -Jeremiah 29:11
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
To begin with, God has a plan to deliver His people - to rescue us from our afflictions and to bless us with good things (Exodus 3:8, Romans 8).
But that doesn't mean life is easy.
I think that many people, when they think of the Exodus, think of the plagues God sent on the Egyptians and how He led the Israelites into freedom, parting the Red Sea to make their escape possible.
But we don't think so much about how the Israelites lived in slavery for 400 years (Exodus 1:11, Exodus 12:40). Ever since sin entered the world, life has been hard, and God allows His people to experience suffering. The difference between the suffering of God's followers and the suffering of those who don't belong to Him is that we have hope. God promised long before the Israelites became slaves that they would be enslaved and mistreated, but that He would deliver them (Genesis 15:13-14). Similar to when Jesus promised that His followers would have troubles but that in the end, they would overcome (Troubles).
Even when God initiates His plan to save His people, the suffering doesn't end. In fact, it gets worse. The first time Moses goes to Pharaoh to tell him to let God's people go, Pharaoh responds by working the Israelites harder (Exodus 5:6-21). The Israelites react as many of us do when life gets harder - they complain to Moses and blame him for this added misery. We assume that when bad things happen, someone must be to blame. Is God not as good as I thought He was? Is there someone in my life who is at fault? Did my own sin cause this? We fail to realize that when God acts, the Enemy feels threatened and needs to show that he is still powerful. I love the following example of this concept:
"So [in obedience to God's instructions] Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs" (Exodus 7:10-12).
I love this passage because it is an image of the truth that no matter how the Enemy tries to compete with God and make us trust more in the evil that is in the world than we trust in God, God's work always trumps the Enemy's. No matter how much goes wrong in your life, God is still more powerful, and His plan to do you good will be the one that triumphs.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " -Jeremiah 29:11
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
Sunday, January 11, 2015
He is still good
Since my last post about troubles in this world, my friend's husband lost his battle to cancer. And I kept asking God why. I just couldn't understand why He would take someone so devoted to Him, so useful to Him on Earth, and so dear to his family, home so early. It's hard not to be offended, knowing that God could have healed him yet chose not to.
But lately I've been challenged to meditate on Jesus' attributes and create a mental image of Him. What I see and feel are love and compassion. And when I bring my hurts to Him, I feel that what hurts me, hurts Him, too.
I don't think I'll ever understand why God didn't intervene the way I would've, except that God is not human. His ways are higher than mine, and His perspective is eternal.
I know that the troubles of this world pale in comparison with the glories of eternity. I know that God doesn't wish us any sorrows, but he allows them in our lives in order to shape us. He doesn't plan harm against us, but He is able to work everything together for good.
Just want to share my friend's post declaring her faith in the Comforter as she mourns her husband: https://ourlifeinfourbags.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/dear-keith-33/
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us... And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8
But lately I've been challenged to meditate on Jesus' attributes and create a mental image of Him. What I see and feel are love and compassion. And when I bring my hurts to Him, I feel that what hurts me, hurts Him, too.
I don't think I'll ever understand why God didn't intervene the way I would've, except that God is not human. His ways are higher than mine, and His perspective is eternal.
I know that the troubles of this world pale in comparison with the glories of eternity. I know that God doesn't wish us any sorrows, but he allows them in our lives in order to shape us. He doesn't plan harm against us, but He is able to work everything together for good.
Just want to share my friend's post declaring her faith in the Comforter as she mourns her husband: https://ourlifeinfourbags.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/dear-keith-33/
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us... And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8
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