Upload
timrichmondnyc
View
228
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 1/94
All quotations are taken from the New American Standard
Version unless otherwise indicated.
© 2014—For republication please contact
For more booklets in this series go to
guineafield.blogspot.com
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 2/94
Table of Contents
The Question of Evil 1-26
Lesson 1 1-14
What does Job have to do with the problem of evil? 4-7
Answer 1 – Satan is a possible cause. 8-10
Answer 2 – Sin is a possible cause. 10-13
Lesson 2 15-26
Answer 3 – God uses evil for good. 15-18
Answer 4 – God is great. 19-23Answer 5 – Evil is temporary 24-25
The Question of Authority 27-56
Lesson 3 27-39
The Bible Claims to be God’s Word 31-33
Evidence Supports that Claim 33-39
Lesson 4 42-55
The Bible contains a timeline. 43-45
The Bible contains various genre. 45-48
The Bible contains difficult passages. 48-52
The Bible contains unique material. 52-54
The Bible’s content has been preserved. 54-55
The Question of Origins 51-77
Lesson 5 51-65Definitions 59-61
The Bible’s Teaching on Origins 61-63
Faults in the Theory of Evolution 63-65
Lesson 6 67-77
Faults in the Theory of Evolution 67-77
Lesson 7 79-90
The Question of History 78-84
The Question of Intolerance 85-90
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 3/94
Introduction
When my youngest child, who was just learning to walk, he
was bothering my oldest daughter who was practicing piano
on a small keyboard in our living room. Hannah successfully
quarantined Asher from the entrance to her area by blocking
his way with a hamper. Asher tried and tried to access the
sounds coming from the piano just a few feet away but was
hindered by one small object. After repeated efforts, he
eventually squirmed successfully around the hamper and was
able to pester Hannah again. The roadblock was removed.
Often a person’s way to God’s truth is ‘road-blocked.’Whenever they think about the good news of Jesus there is a
question deep in their mind (or perhaps not so deep in their
mind) that blocks them from accepting the truths of Scripture.
This roadblock is usually nothing more than a bump or a small
pot hole that can easily be circumvented with the right
instruction. Nevertheless, they stay agitated, looking on to the
Gospel just a bit ahead, and yet unable to progress in their
faith.
The truth is that Satan has used the same minor road hazards
to distract people for centuries. In John Bunyan’s classic
allegory, “Pilgrim’s Progress” he tells of a man burdened to
have his sin removed from his back; however, the way to the
cross was blocked by a miry pit called “the slough of despond.”
This pit deterred his companion, “Pliable” from continuing totravel with him. However, Christian continued to fight his way
through the pit. A friendly man named “Help” turned Pilgrim’s
attention to stepping stones which helped Christian navigate
The Question ofEvil “Why do I
have trouble?”Part 1
1
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 4/94
this detour and safely make it to the other side. The pit that
Satan uses can take several forms: a difficult question of ethics
or philosophy, the opinion of friends or family, fear of loss of
financial gain or a sinful habit, a painful past event or
relationship.1 All of these can be used to detour a seeker from
the heavenly way. But these are all easy to navigate around if
you allow a helpful neighbor to show you the steps that others
have navigated before.
This booklet is an attempt to answer some of the common
questions that have blocked people from accepting the truthof Christianity. The answers are not new and have been
developed and presented in many ways since Jesus walked the
earth and even before. However, just because they are not
novel does not mean they are not valuable. In fact the well-
worn, "helpful" path actually testifies to its value to help you.
The first question I would like to answer is one of the most
common because we all feel pain and tragedy in life – the
question of evil.
Answering the Question of Evil
One of the reasons I love living in NYC is meeting people withdiverse backgrounds. Each person’s life could fill a library of
stories and many of these lives intersect and cross with so
many other lives that it is like a tapestry of world history
intersecting in one place and time. One part of that tapestry
is dark. As we view many strands of life, we can connect with
some of the worst parts of world history.
1 Bunyan’s description: “As the sinner is awakened about his lost
condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears and doubts, and
discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and
settle in this place . . .”
2
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 5/94
I remember speaking with a dear lady in Brooklyn several years
ago. I approached her on the street and tried to begin a
conversation about spiritual things. She was not interested in
changing her opinion about God. She thought God was evil
and did not even want to hear what I had to say about God’s
goodness in conquering evil. In listening to her story I realized
that she had faced more evil than I will ever even see. She was
one of the few survivors of a Nazi prison camp. She showed
me the number tattooed on her arm and with a snarling look
stormed away in disgust. She was determined to remain bitter
at God and the world for how humanity had treated her.
Although I realize her plight, I wish she would have given me
ten more minutes of time not just to listen but to share more
about another individual from the Jewish people who suffered
greatly in life and was able to come out on the other side a
better person full of faith and contentment in Who God is.
That person is Job.
One of my favorite parks to
jog in here in NYC is just a
block or two away from
where our church meets. In
that park is a statue of this
same Bible character. This
sculpture was donated bylocal residents and is made
by Nathan Rapaport, a
Polish born man who fled
Nazi atrocity and eventually immigrated to NY. The statue was
made as a memorial of the holocaust on the twentieth
anniversary of the Nation of Israel. It represents the great
suffering that the Jewish people endured during the holocaust.
Rapaport saw the correlation between the horrific sufferings
of life and the biblical character of Job.
3
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 6/94
What does Job have to do with the problem of
evil?
Why do bad things happen? Several answers are given in the
book of Job so we will use the story as a guide through this
chapter and the next to help us answer this very difficult
question. Just as Rapaport used the biblical figure of Job to
epitomize sorrow, you can use this Biblical character to bring
you out of your sorrow and pain of the past to look to your
future in a positive way.
Before we do we must understand who Job was and what was
so difficult about His story.
Job’s Success
Part of Job's sorrow comes from the fact that he started with
so much! Look at the great pinnacle from which Job fell.
He was extremely wealthy. He owned great property and
livestock.2 This was the literal stock market of the ancient
world. In fact he was one of the richest men of his day. He
would have made it to the cover of Forbes magazine. And yet,
his financial blessing did not come in expense of his physical
health. He enjoyed a sharp mind and physical wellbeing.
His blessing went deeper than his wallet. Job was very well
respected as a man of wisdom and power. He mentions that
when he spoke in the gate (similar to our city hall) everyone
2 “His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of
oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man
was the greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3).
4
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 7/94
was quiet to listen to his words. Job was one that they
respected and wanted to hear.3
And yet Job’s fortunes went even deeper still. Job was a godly
family man. What a beautiful picture is painted in the first
chapter of a loving father and his grown children. He had ten
children in all - 7 boys and 3 girls, a good round number. It
seems that each year the family would get together on each of
the children’s birthdays for a large celebration rejoicing with
that individual in the family. What a wonderful home to be a
part of! And yet after every birthday party, Job would offerspecial sacrifices for each member just in case they had said
or did something even in their heart against God. He was
preoccupied with pleasing God with all his heart!
Job’s integrity was unquestioned. The press could bring out
nothing from his closet to impugn his character. He was a
godly father a godly husband, a godly neighbor. What a great
example. What a great life!
Job’s Fall
But then everything went wrong. In a day, Job lost everything.
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” is nothing compared to Job’s bad day.
Let's read this tragedy and let it sink in:
“Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were
eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house4,
3 "When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the
square, the young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men
arose and stood. The princes stopped talking and put their handson their mouths; the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their
tongue stuck to their palate” (Job 29:7-10).
4 Remember we mentioned the birthday bash for each child – this is
what was going on most likely – horrible time for a tragedy!
5
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 8/94
a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing
and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans
attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with
the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’
While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep
and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have
escaped to tell you.’ While he was still speaking, another
also came and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three bands
and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the
servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone haveescaped to tell you.’ While he was still speaking, another
also came and said, ‘Your sons and your daughters were
eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness
and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the
young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to
tell you.’ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his
head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,
‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall
return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.’ Through all this Job did
not sin nor did he blame God” (Job 1:13-22).
What a horrible day. If you ever feel like your day is the worst
of world history, read Job chapter 1 and you will have to admitthat your day was a picnic. And yet, what a great response by
Job! He does not blame God, he blesses God. Soon he curses
the day he is born, but he never curses God.
Things get even worse. To add insult to injury, the next day
Satan plagues Job with oozing sores all over his body. There
is nowhere that he can gain comfort – he can’t find rest sitting
or lying or standing. What a test.
6
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 9/94
The one person left alive, Job’s wife, gives him horrible advice–
“curse God and die.” You can see why this is such a practical
book dealing with the issue of trouble in life. Job has not just
one tragedy, but a tragedy in every area of life where we
experience these tragedies. Tragedy in family, in health, in
finance/possessions, with close relatives, with foreign
invasion are all experience by Job in one day.
The Rest of the Book
Now you know the story. How can we learn from this book
then? If you look at the remainder of the book you will find it
is made up of several conversations. There are conversations
between Satan and God, between Job and his friends, and
between Job and God. In these conversations, God wrestles
with His people and with the enemy of His people regarding
the problem of evil. And it is in those conversations that we
find some answers to our question of the problem of evil. Let’slook at five answers.
1. Satan is a possible cause of evil (The Author’s
Perspective Job 1-2).
2. Sin is a possible cause of evil (The Friend’s Perspective
Job 2:11 - 31:40).
3. God uses evil for good (Job’s Perspective Job 23:10)
4. God is Great (Job 32-41).
5. Evil is temporary (Job 42).
7
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 10/94
Answer 1 – Satan Is a Possible Cause (The
Author’s Perspective Job 1-2:10).
So, in answer to the question of evil, one answer is that Satan
is evil and causes the evil in the world. Just as God is love,
Satan is hate. He causes as much evil as he is able.
I neglected to share with you one important point in our story.
Satan was the one that requested that this evil be done and he
was the one that orchestrated and perpetrated the evil.
It is so interesting that when evil things happen or when
tragedies occur people get mad at God. There is no reference
to the possibility of an evil being as the primary cause of these
things. Yet on the other hand, when something goes good
they make sure they get the credit (not God). In Job’s case,
Satan asked God to allow him to perform evil. God is not the
Author of the evil.
We have to realize in life and in death (for all of us will face
death), there is no evil on earth at which God is the first or
primary cause. He permits the agents of evil to do their
bidding and uses it for His good (as we will see soon). Read
these verses
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted
by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he
himself tempts no one” (James 1:13).
“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot
look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13).
“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may
not dwell with you” (Psalm 5:4).
When you see evil God is not the author of it. That event is
written by someone else. It is written by Satan. Last year, I
8
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 11/94
was so disgusted with a response given by a local Rabbi to a
horrible event when a young Orthodox Jewish boy was
slaughtered by a neighbor. The Rabbi was being interviewed
by the local news and said “We don’t know why God does these
things.”
No! I can’t allow you to say that. A sick, twisted, depraved,
man filled with sin and evil did that, filled with the motivation
of Satan himself! That is the explanation. God did not . . . evil
did.
And so first of all we have to put the blame where it lies. The
blame lies at the feet of the men that perpetrated the crime,
the organization that taught and enabled them . . . and the evil
one - Satan who put it in their hearts. God did not perpetrate
evil.
From here we do need to ask and answer more questions. For
some of you this may be
enough. But there is another
issue. One of my professors in
seminary described it as
“watermelon theology.”5 With
some truths in Scripture, you
can believe any two of three
truths, but the difficulty comesfrom trying to grasp all three.
You can carry one under one arm, the other under another arm
but it is difficult to carry that third one.
In this case, the first watermelon is the problem of evil. We all
experience the effects of evil. The second truth is that God is
good and does no evil. And the third truth (watermelon) is that
5 Dr. Robert D Bell, Systematic Theology, Bob Jones Memorial
Seminary and Evangelistic Center.
9
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 12/94
God is all powerful. We believe all three. But it is difficult to
hold all three of those watermelons at the same time; you have
to drop one to pick up the other two. So, some deny the first
fact – some streams of Buddhism deny that evil is a reality.
Evil is a myth. I find that hard to swallow. Others deny God’s
power. They say that there is evil in the world and God is
working at eradicating it. This view is popularized by Rabi
Kushner in his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good
People.” The seventh chapter is entitled “God can’t do
everything but He can do some important things.” This is a
very weak view of God. If we remove this leg of the threelegged stool we will fall on our backs. A limited God is not the
God of the Bible.
Others drop the third watermelon. They deny that God is
good. All too often people take this view. Instead of thinking
of other ways to get all three watermelons in their arms, they
drop God’s goodness and refuse to believe. Let me suggest a
few more answers from the book of Job to help you.
Answer 2 - Sin is a possible cause (The Friends’
Perspective Job 2:11 - 31:40).
Job’s friends quickly attend his side and bring up this option
through a huge chunk of the book. Actually from chapter 4-
30 there is this back and forth and back and forth of Job's
friends saying he is wicked and Job maintaining his integrity.
It eventually becomes a difficult read. They are not comforting
him at all they are just gloating over him and trying to belittle
him. Listen to one “friend.”
"I have seen the foolish taking root, and I cursed his abode
immediately. His sons are far from safety, they are even
oppressed in the gate, and there is no deliverer. His
harvest the hungry devour and take it to a place of thorns,
and the schemer is eager for their wealth. For affliction
10
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 13/94
does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from
the ground, for man is born for trouble, as sparks fly
upward” (Job 5:3-7).
How insensitive! He refers to the children of the foolish and
the crops of the foolish and how they will all fall. He is calling
Job a fool to his face and maintaining that his foolishness is
what has caused his calamity. But Job keeps searching his
heart and stating – I don’t think this is the problem, men. I
really am trying to live before the Lord in the right way. I’m
not perfect, but I’ve searched my heart and there is nothingbetween me and my Creator (See Job chapter 31).
This is a possible answer to the problem of evil in a situation.
This was not the answer in Job’s case. These men were
stepping on a friend when he was down. I like Job’s response
to these friends - "I have heard many such things; miserable
comforters are you all” (Job 16:2 ESV). They were wrong in this
case. And at the end of the story, God confronts these men
for their lack of help and “misdiagnosis” of the problem. He
tells Job to pray for them.
Although they were wrong, this does point to a valuable
answer with regard to the problem of evil. Let’s look at two
principles from this answer that will help you understand, at
times, why evil is evident in the world and in our own livesbecause of sin.
The principle of original sin
God made a perfect world. What a great thought that is! In
His perfect world no one mistreated anyone. Imagine a
business world where no one is mistreated. Imagine a nurseryor a third grade class with no bickering. That was the original
plan. There was no death or parting. There were no tears.
There was joy and only joy. There was no cancer. If you read
11
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 14/94
the end of the story (Revelation 21:1-7), God will make all
things like this again. However, there is this big gap of time
where sin is reeking devastation. This is the principle of the
original sin.
Adam and Eve were made without sin, but with a choice to sin.
They had the possibility for rebellion. You know the event
where this happened in Biblical history. God made a perfect
garden of harmony and peace – peace between all of humanity
and God. But humanity chose to rebel against God’s original
command in the garden (eat of the fruit); they fell. This fallhad an impact on all of God’s creation.
Our first parents – Adam and Eve, declared war on God by
disobeying His one command. After that time, we are all born
at war with God and under the same effect of that sin. We all
face death. The result is that the effect of this sin has spread
to all of creation. The Bible teaches that all of creation is now
groaning under this curse of sin like a woman in childbirth,
longing for the end.
The story of the Bible is the story of how God is erasing the
effects of original sin by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
God came in flesh to take upon Himself the punishment of that
sin and every sin in order that humanity can enjoy fresh
fellowship with God again–just like the Garden of Eden! Thoseof you who have gone through our “Summary of the Bible’s
Message” will remember this principle. God is bringing
everything back to his perfect order.
Much of the evil we see in the world–disease, natural disasters,
are not caused because God is mad now. They are the
distorted, broken world that God is redeeming. At the end of
History all will be made new and this principle will be revoked.
12
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 15/94
The principle of sowing and reaping
Consider also the principle of reaping the effects of sowing asinful lifestyle. This is a definite possibility. Of course we have
to realize that this is not always the problem. As in the case
of Job, just because you or I are going through a difficulty, it
does not mean that we are paying for the results of our sin.
At times, God has other purposes for trials and tragedies just
like we will see in the next lesson.
However, at times, you are paying for the results of your
personal sin. This is the principle of sowing and reaping. If
you sow wickedness you will reap evil.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a
man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to
his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the
one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternallife” (Galatians 6:7-8).
Reaping Pain in Love
Perhaps it would be good to consider that the sowing and
reaping principle is actually a loving thing for God to
orchestrate. As a loving Father, God allows pain to keep us
from touching a fire in the future. Parents realize that the
school of hard knocks is often the only way a child will learn a
lesson. We don’t want them to fall. But when they fall, they
realize they better not run full force in the house. If God never
allowed us to feel the consequences of bad choices, then we
would always do those bad things and destroy our lives. Pain
is one of the best gifts of God to humanity.
We have considered the first two answers to the question of
evil. In the next lesson we will finish this and bring up three
other valuable answers.
13
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 16/94
1. List some of the events in life that could be considered evil.
2. What is an example of sin causing trouble?
3. What are the three “watermelons” that are difficult to carry
when considering the problem of evil?
4. God causes evil (True/False).
5. Group Discussion – With friends like Job’s, who needs
enemies! Discuss ways to be a friend to another personwhen they are going through a difficult time in life.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
14
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 17/94
As we consider the problem of evil and its effects on our lives
it is never an easy issue to deal with. Usually this question
brings up deep seated pain or loss from our past and should
be considered patiently. The Lord gives us several examples
of suffering in Scripture that come along side us like a friendthat has walked the same weary road and can give us a
shoulder on which to cry or a hand to hold to gain stability in
moving forward. Job is just such an individual. He has lost
everything and is grappling with his new life as he reveals to
us answers to the questions like – Why does God allow bad
things to happen? Why is there evil in the world?
In this lesson we will give three additional answers to last
week’s two answers.
Answer 3 – God uses evil for good (Job s
Perspective - Job 23:10).
Although this is not a primary theme in the book of Job, it is
mentioned, and is a prominent theme elsewhere in the Bible
as an answer to the question of evil. Job tells us that God uses
trials to test His servants. The first answer above came from
the author of the Book of Job, the second answer came from
Job’s friends, and now we have a third answer recommended
by Job.
Although he does not understand completely what is going on,
and he prefers death to what he is experiencing, he can still
attest while in the midst of the valley–he will come through on
the other side a better person.
The Question ofEvil “Why do I
have trouble?”Part 2
15
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 18/94
"But [God] knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I
shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
What an amazing perspective to have! Job is not looking back
on the tragedy. He is patiently dealing with the arguments of
his conceited, so-called friends that are accusing him of guilt.
And he concludes that this is just a furnace that is melting
away the dross his dross. This is just a fiery trial of testing
through which he will be become a more pure, more valuable,
more useful instrument.
Try to think of the positive that the Lord is working in your life
and if you don’t see it immediately, trust that God is doing it
in any case. In our church in Brooklyn we had a dear believer
who was a beautiful testimony of this. While putting herself
through Nursing school–coming close to finalizing her degree,
she looked in the mirror one day and noticed a black spot right
in the middle. This black spot did not go away but continued
to expand until she completely lost her vision.
Because of this she lost her
occupation, and shortly after this,
her husband left her. What a
difficulty! Why would God allow
such a tragedy? Sandra did notallow this to stop her. She secured
a dog to help her and finished a degree in a different area –
social work. What a brave lady, taking the subway from
borough to borough with her somewhat disciplined
companion dog. Anyone who knew her, would agree that
Sandra was such a joy to be around, never allowing to let her
circumstances ruin her. They actually made her a stronger and
more respected testimony to the Lord. I am amazed and
humbled by her faith.
MAKE YOUR
STUMBLING BLOCKS
STEPPING STONES.
16
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 19/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 20/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 21/94
Answer 4 – God is great (Elihu and God’s
Perspective Job 32-42)
There were a total of four friends who came to talk with Job –
at least we have a record of the conversation of four of them.
Three friends fixate on the idea that Job’s suffering was caused
because of his sin. But one other friend – the youngest, had
another view. His name was Elihu, and his view was the closest
to correct.
However, the view is not too comforting unless you are a
believer. If you are a believer, this reason will minister peace
to your soul. And this is actually what God answers Job in His
discussion with him.
Elihu’s Message
As the youngest, Elihu could not speak until the other men
were through–that was the way their culture respected age
(our culture could learn much from that principle). In this
case, the youngest knew what he was talking about. But he
was very angry. Angry at the friends for not helping Job.
Angry at Job for casting aspersions at God’s name for
suggesting that what he was going through was wrong.
You could summarize Elihu’s message (Chapters 30-37!) as
God is great you can’t fault Him or His ways. His ways are not
our ways so although we cannot understand them we have to
trust Him. The main emphasis is upon God’s greatness.
"Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God
is greater than man” (Job 33:1-12).
19
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 22/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 23/94
Job's response is to the greatness of God is cathartic. God is
so great he had no need of any answer to his suffering . . . I’ll
just keep my mouth shut and glorify You for Your greatness.
This is a wonderful lesson for us.
“Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘Behold, I am
insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my
mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even
twice, and I will add nothing more’" (Job 40:3-5).
And so Job's problems melted awayin the glory of God. And so this is
more of a way to deal with tragedy
and evil than it is an answer to the
question. This gives us a release.
It tells us how to deal with the
stress and pain of evil. Put your eyes on the greatness of God.
The greatness of the glory of God gives perspective on how
small you are and therefore how small your problems are. And
so Job repents of his demanding spirit and he sits in silence.
This is the primary salve for a sorrowful soul. This is the
answer for really every problem of life. Get a view of the glory
of God.
God’s Botanical Gardens
I love to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens; it is probably my
favorite spot in NYC. Its immense, 52 acres are filled with
different gardens-beautiful gardens like the rose garden with
5,000 rose bushes and 1,400 different kinds of roses. Also,
there is a fragrance garden, a children's garden, an herbgarden, more than 200 cherry trees - which are brilliant when
blossoming together. So in this garden there is nearly
unlimited beauty that points to God's magnificence in creation.
THE GLORY OF
GOD IS A PANACEA
TO THE TROUBLED
SOUL.
21
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 24/94
What if I went there and shortly after coming in to take a nice
stroll I stepped up to one of these brilliant double bloomed
cherry blossoms and pick off a pedal to smell it. I smell the
pedal and let it fall from my hands and begin to walk away - I
stop and look back and see that someone has rushed over and
picked up the pedal from the flower. And the man that picked
up the pedal seems despondent.
The little angry man tries to put it back on the blossom only
to see it fall again. So he goes off the deep end screaming inhorror at what has happened! He takes pictures as he
documents every little detail. He ignores me completely and
storms off to the curator of the park to sling outlandish
accusations.
He blames him for my actions. He starts belittling him and
threatening him. “You people don't know what you are doing!
You don't know how to run a garden! Why don't you get
control of the people walking in here and you can't let this
happen? Why can't you stop this terrible mess?”
His tirade increases still as he threatens to sue the gardens for
the negligence. He documents his claims on his blog and
sends out a press release – “Blossom plucked of rare beauty in
full bloom!”
Would he get much of a hearing? The mad little man would
not be taken seriously. In fact, we could put are arm around
him and say, “Look, friend, there are hundreds of thousands
of beautiful blooms and they are all being maintained as well
as possible - you can come back and enjoy them each year!
Here is another blossom over here – smell this one.” Or at
least find fault with me. I’m the one that caused the evil , not
the curator of the whole park.
22
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 25/94
That pedal was small and almost insignificant in comparison
to the beauty of the whole. So when you step back and view
the whole garden - the pedal is minor. And I think that is the
perspective Job has. He looks at his life and realizes - he is
just one pedal on the blossom of a beautiful tree of God’s
goodness.
If he examines how huge the garden is and how detailed and
how well maintained the pedal is not very significant. If
someone comes and plucks the pedal of his life. The blame
should not go to the Creator, but the individual who crushedthe pedal.
At first, Job is up in arms at the pedal of his life that has been
snatched away by the whim of the devil. And he is tempted to
find fault with God for allowing it. So, instead of God
answering him as to the direct cause, God puts His arm around
Job and guides him around the rest of creation, showing him
all the different aspects of that garden.
Instead of addressing the specific issue God gets Job's mind
off of himself and his problem - because even though it was a
great tragedy . . . in comparison with how great God is and
how majestic He is it was not that big an issue.
And so Job is humbled - as God gives him a tour of the gardenof creation Job concludes – “I am insignificant.”
We have looked at four reasons so far that there is evil in the
world, but we still have to look at one of the most helpful ones
given to us in the book of Job.
23
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 26/94
Answer 5 – Evil is temporary (God’s Perspective
Job 42).
Job’s story ends well. The final chapter tells us that the Lord
repays Job twice what he lost.
“The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for
his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had
twofold... The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more
than his beginning” (Job 42:10-12).
Of course, this does not always happen, but it does teach us a
valuable principle. No matter what happens in this life, we
know that suffering is temporary. God will eradicate all evil
one day.
We should not take the presence of evil as God’s approval of
evil in the world. We know the end of the story. He hates evil
so much that He came in human flesh to bring us out of the
evils of sin. It took His life – His suffering the greatest evil to
bring us out of evil one day. And so His death is for our life.
He came to suffer evil in order to put an end to evil forever.
I never like when someone tells me the end of a movie or book.
Some people like to look at the final chapter to see how thingswork out. That normally bugs me. But not in this case! In this
case, we read the end and see that God does away with all
these trials, pains, all evil.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… And I heard a
loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of
God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be
his people, and God himself will be with them and be their
God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be
no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old
24
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 27/94
order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on
the throne said, ‘I am making everything new’” (Revelation
21:1-5)!
This is God’s desire, His end goal. Don’t let His patience and
forbearance with evil today be misinterpreted as acceptance.
25
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 28/94
1. What is the ultimate example of God turning evil upside
down and using it for good?
2. Summarize God’s perspective on Job’s trials.
3. Match the answer to the correct situation.
a. Answer 1 – Satan
causes evil.
__ Fanny Crosby rejoices that
although she is blind the
first face she will see is
Jesus’ face.
b. Answer 2 – Sin
causes evil.
__ Repeated attempts over
history to destroy the Jewish
people.c. Answer 3 – God
uses evil for
good.
__ Get your eyes off your
problems and your trials.
d. Answer 4 – God is
great.
__ Paul and Silas led the jailor
in Philippi to eternal
salvation after being beaten
and imprisoned there.e. Answer 5 – Evil is
temporary.__ Billy is loses his license and
his job after drinking and
driving.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
26
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 29/94
Introduction
The next question I would like to answer is central to all other
questions. It is the question of authority. In Pilate’s words
“what is truth?” How do you know the Bible is true? Or, we
could broaden the question a bit; how do you know anything
is true? I say this is the question of authority because all that I
believe to be true of God and this world is based on something
– the Bible. That is the ultimate authority.
The question of authority is a question of worldview. What do
you base your life on? Your ultimate authority is the basis for
which you view your environment and make sense of your
existence. Your authority base colors all you see. They are
the glasses through which you make decisions and think.
Cultural Glasses - Some people base their values and beliefs,
their worldview, on the culture around them. These people
are chameleons. As the population goes so do they. They
don’t just pick up on the culture around them, their culture
shapes them into a
particular mold of
thinking. At times that
culture is close to
mirroring Biblicalauthority, often it is not.
This is the easiest
worldview because it is
The Question ofAuthority “Can I
trust the Bible?”Part 1
27
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 30/94
passive and does not cause friction. But it is also spineless,
and in the end empty. You are a person. God has given you a
mind to think for yourself.
Counter Cultural Glasses - Similar to the cultural chameleon is
the counter cultural chameleon. These people choose ways to
be extreme in their counter culture. The goal is not adopting
a biblical worldview, but to be anti-culture. Quite a spectrum
here. There are countercultural trends that can be quite
bizarre, but the group itself is still a subculture. So they are
not thinking through an objective worldview but are adoptingthe group’s worldview. You would be surprised how much a
person’s pier group in their particular niche of culture or
counter culture affects their decisions.
Family Glasses - Other people simply accept the worldview
placed around them by their parents like a nice fence around
their back yard growing up. At times they may test the
strength of the fence, but all in all they trust and go along with
the values they have inherited at birth. This is me by nature.
I love my authority as I’ve been blessed with parents who
nurtured and loved me. But eventually, I had to come to the
place where I investigated other options. I could not stay in
their back yard.
Religious Glasses – Other religions, too, foster a system ofviewing the world that colors the adherent’s thoughts and
actions. Usually there is a group of teachings on which the
worldview is loosely or strictly based. Christianity should fall
in this type of glasses. I’ll develop that more below. There are
Islamic cultures where every thought and decision in the day
is permeated with what the Koran says or how their religious
community has interpreted that book (sharia law). So, in this
case you have people as cultural chameleons following a
religion based on that being the set of values the entire group
takes on.
28
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 31/94
I’m currently working with a young man from Uzbekistan who
is very interested in reading about Christianity. When we gave
him a Bible, he covered it with a paper placemat from the
restaurant where he was working. He was afraid to take it into
the house where he lived with his sister. He is now in the
process of being deported and fears to say anything about
what he has learned in the Bible to his parents or friends in
Uzbekistan. He has been given the glasses that his culture
makes him wear. They are religious/culture glasses. There is
no freedom to discover for himself.
Secular Glasses – There is a growing number of people in
American culture who are adopting this view. And so, there is
a growing cultural pressure to act and live by this standard.
The worldview is continually evolving. After all, there is
nothing objective about where its values are based. But many
pillars of our society are championing these glasses as the
ones to wear. Entertainment and educational system enjoys
this view. In this view you can believe, just don’t talk about it.
The secularist does not want to eradicate religion, but just put
it in the margins of life so no one really knows or cares. The
problem with this worldview in the past is that it has no
mooring. It is a ship at sea. If you have no basis for what is
right or what is wrong, then the society can state what it
desires as right or wrong.
Biblical glasses – What I would like to present is a Biblical
worldview. This goes beyond a nominal Christian to someone
who actually believes that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s
Word. They take the Bible seriously and go there to find how
God wants them to live. This worldview, then is not based on
a religious communion, historic tradition, current experience,
birth, internal feelings, or imagination. It is based on an
ancient book you know as the Bible.
29
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 32/94
I believe that we have in the Bible the answers to the big
questions of life, and that the Biblical worldview gives the
greatest way forward for my life and for culture.
Answering the Question Authority
Those who disagree with the Biblical worldview, will try to
attack the source. They have to discount the Bible as being
other than the Word of God. People who have discounted
Christianity have done so by attacking the Bible. Their
objections usually fall along two lines of reasoning. Someone
will either deny its source or its preservation. Questions
usually follow along these two lines as diagramed below.
Statements questioning the
Bible’s Divine Source
Statements Questioning the
Bible’s Divine Preservation
The Bible was written by a
bunch of men to gain
power.
The Bible is out of date and
not in touch with reality.
The Bible is filled with
errors.
I believe in Jesus’ teachings,
but they have been
distorted and changed by
religion over the years.
The Bible contradicts itself. What we have in the Bible
was written generationsafter Jesus inflated by
culture’s infatuation with
heroes.
Other writings give
additional accounts about
Jesus that contradict the
Bible.
These are formidable questions. Books have been written on
each of them, so we will have to be brief in our answers. We
30
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 33/94
will examine each one briefly in the next lesson. Before we
get down to answers, let’s take a minute to summarize some
of the evidence in favor of the Christian Bible.
THE BIBLE AS GOD’S WORD
As we look at the evidence together, first let me gather
together some of the claims that the Bible has of being God’s
Word. Does the Bible actually claim this for itself? If so, then
the claim must be taken seriously. After we look at these
claims, we will examine whether or not there is evidence to
back up that claim.
The Bible claims to be the Word of God
The Bible was revealed to us over many years through many
different individuals. How this collection of writings came to
us will have to be left to a different study. However, it isimportant for us to recognize that each section of Scripture
claims to be the Word of God. Let's look first at the claims of
the Old Testament (Tanakh ) and then the claims of the New
Testament. You may want to think of these as two
bookshelves. These bookshelves also have separate sections
just as a library may divide books into history, biography, and
poetry. Each of these sections and each of these books claim
to be God's Word.
Old Testament Claims
The first section of the Old Testament (O.T.) is the Torah or
Law and was written by Moses. Moses clearly states that what
he wrote was actually commissioned by God directly.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in
a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua" (Exodus 7:14).
31
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 34/94
And the LORD said to Moses, "Write these words, for in
accordance with these words I have made a covenant with
you and with Israel" (Exodus 34:27).
And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of
writing the words of this law in a book, until they were
finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare
the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, ‘Take this
book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the
covenant of the LORD your God’" (Deuteronomy 31:24-26).
The next section on the Old Testament shelf is the prophets.These were men that God commissioned to speak His Words
to the people, just like Moses. Often these were words of
warning to turn them back to Him. One phrase that occurs
repeatedly in the prophets is "thus says the Lord." In fact, out
of the 419 times this phrase occurs in the English O.T., over
300 occur in three of the prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah,
and Ezekiel). The prophet is claiming that his message is not
his own but was given to him from the Lord.
The section of the writings is similar to the prophets in that
throughout these records of Israel's history and poetry, there
is a repeated phrase - "Thus says the Lord." We learn
something of the dynamic of this through David's account of
what happened when he wrote poetry. God was actually
speaking through him. 'The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,and His word was on my tongue.'"
New Testament Claims
The New Testament (N.T.) is no different. It also clearly shows
that the Bible is God's Word. Just before Jesus left His
disciples, He told them that they would be a conduit of newrevelation from God. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things
and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you"
32
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 35/94
(John 14:26). These writings are recorded in the New
Testament (N.T.).
Once these documents were written, the authors and early
Christians realized that they were part of that group of Holy
books referred to among Jewish believers as "Scripture." This
was a technical term only used of the O.T. books and of the
N.T. books as they began to be collected and distributed by
hand (See 1 Timothy 5:18, Luke 10:7, 2 Peter 3:16). Two
pillars of the early church, Paul and Peter described how it was
that God spoke through these men like a musician speaksthrough instruments.
There is Evidence to Support that Claim
It is obvious that the Bible claims to be God's Word. However,
is there evidence that points to the same conclusion? As wewill discover next, the answer is absolutely yes. We will look
at two different types of evidence. First, evidence that we
come to through examining the text itself (internal evidence).
Second, evidence that we come to through examining other
evidence that supports the text (external evidence). We will
consider two types of internal evidence and three types of
external evidence below.
Internal Evidence
Unity of Content
This may seem to be a small thing. However, when you
consider that the Bible had about 40 different authors
spanning over 1,500 years this is an astounding fact! Thereare so many different values, languages and cultural norms
that change from one civilization to the next. However, the
33
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 36/94
Bible developed consistently throughout all these changes
with a single major theme.
One great example of this is the four records called the
Gospels. These are the first four books of the New Testament
and they each tell the Gospel (Good News) that Jesus lived and
died for our sins. There were three different authors, each
writing from a different perspective. Two were eye-witnesses.
One was a historian who researched the facts through local
interviews and historical analysis. The other was a very simple
account by someone who used very simple language. And yet,these accounts do not contradict each other in any point! A
reasonable conclusion is that God was superintending each of
these accounts and bringing about four different perspective
of the same life.
Prophecy
Another fascinating evidence that supports the Divine origin
of the Bible is prophecy. At times God predicted events
through Biblical authors. If a book did this once or twice we
would be interested and perhaps attracted to read the rest.
However, with Scripture it is not just a curiosity because it is
more than just once or twice. The numbers of prophecies that
have come to pass and the detailed nature of them are beyond
human explanation. They had to have a Divine origin.
A large group of these prophecies are classified as Messianic
prophecies. Many passages in the Old Testament foretell
specific aspects of Jesus' life and ministry. JP Payne in his book
"Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecies" records 191 different
prophecies concerning Jesus as the Messiah. Many of these
prophecies were events that Jesus had no control over.
34
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 37/94
Read a few of the Messianic Prophecies below and then circle
yes or no depending on if Jesus would have been able to
manipulate the outcome of these events in his own life.
1. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
(Micah 5:2).
Yes No
2. The Messiah would come from the tribe of
Judah (Genesis 49:10).
Yes No
3. The Messiah, while suffering death would
have His hands and feet pierced (Psalm
22:16).
Yes No
4. The Messiah, while suffering death would
have His side pierced (Zechariah 12:10).
Yes No
5. The Messiah, while suffering death would
have his garment bartered over (Psalm
22:18).
Yes No
6. The timing the Messiah's death was
predicted (Daniel 9:24-16).
Yes No
7. The Messiah would be raised from the dead
(Psalm 2:7; 16:10).
Yes No
A scroll is on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem that
archaeologists have dated to be many years before Jesus was
ever born. You can actually scroll through the entire document
online at the museum's
website. This is such anastounding document when
you consider some of its
clear references to Jesus.
Read the following text
remembering that there is
still physical evidence that
clearly pre-dates Jesus birth,
life, and death by hundreds of years.
35
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 38/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 39/94
When you consider all the coins, pots, names, and details of
ancient history that have been unearthed over the centuries, it
is truly remarkable that these all document and establish the
facts of Scripture rather than contradicting them. Let's
examine a couple of these examples.
Egyptian Plagues: The Ancient Egyptian priest Ipuwer recounts
a river turning into blood; crops being destroyed; fire and
darkness; the destruction of the firstborn is described this
way:
“Forsooth, the children
of princes are dashed
against the walls . . . The
prison is ruined . . . He
who places his brother
in the ground is
everywhere . . . It is
groaning that is throughout the land mingled with
lamentations (Papyrus 4:3; 2:13; 3:14)
Senacharib’s Prism:
Accounts the siege of
Jerusalem recorded in
Isaiah 36-37. (Leavingout the details that are
not very pleasant to
record in the history of
Assyria.)
or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.” Gleason Archer
Old Testament Introduction.
37
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 40/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 41/94
Since that is a reasonable conclusion – God speaks with what
He makes, and if the Bible claims and demonstrates (based on
what we have read in this lesson) to be that revelation. Then
try it! Pick it up and read it for yourself. God will speak with
you.
There are two ways to convince someone that your product
tastes the best. Let's say you are convincing someone that
Coke tastes better than Pepsi (another no-brainer I might
add). One way is to state several factors - objective facts that
you think would convince them. Perhaps the amount sold orhow long the company has been in business. You might tell
them the results of nationwide surveys that substantially
favored your company. These may all be convincing factors.
But another way is to just take out a coke, pop it open and ask
them to taste for themselves.
If you are doubting whether or not the Bible is God's Word,
there is sufficient evidence to give you to show the reliability
of its claims. However, it might be best to crack it open for
yourself. Have you ever read the Bible? If you have never read
it, then you can hardly say you don't believe it. Taste it for
yourself. I recommend it to you heartily.
39
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 42/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 43/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 44/94
Introduction
There are certain places in NYC where you cannot get through
a crowd without someone whispering in your ear “Rolex,
Rolex.” If your eyes happen to meet you will be given a lengthy
sales pitch for a Rolex wrist watch. The cost varies from $50-
$20. “What a great deal! I have got to shop in NYC more
often!” Sounds great till you actually look at the watch. And
it gets even worse when you pick it up. Definitely plastic. You
immediately know that you are not holding an authentic Rolexwatch. In this case, finding the authenticity is easy.
In our last lesson, we gave some reasons to believe that the
Bible is the authentic Word of God. There are doubters who
try to undercut the Bible’s authority. In this lesson we are
going to highlight a few of the common questions raised.
Although there are some valid questions to be answered, many
of the questions I have come across on this subject, are given
by people who have not taken time to search them out and are
looking for reasons to come to the conclusions they have
already reached. I hope that is not you. There are also
common misunderstandings that can be cleared up fairly
easily. That is the primary goal of this chapter. As you read
or hear these misconceptions you will not be fooled, and
perhaps you can help someone else to look a little closer.
As we saw in the last chapter, these questions fall into two
different categories. Some deny the Bible’s reliability – they
Question ofAuthority “Can I
trust the Bible?”Part 2
42
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 45/94
say that it is not from God and so it is filled with human error.
Another group may believe that the Bible began well, but over
the years it has been changed and manipulated to serve the
ends of others.
Statements questioning the
Bible’s Divine Source
Statements Questioning the
Bible’s Divine Preservation
The Bible was written by a
bunch of men to gain power.
The Bible is out of date and not
in touch with reality.
The Bible is filled with errors. I believe in Jesus’ teachings,
but they have been distorted
and changed by religion over
the years.
The Bible contradicts itself. What we have in the Bible was
written generations after Jesus
inflated by culture’s infatuation
with heroes.
Other writings give additional
accounts about Jesus that
contradict the Bible.
Often these accusations point to some common
misconceptions that we can help work through by examining
three different principles.
1. The Bible contains a timeline.
2.
The Bible contains various genre.3. The Bible contains difficult passages.
4. The Bible contains unique material.
5. The Bible’s contents are preserved.
The Bible contains a timeline.
Did you know that the Bible was written over a period of 1,500
using more than 40 different writers from different cultures
and periods of world history? The History of humanity is a
43
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 46/94
history of God’s interaction with us. The Bible is a record of
that story. To get a summary of the whole message of the
Bible, see our study “What does the Bible say? A survey of the
message of the Bible.” As time developed, God’s dealings with
humankind developed as well. He did not change. God is
always the same. But the main interaction changed.
As you read the first five books of the Bible written by Moses
you find God’s revelation to Israel, the Theocracy. In this time
of Israel’s history, God was the direct King. He spoke through
His prophets, but the Nation was under God in a way that wecannot understand today. His Laws were the Laws of the Land.
The speed limit was dictated by God. Those Laws were specific
to those people of that land. There are some things there that
God was teaching Israel that are not applicable today because
I live under a National Law that is different from the National
Law of Israel from 3,500 years ago.
People read of things that God asked the Nation of Israel to do
and don’t understand that these are not written as Laws for
people in America. We derive principles from these Laws, but
we do not obey them in the same way that Moses or Aaron did.
Unbelief was punishable by death in that economy. No
Christian would advise this today.
Many questions are answered when you apply this principle.How many times have I read an Atheist throwing down the
‘trump card’ of the Bible telling us to kill witches!? Then with
silly sneer, thinking that is the end of the debate they glare.
“See, what the Bible says there - complete with chapter and
verse.” Yes. In God’s Theocracy, witchcraft was a capital
offence, as was rebellion, adultery, and several other things.
Was this extreme? Yes! Do Christian politicians use these
regulations as their platform for running for office in America?
No. The Laws of the Torah were written for a specific group
of people at a specific time. This does reveal God’s disposition
44
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 47/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 48/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 49/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 50/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 51/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 52/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 53/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 54/94
The Bible contains unique material.
By this I mean that there other writings have survived to thisdate that are about Jesus, but they are not like the NT writings.
I get a little perturbed each year around Easter, when someone
comes out with a “New View” of Jesus based on other sources
outside of the New Testament record. The same material that
was written a year or two ago is copied and pasted into a new
author who has slapped a new cover on a book. The cover is
new but the argument is not.
Christian scholars are not ignorant of other documents that
talk about Jesus. But they are not the same. Several big factors
separate the two. First, the type of literature. There are some
very silly thing said that have no correlation to what we read
in the New Testament.
The primary difference, is the time of writing. Usually thedateline specials that are drummed up as new investigations
refer to Gnostic writings from hundreds of years after Jesus.
Let’s take the Gospel of Philip – on a few scraps of this Gospel
there is a possible assumption that a disciple asked Jesus why
He loved Mary Magdalene more than the rest of the disciples.
From that little fragment, Dan Brown became a millionaire on
selling the Da Vinci Code (ok, that’s an exaggeration, he
misused other ancient records too). One paragraph. But what
Dan does not say – and what a PBS special will not take the
time to tell you is that these additional Gospels (Gospel of
Judas, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Thomas) are written by a
heretical group hundreds of years after Jesus lived.
The New Testament was written by the first eyewitnesses and
their close companions. What was written could be verified atthat time. An entirely different account written hundreds of
years after the even should not be taken seriously. And yet it
is. I still remember a co-worker approaching me about the Da
52
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 55/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 56/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 57/94
Scholars spend their entire lives dedicating their talents to
examine the thousands of existing portions of Greek text to
compare where the copies differ (The are all hand copied!) to
know exactly what the original text is.12
The differences of versions lies primarily in the nature of
language. Use a thesaurus some time. You can say the same
thing multitudes of ways. The tricky part here is translating
the Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic into English (which is also
constantly changing). Some translations try to be more
accurate to represent the wording of the original language.Other translations are more interested in making the meaning
of the text clear and readable.
In conclusion, what data do you focus on? Are you constantly
scouring the internet or other books to find contradictions and
errors in the Bible? That is proof that you do not have an
authentic desire to hear from God. If you will approach God’s
Word as from Him and listen to His voice, you will see that His
Words are self-authenticating. Respond in Faith and you will
not doubt again.
If there is a specific question that bothers you, I would be
happy to communicate with you and offer a reasonable
explanation that someone has already found for you. Please
let me know, and may God use His Word mightily in your life.
12 We don’t have space here to go into all the arguments and proofs
for the reliability of the Greek text. If you would like to pursuefurther study see Daniel Wallace resources with the Center for the
Study of New Testament Manuscripts. Among other books –
“Reinventing Jesus” and “Revisiting the Corruption of the New
Testament.” Where Wallace takes up these issues in great detail.
55
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 58/94
1. What does “read the Bible normally” mean?
2. Match the following principles on the left that solve the
“problems” on the right.
a. The Bible contains
a timeline.
__ If you add up the number of
years each Judge reigned,
they would far outnumber
the years given to the time
of the Judges in the Bible.
b. The Bible contains
various genre.
__ What about the discovery of
the Gospel of Thomas?
c. The Bible contains
difficult passages.
__ How can you obey a book
that tells you to kill
witches?
d. The Bible contains
unique material.
__ Constantine changed the
Bible to reflect his bias.e. The Bible’s
contents are
preserved.
__ Isaiah says that “the trees
of the fields will clap their
hands”, but anyone knows
trees have no hands.
3. What is the best thing to say to someone who is doubting
the authenticity of the Bible?
QUESTION AND ANSWER
56
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 59/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 60/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 61/94
their hand at answering.13 We will see during our study now
that this is one of the building-blocks of the Christian
worldview.
Another answer was proposed to this question by Charles
Darwin (and his colleagues). In this theory, you came here by
chance through a series of accidents (mutations) that provided
better breeding capabilities over billions of years. (I admit that
is not a very good description.)
As we look at this question I want to come to two primaryconclusions. First, the Bible teaches that God created the
world in a six-day period of time. Second, the theory of
macro-evolution has significant problems. We do not have
space and time to show how natural evidence supports the
biblical account of creation. Many great books have been
written that help support this view. Nevertheless, I think we
can provide a few thoughts that will make you dissatisfied with
the popular scientific view of origins and perhaps encourage
you to pursue a more thorough investigation.
Definitions
Before we get to our study, let's define some terms. We need
to be clear about what we mean by evolution and creation in
this study.
Evolution: By evolution I am referring to macroevolution. You
should know the difference between macroevolution and
microevolution. Macroevolution refers to the naturalistic
13 Question #1 - Where did I come from (or who am I)? Answer -
God made me (God's creation). Question #2 - Why am I here?
Answer - To bring God glory and praise. Question #3 - Where am I
going? To enjoy God's presence forever.
59
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 62/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 63/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 64/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 65/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 66/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 67/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 68/94
1. What is the difference between microevolution and
macroevolution?
2. How do Genesis 1:5, and 1:31 define a day?
3. How many days did it take for the Lord to complete His
work?
4. Matthew 19:4 is a quote from Jesus. What does He believe
regarding God’s creation of man as revealed in Genesis 1?
5. Does Paul allude to God using other natural processes tomake things (Col 1:16)?
6. What does John tie to God's creative ability in Revelation
4:11?
QUESTION AND ANSWER
66
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 69/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 70/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 71/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 72/94
Question 3-Where are all the missing species to the
puzzle?
Let's review what we have covered so far. The first question
that the theory of evolution cannot answer is, “Where does
stuff come from?” We do not observe something coming from
nothing, so when did that first happen? It is scientifically
impossible. The second question that the evolutionist cannot
answer is, “how does life evolve from the stuff?” Even if you
are given a cloud of energy and gas (stuff) for a big bang, or a
primordial soup bowl (stuff), how do you go from a bang and
a bowl to a self-sustaining, living organism? So far we do not
have a sufficient answer from the evolutionist. However, even
if you give him a pass on these two extremely large problems,
the holes in the theory still do not disappear.
The third question fast-forwards a bit. According to the
evolutionary timeline the little single cell organism developedfurther into a fishish species which developed into every other
species. That is a tall order! Yet this is the major assumption
underlying Darwin's theory. How can a scientist explain the
development of different species? According to Darwin, to get
from one species to the next there were small changes in the
organism over long periods of time either by environmental
changes or by genetic mutations. One species would
eventually develop a trait that helped it adapt and reproduce
better in order to survive. The other members of its species
that did not adapt became extinct. And so the species
developed. An innate hunger for survival developed the
evolution of man from fish. Those organisms that were more
capable of reproducing through either natural conditions or
genetic mutations outlived other species under the same
70
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 73/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 74/94
Of course we do not observe this happening today. There are
no genetic mutations that actually change a species enough to
develop a new species. The evolutionist answer to this is that
we do not observe this cross-species evolutionary process
today because these events take long periods of time. Even
all the thousands of years of recorded history are not enough
to observe one of these transitions between species.
But this does not let the evolutionist off the hook. We do havea steady record of data in the ground—fossils. Fossilized
skeletons provide scientists with a map to observe past history
and see what species have looked like in the past. Considering
what we have learned from the evolutionary theory so far you
would expect to observe hundreds of thousands of different
transitional forms between each species. From one species to
the next we would even discover some of the major factors
that allowed the species to outlive or “out-reproduce” the
previous transitional form. The current species of animals
would actually be a small minority compared with the
abundance of transitional forms that bridge one species to the
next. Is that not a logical conclusion based on the theory of
macroevolution?
However, if God created the earth, we would not see suchtransitional forms in the ground. We may find a smaller
human or a taller human, but it would still be a human
skeleton.
So what does the fossil record tell us? It gives none of these
transitional forms. Remember, again what we would expect
according to the theory to see an overabundance of
transitional forms in the fossil evidence. We don't find any.
72
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 75/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 76/94
This is a key question because of the nature of science.
Science is observation. Fossils are one of the major ways we
can observe the past. Of course our observations are flawed
and imperfect. But if the major way to observe the past does
not lend support to the theory of macroevolution then why has
this theory gained so much ground in our society?
Question 4-Why don't living dogs lie?
A fourth question to consider has to do with the origin of
morality. When I was a child I had a pet cat named “Kitty.” Yes,
I showed no limit to my originality in naming animals. Because
my dad was allergic to cats, Kitty was an outside cat. This
made her pretty tough and made me proud of her. She had
some serious claws and was not afraid to use them. Every
once and a while Kitty would deposit a nice surprise for us onthe front porch—a dead mouse. My mom was not impressed
with where she deposited her trophy but the whole family was
proud of our little lioness. After all, a cat killing a mouse and
bragging about it is cute.
Why didn't I punish our cat? Why didn't I put her in jail for
several years? Cats are not charged with murder or deception.
They are not moral beings. The same is true for any animal.
This is our fourth question. Why don't dogs lie? Or perhaps
the better question for the evolutionary scientist is “why do
humans lie?” How do we, as humans, have a sense of right
and wrong?
For thousands of years humans have had similar ideas of right
and wrong. In fact, some of the Babylonian laws in
between monkey and man read Chapter 4 (Monkey Business in the
Family Tree) in Marvin Lubenow's "Bones of Contention.
74
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 77/94
Hammurabi's code dating back thousands of years are the
same as our laws today (we considered this subject in lesson
four).
“If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition,
and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the
fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break
occurred be sold for money, and the money shall replace
the corn which he has caused to be ruined.”
“If any one steal cattle or sheep, or an ass, or a pig or agoat, if it belong to a god or to the court, the thief shall pay
thirtyfold; if they belonged to a freed man of the king he
shall pay tenfold; if the thief has nothing with which to pay
he shall be put to death.” (Note as well that even though
the rules are often similar to our own laws, the penalties
are far harsher.)
How is it that different societies have considered the same
types of things wrong for ages? Why don't dogs lie but
humans do? Why do we call an elk killing another elk just a
part of nature, but a human killing a human is murder?
For the Christian there is a clear and simple answer. Again
this is another way in which the Christian worldview makes
more sense than the secular worldview. Biblically weunderstand that we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26).
Our sense of right and wrong came from our Creator; it is
ingrained into our nature. The Bible illustrates by saying the
law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15).
There is no simple answer in macroevolution. And the reason
that this is such a big issue is that macroevolution points to a
very different and scary answer. What if we are all just evolved
fish? What if our sense of morality is just a bi-product of the
evolutionary process that can be thrown out? Perhaps the next
75
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 78/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 79/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 80/94
GROUP ACTIVITY: Read the verses and answer the following
questions
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, beingunderstood through what has been made, so that they are
without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not
honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in
their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the
glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of
corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and
crawling creatures" (Romans 1:20-23).
1. How are God's eternal power and divine nature clearly
seen (v. 20)?
2. What exchange did the "professors" to be wise make (v.
22-23)?
3. Discuss what a transitional form is and why there should
more evidence of transitional forms.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
78
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 81/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 82/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 83/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 84/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 85/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 86/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 87/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 88/94
that there must be limits to the paths up the mountain.
Certainly people that try to kill others by hijacking airplanes
and blowing themselves up with as many others as possible
are not going up to the same place that I am. Neither was
Hitler. In fact, you would have to say that there are some
religious systems that are actually downhill paths to a rocky
precipice. So not all religious systems are equally true. Some
are definitely false.
Second, two opposing views may be equally valid opinions, but
only one can be true. If you think that a certain color is redand I think a certain color is green, only one of us is correct
(or both are wrong). We can't both be right. This is the nature
of reality. Two opposing views cannot both be true. Our
culture tries to make this blurry. However, if you take the
example of red and green and make them open to
interpretation based on your own opinion, you have a serious
mess—especially with traffic signals! The nature of truth and
error is that there is only one truth. Two opposing views can
be equally plausible but two opposing views cannot both be
true. There is only one truth. That is simply the nature of
truth.
I accept the Bible’s interpretation of life after death. Those
who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved from the
punishment of eternal Hell. They will experience the joys ofGod’s presence forever. This is not my opinion; this is the
teaching of Scripture.
In John 14:6, Jesus told His followers that He was the only way.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the
life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’”.
Peter preached that salvation only is given in through Jesus.
86
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 89/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 90/94
is having a large family and driving in an HOV lane. These
lanes are made for those with passengers riding with them.
Driving on Interstate 95 through Washington DC, there are
several lanes between the two sides of the highway which can
be opened up in either direction, depending on where the bulk
of the traffic is moving. If you carry more than two people you
can use these less traveled lanes.
Let’s suppose that it is your responsibility to flip the switch (or
push the button… or however it is done) to close off the HOV
lanes from Northbound traffic and open it for Southboundtraffic. You are sitting at lunch with your co-lane-change-
lever-flipper and you discuss changing the lanes over. Your
friends says to you. “I didn’t see you flip the switch, Jim. Are
you sure you flipped it? If those two lanes are open to
northbound traffic and southbound traffic at the same time we
are going to have a heap of cars in the HOV lanes!” You reply,
“Of course I flipped the switch. You were with me; or was that
yesterday? Well, no matter, I’m pretty sure I’m right on this
one, so let’s just sit down and eat.” “No,” he says, “I think you
are wrong. Let’s go check it out.” You start getting angry at
your co-worker’s persistence. “You are so intolerant!” “Just
let me believe the way I want to believe!”
First of all, disagreement here would not be considered
intolerance. That is certain! But I would go further and saythat in issues of importance, we should be prepared to voice
our opinion—especially if what we have to say will save others
from harm.
That is why Christians are very vocal with the Biblical view of
the afterlife. You need to know this news. It is for you to
believe. But you must hear the Good News from a speaker.
88
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 91/94
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 92/94
Similarly, different Christians may have a horrible bed-side
manner. And yet, if what they are saying is true, then try to
take medicine and overlook the manner in which it is
administered.
Let me take the same illustration a different way. What if there
was a Doctor at this Pediatric Office who had a great bedside
manner. He or she was so great with people that I just wanted
to get each of my children a check up to get to chat. My child
loved them and looked forward to getting shots so that they
could talk with Dr. Xyz. But as we got to know them, werealized that they never gave the correct advice. In fact, they
only miss-diagnosed cases. We would immediately find a new
Doctor. Because I’m not paying to have a good talk. I’m
paying to have professional advice for my child. In the same
way, just because someone sounds nice does not mean that
they have truth. Conversely, don’t let the poor manner in
which someone has shared truth with you keep you from
believing the truth.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). These words
are truth. Jesus is the way, and He opens His arms in love
wanting to invite you into His family if you will believe that His
way is true. Won’t you believe in Him today? If we can help
you further with this question of knowing the way to Godthrough Jesus Christ, please contact our office and we would
be happy to share His Way.
90
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 93/94
1. Why have people been mistreated by Christians. How was
Jesus treated? How did He respond?
2. Give reasons supporting the view that truth is singular.
Why is there only one truth?
3. How can arrogance be misinterpreted as intolerance?
QUESTION AND ANSWER
91
7/22/2019 Critical Questions for Christianity
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-questions-for-christianity 94/94
What are L.I.F.E. Groups?In the blueprint for church ministry found in Ephesians 4,
God explains that He gives
church leaders who will equip
each individual in the church to
do the work of building others
up. Look at three primary
principles from this passage:
Loving—In the Ephesians 4 blueprint, all building that is
done is done through people who are speaking the truth in
love. Love is the great greenhouse of the church. Our
motivation in these groups should not be selfish. We must
strive for another person's spiritual maturity.
Individuals—In the blueprint found in Ephesians 4, the
spiritually maturing church is one where each joint in the
body is functioning properly. We are like a clock filled with
cogs, gears, and other intricate moving parts. Each part in
that clock must be working properly for the goal to be
reached. You are needed in this clockwork—you are needed
in God's blueprint for church ministry!
Furthering Edification—In
the blueprint in Ephesians