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Why Read the Bible
July 11, 2009A book was handed to me last thursday by my discipler, ysa and surprisingly it contains more than i expected! The book is entitled “Know what you believe” by Paul Little and as i finish chapter 1, i can’t help but feel this kind of driving force to do what i am supposed to do , which is by the way —–to study. ha ha ha !
My first lab exam is on Monday and i am now starting to get nervous. This is the first exam for this new semester, new life, new study habits, new promises and new devotions. Well i must say i kinda broke a rule which is to read my notes straight for 2 hours at least 2 days before the exam. But i know it was worth it. I traded my Hyman and bio 102 notes with that book and the bible. Sounds great eh?
The Bible is really my book I say, it is the source of all kinds of help i need.Paul’s book really helped me understand how blessed i am having the bible accessible all the time, how lucky i am having the WORDS of GOD available in times of confusion and hesitation. As i read further, i came across this section on the authenticity of the bible and the word and it happened to strike me when it talked about its clash with science. Clearly, as a student biologist, the dogma is to believe in the theory of evolution and to appreciate the linkages and similarities of our genetic make up with those of the apes. And then it came to me that i am right all along. That it is right and best for me to cling to the faith despite all the temptations and tricks brought by human reasoning.
Little made a stand in defending the bible when it comes to archeological theories and even debunked the argument that the bible is inconsistent when it comes to numbers using the concepts of archeology itself. In his book, he clearly said that the bible may have no definite timeline but it is because of the tendency of the people and the authors and translators to round up numbers and dates. But this he said, doesn’t mean that this cannot prove the Bible. There was nothing to prove in the first place,i say.The bible already existed before they began counting and dating, and he is right when he mentioned that according to the rule of archaeology, a thing or an event can never be wrong unless proven as such and not the other way around. (thanks to my archaeology professor Mr. Neri for the thought ). This doesn’t apply only to archaeology but to other sciences also.
In general, his message is not to FREEZE the conflicts between science and the bible. He wants us to dissect first the issue whether the confilict is between science and bible really or between the INTERPRETATION of the bible and INTERPRETATION of a scientific phenomenon. Paul Little tells us that any evidence of science cannot disprove the BIBLE and at the same time any thing that is written in the bible which is somewhat related to science won’t give misinformation. To quote he says, “Be careful not to freeze a point of conflict between science and GOD’s revelation, assuming the bible to be wrong. The bible hasn’t changed in 2000 years but sceince admittedly is a moving train”. He even built this argument by neutralising the clash between the two. To quote, “It is interesting to note that modern science was born and developed largely by earnest christians. Believing in a personal God as Creator, they were convinced that the universe was orderly and uniform in its natural laws and therefore capable of meanigful investigation. The truth of biblical revelation and the truth of science will ultimately agrree. All truth is from God” (KWYB p.18)
Surely, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Science may prove its worth but never can it debunk the authenticity of the Bible. While the bible remains to be the book and bank of God’s word, then it is just apt for me and for every christian to be the TEMPLE of God and a TESTIMONY of HIS love and enduring grace.
God be with us all. I pray for my 102 exam and all other exams to come.
Excellent article. I remember reading Paul Little’s book, Know Why You Believe. I think he has a few different ones now. I’m so glad to hear that you are clinging to the bible, despite worldly philosophies that would like to say that science conflicts with the bible. You are right, science is a moving train and the truth of the bible is timeless.
Posted by Jeanine at July 27, 2009, 5:51 am