Is The Godhead Real?

Transcription

1 Is The Godhead Real? Introduction. The most momentous and significant question that can occupy the attention of mankind is, Does the Godhead exist? If we deny His existence we involve ourselves in many insurmountable difficulties. To admit its existence is to acknowledge the Godhead as the greatest of all realities (Isaiah 64:8; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 12:9). The kingdom of God and His will is the greatest knowledge we can attain to, and is worthy of our best efforts (Jeremiah 9:24; John 17:3). Every Christian should strive for both the knowledge and courage to meet the skeptic (Philippians 1:17). The Being and will of God are matters of divine revelation (1 Corinthians 1:21). The Bible does not argue the existence of God; it is a fact recognized from the beginning. To the person who rejects the Bible as a revelation from God, the best we can do is to show that, based on our observations, it is simply more reasonable to believe in God and in His scriptures. I. How Do I Know God Exists? A. Something cannot come from nothing. 1. Indisputably, the most universal, and most certain, of all scientific laws is the Law of Cause and Effect, or as it is commonly known, the Law of Causality. Every effect in the Universe had a cause; something or someone has brought the effect about. Every creature, man or animal, came from parent stock, who in turn came from their parents, etc. 2. The Law of Causality is not just important to science. This is a principle that is constantly confirmed and never falsified. We never see something coming into being without a cause. 3. The atheist and the materialist say that matter is eternal, and the Universe was formed and life emerged from an unproven, spontaneous event. But scientists and philosophers admit that there is no natural cause sufficient to explain the origin of the Universe. a) Several years ago, scientists from Great Britain studied the orderly patterns of concentric rocks and holes at Stonehenge. As studies progressed, it became apparent that these patterns had been designed specifically to allow certain astronomical predictions. Many questions surrounding Stonehenge remain unsolved. But one fact is clear: the cause of Stonehenge was intelligent design. b) The Stonehenge situation parallels the origin of life. We study life, observe its various functions, contemplate its complexity (which admittedly defies duplication even by intelligent men with the most advanced methodology and technology) and what is our conclusion? Theoretically, Stonehenge might have been produced by the erosion of a mountain, or by catastrophic natural forces. But what person would ever seriously entertain such a ridiculous idea? B. The design and purpose of the Universe. 1. Consider the design and the purpose of the Universe. a) The Universe is immense. 1 of 8

2 (1) The Earth is of tremendous size, but it is a mere speck when compared with the Sun which is a million times bigger. (2) The Earth is 93,000,000 miles away from the Sun but Neptune is 2.5 billion miles away. That is more than 30 times the distance of the Earth to the Sun! b) This design and purpose is remarkable even in the minutest detail. (1) Men still marvel at the detail and plan of each individual snowflake. (2) The smallest cell of an organism is many times more complex than a computer. c) Our finite minds may find not comprehend the vastness and complexity of the Universe, but no person could fail to see design and purpose within it all (Psalm 19:1-6). 2. Consider the design and purpose of the human body. a) The longer men study the body, the more they realize it is a masterpiece of intelligent, superhuman planning (Psalm 139:14). b) Even when we examine a part of the human body such as the eye, we see an amazingly intricate system. (1) The eye is self-focusing and with the same lens can perceive objects in varying distances from a few inches to several miles instantaneously. (2) The eye has a self-cleaning mechanism. It has a special fluid built in, keeping it both moist and clean, while the extra fluid passes through a hole in the bone of the nose where it evaporates. (3) The eye has a self-adjusting shutter in the iris which expands or contracts yet always maintains a perfect circle, and the pupil contracts automatically if too much light is being let in. 3. The Universe appears to have been fine-tuned for the existence of intelligent life with a complexity and precision that defies human comprehension. Science is predicated on the proposition that the Universe is able to be understood. It is built on laws that can be observed (Hebrews 3:4). C. The nature of man. 1. Man possesses characteristics and faculties that are not only unknown to animal life, but could not have been the result of a gradual development from the animal kingdom. We are therefore faced with two choices as to how to account for man s existence and nature. a) Man was created by God (Genesis 2:7). b) Man is the product of evolution (Isaiah 29:16). 2. Evolution fails to account for the characteristics man possesses which are completely unknown to animals. a) Man has the capacity for rational thought. b) Man has a conscience and a sense of morals. c) Man has an appreciation for art and beauty. d) Man has religious thought and inclinations. 2 of 8

3 II. How Do I Know Jesus Exists? A. Can the biographies of Jesus be trusted? 1. Is it really possible to be an intelligent, critically thinking person and still believe that the four gospels were written by the people whose names have been attached to them? If we can have confidence that the gospels were written by the disciples Matthew and John, by Mark, the companion of the disciple Peter, and by Luke, the historian, companion of Paul, we can be assured that the events they record are based on either direct or indirect eyewitness testimony. a) The gospels are based on certain historical claims that God uniquely entered into space and time in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Every gospel begins and ends with Jesus (Matthew 1:1; 28:20; Mark 1:1; 16:19; Luke 1:1; 24:51; John 1:1; 21:25). b) The writers believed that the life of Jesus was the most important event ever. It was meaningless if it was not historically factual that Christ died and was raised from the dead. Therefore, the very ideology that Christians were trying to promote required very careful historical work. 2. The oldest and most significant evidence for the authorship of Matthew, Mark, and Luke goes back to Papias, who in A.D. 125 affirmed that Mark had carefully and accurately recorded Peter s eyewitness observations. Papias also said that Matthew had preserved the teachings of Jesus as well. Irenaeus, writing about A.D. 180, confirmed the traditional authorship of all the gospels. 3. There are no known competitors for the authorship of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Authorship was just not in dispute among the early Christians. Furthermore, the early testimony is unanimous that John the apostle the son of Zebedee wrote the gospel. a) There would not have been any motivation to lie by claiming that these men wrote the gospels when they really did not. They were unlikely characters. Mark and Luke were not even among the Twelve. Matthew was, but as a former tax collector, he would have been the most infamous character next to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus! b) Contrast this with what happened when the fanciful apocryphal gospels were written much later. People chose the names of well-known and exemplary figures to be their fictitious authors Philip, Peter, Mary, and James. Those names carried a lot more weight than the names of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 4. There are a number of tests that can be applied to the gospels to determine their credibility. a) The intention test seeks to determine whether it was the stated or implied intention of the writers to accurately preserve history. You do not find the outlandish flourishes and blatant mythologizing that you see in a lot of other ancient writings. They wanted to record what actually occurred. b) The character test measures the evidence of dishonesty or immorality that might taint the ability or willingness of the writers to transmit history accurately. As far as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are concerned, there 3 of 8

4 is no evidence to suggest that they were anything but people of great integrity. They were willing to live out their beliefs even to the point of being put to grisly deaths, which shows great character. c) The consistency test attempts to determine if the gospels hopelessly contradict one another. The gospels are extremely consistent with each other by ancient standards. They record different details, but they are not inconsistent with each other. d) The bias test analyzes whether the gospel writers had any biases that would have colored their work. The disciples had nothing to gain except criticism, ostracism, and martyrdom. They certainly had nothing to win financially. If anything, this would have provided pressure to keep quiet or downplay Him yet because of their integrity, they proclaimed what they saw, even when it meant suffering and death. e) The cover-up test evaluates if the gospel writers conveniently forgot to mention details which would have been embarrassing or hard to explain. If they did not leave out this type of material, is it really plausible to believe that they outright added and fabricated material with no historical basis? B. Were the biographies of Jesus reliably preserved? 1. There are no originals of the books of the Bible. All we have are copies of copies. All ancient documents encounter the same issue. What the New Testament has in its favor is the unprecedented number of copies that have survived. In fact, the quantity and quality of New Testament material is almost embarrassing in comparison with other works of antiquity. 2. Distinguished scholars throughout the world agree that there is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of textual attestation as the New Testament. 3. If we compare the present state of the New Testament text with that of any other ancient writing, we must declare it to be marvelously correct. This shows the tremendous care with which the New Testament has been copied a care that grew out of true reverence for its holy words. There has never been any serious dispute about the authoritative nature of the four gospels. 4. Another question which arises is whether all the words of Jesus are recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. For example, the Gospel of Thomas, which was found in Egypt in 1945, claims it contains the secret words which the living Jesus spoke and Didymus Judas Thomas wrote down. There are 114 sayings attributed to Jesus but no narrative of what He did, and it seems to have been written in Greek in Syria about A.D But the Gospel of Thomas has many elements that are completely foreign to the biblical gospels. Over the years, it essentially excluded itself because of the fact that it did not harmonize with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. C. Is there evidence for Jesus outside His biographies? 1. Corroborative evidence supports other testimony; it affirms or backs up the essential elements of eyewitness accounts. In effect, corroborative evidence acts like the support wires that keep a tall antenna straight and unwavering. The more corroborative evidence, the stronger and more secure the case. 4 of 8

5 2. On the whole, the gospels are excellent sources they are the most trustworthy, complete, and reliable sources for Jesus. The incidental sources really do not add much detailed information; however, they are valuable as corroborative evidence. 3. Josephus, a historian in the first century A.D., in his book Antiquities Of The Jews, describes how a high priest named Ananias took advantage of the death of the Roman governor Festus who is mentioned in the New Testament in order to have James the brother of Jesus killed. Christ is mentioned in the passage, and there is no scholar who has successfully disputed this passage. He furthermore wrote another section in Testimonium Flavianum which mentions Jesus miracles, death, and resurrection. 4. From time to time people have tried to deny the existence of Jesus, but this is really a lost cause. There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus did exist. The two references to Jesus by Josephus are highly significant especially since his accounts of the Jewish war have proved to be very accurate. The details have been corroborated through archaeological excavations at Masada as well as by historians like Tacitus. 5. Tacitus recorded what is probably the most important reference to Jesus outside the New Testament. In A.D. 115 he explicitly states that Nero persecuted the Christians, who took their name from Christ, as scapegoats to divert suspicion away from himself for the great fire that had devastated Rome in A.D. 64. Crucifixion was the worst punishment anyone could endure, and the fact that the church started based on a crucified man has to be explained. This is an important testimony by an unsympathetic witness to the success and spread of the gospel. It is significant that he said an immense multitude held so strongly to their beliefs that they were willing to die rather than recant. 6. Pliny the Younger, in his correspondence with Emperor Trajan, specifically refers to Christians he arrested. It was probably written about A.D. 111, and it attests to the rapid spread of the gospel, both in the city and in the rural areas, among every class of people slave women and Roman citizens. 7. Even Jewish historians, who do not normally go into great detail about heretics, mention Jesus, calling Him a false messiah who practiced magic and who was justly condemned to death. They also repeat the rumor that Jesus was born of a Roman soldier and Mary, suggesting that there was something unusual about His birth. So even in a negative way, Jesus is attested of in the Talmud. 8. We also have volumes of writings by the apostolic fathers, who were the earliest Christian writers after the New Testament. Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and others attest to the basic facts about Jesus, particularly His teachings, crucifixion, resurrection, and divine nature. Even if you were to throw away the every copy of the gospels, you still have a portrait by these men of Jesus as the unique Son of God. 5 of 8

6 III. How Do I Know The Holy Spirit Exists? A. In assessing whether the Holy Spirit existed, one must look at what He was assigned to do. 1. The Bible exists because of inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and it was the Spirit who was to reveal what to write to the apostles (John 16:8-13; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13). 2. The Holy Spirit revealed both the content of the revelation and the words through which that revelation was imparted (cp. Matthew 10:19). B. Because this revelation was so momentous, there should exist proofs of inspiration. 1. The unity of the Bible. a) Although it is a library of 66 books, written over a period of 1,500 years, by about 40 different writers from all walks of life (kings, soldiers, shepherds, farmers, fishermen, a doctor, a cup bearer, a tax collector, a tent maker), living under different circumstances (the wilderness, a dungeon, a prison, a palace, in exile, on journeys), living on different continents (Europe, Asia, Africa), and speaking different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), together they make a complete and harmonious whole. (1) It contains a consistent picture of the nature of God, man, and sin. There is a historical continuity to the unfolding of the scheme of redemption; God s plan for saving man runs like a single thread from the beginning to the end. (2) Institutions, ordinances, and specific prophecies of the Old Testament point to a single mind responsible for its production. (3) Contrast the Bible with the compilation of Western classics called the Great Books of the Western World. This book contains selections from over 450 works by almost 100 authors spanning a period of 2,500 years. It displays incredible diversity of views on just about every subject. In fact, the different writers go out of their way to critique and refute key ideas proposed by their predecessors. b) Skeptics have denied the unity of the Bible, claiming that the writers are hopelessly inconsistent with themselves, and they are at variance with contemporary history. Neither prong of their attack has been successful. (1) It is not enough to point out an apparent contradiction. The skeptic must prove there could be no possible way to harmonize the two statements. (2) There is no contradiction between Acts 9:7 (Paul s companions on the road to Damascus stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man ), and Acts 22:9 (Paul said they heard not the voice of him that spake to me ). If we understand that heard is used in two senses, we understand that they are both correct. 2. The Bible and history. a) It was once popular for skeptics to deny the historicity of the Bible, basing their objections on the lack of extra-biblical confirmation. (1) It was once denied that Moses could have written the Pentateuch, but 20th century discoveries of the Nuzi tablets and the Mari tablets not 6 of 8

7 only show that men in the time of Moses used written languages, but also confirm in general the historical background of his day. (2) The reference to Sargon in Isaiah 20:1 once gave scholars considerable difficulty, but in 1843, Emile Botta discovered the palace of Sargon, and much information has come to light on the history of the period. (3) Skeptics once doubted the biblical record of Sennacherib s failure to capture Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36), but when excavating Nineveh, archaeologists discovered a monument on which Sennacherib could only boast that he had shut up Hezekiah like a bird in a cage. (4) The five cities of the plain described in Genesis 14:2 were once thought by secular scholars to be mythical, but ancient documents have been found that list these cities as part of ancient trade routes 3. The foundation of science. a) Science allows us to describe the predictable way in which the Universe normally behaves. Science allows us to make successful predictions about future states. For example, if I mix chemical A with chemical B, I expect to get result C because it has always been that way in the past. b) With great precision astronomers are able to calculate years in advance the positions of planets, the timing of eclipses, and so on only because the Universe operates in such a consistent way. We all know that (in basic ways) the Universe will behave in the future as it has in the past. c) But what is the foundation for this principle? The Bible provides that foundation. God has chosen to uphold the Universe in a consistent way for our benefit (Genesis 8:22; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). According to the Bible, God is beyond time, and only He is in a position to tell us on His own authority that this will be true. 4. Fulfilled prophecy. a) There is a difference in prediction and prophecy. One might look at past and present events and predict future occurrences. Prophecy looks into the future and correctly describes incidents far beyond the ability of man to foresee. b) Fulfilled prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of divine inspiration. Justin Martyr once said, To declare a thing shall come to be, long before it is in being and then bring about that very thing according to the same declaration this, or nothing, is the work of God (Deuteronomy 18:21-22; Jeremiah 28:9). c) According to Isaiah, God rests His claim to deity on His ability to predict the future and then to bring it to pass (41:4; 42:9; 44:7; 46:8-11; 48:3-5). What would you think if you found a book written in 1850 that predicted, in detail, the events of September 11, 2001? Yet that is exactly what the unnamed man of God did when prophesying of Josiah 300 years before he was born (1 Kings 13:2; cp. 2 Kings 23:15-16). d) In Daniel 2 a prophecy predicted the next three world empires (up to and including the Roman Empire) and their falls. If the Bible were not inspired 7 of 8

8 by God, how could its mere human writers possibly have known about events in the distant future? e) The enemy of the Bible must prove all prophecy to be false, or he has failed to destroy the evidence of its supernatural origin. 5. Impartiality. a) A book written by man would seek to minimize the faults of its heroes. However, the Bible deals very frankly with the sins of its characters. (1) The sins of the patriarchs are mentioned (Genesis 12:11-13; 49:5-7). (2) The sins of the people are denounced (Deuteronomy 9:24). (3) David s adultery with Bathsheba is revealed (2 Samuel 11:1-12:25). (4) The gospel writers reveal their own faults and those of the apostles (Matthew 8:10-26; 26:31-56; Mark 6:52; 8:18; Luke 8:24-25; 9:40-45; John 10:6; 16:32). (5) The problems within the church are exposed (1 Corinthians 1:11; 15:12; 2 Corinthians 2:4). b) The Bible focuses on reality, not fantasy. The Bible provides an amazingly objective and perfectly impartial historical account (Hebrews 4:13). 6. The laws of logic. a) Only the Bible can make sense of the standards by which we evaluate whether or not something is true. One such set of standards are the three laws of logic. (1) Law of Identity: Something is what it is. Something that exists has a specific nature. (2) Law of Non-Contradiction: Something cannot be itself and not itself at the same time, in the same way, and in the same sense. (3) Law of Excluded Middle: a statement is either true or false. Thus, the statement, A statement is either true or false, is either true or false. b) We all correctly assume these laws are the same everywhere and apply at all times without exception. Only the Bible can make sense of the laws of logic. But if we do not accept the Bible as true, we are left without a foundation for these laws. c) Atheists will use logic to try and disprove God s existence, but in so doing they are assuming absolute laws of logic for which they have no explanation! The Bible maintains that the laws of logic are absolute because they come from God, who is Himself absolute. His mind is the standard for all knowledge (Colossians 2:3). The non-believer cannot explain this in his own professed worldview, and so he is being irrational: believing something without a good reason. Conclusion. Psalm 14:1 says, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. The belief that God exists is the most reasonable explanation for the order, design, and purpose of the Universe. It is also the most reasonable explanation for the origin and personality of man (Psalm 104:24; Isaiah 40:25-26; Nehemiah 9:6). It must also be said that it will require much more faith for the atheist to maintain their atheism than to trust in Jesus of Nazareth because the Holy Spirit which revealed Him has left us the pages of a completely accurate Bible. 8 of 8