KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVE - Westminster Bookstore

2y ago
23 Views
2 Downloads
1.34 MB
31 Pages
Last View : 1d ago
Last Download : 2m ago
Upload by : Lilly Kaiser
Transcription

KNOW WHYYOU BELIEVEK. SCOTT OLIPHINTJUSTIN S. HOLCOMB, SERIES EDITOR9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 12/22/17 4:00 PM

Books in the Know SeriesKnow the Creeds and Councils, Justin S. HolcombKnow the Heretics, Justin S. HolcombKnow Why You Believe, K. Scott Oliphint9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 22/22/17 4:00 PM

KNOWWHY YOUBELIEVEK. SCOTT OLIPHINTJUSTIN S. HOLCOMB, SERIES EDITOR9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 32/22/17 4:00 PM

ZONDERVANKnow Why You BelieveCopyright 2017 by K. Scott OliphintThis title is also available as a Zondervan ebook.Requests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546ISBN 978-0-310-52597-4All Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version ,NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permissionof Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and“New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patentand Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this bookare offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply anendorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of thesesites and numbers for the life of this book.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic,mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other— except for brief quotations inprinted reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.Art direction: GearboxInterior design: Greg Johnson/Textbook PerfectPrinted in the United States of America17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 /DHV/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 19780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 42/22/17 4:00 PM

To Kyle, Lizzie, Katie, Caroline, and Kelly9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 52/22/17 4:00 PM

CONTENTSAcknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91. Why Believe in the Bible? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132. Why Believe in God? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313. Why Believe in Jesus?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534. Why Believe in Miracles?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725. Why Believe Jesus Rose from the Dead? . . . . . . . 886. Why Believe in Salvation?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087. Why Believe in Life After Death?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1298. Why Believe in God in the Face of ModernScience?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1469. Why Believe in God Despite the Evilin the World?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16410. Why Believe in Christianity Alone? . . . . . . . . . . . . 187Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2179780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 72/22/17 4:00 PM

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSI would like to thank Justin Holcomb for his kind invitation towrite this book and his guidance in its beginning stages. I wouldalso like to thank Madison Trammel at Zondervan for his helpand encouragement along the way.Special thanks to my niece, Katie Oliphint, who patiently readand offered helpful comments on the bulk of this book.89780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 82/22/17 4:00 PM

INTRODUCTIONI believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: notonly because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.— C. S. LewisToward the end of World War II, C. S. Lewis delivered a lectureto the Oxford Socratic Club titled “Is Theology Poetry?” Theepigraph to this introduction is taken from that lecture.1 OnlyChristianity can shed light on everything we think, ask, live, ordo. This is Lewis’s succinct response to the question, “Why Christianity?” In one short statement, he says volumes.Any parent knows the why question can become exhausting.Children have an innate ability to ask it— over and over again.They’re not taught to ask it. Parents spend no time instructingthem about the meaning and importance of asking it. Childrenjust by nature ask it and ask it and ask it again.Why do children instinctively ask why? Answering this questioncould never end. If we answer by saying, “Children instinctivelyask why because it is in their nature to do so,” it raises anotherquestion: “But why is it in their nature?” And on and on it could go.The reason the why question begins at an early age is becausewe are interested in the reasons for the things in our world. Weask the why question for mental and practical relaxation. Whatwe are after in asking why is a place of rest. We want to be able tolive our lives, do our work, watch the news, and relate to others,99780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 92/22/17 4:00 PM

10 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEall the while recognizing the meaning of what we’re doing andwhy we’re doing it. We want more than simply to do things. Wewant to understand things.This is why Lewis’s quote is so striking. It is a sweepingconclusion to the why question. Christianity, for Lewis, is notsimply one thing among many things he believes. Instead, he issaying that he believes in Christianity because it enables him tosee everything in a proper light.Christianity is a way of seeing. It provides a foundation foreverything we think, do, and believe. It gives a proper perspectiveon us and on the rest of the world.Think of reciting the Apostles’ Creed:I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heavenand earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; whowas conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose againfrom the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on theright hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shallcome to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the HolyGhost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and thelife everlasting. Amen.2The question is, “Why do we believe those things?”The following chapters discuss why Christians believe what wedo. The chapters also include objections from those who challengeour reasons for believing what we do. At the end of each chapterare questions to expand understanding of the reasons we gave,followed by suggestions for further reading.9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 102/22/17 4:00 PM

INTRODUCTION 11The source of the topics we will discuss is the Bible. Everything we discuss in this book depends on how we view the Bible.The first chapter in this book is foundational.We can trust the Bible to give us truth. The Bible not onlyis the source of what Christians believe, but it also points us toeverything else in the world— and beyond! It points us to the waythe world is, to who we are, and, most important, to who God is.We could think of the Bible as the eyeglasses through whichwe see everything. If our eyesight is poor, no matter how widewe open our eyes, we do not have a clear view of the things wesee. But through the 20/20 vision of the Bible, we can see clearly.3Christianity is not a religion that has its primary source innature, or in experience, or even in an individual’s salvation.The source for Christianity is the Revealer, Jesus himself, whohas much to say about nature, experience, and salvation. Oursalvation is not something we can earn through works or that wedeserve. Christianity comes to us as a gift from God.The Christian religion stretches all the way back to the beginning of time, where Scripture began. Christianity encompasses theentire history of redemption before the time of Christ, and it tellsus a good deal about what we can expect now and in the future.This is why the quote from C. S. Lewis is so helpful: “I believein Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because Isee it, but because by it I see everything else.” Christians today don’tbelieve Christianity because they’ve seen Christ, or his miracles,or his resurrection, or God. Christians believe because of thetestimony given to us in the Bible. And through Christianity weare able to properly see everything.We begin the book with a discussion of the various things theBible teaches— about God, about Jesus, about miracles, about life9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 112/22/17 4:00 PM

12 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEafter death. We also show how we should think about the Bible’steachings in light of what science is telling us about our world.Each of these topics deserves an entire book. We establish someof the main things that need to be considered in light of theChristian faith.We make one concession: There is no amount of evidence,or discussion, or argument that will, by itself, change anyone’smind to a belief in Christianity. Christianity is a religion of faith,knowledgable faith. Christianity is properly understood only byknowing and trusting in Jesus Christ.We also offer one challenge: While reading this book, theremay be things you simply cannot believe. If so, ask yourself thisquestion: “What am I trusting in that will not allow me to believethis?” We all trust in something— or in some things.The most important question throughout this book will be,“Do I believe this, and, if not, why don’t I believe this?”9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 122/22/17 4:00 PM

CHAPTER 1WHY BELIEVEIN THE BIBLE?It was the wee hours of the morning. I couldn’t sleep, so decidedto see if the television might lull me to sleep. I happened on aninfomercial touting the “amazing success” of a vibrating devicethat fit around your waist and was supposed to shrink your waistby inches! The results this device was supposed to deliver wereunbelievable, literally. The success of sales commercials like thisone has surely diminished now that we can go online and readreviews from users.The infomercial prompted a few questions. Why is such anamazing device sold only through a television commercial? At 3:00a.m.? Why wouldn’t the inventor sell it in prime time? Why notput them in every store in the country? Why don’t I know anyonewho uses this device? There was no hint that the device was new.Yet I had never heard of it. There was something amazing aboutthis device— the amazing inconsistency between its supposedsuccess and the way it was being sold.People are tempted to treat the Bible like this infomercial.Skeptical questions arise quickly. How credible are the Bible’sclaims? Are there people who believe it? Is it too obscure to be139780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 132/22/17 4:00 PM

14 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEread by most people? Is it the equivalent of a product promotedon TV at 3:00 a.m.?A quick look at reviews of the English Standard Version of theBible on Amazon.com reveals two examples: “Better for Arabiannights than actual spirituality. Contradicts itself in the first twosections and it’s racist, encourages slavery, bigoted and generallymakes no sense.” Another reviewer says the Bible is “neither accurate nor truthful.”These reviews make the Bible sound like an infomercial. Whatit says is incoherent, not to mention offensive; it’s neither accuratenor truthful.Despite these bad reviews, the Bible’s track record is strong.According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Bibleremains the bestselling book of all time. Estimates are that morethan seven billion copies have been sold. No other book evencomes close. The Bible has been translated into more than 350languages, making it accessible to billions of people around theworld. It is difficult to think that a book that is “neither accuratenor truthful” would amass the popularity the Bible has over somany years.Why is the Bible so popular?ReasonsThe reasons for believing the Bible are formidable. For the sakeof clarity, we will divide these reasons into external and internal.The external reasons are those that come from outside of the Bibleitself, such as the historical evidence that attests to the Bible’shistory. The internal reasons, which are more definitive, are thosethat the Bible itself contains.9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 142/22/17 4:00 PM

Why Believe in the Bible? 15External ReasonsWhen we ask the question, “Why believe the Bible?” we are askinga specific kind of question, a question that has many sides to it.It might be useful to ask the question this way: “What would ittake for me to believe that what the Bible says is true?” When thequestion is put like this, it becomes more personal.Believing in what the Bible says is not like believing that waterfreezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. We can set up the right conditionsto demonstrate the truth that water freezes at 32 degrees. We canrepeat the demonstration anytime, any place. People can see thewater freeze and believe the truth of the statement.Believing that the Bible is true is not simple. Would you believethe Bible is true if you were certain it is historically accurate?Christianity, unlike other world religions and many cults, is notthe product of one person or of one secret meeting or of a privaterevelation, as is the case, for example, with Islam, Mormonism,and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Christianity is not a private religion. Itis a public religion embedded in the history of the world.Christianity is a religion with historical documentation thatextends back through Judaism to the beginning of time. Muchof Christianity’s history took place in a relatively small part of theworld— the Middle East. The Bible names cities and countriesand regions, many of which still exist today. Archeology continues to unearth the remains of extinct cities, places, and culturesmentioned in the Bible. For example, the Bible states in threedifferent books that King Hezekiah reigned over Judah (2 Kings17–20; Isa. 36–39; 2 Chron. 29–32). Recently, an archeologicaldig in Jerusalem discovered a seal that belonged to him with theinscription, “Belonging to Hezekiah, [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.”19780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 152/22/17 4:00 PM

16 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEThat inscripted seal provides proof of the historical nature of theOld Testament.Archeology keeps adding more and more support to the OldTestament narratives. In the 1990s, an inscription was found thatconfirmed the existence of “the house of King David,” which isdiscussed in the books of the Old Testament.Regarding the history of the New Testament, there are atleast three records describing the existence of Jesus Christ andhis followers done by men outside of Christianity. One is fromJewish historian Josephus (c. AD 37), who wrote that Jesus was aman who did wondrous works and whose followers said he wasthe Messiah. Josephus also recorded the fact that Jesus was putto death by Pilate. Tacitus (c. AD 56–120), also not a Christian,described the first- century persecution of Christians. He attri buted the Christian movement to Jesus Christ, a Jew who waskilled under Pontius Pilate. A man named Pliny (c. AD 61–112)recorded the continuation of Christianity into the second century.He wrote that Christians were meeting weekly to worship Christas if he were God.2These are remarkable factual records from men who werenot part of the Christian movement. In their writing, Josephus,Tacitus, and Pliny recorded some central and crucial Christianteachings and beliefs, including the fact that his followers believedthat Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, and long after his deathon the cross, worshiped him as if he was God. A multitude ofhistorical and cultural evidence shows the historical consistencyof the Old and New Testaments.For those looking for reasons to believe the Bible, however,this evidence can seem to be too weak, unconvincing.The question, “What would it take for me to believe the Bible9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 162/22/17 4:00 PM

Why Believe in the Bible? 17is true?” needs more than just historical records and objects.“Granted there are historical testimonies to the Bible’s history,”you might say, “but what about the books that are included in theBible? Is it possible to confirm their accuracy?”With respect to the Old Testament, much of its confirmationcan be found in the New Testament. From Jesus to his apostles,the attribution of authority and divinity to the Old Testamentis beyond doubt. As for external testimonies to its authority, thediscovery from about 1946 to 1956, of various caves in the WestBank that contained what we call the Dead Sea Scrolls, addedsignificant and substantial support for the reliability of the OldTestament. Of the eleven or so caves containing ancient manuscripts, Cave 5 housed what is thought to be the oldest Hebrewmanuscript, a fragment of the book of Samuel from the thirdcentury BC. The cave also contained a hundred copies of variousbooks of the Bible, adding up to the entire Old Testament exceptEsther.3 In addition to the manuscripts found in the caves near theDead Sea, there are thousands of other manuscripts that confirmthe accuracy of the words given in the Old Testament.What about the New Testament?The sheer number of manuscripts available to confirm theNew Testament is overwhelming, when compared with similardocuments. Counting only texts written in Greek, there are atpresent 5,686 manuscripts that copy part or all of the New Testament, some dating perhaps to the first century!4 By contrast, thesecond most documented work from this time period is Homer’sIliad, which has 646 supporting manuscripts. Other works havefar fewer manuscripts. There are only ten copies of Julius Caesar’sGallic War, eight copies of Thucydides’s History, and only twocopies of the Annals by Tacitus.9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 172/22/17 4:00 PM

18 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEThe thousands of manuscripts of the books of the Bible lendcredence to the material in the Bible. Unlike so many other booksthat we count as real history, there are copies and more copies,extending through centuries, that all confirm the contents ofthe Bible.But maybe you need more evidence. Maybe you need to knowhow it was determined that the books in the Bible are the rightones. Perhaps you need an answer to the question, “Who decidedwhich books would be in and which would be out?”Questions like this tend to center on the books of the NewTestament. When we begin to address the question of the includedbooks, or canon, of the New Testament, we are moving muchcloser to the central focus of our “why believe” question.In a dialogue between two characters, Leigh Teabing andSophie Saint- Clair, Dan Brown, in his popular book (and latermovie) The Da Vinci Code, writes this about the origin of theGospels and of Christianity:[Teabing:] “The Bible is a product of man, my dear.Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically fromthe clouds. Man created it as a historical recordof tumultuous times, and it has evolved throughcountless translations, additions, and revisions.History has never had a definitive version ofthe book.”[Sophie:] “Okay.”[Teabing:] “. . . More than eighty gospels wereconsidered for the New Testament, and yet only arelatively few were chosen . . .”[Sophie:] “Who chose which gospels to include?”9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 182/22/17 4:00 PM

Why Believe in the Bible? 19[Teabing: (with enthusiasm)] “Aha! The fundamentalirony of Christianity! The Bible as we know ittoday, was collated by the pagan Roman emperorConstantine the Great.”5As anyone who was around during the release of this bookand movie can testify, The Da Vinci Code garnered an enormousaudience and created a new generation of Bible skeptics.The problem with the Teabing and Sophie discussion is serious. It has no basis in fact. The notion that Emperor Constantinecollated the books of the New Testament could not be furtherfrom the truth. Any cursory glance at the writings of the second- century church fathers, before Constantine was even on the scene,shows that the books of the New Testament were already in useand affirmed by the Christian churches in the East and in theWest. Constantine, who was responsible for calling the Councilat Nicea in 325 AD, was as dependent on the completed canon ofthe New Testament as anyone else in the fourth century.6 Thereis not one shred of historical evidence for anything that Brownasserts. Nevertheless, for those who would rather remain skepticsthan look at history, Brown’s book provided new fuel.There never was a council called to decide which books toinclude in the New Testament. This might seem strange sinceit is clear that many councils were called periodically to decidesubstantial doctrinal issues in the church.7 Why would there beno council to decide something as fundamental as what books toinclude in the New Testament?One answer to this question has to do with the conditionsthat prompted councils and assemblies to be called in the firstplace. These historic assemblies were not called because various9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 192/22/17 4:00 PM

20 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEchurch leaders were simply interested in developing their theology.Rather, these councils needed to meet to avert and respond toserious doctrinal error in the church.The Council of Nicea (325 AD), for example, was called byEmperor Constantine to affirm the identity and full deity of JesusChrist against the position of Arius and his followers, who argued,with some success, that Christ, while in some ways unique, was notfully God. A little more than a hundred years later, a council had tobe called at Chalcedon to discuss and affirm the two natures in theone person of Jesus Christ. Nicea opposed Arianism; Chalcedonopposed Eutychianism (that Christ had one nature) and Nestorianism (that Christ was two personalities). Oftentimes sound doctrinedeveloped in the church in the face of controversy and error.No council was needed to decide which books to include inthe New Testament. The church understood and recognized fromits earliest days which books contained the authority of Christand which did not. Though there were those who opposed theacceptance of the books, such as Marcion,8 those detractors wereseen as renegades who were at odds with what the church hadalready recognized about the books of the New Testament.The early church received these new books, which eventuallywere called the New Testament. The great Princeton theologianB. B. Warfield wrote,They received new book after new book from the apostolical circle, as equally “Scripture” with the old books, and addedthem one by one to the collection of old books as additionalScriptures, until at length the new books thus added werenumerous enough to be looked upon as another section ofthe Scriptures.99780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 202/22/17 4:00 PM

Why Believe in the Bible? 21Internal ReasonsChristians can remain skeptical despite the historical and manuscript evidence that supports the Bible’s historical integrity. Thatis a natural reaction. As one author put it, “From a strictly evidential perspective, we cannot be absolutely certain of whatbooks are in the canon and whether the canon is closed. Historical evidence as such provides only probability, not certainty.”10External evidence will always remain inconclusive. This meansthat the best we can do with external evidence is “maybe, butmaybe not.”The reason goes back to our illustration of the freezing pointof water. The external evidence that water freezes at 32 degreesFahrenheit is conclusive. For anyone who doesn’t believe it, youcan set up a demonstration and prove its truth, and you can demonstrate it over and over again.Christianity is not like that. Christianity’s proof runs muchdeeper and is much more sweeping than what any scientific orhistorical evidence can show. Christianity is not simply about ahistorical book. It has its focus in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ.A discussion of how we can believe the Bible is true cannot beleft simply with history. It has to involve, first and foremost, arelationship with Jesus.Believing that the Bible is true is more like being in a marriagerelationship than like a scientific experiment. Typically, whena man is interested in getting married to a woman, he will gothrough a period of engagement with her. This period is akinto gathering external evidence of what living with that personwould be like. However, no matter how long the engagement,there can be no marriage relationship until the commitment is9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 212/22/17 4:00 PM

22 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEmade and living together as a married couple begins. Only thenwill one know what marriage is like. A commitment is requiredbefore the reality of marriage can be understood in its fullness.No book can do that; no amount of evidence can produce thatreality. Only the marriage commitment can do it.So it is with Christianity. It makes perfect sense to try to getto know Christianity from the outside. But all we have availableare probabilities and speculations. Only a personal commitmentto Christ brings to light what Christianity actually is.The persuasive reasons for believing the Bible is true have todo with the character of the book itself. Unlike any other literarywork, the 66 books of the Bible were written by many differentpeople over a period of approximately 1,500 years. With sucha diversity, it’s natural to think that the Bible would contain adiversity of religious ideas and truths. This is why so many cultsfocus their religion in one person and one short period of time.It’s much easier that way. But Christianity has never seen suchdiversity as a weakness. The diversity of the Bible is further testimony of its truth.Historically, the internal evidence of the Bible’s truth is focusedon the unity of its diversity. For example, the Westminster Confession of Faith gives a partial list of arguments as evidence thatthe Bible is God’s Word. Those arguments includethe heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts,the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God),the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation,the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entireperfection thereof.119780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 222/22/17 4:00 PM

Why Believe in the Bible? 23All of this internal evidence requires familiarity with the content of Scripture, not just its history. One must sit down and readwhat the Bible says. It doesn’t matter where you begin to read. Ifthere is in Scripture a “consent of all the parts,” then whereverone begins will be consistent with other books and passages onereads along the way.But let’s say you open the Bible and begin at the beginning.The first thing you will read is, “In the beginning God createdthe heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Immediately you will beaware of what the Confession calls “the heavenliness of the matter.”The Bible is not a history book. It is a book given and written inhistory, but its subject matter is more heavenly than historical. Itbegins with creation.But creation is not the beginning of all that exists. Even in thebeginning, God already existed. In the first words of the Bible, weread of him who transcends, even as he establishes, all of creation.From beginning to end, the Bible points us beyond ourselves andbeyond our existence to heaven itself, where God, who is notearthly, has always been.By the “efficacy of the doctrine,” the Confession is pointingus to the application of what Scripture teaches to the lives ofpeople given to us in the Bible. Throughout the Bible, we seeGod in relation with human beings, calling them to various tasks,enlisting their services to accomplish his purposes. Through allof Scripture, God graciously offers life. When, as with Adam, thedecision is made to forego that life and to choose death instead,God steps in and provides a way for life to overcome the deaththat is now the natural condition of all people (see Gen. 3:15).What God does in Scripture and promises throughout Scripture since the time when Adam brought God’s good creation9780310525974 KnowWhyBelieve int SC.indd 232/22/17 4:00 PM

24 KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVEunder a curse, all point to one event— t he coming of God theSon in the person of Jesus Christ. The “efficacy of the doctrine” means that what God teaches and proclaims throughoutScripture comes to pass. It all has its focus in God’s condescension, his “coming down” to save and redeem. That focusreaches its climactic goal in the coming of the Son of God inthe flesh.By the “majesty of the style,” the Confession highlights thetranscendent character of the truth of Scripture. Unlike the truthof the freezing point of water, the truth of Scripture points usoutward and upward, beyond creation, to the very dwelling placeof God. (See, for example, Ps. 90:1.) Once we grasp and own thetruths of Scripture, the very style of those sixty- six books movesus to a life beyond ourselves, to the life that is found only in Godthrough his Son.These and other arguments are given in the Bible to movethose who read it and believe it to a certainty about the truth ofthe Bible and about the one whose truth it is. We cannot graspand own these truths simply by our intellectual efforts. Even if allof the arguments in the Confession were given, more is needed.The Confession concludes with this: “Yet notwithstanding, ourfull persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divineauthority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearingwitness by and with the Word in our hearts.”Whenever we contemplate why we believe the Bible, or whenever we attempt to give reaso

Books in the Know Series Know the Creeds and Councils, Justin S. Holcomb Know the Heretics, Justin S. Holcomb Know Why You Believe, K. Scott Oliphint 9780310525974_KnowWhyBelieve_int_SC.indd 2

Related Documents:

At St. Paul’s Church Fellowship Hall (Corner of Green and Bond Streets in Westminster) 17 Bond St, Westminster, MD 21157 2014 Mid Winter Rally Boys & Girls Club of Westminster, Inc. 25 Union St. Westminster, MD 21157 Date: Saturday, Februa

I believe, I believe, I believe that dreams come true, If you wish for a dream by a wishing well, Don't tell your wish or you'll break the spell, It may sound naive, but that's what I believe. And when it's christmas, I try to believe in santa claus, Why do I believe, I guess that I believe because I believe, I believ

Keep reading to find out how to know what you believe, and what that can mean to your life. 4 Chapter 1. Who Do I Believe In and Why? People constantly ask me how I know that Christianity is real and all other religions false. They ask me how do I know what to believe, who do I believe andFile Size: 286KBPage Count: 43

75 Westminster Bridge Road is a 5 storey office building set in an ‘L’ shape. Access to the building is gained from Westminster Bridge Road. Upton Church Hall occupies a double height space below the southern wing of 75 Westminster Bridge Road however with no internal access between the two buildings.

Westminster does not discriminate, and will not tolerate discrimination, on the basis of religion or creed. Inquiries may be directed to the equal opportunity officer, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001, 724-946-7247. This Graduate Catalog is for information only and cannot be considered binding on the College. Westminster .

1 2018 Report Westminster Abbey Contents (Front Cover) Her Majesty The Queen greets Patrick from the Abbey Choir after the annual Commonwealth Service in March. 2 — 11 The Dean of Westminster The Very Reverend Dr John Hall 12 — 17 The Sub-Dean, Archdeacon of Westminster and Can

About The Westminster Kennel Club – The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster's influence has been felt for more than a century through its famous all-breed, benched dog show held every year at New York City's

Secara keseluruhan buku ini terdiri dari 13 bab mencakup tentang: Pengertian dan Ruang Lingkup Perpajakan, Ketentuan Umum dan Tata Cara Perpajakan, Pajak Penghasilan Umum, PPh 21/26, PPh 22, PPh 23/26, PPh 24, PPh 25, PPh 26, PPh 4 (2) PPN dan PPnBM, PBB-BPHTB dan Bea Meterai. Harapan diterbitkannya buku ini semoga memberikan manfaat bagi pengguna yang menaruh perhatian besar pada perkembangan .