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Chapter 2: The Bible in the Modern World
The Bible in the Modern World
If the Bible is the authoritative
Word of God, what should we expect to find in it? Should it give us all the information
we might ever find useful? Should we disregard all other books and consider the Bible
the only reliable source of knowledge on every subject?
Some have viewed the Bible in this light, thinking of it as the complete source of
all important knowledge, an exhaustive textbook or encyclopedia. The Bible, however,
makes no such claim. It is largely silent on thousands of topics. A well-rounded
education should include the study of many subjects-health, business, economics,
the sciences and history-that are not detailed in the Bible. God's Word does not
discuss every aspect of human knowledge. It does, however, excel in the spiritual
realm.
Significant human discoveries
Able and talented people through the ages-believers of the Bible as well as skeptics-have
gained expertise and understanding in many disciplines. Some have conducted scientific
experiments. Others have recorded what man has learned through trial and error. Through
simple observation many have discovered, or recognized the existence of, the natural
laws that govern the universe. Their research has helped us understand our world.
For example, researchers have discovered the existence of principles of health that
govern the functioning of our bodies. They have added enormously to the body of knowledge
and to human longevity.
The written works of men are useful, but we need to realize that the Bible fills
a void that no other book can fill: It tells us the purpose for which human beings
have been created. Although many other books contain kernels of wisdom, this book
reveals as no other the wisdom and understanding inspired from the mind of God
Himself.
This book contains eternal truths we could not discover on our own. When we understand
the Bible's true spiritual significance, all other books pale before it. By reading
and applying its revealed knowledge, we can reap immeasurable benefits both now and
forever. ". . . Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise
of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1Timothy 4:8).
The Bible is God's gift to mankind, the absolute authority and ultimate judge of
human behavior and morality. It reveals the way mankind should walk (Psalm 119:105),
as taught by the Being who created man (Genesis 1:26-27).
It discloses the way of life that brings happiness. As King David, the author of
many of the Psalms, wrote: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel
of the ungodly . . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in
His law he meditates day and night . . . Whatever he does shall prosper"
(Psalm 1:1-3). Here David refers to the law of God as revealed in the Bible as the
proper way to live.
What kind of book is the Bible?
What kind of instruction from God does humanity need? When God created mankind, He
instilled in us a high degree of intelligence, curiosity and capacity for learning.
He gave each of us a mind that can gather and store knowledge and pass it on to succeeding
generations. Through time humans have used this intelligence to observe, describe,
discover and build. People have used their minds to record vast amounts of knowledge.
God did not need to give man a book that contained information he could learn on
his own. Instead, God gave man a mind with which he could acquire and develop an
abundance of useful knowledge. What man needed was a book containing information
he could never discover alone-knowledge that must be divinely revealed.
That is the information God has provided. That is precisely what the Bible
is. It is a book of spiritual truth. But it also contains information about the material
world. God's unfolding of spiritual truths to real, physical humans took place in
real, physical settings and among actual, historical events.
The Bible, then, provides us a great deal of physical knowledge. It relates information
on material matters such as the ordering of the physical world. It gives us information
on the orderly functioning of society. It addresses basic principles of success in
occupational and financial matters. It imparts guidelines of nutrition and health.
The Bible describes many types of personal relationships. It addresses principles
of psychological and mental health. It provides rudimentary information that touches
on the physical sciences. But it does not treat any of these areas exhaustively,
because God has given us the ability to search out these matters ourselves.
Harmony of Bible and science
The word science means knowledge, emanating from the Latin scientia, derived
from scire, "to know."
Mankind's store of scientific knowledge is impressive, but we should realize the
limits to our knowledge. Perhaps the most vivid example of man's ability to increase
knowledge is found in what is known as "Moore's Law." In 1979 Gordon Moore,
co-founder of Intel Corp., predicted that "microprocessor power would double
every 18 months for the foreseeable future . . . Dr. Moore was right"
(MacUser, November 1996, p. 25).
"Moore's Law" demonstrates man's ability to multiply knowledge exponentially.
As new information is gathered, recorded, verified, analyzed and compared, prior
knowledge must be reevaluated in light of new discoveries. Scientific theories long
assumed to be fact routinely crumble in the face of new findings.
Although not a science book, the Bible contains scientific knowledge. The information
included in the Bible is true and verifiable, and harmonizes-once all the facts are
known-with scientific knowledge. Jesus Christ said of God the Father, "Your
word is truth" (John 17:17). The apostle Paul noted that God cannot lie
(Titus 1:2). If these statements are accurate, we should expect nothing but accuracy
from the Holy Scriptures.
As we examine the Bible for accuracy, we will see that when God's Word speaks we
should listen. Although some skeptics will never be fully satisfied, we will see
that the Bible has proven to be accurate and true to those willing to objectively
view all the evidence. The Bible harmonizes with true knowledge. Apparent contradictions
in Scripture are just that: only apparent. The whole scientific record has
not yet been discovered by man. There is much yet to be learned.
In some areas of scientific analysis, the physical evidence simply no longer exists,
or major parts of it remain to be found. This is particularly true in archaeology.
Many events described in the Bible occurred before humankind had developed reliable
and enduring written records, and still other events took place even before humans
existed. Historical records alone can neither prove nor disprove the biblical accuracy
of such events. We will demonstrate, however, that evidence unearthed to date does
harmonize with and verify portions of the biblical record.
Scientists and laymen alike will continue to examine the evidence in our physical
world and in the scientific record. As they do this, the harmony between Scripture
and science will grow increasingly apparent.
©1999 United Church of God, an International Associtaion
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