Monday, September 11, 2017

Two Infallible Books

There exist two books available to mankind that are both true and infallible: the Bible and nature. When mankind reads the Bible, he learns about his Creator, God. When mankind reads nature, he learns about his world. The theologian is the God-appointed interpreter of the Bible. The scientist is the God-appointed interpreter of nature. While both books are true and infallible, human interpretations are not. Interpretation occurs in both theology and science. That means there is a possibility of making interpretive errors in both fields.

When man is not filled with and lead by the Holy Spirit, in the Word and praying daily, he runs great risk of misinterpreting the Bible. When man ignores the unchanging laws that govern our universe, even bypassing the scientific method (experimentation, observation, repetition), he runs great risk of misinterpreting nature. The evidence for both is unmistakable, except to those who have an agenda to prove and to push. When interpreting the Bible, one must look to the context (immediate [surrounding verses], sectional [surrounding chapters], and/or canonical [other passages]). When interpreting nature, one must also look to the context (related data, time in history, the rest of the world).

If scientific claims begin and end at the hypothesis, then it is not science. When claims are made that each layer of rock is millions of years old, an intelligent man needs only point to trees standing upright through multiples of these layers. When claims are made pertaining to dinosaurs, an intelligent man needs only point to evidence found in every country around the world that contradicts those claims. When claims are made pertaining to language, such as "unicorn," an intelligent man needs only point out what the word meant to the original audience. Context is important when interpreting both the Bible and nature. When it is ignored, the interpretation risks being in grave error to the truth.

Truth is like mathematics; there is only one right answer. Our entire universe obeys the rules of mathematics. Opinions are not worth their weight in salt. Opinions are like balloons; facts are like needles to balloons. When facts are presented, opinions must bow before the facts. The Bible and nature are both true. They both point in the same direction. They both point to and reveal the Creator, God. Hence why Paul says what he says in Romans 1:18-21:
". . . that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood 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."