Some have opined that while the Bible CAN be trusted with things like faith, the unknown and early history, its revelation is UNRELIABLE in matters of science.
For instance, the Bible teaches the origin of life as an act of God. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The word “created” translates the Hebrew “bara” (בָּרָא), which literally means to “shape out, or fashion; to found,” in reference to a creation out of nothing, what NEVER previously existed. Occurring a total of fifty-five times in Scripture, a majority of its usages are to describe divine activity (i.e. what only God can do).
The word “bara” (בָּרָא) is used for:
• the creation of the Heaven and the Earth.
Isaiah 45:18 (NKJV)
18 For thus says the Lord, Who CREATED the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.
• the creation of man.
Malachi 2:10 (NKJV)
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God CREATED us?…
• God creating new situations and circumstances.
Isaiah 57:19 (NKJV)
19 “I CREATE the FRUIT OF THE LIPS: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.”
• transformations.
Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)
10 CREATE in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Isaiah 41:20 (NKJV)
20 That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has CREATED it.
Isaiah 65:17-18 (NKJV)
17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I CREATE; for behold, I CREATE Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
This word “bara” (בָּרָא) shows that creation is within God’s power. It is seldom used for man’s actions.
Joshua 17:15 (NKJV)
15 So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and CLEAR (bara) a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”
When used for man, he is not CREATING anything new, but rather UTILIZING what God has ALREADY made.
So the Bible is crystal clear that whatever exists does so by the power of God. Surprisingly, some scientists have denied this fact. They teach that there is no evidence for a Divine Intelligent Being, who made all things. Some have even gone further to teach what is called “The Big Bang Theory” which claims that ALL we see today evolved over billions of years from electric charges. But the Bible is clear that God made Heaven and Earth in six days (see Genesis 1).
Just examining how complex creation is makes the assertion that we came from electric charges ridiculous. The Big Bang Theory also faces A LOT of scientific problems (such as the missing monopoles problem, the flatness problem, anti matter problem etc). This theory does not agree with SEVERAL scientific laws. No honest examiner of nature will hold on to self-evolution, as the source of all life. But many scientists today dishonestly do so. Thus science often stands as an antagonist or enemy to the Bible and the faith it presents.
Science asserts that the Bible is incompatible with its findings. The Bible is often dismissed by scientists as a myth, legend, or fairytale. The key fact to note about this assertion is that the Bible was not meant to be a science textbook. It is a Book of FAITH! However, it DOES speak of scientific facts OCCASIONALLY, as an aside to its intent and message, which is salvation through faith in Christ.
2 Timothy 3:15 says, “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are ABLE to make you wise FOR salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This verse READILY shows the purpose of the Scriptures. It is not to make the reader wise for science, medicine or biology. It is to teach SALVATION, which comes by faith in Christ. This is the SCOPE of the Bible, and this scope SHOULD NOT be expanded to accommodate innovations in science.
To say that the Bible is PRIMARILY a book of faith, however, does not do away with its scientific aspects as well. Bible history often records statements of faith, which enter into the realm of science. For example, Jesus’ resurrection is a FACT which was AUTHENTICATED by an empty tomb.
Matthew 28:5-6 (NKJV)
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 HE IS NOT HERE; for HE IS RISEN, as He said. Come, SEE THE PLACE WHERE THE LORD LAY.
An empty tomb was OBSERVED to reach that conclusion (science works by observation). An empty tomb is not the only evidence here, He was also seen by hundreds of eyewitnesses.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NKJV)
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that HE WAS SEEN by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that HE WAS SEEN by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that HE WAS SEEN by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all HE WAS SEEN by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Eyewitnesses saw this fact, testified of it in their writings and even died for it! Who would willingly die for a lie?
Also, Adam and Eve CANNOT be myths. They are identified as REAL people who existed at the beginning of the world (see Gen 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 1 Tim 2:13-14). If they are myths, then the Bible’s teaching on sin and the origin of evil into the world (Gen 3, Rom 5:12-21) holds no weight.
In both the story of the resurrection and that of Adam and Eve, theology is intertwined with science. Faith is derived from ACTUAL EVENTS that occurred.
Jesus often used REAL events to teach spiritual truth. For instance, in Matthew 12:40, He uses the story of Jonah in the whale’s belly to teach His burial, “For AS Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, SO will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
So, Jesus CONFIRMS that this story ACTUALLY happened. Jonah was REALLY swallowed by a large fish and preserved by the power of God, till it regurgitated him (see Jonah 1:17, 2:10). The teaching on Jesus’ burial loses its weight if Jonah was not really swallowed by a great fish, since Jesus draws a parallel between both events.
Jesus CONTINUALLY affirmed that the history the Bible RECORDED was ACCURATE—if we cannot trust the Bible with earthly things, how much more the spiritual? The Bible’s inspiration is therefore not limited to spiritual things, but also physical. WHATEVER the Bible says about any subject (be it science, mathematics or biology) is TRUE, because it is inspired of God (2 Tim 3:16) and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
© Josh Banks Ministries. 2022.
