Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5)

The Question
Hasn’t science disproved the Bible (9)?
For not a few years, back in the 19^th century, respectable people – many of them scientists – believed you could discern something about the personality of an individual, and perhaps even affect his health and wellbeing, by studying the shape of his head.

Bumps, valleys, ridges, and ruts were all the rage during the years that phrenology was regarded as a trusted way of gathering insight to human behavior.

But for many scientists and others, phrenology failed to answer a good many questions, and the logic behind the practice of this pseudo-science was less than compelling. It’s not surprising, therefore, that the scientific community relegated phrenology to the dust bin of history.

The same has occurred with other once-trusted scientific theories. Whereas, at one time, disciplines like alchemy, tests such as the tongue-test for determining whether an artifact is a fossil or a stone, and beliefs like that of a cosmic aether as the backdrop for all existence – whereas these once held sway among thinking people, they have since been largely abandoned (although in the field, some archaeologists might still lick a sample as a preliminary way of determining its composition).

The point is that, within the field of scientific activity, where people are seeking ways to explain and improve the world, certain hopeful practices or positions might be embraced for a time, only to be laid aside for better explanations because they lack the power to compel confidence.

Remember the dreaded return of the ice-age, which was all the rage before global warming stole the show?

People just don’t hold on to cherished beliefs and practices once these have been shown to be unreliable and untrue. Among the members of the scientific community, those protocols and explanations that stand the test of time, with widespread agreement and use, are regarded as most reliable, most to be trusted, and most true.

So when representatives of that community smugly announce that science has disproved the Bible, they fail to consider their own practice when it comes to testing for reliability. For certainly the Bible has not been proved to be false, unreliable, untrustworthy, or untrue for multiplied millions of people, spanning thousands of years, and living in every kind of cultural, social, and economic condition. We began this series by talking about the widespread distribution of the Bible and its durability through the centuries. The reason this is the case is that God has superintended the preservation of His Word, and He has done so, at least in part, by demonstrating its power to save, nurture, equip, guide, counsel, and bless vastly more people, in more periods of time, than any other single artifact of history.

Has science proved to you that the Bible is not true? That God is not holy and righteous and good? His Word is not powerful to save and transform? His love and justice are not to be preferred to the unbridled, self-centered ways of those who prefer their own ideas and plans to those of Scripture? That Jesus never lived, or that He remains in some as-yet-undiscovered tomb? That the Spirit of God is not the source of comfort or power for witness? Has science proved to you that the message of Scripture is not consistent, and consistently beautiful? That its insights to human life and the workings of the world are far-fetched and untrue? That sin is not a powerful and destructive condition in human life? That people will not believe the Lie rather than the truth of God if it suits their preferred morality?

If science has not proved such things to you, know that it has not disproved the teaching of Scripture to uncounted millions who, like yourself, don’t get too worked up about the rantings of a few members of the scientific community to the effect that God doesn’t exist and His Word is not true.

Granted, mere subjectivity is not always a reliable path to truth. But the shared insights and experience of people throughout history, demonstrated in a plenitude of good works and sound words, is surely something more than mere subjectivity. Scripture declares itself to be true, reliable, powerful, and a resource to inspire and direct people for good works. The record of history – and doubtless of your own life – is that Scripture’s claim is altogether reliable and true.

And nothing science might do or say will ever be able to change or disprove that.

We’ll look at part 10, the final installment of this series, next Sunday. Now here’s a recap from this week at The Ailbe website.

Weekly Review
Grace is the base currency of the Kingdom economy, and we spend the grace God gives us in all the relationships, roles, and responsibilities of our lives. Download the free PDF for Kingdom Currency, which is part 4 of our 10-part series on The Kingdom Economy, by clicking here.

“Crosfigell” is a Gaelic word that means “cross vigil.” It describes a practice of praying for extended periods of time with arms outstretched to God.Our Crosfigell column addresses particular aspects of spiritual life and growth every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, following Scripture and the counsel of our Celtic Christian forebears. You can review this week’s installments by clicking here.

Our Scriptorium column worked through Acts 14 and into Acts 15, as Paul and Barnabas returned from their first missionary journey, only to find trouble brewing on the home front. Download all 14 studies in this series by clicking here.

Is “hate” a four-letter word? Not necessarily, as I argued in Thursday’s The Week column. Hate is a legitimate affection, but only when engaged within a framework of love and according to the teaching of Scripture.

Saturday’s In the Gates column showed us how God’s Law leads us to be good stewards of our environment, and how the environment can remind us of our need for God’s Law.

Visit our website and bookstore to discover additional resources and publications to help you in your walk with and work for the Lord. Subscribe to more of our instructional newsletters. Read John Nunnikhoven’s daily Voices Together column. And while you’re at the website, watch the videos introducing our Men’s Prayer Movement and offering you an opportunity to assess the state of your Christian worldview.

T. M. Moore

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