insideout magazine: online article (disclaimer: i did not write this!!)

God’s Word under Attack

11/1/2007

Author: Daryle Williams

This assault on the Word of God has not ceased; the Scriptures continue to be aggressively attacked from two sides.

Have you ever considered the fact that the Word of God was attacked in the very first conversation recorded in Scripture? Adam and Eve had only one law to obey: “Don’t eat from that tree!” It seems so simple, yet the initial verses of Genesis 3 record that Satan undermined God’s motive in an effort to persuade Adam and Eve to violate the one and only holy law.

This assault on the Word of God has not ceased; the Scriptures continue to be aggressively attacked from two sides. First, there are the obvious ones on the outside who avidly oppose the Word of God and seek to end to its very existence. Second, and far more dangerous, are those who claim to believe God yet deliberately denigrate His Word in an effort to minimize its importance.

The first group, the outsiders if you will, is very obvious in its action against Scripture. Generally, they use “scientific facts” as a platform from which to launch their criticisms. However, this arrogance is unfounded because their “platform” is itself unstable, given that today half of what was considered to be a “known fact” five years ago has been proven false and replaced by new theories.

Please understand, I do believe in the study of science and think that we should pursue understanding. But science is just that: a study of how things work. Given that all scientists are fallible humans, it is inevitable that there are going to be some mistakes. For example, on July 19, 2007, two Associated Press articles, one by Randolph E. Schmid and the other by Jeanna Bryner, detailed discrepancies between supposed known facts and recent discoveries.

Conversely, the Bible has been proven accurate in all of its scientific mentions. For example, Genesis 1:11 says, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” In this one verse Moses cataloged the earth’s structure of plants. Today, four thousand years removed, botanists still divide plants into the same three categories; acotyledons (grass or the seedless plants), monocotyledons (seed-bearing plants), and dicotylidons (fruit bearing plants). At first glance, accuracy in detailing plant structure would not seem so important. But it is just that inerrancy (the state of not being wrong AT ALL) in every detail is a must if it is truly a divine book. This Word is first and foremost a handbook on building a relationship between divinity and humanity, but it also has proven accurate in its statements concerning science, history, economics, and other innumerable subjects.

The second group of Bible bashers is a far more subtle bunch. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing who approach the Word of God as though they are believers. Yet at the same time, via dubious questioning, they sow seeds of doubt. They appear concerned and sincere, but their agenda is to diminish the value of the Word.

For example, consider an article written by Protestant Pastor Oliver “Buzz” Thomas for the USA Today newspaper entitled “When Religion Loses Its Credibility.” Supposedly, the purpose of the article is to help the church graciously admit error in its teachings against homosexuality. The premise of his argument is that we should not absolutely adhere to Paul’s writings concerning homosexuality for two reasons:

medical science will soon prove that this sexual orientation is genetic,

and Jesus never mentioned homosexuality.

First, concerning the scientific aspect, no credible medical science exists to validate the theory that homosexuality is genetic, yet Thomas bases his argument on what he expects scientists to discover. That goes against the most basic principle of the scientific method.

Second, concerning Thomas’s complaint that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, there are a lot of other things besides homosexuality that Jesus did not speak about. If we were to apply Thomas’s logic to all of those subjects, we could ignore all of them as well. But this would be wrong, for Jesus considered the entire Old Testament (the only Scripture there was at the time) to be the inspired Word of God. Many times He referred to Old Testament authors as prophets. In fact, Jesus said the Old Testament prophets began with Abel and continued until Zechariah, which covers the entire Old Covenant period. As God’s fleshly manifestation, Jesus’ view of the Old Testament is the correct view. Also, concerning the New Testament, Jesus promised that His apostles would be reminded of His teachings and that they would be preserved from error. Therefore, the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, and we cannot, as Thomas suggests, ignore any of it.

It is clear the adversaries of the Word want to destroy it, and the underlying reason for their attack is that they want to liberate themselves to live as they please. In his letter to the Romans Paul states, “Where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). In other words, if there is no absolutely true Word of God, then there is no sin. If there is no sin, then there is also no wrath and we are free to pursue hedonism. The Bible, however, is so much more than a book of laws … it is a gracious guide to our salvation.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:18-20).

Yes, the Word of God has withstood vicious attack, not only in the modern era, but throughout the ages. But I for one am confident that it will endure untainted and emerge victorious when heaven and earth have passed away!