[ 2 ]. Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1983, p. 791…
Oswalt first learned about the issues in “The Bible Among the Myths” while taking a class taught by Dennis Kinlaw at Asbury Theological Seminary. His interest in the subject has grown since with graduate study and his own classes which he taught. William F. Albright, his students, and G. Ernest Wright led the rethinking of the evolutionary paradigm within the philosophy of Idealism. Although they believed the differences between the ways the Israelites thought and their neighbor’s thoughts of reality caused no evolutionary explanation to show, today it is found that Israelite faith can be explained by evolutionary change. Scholars today say that it is no longer about the differences between the two, but more about the similarities. Oswalt believed this was due to previous theological and philosophical convictions and not a change in data. From the 1950’s on, this change became hard for people to accept because it meant that we did not have control of our lives, and could not fend for ourselves.…
Therefore applying what Anna Faith Smith, Assistance Dean of the College of Theology, who stated “If we hear something that we think is from God and it is contradictor to the Old or New Testaments we know it is not of God because God does not contradict himself” (Grand Canyon…
I know for myself being a Christian follower there are still some questions that I have as to why certain things came to be as they did, even with all the information that my religion has about it. We as humans want to know the answers to things and are constantly looking for clarity.…
This is more than disagreement, and it's not just about a personal issue with Kristine and Jonathan, they're not the only ones who haven't fully heard me and responded based on assumptions. In the last year I've been accused of being "heretical" of being "antinomian" of being "a false teacher" of being "a biblicist who goes around arguing against sound biblical and historical theology" of being "outside of God's will" of denying "the very thing Christ instituted" etc., and those false accusations came from fellow Christians, two of them I know are pastors. If you're like me and are naive (or rather foolish) enough to speak your mind and or to reveal your heart, the accusations and assumptions follow and then; they ignore as though I'm not even…
Does faith have a legitimate link to science and the methods by which we gain knowledge and understanding? Some would be quick to reply that just as our government has placed a dividing line between churches and state that science and the Bible do not mix. But from a Christian perspective how can we say the same when we understand the foundation of all truth comes from God. In Colossians 1:16 in the Amplified Bible it reads: “For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him” (Bible Gateway, 2012). In Revelations 4:11 it reads, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created” (2012). If God is the created of all things, and science its methods and how we obtain knowledge and learn are a function of God’s work in us, how can we say the two are separate entities unto themselves. Really we cannot. This Paper will examine these very facts and methods as they pertain to man and God and what the correlation is between Science, faith, man and God.…
The first 39 books of the larger work called the Bible, is called the Old Testament. The Bible itself is arguably the best selling and most read book of all time, yet it’s well known to be quite challenging to read through and understand. The Old Testament portion of the Bible, notably the most difficult portion of the Bible for most to study and follow, yields 39 books from multiple authors, and spans over 4000 years of crucial world and church history. If that were not enough to take on, the Old Testament comes our way through multiple styles of authorship and formats, including but not limited to, books of history, law, proverbs, ethics, philosophy, treatises, dramas, songs, epics, biographies, and letters. There have been many books written and published to survey, explain, and/or bring to light the Old Testament, but none more helpful to me than the review subject of this paper, the work of Dr. Elmer L. Towns, entitled “A Journey Through the Old Testament”.…
While Oswalt concedes that his viewpoint presented within this book is not definitive and all encompassing the argument is for the Bible to determine the starting place of such an investigation. Essentially, that, the Bible is quite capable of answering many of it’s own questions and evidence that supports the Bible’s claim to have been brought about through revelation be given the attention in which it deserves. In contrast, Oswalt argues that the fundamental disbelief to even such a possibility should have no place within…
No human being is capable of grasping the truth of our existence, or the existence our universe and all that reside within. All we can do is attempt to comprehend what God’s purpose in his creation of our universe. Throughout the existence of humanity, we have declared this understanding as the “Logos” or “Truth”. To reach Logos would be the greatest achievement that any man or woman could achieve, yet this is something that is unheard of. Throughout history man has attempted to achieve logos, while others determined reasons why man will never be able to attain it.…
In The Bible Among the Myths, Oswalt states, “If the historical basis on which the supposed revelation [the Bible] rested was false, then why should we give any special credence to the ideas resting on that basis” (p. 31). Please post a 400-word response to Oswalt’s statement. Seek to answer whether or not one could trust a historically false document to be theologically accurate? If not, why? If so, how? While sources are not required, you may support your answer from the Bible, your textbooks, or other sources as you see fit.…
In Walton’s Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament, he writes, “ With no revelation . . . there was no way to know what pleased and what angered . . . This is the plight of those who live in a world without revelation. In the end, for all of their conscientious ritual, they did not know what deity wanted” (p. 145). Please post a 400-word response to Walton’s statement. Discuss the importance of revelation to God and the biblical writers. Seek to answer questions like “Was it important for God to reveal himself to mankind? If so, in what ways has God revealed himself? How important was revelation to the prophets who often used the phrase 'Thus says the Lord?'” While sources are not required, you may support your answer from the Bible, your textbooks, or other sources as you see fit./>…
More importantly, the entire Christian faith has its foundation on the authority of the Scriptures. But what if fault were to be found in the Bible? To find error in the Scriptures would invalidate the church, Christianity and God himself. This necessitates a study of the inerrancy of the Scriptures. By gaining a thorough understanding of inerrancy Christians will be better equipped to understand and communicate what we believe and why we believe…
The Gospel is the “Good News” that Jesus Christ who was sinless sacrificed His life in order to pay the debt for our sins and restore our relationship with God. It is by faith that we receive salvation and not by our works. But unfortunately, there are quite a few false views on the Gospel. Some of these false views include the teachings of Islam, Jehovah Witnesses, Latter Day Saints/Mormons.…
Distinguish the character and limitations of truth as derived by revelation and by the scientific method.…
Doubting and questioning gospel principles and doctrines helps our testimonies become stronger. It is part of a normal process to doubt and question gospel doctrines. Some would have us think that we should believe every principle and doctrine of the gospel blindly, without question. This, however is not what the Lord intends for his disciples. In James 1:5 we read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (Bible King James Version) It is important to study and pray by faith to gain personal revelation.…