Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeExclusiveWhat Does The Bible Say About Science

What Does The Bible Say About Science

What Does The Bible Say About Science

Does the Bible Contradict Science? Book of Genesis Explained Bible Study 3

Humanitys quest for truth and discovery accelerated during the Enlightenment. Through various intellectual disciplines such as philosophy and science, people sought to discover the diverse facets of truth itself. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the philosophy of empiricism began to take hold of the hard sciences and excluded God from any discussion regarding the physical world. This was a vital stage in our history that led the way to the divorce between science and religion. At one time, it was the very belief in God that inspired scientific discovery because people believed the universe was created through intelligence. This meant there was logic and order to the world that made scientific discovery possible in the first place. Sadly, over time, a rift formed between religion and science. Human reason was given precedence over Gods Word to explain the deepest questions of life. Eventually, religion was treated as unnecessary, unsubstantiated baggage that hinders discussion on the nuts and bolts of reality. It is commonly seen as a delusional opinion which colors and obscures our noble quest for truth.

In no way are these examples comprehensive. Rather, they are intended to demonstrate how Scripture has laid the foundational principles which no scientific endeavor can escape.

What does the Bible say about science in general?

What does the Bible say about science regarding cloning?

What does the Bible say about science regarding evolution?

Statements Consistent With Physics

  • The Bible suggests the presence of nuclear processes like those we associate with nuclear weaponry. This is certainly not something that could have been explained in 67 AD using known scientific principles . 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
  • The television is a practical device that uses electromagnetic waves . The Bible contains passages that describe something like televisionsomething that allows everyone on earth see a single event. Matthew 24:30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Revelation 11:9-11Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

Should Christians Trust Scientific Experts

The issue of expertise lurks underneath the surface of most discussions around Christianity and science. Christians separate into different camps about the proper role for scientific experts or, more fundamentally, whether experts can be trusted. But it is an issue that one cannot avoid. Most Christians evaluate the compatibility of evolution and Christian faith do not have advanced schooling in science or biblical and theological studies. Consequently, they will have to decide whether, or to what degree, they will accept expert opinions about scientific and biblical matters.

The idea of having to trust an experts opinion raises worries, which are understandable. How can I be sure that the expert is correct when, as a layperson, I do not have the training to verify what he or she says? To believe an expert requires trust, and trust always carries an element of risk.

The New Testament contains warnings about being misled by the seemingly knowledgeable. In First Corinthians, for example, Paul says : Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Paul in this chapter explains why he did not come to the Corinthians in the eloquent style of Greek philosophy, which caused some to doubt his authority. Paul says the ornate style of Greek rhetoric is deceptive because these philosophers do not understand the message of the cross.

Also Check: Is Rhema Bible College Accredited

How Did Vaccines Get On The Scene

The very basic premise that began the notion of needing vaccines is called the germ theory.

In the mid-1800s, Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory, the idea that germs are the cause of all disease. He then developed pasteurization, a way to heat food and kill microbes that may cause illness or disease. But, pasteurization also kills beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

His contemporary, Antione Beauchamp, came out with an opposite theory called the terrain theory. This theory highlights that healthy food, hygiene, and lifestyle affect a persons terrain or immune system.

Interestingly, its widely accepted that Pasteur said on his deathbed that Beauchamp was right, its all about the terrain. However, the germ theory flourished and is still accepted today. It is what our modern medical system, and vaccines, are based on.

When Dealing With Disease Hands Should Be Washed Under Running Water

What Does The Bible Say About Geology?

The Bible

Hebrew English
When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.

This seems fine advice! Wash your hands in fresh water, and the freshest water is always at the source where it’s running. But let’s take Leviticus 15 in a wider context for a moment. The verses immediately after states:

On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement before the LORD for the man because of his discharge.

…nothing particularly “science-like” there. Let’s also look at what this “discharge” is by skipping to the end of Leviticus 15:

These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen.

Ignoring the actual context of Leviticus and focusing solely on the instruction about bathing, this can be interpreted as potentially decent advice regarding hygiene. Regardless it certainly wasn’t interpreted that way by anyone until well after the discovery of modern antiseptic practices in the 19th century. .

Science now

Science then

Recommended Reading: Bible Against Race Mixing

Scripture And Philosophical Extrapolations Of Science

Perhaps the most common way that Scripture affects the way we look at the natural world, in relation to science, is in the philosophical and religious extrapolations which are added to scientific results. Very often, Christians and non-Christians look at the same scientific results, agree about the scientific theories which best explain the data, but draw very different conclusions based on their religious and philosophical beliefs. For example, Christians and non-Christians agree that planets orbit around the sun in stable, repeatable patterns which we can model with natural laws of gravity and motion. A deist might interpret this as saying that the solar system was set up by God, but God is now distant and no longer involved. A Christian could look at the same scientific data and theories through the lens of Scripture and come to a different interpretation. God is not absent from events which we can explain scientifically rather, God continually sustains creation, and natural laws describe how God usually governs creation.

Principle : There Are Different Types Of Expertise

As a first approximation, I will distinguish between three areas to which expertise can be applied. These distinctions will help when thinking about when we should trust experts and when we should not.

First, there are physical skills, such as when a plumber is able to repair your plumbing or a physicist is able to shoot alpha particles through tin foil. Physical skills are typically easier to verify because they make some difference in the world that non-experts can see, at least in principle. Moreover, physical skills produce outcomes that often can be measured. We know that David Ortiz is an expert hitter because we can compare his slugging percentage to other baseball players. Because physical skills make a difference in the world, we have much more confidence in the legitimacy of the expertise. Even in cases where, for example, we doubt the recommendations of an incompetent plumber, we do not doubt the legitimacy of the plumbing profession itself.

Recommended Reading: What Does The Bible Say About Unforgiveness

Scientific Facts You Never Knew Were In The Bible

When did Bible and fact become antonyms? How does the math work for scientific discovery to trump the word of God? Actually, scientific discovery is just that. Its just discovering the complexity of Gods creation. But, dont take my word for it, take Gods.

Gravity

Job 26:7He spreads out the northern skies over empty space he suspends the earth over nothing.

He suspends the earth over nothing. Ironically many nations believed with great conviction the exact opposite. Nothing on this earth just floats. Everything, other than the clouds themselves, are situated on some surface. As a result, naturally, ancient peoples were confident that the earth had to be suspended on something.

Some believed the earth was sitting on the back of a turtle and that that turtle was standing on a serpent. Some believed a man was holding the earth, the great Atlas himself. Still others believed the world was flat, surrounded by a dome from which the stars were hanging on strings. These are three interpretations of many.

So, when did mankind finally understand about gravity and outer space? It began with the all too familiar story of Sir Isaac Newton and his fruit-filled revelation.

Isaac Newton first published the Universal Law of Gravitation in 1687.

The book of Job in the Bible has been carbon-dated as the oldest book of the Bible: 3500 years old.

Water Cycle

Job 26:8He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.

Ok, so what? Right?

What Does The Bible Say About Coronavirus And Covid

What Does The Bible And Science Say About The Age Of The Universe?

Although the coronavirus is not mentioned by name in the Bible, some Christians have claimed online there are prophetic passages and messages that can be linked to the pandemic.

A commonly mentioned passage is Matthew 24.

The scripture reads: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginnings of sorrows.

The passage is attributed to Jesus Christ who told his followers what to expect before his second coming.

A similar account of Jesus teaching is found in Luke 21.

The passage reads: Then he said unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: Abd great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my names sake.

A passage in 2 Chronicles 7 also warns of plague: If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from the wicked ways then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The Bible will tell you more on this subject.

Read Also: What Does God Say About Protecting Israel

So How Do We Prove God Exists

We have come to an intriguing crossroads in the search for understanding. The brilliant achievements of scientists have led them, inexorably, back to questions that rightfully belong in philosophy and in theology. That is a compelling reason why religion and science should lay aside their antagonism and work together in a spirit of humility and mutual respect.

What Science Says About The Existence Of God

The second chapter of Carlos Calles book The Universe: Order Without Design makes clear Calles disdain for religious explanations of natural events:

Mythological tales that attempt to explain the universe can be found in most prescientific societies. The Minoan, Chinese, Norse, Celtic, Indian, and Mayan cultures all weaved myths to explain the universe that they observed…. Still other tales, such as the Genesis account, detail in an anthropomorphic way the creation of the Earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the living creatures, and finally, the human race.1

Famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking begins his video documentary Grand Design, about the beginnings of the universe, in a similar manner, telling about the ignorant Norse and their religious beliefs.2

You May Like: Is Rhema Bible College Accredited

What We Know About The Covid

Peer-reviewed data has deemed the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines safe, and they demonstrated 94% to 95% effectiveness against the virus, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The same journal single dose shot provided protection against the virus and was effective against hospitalization and death.

On Sept. 20, Pfizer BioNTech released data that its vaccine was safe for children ages 5 to 11. The company received its full stamp of approval from the Food and Drug Administration late last month.

Moderna has begun the process of applying to get a full license, and Johnson & Johnson plans to apply this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 54.7% of Americans are vaccinated and 63.9% have received at least one dose.

By the end of September, 56% of people in the USA are projected to be fully vaccinated and 59% by Jan. 1, 2022, according to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

What Do Religious Leaders Say

What Does the Bible Say about Science, and Are They in ...

Harvest Christian Fellowship Pastor Greg Laurie said COVID-19 vaccines are not “the mark of the beast,” but many Christians may believe they are, thinking the world is in what the Bible calls “the last days.”

“The Bible speaks of someone identified as the ‘Antichrist’ and he will require people have a ‘mark’ that people will receive to buy and sell,” Laurie told USA TODAY in an email. “The COVID-19 vaccine or any vaccines have nothing to do with any of this.”

Laurie, who has been vaccinated, said the mark will be a pledge of loyalty to the Antichrist, and no one would take the mark unknowingly.

“In Revelation 14, we learn that those who take the mark are doomed,” he said. “God will not doom people for taking something unwittingly.”

Misinterpretations of Revelation 13:16-18 can stem from social media where people can spread unreliable information, according to Laurie.

“People read erroneous comments and believe they are true,” he said.

“Sometimes these statements are packaged to look like Bible Prophecy,” he said, “but they are false and misapplied because many people do not understand what the Bible actually says about these things.”

Don’t Miss: What Does Bible Say About Cremation Vs Burial

The Limits Of Technology

There are countless benefits technology has provided.

Over the years, weâve observed…

  • A decrease in infant mortality
  • An increase in life expectancy
  • An increased access to clean water
  • A greater access to education
  • An improvement in transportation
  • An ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, at anytime

There are many problems technology has solved, and there will be many more problems remedied by technology in the future. But despite the progress weâve made with technology, there are two glaring problems it cannot resolve:

  • The need for the gospel
  • The need for face-to-face community

Advancements in communication tools can help us share the gospel, connect with more people, and stay in touch with our family and friends. But technology cannot share the gospel for us or replace the need for in-person relationships. To make disciples, there is a need for the Church to have a physical presence. At its core, the Church is an assembly of people who gather together with each other in person.

Not only is this the case, but your local church is needed to administer the sacraments, lead people to live and love like Jesus, and help the poor, which is only possible if people are physically present.

As you connect with people on social media, podcast your sermons, or broadcast your sermons, keep an eye on how you and your church can lead people to connect with you in person, and how you can physically reach out to people in your community.

Science Is A Gift From God

With David Wilkinson from Durham University

Start Date:End Date:

What if science and religion were not opposites at all? Instead, what if they needed each other? Reverend Professor David Wilkinson of St. Johns College at Durham University is an astrophysicist turned respected author and theologian who is working to bridge the gaps hes observed between the faith and science communities through his project, Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science .

Recommended Reading: Chronological Stories Of The Bible

Science Is A Human Invention Scripture Comes From God How Can It Be Right That Science Affects Our Interpretation Of Scripture

Christians have asked whether human learning should affect how we read Scripture since the time of St. Augustine, and still ask it today. Good answers to that question have been written by many Christian scholars. They usually start by pointing out that God created the natural world. We dont believe that God would teach contradictory things in two parts of Scripture , and we dont believe that God would teach contradictory things in Scripture and in nature . If science can discover a truth about the natural world, ultimately, that truth is Gods truth. I wholeheartedly agree that this is the right starting point.

I want to talk about two more points, less commonly discussed, about how and why science can sometimes be an important tool in helping us to interpretation some parts of Scripture.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular