Defending the Faith
PLANTING THE SEED OF TRUTH AND HOPE IN OTHERS
WEEK 8
Can all religions be correct?
1. Logical consistency – the religious claims of the belief
system must logically
Buddhism – one belief is to rid oneself of all desires
You must desire to rid oneself of all desires
 2. Empirical adequacy –evidence to support the belief
Archeological evidence
Mormons believe that Jesus visited North America
Can all religions be correct?
3. Existential relevancy –address the big questions of life
1. Origin – where did we come from?
2. Ethics – how should we live?
3. Meaning – what is the purpose for life?
4. Destiny – where is mankind heading?
Questions to ask
Does absolute truth exist?
Do reason and religion mix?
Does God exist?
Can God be known?
Is Jesus God?
Law of Non-Contradiction
Something cannot be both at the same time
Does this work?
Or this?
Christianity
Islam
God vs Allah Personal (can be known)
Revealed Himself in Incarnation of
Jesus
Loving
Concerned for individual
Just
Holy & Almighty
Distant (unknowable)
Does not reveal himself – reveals only his
will
Merciful (forgives at his will)
Capricious (both “leads” and “misleads)
Vengeful (honor restored only by
“getting even”)
Almighty
Christ
God’s Son
Prophet
Total denial of incarnation
Bible
Revealed by God
Authoritative Word
Revealed by God
Changed and corrupted by unfaithful
Jews and Christians
Trinity
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
God, Mary and Jesus (Islam’s view of
Christian trinity)
Authority
Christianity
Islam
Sacred Text
Bible – OT (Jewish Bible) & NT
Qur’an (Koran)
Inspiration of
Text
Views vary: Literal Word of God,
inspired human accounts, or of
human origin only
Literal Word of God
Bible Prophets True prophets
True Prophets
Status of
Jewish Bible
Canonical
Non-canonical but useful as a
(corrupted) inspired text
Jewish
Apocrypha
Canonical (Catholic); useful by Noncanonical (Protestant)
Non-canonical
Status of NT
Canonical
Non-canonical but useful as a
(corrupted) inspired text
Summary of
Doctrine
Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed
Six Article of Faith
Proof of God’s Existence - Scripture
Psalm 19:1-4 – Heavens declare His glory
Hebrews 3:4
Acts 1:3
“He
himself
alive
“Forpresented
every house
is built
by to
them
afterbut
his the
suffering
someone,
builderbyof all
many
thingsproofs,
is God.”appearing to them
during forty days and speaking
about the kingdom of God.”
Proof of God’s Existence
Creation – “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the
creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they
are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
Conscience – “They show that the work of the law is written on
their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their
conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day
when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by
Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:15-16
Hebrew Words for Create
H3335 yatsar
H1254 bara‘
‫יָּצַ ר‬
‫בָּ ָּרא‬
to form, fashion, frame
to shape, fashion, create
(always with God as subject)
of heaven and earth
H6213 asah
‫יעָּשָּ ה‬
to do, fashion, accomplish,
make
God’s Creation Fingerprints
In the beginning, God created (bara) the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
So God created (bara) the great sea creatures and every living
creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their
kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it
was good. Genesis 1:21
So God created (bara) man in his own image, in the image of God he
created (bara) him; male and female he created (bara) them.
Genesis 1:27
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it
God rested from all his work that he had done in creation (bara).
Genesis 2:3
God’s Creation Fingerprints
“Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created (bara) these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.” Isaiah 40:26
God’s Creation Fingerprints
“Thus says God, the LORD,
who created (bara) the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:” Isaiah 42:5
God’s Creation Fingerprints
“For thus says the LORD,
who created (bara) the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed (yatsar) the earth and made (asah) it
(he established it;
he did not create (bara) it empty,
he formed (yatsar) it to be inhabited!):
“I am the LORD, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18
Questions?
Attributes of God
Incommunicable Attributes of God
Holiness
Immutability
Infinite
Omnipotence
Omnipresence
Omniscience
Self-existence, Non-contingency
Incommunicable Attributes of God
Self-sufficiency
Sovereignty
Spirit
Transcendence
Uniqueness
Communicable Attributes of God
Goodness
Hate
Justice
Knowledge
Love
Rationality
Communicable Attributes of God
Mercy
Speech
Truthfulness
Wisdom
Jealousy
Questions?