WHY I KNOW
GOD
EXISTS
JoLynn Gower
493-6151
[email protected]
ABOUT THIS CLASS
•  YOU WILL NEED:
A BIBLE (a good translation)
A WORKBOOK
A CONCORDANCE (eyed to your translation)
A TEACHABLE SPIRIT
LOVE FOR BROTHERS/SISTERS WHO DON’T
EMBRACE YOUR POSITION
•  WORK THROUGH ASSIGNED SECTION BEFORE CLASS
•  MISS A CLASS: powerpoints and audio at meadow.org
audio only: itunes
extra books: meadow.org
VERSE FOR THE JOURNEY
•  Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him all things were created,
both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all
things have been created through Him and for Him. He is
before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
•  Hebrews 1:1-3 God, after He spoke long ago to the
fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many
ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,
whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also
He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory
and the exact representation of His nature, and
upholds all things by the word of His power.
God has given us evidence sufficiently
clear to convince those with an open
heart and mind.
Blaise Pascal
THE PROBLEMS
1.  Scientists like to observe things happening
No people actually saw the world be created; it’s creation
happened sometime either before or on day 1
Other important things also were unseen (resurrection)
2.  Scientists like to be able to repeat results
Some things that people saw can’t be repeated (miracles)
3.  Christians often hold positions without having all
the facts There is a great propensity to read only
authors who agree with presuppositions
4.  Christians often assume that “real Christians” will
agree with them. Some have even accused other
believers of being unsaved
THE BENEFITS OF DEBATE
•  Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man
sharpens another.
•  1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, guard what has been
entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and
the opposing arguments of what is falsely called
"knowledge"— which some have professed and thus gone
astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
•  Avoid profane, empty talk and falsehoods
•  There is always room to make a defense; but it should be
a reasoned, accurate argument
FOR OR AGAINST?
CLASS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
•  IN AREAS WHERE CHRISTIANS DISAGREE, we will
not present one side of an issue without being able to
cogently argue for the other side(s) as well
•  KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT: don’t make
arguments from a one-sided position; take time to educate
yourself using reliable sources representing both side(s) of
an issue (people whose livelihood/reputation isn’t
dependent on them being right)
•  DO NOT MAKE SALVATION JUDGMENTS when other
believers don’t agree with you
•  DO NOT PULL VERSES OUT OF CONTEXT when
making your argument; use the entire counsel of
God’s Word
AVOID TUNNEL VISION
•  The static universe/Einstein’s cosmological constant
•  Job 9:5-8 "It is God who removes the mountains, they
know not how, …. Who alone stretches out the heavens…
•  The sun (and everything else) revolves around the earth/
the church’s defense of geocentricism
•  Following Copernicus’ publications, Galileo's initial
discoveries were met with opposition within the Catholic
Church, and in 1616 the Inquisition declared heliocentrism
to be formally heretical. Heliocentric books were banned
and Galileo was ordered to refrain from holding, teaching
or defending heliocentric ideas
PRESUPPOSITION #1
1. People are triune beings; created in the image of God
who is also triune
2. Jesus died for the redemption of people, but His
redemption has to be appropriated into our lives by faith
3. The body is an earthly house for the soul and spirit; at a
believer’s death the body goes to the grave; soul and spirit
goes to the Lord; the body awaits redemption at the
rapture when it is reunited with the soul and spirit
•  Romans 8:22-23 For we know that the whole creation
groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until
now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the
first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our body.
PRESUPPOSITION #2
•  The Bible is the inspired Word of God and is always correct
in what it says
•  The Bible isn’t a science text, but any scientific information
it gives will be correct
•  The Bible isn’t a history text, but any historical information
it gives will be correct
•  Since truth is truth, we can assume that when scientists
discover truth it will be God’s truth
•  2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
training in righteousness; so that the man of God may
be adequate, equipped for every good work.
WHAT ABOUT DISCREPANCIES
•  If there is a perceived discrepancy between the Bible and
science, we can assume one of two things:
1. We have misunderstood what God is saying in His
Word. God is never wrong, but we sometimes
misunderstand his Word (i.e. geocentrism)
2. Scientists haven’t yet come to a full knowledge of the
truth in the area they are studying (i.e. cosmological
constant)
•  We need to assume that God knows everything, but
people are learners – both in science and in knowledge of
scripture
CHRISTIANITY HAS NON-NEGOTIABLES
BUT SOME POSITIONS SHOULD BE HELD
LIGHTLY
SCIENTIFIC APOLOGETICS
•  Apologetics: apologia: to provide an answer in return; to
mount a defense in a court of law; to defend one’s position
•  1 Peter 3:15 ….but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet
with gentleness and reverence;
•  We must make a determination of the areas where God
would have us mount a defense; we can’t be expert in
every area
EXEGETICAL THEOLOGY
BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: BUILDING ON EXEGESIS
INTEGRATIVE THEOLOGY
NOT UNEDUCATED BUMPKINS
•  Some of the most amazing scientists the world has ever
known were Christians; many pursued their careers based
on scripture
•  They didn’t see science and faith as being at odds
•  At the end of each lesson, will be a list of Scientists Who
Believed and their accomplishments
•  At the end of each class, we will introduce a “book of the
week.” Today’s book is the Bridgewater Treatises.
•  Reverend Francis Henry, Earl of Bridgewater, died in 1829
leaving a will which said in part: The testator further
directed, that the person or persons selected by the said
President should be appointed to write, print, and publish,
one thousand copies of a work 'On the Power,
Wisdom, and Goodness of God, as manifested in
the Creation