As promised, here are the Questions and answers from our series on the Bible. Thank you for submitting the questions, they were challenging and allowed me to learn even more about the various topics.

How does Methodism reconcile the Bible’s creation story with evolution?

The current evolution/creation controversy is based on two fundamental errors.

  1. It pits science against dogmatic faith, they are not necessarily opposed to each other.
    1. Both Christianity and materialism are interpretations of facts and both are faith commitments.
  2. Two entirely different definition of science are used interchangeably
    1. One is the what science actually is observation of the world. It is a methodology: observation, experimentation, testing.
  1. The second definition of science involves the philosophy of naturalistic materialism: matter and energy governed by natural law. Any view that doesn’t conform to this definition is not scientific.

However, philosophy always trumps the methodology. That is, any scientific methodology (first definition) that supports any type of creation is summarily disqualified by scientific philosophy (second definition) as “religion disguised as science.”

Defining the terms

Evolution is defined differently depending on who you are talking to. Here are some common definitions:

  • Change over time – the simplest definition and one that we see alaround us.
  • The process whereby minor changes take place in an organization to produce new characteristics (Darwin Special evolution) we would call it microevolution. Adaptation to a changing environment. (Darwin’s famous finches).
  • The process where major changes take place in an organism to produce new kinds of organisms. (Darwin’s General Theory). Darwin theorized that if small observable changes could be observed over time, large change could too. He theorized a process of random mutation and survival of the fittest. This is what most scientists mean by evolution.

Skeptical and atheistic scientists have serious reservation about Darwinian evolution.

In the 1980 Berkeley held a highly anticipated Origin of Life Conference. It completely failed to produce a plausible scenario for how life itself chemically evolved, Dr. Robert Shapiro wrote a book entitled Origins: A Skeptic’s Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth. (“Creation” here refers to biochemical evolution.) Shapiro is an educated skeptic of creation, an eminent chemist from New York University and an expert in his field. In his book he decimates the reigning ideas of how life could have evolved from non-life.

Michael Denton wrote Evolution: A Theory in Crisis to show that the original scientific objections to evolution that faced Darwin–and were argued powerfully by his contemporaries–still apply after more than 100 years of scientific research and progress.

Both of these books were written by non-religious people raising scientific objections to evolution. Shapiro remains an evolutionist, hoping that the future will turn up more evidence for biochemical evolution than the past has been able to produce. Denton ends his analysis with this statement: “The Darwinian theory is the great cosmogenic myth of the twentieth century,” and then adds, “like the Genesis-based cosmology which it replaced.”

These men are not religious and work inside of the established scientific community, not outside of it. Yet each offers scientifically rigorous and compelling arguments against the idea that known natural processes are adequate to explain the biological complexity of our world.[1]

Michael Behe is a cellular biologist with impeccable credentials. In his book Darwin’s Black Box, he shows that the irreducible complexity of life can’t be explained by Darwinian gradualism. He updated the book in 2016 with the title, Evolution: A Theory Still in Crisis.

James Shapiro of the University of Chicago, a molecular biologist and a deeply committed evolutionist, made this candid remark in response to Behe’s work:

“There are no detailed Darwinian accounts for the evolution of any fundamental biochemical or cellular system, only a variety of wishful speculations. It is remarkable that Darwinism is accepted as a satisfactory explanation for such a vast subject–evolution–with so little rigorous examination of how well its basic theses work in illuminating specific instances of biological adaptation or diversity.”[2]

One of the world’s leading paleontologists, Niles Eldredge, says the fossil record has produced no evidence of transitional forms. He goes on to say that it is no surprise “paleontologists shied away from evolution for so long. It never seems to happen.”[3]

The greatest weakness of the theory of evolution is that science has not discovered a process that can create all the necessary information, which can be likened to the software that directs a computer. Without such a demonstrated creative process, evolution is merely a story, because it’s supposed mechanism can neither be duplicated in a laboratory nor observed in nature.[4]

God may have created organic life directly or he may have evolved it from inorganic life by natural processes; nothing we know for sure in either theology or science, God or nature, makes us absolutely certain of either answer.[5]

Options for Christians when it comes to the origins debate.

  • Young Earth Creationism
  • Old Earth Creationism
  • Theistic Evolution
  • Intelligent Design Theory

In the book  In the Beginning… We Misunderstood, Johnny Miller and John Soden suggest we have completely missed the meaning of Genesis 1 and 2. They suggest, and I agree, that we need to ask, How would the original hearers have understood the story? In other words, they were asking, “Who is responsible for creation.”

This becomes very apparent when you compare Genesis 1 and 2 with other creation stories from the Ancient Near East, such as the Enuma Elish

We need to be careful not to pit Scripture against science, or nature against [interpretation]. In creation debates, we are talking about our interpretation of Scripture and our interpretation of nature. God’s two revelations, nature and Scripture always agree.

It’s our interpretation of Scripture and our interpretation of nature that may conflict. And when they do, it follows that one (or both) of our conflicting interpretations is wrong. Consequently, we should give priority to the interpretation that is more certain.

Christian theologian and philosopher, Norm Geisler reminds us, “God has revealed Himself in His Word and in His world…. The problem is what we do when they seem to conflict. It is too simplistic to conclude that the Bible is always right and science is wrong. Of course, the Bible is always right, but our interpretation of it is not.”[6]

Are there “missing” or “lost” books of the Bible? The Catholic Bible has the Book of Judith and the Maccabees and extra parts in Esther, why?

 

Apocrypha – Means “things that are hidden.” Includes a collection of 15 books written between about 200 B.C. and A.D. 100.

Although never part of the Hebrew Scriptures, all 15 apocryphal books except 2 Esdras appear in the Greek translation of the OT, the Septuagint. They were made a part of the official Latin Bible, the Vulgate. All except 1 and 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh are considered canonical (in the Bible) and authoritative by the Roman Catholic Church. From the time of the Reformation, the apocryphal books have been omitted from the canon of the Protestant churches.[7]

Some 30 books called “lost books”, but they are not lost.

“Early church leaders rejected certain books as unrepresentative of their beliefs that they actually believed reflected their beliefs.’

  • The Didache
  • Epistle of Barnabas
  • Shepherd of Hermas
  • Gospel of Judas

Gospel of Thomas

These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.

1) And he said, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.”

2) Jesus said, “Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]”

87) Jesus said, “How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on these two.”

114) Simon Peter suggested to them: Mary Magdalene should leave us. Women are unworthy of the life.

Jesus said: I shall lead her so as to make her a man, that she may become a Living Spirit, as you other men for every woman made manly, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven.[8]

 

Why did Jesus have to kill the fig tree?

He did not have to. It was an object lesson for the disciples. The tree had leaves, but no figs, which if should have. It was advertising that it had fruit which it did not, the same with the Judaism of the day.

Just as the fig tree’s fruitfulness was a sign of its health, so fruitfulness was a sign of Israel’s faithfulness to the covenantal standards. Now that Israel, especially represented by its religious leadership, has perverted the temple practices and has not repented at the appearance of Jesus Messiah proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of heaven, Israel is being judged by God.[9]

Please explain the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel.

This has to do with the symbolism of numbers in the Bible.

The selection and order of the 12 tribes suggest that the 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel have symbolic significance, representing the faithful people of God. These are not Jacob’s sons, for Dan is omitted and Manasseh included. They are not the tribes that inherited land in Canaan, for Dan is omitted, Levi (the priestly tribe) is included, and Joseph is listed instead of his son Ephraim. Judah, the tribe of the Messiah (5:5), appears first rather than Reuben, the firstborn. The number 12,000 reappears in the dimensions of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:16). Indeed, the number 144,000 (12 × 12 × 1,000) suggests symbolism here, but that does not necessarily decide the question of whether “Israel” is also a symbol for the church, or is intended to refer to literal, ethnic Israel.[10]

The 144,000 represent the faithful people of God.

How will judgement be rendered at the end of time? Does belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord meant that judgement will be different than for those who have not believed and have not lived a Christian life?

2 Cor 5:10 – does this refer to believers as well as non-believers?

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NRSV) — 10 For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

From all of that I have been reading and studying, I have modified my view on this. For most of my life I believed that when someone accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, that was all that was necessary. This thinking says that since we are not saved by our works but by grace, works (good deeds) were not necessary for salvation, but counter to it. Some have the idea that God weighs all my works and if I have more good works than bad, I get to go to heaven. That is not a Christian idea, but a pagan idea.

Recently, I have changed my position, not least because of the way Scripture talks about judgment.

Whenever Jesus talked about judgment he talked about deeds, not beliefs. A classic example is the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25:31-46

Also, these passages,

Luke 6:46–47 (NRSV) — 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.

Paul also says much about our works:

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (NRSV) — 9 Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, 10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:18–23 (NRSV) — 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Romans 2:4–8 (NRSV) — 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: 7 to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

Revelation 20:11–13 (NRSV) — 11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also, another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.

I think it is a misrepresentation of the biblical data to say we will not be judged by our works. Our works are the concrete expression of our commitment to Jesus. Paul is primarily denying the value of the “works of the Law” those things that demonstrate the difference between Jews and Gentiles. If our primary focus is on those things there is no help for us.

In other words, if our faith is real it will result in good deeds. If our lives demonstrate no appreciable difference from our non-Christian friends and neighbors, we need to raise serious questions about the  genuineness of our faith.

For more on this see Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Matthew W. Bates

Does the failure to talk about the “inspired” aspect of the Bible lead to people leaving the church?

No. People do not abandon Christianity because we use “inspired” less. They leave for a variety of reasons.

Concerning the oral and written evidence of both testaments, is it possible that one or the other is more credible because of this evidence?

No, it is a matter of transmission and coherence with the text.

Since the beginning of the church, and even Jesus himself the credibility of the OT has been taught.

If the teachings in both testaments were written for people in a specific time period, how do we know the parts which specifically apply to us and all people?

We have to study them to determine their application.

  1. Are they descriptive or prescriptive? Seeking advice from mediums vs. adultery
  2. Is it tied to a specific culture? Redemption of the first-born male vs. prohibition on stealing
  3. Is it tied to a specific situation? Jeremiah’s letter (Jer 29:11 vs. John 3:16)
  4. Is it taught in the rest of Scripture? The food laws of the OT are abolished by Jesus (Mark 7:18-23)

Many teachings in the OT seem to be contradicted by Jesus’ teaching (i.e. wars which killed millions with God in control in OT, and Love and respect for human life in NT), how can we sort out, justify, dismiss, etc. these teachings?

It is not a matter of contradiction or dismissal, but of fulfilling and deepening.

Most scholars recognize an unfolding or progression of revelation. God took the current cultural context seriously when working with the Israelites.

  • War – Accounts of battles are subdued with compared to other ANE stories – NT Love your enemies.
  • Slavery – OT Law put restrains on the practice, even more were laid down in the NT
  • Circumcision – necessary in OT, discounted in NT
  • Sabbath – the only Commandment not carried over into the NT
  • Adultery – from the act to thinking about the act

There are stories in the Bible, particularly in the OT that don’t make any logical sense.  I understand miracles that break physics, although I question that too, but a man being swallowed by a whale and living makes seems impossible.  Are we to take these things literally or are they just stories with moral points.  If they are just stories why are they laid as truths?

 

Instead of logical sense you may mean it doesn’t make sense from a materialistic world view.

When doing research with Commentaries, the best ones list all of the main options available for understanding the book as a whole and then describes the problems with each view. So, you can see the objections and the arguments for yourself and decide.

With the book of Jonah specifically —

  • Not a whale, a great fish

Three ways of interpreting

  • Historical
  • Allegorical
  • Parabolic

The main objections to historical

  • The great fish
  • Size of the city – verified by archeology
  • King – could mean ruler or governor
  • Evidence of repentance – what would the evidence be?
  • The Gourd –

Allegorical

  • None of the markers of allegory
  • Subjective interpretation

Parable

  • Jonah is much longer and more complex than other OT parables
  • In OT parables are usually followed by an explanation, Jonah is not
  • It is unclear why Jonah was chosen when he had no real connection to the events

In summary,  there is no reason to not assume a historical basis for the book that is not reasonably defendable, unless you have a presupposition that miraculous events cannot possibly occur. If so, what do you do with other events, Red Sea, Plagues, Elijah and Elisha narratives, Resurrection. The only two viable options are historical or parabolic.

“As much as I believe the events described in the book, we should resist the use of the “whale” question as a litmus test for orthodoxy. Such a question obfuscates the Word of God in Jonah and preempts a reader’s discovering God’s message for today. That message must not be eclipsed by our modern preoccupations with physical phenomena. The powerful messages of reconciliation with God, his creating power, and his persistent call for his people to speak to unbelievers concerning the Lord of all creation are essential themes of Jonah. How does the miracle of the big fish serve the message of the book? This unanticipated deliverance was a surprise to Jonah, who expected to die in the water. His own miraculous physical deliverance, when all hope was lost, caused him to rethink his views on God’s way with evil men.”[11]

Whether it was a fish or a whale in which Jonah was kept alive is less important than the fact that God provided a miraculous means to redirect the wayward prophet to his original task, preaching repentance to Nineveh.[12]

What book of the Bible best defines what it means to be a Christian?

John and Philippians

  1. [1]Gregory Koukl, “Question Evolution | Stand to Reason,” Stand to Reason, February 11, 2012, https://www.str.org/blog/question-evolution.↩
  2. [2]James Shapiro, “In the Details…What?,” National Review, September 19, 1996, pp. 62-65↩
  3. [3]https://www.str.org/quickthoughts/the-fossil-record-proves-evolution.-right↩
  4. [4]Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, ed. Ted Cabal et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 7–8.↩
  5. [5]Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 107↩
  6. [6]https://www.str.org/articles/two-things-to-remember-when-discussion-creation-with-other-christians↩
  7. [7]Clayton Harrop, “Apocrypha, Old Testament,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 81↩
  8. [8]http://gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html↩
  9. [9]Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004), 693–694.↩
  10. [10]Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2473.↩
  11. [11]James Bruckner, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004), 21–22.↩
  12. [12]Ted Cabal et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1341.↩