E-mail
Print
RSS
G-bookmarks
Live
TechnoratiDuring the past twenty years, evangelical Christian apologetics has made significant progress in some areas. Today in the field of philosophy, the Christian theist has access to a secular audience and is able to challenge openly the assumptions of skeptics and atheists. In the field of astrophysics, the concept of an infinitely old universe has fallen upon hard times, and the notion of "a creation event" is generally recognized. Statements of the anthropic cosmological principle ("It's as if the universe were exquisitely tuned, almost as if to accommodate us" are even finding their way into introductory physics and astronomy textbooks.)
I find this a refreshing reversal from the dogma of metaphysical naturalism that has saturated these scholarly disciplines for over a century. It is good to see the idea of a Creator, especially a biblical one, regaining intellectual credibility in these parts of our secular world.
But despite these successes, something seems to be missing. Yes, theistic philosophers can openly present positive arguments for the existence of God and the rational basis for Christianity. Yes, astrophysics suggests that we need God to start the ball rolling -- in just the right way -- for there to be life somewhere in the universe. But even if a skeptic grants us the logical necessity for a creator God, say 10-20 billion years ago, we are missing an important factor: Is God relevant today?
IS GOD RELEVANT?
How do we demonstrate this? If we as Christians consistently acted like God is relevant in our lives that would help: Changed lives are a powerful witness. But personal testimony and answered prayer, while very important and essential, can all be dismissed as subjective criteria by the religious skeptic. How can we as scholars show that God is relevant to our skeptical culture and academic colleagues? This is a big question, and to begin to answer it we need to argue that God acts in human affairs; that He is not "wholly other." We first need to establish that God controls or at least influences history.
I believe that the best tool that God has given us to illustrate His influence of history is fulfilled prophecy. I have several reasons for this:
1) This is the chief evidence that God offers in the First Testament to verify His existence and claims. Isaiah 41:21-23, 44:7-8. Deuteronomy 18:20-22. "And who is like Me? ... let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place."
2) Some prophecies provide tangible, long-lasting evidence of their fulfillment, making them easier for outsiders to verify than many other works of God. Miracles, for example, are usually one-time experiences. For those who were not present and who must only rely on the testimony of eyewitnesses, their plausibility may be questioned. Moreover, as we see with some of Jesus' miracles, there can be confusion among the eyewitnesses themselves about what actually occurred. Some prophecies, on the other hand, relate to future historical events that are open to review and investigation at later times: Did such an event actually occur, or not? For example, is the present state of a city or region consistent with a prophecy made thousands of years ago? The apostle Peter reminds us of the great value of prophecy, noting that his own witnessing of the miraculous Transfiguration made "the prophetic word more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place." Continue »
