Tag: Apologetics

A Bit of Controversial Intrigue

On By TimIn Apologetics, Jesus, Matthew 28, ResurrectionLeave a comment

While they were going, indeed, some of the soldiers went into the city and described to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave much money to the soldiers, saying, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.’

Matthew 28:11–13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The chief priests concocted a story that would explain away the resurrection. They wanted everyone to believe it. In fact, you’ve probably heard the same story today. A body has never been produced, and there were plenty of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus die and saw Him after death when He rose again.

This isn’t about the resurrection, per se.

Given the bit of information here, it is hard to assert whether the soldiers were Roman soldiers or temple guards. Personally, I don’t think they were. Here’s why.

The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.”

Matthew 27:62–64 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The leaders of the Jewish folk approached Pilate. They asked him to secure the grave hoping to continue to have Rome’s participation. They also laid the groundwork for the story they wanted people to believe.

Remember also a previous post I’ve made about how the disciples didn’t really believe the resurrection was to happen. At least they didn’t understand. But the savvy priests and Pharisees did understand.

They hoped to establish Jesus as the liar and wanted others to believe that, too. Even as they were laying the foundation for the real deception.

Here is Pilate’s answer.

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go your way. Make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 27:65–66 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It’s clear that a Jewish guard was used. It is also clear that the Jewish leaders sealed the stone.

I find those facts fascinating.

If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this saying has been commonly reported among the Jews to this day.

Matthew 28:14–15 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The priests would make sure the guards would have no repercussions. They bribed them. The Jewish guards told the story.

I think that the last sentence is a bit prophetic, as many believe it today… With absolutely no evidence. Especially with the save of evidence to the contrary.

But the glaring question in the story is, how could the supposedly sleeping guards watch a body being stolen by His disciples?

Foreordained Before Creation

On By TimIn 1 Peter 01, Apologetics, Church, Creation, Jesus, Last DaysLeave a comment

He was foreordained before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for you.

1 Peter 1:20 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It’s important to think of it like I titled it. He was foreordained before creation. He wasn’t created or made. Just that Jesus being the Savior was set in place before the first creative act from God. Here is how it is written of in other places.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Paralleling the Genesis “In the beginning God,” we have John saying “In the beginning God.” This establishes that Jesus was already existent in the beginning. It also establishes Him as God. It’s just as Peter wrote.

But if those two verses are not compelling enough, John explains it further.

All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created.

John 1:3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love the simplicity of that sentence. Jesus is the Creator. He is not created. He was foreordained before creation. Without Him, nothing was created. He couldn’t have been created. No matter how you want to think of it.

Firstborn of every creature.

He is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of every creature. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:15–16 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We cannot see God. But Jesus is the image of Him. He is the One we can see. Paul uses the word “firstborn.” This is directly related to what Peter is saying. It was necessary for God to become part of creation to redeem it. He is born into it, as a Man… Jesus. For Him, all things were created by Him as foreordained.

Yet being firstborn is not about the order as we would think. The idea of firstborn (of every creature) is about the position, not when it happened. The order was previously established before creation.

I think the idea of being firstborn leads to some other thoughts. Especially when you consider His position as the last Adam. The first Adam wasn’t born. (I leave that for you to check out.)

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

You cannot live without Him. You might think you do, but that would be incorrect. (And you cannot have eternal life without Him either.)

That is His position as the Firstborn of every creature. Note the list Paul uses, too. Those thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers speak of creatures in other realms. Remember how Peter has said things into which angels desire to look. How does the Creator become part of the creation by being born into it?

(I am not trying to purposefully be new-age-y.)

Firstborn from the dead.

He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, I say—whether they are things in earth, or things in heaven.

Colossians 1:18–20 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In all things He has preeminence. He has made peace with His blood. That peace includes both heaven and earth, even though angels cannot be saved.

All of this was decided long before the spoke words “Let light be.”

It is important we understand Who He is. This has barely scratched the surface of the few Scriptures cited.

Was revealed in these last times.

In our previous interaction with 1 Peter, it is clear that verse 5 states that a salvation will be revealed in the last times. That is, someday yet future. Peter is writing also, that Jesus was revealed. Peter dated it the last times. That would mean the last times has included the days of Jesus’ ministry on Earth and after, up until now, even stretching yet future when the end of salvation will be revealed wholly.

This isn’t the only time Peter has explained this. In his preaching (Acts 2) on that Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to believers, Peter cites the prophets who spoke of the last days. Just as he brought them into the conversation previously in this epistle.

For YOU.

This is personal. You betcha!

Through Him you believe in God who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

1 Peter 1:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Nobody can believe for you. Your mom cannot believe for you, and it is conferred to you. Christianity isn’t inherited. Nor is it given when you were baptized as a baby.

Perhaps this is the first time you may have encountered this Jesus. I get that. Peter is explaining Who He is. Peter told us what the Gospel truth is.

It is the very reason He came, and all of this was planned out. He was foreordained to our Savior. That you and I can spend eternity with God. You have that choice.

Acknowledge Jesus is Who He says He is and did what He said He did. That it is for you.

Believe it and that it is for you, wholly trusting Him to save you.

Confess it to Him now. Confess you have sinned and want to be forgiven and be reconciled to Him. It doesn’t need to be fancy, flowery, or religious. You can use your own words.

The Virgin Birth

On By TimIn Apologetics, Jesus, Matthew 011 Comment

And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:24–25 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

God had visited Joseph to quell his own fears. It would be such a shame for him to have a betrothed who was pregnant.

Joseph did take his wife, sheltering her and honoring God. In his honor to God, he refrained from sexual relations, that the Baby would be born of a virgin.

This is the miracle. This is the virgin birth. This is Salvation for the world. This is the event that changed time. Even though we don’t use the BC and AD descriptors for years, we continue to mark the years in celebration of His birth.

This Baby changed the world!

Christmas, Behold the Lord’s Female Slave

On By TimIn Apologetics, Jesus, Luke 01Leave a comment

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” And the angel answered and said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26–38 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Yeah… That title.

It is what Mary said. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She could have refused. Yet she didn’t. She called herself the Lord’s slave.

Did God make her do it?

No.

We tend to think about things that happen linearly because that is our only experience in this time-matter-space existence. All of this could have been orchestrated to happen to bring forth the Savior at the right time. It is well within the power of God. Such a concept as that brings to mind a child posing his toys in play, to do as such imagined. God doesn’t do that.

I think people live their lives and make choices just as Mary made. Those choices could be to honor God or more likely not. God didn’t cause Mary’s choice. Nor did He predict it. (I am sure that will cause some to gasp. Relax.) He gave us patterns for which to expect. We refer to this as prophecy.

Prophecy is just ‘truth-telling.’ In this particular situation, Isaiah recorded a truth for Ahaz, which had a dual pattern, like much of these prophecies. That dual pattern found its ultimate completion in the birth of Jesus. He is God in human form. Not appearing as God, but adding humanity to God.

God can tell us the beginning from the end. He is the only One able to do such things. He can do that because of His omniscience and omnipresence. Every moment is a present reality for God. He is present in the moment Isaiah penned ‘a maiden shall conceive.’ Just as He is present in the moment that Mary met the angel, and when Mary conceived. He is even present at that moment with Eve when He told her that her ‘seed’ would bring the redemption of humanity.

I am certain through the noisy bustle of this season, you’re going to hear the skeptical claims of holy rape and mistranslation.

Mary fully participated, yielding herself to what would happen to her. What we do know, is the conception of the Babe wasn’t sexual, and it wasn’t rape. Otherwise, she couldn’t be a virgin when she gave birth.

And that brings us to the second point. The contention over the term virgin. Many will say the Hebrew word almah cannot be translated to virgin, as it only means maiden. Yet, virgin is an acceptable translation from Hebrew just by looking at how it is used elsewhere in the Bible. Regardless, it never refers to a married woman.

Let’s look deeper.

“Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

Matthew 1:23 — The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Notwithstanding the subtle controversies surrounding the Septuagint. This is a Greek translation thought to have been in common use around the time of Jesus’ birth. Here is an English translation of the Septuagint for the quotation from Matthew’s Gospel above.

Because of this, the Lord himself will give you a sign: Look, the maiden will become pregnant and will bear a son, and you will call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14— The Lexham English Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012)

Here we see the term maiden as it is translated from Hebrew to Greek and then into English. This seems to offer the skeptic some refuge, but does it really?

With a bit of assistance from interlinear tools… We discover something important.

Do you see it?

Parthenos does mean maiden and virgin. This tells us the skeptics are wrong. This could be accepted scholarship for those. I offer it because skeptics seldom take the time to really understand their objections.

Yet somewhere in the back of my mind, I simply prefer to believe what God has said. He moved in such a way as to have Isaiah write of that, using a Hebrew word that includes the meaning of virgin. After that miracle of the birth of the God-Man, He then moved Matthew in a similar fashion to Isaiah. In his Gospel, he used the word parthenos in translating Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23.)

That is how we know Jesus was born of a virgin. God is not constrained to (or by) time, matter and space. And His Word is true and reliable.

How Is It the Pharisees Knew?

On By TimIn Apologetics, Daily Walk, Jesus, Matthew 27, Prophecy, Resurrection, The CrossLeave a comment

In one of our recent excursions in the text of the Gospel of Matthew, we encountered Jesus preparing His disciples for the near-term future when He would die and rise again. Clearly, in that discussion, the part He spoke of Himself rising again was ignored by His friends, as they were more concerned with ensuring Him of their loyalty.

Later in Matthew’s account, we read this:

The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.”

Matthew 27:62–64 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The chief priests and Pharisees listened keenly to Jesus. They knew He was teaching that He would rise again. It is difficult to read the texts of the four Gospels and find that the disciples actually expected the resurrection. Yet here we see one of those very men setting to pen. Those set against Jesus clearly understood—even expected it to happen.

I know how the skeptics would want us to read the Gospels… Thinking that such were penned to make a new religion. They want you to believe Jesus was just a man and died as just a man. That He was buried and somehow in the middle of the night, His friends took the body away and hid it. Then these men would lie saying He rose again.

I have difficulty even entertaining that farcical point of view. If what the skeptics say were entertainable, why would Matthew abase himself as not understanding the coming resurrection with which they would allegedly attempt to deceive others?

Furthermore… How is it the chief priests and Pharisees did expect what the disciples did not?

It really is the resurrection that sets Christianity miles apart from any other religion. Think about it. God came to His created humans as a human. He died as a Human. He rose again as a human. He did this to defeat the enemy of all of us… Death. We don’t have to die and be separated from the external God. He wants us to be with Him for eternity and made a sure Way for that to be.

The last thought to consider: For almost 2,000 years it’s recorded plainly, the leaders had their alternate story set. “His disciples came by night and stole the body away.” Today that thinking still circles in the fringes. The Pharisees anticipated the resurrection and crafted an alternate explanation. Why do you think that legend of stealing Jesus’ body was recorded by Matthew?

Atheism is a Temporary Condition

On By TimIn Apologetics, Revelation 06Leave a comment

When Jesus returns to this Earth, atheism will be proven to be a temporary condition.

Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the commanding officers and the strong and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come. Who is able to withstand it?”

Revelation 6:15–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

However, given the hardness of the heart… That temporary condition has eternal consequences. When even knowing that return of Jesus before He is even seen they run and hide. Great plagues follow. There is a holocaust brought upon the earth by men. And what happens to all of those “believers” that hid underground and survived these?

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not cease to worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which cannot see nor hear nor walk. Nor did they repent of their murders or their magical arts or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 9:20–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Forsaking your True Loyalty

On By TimIn Jonah 2Leave a comment

Those who follow vain idols forsake their true loyalty.

Jonah 2:8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

That’s a no-brainer.

There is only One Giver of life. If you are alive it is because of Him… God. That is, the Most High God.

Fame and fortune cannot give life. Buddha cannot give life. Neither can Allah, Krishna, or Vishnu.

The One Who gives you life is due to your true loyalty. To give that to another is to forsake Him.

When the Apostle Paul Knows Modern Science

On By TimIn Apologetics, Romans 08Leave a comment

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. The eager expectation of the creation waits for the appearance of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:18–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is one of my favorite portions of Scripture if for only one reason, Paul understood clearly that the creation was in bondage to entropy.

Entropy is the tendency of all things to progress toward chaos and futility. It is how the universe will end. No more work can be done.

When work is done, there is an exchange of energy, but some is always lost. It’s a game that cannot be won. Eventually, enough work will be done to use up all of the energy in our universe. The work we do as a creation ends in futility.

It’s the law.

Entropy is the second law of thermodynamics.

Yet it wasn’t discovered by scientists until after the invention of the steam engine. Physicists were puzzled by the inefficiencies of steam power and sought to discover the answer.in their endeavors, the heat loss was discovered and explained. This was around the middle of the 19th century.

But here is Paul, writing hundreds of years before then…And them. He is telling us plainly that everything was subject to futility. It’s real. Creation was placed under bondage. Pail knew, but humans didn’t until relatively recently.

Yet creation is waiting to be set free.

How about you?

You might ask me why I would ask something like that. You work hard. You work to achieve things, to further yourself, to do better than your parents. The end of such labors is a modest grave. All of us die.

It is said that the good men do often lives after them. For how long?

See, we humans are also in bondage to that futility. We can work out, eat right… Give our bodies optimum nutrition. We can even attempt to avoid disease. We can do good things. But we still will die. We leave a fleeting imprint on this world and then we are taken from it.

It all sounds futile because it is.

You, too, can be set free.

That hope!

that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Paul is speaking of the time yet future when the entire creation is released from its bondage. Paul calls that release “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” That is for us believers who will return to this earth and reign with Jesus. These are those children of God.

If you want to be a part of that, and beat the cycle of futility, it’s easy. You can be a child of God.

Acknowledge that God is right. You need help. You need rescue from the futility.

Believe that Jesus is Who He said He was and did what He did… Died to reconcile God to men and rose again ascending to the Father making it possible for you and I to be reconciled to God.

Confess that belief out loud… That Jesus is the Lord God and that He rose from the dead. That you are a sinner and need your sins forgiven.

It’s that easy.

The Pursuit of Enlightenment is the Same Old Lie

On By TimIn Apostasy, Last Days, Revelation 09Leave a comment

In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 9:6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

He causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one may buy or sell, except he who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Revelation 13:16-17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever. They have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name.

Revelation 14:11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These texts allude to some interesting thoughts if one pays attention to avant-garde research in science.

Since the beginning, the shining one (the serpent, what many scoffers call the talking snake) has seduced humanity with a lie, ‘You shall be as gods.’ What is called the science of evolution furthers the lie, that life evolves upward, and that men are evolving to be better. The occultists and pagans would agree with the sentiments found there. Many of the world’s religions would also agree.

The coming mark the writer of Revelation warns of may be many things. It will probably be an outward mark of allegiance to a man. It also will be necessary to participate in the economy that comes. These things we know from the text, but these ideas could be cursory to what it may also be. When the apostle John speaks of the ‘mark,’ he addresses the dire spiritual implications that befall those who choose to take it. Reading Revelation clearly, one can also see those who take the mark of the beast are no longer able to be saved. Can we infer that this mark alters humans in such a way that they are no longer human?

I think so. Salvation is graciously offered to humans. It is provided by the finished work of a Human Being that lived around 2,000 years ago. His name is Jesus. He lived as a man. He also died as a man, but not a death that was the result of His own sin. He died for the penalty of the sin of all (1 John 2:1-2.) He also rose again, defeating death and nullified its sting (separation from God.) Salvation is only made available by humans, as another human graciously gave of His own blood for that purpose.

Back to the mark.

The first citation above indicates that death will elude those who take the mark. I have glossed over that many times. Given recent advancements in science that include genetic programming and manipulation, it may help us to examine what that may entail.

It is possible (and somewhat common practice) to snip a portion of DNA from one organism and insert it into another. It is not necessary that the organisms be related in the way we think of that idea. This practice is called a genetic modification. (The resulting organisms fit the definition of chimeras.) Gene therapy is a burgeoning new world of genetic modification that founds new therapies in the field of medicine. The dream of many in the fields of such biotechnologies is to extend the length and quality of human life. Genetic engineering is exploring novel ways at achieving this.

There is also another branch of science that would work inside the body, modifying it in real-time. This field of exploration is nanotechnology. This involves placing tiny machines inside our bodies to perform specific functions. It can also include a way of modifying existing cells to operate like customized machines that can be manipulated to perform specialized tasks, think it like programming tiny computers for a certain task. The goal is to use these machines inside of our bodies to augment us.

It is conceivable that this coming mark could offer some of these technologies. Perhaps it will be introduced not just as a way to buy and sell or show allegiance… But may include some way to combat the effects of aging and disease. In a way, it would be effective at delaying or even preventing death. In essence, it would alter humans to become like gods. It sounds too good to be true. The faint stench of sulfur seems to surround the idea. It is the ultimate deception culminating from that first one… The lie from the serpent ‘you shall be as gods.’ Like his intent then, the inference would be made that God is keeping something from us… Immortality.

Look further at the linked image below. You see the alleged seven Kundalini Chakras overlaid on the Caduceus. The intertwined serpents around that center rod is a modern symbol used to signify a field of medical science. The winged image on top of it is the winged-sun disk. (These symbols can be researched further if you like.)  I want to draw attention to those intertwined serpents, note the double-helix design. It brings to mind the modern depictions of the construction of the DNA strand.

The long pursuit of humans who are beguiled by the lie… Is to be like gods. The scientific mantra is that humans are evolving to be better suited for their environs. There are some who even want to further this evolution in a self-directed fashion. It used to be called eugenics, but for the sinister implications of that word, it is no longer used… Though the ideas behind it are alive and well.

As the deception is ever increasing, the serpent subtly alters what God says and does in his mimicry of the Most High. That is, he copies what God has already done after his own sinister ways. This is about the shining one wanting to make humans after his image, and creation after his will. The coming deception seems to be based on the very first one, you shall be as gods. Maybe this mark will offer an alteration in humans, or better said, an augmentation that makes the ones having it substantially more impervious to death.

Could it be, that those who take that mark which may include technologies designed to augment humanity become altered in their DNA… That is, ultimately making them different than humans?

The Bible clearly states those who take the mark shall not be saved. In other words, they are not eligible for the blood propitiation offered freely to all by Jesus.

Some others offer even more speculation… That a ‘third strand’ of DNA can be added in the middle of the double helix. Look again at the Staff of Caduceus. Look at what is hidden in plain sight. Also consider the Kundalini pursuit of enlightenment that is superimposed upon it. Everything is spiraling upward toward god. In this case, god would be the sun god signified by the winged sun disk.

It’s something to think about. Either way… Don’t fall for the age-old lie.

Don’t take that mark.

Round and Round We Go

On By TimIn Apologetics, Romans 01Leave a comment

That is… Without God and a firm foundation for truth claims.

I have just recently encountered this truth claim from an avowed naturalistic atheist.

empiricism defines everything that is objective and everything that we can physically experience.

At face value, this person is making an objective statement. However, the conclusion of the matter addressed in the statement is telling us that objectivity is outside of science. It can be proven this way: The above statement is expected to be taken as objective, therefore it is imperative to have empiricism to define the statement because allegedly empiricism defines everything objective. Yet there is not any empiricism provided or available that defines that statement.

Such a truth claim fails because of the circularity.

As to empiricism defining everything… Where is the empiricism that defines love? Where is the empiricism that defines anger or even altruism?

I do not think there is even any empiricism that demonstrates the purpose of such things, let alone being able to define them scientifically.

I do feel a bit of pity for such an irrational and untenable view of reality. It cannot be sustained without borrowing the objectivity from God, in the same breath they use to mock Him. Such an idea belies that no critical thinking has been applied to what they believe is real is really real.

God says it this way:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

Romans 1:22 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Wouldn’t we think it unreasonable to operate with such delusion and tell others it is real?