Christianity, Science and True Knowledge

Not all knowledge is true science. Paul wrote to Timothy in I Timothy 6:20 that he should be on guard against and stay away from those who used “oppositions of science falsely so called. ” This is one of the more interesting references in the Bible to false science. He was telling Timothy to stay away from people who opposed the Word of God with false knowledge. Our lives are brief and we should not waste time studying things which are not true. Since true religion is the foundation or basis of true science, true religion is where our studies should begin if we are to understand true science. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and knowledge of the holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).

The following is a basic overview of Christian doctrines. It is not what anyone claims that the Bible says, but what it actually says. These are the foundations of true science. Without these foundations, a person is not studying, teaching or practicing science. He is a believer in a false religion, studying, teaching and practicing mythology.

Cosmology

The material universe had a beginning. God spoke it into existence. God used His Son and His Spirit to make the universe.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3).

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

God is eternal.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:2).

Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 93:2).

God is holy.

For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy (Leviticus 11:45).

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:15, 16).

God created the material universe very good. That is, without sin (holy) and good for man.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).

God created the material universe out of nothing.

Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself (Isaiah 44:24).

The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts [armies] is his name (Jeremiah 10:16)

The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name (Jeremiah 51:19)

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3).

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things (Acts 17:24,25).

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3).

Anthropology (The Study of Man)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:26-27).

Man was created by a direct act of God.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him ” (Genesis 2:18, NASB, NIV).

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man (Genesis 2:21, 22).

Man was created without sin.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Genesis2:25).

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

Sin entered the universe through Adam’s choice.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:15-17).

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them (Genesis 3:8-21).

The result of Adam’s sin is death.

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

The curse of sin is on the entire material universe.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now (Romans 8:22).

Because we are born sinners, we are powerless to heal the curse of sin.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eye (Romans 3:9-18).

Christology (The Study of Jesus Christ)

Jesus was born of a virgin according to the prophets.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matthew 1:22,23).

Jesus the Messiah was born without sin.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus the Messiah led a sinless life.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:14,15)

God provided atonement for the sin of all mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (I Corinthians 15:21,22)

Time

The existence of the material universe is both finite and brief. The geneologies in Genesis are consistent and clearly teach that the earth was created shortly before 4,000 BC. The year 2010 in a modern western calendar corresponds to the Jewish calendar year 5770, counted from Creation. Jesus Christ will return and the material world will be destroyed as a judgment for sin.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew (24:35).

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10).

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them (Revelation 20:11).

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea (Revelation 21:1).

Any who do not believe these simple, obvious doctrines willingly bring judgment on themselves. Like those on the Titanic who refused to board the lifeboats, they will not understand reality until it is too late. As Peter said, they “willingly are ignorant. ”

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:3-7).

Unlike the record of Jesus the Messiah, the idea that the universe had an Intelligent Designer has three forms of testimony outside the Scriptures. The first two are scientific. First is the fact that no basic law of physics contradicts anything in the Bible. The second testimony is the millions of observed scientific phenomena. The last form of testimony consists of other ancient records.

True science is not technology. Technology is the application of scientific principles to fabricate material objects. No known aspect or instance of technology contradicts any doctrine in the Bible.

True science is the belief (accepting as true after examining the facts, a legal term) that the material world was created in a point of time, that the material world will end, that each and every person has a purpose and will be judged for the decisions he makes in this life. True science acknowledges the limitations of material measurements and analysis. True science acknowledges that science is finite and that the most important human questions cannot be answered by science. True science acknowledges that the ancient world of 5,000 years ago was totally and completely different than the world we know today. The present is not the key to the past. True science acknowledges that the ancient world underwent at least one worldwide global catastrophe within the last 5000 years.

True science acknowledges that the surface of the earth that we see today was produced catastrophically. True science acknowledges that each historic document from the beginning of time was written for a purpose at the time it was written. Though technology evolves, such as the evolution of the airplane, there has never been any evolutionary development of civilization. True science acknowledges that the only legitimate use of the word evolution is technological, driven by human intelligence, such the evolution of the automobile, the printing industry or organized sports. True science acknowledges the scientific fact that there has never been any scientific evidence for any form of biological evolution.