Apologetics

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NOTE: 22JUN05--67 reads and no one even says boo. Is my writing that bad or...?
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The Library of Divine Revelation1:
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY, an Introduction
Gregory W. Eckrich


Introduction
The American church demonstrates spiritual morass. Pagans In The Pew?2 statistically quantifies this condition. Dr. Barna's report3 (statistical source for Pagans In The Pew?) demonstrates that, at best, 4% of Americans operate from a Biblical basis. Conversely stated: 96% of Americans do not act from a Biblical worldview. The impact of this condition speaks for itself: abortion on demand; rampant and aggressive homosexuality; an active and lucrative illicit-drug sub-culture; selfishness to the point of get out of my way or I'll run you down on the nation's highways. Urban vehicular hit- and -runs appear to be the norm. Christians are no longer considered first class citizens.

What Is Authority?
Authority /Au·thor´i·ty/ (?), n.; pl. Authorities. [OE. autorite, auctorite, F. autoritÃ, fr. L. auctoritas, fr. auctor. See Author, n.] 1. Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised buy a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.4

Biblical authority is that authority identified by, defined by, and conferred by the Lord, evidenced in the Bible. The Bible clearly tells us who has the Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act--the Lord God.

ON THE ONE HAND
This is the heart of the problem. On the one hand, for the believer, the authority still is the Bible.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2TIM 3:16

Historically, for Americans this was the case. For an American colonist in 1776 there was no question. God ruled, the Bible was His user manual given to mankind. Those in authority were there because they were appointed by the Lord. The Lord's appointees were to be obeyed. Paul tells us that:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ROM 13:1-2

A hundred years later (1876) most Americans still accepted the Bible's authority over their lives and their conduct. The United States was considered a Christian nation and continued that way up to the First World War. But, then, so was Great Britain and a number of other nations.

ON THE OTHER HAND
On the other hand are those who refuse to accept the Bible or God.

Is the Untied States considered a Christian nation today? Is Great Britain? No. Dr. Barna has statistically verified this condition (see footnotes 2 and 3). Why not? As always, the god of this world was and is hard at work. As the Lord warned Adam and Eve...

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 2:16-17

As the Lord warned Cain...

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. GEN 4:7

The Lord made it clear to Adam that He was to be obeyed. Disobedience brought the curse of death, both physical and spiritual. It still brings punishment today for those choosing not to follow.

The Lord pointed out to Cain that if he, Cain, did as the Lord expected, then Cain's offering would be accepted; however, if not, sin was waiting to pounce. Cain, like his parents, did not obey and we know mankind's sordid history. Adam and Eve were not thrown out of Eden because of gluttony, drugs, prostitution, adultery, murder, worshiping false gods, dipsomania, lying nor anything else except disobedience. Cain was cursed for the murder he committed because he did not obey the Lord and fell into sin.

The United States is, unfortunately, no different. Biblical authority has been attacked and substantially removed from our society. But, how and by whom?

THE LOGIC OF DESTRUCTION
Have you ever watched a large building being demolished? What does the demolition team do? It destroys the foundational structure. Using explosives, the supporting columns and/or walls are blown out. Once these supports are destroyed what happens? The entire structure collapses.

If you sought to destroy an organization, how best would you accomplish it? First, determine its foundation. Secondly, determine the best method for destroying the foundation. Thirdly, begin the assault.

APPLYING THE LOGIC
First, what is the Bible's foundation?
Secondly, what is the best method for destroying the Bible's foundation?
Thirdly, which assault(s) will be most successful?

WHAT IS THE BIBLE'S FOUNDATION?
The Library of Divine Revelation(the Bible (see footnote 1)) is the most tangible source of godly information and direction available in addition to personal revelation and the testimony of believer-doers. II Timothy confirms this:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness II Timothy 3:16

Dr. Henry M. Morris amplifies this point:

The Book of Genesis is no mere collection of myths and legends; it is the actual, factual record of real events and real people at the beginning of history. ... Furthermore, all of its scientific and theological inferences are profoundly important and literally true.5

If possible, as an antagonist of the Bible, its literal truths and the absolutes it presents, what would you choose to attack and destroy? What is the foundation upon which the Bible and its believers stand?

If the Bible were somehow expurgated of the Book of Genesis (as many people today would prefer), the rest of the Bible would be incomprehensible. It would be like a building without a ground floor, or a bridge with no support.6

The Book of Genesis thus is in reality the foundation of all true history, as well as of true science and true philosophy. It is above all else the foundation of God's revelation, as given in the Bible. No other book of the Bible is quoted as copiously or referred to so frequently, in other books of the Bible, as is Genesis.7

Genesis, above all else, is the foundation of the Bible. It is the first eleven chapters of Genesis that are most often attacked due to their foundational nature.

It is significant that the portion of Genesis which has been the object of the greatest attacks of skepticism and unbelief, the first eleven chapters, is the portion which had the greatest influence on the New Testament.8

Mr. Ken Ham, author, lecturer and founder of the international creationist ministry Answers In Genesis states:

If you destroy the foundations of anything, the structure will collapse. If you want to destroy any building, you are guaranteed early success if you destroy the foundations.

Likewise, if one wants to destroy Christianity, then destroy the foundations established in the Book of Genesis.

The biblical doctrine of origins, as contained in the Book of Genesis, is foundational to all other doctrines of Scripture. Refute or undermine in any way the biblical doctrine of origins, and the rest of the Bible is compromised. Every single biblical doctrine of theology, directly or indirectly, ultimately has its basis in the Book of Genesis.9 [emphasis added - GWE]

WHICH ASSAULT(s) WILL BE MOST SUCCESSFUL?
What will be targeted as foundational to Christian belief?
The Bible.
What will be targeted as foundational to the Bible?
The Book of Genesis.
What will be targeted as foundational to the Book of Genesis?
The first eleven chapters of Genesis.
What will be targeted as foundational to the first eleven chapters of Genesis?
The issue of origins.

ORIGINS
Origin /Or´i·gin/ (?), n. [F. origine, L. origo, -iginis, fr. oriri to rise, become visible; akin to Gr. to stir up, rouse, Skr. ṛ, and perh. to E. run.]
1. The first existence or beginning of anything; the birth.
Origins, the beginning, is found in Genesis chapters 1, 2

The assault will be the subject of part two:
The Library of Divine Revelation: BIBLICAL AUTHORITY, the Assault.
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1 BIBLE, the English form of the Greek name _Biblia_, meaning "books," the name which in the fifth century began to be given to the entire collection of sacred books, the "Library of Divine Revelation." The name Bible was adopted by Wickliffe, and came gradually into use in our English language. The Bible consists of sixty-six different books, composed by many different writers, in three different languages, under different circumstances; writers of almost every social rank, statesmen and peasants, kings, herdsmen, fishermen, priests, tax-gatherers, tentmakers; educated and uneducated, Jews and Gentiles; most of them unknown to each other, and writing at various periods during the space of about 1600 years: and yet, after all, it is only one book dealing with only one subject in its numberless aspects and relations, the subject of man's redemption. It is divided into the Old Testament, containing thirty-nine books, and the New Testament, containing twenty-seven books. [Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897]
2“Pagans In The Pew,” Copyright 2004, Gregory W. Eckrich, www.faithwriters.com, Apologetics.
3 “A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life,” December, 2003 as taken from www.barna.org, The Barna Research Group, Ventura, CA
4 Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 1913, C. &. G. Merriam Co., Springfield, MA, Noah Porter, DD, LLD; electronic version by MICRA, Inc., Plainfield, NJ 1999
5The GENESIS RECORD, Dr. Henry M. Morris Baker Book House Grand Rapids, MI 1976 p xii
6 Ibid. p 17
7 Ibid. p 21
8 Ibid.
9 The LIE: Evolution, Ken Ham, Master Books, Green Forest, AR 23rd printing 2002, p 59-60

Copyright Gregory W. Eckrich 2004

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