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Summary in 400 words or less:
When people hear the words ‘Scientific Confirmation of Scripture,’ they often think ‘creation vs. evolution.’ However, scientific confirmation of Scripture includes much more than just questions about ‘origin.’
The word ‘science’ comes from the Latin scientia, which means ‘knowledge.’ When an atheist makes the claim that ‘science disproves the Bible,’ or ‘science proves the Bible is wrong,’ a fair question to ask them is – ‘which science?’ That’s because there are many branches of ‘science.’ They include Formal Sciences (e.g. mathematics, statistics, logic, information theory, systems theory), Natural Sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry, earth sciences, space sciences, physics), Social Sciences (e.g. psychology, culturology, philology, pedagogy), Medical Sciences (e.g. medicine, genetics, anatomy, nutrition), Applied Sciences (e.g. computer science, artificial intelligence, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, aeronautical engineering), and Humanities (e.g. anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, political science, criminology).
When we approach the topic of ‘Scientific Confirmation of Scripture,’ we are really looking into how any and all of the various branches of ‘science’ confirm (verify) the Scriptures (Old and New Testament). Given the sheer volume of information in the Bible (more than 800-thousand words, 31-thousand verses) and the large number of scientific branches (dozens of branches and sub-branches), the study of the ‘Scientific Confirmation of the Scriptures’ will take time and deserves the time it will take.
Here are three examples of scientific confirmation of Scripture:
Science –Oceanography
Bible – “Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?” Job 38:16
Confirmation – 1977 Galapagos Hydrothermal Expedition confirmed existence of deep-sea, hot springs
Science– Biology, Geology
Bible – “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 being.” Genesis 2:7
Confirmation – “The earth’s crust contains most of the mineral nutrients our body needs, and the chemical composition of a rock, such as granite, is strikingly similar to the composition of the human body.“ (Emory University Report, September 1998)
Science – Archaeology
Bible – “Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David.” 2 Samuel 3:1
Confirmation – “House of David” inscribed on a 9th century BC victory stele … ‘This unique Aramaic inscription, part of a monumental stone slab commemorating the military victories of Hazael, king of Aram, contains the earliest reference to the Davidic dynasty outside the Bible.’ Israel Antiquities Authority
Scripture for YouVersion:
“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3
Short audio/video:
Science and the Bible – Dr. John Lennox
https://youtu.be/OhmihOQqC74
Three questions (one fill-in-the-blank, one multiple choice, one discussion question):
1. A fair question to ask when an atheist claims that science disproves the Bible is: “________ _____________?”
2.Which of these scientific disciplines can be used to confirm the Scriptures?
- Geology
- Biology
- Archaeology
- Anthropology
- All of the above
3. How can you use science to help confirm Scripture?
References for further reading:
“God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?” – John C. Lennox
“Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design” – Stephen C. Meyer
“Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Science” – Michael Licona, William A. Dembski
“Science and The Bible” – Henry M. Morris
Collaboration notes:
Collaborators: Mark McGee
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