Most of McKinsey's abuses in this chapter involve taking proverbial literature literally.

This Chapter of EBE perhaps goes to the heart of the Christian Faith. Although Belief is an extremely important tenet of Christianity (we walk by faith, not by sight), one thing is very true about Christianity – it is historical in nature. It’s a believable Faith, a rational Faith, with solid touchy-feely connectors. Using common rules of evidence that any competent historian and lawyer would utilize, one could come to a reasonable conclusion that Ronald Reagan was one of the past Presidents of the United States; that Winston Churchill was once the Prime Minister of England; that John Paul Jones is entombed below the main chapel of the United States Naval Academy; that Vikings used to conduct regular raids against Ireland. The recent historical items are easy, because they are still relatively fresh in historical parlance. However, as one goes further back in time, one sees apathy and skepticism increase toward things historical, even though the same rules of evidence are applied. Additionally, one encounters embellished accounts of historical figures that are the stuff of legend. We must acknowledge that, truly indeed, the serious historian must work harder to sift through the wheat and chaff to arrive at the more or less correct conclusion.

However, with all that aside, some very able historians have been able to assemble credible accounts of the Vikings, the rich Irish history of early Christianity, travels of Martin Luther, the unfortunate slave trade of black Africans, and so forth. Finally, we arrive about 2000 years ago – indeed, was this man called Jesus a real historical person in time and space? With the application of the writings of Josephus and the immensely accurate archaeological work of Sir William Ramsay, one can establish physical evidence congruently with the Biblical writings of men who continually describe the works of a Spirit Being – a Being Who claims to work outside of time and space, Who has always been, a transcendent Being Who has revealed Himself as the Creator God – present as One God manifested in Three Persons. If one can believe that water can co-exist in three physical states at once, then one gets the idea of the Triune God. It still requires Faith, of which God is the Author, but this Faith is verifiable, which I can fully attest to by miracles, a subject covered in this review.

Background

I have had the distinct pleasure to know JP Holding for about 18 months or so, first meeting online, then later with the incredible fortune of timing to meet him personally in January 1998, while we were both in the same area at the same time. My forte is not journalism, and I am extremely, extremely late with this response for a variety of reasons (read: excuses), few of them worth anything. My primary apologetics Bible study interests are in Genesis, Creationism / Creation Science, refuting evolutionism / Darwinism, and simply defending the Faith (Jude 3). It boils down to knowing the Essentials for Believers, the Fundamentals. As any football or soccer or baseball coach or automobile or motorcycle race team manager will tell you, it’s the "fundamentals" that ultimately produce victory in the long run. It allows one to quickly (if not instantly) recognize a counterfeit when one sees it. Secret Service agents and other Treasury Department specialists are not taught the countless versions of counterfeit dollar-bills. Instead, they study the Real Thing so well that they can spot a phony right away…….

Which leads us to the review of this ignominious chapter. As a complete work, EBE can be best described as a sustained imbroglio of ideas and world views, jumbled together in non-congruent "answers" to Biblical "problems," as I will illustrate shortly. You can get an idea of how ludicrous our subject’s work is by reviewing the light-hearted work by JP Holding located under the Rogue’s Gallery.

Some issues here include, but are not limited to:

1. Must one read the Bible literally at all times? If so, how does one interpret "Let the dead bury the dead?" [Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60]. Or, how about the snail that "melts away" [Psalm 58:8], a favorite example for one ViperPiper (a.k.a. SnakePiper, an old pal of mine and JP's, and whom some of you may have unfortunately encountered in the forums of AOL).
2. The teachings that apparently conflict with today’s "values," such as beating the child with "the rod," which our subject describes as child abuse.

When one takes Scripture woodenly, it is easy to misunderstand. Unfortunately, the unbeliever / God-hater does not possess the correct tool(s) to understand God’s Word. Just as one who abhors airplanes does not understand how they fly or why anyone would wish to ride in one, so does the person who rejects God not understand His revelation to us. Christians must understand that our ability to understand the Bible comes not from ourselves, but as we are led by the Holy Spirit [I Corinthians 2:14; I John 5:7; I John 4:13; II Peter 1:21; Hebrews 4:12].

Allow me to use an illustration using the airplane example: I am a retired Naval Aviator. At an airshow in Idaho Falls in 1981, I had the interesting and futile experience of explaining to a little old lady why the F-14 Tomcat that I was displaying could land aboard an aircraft carrier. First, she refused to believe that I was in the Navy. She insisted that I was an Air Force pilot flying a Navy airplane. Second, she insisted that I was trying to mislead an "old lady" (her very words) by lying to her. In 1981, this lady was about 70 years old, spry, witty and very talkative. She was not feeble at all. If she were indeed about 70, that would have put her in her thirties during WWII. One wonders where she was when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor using aircraft carrier-based aircraft. One wonders why she was not paying attention to the tremendous battles of Midway and the famous Marianas Turkey Shoot, all involving carrier aircraft.

Again, one returns to the reality of historicity, the ability to use very common tools to check things out. Such is the credibility of aircraft carriers and the historical Jesus Christ.

Response:

1. False Teachings

In the preamble of this Chapter, our subject states, "…the Bible makes statements that are either so patently false and misleading as to be reprehensible or …" One would have to search very, very deeply into the philosophy of materialism to ascertain exactly how one who leaves God out of the affairs of men could make the judgment that the Bible teachings are "reprehensible." If we, as materialists insist, are the mere product of chance, then Bible teachings of "ethics" are no different than, say, competitive water skiing, or deer killed by Komodo Dragons, or any speech by the late Isaac Asimov (former atheist, but one would now surmise a deeply convinced Creationist). But I digress – this is a matter for another area of Christian apologetics. I will leave it to the reader to guess the tenor of the rest of our subject’s preamble. In this section, our subject addresses about 40 or so specific scripture passages, primarily the proverbial teachings and sayings of the Old Testament (all but save one, from I Timothy), mostly from the books of Psalms and Proverbs.

We will address just a few of them – all Scripture passages are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted (our subject seems to favor the RSV and KJV):

1. Ecclesiastes 1:9 "That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun." and 3:15 "That which is has been already, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by." Our subject comments, "So we are told there’s nothing new under the sun. Yet how many cities had an atomic bomb dropped on them prior to 1945 and how many people walked on the moon before 1969?"
1. A repetitive theme used by our subject is his painfully obvious lack of context. The "Preacher," as King Solomon refers to himself seven times in this book (the term Teacher is used in the same manner in other translations), is describing the cycles of nature that reveal nothing new. Clearly, when these two passages are read with attention to the Hebrew, Solomon is summarizing a long life (he’s been king of Israel about 30-40 years at this point) of observations about the Creation. He’s commenting that the same seasons, the same storms, the same snows, the same budding of the trees at springtime, the same seasons of newborn-animals, continue to repeat themselves. He is specifically talking about the nature of the Universe and the nature of man.
2. Although progress in technology certainly reveals new things, progress itself is nothing new. Man continues to be innovative and inventive, but his selfish and sinful nature also remain unchanged. This is what Solomon means here.
2. Job 31:3 "Is it not calamity to the unjust, And disaster to those who work iniquity?" Our subject comments, "As a matter of fact, in far too many cases they are plagued by the least amount of adversity. Many experience little or no calamity throughout their lives."
1. It’s assumed that our subject arrived at his conclusions through rigorous scientific polling. Absurdities aside, it is true that Asaph remarked in Psalm 73: "3 For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pains in their death; And their body is fat." and "9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return to this place; And waters of abundance are drunk by them. 11 And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?" 12 Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, And washed my hands in innocence; 14 For I have been stricken all day long, And chastened every morning."
2. However, if one were to look at all the references to the word "wicked" in Psalms, one consistently notices that they have an extremely unpleasant final ending in store for them. Referring to Job again, let’s look at a truly prophetic verse in Chapter 19 of Job, verses 25-27, "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me." Job recorded / penned these words probably only a few decades or a couple of centuries after the Flood, and long before Abraham came along to be given the Promise. I believe that the proper interpretation of Job 31:3 is the final fate of the unbeliever, the one who dies and goes into eternity without salvation and who will experience eternal separation from God.
3. One notices throughout the OT that when God’s people are in obedience to His commands, when they follow his instruction and walk in His ways, then His children are untouchable. He protects mightily against their foes. But when the people slipped into idolatry and immorality, God allowed their ways to progress to the inevitable consequences. Even the righteous suffer alongside the wicked when God is pushed onto the back burner of our priorities.
3. Proverbs 10:27, "The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened." Our subject comments, "In reality, the years of the wicked often go on interminably and the lives of Lord-fearing people end abruptly."
1. Quick, someone diagram this sentence before it goes away! One notices right away that our subject acknowledges that there are wicked people. He even appears to acknowledge the SAME wicked people that King Solomon is discussing here. How does one know there are wicked people unless there is an objective standard to measure them? But then our subject makes a blanket generalization that simply has little or no basis. He claims that "Lord-fearing people" die suddenly. I believe I follow his mad method, but the fact is both wicked and righteous people die all varieties of death – from slow, agonizing cancer to the quick death of a pulverizing plane crash.
2. If one were to wade into a very economically depressed area (say, some of the hollers of east Tennessee or eastern Kentucky, or the boroughs of east LA), and take an honest poll of who is a Christian (with honest answers), one would likely find that roughly 25-35 percent of those polled would describe a genuine relationship with Christ as savior. The rest of the respondents would, of course, be unsaved. Depending on the area, some percentage of those unbelievers would be truly wicked, involved from everything to prostitution to car theft rings to drug trafficking. We see in the news everyday the high frequency of violent deaths of gang members and others involved in crime.
3. Yes, innocent bystanders do die violent deaths. True Christians experience heart attacks and plane crashes at early ages. But when all things are weighed, one would see that people who live a righteous life in the fear and admonition of God are predominant in the long-lived category as opposed to the wicked. Besides all this, all people will die anyway because of the Curse. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV), "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,"
4. Next, our subject partially quotes from the KJV, I Timothy 4:8, "…bodily exercise profiteth little…" and comments, "Of course, this flies in the face of just about every physical conditioning program in the world and every medical opinion bearing on physical fitness."
1. Here’s the entire KJV passage: "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." Let’s look at it from two other translations:
1. (NRSV) "for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
2. (NIV) "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
2. Mike Shelton would say this, "Eat well, train well, have a good running program, go to the gym, pump up, run the Boston Marathon, watch your cholesterol – and die anyway. It is clear that Paul is saying that this life will one day come to an end, regardless of how one treats one’s body. Live for 123 years or just 23 months, we all will die a physical death. Paul is stressing to Timothy that eternal life with the Lord Jesus is the end game.
3. Our context-challenged subject is either very unintelligent in his assessment of this verse, or he is deliberately misleading. Although his book is hardly worthy of the gas to drive to a public library to even browse it in one of the reading rooms, it at least shows the work of a fairly bright person. Thus, it is unlikely he’s simply a dimwit, but in reality is railing against God here in complete blind hatred of His Word [II Peter 3:5 "But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water."] In other words, our subject is being "willfully ignorant" (KJV) of God’s special revelation.
5. OK, one more from this section – our subject quotes from the NIV here, and so will I – Jeremiah 13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Our subject comments, "There goes any need for rehabilitation programs. If this verse were true, and facts clearly show the opposite, the government would have wasted millions of dollars in programs to turn people around. Although high, the recidivism rate has never attained 100 percent. Although admittedly far less in number that than one would like, there are many successes, which this verse chooses to ignore."
1. The weeping prophet Jeremiah, incredibly, had Bill Clinton in mind here.
2. Again – context, context, context. (a) Jeremiah is using hyperbole to express the utter descent in moral behavior the nation of Israel has sank to. (b) If our subject had actually read the book of Jeremiah, he would have noticed the intense passages prior to verse 23, following verse 23, yea, the entire theme of the book, showing the immense sinfulness of the corporate body of the people of Israel. God was proclaiming through the weeping prophet that nothing short of exile and total conquest by a foreign nation was going to get the people’s attention. They were set in their ways.
3. As for our subject’s unpaid political announcement about the U.S. contemporary use of programs to rehab recalcitrant people, one must look at what he says against the above passage from Jeremiah. The weeping prophet mentions that the people are "accustomed to doing evil." Thus, using our subject’s verbiage, he must be addressing convicts and the U.S penal system. It is difficult to follow his logic here, claiming that "although high, the recidivism rate has never attained 100 percent." He’s saying that the fallback, the "backsliding" rate for criminals, remains high, but there are "many successes," for which he produces not one iota of data.
4. The fact of the matter is, the U.S. Government has indeed wasted untold gazillions of taxpayer funds on rehabilitation programs that are purely secular in nature (remember, the official Government policy on religion is complete separation – the Feds cannot administer religion-based programs – prayer and the 10 Suggestions were banned long ago. Funny, shortly thereafter, the prison population began to swell, hmmmm). Self-esteem programs and I’m OK-You’re OK seminars don’t get to the root of the problem – Sin.
5. On the other hand, there is overwhelmingly abundant evidence of real success when Christian-based prison ministries are allowed to interact with the incarcerated to help them see the error of their ways. One of the biggest advantages of being locked up is to get the person’s attention – often only when one reaches rock bottom will a person be forced (by God) to take a new look at his life. But if no one is there to show him that Jesus Christ loves them and has a wonderful plan for his life, then the chances of true rehab are very slim. The most prominent leader in this field is Prison Fellowship led by Chuck Colson. He should know as one of the Watergate-related convictions from the Nixon White House. Other notable prison ministries include the Philadelphians, New Life Prison Ministry, Brother’s Keeper Ministries, Bill Glass Ministries, and Kairos Prison Ministry, not to mention the numerous local prison ministries conducted by local church congregations and other committed Christians. The Christian Motorcyclists Association also has a significant contingent of workers who can identify with the biker population behind bars.
6. Now, contrast all this with some excerpts from The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles,
1. "We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems."
2. "We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves.
3. I just love this one…… "We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity."
4. Another winner…… "We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence…."
5. "We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings."
7. Here’s a real tasty sound bite treat from the American Humanist Association (AHA) web site home page (www.humanist.net):
1. "Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality. -- The International Humanist and Ethical Union
8. Based on the above statements and excerpts from standing and well-known secular humanist sources, one wonders why they have not fixed the world? After all, they’ve had millions of years to get it right, no? The AHA has been around since 1941 - Isaac Isamov is a past president - the Association also has tax-exempt status from the IRS under 503 (c) of the Tax Code. If the Humanists are so concerned about their fellow humans and actually "transcend…religion," then they should be working with Christians in the relief of crowded prisons and the unsearchable suffering of the poor Christian women and children in Chad and Sudan who are being attacked, raped and sold into slavery this very day. (As a brief aside, the reader should remember, the Red Cross, Alcoholics Anonymous and others like them are Christian-based programs – how many Humanist / Atheist-based organizations rushed in to provide disaster relief following Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Hugo, the last big LA earthquake, huh?)
2. Perfection

This section of our subject’s Chapter 12 has six paragraphs – the first paragraph is merely an opening statement, with such terms as "duplicitous teachings" and "some of the most incredible biblical statements" setting the tone.

Again, our subject appears to make extensive use of the RSV (or the KJV) translations, which is OK – they are good translations and we shall use them when needed. I will still use the NASB as my primary translation, with cross references to others. As the reader will soon see, close attention to the Greek is critical here to properly understand the meanings in these passages, and to cut through the abundant misinformation that our subject spews in this section:

1. Our subject selects I John 3:6 (KJV) here for his sharp pen, "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hast (sic) not seen him, neither known him." The KJV actually uses "hath" rather than the word "hast" that our subject uses. The NASB says, "No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." Our subject’s comments in part, "If whoever abides in him does not sin, then nobody abides in him, because all continue to sin."
1. At face value, our subject has a very good point. But I’m not ready to concede. Key terms here are "abides" (Greek: me,nw"meno" {men’-o}, which can mean abide, dwell, tarry, or most importantly, endure), and "sins" (Greek: a`marta,nw"hamartano" {ham-ar-tan’-o} , which can mean sin, trespass, offend, for your faults, to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken , to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin). John was speaking to a Jewish audience, so they were quite aware of what it meant to break or keep the Law. John here is describing, quite literally, the legal position of the Believer, a positional relationship with Jesus the Christ.
1. John could probably remember the words of Christ, which he also wrote in the Gospel of John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life" and John 6:40, 47, ""For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day ….. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life." Notice that Jesus was speaking in present tense – in the vernacular of "you believe in Me, you trust in Me? It’s a done deal! You have (not will have) eternal life."
2. John was not the only one who faithfully recorded the innumerable teachings of Jesus. Peter backs him up with II Peter 1:16, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
2. Our subject continues, "If whoever sins has not seen or known him, then no one has seen or know him, because, most assuredly, all Christians continue to sin." our subject goes on to conclude that apologists must "…admit that no Christians abide in Christ."
1. Christ goes through a serious dissertation in John 15 – "abide in Me and I will abide in you." Here, Jesus describes the working / living relationship that will be naturally associated with trust in Him as Savior.
2. This fits nicely with James 2:17, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Also let’s look at Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
3. Thus, we see that a genuine Christian will act like a Christian, although not without mistakes (refer to Romans 7:7-25). In the true, forensic sense of the word, sin means simply "missing the mark, to fall short" of God’s standard. Since our own works are not going to get us to God anyway, Jesus has taken the only step sufficient to make us right with Him. Jesus never preached a funeral – He raised the dead, and He has never and will never lose a court case. Positionally, He has defeated the Adversary the Devil by choosing those men to be His (John 15:16,19). The "sinless" state is one of positional relationship established by Christ Himself, "not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:9)
2. Addressing paragraphs three and four will also address the rest of this section, for our subject simply continues his skepticism in paragraphs five and six. Here I will quote most of paragraph three so the reader will get the full context of our subject’s protest, then I’ll provide my answer. He sloppily quotes Scripture from the KJV, mixing verses and omitting a word ("for," a minor point): "The same problem [that no Christians abide in Christ – MSS] accompanies I John 5:18 and I John 3:9, which say, ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; (for) his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’ If this statement is true, then no one is born of God, because all continue to sin. Several years ago I was told by a fundamentalist preacher, who was fully cognizant of this verse, that he abides in God because he no longer sinned after accepting Christ. That is almost too ridiculous to discuss because, in effect, he is claiming perfection, which the Bible clearly precludes by such verses as Romans 3:10 ("There is none righteous, no, not one"), Rom.3:12 ("There is none that doeth good, no, not one"), Eccles. 7:20 ("There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not")." our subject later continues, "On page 158 in The Bible Has the Answer Morris and Clark seek to address the problem presented by I John 3:8-9 by saying, ‘At first glance, this seems to teach sinless perfection for all true believers. Strict attention to the Greek text, however, reveals that John is speaking of repeated or habitual sin. Consequently, this passage could be rendered, ‘No one who is born of sin practices sin.’’" (See here for further confirmation.) Our subject continues further into paragraph four, "Two fatal flaws accompany this rationalization. First, nothing is said in the verse about habitual anything. It does not say, he cannot habitually sin. It says, ‘he cannot sin,’ period. Second, even if the test referred to habitual sinning, Morris and Clark’s defense would be useless because all Christians continue to sin after accepting Jesus and they do so continually." Our subject seeks to reinforce his hypothesis / premise on a page from John Rice’s book, Dr. Rice, Here is My Question, ‘Too many people who believe in eternal security put all their confidence in the fact that a born-again Christian [redundant - there’s only one kind of Christian, be that as it may - MSS] will hold out to do right. Actually (sic) born again Christians often fall into very serious sins and continue in many sins.’"
1. Broad generalities and broad paintbrushing aside concerning the "often fall into very serious sins" (our subject cites no statistics on the huge numbers of Believers who are so allegedly messed up), admtittedly, this is a very tough area for laymen (including, formerly, this writer), and even some seminary-trained ministers to grasp. our subject cites a "fundamentalist preacher" who apparently was unable to effectively communicate this passage to our subject. Yes, this is a difficult doctrine / truth to grasp. Before I attempt to explain, allow me to quote some excerpts from the fine book Hard Sayings of Paul by Manfred T. Brauch. Some of the Apostle Paul’s works are renown for being hard to interpret and understand at times. In his introduction, Mr. Brauch says:

"...from the very early years of Christians’ use of Paul’s letters, the possibility of either understanding or misunderstanding, of either proper or improper use, have been ever-present realities. For us twentieth-century Christians, this fact ought to give both humility and hope. There may be times when, after careful and thorough study of a text, we should in all humility acknowledge that we simply cannot grasp the meaning or know definitely what the writer intends the reader to grasp. But there is always the hope that careful study-always under the guidance of the Spirit-will lead us to a hearing of the "hard sayings" in such a way that God’s Word can do its work in our lives."

He further states,

"The reading and study of any writing, if it is to be faithful to the author’s purpose, must take seriously at least three things: (1) the nature of the writing itself, (2) the purpose for which it was written and (3) the situation or context out of which it was written. Failure to observe these matters is more likely than not to lead to misunderstanding or misinterpretation."

2. Perhaps our subject was hopscotching through various apologetic resources, performing scholarship by shotgun. If he had seriously read the entire section (Chapter 11 - "Controversial Doctrines") of The Bible Has the Answer by Morris and Clark, he would have seen copious examples of cross-referencing and examples of Godly men who had dismal failures in their personal and spiritual lives. One of the fundamental rules in Biblical interpretation is that no one verse or singular passage can anchor a doctrine. Scripture interprets Scripture. There is ample amplification in the Bible to show that in I John 3:8-9 John was speaking of a habitual character in a person who "sins" repeatedly. Morris and Clark are correct. Doctors "practice," they "commit" medicine - they habitually and continually execute the actions of their profession. Truck drivers and airline pilots continually "practice" the work of their trades. The root Greek word here is poie,w "poieo" {poy-eh’-o}, which can mean to do, to execute, or to continue. The KJV renders this word as "committeth," whereas the NASB says "practices," the NIV says "does what is," and Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) says "who is doing." The NASB and the NIV, using the context of the full Greek, lean on a primitive Greek root word pra,ssw "prasso" {pras’-so}, which connotes to continue, practice or repeatedly do. In other words, the subject of the Greek here is a person who is in an ongoing, continual status of "missing the mark - falling short" of God’s standard. This person may have made a peripheral or superficial "acceptance" of Christ (through head knowledge or with an attitude of a works gospel) and thus will never attain the positional perfection that only Christ can ordain. In fact, this is likely the very kind of person identified by the writer of Hebrews Chapter 6, "4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned." Conversely, the true Christian, the one whom Christ has accepted, has chosen, is the one that Jesus continually intercedes for that the Bible speaks of when we read that "He is on / at the right hand of God" on our behalf:

Acts 5:31, "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." and,

Romans 8:34b, "Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

3. Thus, we have a more clear picture of a Savior Who had to come down to rescue us "for while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the us" (Romans 5:8) and referring back to one of the passages in this very discussion, "…The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (I John 3:8b). Jesus long ago agreed to one day enter into our space-time continuum to pay the price for our sins. He took the initiative, not us. Furthermore, He continues to keep Christians saved through His own intentional work of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and prepare us for eternity with Him (glorification of the redeemed). The "perfection" that the Bible speaks of is really one of spiritual maturity, not one of perfectly sinless behavior.
4. One final thought on our subject’s lack of rigorous scholarship here. He claims in his rebuttal that "…nothing is said in the verse about habitual anything. It does not say, he cannot habitually sin." He does not supply the slightest piece of evidence that refutes Morris and Clark’s reference to the original Greek and the proper context the passage is written in. Although it is true that very few Christians ever receive ancient language training for Bible study, there are nevertheless numerous resources on the market that will assist the layman in looking at the true exposition of the original languages (examples: "Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary," "Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon," various parallel Greek-English New Testaments, and the plethora of quality Bible software). And, let us remember the many institutions like Princeton, Yale, Harvard, etc. that were originally established to rigorously train future pastors in the original languages. Thus, the new preacher would arrive at his new church with the ability to reach into the Greek or Hebrew to further study the difficult passages, those "hard sayings" of the Bible writers.

1. Prayer

This significant section of our subject’s Chapter 12 covers almost five pages. He sets the tone (and it goes downhill from there) with this opening line, "Another stupefying aspect of biblical teaching circulates around the whole area of prayer and the efficacy of supplications to a higher being." Our subject really gets spun up in this section – in fact, this section is hard to distinguish from the next two ("Testing The Bible" and "Miracles") in his application of vitriol and running illogic. After reading these three sequential sections thoroughly, one can only conclude that our subject hangs around a bunch of losers and has interviewed a bunch of losers. It is like a Russian immigrant who comes to America, walks around the gutters of New York City or Washington, DC, interviews a bunch of homeless and winos, and concludes that there is no hope in the New World. Furthermore, he makes numerous broad, sweeping statements that could only be validated, if true (and they’re not), through a scientifically rigorous, third-party survey of Christians concerning their prayer life and the answers to their prayers. Don’t hold your breath – not only is such a survey unlikely forthcoming, but my own experience and the experience of many Christians who take the time to read this would be able to testify to the power of prayer and the extremely absurd positions taken by our subject.

Our subject has three main themes in this section: (1) People are absurdly promised anything in prayer with few if any strings attached, (2) Prayers don’t work anyway because those ridiculously empty promises won’t be kept, and (3) Even if they do work, one has to pray too hard, and they work for only a select few.

1. I will not address the themes one by one, but will cover the entire section as one commentary. Our subject remarks, "One should carefully note that no strings are attached; accordingly this statement has little relevance to reality."
1. Our subject here is quoting from the KJV Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Other translations render the same thing with just different English. Our subject goes on to cite five other passages about Christ’s prayer promises (Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:23-24; John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24; and I John 3:22). Our subject then sums it up with "Time after time Christians are told that the world is their oyster as long as they pray, ask with faith, request in Jesus’ name, or keep the commanour subjectents. Although obligations are attached to most promises, that is by no means true of all."
2. Our subject goes on to make the capacious statement that "In virtually every instance prayers go unanswered." In other words, he is stating a negative. In the "Miracles" section, our subject states, "…the burden of proof lies on him who alleges." So, our subject makes an allegation here that he cannot prove, nor does he, although he references two reasons in a small section of the book "Hard Questions" by "apologist" Frank Colquhoun (page 112): "…First, because we really don’t ask in faith…Secondly, all too often, as we’ve already seen, we only ask for things to please ourselves…."
2. Next, our subject again quotes a section from The Bible Has The Answer by Morris and Clark about unfulfilled prayer, "There are, however, certain conditions to be met before we can rightly expect God to answer our prayers. The first is that there be no unconfessed sin in our lives. If we are deliberately living in disobedience to God’s Word, then obviously we cannot expect Him to grant our requests." (response in Chapter 14, Question 5) Immediately, our subject asks the baldface question, "Where on earth are they getting this nonsense? What conditions?…Nothing is said about ‘unconfessed sin,’ although it would no doubt be desirable from an apologetic perspective…"
1. Obviously, our subject is guilty of selective blindness. The very next words of Morris and Clark following the above quote are citations from Psalm 66:18 ("If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;" (NIV)) and I Peter 3:12 ("…his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (NIV)) which clearly indicate that unconfessed sin is a barrier to dialogue with God. I may also add I John 3:20-21 and James 4:3 ("When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (NIV)) In fact, this entire section and other parts of Morris and Clark’s book are thoroughly replete with cross-referenced explanations of their opinions and conclusions. our subject simply disagrees, with little explanation other than scholarship via random neuron firings and rage. His illogic is incredible.
2. It is true that Jesus and others made the statements about prayer. But one must keep in mind that God does not exist to hand Believers all they want on a platter. It has been said that prayer does not work because we use God like an ATM machine – attempting to make a withdrawal at our convenience. Or, we pray to God like he’s the 911 Operator – calling upon Him only when we have an emergency. Or, we think God’s Kingdom is like a salad bar – we pick and choose what we want, rather than allowing him to serve our plate with the spiritual nutrients He knows is best for us. The Bible is replete with answered prayer – Hannah’s prayer for a child (I Samuel 1:13,15,19,20), Solomon’s prayer for wisdom to lead his nation (I Kings 3:5-15) and (II Chronicles 6:14 – 7:2), Elijah calling down fire from heaven (the contest with the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, I Kings 18). We also know that God refused to answer prayer in the affirmative – David praying for his sick son born from an illegal and lustful relationship to Bathsheba (II Samuel 11:27; II Samuel 12:13-23), Paul’s requesting that the thorn from his side be removed (II Corinthians 12:7-10).
3. Before I conclude my final wrap up on "Prayer" in paragraph D. below, I beg the reader to allow me to revisit our subject’s problem with the passage from Matthew 7:7-8 (from the NASB), "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened." This passage of Jesus is part of the long dissertation known as the Sermon on the Mount, which begins in Chapter 5 and runs through Chapter 7. The same or a very similar Sermon is found in a condensed manner in Luke 6:20-49. By some traditional accounts, the Sermon on the Mount was held on the wide rising hillside above the town of Tiberias on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had attracted a large crowd "He saw the multitudes…" In verses 5:1-2, we read these words, "And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying,"
1. So, who is Jesus talking to? His Disciples, whose number at this time may have been around 50+. This dissertation was specifically directed at His disciples; however, the people pressed around and listened also, similar to reporters crowding around a sideline huddle. Thus, Jesus was specifically focusing His remarks to His followers in an intensive teaching manner. He was not addressing the crowd in general, although it appears they were free to listen and ponder in their own hearts what Christ said. I can just imagine the rumblings and general hum of the crowd as those closest to Jesus passed His words back into the throng. Now, let’s see some key passages that Jesus spoke prior to our subject’s problem passage of 7:7-8 (all passages from NASB):
1. Verse 5:4 – "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This clearly connotes that there are and will be sad people. Thus, Jesus recognizes this as a part of human existence.
2. Verse 5:10 – "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus seems to insinuate that people who do the right thing, who stand for right principle, who dare to state objective right-and-wrong principles, will be persecuted, and are to be blessed because of the same. So, we can thank people like our subject for helping God to bless apologists who refute him.
3. Verses 5:11-12 – "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Ditto from the above, with emphasis on the evil with which our subject speaks. Thus, Jesus is clearly inferring that He will not necessarily provide special protection of His followers from those who would attack them (verbally and physically). Let us not forget that later the Jewish religious leaders will clamor to the Romans to kill Jesus.
4. Verses 6:19,21,25,30 – 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." 21 "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?" and, 30 "But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?" OK, so what is being said here? Jesus is laying the foundation of requirements to trust Him and to receive His blessings as He sees fit, not us.
5. Verse 6:33 – "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." This is the clincher – we are to first and foremost seek His way, His righteousness, His kingdom. Then, and only then, will Christ bless us with an enriched and fulfilling life. (I Timothy 4:8, "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." and Philippians 3:9, "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,") He does not promise worldly riches or fame, because one day we will die anyway. Our home as His Believers is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21, "20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.").
6. Thus, it should be abundantly clear from a plain reading of the text that Jesus has made it known that before the promises of Matthew 7:7-8 can be trusted, they must be taken in the light of the verses prior to that. Our subject is so far out in left field that the lights have been turned out, the locker room is closed, the fans have left and the parking lot empty, and our subject is still in the top of the 3^rd inning.
4. About 10 years ago, my church was already at full capacity and going to two Sunday morning services to accommodate its members. The congregation, located away from the center of town out in the country, owned only the few acres that the physical plant and the parsonage across the street occupied. There was no land around the church available (the people who owned the various surrounding properties had no interest in selling). So, our church entered a long period of prayer to ask that God make property anywhere available so that the congregation could expand. Not long thereafter, some of the adjacent residents decided to sell their properties. Long story short – my church stepped out in Faith, prayed, God answered with willing property owners, and then providentially made the finances available to purchase 25 additional acres of land. Our church is now about to embark on another huge expansion which will require Faith and Prayer. Our desire is that it will be in God’s will.

When Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt and came up against the Red Sea, he had to step out in Faith into an impossibility. God was not interested in Moses’ ability, He was looking for Moses’ availability and willingness and trust. The only alternative to the very certain recapture, slaughter and re-enslavement by the Pharaoh was to go forward into the Red Sea (covered later in the section on "Miracles"). God provided the escape with the crossing of the Red Sea on dry land and the destruction of the Egyptian pursuers. I will close this section on "Prayer" with a direct quote from the final section on prayer in the Holman Bible Dictionary: "Answered Prayers--Unanswered Petitions: Not every petition is granted. Job's demand for answers from God was eclipsed by the awesome privilege of encountering Him (Job 38-41). Modern believers must also cherish communion with the Father more than their petitions. Jesus, with His soul sorrowful to the point of death, prayed three times that His cup of suffering might pass, but He was nevertheless submissive to God's will (Matt. 26:38-39,42,45). Both the boldness of the petition to alter God's will and the submission to this "hard" path of suffering are significant. Paul asked three times for deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh." God's answer to Paul directed him to find comfort in God's sufficient grace. Also God declared that His power is best seen in Paul's weakness (2 Cor. 12:8-9). God gave him the problem to hinder his pride. Ironically, Paul claimed that God gave the problem, and yet he called it a messenger of Satan. Paul learned that petitions are sometimes denied in light of an eventual greater good: God's power displayed in Paul's humility. Faith is a condition for answered petitions (Mark 11:24). Two extremes must be avoided concerning faith. (1) With Jesus' example in mind we must not think that faith will always cause our wishes to be granted. (2) Also we must not go through the motions of prayer without faith. Believers do not receive what they pray for because they pray from selfish motives (Jas. 4:2-3). Prayers are also hindered by corrupted character (Jas. 4:7) or injured relationships (Matt. 5:23-24). Theological Insights: Dialogue is what is essential to prayer. Prayer makes a difference in what happens (Jas. 4:2). Our understanding of prayer will correspond to our understanding of God. When God is seen as desiring to bless (Jas. 1:5) and sovereignly free to respond to persons (Jonah 3:9), then prayer will be seen as dialogue with God. God will respond when we faithfully pursue this dialogue. Prayer will lead to a greater communion with God and a greater understanding of His will." Commentary by Randy Hatchett

 

 

1. Testing the Bible

Under construction………

 

 

2. Miracles

This last section may be the easiest for me to comment on because of the personal miracles I have experienced. Some of these miracles in my life can be attested to by others, using ordinary rules of evidence in eyewitness account manner.

In this last section of the Chapter on "Belief," our subject really gets wound up. He writes with a passion, excitement and fervor that borders on, shall I dare mention the "f" word, that of a fanatic, a label that is often pasted on us Christian "fundamentalists." "Fundamentalist" is an extremely overused and quite erroneous term by the passionate infidel to describe any and all Christians (I am not one - I prefer the "Evangelical" moniker) who do not subscribe to the humanistic material view of the universe, evolution and the "proper" role of humans in society. I used to work for one of these types of atheist in the Navy, and he cared not one whit who came in the way of his anti-Christian blasts. Since secular humanism is officially on record as a religion, it boggles the mind why these poor fellows can pontificate as they do. Yet they call believers of Christ religious fanatics and fundamentalists if we wish to tell people that there is a God, that He created the Universe, and that He loved us so much after we fell into Sin that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us.

But I digress. Again, the tenor of our subject’s commentary is sappy and condescending to the reader, regardless of his background, unless the reader is a staunch infidel, then surely he is cheering our subject onward.

Before we go on, let’s define the word "miracle." The New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language (Lexicon Publications, Danbury, CT, revised 1992, page 637) says this,

"A supernatural event regarded as due to divine action, e.g., one of the acts worked by Christ which revealed his divinity; an extremely remarkable achievement or event, e.g., an unexpected piece of luck, it was a miracle he wasn’t hurt." (emphasis in the original)

Let’s look in the same dictionary to see how it defines "divine" and "divinity:"

Divine - "Of God, or a god; addressed to God; having the nature of a god……."

Divinity: "The quality of being divine; a god; the study…of the Bible and Church doctrine

Thus, it clearly is apparent that the ordinary, everyday inference of anything miraculous and divine appeal to the nature of a God / god that can and does work from outside our four dimensions of space and time. These are areas that the Bible routinely addresses.

What does the Bible say about miracles? The Old Testament and the New Testament use words that commonly are translated "signs" or "wonders" or "marks" and understood to be miracles in the ordinary sense of the word. Translations often use the same Hebrew and Greek words to say "miracle" according to context. In the Old Testament, the primary Hebrew word used for miracle is tp,Am "mowpheth" {mo-faith'} tpeAm "mopheth," which denoted something of great and awesome wonder, often a real supernatural event. The same word also meant wonder with similar connotation. There are primarily two words in the NT that indicate a sign / wonder or miracle, depending on the level of the awe invoked. The word most often used for the "lower" level of wonders was the Greek "semeion" {say-mi'-on}, which could mean a sign, token, wonder, an unusual occurrence, a remarkable event. It could indicate signs portending remarkable events soon to happen or of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's. The higher "level" of wonder was the Greek "dunamis" {doo'-nam-is}, which had the connotation of power, mighty work, strength, miracle, virtue, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or power for performing miracles.

In the NT, the word for wonder is the Greek qa,mboj "thambos" {tham'-bos}, meaning to dumbfound or be amazed, to be astonished or to render immovable. Finally, the Hebrew and the Greek words commonly translated into the word "sign" also commonly meant something out of the ordinary, an astonishing event or even a miracle. It is clear from even a moderate study of the ancient languages, using ordinary lexicon and expositional tools available to a layman like me, that the words miracle, sign, mark, and wonder routinely expressed the idea of things that did not commonly happen in nature, that were sheer coincidence in character, or were done because of God’s mighty power and ability to work within or from outside the realm of nature / the universe. From the nature of our subject’s work here, it seems doubtful that he has paid any significant attention to the Hebrew or Greek.

This section on "Miracles" covers six pages – my response will specifically address a few paragraphs on pages 244, 245, and 246. This will suffice to address the entire section, for our subject is repetitive in most of it in theme and vitriol in his continued imbroglio of thought. For the reader who has not seen this book (don’t bother buying it – it is not worth the price, even if one found it at a yard sale for 50 cents), first, I will quote the first two entire paragraphs of this section so the reader can get the correct flavor that I will respond to.

 

1. Page 244, our subject states, "The most preposterous biblical statements for those unacquainted with the intricacies of textual analysis lie in the category of miracles or supernatural events. For millions of people the whole idea of sticks turning into serpents (Exod. 7:10), a serpent and a donkey talking (Gen. 3:4-5 and Num. 22:28-30, respectively), iron floating (2 Kings 6:5-6), a women (sic) turning into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26), the sun standing still (Josh. 10:13), and people rising from the dead (Matt. 27:52), for example, are as far from the realm of possibility as black is from white. Little do these people realize that their rejection of miracles and the supernatural in general is simultaneously a rejection of the validity of the Bible itself. If all miracles were excluded from the Bible, the book would be dealt a crushing blow, from which recovery would be impossible. As apologist William Arndt says on page 26 in Bible Difficulties, ‘If we take everything miraculous out of the Bible, how little will there be left.’"

"Without the miracle of the Resurrection, for example, Christianity would collapse. As Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:14 and 15:17 (RSV), ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.’ Apologist Harold Lindsell was quite correct when he said on page 204 of The Battle for the Bible, ‘Once we discard miracles, we automatically open the door that leads a the denial of the virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’ Apologist Robert Mounce is equally on target when he says on page 15 of Answers to Questions About the Bible, ‘The Christian faith is openly supernaturalistic.’"

1. I must thank our subject here, for he comes to the very heart of miracles in the Bible, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (I’m impressed that he referred to the Resurrection in upper case). However, here and throughout the rest of this section, he conveniently fails to mention the more than 500 eyewitnesses to the Resurrected Christ that Paul mentions earlier in verses 5-8 of I Corinthians 15. Additionally, we have the personal witness of Peter in II Peter 1:16, "14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me (emphasis mine - MSS). [Note: Peter here refers to Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s death in John 21:18 – MSS] 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind. 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses (emphasis mine - MSS) of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"-- 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance (emphasis mine – MSS) made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." our subject continues the haranguing that clearly indicates he believes nothing in the Bible, regardless of eyewitness accounts, which he seems to deliberately ignore. But he is correct - without the Resurrection, Christians are members of nothing but a religious club, similar to the Mormons, Hindus, Free Masons, and the like. As Paul says in verse 32 of chapter 15 of I Corinthians, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Which leads us to consider that if there is no God, no deity in Jesus, then where is the infinite reference point of morals? Not only eat and drink, but hey, let’s party hearty and grab all the gusto we can, including good times with our subject’s wife, his daughters, and stealing our neighbor’s goods.
2. Page 245, our subject states, "Although some of the most incredible biblical statements lie within the category of the miraculous, apologists vigorously contend that scriptural accounts of supernatural events are unlike those that one can expect to encounter elsewhere….[quoting Paul Little from Know Why You Believe], ‘Biblical miracles, in contrast to miracle stories in pagan literature and those in other religions, were not capricious or fantastic.’"

"Biblical miracles were not fantastic? Is Little serious? Sticks turning into snakes and people rising from the dead are not fantastic? If a woman turning into a pillar of salt is not fantastic, what is? If the sun standing still is not incredible, what is"

1. I did not notice Paul Little "vigorously" contending anything. He made a straightforward statement, whether one agrees with him or not. I happen to agree, because what Paul Little is surely inferring to here is that the times that God invoked Himself into man’s affairs was often witnessed by outsiders to the party. The plagues of the Egyptians were made on Israel’s behalf, but certainly witnessed and felt by those in the country who were not directly involved in the negotiations for the release of the Hebrew slaves. It all fits.
2. Furthermore, I see no language surrounding the account of Lot’s wife turning to a pillar of salt describing it as a miracle or fantastic. Keep in mind that Lot and his family were pretty late getting out of town. In fact, the angels that God sent to warn Lot had to physically grab him and his family and yank them out of there (Genesis 19:16-17). They were instructed to not look back, possibly to prevent them from pausing to gaze at their loss, or to keep them going to escape the frag zone of incoming flaming sulfur and other hot items. Perhaps she became mesmerized by the firestorm, perhaps even reversed course, and got enveloped in blowing dust and / or salt from the firestorm. She may also have taken a direct or almost direct hit and became a screaming Class Alpha Fire, quickly consumed, and pulverized into dust / ash. The Hebrew word here for pillar is "n@tsiyb" {nets-eeb'}, which means something like a garrison or post. Thus, she became a marker, something like a gate back to the past of the town in which they had just escaped, except for her. No miracle is invoked here, and completely naturalistic means can used here for explanation.
3. Page 246, our subject states, "The most common defense of biblical miracles, or miracles in general, is well stated on page 27 of A Defense of Biblical Infallibility by Clark Pinnock, who states, ‘Empirical science cannot contest the validity of a miracle for the simple reason the event cannot be repeated for experiment today. The evidence for a miracle, as for any historical event, is the testimony of those who witnessed it…Science which denies the possibility of miracles is both unbiblical and unhistorical.’"

Our subject continues, "Pinnock fails to realize that the burden of proof lies on him who alleges. Those who deny the existence of miracles are under no obligation to prove anything, while those who affirm their existence must prove everything. That the burden of proof lies on him who alleges is axiomatic to all rational thought. But proof is something believers in miracles just can’t provide."

Our subject continues by attempting to insinuate that any crackpot could prove an event simply because he says so, clearly inferring that Bible Believers are probably crackpots for believing in miracles, something that I take personal exception to. He continues, "Those who say Jesus rose from the grave must substantiate their belief,…"

1. Well folks, it’s show time. Let’s take a few of his arrogant statements one at a time: "…the burden of proof lies on him who alleges. Those who deny the existence of miracles are under no obligation to prove anything,…" This is one of the best tactics today’s infidel takes when debating Christians - they define the terms of the argument. One wonders why the Redeemed allow atheists / God-haters to define the terms and set the rules for most or all theological debates. Certainly, I don’t cede that notion. For someone who claims that he doesn’t have to prove a thing, he has gone to a tremendous amount of trouble to do just that! Additionally, those of us who don’t believe in evolution simply have to say, "Naw, didn’t happen it - prove it, and then sit back and watch "rational thought," or complete lack thereof, in action. The Darwinism and neo-Darwinism of modern-day secular humanists is about to collapse. The long-period gradualists have hit snag after snag in attempting to explain evolution over billions of years, and the punctuated equilibrium crowd are also panicking. They know they can’t prove evolution and life from granddaddy hydrogen atom. But they have been immensely successful in keeping Creationism out of public schools because it’s "religion" and metaphysics and therefore outside of science. It’s time for the Redeemed to call a spade a shovel and go on the attack. Remember, the Redeemed were given a wonderful promise in Matthew 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [Hell] will not overcome it." Ultimately, Hell will not be able to withstand the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and will one day be broken inward to reveal the Lamb of God who has now become the residents of Hell’s judge.
2. Let me tell you about my miracles:
1. My Dad became a Christian in the fall of 1967. He was saved at a revival, and had been the object of prayer for years. My Dad was not a very nice man - he was quite vile and used profanity prodigiously. He changed immediately! He was like a new person the next hour, the next day. Since my Dad’s conversion, I have yet to hear him say one curse word, and he’s one of the sweetest men one could ever hope to have the pleasure of knowing. That does not happen because of positive thinking or better self-esteem.
2. About 1972, while in the Navy, I was having car trouble. I needed new spark plug wires, distributor cap, and plugs, but as an enlisted man, I made very little money. I needed about $18 to effect the repairs, which I could do myself. After paying the bills, I was broke. One Wednesday night at church, one of the sweet ladies I knew walked up to me, handed me a 20 dollar bill, and said, "Someone told me you needed this." I had not spoken to a soul, except God. The amount and the timing were wondrous, absolutely amazing.
3. In early September 1996, while my son was driving our 1988 Pathfinder home from his job at Pizza Hut, he was involved in a horrendous crash with a tractor-trailer. Our vehicle had run up under the trailer, which pushed the left A-pillar of the forward door / windshield area in upon him. The Pathfinder was pulverized, and the driver’s cockpit area was badly crushed and mangled around him. The floor area was crushed around his feet, and he came to a stop pinned by the steering column and transmission hump. All the glass except the rear window was shattered. It occurred at night on the freeway, and he came to a stop facing oncoming traffic with no lights because one of the battery cables was knocked off. The state trooper who arrived at the scene immediately thought he had a fatal accident on his hands. The EMT personnel were already there with the jaws of life. They had to cut the entire top off the Pathfinder to get my son out. What they found was my 16-year old son in a conscious state, talking to everyone and in a lucid manner. His only injuries were some mild lacerations to his left forearm and hands, a very small, insignificant cut to his left upper eyelid, and a bruised right thigh. There were no broken bones and no stitches were required. We had him home that night in his own bed by 1:00 AM! Yes, God could have taken him, but when I looked at the amount of jagged steel that had penetrated the driver’s compartment and all that glass, all I could say is that God’s hand was in the dynamics.
4. Finally, my son is now at the US Naval Academy. His roommate is also a Christian. And, his roommate is the son of a former Marine C-130 pilot who was a close friend and squadron mate of…..the guy (and his wife) who first introduced me to my wife. Funny how those signs and wonders work out.
4. I will wrap up this section on "Miracles" and the Chapter by stating that our subject has not the slightest chance to combat the two most damning pieces of evidence against his case that the Bible is not true - and that is, The First Law of Thermodynamics and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The First Law simply states that energy / matter cannot be created from nothing nor destroyed. One can convert one to another, but the total energy of a closed system remains the same. The Second Law states that everything is running down and tending toward more disorder. Clocks wind down, cars need to refuel, watch batteries go dead. Mr. our subject can bring on his mathematicians, his chaos theory, his fractals, and any other scientific discipline he wants. But the Second Law of Thermo is the silver bullet, the final stake in the infidel’s vampire heart. It’s his metaphysics and religion against mine - and mine is more logical and rational.