In The God Delusion, atheist Richard Dawkins vents: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” It seems odd that Dawkins, who has made a career out of pillorying a God he says does … [Read more...]
Is Islam hostile to Christianity?
November 5 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. North Korea continues its run as the nation most brutal toward its Christian citizens, but the vast majority of the top 50 persecutors are Muslim-dominated nations, according to the 2017 World Watch List. Which begs the question: Is Islam hostile to Christianity? Many Muslims worldwide condemn the violence done in the name of Allah, especially to Jews and Christians. They desire peaceful coexistence with their … [Read more...]
Apologetics: How to make a universe
This is the second in a two-part series on Stephen Hawking’s contention that science has resolved the need for God. In the previous column, we examined the logical fallacies theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking employs in the Discovery Channel series, “Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design.” Now, let’s turn our attention to how a universe is made. While Scripture tells us that God spoke the world into existence (Gen. 1:3-26; Ps. 33:9; Heb. 11:13), Hawking contends that nothing more than matter, … [Read more...]
Apologetics: Why is the world broken?
Nearly everyone admits the world is broken, at least to some extent. There’s a disconnect between “what is” and “what ought to be.” People pursue happiness, only to die sad and alone. Our stuff wears out, loses its luster, or gets stolen. Buses run late, baristas can’t make a decent latte, and the wrong team wins the Super Bowl. Worse, evil runs rampant. ISIS bombs innocent concert-goers. Governments starve their people, even in resource-rich countries. Twitter wars trash … [Read more...]
Stephen Hawking’s grand design
This is the first in a two-part series on Stephen Hawking’s contention that science has resolved the need for God. Every so often, a renowned scientist captivates a global audience through a combination of brilliance, charisma, and an uncanny ability to communicate complex ideas in simple terms. Carl Sagan comes immediately to mind. So does Neil deGrasse Tyson. And, of course, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, whose dazzling intellect and sense of humor, despite severe physical … [Read more...]
Is the Bible literally true?
Christians are sometimes asked if we believe the Bible is literally true. After all, whether eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood is a plunge into cannibalism, or a figurative expression of full devotion, depends on how we understand the language of Scripture. In one sense, we might say the Bible is divinely inspired literature through which God speaks to human beings in our own language. This naturally includes a range of literary devices, from narrative to hyperbole. So, … [Read more...]
The Book of Jude: Who are you to judge?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Jude describes certain false teachers as “merely natural, not having the Spirit” (v. 19). He seems to be stating that these professing Christians are unbelievers. How can he make such a judgment? Doesn’t Jesus say, “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged” (Matt. 7:1)? Isn’t God the … [Read more...]
The prophecy of Enoch in Jude
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Near the end of Jude’s epistle, he quotes a prophecy from Enoch: “Look! The Lord comes with thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment on all ...” Nowhere in Scripture does Enoch’s prophecy appear, leading some to dispute the inspiration of Jude. After all, it is argued, if a … [Read more...]
The Book of Jude: Can apostates be Christians?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the eighth in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Of all the terms Jude uses to describe false teachers – dangerous reefs, waterless clouds, and wild waves of the sea, to name a few – he stops short of calling them apostates. Yet that is what they are. A closer look at the New Testament’s sparing use of this term may prove helpful, … [Read more...]
The Book of Jude: Who is Michael the archangel?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Jude 9 offers one of the few references in Scripture to Michael the archangel. He is the only archangel named in the Bible, and his name means, “Who is like God?” Michael is introduced in Dan. 10:13 as “one of the chief princes.” He helps another angel, who has been battling the … [Read more...]
When angels desert
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. The identity of certain angels in Jude 6 is a matter of much debate. Unlike Satan and most demons, who roam the earth in search of mischief, these angels are kept “with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, angels who did not keep their own position but deserted … [Read more...]
The Book of Jude: Who are those guys?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Who, exactly, are the “certain men” about whom Jude writes in verse 4 of his epistle? Jude delivers serious warnings about the religious scoundrels who have infiltrated the church - without naming them. Perhaps this is because there are too many to name - an indication of how … [Read more...]
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