One day after school back in year 10, I was talking to one of my friends. I made some remark that on Saturday I was going to church. He looked down, nodded, and then in a rather frustrated voice asked me “Do you really believe in all that stuff?” If someone were to ask you that question, how would you respond? As Christians it is important that we are able to give evidence for what we believe in. The branch of theology that deals with the defence of, and the evidence for the faith is known as apologetics. There are two broad branches of apologetics. The first branch deals with providing evidence for the faith while the second branch deals with the defence of the faith (e.g. explaining why evil exists). Today we are going to look at the first branch of apologetics, more specifically the evidence for God’s existence.
Some people say of God “I won’t believe him until I see him”. Is it rational to believe in God when we cannot detect him with the five senses? The answer is yes. Do you realise that there are many scientific realities that we cannot detect with our five senses? For example take gravity. Can you see gravity? Can you hear gravity? Can you smell gravity? Can you taste gravity? Can you feel gravity? Well how do you know gravity exists? The answer is you can detect it indirectly. For example you take an object, drop it, and it falls towards the Earth. You can’t detect the gravitational fields of the object and the Earth with the five senses, but you can indirectly detect gravity by observing the effects of gravitational fields. The same goes with God. We cannot see God, nor can we smell, taste, hear or touch him. So what reason do we have for believing he exists? The answer is we have indirect evidence for his existence. With this in mind, let us turn to the evidence that God exists. We can’t even consider all the major arguments here – there is simply not enough time. However we will consider 5 of them.
1. THE EXISTENCE OF THE UNIVERSE
Our first piece of evidence is the very existence of the universe. By the universe, I don’t just mean all the stars, planets and galaxies. I also mean the whole sum of space and time itself.
How can the existence of the universe be evidence for God’s existence?
Well let’s consider the possible explanations of the universes existence. The universe either had a beginning or it did not have a beginning. If the universe had a beginning then that beginning was either caused or uncaused. Finally, if the universes beginning was caused, then that cause was either personal or non-personal in nature. It can be shown that the universe (a) had a beginning, (b) its beginning was caused, and (c) it was caused by a personal being.
A. THE UNIVERSE HAD A BEGGINNING
If the universe has always existed then that means an infinite amount of time has gone by. However this is impossible – you cannot reach infinity. Try counting to infinity – even if you could live forever, it would be impossible. Because you can always just add another number on to your existing number. But if you cannot reach infinity than this means that the amount of time that has elapsed is finite, and therefore the universe had a beginning.
One may ask, “Wouldn’t it therefore also be impossible for God to be eternal?” However a good theory exists to this objection. Originally God was in a timeless state of affairs. Then he spontaneously brought the universe, and consequently space and time, into existence. Therefore God could have existed forever – in the sense that he is eternal but was originally timeless, and not have violated the law of non-infinity. It seems to make sense. After all if God created space and time then wouldn’t it therefore mean that originally he was in a timeless and spaceless reality? Of course this is just one theory concerning Gods eternality and his relationship to time and we won’t know the answer for sure until we get to heaven, however I do think this theory is both philosophically and theologically sound. Now unlike God, time is an essential property of the universe and since an infinite amount of time cannot elapse, the universe must have had a beginning.
B. THE UNIVERSE HAD A CAUSE
Since the universe had a beginning, than it seems that its beginning must have been caused. Something cannot just pop into existence from nothing. If there is absolutely nothing – no matter, no energy, no space, no time and no causes – then there will always be only nothing. Nothing only produces nothing. Therefore the universe must have been brought into existence by some sort of cause. In contrast God does not need a cause since he had NO BEGGINNING. He has always existed and holds within himself his own reason for being. This is certainly mysterious and very hard to understand – but unlike a beginningless universe and a universe without a cause, it is not an impossibility.
C. THE CAUSE OF THE UNIVERSE WAS A PERSONAL BEING
Now we can ask the question “What caused the universe?” Well we really only have 2 choices – it could have been a personal cause (i.e. some personal being) or a non-personal cause (i.e. some condition that exists outside of the universe). Now both would have to be eternal since they are the cause of the 1st event – the beginning of the universe. After all it doesn’t make any sense to say something caused the first cause!
Now it seems that the cause must have been personal. Why? For how else could an eternal cause give rise to a non-eternal universe? If the cause was non-personal – if it was just an eternal condition, then the universe must also be eternal. For if the cause of an effect is present – then the effect is also present. For example, suppose I push down on a cushion. As soon as I touch the cushion it compresses – there is no time waiting. They occur simultaneously. Therefore if a non-personal cause of the universe exists then the universe will also exist. And since the cause is eternal then the universe will also be eternal. Yet we have seen that the universe could not have existed for eternity.
The only way a non-eternal universe could come into existence from an eternal cause is if the universe was brought into existence by the act of some personal being. A non-personal cause can’t choose to bring something into existence. If it exists, then its effect exists. But a personal cause can exist eternally and then spontaneously choose to bring the universe into existence.
Furthermore, the personal cause must be a very powerful being – after all bringing the whole universe into existence is no small feat! So the universe must have been caused by a powerful personal being, or in other words, God. Isn’t it interesting to note that the philosophically derived assertion that the universe had a personal caused beginning fits perfectly with the Bible. Gen 1:1 - In the BEGINNING GOD CREATED the heavens and the Earth.
2. THE DESIGN OF THE UNIVERSE AND LIFE
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” When I consider the physical laws that govern the planets, stars and galaxies, along with the other laws of science, I am drawn to the conclusion that a master designer created the universe.
Physicist Paul Davies states:
"The very success of the scientific method depends upon the fact that the physical world operates according to rational principles which can therefore be discerned through rational enquiry. Logically, the universe does not have to be in this way. We could conceive of a cosmos where chaos reigns. In place of the orderly and regimented behavior of matter and energy one would have arbitrary and haphazard activity. Stable structures like atoms or people or stars could not exist. The real world is not this way. It is ordered and complex. Is that not itself an astonishing fact at which to marvel."
Lets just consider one example - The proton to neutron ratio. In order for the stable elements to exist, the mass of the neutron must exceed the mass of the proton. But the neutron can only exceed the mass of the proton by a very small amount - an amount which is twice the mass of the electron. This critical point of balance is only one part in a thousand. If the neutron to proton mass ratio were to vary outside of this limit then chaos would result.
World-renowned astronomer Fred Hoyle remarks, "A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics."
Then there is the overwhelming design of life itself. Take for example, the human body. An adult human brain contains over a hundred thousand billion electrical connections – more than all the electrical connections in all the electrical appliances in the world. Among the many complex features of the human eye is the retina. John Stevens states, “While today’s digital hardware is extremely impressive, it is clear that the human retinas real time performance goes unchallenged. Actually, to simulate 10 milliseconds of the complete processing of even a single nerve cell from the retina would require the solution of 500 simultaneous nonlinear differential equations 100 times and would take at least several minutes of processing time on a Cray supercomputer. Keeping in mind that there are 10 million or more such cells interacting with each other in complex ways, it would take a minimum of 100 years Cray time to simulate what takes place in your eye many times every second.”
And what about the cell? A cell has been described as “a marvel of detailed and complex architecture” and “more complex then New York City”. A Newsweek article comments “Power plants generate the cell’s energy. Factories produce proteins, vital units of chemical commerce. Complex transportation systems guide specific chemicals from point to point within the cell and beyond. Sentries at the barricades control the export and import markets, and monitor the outside world. A centralized genetic government maintains order.” Then there is the D.N.A inside the cell. If all the information contained in a pinheads volume of D.N.A were written in typewritten form it would fill a pile of paperback books 500 times higher then the distance from the Earth to the moon.
Once more, all the parts of the body are inter-related and work in harmony with each other with each part serving a specific and meaningful function. There is purpose, there is order among each of the awe-inspiring complex parts of the human body.
It seems that we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.
3. LIFE ITSELF
Are we just physical beings? Or is there something more to us? I believe there is something more to us. For in addition to our immensely complex bodies, we also posses a mind, and therefore life. I should point out here that for the sake of the argument when I say life I am referring to conscious life, although I do of course believe that all life ultimately owes its existence to God. If we are just physical beings then all our actions would be determined by the laws of physics and chemistry. Of course this is not the case. Rather we are living beings who, through the power of choice, can ourselves freely act and determine certain events. We are not just a pile of molecules - we have consciousness – we can think! Not only can we recall past memories and events, but we have the ability to analyse, to synthesize, to evaluate, to communicate, to draw conclusions, make decisions, create ideas, concepts and designs. We have the ability to think logically, to reason, to extrapolate, to summarize, to understand. We have the ability to think intelligently. We are intelligent living beings.
So where did life come from? Could life come from matter? How could consciousness arise from physical and chemical processes acting on matter? How could the bombardments of inanimate particles give rise to life? It seems that life could not come from matter. In addition to the above philosophical basis, this assertion also finds scientific support in the law of biogenesis that states that life can only come from life.
If this is indeed the case – if life cannot arise from inanimate matter but must arise from pre-existing life, then life must have always existed. Now, if life has always existed, we have two options. Our first possibility is this: A life came from another life which came from another life which came from another life …and so on for eternity past! But this results in an infinite regress of causes which is a logical impossibility! Our only other option is that there was a first life which has acted as the ultimate cause of all other life. But if life has always existed, then this first life must be eternal. Therefore an eternal life which acts as the source of all other life exists.
In Genesis 2:7 we find that God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and Adam became a living being. In other words, God breathed into Adam and imparted to him consciousness – a mind – he became alive. You see what this text says? It says that God created Adam physically – he created the complete form of his body and then he breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living being, aware of his surroundings, able to move, able to control his body! Isn’t it great to know that we are not just a bunch of rearranged chemicals – that we are human beings who were created in the image of God – God – the source of all life. You know were not just accidental by-products of nature which have evolved relatively recently on an infinitesimal speck of dust lost somewhere in a hostile and mindless universe.” But rather a loving almighty God personally created Adam in his image and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living being.
4. THE EXISTENCE OF OBJECTIVE MORAL VALUES
An increasing number of people today hold to a view called Nihilism. Nihilists believe that there are no objective moral values. By objective moral values I am not referring to culturally derived customs such as what is considered appropriate manners etc. Rather I am referring to universal absolutes – actions which are definitely right or wrong and which are deeply entrenched in the conscience of mankind. According to nihilism, there is nothing really right or wrong – it’s not a question of whether you should or shouldn’t do certain things but rather do you like or dislike those things. But if a nihilist’s car were to get stolen would they really respond by saying “I don’t like what happened – but there was nothing really wrong with it?” The fact is, deep down we all know that some things really are right and others really are wrong. With this in mind we should realise that sometimes morality can be very complex especially when dealing with difficult moral dilemmas. To see how moral dilemmas fit in with both the moral argument and theology would require reasonably high level philosophy that we won’t go into, but the basic point is that despite the complexity of moral theory, basic fundamental absolute moral principles do exist.
Now we have a very interesting question. What is the cause for the existence of objective moral values? Many say that humans created these values. After all we create many other laws – why can’t we be the creators of objective moral values? There is a serious problem with this line of thought. It seems unreasonable that moral absolutes – principles which ALL humans are SUBJECTED to – principles which are DEFINITELY right or wrong – hinges on the decisions of fallible human beings. Sure, we humans recognise moral values and we put many of these values in the form of laws – but we are not the cause of the values themselves. Objective moral values themselves are absolute and exist outside the realm of human creation.
So where do they come from? I believe that the existence of objective moral values implies the existence of God who is the cause of them. For if there is no supreme being – if we are just the result of accidental chemical bombardments which have evolved through a long process of death and struggle, on an miniscule crumb of dust lost somewhere in a hostile lonesome universe, then how could there be any such thing as absolute moral values? Besides we usually think of a command involving a commander. For example, the rules of Football were invented by people – they didn’t just exist by themselves. Principles come from or exist in minds. Therefore it seems that absolute moral principles would have to come from an ultimate mind – a supreme perfect lawgiver. Deuteronomy 32:4 says of God “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
5. THE LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
2000 years ago a man was born that was so influential he split time into AD and BC – a man who claimed to be God incarnate and the saviour of the world. That person of course was Jesus Christ. We must remember that the New Testament is not just a collection of spiritual writings – they are historical documents. In fact many scholars view the New Testament as the most reliable set of historical documents of the ancient world – hence it seems that the New Testament paints an accurate picture of an array of events that took place nearly 2000 years ago. So based on these documents as well as many other historical sources, what is the evidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be – the Son of God?
Well lets take a look at an interesting argument known as the Trilemma.
Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the saviour of the world. His claims were either true or false. If his claims were false then he either knew they were false or he did not know they were false. If he knew they were false, then he was a liar. If he did not know his claims were false then we would have to class him as a lunatic – after all it is no small delusion to sincerely believe that you are God. Of course, if his claims were true then he is who he claimed to be – the Son of God and the saviour of the world. Now it seems that Jesus was most definitely not a liar.
Consider what Historian Phillip Schaff has to say:
“How, in the name of logic, common sense, and experience, could an imposter that is a deceitful, selfish, depraved man have invented, and consistently maintained from the beginning to end, the purest and noblest character known in history with the most perfect air of truth and reality? How could He have conceived and successfully carried out a plan of unparalleled beneficence, moral magnitude, and sublimity, and sacrificed His own life for it, in the face of the strongest prejudices of His people and age?”
Like wise it appears that Jesus certainly was no lunatic. Phillip Schaff observes:
“Is such an intellect clear as the sky, bracing as the mountain air, sharp and penetrating as a sword, thoroughly healthy and vigorous, always ready and always self possessed liable to a radical and most serious delusion concerning His own character and mission? Preposterous imagination!”
It seems inconceivable that Jesus was a liar or lunatic. The only option left is that his claims are correct and therefore he is Lord. His life certainly supports this.
We simply don’t have the time to cover the messianic prophecies so I’ll move straight on to the resurrection. You know many people ask “How can you believe in miracles such as the resurrection?” “Don’t miracles contradict science?” The fact is there is no contradiction whatsoever between science and miracles. Because God is an orderly God, he created an orderly universe that conforms to orderly scientific laws. But as the creator of these laws he has the power to intervene over these laws – what we call miracles.
We should also answer the objection that says that Jesus didn’t actually die but rather he was almost dead and then revived later. First we must realise the absolute ruthlessness of the crucifixion process.
Frederic Farrar gives a vivid description of death by crucifixion: “For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly – dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds – all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful, the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish, the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened, the arteries – especially at the head and stomach – became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood, and while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst, and all these physical complications caused an internal anxiety which made the prospect of death itself – of death, the unknown enemy whose approach man usually shudders most – bear the aspect of a delicious and exquisite realise.”
You know the whipping alone, which took place before the victim was nailed to the cross, tore a victims back into shreds such that their back became loose strips of skin flapping over a mush of bones and flesh – even the victims internal organs became exposed to the whipping.
Rome’s most famous orator, Marcus Cicero said “Even the mere word cross, must remain far not only from the lips of the citizens of Rome, but also from their thoughts, their eyes, their ears.” Cicero called crucifixion “the most cruel and hideous of tortures” while Will Durant wrote that “even the Romans pitied their victims”
It just shows us what Jesus went through for us doesn’t it?
Now a victim was only taken down from the cross after 4 executioners had certified his death. But just suppose somehow Jesus did survive, after the barbaric torture he just suffered, would he be able to somehow remove the stone to the entrance of the tomb and walk past all the guards that were stationed there? Remember, here we are looking at it from a non-believers point of view so he wouldn’t have any divine powers to use and there certainly wouldn’t be any angels to roll the stone away for him! The theory that Jesus came close to death but somehow survived simply doesn’t add up.
Just on the crucifixion, it is interesting to note that there are a number of ancient secular references to the darkness that came at the time of the crucifixion. One of these references was from a Greek historian named Thallus who not only mentioned the darkness but also tried to explain it away as being a solar eclipse. The trouble is that given the timing of the crucifixion, a solar eclipse would have been impossible.
Anyway, given that Jesus certainly did die, lets take a look at the evidence for the resurrection. Firstly, consider the empty tomb. There are both Jewish and Roman sources that acknowledge the existence of the empty tomb. Dr. Paul Maier says this is “positive evidence from a hostile source, which is the strongest kind of historical evidence. In essence, this means that if the source admits a fact decidedly not in its favour, then that fact is genuine.” Another point to note is that Christianity began in Jerusalem. But how could Christianity have begun in Jerusalem if Jesus remained dead? All the Jewish authorities would have had to do would be to produce Jesus body – this would have killed the existence of the early Christian movement. There is a theory that Jesus body was stolen from his tomb. However one should realise that a large amount of security was placed at the tomb of Jesus. A 1.5 – 2 tun stone was placed at the tomb entrance, while 16 roman guards were stationed at the tomb. These guards were mean fighting machines – together, the 16 guards were expected to be able to protect 36 yards [32.4m] against an entire battalion and stand their ground! Some say that the guards may have fell asleep. However if a guard fell asleep on duty, he faced the death penalty. Dr George Currie, who studied the Romans military discipline, states that the fear of punishment “produced flawless attention to duty, especially in the night watches.” The fact that Jesus tomb was empty amidst such hefty security is enough for one to conclude that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead.
Next there are the eyewitness reports of his post-resurrection appearances. Among the people he appeared to were the apostles, Mary Magdalene, Several women, James, Paul, Stephen, John and some 500 in Galilee. Some say that the witnesses hallucinated. However could all of the witnesses have hallucinated? One should consider the variety of the appearances. They took place at different times of the day, at different locations, sometimes to individuals, other times to whole groups of people. The reactions were also varied. Professor Merrill Tenney points out that “Mary was overwhelmed with emotion, the disciples were frightened, Thomas was obstinately incredulous when told of the lords resurrection, but worshiped him when he manifested himself. Each occasion had its own peculiar atmosphere and characteristics.” The hallucination theory cannot account for such diversity.
We also have the changed lives of the disciples. We can ask the question “what motivated them to go everywhere proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the face of some of the most sadistic persecution and torture in history?” Remember, when Jesus was being arrested they ran away like scared pussycats. If the Resurrection did not happen, the disciples certainly knew it. Who would willingly die for what they knew to be a lie? Simon Greenleaf, a professor who has lectured for years on how to analyse testimony and determine whether a witness was lying or telling the truth states “It was… impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact.”
And what about Paul? Formally known as Saul, he was originally a Jewish fanatic that hated Christs followers with such malice that he made it his duty to go and ravage the Christian church. His mentality towards Christians was probably as evil as Hitler’s mentality towards the Jews. But something happened to him. Something happened that transformed him from a merciless demolisher of the Christian faith to one of its greatest evangelists. Would you believe it – he himself died a martyr’s death for the Christian cause! What could possibly cause such a miraculous change? I believe the best explanation is found in Paul’s own historical testimony “And last of all he appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:8).
Finally, the beginning of the Christian church was marked by an absolute explosion in the number of converts. But what is really amazing is the converts mainly consisted of devote Jews. At the time Jews were fiercely devoted to Judaism and feared going to hell if they were to tamper with any of its major beliefs. How could the death of a Nazareth carpenter manage to convert multitudes of devote Jews to Christianity, right in the hostile heartland of its oppressors? The most logical explanation is that his death was followed by his resurrection.
What we have considered here are just 5 of the major arguments for God’s existence. We simply did not have the time to cover other evidences such as the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy, the occurrence of supernatural phenomena and the scientific evidence for Biblical creation as well as a host of other minor arguments.
Apologetics is important but we still need to remember that ultimately people will not be won over to Christianity by intellectual arguments. If someone really does not want to believe in God or Jesus then no matter how great the evidence is they simply will choose not to believe in him. Ultimately it comes down to us presenting to the world the character of Jesus and showing them that Christianity is something to be excited, no wait, ecstatic about! I don’t know what your opinion of Big Kev is, but may be it would be good of a bit of him were to rub off on us! Just imagine if the entire world knew that God was not someone to be afraid of but someone to be a friend of. Just imagine if the world were to realise that the King of the universe – the creator of absolutely everything and King of zillions upon zillions of beings – whose glory is so awe-inspiring that when Moses were to just get a glimpse of his back, Moses face shone so brightly that he had to put a veil on his face because the people could not stand the brightness – this King whose just sheer powerfulness and glory cannot be even be closely described by any manmade words – would, even if there was only one sinner, even if this sinner was to defiantly curse him and do acts worse then every tyrant such as Hitler, Hussain and Stalin put together, would die a despicably torturous death for them and not only that but would give up his divine form forever (you know Christ is “trapped” in a human body). Imagine if the entire world knew that Christian teachings, and also in our case, Adventist teachings, are not meaningless rules designed to prevent us from having any fun, but were actually teachings to get excited about – Big Kev style excited about! Teachings that lead to a more fulfilling life. As Christ said “I came that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) . I don’t know about you, but I’m excited! …Imagine if the entire world knew this.
This is why a plough boy living out the life of the Bible will usually be more effective then a Harvard scholar with all his intellectual arguments. However we must also remember that there are many cases in which people do indeed want to believe, or at least don’t have any emotive problems with believing, but don’t believe because they don’t think there is sufficient evidence for Christianity. One of my friends once said to me “I just wish there really was a heaven. Wouldn’t it be great?” Lets show the people the light and excitement of the gospel message but also be ready to “Give an answer to anyone who asks for the hope that is within you but with you” (1 Peter 3:15).
