Atheist's Attacks
Answering Humanist's Accusations Against the Bible
What Are The Laws of Nature?
Do these examples prove there is no supernatural?
THE CLAIMED PROBLEM: The Bible has stories about a talking snake (Genesis 3:4-5); a tree bearing fruit which, when eaten, gives knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:5-7); another tree whose fruit bestows immortality (Genesis 3:22); a voice coming from a burning bush (Exodus 3:4); a talking donkey (Numbers 22:28); rods turning into serpents (Exodus 7:10-12); water changing into blood (Exodus 7:19-22); water coming from a rock (Numbers 20:11); a dead man reviving when his corpse touched the bones of a prophet (II Kings 13:21); and other people rising from the dead (e.g., I Kings 17:21-22; II Kings 4:32-35; Acts 9:37-40).
The topic is humanist claims the Bible is inconsistent with the laws of nature, and that it discourages a scientific approach to problems. These are interesting claims, since it was a Christian, Francis Bacon, who invented the modern scientific method. It is also inter-esting to note that once Bacon’s Christianity became common knowledge, humanists have been trying to credit the creation of the scientific method to anyone else, or simply to no one… it just hap-pened. Nothing… as long as a Christian does not get credit.
Let us move on and continue to address the humanist’s accusa-tions. What we have in this next one is the beginning of a list of supernatural events. Just look at the things on this list. They are all impossible. The only logical conclusion is that, since these supernat-ural events are… supernatural… they never happened.
Huh?
By definition, supernatural events are events that are not natural. They are things that only God can do. Of course, they are impossible, based on the normal way things happen. That is why they are supernatural!
Supernatural events are unique events that God, for specific reasons, causes to happen. Since God is the source of all “natural laws” and is the one who sustains the natural laws, He can also cause exceptions to those natural “laws.” If you have not read them, please read chapters 39 and 40 (volume one) to learn why that is not a problem.
Every Miracle Has a Purpose
I am not going to go through all of the miracles listed by the humanist. Instead of accomplishing the humanist objective of showing there is no such thing as the supernatural, this list demonstrates the supernatural is real, and God is powerful and in control. Every one of these events has been documented.
I have stated that every miracle has a purpose, and I would like to demonstrate that is true. For example, why would God bring a dead man back to life when his body was thrown into Elisha’s grave?
II Kings 13:21
Elisha was one of the greatest prophets of all time. He had replaced the great prophet Elijah. However, when Elisha died there was no successor.
Verse 13:20 simply states, “So Elisha died, and they buried him.” God had made a number of promises to Jehoash through Elisha. Now Elisha was gone. People were wondering, with Elisha dead were those promises still valid? Verse 13:21 states:
And as a man was being buried, behold a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
The notes in the John MacArthur ESV Study Bible explain why this happened:
This miracle was a sign that God’s power continued to work in relationship to Elisha even after his death. What God had promised to Johoash through Elisha when he was alive would surely come to pass after the prophet’s death.
CONCLUSION: A list of supernatural miracles, historically documented in the Bible, does not provide proof that the supernatural does not exist. It is simply a list of things God has done. Each miracle had a specific purpose, and each one demonstrates God’s power over the physical realm. God’s supernatural acts are real.
NEXT ACCUSATIONS: The humanist go on to add more examples. They write: There are also accounts of the sun standing still (Joshua 10:13); the parting of a sea (Exodus 14:21-22); iron floating (II Kings 6:5-6); the sun’s shadow going back ten degrees (II Kings 20:9-11); a witch bringing the ghost of Samuel back from the dead (I Samuel 28:3-15); disembodied fingers writing on a wall (Daniel 5:5); a man living for three days and nights in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17); people walking on water (Matthew 14:26-29); a virgin impregnated by God (Matthew 1:20); a pool of water that can cure ailments of those who dip in it (John 5:2-4); and angels and demons influencing earthly affairs (e.g., Acts 5:19; Luke 11:24-26).
So we have more examples proving the supernatural is real. We’ll talk about these on the next page. Click here.
THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST
The gospel is not social justice nor serving others. The gospel is love in action... Jesus Christ giving Himself so that you can be saved from the wrath of God.
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8