Read Online More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell - Free Book Online
Authors: Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell
Tags: Religión, Christology, Christian Theology, Christian Life, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual & Religion, apologetics
Ads: Link
that no other fundamental worldview has caused as much misery and bloodshed as atheism. Specifically, the number of people slaughtered by twentieth-century atheistic regimes, such as communist China, communist Russia, and Nazi Germany is more than one hundred million people. 32 There is no close second place. David Berlinski, a secular Jew who received his PhD from Princeton University, believes that one of the main reasons for such atrocities is the absence of ultimate accountability: “What Hitler did not believe and what Stalin did not believe and what Mao did not believe and what the SS did not believe and what the Gestapo did not believe . . . was that God was watching what they were doing.” 33
While Christians have certainly done some bad things, the legacy of Christianity has been overwhelmingly positive. Christians built the first hospitals, started the Red Cross, led the movement to end slavery, invented the university, and pioneered modern science. When we trace the movements that have led to the most profound liberation for humanity, we find the gospel at the heart of almost all of them.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, the only thing really new about the New Atheists is their attitude. Despite the flaming rhetoric, there are no recent findings in science, history, or philosophy that undermine theism in general or Christianity in particular. In fact, precisely the opposite is the case. The more we descend into the interworkings of the cell or ascend to the depths of the universe, the more we can see the fingerprint of God.
Roughly 3,000 years ago the psalmist said it best: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known” (Psalm 19:1-2). As this psalm so clearly enunciates, God can be known through his creation. Yet as this book demonstrates, he has made himself known specifically through the person of Jesus Christ, who is more than a carpenter. This is not something we accept by blind faith, but through compelling evidence.
Can we prove that Jesus is the Son of God? Only the legal-historical method will work to prove such a question. Then the primary question becomes this: can we trust the reliability of the testimonies and evidences (i.e., the New Testament)?
One thing about the Christian faith that has especially appealed to me (Josh) is that it is not a blind, ignorant belief but rather one based on solid intelligence. Every time we read that a Bible character was asked to exercise faith, we see that it’s an intelligent faith. Jesus said, “You will know the truth” (John 8:32), not ignore it. Christ was asked, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus replied, “You must love the L ORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind ” (Matthew 22:36-37, emphasis mine). The problem with many people is that they seem to love God only with their hearts. The truth about Christ never gets to their minds. We’ve been given minds enabled by the Holy Spirit to know God, as well as hearts to love him and wills to choose him. We need to function in all three areas to have a full relationship with God and to glorify him. I don’t know how it is with you, but my heart can’t rejoice in what my mind has rejected. My heart and mind were created to work in harmony together. Never has anyone been called on to commit intellectual suicide by trusting Christ as Savior and Lord.
----
What Do You Think?
Is the idea of an intelligent faith new to you? If faith is “not a blind, ignorant belief but rather one based on solid intelligence,” then what would be a fitting definition of faith?
----
In the next four chapters we will take a look at the evidence for the reliability of the written documents and for the credibility of the oral testimony and eyewitness accounts of Jesus.
Chapter 6: Are the Bible Records Reliable?
The New Testament provides the primary historical
While Christians have certainly done some bad things, the legacy of Christianity has been overwhelmingly positive. Christians built the first hospitals, started the Red Cross, led the movement to end slavery, invented the university, and pioneered modern science. When we trace the movements that have led to the most profound liberation for humanity, we find the gospel at the heart of almost all of them.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, the only thing really new about the New Atheists is their attitude. Despite the flaming rhetoric, there are no recent findings in science, history, or philosophy that undermine theism in general or Christianity in particular. In fact, precisely the opposite is the case. The more we descend into the interworkings of the cell or ascend to the depths of the universe, the more we can see the fingerprint of God.
Roughly 3,000 years ago the psalmist said it best: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known” (Psalm 19:1-2). As this psalm so clearly enunciates, God can be known through his creation. Yet as this book demonstrates, he has made himself known specifically through the person of Jesus Christ, who is more than a carpenter. This is not something we accept by blind faith, but through compelling evidence.
Can we prove that Jesus is the Son of God? Only the legal-historical method will work to prove such a question. Then the primary question becomes this: can we trust the reliability of the testimonies and evidences (i.e., the New Testament)?
One thing about the Christian faith that has especially appealed to me (Josh) is that it is not a blind, ignorant belief but rather one based on solid intelligence. Every time we read that a Bible character was asked to exercise faith, we see that it’s an intelligent faith. Jesus said, “You will know the truth” (John 8:32), not ignore it. Christ was asked, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus replied, “You must love the L ORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind ” (Matthew 22:36-37, emphasis mine). The problem with many people is that they seem to love God only with their hearts. The truth about Christ never gets to their minds. We’ve been given minds enabled by the Holy Spirit to know God, as well as hearts to love him and wills to choose him. We need to function in all three areas to have a full relationship with God and to glorify him. I don’t know how it is with you, but my heart can’t rejoice in what my mind has rejected. My heart and mind were created to work in harmony together. Never has anyone been called on to commit intellectual suicide by trusting Christ as Savior and Lord.
----
What Do You Think?
Is the idea of an intelligent faith new to you? If faith is “not a blind, ignorant belief but rather one based on solid intelligence,” then what would be a fitting definition of faith?
----
In the next four chapters we will take a look at the evidence for the reliability of the written documents and for the credibility of the oral testimony and eyewitness accounts of Jesus.
Chapter 6: Are the Bible Records Reliable?
The New Testament provides the primary historical
Similar Books
