Questions & Answers

The people you have been listening to are repeating what so-called "negative critics" have been saying about the Bible (New Testament as well as Old Testament) for decades. These critics have a set of presuppositions that include the conviction that there is no such thing as miracles, God is not actively involved in human affairs, and the Bible is the result of human beings spinning stories from their imagination, although there may sometimes be historical events that serve as the original basis of such myths or legends. According to this critical opinion, the humanly produced Bible accounts are overstated and not to be considered factual, even if they address certain "truths." They are comparable to Aesop's fables, or legends and literary epics that have grown when told and retold through many generations. To put it simply, these negative views are based on presuppositions that stem from a very low view of what the Bible is and are expressions of plain old unbelief in the words and promises of God.

In their attempt to substantiate their presuppositions (which really have no evidence, but are mere assumptions), these critics sometimes cite the existence of similar stories or literary legends from sources other than the Bible that deal with the same or similar subjects as the Bible does. The assumption is that people from different cultures all like to spin yarns and create fantastic tales for entertainment or teaching purposes, and the Bible stories came about in the same way. Again, this assumption really has no evidence or proof to establish it as truth. An equally or more sensible explanation would be that there are indeed significant historical events that are a part of mankind's history (e.g., the creation, the universal flood) and people from many cultures reflect a knowledge of these events in their literature. The accounts may be more or less accurate than others, but they are attempts to retell real history rather than fabricated fairy tales.

Our conviction is that the Bible accounts are both accurate and authoritative in their telling of the events that took place in the history of the world and mankind. That is our presupposition, gained (we believe) from the Holy Spirit who gives us this trust in the Word that also reveals the truth of our sin and God's saving work through Jesus Christ. We cannot "prove" this to be so since these things are beyond scientific exploration and verification. But we can—and do—state our convictions, expose the assumptions of unbelievers as mere assumptions, and point everyone to Jesus Christ, mankind's Savior. Incidentally, Jesus Christ also believed that creation and the flood of Noah were historical realities (see for example Matthew 19:4-6 and Matthew 24:36-39).