Authentic is a word that people like and even admire because it speaks of being genuine and trustworthy. Someone who claims to be “a person of their word,” and then follows through with what they have said would be considered an authentic person. If someone takes the time and care to restore a 1967 Shelby Mustang with the appropriate motor, transmission, paint color, and even the very same stitching pattern in the seats from that era, it would be considered an authentic classic car. If a person claimed to have found a meteorite in the yard behind their home, then it’s authenticity could be determined through various scientific tests. Unfortunately, the ideology of the last century has pitted science and Christianity against each other in the search for truth. The scientific community has gone to great lengths to dispel the authenticity of the Bible and thereby labeling it as untrue and untrustworthy. Thankfully, that endeavor has failed over and over again. In reality, the Bible’s authenticity is augmented when it intersects with modern scientific concepts. Consider the following examples:
Geology—A study of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 helps explain how the earth's geology became the way it is. These passages speak of a supernatural creation that took place in the course of six days. Later in Genesis 6 and 7 is the description of a catastrophic worldwide flood. These two events help to explain many geological questions about the earth’s formation and subsequent changes in land masses, striation layers of dirt (like in the Grand Canyon), and the impact of weather patterns over time.
Hydrology—The science of hydrology studies the properties, distribution, and circulation of water on and below the earth’s surface and in the atmosphere. This includes the cycle of water which consists of three major phases: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Clouds move over the land and drop water through precipitation (i.e., rain, snow, sleet, or hail). The precipitation runs into creeks, the creeks run into streams, the streams run into rivers, rivers run into the oceans, and the evaporation process is taking place all along this journey. Scripture describes this very process where Solomon writes, "All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again" (Ecclesiastes 1:7). The prophet Isaiah eludes to the water cycle writing, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth" (Isaiah 55:10). Job talks about evaporation and condensation centuries before science would officially discovery these processes by saying, "He [God] draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly" (Job 36:27-28).
Thermodynamics—The term thermodynamics comes from two root words: “thermo,” meaning heat, and “dynamic,” meaning power. This is the branch of science concerned with the relations between heat and other forms of energy involved in physical and chemical processes in a closed system (such as the universe). The first law of thermodynamics deals with the conservation of energy and states that the total energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change from one form of energy to another. A simplistic example of this would be turning on a light bulb. In this process electrical energy is converted into light energy and heat energy with the light energy and heat energy coming out of the system being equal to the electrical energy going into the system.
According to the second law of thermodynamics, the processes taking place in a closed system (i.e., energy not be created or destroyed, but changing form) always move toward a state of equilibrium. In other words, without energy being continuously fed into a system, the processes taking place in the system will tend to run down and quit. A great example of this is a wind-up clock. The clock is wound up (energy is put into the system) and the clock immediately begins to move and do work, but once all the energy that was put into the clock has been changed into another form of energy (mechanical energy and heat energy), then the clock will stop.
So, how does thermodynamics relate to the authenticity of the Bible and our faith? Because the Bible affirms the laws of thermodynamics and thus provides a marvelous apologetic (defense of the faith). In the second law of thermodynamics although mass and energy are always conserved, they are nevertheless breaking down and being changed into other forms of energy until equilibrium is reached and motion (or work) stops. So, as matter breaks down and energy dissipates (as in the example of the wind-up clock), ultimately the world and the universe as we know it will stop or become dead. It will be unable to reproduce itself. No more energy will be placed into the system. The Apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome that all of creation groans because of its curse (Romans 8:22). We know that curse is sin described in Genesis 3. That curse and God’s plan to redeem man from sin is depicted through the whole of Scripture and is culminated in John’s revelation of the end of sin and death, the end of Satan’s reign, the end of the current heaven and earth and the establishment of the new heaven and earth (Rev 20:7-15; 21:1-4).
Additionally, through the Bible’s affirmation of the second law of thermodynamics the creation account as described in Scripture is the only option for how the universe came into existence. Why is this? Because if the universe is coming to an end (and it is), then it had to have a finite beginning (and it did). This means that there must have been a time when nothing existed (and there was). The Latin term is ex nihilio which means “out of nothing.” That’s how God created the everything—out of nothing. But how is that possible if energy (or matter) cannot be created or destroyed, but can change forms? Simple, there was no matter or energy until God created it. This is the implication of Genesis 1:1 which reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The phrase “the heavens and the earth” includes the entire universe. Psalm 33 also tells us, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth....For he spoke and it came ot be; he commanded and it stood forth” (Ps 33:6,9). John writes at the beginning of his gospel account, “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). God created everything that had been created and set in motion the very laws of thermodynamics that science discovered centuries later.
Natural Science—In the late nineteenth century, an Agnostic English philosopher named Herbert Spencer, who did not believe that God was knowable in any context, was famous for applying scientific discoveries to philosophy. In his studies he listed five knowable categories in the natural sciences: time, force, motion, space, and matter. What Spencer failed to realize is that Genesis 1:1 affirms these categories. In the very first verse of God’s Word we read, "In the beginning [time] God [force] created [motion] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter]." God set it all in motion in the very first verse of Scripture.
The authenticity of the Bible is not disproven or discredited by science. It is science that is affirmed by the authenticity of the Bible. The Bible truly is the revelation of God to mankind. He wants us to know Him by knowing about Him and the world He created. The Bible is active and alive (Heb 4:12). Every word is breathed out by God himself and provides us with everything we need to be equipped with the truth and ready to perform every good work for God’s glory (1 Tim 3:16-17). The Bible may not contain modern scientific terminology, but it is amazingly accurate whenever it happens to refer to scientific truth, thereby affirming science and emphasizing the authenticity of Scripture. Let’s not let the secular world and its notions and ideas deter us from looking to Scripture for all that we need on this side of eternity.
Brent Thompson
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