The author of Hebrews now arrives at the famous portion of his letter in which he vividly illustrates the active, persevering faith he has been encouraging his readers to retain. The point of the entire chapter is self-evident: true faith does not turn back from following Christ in the hour of testing; it perseveres unto the saving of the soul. The history of the Church is filled with men and women who have endured afflictions and trials for the cause of Christ, and the true character of their faith has been vindicated by their steadfastness. Our author joins examples from the previous 4,000 years in order to prove his point. From the very beginning of the world, God's Word has called for and produced faith in the lives of those whom he has graciously drawn unto himself through the gospel. Through this chapter, our author encourages these Hebrew Christians to bear up under their current trials,and to realize that their present sufferings for Christ's sake do not give them reason to leave the battlefield. Like those who have gone before, they are now called upon to endure courageously the afflictions of evil men. It is important to note that chapter 11 is not an extended discourse on the nature of justifying faith. It is an inspired account of how faith works (what faith produces) in those who are justified from their sins through Christ's righteousness and blood. As the Lutheran commentator Lenski wrote, "It is more exact to say that we have the essence of true religious faith, the heart of what the Scriptures call saving faith."
The author of Hebrews now arrives at the famous portion of his letter in which he vividly illustrates the active, persevering faith he has been encouraging his readers to retain. The point of the entire chapter is self-evident: true faith does not turn back from following Christ in the hour of testing; it perseveres unto the saving of the soul. The history of the Church is filled with men and women who have endured afflictions and trials for the cause of Christ, and the true character of their faith has been vindicated by their steadfastness. Our author joins examples from the previous 4,000 years in order to prove his point. From the very beginning of the world, God's Word has called for and produced faith in the lives of those whom he has graciously drawn unto himself through the gospel. Through this chapter, our author encourages these Hebrew Christians to bear up under their current trials,and to realize that their present sufferings for Christ's sake do not give them reason to leave the battlefield. Like those who have gone before, they are now called upon to endure courageously the afflictions of evil men. It is important to note that chapter 11 is not an extended discourse on the nature of justifying faith. It is an inspired account of how faith works (what faith produces) in those who are justified from their sins through Christ's righteousness and blood. As the Lutheran commentator Lenski wrote, "It is more exact to say that we have the essence of true religious faith, the heart of what the Scriptures call saving faith."
The author of Hebrews now arrives at the famous portion of his letter in which he vividly illustrates the active, persevering faith he has been encouraging his readers to retain. The point of the entire chapter is self-evident: true faith does not turn back from following Christ in the hour of testing; it perseveres unto the saving of the soul. The history of the Church is filled with men and women who have endured afflictions and trials for the cause of Christ, and the true character of their faith has been vindicated by their steadfastness. Our author joins examples from the previous 4,000 years in order to prove his point. From the very beginning of the world, God's Word has called for and produced faith in the lives of those whom he has graciously drawn unto himself through the gospel. Through this chapter, our author encourages these Hebrew Christians to bear up under their current trials,and to realize that their present sufferings for Christ's sake do not give them reason to leave the battlefield. Like those who have gone before, they are now called upon to endure courageously the afflictions of evil men. It is important to note that chapter 11 is not an extended discourse on the nature of justifying faith. It is an inspired account of how faith works (what faith produces) in those who are justified from their sins through Christ's righteousness and blood. As the Lutheran commentator Lenski wrote, "It is more exact to say that we have the essence of true religious faith, the heart of what the Scriptures call saving faith."
illustrates the active, persevering faith he has been encouraging his readers to retain. The point of the entire chapter is self-evident: true faith does not turn back from following' Christ in the hour of testing; it perseveres unto the saving of the soul. The history of the Church is filled with men and women who have endured afflictions and trials for the cause of Christ, and the true character of their faith has been vindicated by their steadfastness. OUf author joins examples from the previous 4,000 years in order to prove his point. From the very beginning of the world, God's Word has called for and produced faith in the lives of those whom he has graciously drawn unto himself through the gospeL Through this chapter, OUf author encour- ages these Hebrew Christians to bear up under their current trials,and to realize present . sufferings for Christ' s sake do not give them reason to leave the battlefield. Like those who have gone before, they are now called upon to endure courageously the afflictions of evil men. It is important to note that chapter 11 is not an extended discourse on the natnre of justifying faith. It is an inspired account of how faith works (what faith produces) in those who are justified from their sins through Christ's righteousness and blood. As the Lutheran commentator Lenski wrote, "It is more exact to say that we have the essence of true religious faith, the heart of what the Scriptures call saving faith." . I . to the Hebrews' Hall of Faith . . . ' . . . A. Savilig faith does not draw back from its pursuit of God's .promises 00:37 .. 39) In quoting Habbllkuk, author Was directed by the Holy Spirit to see a parallel be tween the two situations. Habbakuk was wrestling with the question, "Why are the righteous some- times punished along with the wicked? Why is their present condition so often marked by hardship and suffering?" God's answer came along two lines: the wicked oppressors of God'speople will be punished, and the righteous must submit them- selves to the will of God. Suffering is part of God's plan to purify them from sin, draw them closer to himself, and to accomplish other holy and just ends, which the Lord mayor may not choose to reveal. The important thing is that the justified man lives in his faith, He does not give in under the pressures of tribulation. He knows trials proceed from the hand of his loving heavenly Father, who has everything under control, and who works all things together for good to those that love him (Romans 8:28). Therefore, he does not draw back. This is the context of chapter 11. The men and women of fai th discussed are illustrations of this principle. Each of them were given great and precious covenant promises, and each had to endure enormous hardships and testings as they sought to inherit them. In many instances, they never received what was promised, yet they continued in faith and obedience throughout their lives, counting God faitbful and his promises sure. B. Saving faith is identical to the Old and New Testaments: Christ centered To feel the full force of this point, we must remember our author's purpose. He demonstrates New Testament faith from the Old Testament (cf. Romans 4). This is certainly a compelling argu- ment for the essential unity of the Old and New Testaments (contra Dispensationalism) (Luke 24:24-27, 44-45; John 5:45-47; Galatians 3:26-29; Hebrews 3: 1-6). It is not as if old covenant faith was focused upon works and reward While that of the new is more esoteric and intangible, focusing on Christ, heaven, and the afterlife. The faith of the godly in both testaments received its strength to endure through the Messiah. Moses, the man in the Old Testament, left Egypt because he would rather endure suffering for the cause of Christ than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Abraham, the greatest of the patriarchs, and the father of all who believe, looked ahead to and rejoiced in Christ' s day (John 8:36). Chapter 10 concludes by reminding us that the 4 TIiE COUNSEL of ChaIcedon August/September, 2000 promise for which all of these great men and women hoped was not fulfilled in their lifetime, the implication being that the Messiah had not yet been born. They enjoyed many glorious privi- leges, revelations, and visitations from Jehovah, but the greatest of his promises, life and salvation through the Messiah, was not realized. The author then draws a poweIful ethical implication from the expectancy of Old Testament faith. If their hopes are to be realized, if their labors, sufferings, and patience are to be vindicated, believers on the other side of the Messiah's advent must pick up where they left off. If they were able to undergo so many trials and testings, and patiently bear with so many delays and obstacles in the realization of their faith before the Messiah's glory and grace was fully revealed, how much more should we, who now possess the fullness of salvation bless- ings fOJ" which they longed, persevere in faith and obedience dnring the many sufferings and tribula- tions which God places in our way. Like them, we will endure only as the eyes of our faith are focused on the Christ, who now is more than a promise. He has conqnered sin, Satan, and death, and he now reigns at God's right hand, angels, principalities, and powers being made snbject to him. C. Saving faith is OBEDIENT, PATIENT, and PERSEVERING. In each of the histories before us, it is the active obedience, patience, and perseverance of faith that is commen.ded to us. Faith shows itself in obedience to the revealed will of God. At God's command, Noah built an ark in an age when it had probably not yet rained (at least as it does now). At the command of God, Abraham left his family and journeyed 1,500 miles to an unspecified location. Moses confronted the most powerful world ruler in his day because of faith in God's promise to deliver Israel. Samson slew thousands of Philistines with his bare hands. Jehovah made many promises to these individual s, and they believed them, enjoyed tlJem, and lived in their light. Moreover, they patiently endured many del <lYs in receiving their fulfillment. Abraham waited many years before Isaac, the child of promise, was born. Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness before returning to Pharaoh's courts to secure Israel's deliverance. As a riation, Israel endured 400 years of slayery in Egypt before they obtained the lalld of promise. Throughout the. delays, these men and women remained obedient to God, lived patiently, and continued in faith until they died. From these moving examples, we learn a great deal about the type of faith that will enable us and our families to endure the pressures of our age, remain faithful to the triune God, and obtain the victor' s crown. It is a faith that obeys God even amidst the pressures of living in an apostate culture. It is a faith that retains its hope though surrounded with occasions for despair an.d doubt. It is a faith that never draws back. Faith's response to wickedness, doubt, and despon- dency is to overcome them all by the Word and Spirit of the living Christ (Hebrews 12: 1,2). It is able to endure and conquer not because of any inherent strength in the heart of God's people, but because its daily object is the living and reigning Christ, who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and bestows his aU-sufficient grace during our mo- ments ofgreatesttrial (2 Corinthians 12:9). of this chapter to these Hebrew Christians demonstrates the unfathomable wisdom ofthe Holy Spirit. These professing believers were facing innumerable hardships in livingfor Christ. They bad already endured a great fight of afflictions some years previous, and were now . facing the same, perhaps worse. Some were likely being tempted to draw back to JUdaism, a step that would not only make them guilty of apostasy from Christ, but also render them the objects of Christ's terrible judgment against apostate Israel in A. D. 70. Our author would have these brothers step back with him in a brief perusal of their own history. Was the evil of their culture any greater than that faced by Noah in the years preceding the worldwide flood, when God called him to be a preacher of righteousness and build an ark? Were their tntils any more severe than those patiently endured by Abraham, when God called him to leave his homeland and family, and live 60+ years in a land he would never call his own? Would their choice for Christ impose any greater deprivation and hardShip than when Moses chose to give up everything, perhaps the Pharaohship in Egypt, in August/September, 2000 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon. 5 order to suffertvith God's people? And what about those who bad endured torture, cruel mock- ing, scourgings, and martyrdom for the faith? These Hebrew Christiaiu. had not yet been called upon to give that final token ofloyalty to the cause of Christ. So while our author seeks to encourage them through their history, he meekly chides them as welL They have not yet endured quite as much as they may think. They need to stop pitying themselves, living in fear, and recover their ancient zeal for the cause of Christ and his Church. For their profession admits of no retreat, no treasonous abandonment of principle, no fear of man. Their faith, if real, will enable them to follow in the footsteps of these men and women of faith, and patiently endure sufferings for Christ's sake. The lessons for us are no less compelling. As the evils of the day have increased, our faith in God's promises of kingdom expansion and victory, andin his plan of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ simply and powerfully preached, have lessened. Our individualism, materialism, and selfish aims are more pronounced. Compromise, defeatism, and despair are rife throughout the Christian community. Very few are undertaking great works of missionary endeavor, planning for' the next millennium of the establishment of the kingdom of King Jesus over ,all the earth, or expecting Christ's enemies to be defeated in our day and God's promisestothe Church fulfilled. We hear many stories of moral defeat and doctri- nal error, but scarce few of victory over tempta- tions, faithfulness to duty, and passion for Christ and his Word. But this is exactly to what this chapter calls us. It calls us to plan for victory in an age of defeat and compromise. It de- mands that we be firmly persuaded of God's promises when our, faith is assailed by the hordes of godless men on every side. It encourages us to give our all in living the Christian life, making disciples of the nations, and extenditi g tite borders of Zion even though the battle calls for our blood, sweat, and tears. In short, this chapter calls upon us to realize that our earthly experience is not about personal comfort, ease, and affiuence, or even the peaceful enjoyment of God's covenant , promises. It is about warfare, obedience, hard work, and perseverance through sufferings. This is the sort of faith God had been giving his people for 6,000 years. The coming of his Messiah 2,000 years ago does not ' release us from our obligations to suffer with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David; it intensifies them. And yet, glory be to God, because we live in that great day of the Messiah for which they longed, we can also expect greater grace and victory in establishing the kingdom of Jesus Christ over the face of the entire earth (Isaiah II :9). II. The Confident Expectation of Saving Faith (Hebrews 11:1-2) A. Faith is confident of the truth of God's promises. Hypostasis (substance) implies "essence or fundamental reality", i.e., that which is real. Faith persuades God's people of the reality and certainty of his promises. It reveals with startling vividness what cannot necessarily be seen with the eyes, i.e., verified with the senses or as yet completely experienced (not fide ism or existentialism). This great truth is implicit throughout the chapter. Faith enables the Christian to embrace the unseen, unfulfilled promises of God with an assurance and confidence that strengthens 'Tairh enables the Christian IU embrace the unseen, unfulfilled- promises of God with ari assurance and confIdence that strengthens him to triumph over the Hesh, rhe world, and the deviL" him to triumph over the flesh, the world, and the devil. Our New'Testament translators usually (and properly) translate the word "confidence" (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:4; 11:17; Hebrews 3:14). {The single other appearance of the word is in Hebrews 1:3, where the Son is called "the express image of the Father's hypostasis. There, essence is proper ' referent of the WOrd. For our author is declaring that the Son possesses the fullness of the divine essence in himself: autotheos.} What enables faith to overcome the many obstacles which our' heavenly Father is pleased to place before it? A 6 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - August/September, 2000 Spirit-wrought assurance that God's promises cannot fail. Regardless of what we see with our eyes, God's Word is more trustworthy . than our experienc.e and deeper than our understanding. It is this conviction that it lighted in the subsequent histories of God '.s people. Now what gives faith this character and thus enables it to persevere? 1. Faith enables man to submit to God's Word. All men do not have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2). It is exclusively God's gracious gift and sovereign prerogative to place it in the hearts of his people (John 3:3-8; Ephesians 2:8,9). By nature, man is enslaved to his unbelieving views of God, himself, and the world (Romans 1:18-23; 3:10-18). In this fallen condition, he will always reject the Scrip- tures, and life and salvation through Jesus Christ. Yet when the Word and Spirit of God regenerate man, he undergoes a supernatural, radical transi- tion from death to life, darkness to light, sin to righteousness, ignorance to knowledge, to faith (Acts 2:37; 10:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Eph- esians 5:8; Colossians 3:10). He is enabled to receive, understand, and believe whatever is revealed in Scripture as coming from th.e true and living God, who canDot lie. He therefore rejects his own sin dominated outlook on life. He now assents that there is no higher authority than the voice of God spealdng i.n the Scriptures, and that to live on the basis of his own principles, ideas, and experiences, is the height of creaturely arrogance, irrationalism, and impiety. Recognizing his own depravity and alienation from a holy and just God, he accepts, receives, and rests upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is freely offered in the gospel. He then dedicates himself to walk in obedience to God and his law out of love for tbe risen Son of God. The point here is quite simple. The very nature of saving faith, being the creation of God in tlle heart of his elect,joining them to Christ, and introducing a radical reversal of the governing principle inman, guarantees its perseverance. Faith, then, is a transfer of allegiance from man to God and his Word. Where faith is genuine, submis- sion to God is certain. 2. Faith overcomes all objections against God's Word. God does not give us everything he has prom- ised all at once. There are many for blessings" which as yet remain unfulfilled (lCorin- thians 15:50ff; Hebrews 2:8; John 3:2). A startling contrast often exists between our present experi- ences and what God has revealed in Scripture. God promised Abraham the land of Canaan yet he never enjoyed title to one square foot of it (except the Cave at Machpelah, which he purchased: Genesis 23:17,18). Isaac was the seed of promise, yet God commanded Abraham to sacrifice him. We currently possess eternal life in Jesus Christ, yet we continually struggle with SiD and face inevitable death. God proclaims in Scripture that we are now just, innocent, and righteous in his sight through Christ's imputed righteousness and shed blood, yet we struggle with sin. God has set Christ at his right hand, there to triumph victori- ously over all his enemies, but today we see his enemies proliferating on every side, and his Church scattered and confused. These dilemmas are tests of faith. Will we continue believing God's Word when our experience seems to contradict those promises? The ability to view life from God's perspective as revealed in Scripture, and to count upon his Word even when our 'daily experience may seem to contradict it, is the essence of persevering faith. The man of faith has forsaken his own depraved and man-centered views of life, and now contents himself with being God's humble servant, and thereby confidently awaits the fulfillment of those promises fOl' which he hopes. He knows that he is a mere creature, Witll a very limited, mostly selfish perspective, and that he will always stray if he makes his own experiences and views the guiding principle of his life. Saving faitll will thus overcome all objections against God' s Word, whether Illey spring from our own unbelief and lethargy or are introduced by the darkened minds of unbelief. B. Faith enables us to possess and enjoy promises not yet fulfilled. The two phrases in verse 1, things hoped fOl; and things not seen, are parallel, Both refer to the many great and precious promises God has revealed in his Word, which though we currently possess and enjoy by faith, we do not fully possess, understand, or enjoy them as we one day will. This condition is what theologians have called the AugusUSeptember, 2000 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - 7 now but not yeti aspect of our present Christial1 experience. On the one hand,in ,Christ we possess , all.things, On the other hand, we are strangers and pilgrims in t1!is world. We are from all our sins, ,yet we still need forgiveness. In Jesus _' Christ, we hav.; been made the heirs of aU God's promises, but we have not yet experienced their consummation. That full and final salvation experienc.e must wait for the dawn of the per- fected kingdom of clirist. The delay. does not make the promises any less' preCious ,oi' , 1. It'embraces God's promises as its God's promises. He is delighted by the mercies of God revealed in them and i s through ' them to continue in fafth and obedience. It is, the quality of God's promises; the hope they produce in the soul, that enables the just mim to persevere ' :' through affiicti9n (philippians 3:7-i 1), Whe,D we survey the'lives of the godly in eVery epoch of the Church, God's promises have always been the' means of grace' by which they were enl\vened to undertake dangerous and energetic exploits' in . Christ's name .. -It wa:s t1Je promise of Christ's' Spirit and presence that strengthened the apostles and Christian brothers' to read the gospel'of . own present possession'. . Jesus Christ with such zeal and faithfulness , ' Faith enables a man to possess.apd enjoy with thfoughout Palestine, Asi!! MinOr, Rome, and from confidence wh,athehas not yet fullY' realized in hi,' s there to the uttermost parts of the then known oWn personal experience. ' The fact that we world. It was the hope of the martyr's crow'n that struggle 'wiih sin does not weaken our righteous enabled so many millions of Christians to go to standing in.Jesus Christ. Thetwo millennia sepa- their deaths with composure, confidence, andjoy . . rat;ing Abraham and Christ did not keep the former It was the hope of a refoirmid Church, it godly and from believing God's promises, and joyfully antici- secure state, anda :hristianiZed that pating the, great day of the Messiah. The fact that encouraged the ReformetHo undertake such a we see evil men going fron;ibad t9 worse all , dapgllrouswork. ' An4 it. Will the promise.of ,' aroand gaining authority andpowe.t, does not., : christ's yictoriousxdgn at 'Ciod;s right ,hand and , negate the;"'leof CIirist over tht'earth,a:rid the ' :: . theex'tension 6fliis\dng'dom flll th,e-earth that Father's promise to mni'of the. of " will enable' (0 fe]nice.onthdield of battle, and the nations'. ,For 'our cqnfidence in God's promises, enter our Own great fight of FtffJictions with ,ihe once again, is never upon purper.soilal '. , . " zeal, aijd power necessary to experiences', and it is certainlyl1oi'based upon the ' "ecutethe against Satan t(') itsfullest.. condition of world at, any P3Jticular time in ' , " , . _ . .' .. 3. Itpatieritly end,tires per&(mal history_ It is upon 904's infallible akn d ' ' I d ' I' , . . d' S" H' , G d ' we ess an tempora e ays. prormses contame in cppture. as, .o prom-' .... ' ' .. ' '. ' " , ised some particular to the Church"? ,Does ' . ' - ' Faith fiXes our gaZe upon the wonderful , it appear impossible that it can Let ises of so that' we are at God be true but every man a liar. It the . God's gracious Qrovisions to'us, his)<iveanq. mini's confidence in the Wordoc'God that; ' goOdJ;less, and his faithfulness than We are at our ', enables enjoy Gmt's promises, oWJ!wea)Cnessesand the tri3J.s facing us. This,will ' though -he does not see his. ' corn.e-outexpJiciti y in the life 6f AQraham" Abra- immediate lifetinie. For he God' is' hai)!. was not ignorant 6fthe physical limitations of. faithful, and that the only p'rope, response tq such ' his wife. or of his own advanced age. Yet, 'faith promises is fititnfulness to God an4liis covenm.t. , ' taught him not to fix his eyes-on his So the man and woman offaith, animated by Dod's fears, and the obstacles of the fulfillmento.fthe promi'ses, plan, live, imd work for the day (lftheir promise, but upon the:powet ofthe One who made , fUlfilhnent. He c.anbe about the the promise.(Rorriims 4: +8ff). And therefore .. he because.bis'lifeis grounded upon the certail)lY of " was strengthened 'to overcome his fears and patiently end\lre the delays in the fulfilltllent:of God's in the present. ' God's promises:. And it will be the saine with us. 2. It rejoices in theirgoodness and power. Whenever we pegitlto ask wh1\t God mayor may 'The man of faith derives great comfort:from not do in our lives ot lifetimes, let us never limit his ' . . . , " . ',' .. " ' .' '", . 8 -_ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedim' - AUgUstiSeptember, 2000 . , . ; . . 'will, promises,' and power by ihe measure of our own puny and finite understanding. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine. If this is to be our attitude, however, we must have more confidence in God's promises than we do in our' personal experiences. This does not mean that we go through life as blind optimists, but that we ground our entire confidence in the bare, power of the spoken Word of our covenant keep- ing God. His' grace is sufficient for us; not one good word of all hi,S promises can eyer fall to the ground. C. Faith is the wellspring of hope (Romans 8:24). Faith is the foundation of hope. It is faith in the unshakable promises of God that produces hope within us. Hope is not wishful thinkiIig. "I hope we can go on vacation this year." Biblical hope is that Spirit-produced that what God has said, he will also do. So central is hope to the Christian life that Paul could say, "We are saved by hope" (Romans 8:24), Hope has been a frequently recuiTing theme in this epistle. In living for Christ, we are to show the full assurance of hope unto the end (6: 11). , We have been born again unto a better hope than even the Old Testa- ment patriarchs enjoyed (7: 19). Hope inspires the , Christian to obey God zealously throughout the entirety of his life, and to undertake great works for'hiskingdom (1 Corinthians 9: 10; Colossians 1 :5). Hope motivates us to believe God's Word when everything around us seems to undermine its truthfulness, authority, and relevance, Hope gives us the ability to rejoice during trials (Romans 5:2-5; 12: 12; Hebrews 3:6) and patiently submit to God's will during them (1 Thessalonians 1 :3). It is hope iu God's faithfulness that keeps us from sinking into despair as we endure the trials (Psalms 33:18, 19; 42:5,11; 43:5). Without hope in God's prom- ises, that he will fulfill them, that he rewards our obedience arid honors our faith; there is no incen- tive to live the Christian life. It is faith that in- spires this hope, keeps it enflamed, and motivates the believer to come to Christ and to seek in him all necessary grace (Matthew 8:10; 9:2; 15:28). D. Faith achieves the victory and is therefore rewarded by God (8:2). Verse 2 motivates us to follow in the footsteps of the men and w(jmen of faith he is about to discuss.: The alwients are commended for their confident trust in God' s,Word that enabled them to persevere courageously througbout life. What makes Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, and Rahab such sterling examples of faith to us? They took God at his Word, embraced his promises, and refused to limit his power by the bounds of their own understimding. They confidently anticipated the fulfillment of his Word and did not draw back from that faith in the hour of testing. It was this faith that was rewarded throughout tbeir lives,.as , they .enjoyed material prosperity, deliverance from enemies, and many descendants. It was this faith ' that-was when the Messiah entered upon the scene of human history 2,000years'ago and obtained the eternal redemption of his Chinch. III. The Foundation of Saving Faith: The Genesis Creation Account (11:3) , In beginning his illustrious roll call of faith, our author begins where the Bible does, with the creation of the physical universe by the spoken word ,of God. The book of Genesis not only contains the creation narrative, but it is also the source of the majority of the faith biographies in this chapter. More importantly, if faith, as he has already written, is unshakable confidence in the unseen, unfulfilled promises of God, then Scripture's testinlony concerning the creation of the world is a fundamental proving ground for true faith. Will we accept God's Word concerning the origins of this world? Will we trust him even though we were not present when he created the world? Will we continue to submit to his revelation in the face of so many attacks against biblical creationism by unbelieving scientist and professing friends of Christ? If not, we will be in no position to accept his word concerning the recreation or redemption of the world through Jesus Christ. For in both instances, saving faith ,SUbmits to God's Word, distrusts man, overcomes objections, aIld believes God. This verse is' not only foundational for all tbat follows in this chapter, but for the entire Christian worldview, and therefore, we must seek to understand its richness and saving power in our lives. The simple point of verse 3 is that God did, by the power of his own word, create everything we August/September, 2000 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon-9 see around us. The biblical doctrine of creation affirms that when there was nothing but the triune, self. existent, all-sufficient God, he created the matter from which this universe waS constructed, and beautifully and wisely ordered it all as it now appears. In. the words of our Confession; "It pleasecre God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of his .eternal power, wisdom, llI1d goodness; in the beginning; to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good" (4.; 1). Both the substance and farm of the universe originated with the eternal God. Man, however, will never be able to understand or accept this account. of the origin of the uni-verse unless and until he is regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, submits his reason to God, and surrenders his heart to Christ. Let us begin by considering the implications of this verse for a Christian view of history, God; man, Scrip- ture, and Christ. A. Faith is based upon the biblical doctrine of creation. 1. The biblical doctrine of creation means that human history had a definite beginning and purpose. Contrary to the evolutionists; cultural relativistS; and every other garden variety of unbelief, human history is not an unconnected hodgepodge of random, meaningless events, and this orderly universe did not spring from chaos plus incalcu- lable eons of time. The living and true God, according to the Scriptures, is the Creator of this universe and therefore of human history. This wotld and its history sprang into a sudden, defined (exhaustively known and interpreted by God before it existed), and meaningful existence around 6,000 years ago. According to the Christian worldview, history has meaning and purpose because!t originated in the mind of an all-wise, poweiful, good, and just God, who created man to serve and glorify himself. History thus becomes the unfold- ing of God's providential, covenant dealings with man, and reaches its destination in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the second and greater Adam who rescued fallen man from the abyss of sin and depravity in which Adam's wretched choice plunged him. Only biblical Christianity, "According 1:6 the Chriitian worldview, . ' . .. , . 1 . . : hiswry:his me;illing and purpose because it "II - , ' " . , ,.,' , , . ip. the IIlind of an pO,wer- ful, good, and Qod, wh.()!createdman' j to serve and glorify himself." . ; : '; therefOre, preserves true meaning and purpose in ' history, provides hope forman's deliverance'from his rebellious, destructive tendencies, and pre- serves human ratiotlality, experience, and science. Negatively stated, if God did not create this universe, then there is no rational explanation fat its origin; no reason for its existence, and no purpose to history. We are left with an utterly unexplainable existente. Our experience is , reduced to a chaotic accumulation of unrelated facts to 'which arty: meaning at allmay be assigtied. We lack any rational foundation for our knowledge . claims and scientific enoeavors. The very fact that man cannot live in terms of these unbelieving foundations; but must instead bdrrow from the Christian world view those necessary foundations to think, speak, and reason, is proof, as Cornelius Van Til so wisely statect, that Christianity is abso- lutely true; because withQut it, one cannot prove anything else. It is the necessary foundationior everything else. The tragedy of fallen man is that , he prefers to live in an abyss.of meaninglessness and despair rather than admit his needof divine wisdom, submit to God's Wo(d, and cQme to Christ as the realization of God's plan for and in history. 2. The doctrine of creation gqarantees that God is in sovereign control of all things. In Scripture, creation and providence are inseparable. God takes care of his creatures, provides for their physical and spiritual needs imd controls every single event, evil and calamity, that occurs for the glory of his own name (Job 37:3; Psalm 36:6,104:24-26; 135:6; Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 45:6-8; Daniel 4:35; Acts 2:23; 17:25-28; Matthew 10:29-31). Contrary to Deism, God is not the master watchmaker who wound up the world, . then left it to run according to certain natUral principles. ' God the creator is God the Preserver and Controller of all. He causes all things to happen according to the counsel of his own will (EpheSians I:II;Psalin33:10,ll). Eventhe 10 THE COUNSEL ofChalcedon , August/September, 2000 sparrow thaUlills to the grounil is' known and " , . . ' , guided by God (Matthew 10:29). The arrow that is inadvertently shot into the air finds its r k ai, his ' ' command (1 Kings 22:34). The die thrown comes up six at God's decree (Proverbs 16:33): The !" i' thunder and lightening are his poweiful voices (Job: 28:26; 37:3). The doctrine of creation, therefore, is' a great source of comfort to God's people', for Gqd not only made the world, aod all things in it, but l1e . watches over, preserves, protects, and provides',for his creatures. Moreover, because God is in cqntrol no natural disaster is going to occur which will . . ' wipe out mankind and destroy the planet. The more man has lost his confidence in Creator God, the more preoccupied he has become with cata strophic asteroids, alien invasions, global warming, overpopulation, and various other impending disasters that threaten human existence as we . know it. God, however, has sworn that nothing will take place to threaten man's life on earth again: Until his plans to restore fallen humanity through Chris! and erect Christ's kingdom victorious over all the earth are fulfilled, the s ~ s o n s will continue, and no mOf(' worldwide natural disasters will occur that will threaten that plan (Genesis 8:2022). 3. The doctriue of creation obligates all men to worship and10ve the living and true God. Because God created man in his own image, man is obligated to worship and serve his Creator. All men know this to be the case. We must not allow unbelieving man to define himself. Godhas revealed himself to all men through nature and in man's heart, and therefore, all men know (in one sense) that the God of the Bible exists, and that they owe their lives to him, and that they are gUilty of treason against heaven if they withhold praise and obedience to him (cf. Romans 1:19ff). As . Panl goes on to say, however, the unbelieving man suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. The task of the Christian, therefore, is not to ,convince the unbeliever of things' he does not already believe, but. to force him to face the truth of which he is already convicted. Note how Paul does this at the Areopagus (cf. Acts 17:22ff). He does not set out to prove anything. He proclaims the troth that God has made all mim, including the Romans, lhat they are rebels frail). his law, and that their only hope is repentance and faith in the Messiah, whom God has raised from the dead. We must follow Paul's . authodtative eXllmple and press the demands of : creation upon the unbeliever's conscience. The , Ul,believer is guilty of rebellion against his creator .. ; He enjoys so many good gifts from his hand, yet he , does not surrender his life to him. If he remains in . hi s. lost condition, ,that same Creator WIlD offers , salvation from sin through Christ will become a vengeful Godwho will punish him in hellfire forever. To give up the biblical doctrine of ere . ation, tberefore, is to wipe out any need for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Redemption, as we shall See, standS or falls with creation. If we acquiesce to modem scholarship on the doctrine of creation, we must succunlb to unbelief and skepticism on the doctrine of redemption in Jesus Christ. Finally, the godly cannot doubt that the modern aversion to the creation doctrine stems from the guilty conscience of the modern man, who will do everything he can to escape the consequences of his creation by God to love and obey God. 4. The doctrine of creation is the foundation for the rest of Scripture. Scripture's infallibility, authority, arid allsuffi ciency are inseparable from the biblical doctrine of creation. In every major section of the Bible, the biblical doctrine of creation is affirmed. 1) In the Pentateuch - Genesis 12; Exodus 20:11; 31:17; Deuteronomy 4:32. 2) In the Histories -2 Kings 19:15;2 Chronicles 2: 12; Nehemiah 9:6 3) In the Psalms - Psalm 104:2430; 115:15,16; 121:2; 124:8; 134:3; 146:6 4) In the Prophets -Is'aiah 37:16; 40:12; Jeremiah 32:17; 33:25; Amos 9:6 5) In the Gospels - Matthew 19:4; Mark 13:19; 10:6; John 1:3,10 6) In the Apostolic Writings - Acts 4:24; 14:i5; 17:26; 1 Corinthians 11:9; Colossians 1:16,20; 1 Timothy 4:3; Revelation 4: 11; 14:7. One cannot subtract creationism from the Bible and retain either Christianity or confidenct'; in the . Scripturt';s. They stand or fall together. If the God of Scripture is not the divine Creator of this world, then not only is Genesis in errol', but the August/September, 2000 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedonll . ' entire collection of :>ritings we beliey,e to be God's inspired Word is el\posed as fraudulent,(OJ; , minimally, as'providing no help in, origin and purpose of the universe) as well. Fqr , not only ,does each portion of Scripture presuppose, and tellch that God is the Creator and Goyerpor, , this universe, but each claims \0 be God' s inspired, infallible Word to man, God' s creatures. But if God is not the Creator, then they coptain error. A.t)d if{ the Bible is wrong at even one, i\ is wrong at every point. Away with the Kantian dualism that would saVe faith by relegating itto an un- knowable realm of rationa)- ity, and 'verbal propositions do not matter. The , Bible's claim iscoI]1prehensive. H clajms to spe,ak with absolute authority concernjng everything . about which it speaks, and it speaks about every,- thing. Hence, We see how dangerous the cavalier , attitude is that many professing Christians demon- strate towardqeatiopis m . They are wiling to consign the creation account to myth, fiction, Or poetic device. They want to appear respectable before the "scientific community," They certainly would not dream of questioning the so called "scientific method." What they fail to under- stand is that t"'e moment >lie cease believing and defending biblical creationism, the source of our faith is immediately overthrown, the Scrip- tures of the Old and New Testament. It is now evident why adherents of the various natoralistic explanations of the origin of the uni- verse, such as the older Darwinian evolution or its modern cousins, i.e., 'Gould's punctuated equilib- rium hypothesis, so arduously continue their siege against the creation account of Genesis 1-2. Animated by the father of lies, the devil himself, they are persuaded that if they can ever overcome Christianity's commitment to supernatural creation, then the entire structure will corne tumbling down. Like a lengthy siege of an ancient castle, if one bombards the walls long enough, a breach will eventually be created, allowing the entrance into and pillage of the once' impregnable stronghold. Creati()nism is the foundation of the entire Christian system, the Scriptures, and as we shall now see, of redemption itself. If the us sprang from chance and time, then Christianity, far from being a rationally defensibkpositipn, Just another , tioll that varjous.men I)ave heldil1tb.eirjourn.ey . ' from ro Qjgher forms pf.1jf!!. I 5. The doctrine of creation sets the fouiIda:tibn for Christ's redemptive worle in'history.. h . i The same ScriptiinJs rela.t'e nHm's fall futo sin, , God's promise of a Savior, the various covenailts God made prepatihg his people to embrace the I Messiah; and tIle histo;icafevents of Christ;sbirth, life, death, resurrection, and How shall we trust Scripture at these' pOInts if we reject its first and most fundam,ental doctrine, that the hving .. " ..j -- - ' ,' - "_: '-' and true God fonned this wide globe by his own power and fot his own glory, to be the panoramIc stagk upon which'ihe great drama of redemption w6nld be If Gbd is not the' Creator of " " " : . . , . / ' . . i ' the universe, then there is no sin that needs aton- i1l;/1' Apart froIlithe of the origin ; of the universe, Christ becomes an enigma, just another strange spirit in it ,world of chance and mystery, 'but he IS not the Son of God come down from heaven to save God's elect froJll their sins. Biblic!l-l creationism shows '", :.. " I .. us that Christ is necessary because though man was created upright, he has turned away froJll his ' Creator in unbelief and disobedience. It shows us that our Savior is the eternal Son of God, the ' Creator of the world, Who is not only fullY God, but also fully man in one person. It prepares is to understand that the scope of Chris\'s work is I,lot just to redeem us to God and heaven, but to redeem and recreate the entire world, and bring the blessings of salvation "far as the curse is found." B. Faith precedes knowledge. In the first two words of verse 3, our author makes an astouriding claim that has vast implica- ' tipns for every area of life. He writes, "By faith we understand." The textual referent of his claim is creatiOIi. It is through faith that we come to understand and accept the original creation of this universe by the spoken word of the living God. That is, hibllcal creationism is embraced through faith in the unerring, certain Word of God. We believe it not because God has an- swered all our questions, but because once he has spoken, it is our duty to submit, believe, and adore. 12 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - August/September, 2000 After that submission to his Word, his Holy Spirit opens OUf hearts (affection, will, mind) so that the numerous evidences supporting creationism can be embraced, and we can patiently await the resolu- tion of all our questions. The phrase itself, "by faith we understand," is worthy of consideration on its own merits. Its meaning is clear. As God's creatures, we must first believe God's Word before we will understand even one area of life correctly. Augustine, em- bracing this as foundational to the Christian , worldview (epistemology), wrote, "I must believe in order to understand." The first step in coming to understand the universe, man, and God, is to recognize that we are God's creatures, unable to arrive at any truth without his aid, and submit our reason and experience to his infallible Word. Reason and experience are necessary tools, but they can perform their God-given function properly only in submission to God and his revelation. The modern man has completely twisted the biblical order around, and the Church has gone along with his skepticism. He refuses to believe unless and until he understands completely, until all his ques- tions, doubts, and criticisms are answered. "Prove it to me," he cries, and I will believe it. While there is nothing sinful about providing proofs for the certainty of the Christian worldview and giving an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15), there comes a point, however, when we must challenge unbelieving thought. We can give unbelieving man lengthy, inexhaustible lists of proofs for the Christian worJdview in general and creationism in particular, but until his eyes are opened to the truths of God's Word, he will a/ways misinterpret the evidence. The demand for proof apart from submission to God's Word is evidence of impiety and rebellion against God, and the Christian must not give in to it for a moment. For such a request is not objective science, it is a presuppositional bias against the truths of God and his Word. The duty of God's creatures is not to sit back in doubt and judgment of God's Worp, but to receive it as absolutely true, and await for God's good providence in resolving all difficulties with our understanding of its claims. 1. Sin has made man foolish in his thinking (Ephesians 4: 17-24). That man must believe in order to understand necessarily follows from his fallen condition. When mankind fell into sin, that fall affected every part of man's being. It left his heart darkened by sin and alienated from God. It determined his will toward evil and lawbreaking. His delighted in evil and hated the light. And his mind, what of his mind? It became engulfed ill a multitude of errors that rendered it inCapable of understanding even one aspect of created reality correctly; Scripture brings this out time and again. The apostle Paul condemns the unbe- lieving Athenian worJdview as ignorance of the truth (Acts 17:23,30) . In Romans I :19ff, Paul clearly teaches that because fallen man refuses to submit to God's revelation of himself in nature, he becomes futile in his 'thinking, i.e., by turning away from the light and wisdom of God, he is immersed in his own superstition and error. Later, Paul writes that as a result of sin, there is not one man who understandS (3:] 1). Sinhas rendered man incapable of understanding himself, this World, or God correctly. He will pick up on this theme (the noetic effects of the fall) again,in his letter to the Ephesians, All Gentiles, Le" unbelievers, walk in , the futility of their thinking and have their under- standings darkened (4: 17,18), In turning away from God, unbelievers reject the only sO,urce of the truth, the living and true .God. The world, defined by John as the portion of mankind that remains in rebellion agaip.st God and his Christ, hates this teachil)S of Scripture. "What , do you mean that no unbeliever can understand this world correctly? How arrogant you Christians are! You are the most bigoted and intolerant folk imaginable, Look at the great buildings we have erected, the schools we have established, the scientific theories we have devised, the psychplogi- cal analysis we have performed," Yet, the Chris- tian must respond, which is more arrogant: to require submission to the Creator's voice as the necessary foundation for all inquiry, whether religious, scientific, logical, Or otherwise, or for man, God's creature, to maintain that hds doing just fine in his rebellion against God, and that he needs no help from his Maker to investigate, understand, or subdue the earth? Moreover, the Christian claim is not that the nnbeliever's intellec- tual darkness makes him unable to build, tl1ink, and August/September, 2000 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - 13 reason, but that it turns his natural, abilities to ungodly ends, the destruction of Christ's kingdom, and hinders him from having a true understanding of this world as God's creation, dedicated to his glory. He can cohtinue to rnake contributions to science and medicine, think, and reason, bllt only because he borrows from the Christian woddview, .and cannot really eScape the light of the knowledge of God diffused throughout creation and even in his heart. As long; however, as the unbeliever rejects'the light of God's Word, his thinking is futile; in biblical terminology, he is a fool. He will misuse whatever scientific theories God blesses him to discover to remove forcibly the Creator from his throne, use education to train generations to war on God, and philosophi- cal systems designed to nullify, circumvent and escape the truths of God's Word. 2. Regeneration restores man to correct thinking (Colossians 3:10). Only regeneration, i.e., the new birth, can restore man' s ability to understand life correctly, i.e., from God;s point of view as revealed in Scripture (John 3:3). It is only the new man who is renewed unto knowledge, has the blinders of sin removed by the saving work of tIle Holy Spirit, arid is given a heart that gladly submits to God's Word. A consistently Christian worldview will maintain that iegenerationnot only entitles a man to Christ's righteousness and all the blessings of restOred fellowship with God, but it will also insist that it restores man' s lost ability to understand himself, God, and the wotld. 3. Faith is the ability to submit to God's thinking revealed in Scripture. This renewed ability is not a fideistic leap into the void. Philosophers of various stripes relegate faith to the realm of mystery. Faith, they claim, is . not really concerned with this world, rationality, and is not subject to the same demands as science. Therefore, it really doesn' t matter whether the historical claims of the Bible are true, or if the Jesus of the Bible.never really existed. Some theologians have foolishly said that even if some- one found Jesus' body, they would sill be Chris- tians. On the contrary; the C.hristian.maintains that faith is the most rational, most scientific and most historical thing imaginable, and that it will never do to separate history arid science from faith and spirituality. For faith enables a: man to submit to the sourCe of rationality, science, and historical . , trutli, the triune God of the Bible .. Christiariity must expose unbelieving science, logic, and historiogra- phy as miserably biased against t,b.eiJ1.tth; engulfed in darkness, and unable to come to a knowledge of the truth, because they refuse to begin,ad end their pursuit of truth in self-conscious submis- sion to the God of Scripture .. Any toning down of this claim renders Christianity to the realm of make believe, to the land ofNarnia. In maintaining it, we are recognizing the Creator God of Scripture as the only source of true knowledge about anything, . and that apart from submission to him, darkness, bias, and depravity are man' s only options. 4. Only the Christian, therefore, truly understands , the world and man's place in it. Such a claim is terribly unpopular today, but it is the onlyposition thatbiblical Christianity Multiculmralism, eastern philosophyllogic, and simple relativism have destroyed man's confi.dence in <\bso1ute truth of any kind, much less that which demands that ail men everywhere submitto it. Yet the Christian Church must continue to assert that the same God who created and upholds the entire world and everything in it, has now redeemed the world from its sin and depravity through the Lord Jesus Christ, and has given every one a sure sign by raising Jesus from the dead. It ison1ythrough faith, however, in the Creator's absolutely infal- lible, wise words thatwe are able to view life correctly, to forsake our own darkened interpreta' tions and outlooks, and to surrender our hearts to him in love and adoration. C. Faith is necessary in order to understand the origin of the universe. . ' 1. Man on his own camiot discover the origin of the universe (Job 38:4). Man is completely incompetent to discover the origins of the universe through his own rationality or scientific investigations. He was not there at the dawn of the universe, only God was. There- fore, any attempt to discover the origins of the universe apart from submission to God's Word is doomed to failure. In Job 38, when God answers 14 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - August/September, 2000 Job out of the whirlwind, he says, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earlh? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who deter, mined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner, stone thereof, When the motning stars sang together. And all the sons of God shouted for joy?"(ASV) God is challenging finite man who believes himse.1f competent to search out the deep things of God. At the beginning of those deep things is the creation of this universe. God' s argument is masterful; man is not capable of understanding the wonders of the created order and the origin of the universe. How then can he believe himself competent to understand the workings of God's providence in 11istory and the divine purpose behind pain and suffering? This verse is an indictment of all scientific methods, e.g., naturalistic evolution, that seek to determine the origin of the universe apart from submissio!l to God. Such methods demonstrate great rebellion against God and terrible pride on man's part. Autonomous science, i.e., science that does not submit itself to God's revelation about the origin of the universe, is based upon blind faith in man, his theories and opinions, and is not true science at all. For while claiming to take into account all the facts, it ignores the most basic of all facts - man was not present at the creation of the universe, and if he is to learn anything about it at all, he must believe the authoritative word of the Creator-God. 2. God alone can reveal the origin of the universe, In The Early Earth, John Whitcomb wrote, "God alone can tell us how the world began, because no man was there to see it being created, and even if a human observer had been present, he could not have understood fully what he saw apart from God' s interpretation." As the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe, God alone is competent to reveal its origins. Hence, we take the Genesis creation account, Scripture' s universal testimony to creation, and the passage before us, as absolute facts revealed from the Creator. He created the universe by his spoken word, in the space of six days, and all very good; Such a claim, it is admitted, is wonderful beyond our comprehen- sion. It reveals a God of infinite power, glory, greatness, and self-sufficiency, and One who cannot be manipulated by man in the least. As God alone, however, is the Creator of all that we see, and as he has given us an authoritative ac- count of his creative work in Holy Scripture, we accept his testimony at face value. It is the only option for God's creatures. Ifwerebelliously refuse to accept his. word, then no explanation for the universe exists, human rationality and experi- ence are left with no foundation, and man is left in ignorance, skepticism, and despair. 3. Faith teaches us to submit to God's Word. Onr belief in the truthfulness and historical accuracy of the Genesis creation account is based on faith in the Word of God, our Creator and Redeemer in Jesus Christ. Faith is confidence in the Word of God, submission to it, and reliance upon God that he will not deceive or mislead us. Christians accept creationism first and foremost because we believe God's testimony revealed in Scripture. Yes, the facts and evidences 'validating God's claims are plentiful and additional ones are being discovered daily. Christian scientists, today more than ever, are uncovering the secrets of this created world that both support creationism and give the Christian great reason to rejoice. Faith, however, does not believe in creationism be- cause man's scientific experiments back up God's claim, but b ~ c u s e once God has spoken his Word on the subject, it is the ultimate au- thority for our lives and final resting place for our faith. Hence, belief in creationism is more than a scientific question; it is a moral one. Not to believe in creationism is an act of rebellion against the Creator, a refusal to surrender to his Word in reverent awe' and obedience. Such treason is what expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and it will prevent unbelieving modem science from attaining the heightsit could if it submitted to God and his Word. This is a distinctive of biblical Christianity and vital element of true science. We do not accept creationism because we have accumulated all the available evidence and conclude that a Creator is the best explanation for the origin of the universe. Such a method begins with neutrality toward God and hopes to establish his claims inde- pendently of his Word. In accepting God's August/September, 2000 - THE COUNSEL of ChaIcedon - 15 claims in Scripture, we do not asceud from our reason or experience to God. On the contrary, according to this passage, we begin with God and Scripture, which serve as the only reliable basis for our reasomng and experience, and descend from there to a humble investigation of the created world. Only as we submit ourselveino God's Word does our reason assume its rightful position as the humble servant of God's truth and thinking, and our experience"its place as the awed.investiga- tor of God's wonderful world. Only then will we see the evidences for what they re.ally are, certain proofs of the glories of the triune God who created all things by his own power. This is more than a semantic difference. The method vie 'pursue in determining that God is the Creator of the universe wiU determine whether'we, like the various phi- losophers, will base our faith upon human rational- ity aud experience, or like the patriarchs and apostles, upon the revealed Word of the Creator on the basis of human rationality and experience. If the former, then we w!llinevitably reject the claims of Scripture that seem to contradict our reason and experience, andemhtace only thosethat we have independently verified. As Candlish wrote, "When I d r ~ infeiinces for myself concerning the Author ofcreation, ... whenI reaSOn out from his works the fact of his existence, and the chief attributes of'iUs character" .. 1 am conscious of a certain feeling of superiority. The Deity becomes almost, in a certain sense, my creature, " .. the product of my o,,<n elaborate process of thought. I am occupied more with my own reasonings than with the transcendent excellencies of Him of whom I reason., .But now, God speaks, and I am dumb. He opens his mouth, and I hold my peace. I bid my busy, speculative solil be quiet., I take my station hl1mbly, submissively at his feet. I learn of him. And What he tells me now, in the way of direct personal commUlllcation from himself to me (in the Bible), has a weight and vivid reality infinitely suipassing all that aily mere deductions from the closest reasoning-could'ever have" (Studies in. Gen.esis), This' method does not deny the relevance and necessity of human reasoning and scientific investigation. Onthe contrary, it establishes their legitimacy as servan.ts of .God, 'designed not to function independently of God and his revelation, but as humble devotees thereto. For we must never forget that man's ability to understand this worldcorrectIy is directly related to his willingness to surrender his thll)king and searching to God and Scripture (psalm 36:9; Proverbs 1:7). Once that fundamental, . presupposition.a/ submission to God is achieved, the mind and experience of manis 'established,and science becomes the means through which the glories of God in creation are both searched out and understood. 4. Blind, irrational faith is the foundation of all unbelieving theories of origins. Unbelievers often pit faith against science, as if Christianity alone were based upon ultimate faith commitments, while "science" is truly objective, evaluating the facts of this world as the;y appear, without appealing to any "higher" authority to explain them. This view has been sufficiently debunked in our day; but it is valuable to remember afresh that all science, Christian and non-Christian, is based upon and conducted in theJight of ultimate faith commitments. We must go on to point out, however, that all theories of the origin of the universe except the Christian one are based upon blind, irrational faith. There is no empirical justification for believing them,no adeqnate authority, for believing them,and all of them contradict the express testimonies of Scrip- ture, the authoritative Word of the Creator. Moreover, because no evidences to vindicate their claims are forthcoming, they are forced to either abandon their claims or reinterpret the evidence to' make it fit their claims. The latter is most often the path taken. For instance, Darwinian evolution at its most fundamental level c,anbe vindjcated only by the existence of intermediate or transitional forms, i.e" "missing links," frOm lower to higher stages of development, To the utter chagrin of evolutionists around the world, no legitimate ' transitional forms have been found. Sensing the precariousness of their claims, some evolutionists in the early 20" century resorted to fraudulent or , misguided attempts to produce various specimens of transitional figures: Peking Man. Piltdown Man, etc. Darwin himself wrote that his theory is false . if no such forms can be found. Yet does this lack 16 - THE COUNSEL of Chaicedon-.AugustlSeptemher, 2000 of fundamental proof for the evolutionary hypoth- esis lead evolutionists to abandon their naturalism and embrace the truth?' No. Not finding any evidence to support the evolutionary development of man,'they reinterpret the facts so that the)r fit ' the tbeory. Thomas Huxley anticipated rnore modern versions of natural evolution by falling back nponthe materialist's greatest safety net: time. Huge amounts oftime are involved in the entire procesS, and therefore, evidences of past stages of development bave long since perished. Stephen J. Gould, a leading Harvard scientist, says ' that this lack of intermediate forms is exactly what we should find. He endorses a hypothesis called "punctuated equilibril!m." This view states that; natural occurs very quickly, within one or . two generations, and that traCes of previous or intermediate forms do not exist in great numbers. Both of these theories are wonderful proof of the presuppositiollai bias of all unbelieving science. Finding that the facts do not fit the theory, evolu- tionists do not give up their theory; they reinterpret the facts to fit the theory. They remain convinced, even though 11.0 evidence in any form exists today, that evolution must be true. In other words, they refuse to change their fundamental assump- tions in the light of the evidence. They have granted their presuppositions revisionary immunity. They have attained the status of a holy faith. Consider the faith commitment of unbelieving science from leading 20"' century scientists. Some ofthe following qnotations reveal that modern evolntionary science is itself a religion, an.d its adherents do not try to cover this fact. 1) D. H. Scott, in his presidential address in Nature magazine (9129121) - "A new generation has grown np which lmows not Darwin. Is even then evolution not a scientifically ascertained fact? No! We must hold it as an act of faith becanse there is no alternative." 2) D. M .. S. Watson, Professor of Zoology at London Univei'sity - ''Evolution is a theory univer- sally accepted, not because it can be proved to be true, but because the only alternative, 'special creation,' is clearly impossible. " 3) W. T. Caiman, of the zoology section of the British Museum - "We all, eventhe yonngest of us, profess to accept the doctrine of evolution, if only as a convenient weapon with which to meet the fundamentalists." 4) Pierre Teilhard de Cardin, the Jesuit paleontologist who discovered the Piltdown and Peking Man':' "Is evolntion a theory, a syStem, or a hypothesis? It is mnch more - it is a general postulate to which alf theories, all hypotliesis, all systems must henceforth bow and which they must satisfy in order to be thinkable and true. Evolution is a light which illuminates all facts, a trajectory which all lines of thought must follow - this is what evolution is." 5. Science is impossible apart from submission to God' s Word. From tlle Christian perspective, it is impossible to do science of any form apart from submission to . God al)d Scripture. They are the foundation apart from which man is precluded from understanding anything else in this world correctly. If we are to . answer the fool as his folly demands, we must also . affirm that science is impossible on the basis of the unbeliever's worldview. For denying a sovereign Creator-God who gives meaning and order to this universe, and tbus serves as the foundation for our rationality and experience, the nnbeliever is' forced to do science upon the twin pillars of time and chance. In short, he must build something upon ' nothing. There is no evidence snpporting his . claims . . He has religious commitments that he . refnses to give up becanse to do so would open him up to the searching gaze of an all-knowing, just Creator. Van Til gives a wonderfnl illustration of the irresolvable dilemma facing all unbelieving thonght that rejects God and his Word. "Suppose we think of a man made of water in an infinitely extended and bottomless ocean of water. He sets ' his ladder npon the water and then attempts to climb out of the water. So hopeless and senseless a picture must be drawn ont of the natnral man's methodology based as it is upon the assnmption .' that time or chance is ultimate. On his assumpt\on even the laws of logic which be employs are products of change. The rationality and purpose that he may be searching for are still bound to be products of chance." 6. Faith ill the Word of God rests Upon two infallible testimonies. In conclusion, we must not think that the August/September, 2000 - THE COUNSEL of Cba\cedon -17 believer and the unbeliever are both left with unjustifiable faith claims. On the contrary, the Christian's faith in the Creator's Word is grounded upon two absolutely certain foundations. i. The Self-Attesting Voice of God Speaking in the Scriptures Our faith in God' s Word is based upon nothing short of the authority of God speaking in Scripture. There is no higher authority than God. He is the Creator and Preserver of this universe. His voice comes with unquestionable authority and absolute certainty. This does not mean, however, that Christians accept Scripture as a blind leap in the dark. We do so upon the testimony of God himself, who is truth itself. The authority of the Christian faith rests not upon man or the church's testimony, but upon the voice of the living and true God speaking in Scripture, whose authority cannot be questioned, and whose light is the necessary foundation to understand even one fact in the world correctly. To go beyond God and his Word to vindicate the Christian system'is to receive another authority with greater fear and submission than God. As our Confession testifies, "The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought be believed and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof: and itis to be received becau'se it is 'the , Word of God" (cf. Proverbs 22:17-21; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 1 John 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). ii. The Eternal Witness of the Holy Spirit of God in the Heart of God's Elect The only men who will be able to receive the testimony of God with the faith that it demands are those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, whose ultimate allegiances have been changed from man to God. The certainty of the Christian'Scriptures re'st in the fact that they are the inspired Word of God; the persuasion 'that they are so comes from the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, taking our blinders off so that we might once again recognize, love, and believe the voice of our Maker speaking to us, and gi ving us the faith to receive his Word in spite of all the criticisms and doubts of fallen man. D. Faith leaves us in ;lwebefore the creative word of the omnipotent Creator. . 1: God created the woild by his word (GeneSis 1::3,6,9,14,20,24; 3:3:6,9). We nOW tumto the, specific words chosen by the Hoiy Sl?irit to revealllle of this visible universe. To create implies "ici or>ler, prepare, dispose,frame." It is variously translated in the NewTestament: perfect (Matt, 21:16; Luke 6:40; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11), prepared (Romans 9:22; Hebrews 10:5), and restore (Gala- tians 6: fl. It is the word sometimes utilized in the LXX (the Septuagint) for God's original creative ' act by which he made the world and all things in it (cf. Psalm 89':38(7). The perfect tense may be , used to stress the finished or completed n!\ture of creation from the time God spoke; nothing was missing, to make this world a fit dwelling place for man and testimony of God's greatness and glory. The word refers to the six day process wherein God once for all fashio.ned and arranged the universe to be'the dwelling place of man, and while it would include the popular, concept creation ex nihilo, its primary referent is the preparation and arrangement of ttie entire universe. In Genesis, we learn that God initially created a mass Qfraw ' material froni which he then formed each part of the universe' on its appropriate day. This material, though good in itself, was'described by Moses as being "without form or void," implying that the world was not yet inhitbitable until God so ordered and fashioned it that "there remained, no want, no defect, no imperfection (Gouge). The fundamental truth here is that the liVing and true God actively created every aspect of this world by his oWn power, shaped in into the form we now see, and continues to t ule and preserve it by his' power and wisdom. Accepting the Genc:sis creation, accoutit as truthful, the writer affirms that God spoke or called the world into existence.'God's here is the powerftil, expression of his will to create' and order this universe. Scripture repeatedly stresses that the world and all its components were called into existence and fashioned by the cOIIll11andof God's voice. In the Genesis creation account, each day begins with "And God said" (Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24). David affrrms,that the heav- 18 THE COUNSEL of Chaicedon - August/September, 2000 ens were maoe "by the word of the, Loro, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth" (Psalm 33:6). By "the word of the Lord" is meant that this entire universe came into existence and was arranged by the sheer power and authority of God's command (cf, 33:9). The Psalmist later affirms the same in 148:5, when he writes, "For he' commanded, and they were ' created." Peter also, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and in complete agreement with the Old Testament creation accounts, affirmed that the heavens were made by the, word of God (2 Peter 3:5). By "God" is meant the ttinne God of Scripture, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person in the Godhead played an active role in the creation of this world. Our author, complimenting John's account in his gospel, previously affirmed the Son's role in the creation of this world, stating that it was through him thatthe worlds were made (cf. 1:3; John 1:1-3). Moses testifies that it was the Holy Spitit, who hovering over the face of the waters, gave order and life to all things (Genesis 1 :4). Scripture's message is, clear: when we contemplate the work of God in creating this universe, we must not do injustice to the work of any of the glorious persons within the Trinity. God the Father spoke the world into existeflce, through the power of God the Sail, by the superintending presence of God the Holy Spirit. Scripture' s emphasis that this world camejnto existence and was arranged in good order through the command of the tTiune God is fundamental to the Christian fruth. It implies that this world, and everything in it, is wholly dependent upon God for existence and sustenance, ,and that it sprang forth from God's mind and hand at a definite time and for a definite purpose. It presents to us a God of infinite power, glory, resources, self-sufficiency, and order. It obligates us to fear, adore, and serve our great and glorious God. On a practical level, biblical creationism impresses us with the glory of God. As we stand in amazement before his splendor and might, we come to view ourselves properly, as creatures, unwDlthy of dod's thoughts and goodness to us, wholly indebted to him, and without hope except through his sovereign mercy (cf. Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5ff). 2. God created the world out of nothing when there was nothing but himself. The second half of verse 3 reveals the result of the exercise of God's creative command. At his , command, the entire visible realm that we now see around us came into existence. It sprang forth not from previously existing matter, like the visible materials which we now see around us, hut from the instantaneous exercise of God' s creative power. "What men see has come to he 'by means ,of God's spoken word,' it has received its exist- ence in this way alone" (Lenski). When nothing existed but the ever hlessed, all-sufficient God, he called into existence everything that we now see around us. Conservative theologians and creation- ' ists term tlus process creation ex nihilo, i.e. , out of nothing. This visible world did not spring from like visible elements. God did not make this world's material from other materials that existed earlier or were, as some have erroneously sup- posed, eternal. The Bible's statements and the philosophical commitment to the eternity of matter are irreconcilable. God created this entire world (the singular variant - that which is seen) from scratch; when nothing existed but himself We cannot avoid the truth that the origin of this universe by the voice of the living God is not the domain ofthe scientists and philosophers, but for the pious, who will submit themselves to God's sure testimony. Man will never be ahle to emhrace biblical creatiDlusm until the word of God holds more sway over his heart and mind than does his fallen reason. It is not that the biblical creation doctrine is unreasonable, or that it cannot be lovingly investigated and explored by helieving science. Yet, in order to receive God's Word, the ' Spirit of Christmust regenerate man's heart. It should be evident now why in discussing faith our author begins with c1eation. It is the first and grandest proving ground of faith: will we bow our hearts, check our investigations, and subdue our , wills to God's explanation of the origin and purpose of this universe? If not, then we have not yet learned our first lesson in the school of religion and are not fit to pass out of the foyer into the more . beautiful rooms of redemption and life in the kingdom of heaven. 3. God created the world in the space of six, 24 hour days Faith in special creation by the spoken word of August/September, 2000 . THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 19 the omnipotent God has been severely undermined in the past century by various proponents of the or theory. This view main- tains that each of the .six days of the creation week represent various ages ofnndefined length in which this woFid gradually came into existence. Not only is this view erroneous from a historical- grammatica!.exegesis of-the relevant passages, but also it exists primarily to accommodate discoveries of "science" that are radically opposed to biblical ' creationism. We might say that this view is a , compromise, a half-way house between creation- "1\1an will never be able [0 embrace biblical creationism unrilthe " 'mel ofC",] holds more sway over his he:lIT and mind than docs his fallen reason." ism and evolution, a place where the Christian can ma,intain his formal allegiance to Scripture while enjoying the respectability of modem science. Because of the issues at stake, and the light afforded by various texts, any treatment of biblical creationism must give at least cursory justification for the old, orthodox view. Simply put, it has been the conviction of God's people for thousands of years, and it is Specifically affirmed by leading adherents of the orthodox faith, inclnding our own . Westminster Confession, that God created this ' . world iothe space of six, 24-hour days. Howmay this view be justified froni Scripture? Though many exegetical and theological arguments can be' advanced to support it, we will confine our investi- gations to Genesis 1-2. 1) The Genesis narrative presents itself as straightforward narrative history; it is not myth., saga, or divine drama, and the language is not metapliorical or allegorical. The framework hypothesis is clearly imposed upon Scripture, not derived from it: Jesus Christ viewed Genesis 1-3 as historically reliable (Matthew 19:4;Mark 10). 2) The Genesis narrative is the revelation of the God of Scripture, of infinite power and glory, who in this chapter reveals the origins of this world to all who will snbmit to his Word. Such a revela- tion will always be a stumblingblock to'those who refuse to submit their scientific endeavors to the word of the Creator. 3) The Genesis narrati ve does not allow for a': gap theory or the existence of previously existing material. Genesis 1:2 cannot be interpreted "And the earth became without form and void ... " It is a perfect absolute, i.e., a statement of existing fact. When God created the physical materials from which he formed the earth, it was 'originally shape- less; i.e., uninhabitable. The events of Genesis 1:1- 2 occurred, therefore, on the first day along with the'creation oflight. . . 4) The Genesis narrative does not leave room for multiple creation accounts between 2:3 and 2:4. The book of Genesis is arranged in toledoths, generations 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10,27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1,9; 37:2; Matthew 1:1). Moses tirst gives a summary of the leading events of a given person or era, then proceeds to reveal the outcome and significance ot his life. Genesis i is a sum- . mary of the events of the creation week, and Genesis 2:4ff is the outcome of the creation week, the history of Adam and Eve and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. 5) The "days" (yom and yamin) of the Genesis narrative are not figurative for "ages." a. Yom is clearly defined as "evening and morning" at its first appearance (1 :5). If yom islo be taken figuratively, so must "evening" and ' "morning." This cannot be justified according to the principles of sound hetmeneutics. b. Yom preceded by an ordinal adjective in nonprophetic literature is never figurative. c. Yom occurring in the plural in nonprophetic . literature is never figurative. d. Yamin (days) is contrasted to yeats in 1: 14. e. Yom is ruled by the greater light, the sun (1:15,19). How then can the day he a fignrative one1 Is the sun figurative also? . 6) The Genesis narrative is presupposed as . the foundation of the Sabbatical cycle: six days work and one day rest. (Exodus 20:9-11; cf, Gen- esis 2:2-3). If God did not create for six days and rest for one, the divine example/incentive behind the fourth .commandment is removed. Because 'are cornmitted to a 24-hour Genesis day, and to the reliability of the various chronologies of Scripture which plaCe the time 20 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ,Augnst/September, 2000 from Adam to Christ at about 4,000 years, many Bible scholars view this earth as approximately 6,000 years old. Now one might be tempted to ask,",ooes the age of the earth really matter?" The allswer is "absoluteiy." Though the Bible is not a scientific text, wemust receive all of its infomation with reverence and submission. To reject its plain teachirig at one point by consigning it to "myth" or "saga," is to question the authority of God, set man up as judge over the text, and remove the ultimate foundation of Christian tbeism: a sovereign God who suddenly, for his own pur- pose and glory, spoke thi s world into existence . . . Moreover, to allow that the earth is billions of . years old is not a matter of indifference. Many of those maintaining this view do so to escape the biblical account of the history of the earth and the divine purpose behind history, the manifestation of . redeeming grace in Jesus Christ. Other professing Christians, by accepting the findings of so-called science and history conducted by unbelievers On the basis of philosophical atheism/agnosticism, foolishly compromise tbe faith and accept presup- positions and findings that are absolutely contrary to orthodox Christianity revealed in Scripture. 4. God created the world very good. God's assessment of the created order is that it is good, very good (1: 10,12,18,25,31). An impor- tant principle of the Christian worldview is founded upon God' s pleasure in his world. Matter is not evil . . In many phiJosophies, the realms of matter and spirit are in constant competition with one . another .. This creates an ultimate dualism in which the tIiings of thi s life are considered evil, undesir" able, or unimportant, while the really holy and important things are spiritual, i.e., nonphYSical. It was this principle that led Plato to view man's body as. the prison house of tbe soul. Death thus became an escape from prison and a return to the ideal realm of pure form. The Gnostics (docetics) of the first-third centuries adopted this principle and therefore denied that Jesus could have had a real physical body. There is about the flesh that would have been unworthy of the Son of God. They affirmed that Jesus' appear- ance on earth was a phantasm; he looked like a man, but he could pass through walls and was not truly flesh: Throughout the Middle Ages, this dualism produced a nature-grace dichotomy that distorted art, impoverished the masses, and en- riched the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the view that somehow man's body, this earth, and our daily lives are somebow less important than heaven and the soul has led to an other worldliness in many Christian circles that seriously undermines our effectiveness in building the kingdom of Christ on this earth. From Genesis, we learn that God expressed his original approval of everything he had made. There is nothing intrinsically evil about the physical universe. On the contrary, it is intrinsically good. Moreover, man is not fundamentally a union oftwo conflicting prinCiples, body and soul, but a union of fles)l and spirit that is designated "a living soul" (2:7). Hence, we must never thin]c the goal of our fleshly existence is the escape from our bodies .. Our bodies are not the source of the evil in our lives; our hearts are (Matthew 15: 18-20). Paul expressed that his desire for death was not his anticipation of being freed from his body, but of being in the Lord's presence (2 Corinthians 5:8). Yet even then, he longed to be clothed with his perfected body so that he might embrace Chris.t with the whole man (5:2-5) . And then, we mnst never entertain dualistic views of life on earth. Reality is not divided into "holy" spiritual areas 'and "common" or "secular" fleshly areas. All of reality has been created good by God, anq Christ, by his life and death, has made the redemptiQn and reconstruction of all areas of life a glorious reality (Zechariah 14: 10; Romans 8:20,21; 1 Corinthians 10:31). 1'0 BE CONTINUED August/September, 2000 THE COUNSEL ofChaicedon - 21