Many of those who reject the Christian faith do so because they believe that the Bible contradicts science. But the existence of true conflict and contradiction depends on how the Bible and science are defined. If the Bible is defined as “a book of fairy tales and superstitions?”and science is defined as ‘proven facts’, well, obviously we will have conflicts and both will be incompatible as sources of truth. If the Bible is understood as the Word of God and science is understood as a necessarily materialistic methodology that excludes God’s very possibility, then yes, there will be a conflict. I suggest, however, that these are not the best initial definitions and that, if we think more carefully about the Bible and science, we will see that they are not necessarily in conflict.
Christians understand that God is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth. Christians also believe that God revealed certain truths about himself through his created works (Romans 1:20). Theologians call it general revelation; God was also revealed in His Word; we talk about this as a special revelation; an important point to keep in mind is that, both in relation to general revelation and in relation to special revelation, God is the revelator. Because God is infallible, there is no possibility of conflict or contradiction between His general revelation and his special revelation. God is the only reliable source of both.
- There is also no conflict between what he revealed in the Bible (special revelation) and what is really true in relation to his created works.
- If God has created something in a certain way.
- And if God is consistent and always true.
- His special revelation will not say anything that contradicts the true truth about His created works.
- If it is true.
- For example.
- That God created the earth as a sphere.
- Then His special revelation will not contrade it and cannot contradecipher it.
- The Bible that seems to describe the earth as a flattened disc.
- The problem is in our interpretation.
When a conflict arises, it is always the result of a misinterpretation of God’s works, of what he has revealed through his created works, of what he has revealed through his Word, or a combination of them. , a conflict may be the result of an incorrect scientific theory about certain aspects of Works created by God. A conflict can also be the result of an incorrect interpretation of God’s special revelation. And a conflict may be the result of misinterpretations of both. The problem always lies in fallen and fallible human interpreters (scientists and theologians), not God.
Human beings are fallible. Several factors, including ignorance and sin, mean that we can and do mistakes. Those who observe and seek to understand the created world can and have made mistakes. Scientific hypotheses and theories are fallible. They may be wrong. Those who study and seek to understand the Bible can and have made mistakes. There are contradictory interpretations of many biblical texts and contradictory theological systems, as scripture interpreters are fallible. Theological and theological interpretations and theories can be confusing.
Science and scripture are perfectly compatible, as long as science is understood to be careful study of God’s creative works. Science is unlikely to be inconsistent with the scriptures until naturalistic and materialistic metaphysical philosophies are incorporated into the definition of science. exist today is largely due to such philosophical assumptions by many non-believers. Ironically, these philosophical hypotheses cannot be tested by any empirical observation.
Because the created world is the way God created it, believers and non-believers can and have made real observations about it. Of course, non-believers always hide all the true observations they make in a non-writing philosophical framework, but observations, such as How far they go, may be true. As John Calvin pointed out, the unbelievers can know the truths about “earthly things,” though when it comes to “heavenly things,” they are “blind as moles” (Institutes 2. 2. 12-21). Believers have nothing to fear from science, understood as the study of works created by God. The works of God’s hands are astonishing and marvelous, and Christians can rejoice and praise their Creator every time something true about these works is discovered, no matter who has done them. discovery. The problem is not science itself; the problem is the false philosophies disguised as science that must be rejected.