THERE IS A PRESUMPTION
IN FAVOR OF THE BIBLE
This argument may be simply and
tersely stated thus—Man needed a Divine revelation couched in human
language. God had previously given man a revelation of
Himself in His created works—which men please to term “nature” —but bears
unmistakable testimony to the existence of its Creator, and though sufficient
is revealed of God through it to render all men “without excuse,” yet creation
does not present a complete unveiling of God’s character. Creation reveals
God’s wisdom and power, but it gives us a very imperfect presentation of His
mercy and love. Creation is now under the curse; it is imperfect,
because it has been marred by sin; therefore, an imperfect creation cannot be a
perfect medium for revealing God; and hence, also, the testimony of creation is
contradictory.
In the spring of the year, when
nature puts on her loveliest robes and we see the beautiful foliage of the
countryside and listen to the happy songs of the birds, we
have no difficulty in inferring that a gracious God is ruling over our world.
But what of the winter-time, when the countryside is desolate and the trees are
leafless and forlorn, when a pall of death seems to be resting on everything?
When we stood by the seashore and watched the setting sun crimsoning the placid
waters on a quiet eve, we had no hesitation in ascribing the picture to the hand
of the Divine Artist. But when we stand upon the same
seashore on a stormy night, hear the roaring of the breakers and the howling
wind, see the boats battling with the angry waves and listen to the
heart-rending cries of the seamen as they go down into a watery grave, then, we
are tempted to wonder if, after all, a merciful God is at the helm. As one
walks through the Grand Canyon or stands before the Niagara Falls, the hand and
power of God seem very evident; but, as one witnesses the desolations of the San
Francisco earthquake or the death-dealing effects of the
volcanic eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, he is again perplexed and puzzled. In a
word then, the testimony of nature is conflicting, and, as we have said, this
is due to the fact that sin has come in and marred God’s handiwork. Creation
displays God’s natural attributes but it tells us little or nothing of
His moral perfections. Nature knows no forgiveness and shows no mercy,
and if we had no other source of information we should
never discover the fact that God pardons sinners. Man then needs a written revelation from God.
Our limitations and our
ignorance reveal our need. Man is in darkness concerning God. Blot the
Bible out of existence and what should we know about His character, His moral
attributes, His attitude toward us, or His demands upon us?
As we have seen, nature is but an imperfect medium for revealing God. The
ancients had the same nature before them as we have, but what did they discover
of His character? Unto what knowledge of the one true God did they attain? The
seventeenth chapter of the Acts answers that question. When the Apostle Paul
was in the famous city of Athens, famous for its learning and philosophical
culture, he discovered an altar, on which were inscribed the words, “To the unknown God”. The same condition prevails today.
Visit those lands which have not been illumined by the light of the Holy
Scriptures and it will be found that their peoples know no more about the
character of the living God than did the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians.
Man is in darkness concerning himself.
From whence am I? What am I? Am I anything more than a reasoning animal? Have I an immortal
soul, or, am I nothing more than a sentient being? What is the purpose of my
existence? Why am I here in this world at all? What is the end and aim of life?
How shall I employ my time and talents? Shall I live only for today, eat,
drink, and be merry? What after death? Do I perish like the beasts of the
field, or is the grave the portal into another world? If so, whither am I bound? Do these questions appear senseless and irrelevant?
Annihilate the Scriptures, eliminate all the light they have shed upon these
problems, and whither shall we turn for a solution? If the Bible had never been
written how many of these questions could have been satisfactorily answered? A
very striking testimony to man’s need of a Divine revelation was given by the
celebrated but skeptical historian Gibbon. He remarked—“Since, therefore, the
most sublime efforts of philosophy can extend no farther
than feebly to point out the desire, the hope, or, at most, the probability, of
a future state, there is nothing except a Divine revelation that can
ascertain the existence and describe the condition of the invisible country
which is destine to receive the souls of men after their separation from the
body.”
Our experiences reveal
our need. There are problems to be faced which our wisdom
is incapable of solving; there are obstacles in our path which we have no means
of surmounting; there are enemies to be met which we are unable to vanquish. We
are in dire need of counsel, strength, and courage. There are trials and
tribulations which come to us, testing the hearts of the bravest and stoutest,
and we need comfort and cheer. There are sorrows and bereavements which crush
our spirits and we need the hope of immortality and
resurrection.
Our corporate life reveals
our need. What is to govern and regulate our dealings one with the other? Shall
each do that which is right in his own eyes? That would destroy all law and
order. Shall we draw up some moral code, some ethical standard? But who shall
fix it? Opinions vary. We need some final court of appeal: if we
had no Bible, where should we find it?
Man then needs a Divine
revelation; God is able to supply that need; therefore, is it not reasonable
to suppose He will do so? Surely God will not mock our ignorance and leave
us to grope in the dark! If it is harder to believe that the universe had no
creator, than it is to believe that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;” if it is a greater tax upon our faith
to suppose that Christianity with all its glorious triumphs is without a Divine
Founder, than it is to believe that it rests upon the Person of the Lord Jesus
Christ; then, does it not also make a greater demand upon human credulity to
imagine that God would leave mankind without an intelligible communication from
Himself, than it does to believe that the Bible is a revelation from the
Creator to His fallen and erring creatures?
If there is a personal God (and
none but a “fool” will deny His existence), and if we are the works of His
hands He surely would not leave us in doubt concerning the great problems which
have to do with our temporal, spiritual, and eternal welfare. If an earthly
parent advises his sons and daughters in their problems and perplexities,
warns them of the perils and pitfalls of life which menace their well-being;
counsels them with regard to their daily welfare and makes known to them his
plans and purposes concerning their future, surely it is incredible to suppose
that our Heavenly Father would do less for His children!