Don Stewart :: Hasn't Modern Science Refuted an Inerrant Bible?

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Modern science has supposedly rendered an inerrant Bible as something that is impossible. Reports of skulls of creatures who were half-human, half-ape, as well as confident assertions that the theory of evolution has been proved have led many to abandon the idea of an inerrant Bible. According to many, the scientific ideas, that the Bible teaches, are nothing but mythical ideas of a pre-scientific age.

Science Is Not The Main Topic Of Scripture

There are several responses to these charges. First, Scripture is not mainly a presentation on the subject of science - it is God's revelation of Himself and His plan to the human race. Science and scientific issues are not the main topics.

However, whenever Scripture speaks on areas of science it speaks reliably. God's nature would not allow Him to accurately reveal information about Himself on one level but inaccurately reveal information in other areas.

In addition, scientific research has not proven anything that would refute Scripture. The theory of evolution, for example, is exactly that, a theory. The so-called missing links between humans and apes are not clear examples of some transitional creature between apes and humans. The missing links are still missing.

The Bible does not speak unscientifically - it speaks non-scientifically. The Bible uses common modes of expression such as the sun rising and the sun standing still. In Joshua we read of the sun rising.

Until the LORD gives rest to your kindred as well as to you, and they too take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan to the sunrise (Joshua 1:15).

There is also the famous incident of the sun standing still.

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. (Joshua 10:13)

These expressions were, and still are, the common ways of explaining things that are observable - they are not meant to be precise scientific statements.

There Is No Conflict When Properly Understood

There is no conflict between science and Scripture when both are properly understood. They key is to understand exactly what the Bible says and what exactly science has proven. When this is done there will be no conflict between the two.

Modern science has supposedly made the doctrine of inerrancy obsolete. With the advent of the discoveries of modern science the view of the world that was held in biblical time is now seen to have ben wrong. Yet this is not the case. Science and Scripture are not at odds with each other when there is a correct interpretation of what each of them are saying. The Bible speaks non-scientifically. Yet what it does say matches up with scientific reality. (For further on this subject see our course The Bible And Science: Are They In Conflict?)