MUST YOU BELIEVE IT?

The Bible-An Inspired Guide

The early Christians never doubted that God had revealed his will, purpose and principles in the Scriptures.  ( 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) This protected them from being  'carried off as prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.'    (Colossians 2:8) The situation is the same today.  In contrast  with the confusing  and conflicting opinions of men.    God's inspired Word provides a solid foundation on which we can base our beliefs.  (John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2P:13;  2 Peter 1:21)  Without it we are  left in the impossible situation of trying to build something solid on the shifting sands of human theories and philosophies. -Matthew 7:24-27.

'But wait,' someone might say. 'Is it not true that the facts of science have shown the Bible  to be in error and therefore no more dependable than the ever-changing philosophies of men?' Bertrand Russell claimed, for example, that " Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo had to combat Aristotle as well as the Bible in establishing the view that the earth is not the centre of the universe."   And is it not true that today, for example, creationists insist that the Bible teaches that the earth was created in six 24-hour days, when all the facts show that the earth itself is billions of years old?

Actually, the Bible does not say that the earth is the centre of the universe.  That was a teaching of church leaders who themselves did not adhere to God's Word.  The Genesis account of creation allows for the earth to be billions of years old and does not limit each creative day to 24 hours.  (Genesis 1:1, 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:3, 4)  An honest appraisal of the Bible shows that while it is not a science textbook, it certainly is not "sheer nonsense."  It is, in fact, in complete harmony with proven science.

Next time: The "Power of Reason"

Watchtower, 2000