Prepared To Give An Answer

"Moabite Temple Discovery Helps Confirm The Bible" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron Ohio

Moabites, Amorites, Canaanites, Jebusites...ancient people groups known primarily (if not only) through Biblical reference until the age of modern archaeology.  Recently, archaeologists have discovered a Moabite Temple which is now making headlines.  The temple discovery, full of figurines and other ritualistic furnishings is just the latest discovery to reconfirm the Bible's veracity, or "truthfulness" in what it states.  The Moabites were real people that were often in conflict with their neighbors to the west, the Israelites.  Like many details in Scripture, the existence of such nations was held in suspicion until modern archaeological artifacts like the Mesha Stele (bearing the earliest know reference to "YHWY", the Hebrew name for God; picture below) confirmed what was recorded in the Bible over two-thousands earlier.

Pastor Adam Barton, Akron, Ohio

 

"How Can We Know The Bible Is True?" Part 2 by Pastor Adam Barton

 
Ossuary of the High Priest Joseph Caiaphas
Jerusalem, Israel: Herodian period, 1st century CE

The well known archaeologist and Jewish rabbi, Nelson Glueck once stated, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”₁

Over the centuries, archaeological research has only confirmed (rather than disprove) the Bible's truthfulness.  Archaeology alone does not prove that the Bible is divine in origin, but what it does is lend credibility to the truthfulness, or veracity of the Bible.  It would be troublesome for instance if the what the Bible had to say about certain kings, nations, geographical locations, wars, dates, etc. differed from what archaeological research has produced.  Fortunately, the Bible is not only considered truthful in what it affirms about such details, it is often used as a corroboratory source for historians and archaeologists alike.  Religion aside, the Bible is an extremely important book in regards to what we know and believe about the ancient world.

Artifacts have been found that confirm the lives of notable figures in the Bible such as King David, King Cyrus, Caiaphas the High Priest and Pontius Pilate.  Ancient cities like Ur, Jericho and Dan have been unearthed (many of which were erroneously thought to have never existed despite being mentioned in scripture).  Artifacts have confirmed the existence of Levitical priests named in the Bible and the temple itself.  Highly specific locations within cities like the Pools of Bethesda and Siloam (where Jesus performed healing miracles) have been discovered.  Inscriptions dating back to the 200's have been found which prove that people worshiped Jesus as God.  The careful transmission of the Bible itself has been confirmed mightily by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

All this to say, the Bible and "Bible times" are not a myth.  Even the flood in Genesis, one of the oldest and miraculous events presented to us in scripture, has been fortified by the discovery of other flood accounts in ancient cultures.  When it comes to the Bible, we are talking about real people, real cities, real events in history--history that is accurately recorded and continually confirmed by archaeology today. 

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

 

The ancient city of Dan, the Canaanite city overtaken by the tribe of Dan mentioned in Judges 18 and also the high place where Jeroboam built a golden calf (1Kings 12). 

 
A stone fragment with inscription confirming the existence of the "House of David".  Outside the Bible, it is the oldest reference to a Biblical character to date.

 
Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent a blind man to be washed and healed. 

 
Stone inscription bearing the name and governance of Pontius Pilate.

In 2005, on the floor of a prayer hall in Megiddo, an inscription which dates back to the 200s was discovered which confirms the consecration of a church to "God, Jesus Christ".
 

_{1. Dr. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136.}

"Was Jesus Crucified?" CNN article explained by Pastor Adam Barton

Yesterday, the front page of CNN included a news blurb that simply read, "Was Jesus Really Crucified?"  As alarming as this sounds, that was all that it was meant to do...alarm people.

I thought I would help explain a little further for those that heard about this and/or haven't read the article.  It was about an evangelical Swedish scholar, Gunnar Samuelsson that simply states that in the original Greek, the texts reveal only that Jesus carried "some kind of torture or execution device" to a hill where "he was suspended" and then later died.  He argues the Greek word stauroun does not necessarily mean to be nailed to a cross.  In his studies, he found that the word included a variety of deaths that involved hanging and impaling.

That is all.

Samuelsson believes however, that the most likely reason early Christians thought Jesus was crucified on a cross in the traditional way we think, is that, in fact, he was.  And their is compelling evidence that the Romans at the time utilized the type of crucifixion that involved nailing individuals to a wooden beam.

(heel bone of first century crucifixion victim)
 

We can take some things from this recent news article:

1. Anything about Jesus makes news...especially when it calls into question the truthfulness of what Christians believe and/or what has been traditionally taught.

2. Christians should not fear research.  Archaeological research has only confirmed the Bible's veracity.  Manuscript studies have only fortified the careful transmission of the biblical texts down over the centuries. 

3. We should also be humble regarding the presuppositions we bring to the faith that aren't necessarily rooted directly in scripture--that aren't clear as night and day.  Did Jesus have a white robe, blue sash...probably not.  Was Jesus immersed or sprinkled at his baptism?  The evidence leans towards immersion but we just don't know for sure.  You get the point.

4. Nothing about his article is disputing the fact that Jesus was real man that he sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity. 

It appears that Samuelsson is an evangelical pastor and doesn't seem to want to debunk the faith in any way. 

As for the media, I do respectfully believe there are other motives behind publishing this article.

Pastor Adam Barton

"How Can We Know The Bible Is True?" part 1, by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron Ohio

Everything Christians believe comes from a single source…The Bible.  Christians believe it is truth and that it is God’s revelation to mankind.

Think about this: What if the Bible is not true?  What if it’s not from God?  Then what?  If so, we have no right to ever try to convert anyone nor should we.  What we beleive is no better than any other man made religion.

But what if the Bible is true?  What if it really is God’s words to the human race?  This changes everything!  Over the next months, we will cover 10 good reasons to believe that the Bible is actually God’s Word.  If someone asked you why you believe the Bible is true, would you be prepared to give an answer?

 

Reason #1:  There is extremely strong manuscript evidence to suggest that the Bible we have today is what was originally written thousands of years ago and has not been corrupted over time.

 

First things first.  Do we even have the Bible as it was originally written?  Until recent history, the most recent copy of the Old Testament known to mankind what written over 900 years after the time of Christ!  Considering when each of the Old Testament books were originally written, that's a lot of time for a text to possibly change.  Given the incredible prophecies in the OT concerning Jesus, how do we know that over time, the OT wasn't altered in order to conform to Jesus?   In 1947, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time was made when a boy stumbled upon a cave in the Qumran region and found what would be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Parts of every OT book were found (except Esther), including entire books and multiple copies. 

 

 
The caves of Qumran 

For Christians, two major discoveries were made when the scrolls were examined.  First, the copies of the OT predated Jesus by approximately 100 years!  Second, with the exception of some minor copying errors, the scrolls were virtually identical to our bible today!  In essence, Christian scholars could now say that the Old Testament we read today is the same one Jesus read from in the synagogues.

That covers the Old Testament.  What can we say about the reliability of the New Testament?  After all, it's been two-thousand years since it was first written.

Simply put, the New Testament is overwhelmingly the best attested work from the ancient world.  With the NT, there is a far greater number of existing manuscripts (over 5,000) than compared with any other ancient text.  (By the way, by "manuscript" we mean a copy of something written by hand before the invention of the printing press).  There is also a far shorter lapse of time between the first known copies of a given work and when it was originally written (see below).  To deny the authenticity and accuracy of the New Testament would mean we would have to throw out every single text we study and learn about prior to Shakespeare!

 
Now compare to over 5,000 NT full or partial copies:

(The oldest know fragment shown here is from the Gospel of John 18:31-33; 37-38 on backside)

In summary, God has preserved his word to mankind over the past 3,000 plus years.  It stands alone as the best preserved work of the ancient world and we have overwhelming evidence to back up that claim.  In the coming weeks we will examine nine other reasons to believe that the Bible is actally God's words to mankind.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio 

 

"Creating Life From Scratch" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron, Ohio

Yesterday morning after turning on my computer, I read a news flash on CNN, "Did Scientists Create Life From Scratch?"  It caught my attention but I did not immediately click on the link as I went about some other tasks.  Less than one hour later, when I had some time to look at the article, I went back to the CNN front page and it wasn't there anymore! Bummer, I was really interested.

So I did a web search the next day.  When I found it, the new title of the CNN article was taken from the lead scientist's own words: "We Did Not Create Life From Scratch."  Funny way to announce a tremendous scientific advancement...by saying what you didn't do.   I could be wrong, but it appeared that CNN over-exaggerated in their reporting and that the team responsible for the work stepped in to re-clarify to the media what was and was not done. 

All of that aside, a tremendous scientific advancement has taken place.  Scientists found a way to take genes, (designed by a computer and compiled from four bottles of chemicals) and successfully transplant that genetic material into another cell which then began to reproduce itself according to the newly acquired synthetic genes.   This is the first life form whose genes were built by a computer.  Check out the full video interview on this achievement.  This breakthrough could produce benefits over the next decades regarding correcting human genetic abnormalities, building vaccines, bio-fuels and other means to improve life.

I applaud the 15 years of work that went into this effort and I also appreciate the candor that these scientists expressed in saying that they did not "create life from scratch".  Creating life from scratch is something only God can do.

I once heard a joke that went something like this:  Some scientists went to God and said that they had found a way to create life.  "God, we now know how life works and what makes it function.  We even know how to create life from dirt.  In fact, we think that we can improve upon what you originally created that will make humans stronger and live longer lives free of disease and decay."  So God indulged them and said, "OK, we’ll both work over in my lab and we'll see who makes the better human."  The scientists were led to the most extravagant laboratory they had ever seen.  They confidently went about their business only to discover that there was no earth or soil to begin their work with.  They went to God and said, "God, we're ready to start but there's no dirt in the lab and we cannot get started until we have that."  To this God replied, "Go make your own dirt".

Ok, that was cheesy, but it illustrates that creative power that is needed to truly make life from scratch.  Everything we do operates under the umbrella of God's amazing creation.  Even the most staunch atheist and/or Darwinian evolutionist will concede to the amazing complexity of the simplest cell, the curious development of living matter from non-living matter, the mystery of consciousness, and the incomprehensible odds of the universe somehow providing an environment suitable for life.

To those of us that believe God is the creative force behind all of nature, we still stand in awe as we learn more about how we are made and the universe we inhabit.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

"The Answer No Christian Should Give" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron Ohio

The Good Book.  That’s what it used to be called.  You will still hear the Bible called that here and there but the phrase is not as common anymore.  Just one generation ago, the Bible had an authority that even many non-Christians generally respected.  After all, it was the Good Book.

     But times have changed.

    I remember a nice lady that used to cut my hair for six dollars.   Not a solon, not a chain. The kind of place few people know about where you never have to wait in line and life slows way down as soon as you walk in.  That’s why I enjoyed going there.  This woman was a Christian but she didn’t really know why.  She couldn’t tell you why Christianity was true or why another religion was false.  She didn’t care either.  She was brought up Christian and that’s that.

    Her teenage son was different however.  He did not claim to be a Christian despite his upbringing and his mother’s constant encouragement.  "Just because it says so in the Good Book", was not good enough for him.  He needed a little more to go on than than "just because".

    She told me that he would ask hard questions like, “Mom, who wrote the Bible?  How do you know that it’s true?  How do you know that some other religion isn’t better?  How do you know that there is even a God in the first place?”

    Her confident reply as she cut my hair, “I tell him the Bible is true because it just is and you should believe it too.” 

Her answer made me cringe inside.  I don’t blame her son for not believing.

    As Christians, we must be prepared to show and defend the validity of what we believe.  If we want others to think what we have to say about God is both true and vital for them, we must provide solid answers.  They deserve it. 

    God changes hearts, and conversion can never be reduced to academics alone, but God uses people’s minds to do His work.  Remember Paul in Athens and how he used his knowledge of the Athenian culture? (Acts 17:16-34).  He didn’t just start quoting the Scriptures and telling the people they needed to have blind faith.  He was prepared and reasoned with them. 

Here are three commonly asked questions we ought to be prepared to give an answer:

How do you know that God exists?  

How do you know the Bible is true?

Why can’t all religions be true?

If you’re not sure what you would say, know then that you’re not alone and being prepared to give an answer isn’t rocket science.  Even having one or two sentences to say about each of these questions is a solid start and often all you will need in conversations:

How do you know that God exists?  When I look around at creation, it’s hard to believe that all of it just arose randomly out of nothing. But if you’re an atheist, you are led to believe just that.

How do you know the Bible is true?  Unlike any other book, the Bible makes numerous prophecies that were later fulfilled.  It has also proved to be historically accurate in its details.

Why can’t all religions be true?  When you have two or more statements that contradict each other, they cannot all be right (i. e. 2+1=4, 2+2=4, 2+3=4).  At times, the various world religions contradict each other in what they claim.  (i.e. “Jesus was God”, “Jesus was just a man”, “Jesus never really existed”).  Basic reasoning suggests that they just can’t all be right.

Simple statements like these help show that being a Christian is not a matter of blind or misplaced faith.  Our faith is rooted in history—actual events that took place and impacted humanity.  Reason, history, philosophy and science can and should be used to help defend what we believe.

When it comes to belief in God and the Bible, “Just Because”, is an answer no Christian should give. 

“You just have to have blind faith”, will not help people with their questions about Jesus.

“I was just brought up that way” should not be the sole basis for any faith.

We believe because it is true.  And we are called to defend those beliefs with intelligence, grace and humility.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

"Did Jesus' Disciples Make It All Up?" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron Ohio

The English author Henry Fielding once remarked that the "greatest things in the world are subject to the greatest abuse; and religion is no exception to the instance."

 

We've all seen news headlines of those who profess to follow God are caught taking people's well intended money and using it to finance their own luxurious lifestyle. We've seen preachers that appear more consumed with their own personal glory than for God's. Jesus said that the Pharisees of his day were guilty of seeking their own glory.  They loved for men to call them "Rabbi."  They loved having the best seats in the house at weddings and other events.  Others throughout history have claimed to be prophets or to have had a special connection to God and used their power and influence to get people to do what they wanted.  There's nothing new about "God" being used for financial gain, personal glory and social coercion.

That being said, think about this...

 

Some skeptics of Christianity have claimed that the disciples and gospel writers simply made it all up.  Walking on water, raising the dead, claims of diety, the resurrection--all just a hoax.  If this indeed was the case, if Jesus was not really the messiah, if Jesus never performed miracles, if Jesus never raised the dead and himself conquered death, then why did the disciples make up a new religion?  What did they gain from such a hoax?

 

After all, had the disciples and gospel writers benefitted financially from fabricating a new religion, we could see why perhaps they chose to do so.  If they were held in high esteem, treated with great honor and able to use their political power to control those around them, we would have reason to be suspicious of their radical claims about Jesus.

 

Well, you can see where we're going with this.  During the time of Christ, his followers gained nothing from a worldly perspective for what they claimed--in fact, just the opposite.  Their lives were put in jeopardy. They were persecuted and despised. They gained nothing financially and probably were worse off than what they were before they met Christ (especially Matthew the tax collector).  They were beaten, chained and killed for their beliefs.  They even went beyond their previously established beliefs--beliefs that not only were sufficient to secure their eternal destiny, but beliefs, if altered, could mean stoning in the present life and hell/separation from God in the next.  Why change or alter your faith if it's already working for you?  Why subject yourself to the cultural backlash and theological consequences?

 

The best explanation seems to be that they must have truly seen something amazing. 

 

That is the most logical reason to account for thousands of Jews in Jesus' time deciding to follow and worship him as the Messiah.  They must have seen him feed thousands from a single boy's lunch.  They must have seen him tell a storm to "stop".  They must have seen him beaten and pierced to death, buried, and then...

 

Considering what the lives of the earliest followers of Christ were like, it's hard to imagine any other reason to account for their claims other than the fact that what they saw was true.

 

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

 

Pastor Adam Barton Akron Ohio "Does the Scientific Elite Believe In God?"

Let's be frank, it makes us feel better when people that we recognize as highly intelligent professionals share our views.  Whether the issue is politics, raising children, artistic taste or the very existence of God, there is a natural tendency to see what the "pros" think.  After all, that's how we learn and grow much of the time.

It is often regarded that science and religion are somewhat, if not entirely incompatible, and that most scientists do not in fact, believe in god and faith.  Elaine Howard Ecklund however, just finished conducting the first systematic investigation of what scientists think about God and religion.

I'd like to quote and extend courtesy to the Templeton Foundation for their review of her book, "Science Vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think" Oxford University Press, April 2010.

 
    "In her research, Ecklund surveyed nearly 1,700 scientists and interviewed 275 of them. She finds that most of what we believe about the faith lives of elite scientists is wrong. Nearly 50 percent of them are religious. Many others are what she calls "spiritual entrepreneurs," seeking creative ways to work with the tensions between science and faith outside the constraints of traditional religion.

The book centers around vivid portraits of 10 representative men and women working in the natural and social sciences at top American research universities. Ecklund reveals how scientists—believers and skeptics alike—are struggling to engage the increasing number of religious students in their classrooms and argues that many scientists are searching for "boundary pioneers" to cross the picket lines separating science and religion."

We should not be surprised by Ecklund's findings.  In one respect, the scientific community has more reason to believe in a creator since they are more acquainted with the incomprehensible complexity and design of creation.  From Einstein, to Hawking, many of the world's top scientists acknowledge in some basic way the existence of God and/or the creative force behind all the natural laws we see in action.  Dr. Francis Collins, who led the Human Genome Project and is considered "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time" (Endocrine Society) considers scientific discovery, "an opportunity to worship" as stated in his 2006 book, "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief".

All of this to say, the scientific community is not a group, mostly made of up of atheists and agnostics.  They are intelligent men and  women who have thoughtfully and logically considered their position on God and faith.  They often give more thought to the issue than the average person because their jobs and reputations can often be put in jeopardy if they were to acknowledge belief in God--and fortunately, this appears to be changing.  I say "fortunately" not because this is a crusade against atheism, but rather, it opens the academic area up to all possible explanations and allows mankind to more honestly pursue the truth without bias or constraint.

In summary...don't let someone tell you that the scientific community as a whole doesn't believe in God.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron Ohio

"Billboards Against God" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron Ohio

All of us have probably driven some country highway and seen homemade signs that proclaim Jesus Christ with a passage of Scripture.  It has also been the case that some rather witty pro-God billboards have emerged in cities and towns that attempt to get people to give God some serious thought, like the one I saw in Akron that read, "I Believe in You--God."  But in the past few years there have cropped up anti-God/pro-atheist billboard signs that would have caused riots in an earlier day.

Just recently, two of these signs have been vandalized.  One of the signs reads, "Are you good without God? Millions are."  Someone apparently spray painted an addendum "Also Lost" at the end.  And just a couple of days ago, someone apparently tried to pull down a sign with what could only be a pick-up truck and a steel chain.  The sign reads, "Don't Believe in God.  You are not Alone."

Now I am not here to bash atheists, and please don't send hurtful or antagonistic comments concerning those who profess to be atheists.  Most atheists I've met are very respectful of my beliefs and those of us that believe in a God should give them respect and consider what they have to say.

But I do want to pose some questions:  Why do some atheists actually want to promote that there is no God?  What is gained by such efforts.  Why spend the money on such a message?  What is the ROI (return on investment)?

Atheists may say that what they are after is tolerance.  I would argue that tolerance for atheism is not really a major issue.  One could argue that there is as much or more intolerance towards Christians.  For example, if a science or philosophy professor at any secular University claims to be an atheist, no big deal.  If one claims to be a Muslim or Jew, nobody wants to touch that one either--too politically insensitive.  But if one claims to be a Christian, you better have a back-up plan for employment.  I've seen it happen first hand.

I am truly curious why the atheist wants others to believe that there is nothing beyond this life?  No creator, no meaningful and absolute morality, and no ultimate purpose to our existence.  I don't pretend to know the real answer to this and welcome your thoughts.

Perhaps atheists truly believe that belief in a Creator hinders science and a progressive society?  Perhaps they feel that "God" is the source of too many wars?  Perhaps personal pain or experience has led them to believe that a loving God cannot possibly exist?

Throughout my experiences as a pastor however, I have come to believe that many people choose not to believe in God, not because they think the idea of God is illogical, but because they just don't want to be responsible to God.  Responsible to live according to His laws.

God has placed an innate sense of morality and longing for the divine in the human heart.  Mankind has always been incurably religious.  We have more scientific evidence than ever to back up belief in a Creator and the vast majority of people throughout human history, including the present, believe in a Creator.  But for various reasons, some choose to deny this basic instinct.  But as to why someone would want to put forth effort to spread "unbelief", is truly curious to me.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

"Is Faith Just a Personal Thing?" by Pastor Adam Barton of Akron, Ohio

I go to the local gym each morning to exercise on week days.  There are a number of elderly gentlemen I talk with in the locker room.  We see each other like clock work.  They are a joy to be around and quite humorous.  It's funny to see men in their 70's and 80's totally ripping on each other.  We talk sports, family and sometimes faith.

There is a man that goes to mass faithfully everyday before he gets to the gym.  I admire his devotion to God and faith.  He said something today that struck me however, "I think religion is a personal thing and that no one religion is better than another."  I respect this man very much, and chose not to respond.  Internally however, I really had to disagree with that statement.

Christians believe Jesus is God.  Jews however, would say that believing such a thing is nothing short of blasphemy and idolatry.  So can both of these positions be simultaneously true and acceptable?   No.  Somebody has to be wrong.

Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross and then came back to life three days later.  Muslims believe Jesus was never crucified and just ascended into heaven one day when his earthly ministry was over.  Can both of these assertions be true?  No.  Somebody has to be wrong, or even both could positions could be wrong.  But it cannot be the case that Christ both died and didn't die.

Most world religions agree that God made the universe and all that is in it.  Atheism, another faith choice, states that God doesn't exist and thus had nothing to do with our existence.  Can both of these views co-exist?  I'm pretty sure not.  One of them has to be wrong.

Yes, faith is a very personal thing and it should be.  But faith being personal does not mean that it disregards logic and common sense.  It is OK to say that some things are wrong--even in matters of faith! 

Now I'm going to say something that would cause most of the women on "The View" to explode: "Some faiths are better than others."  The reason is very "comman sense."  For centuries man thought the sun revolved around the earth.  Then Copernicus said that it was actually the earth that revolved around the sun.  His idea was better because it more closely identified with the truth.  Without saying which is faith is the best, second best and so on, I will simply say that whichever faith most closely resembles the truth is better than the others.  What's wrong with that?

For those of us that follow Christ, the reason for our faith should go well beyond the personal.  We are Christians, not because our parents brought us up that way, or it's just the religion that suits us best.  We are Christians because we believe it is true.

The next time someone says to you that religion is just a personal thing, consider the first sermon ever preached on Christ that we find in the scriptures, "Men of Israel, listen to this:  Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know" (Acts. 2:22).  Our faith is far more than personal, it is historical!--an actual encounter with God. 

We believe because it happened.

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron Ohio