Posted on

Archaeologists Have Discovered Seal of Biblical King Hezekiah

It is remarkable how often you hear the (false) claim that the Bible is historically unreliable. While it’s true we haven’t found everything the Bible mentions, we have found quite a lot!

In fact, did you know that all the major biblical cities and geographical features have been located? And to date, over 60 biblical figures in the Old Testament have been identified? I go into more details here about this, but there is solid historical and archeological evidence when it comes to the Bible (Check out this cool animated video).

This latest discovery is just another layer of evidence:

“Israeli archaeologists have discovered a mark from the seal of biblical King Hezekiah, who helped build Jerusalem into an ancient metropolis.

The circular inscription, on a piece of clay less than a centimeter (0.4 inches) long, may very well have been made by the king himself, said Eilat Mazar of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University who directed the excavation where it was uncovered.

Hezekiah ruled around 700 BC and was described in the Bible as a daring monarch – “There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (II Kings 18:5) – who was dedicated to eliminating idoltary in his kingdom.

“This is the first time that a seal impression of an Israelite or Judean king has ever come to light in a scientific archaeological excavation,” Mazar said.” (Read More)

As Christians we can be confident that is our faith is not blind. It is well placed!

Did you miss a podcast? – Subscribe with iTunes I RSS

If you enjoyed this article, check out Is the Old Testament Reliable? (A Short Summary)

Have you found this blog helpful? You can have it delivered right to your inbox in one easy step.

Follow me on Twitter @Jonathan_Morrow

Posted on

Dallas Willard on Tolerance and Love

“Tolerance has suffered a great deal recently in our religious and political and educational areas. And tolerance, because truth has been pulled away from it, has slipped over into the idea that everything is equally right. No longer is tolerance a matter of saying, “I disagree with you and I believe you’re wrong, but I accept you and I extend to you the right to be wrong.” That’s not enough. We’re now in the situation where everyone must be equally right, where you cannot claim that people are wrong and still love them.” – Dallas Willard

Posted on

Is Something “More” True Because its in the Bible?

As Christians we sometimes do things that don’t help our cause.

Sure, they are done from good intentions and with a sincere heart. But they actually take our legs out from under us in the long run.

Sometimes this happens with the way Christians talk about truth. Unfortunately we can be too spiritual for our own good. Let me explain what I mean.

2 Dead Ends

There are two versions of how this plays out in our assumptions or conversations:

(1) Only the Bible gives us truth.

(2) Truth derived from the Bible is in a unique category.

Regarding (1) Only the Bible gives us truth. This is clearly false. There is general and special revelation.

bibleTo claim that the Bible is wholly true and without error does not entail that only the Bible gives us truth. I can learn truths about the city of Jericho from the book of Joshua and also other ancient historians / archaeologists.

The Bible does not reveal the elements of the periodic table. These are truths I can discover from outside the Bible.

Regarding (2) Only the Bible gives us truth. I like to ask a question which makes this clearer: Which statement is more true?

a.) Water is H20

b.) Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead

It’s not a trick question. Truth is not a “degreed” property. Meaning that you either have it or you don’t. Either a belief or statement corresponds to reality or it doesn’t. Period.

Whether that is in a laboratory or a ancient document, the standard is the same. Does the claim math up with reality? We must push through that little tug in our hearts and minds that wants us to put the Bible in a different category.

Truth is Truth

Authority is a different question because some sources are more authoritative than others. But truth is a “univocal” term. Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu or an Atheist…Truth is truth. Why? Because it deals with reality.

As Christians we think that faith is rooted in history (cf 1 Cor. 15). We believe that the evidence best supports the Christian worldview. So we don’t need to put the Bible in a different category.

In fact it increases our credibility when we don’t have special rules when it comes to religion or spirituality. A level playing field is an opportunity for Christianity to really shine.

That’s why we need to define our terms like “faith” very carefully and admit that it’s possible that Christianity could be false (though I think there are very strong reasons to think it is true).

So no, something is not more true because it’s in the Bible. And it’s certainly not “unspiritual” to say this out loud.

If you found this post helpful, you would enjoy How to Respond to the “That’s Just Your Interpretation” Objection

Listen to the latest Think Christianly podcast: Subscribe with iTunes I RSS

Enjoy what you read today? Never miss a post! Sign up to receive my blog updates directly in your inbox.

Posted on

Does Atheism Naturally Lead To Human Dignity?

Sometimes slavery is raised as an objection to the Bible and Christianity. And a superficial reading of the Bible could lead one to conclude that God has a positive view of slavery. However, when engaging the historical context and relevant theological issues this is not the case. The Bible unequivocally teaches universal human dignity and equality because all are made in the image of God.

What is often forgotten is that atheism rose to prominence only after centuries of Judeo-Christian ethic and thought had shaped modern civilization. Atheism did not lay the groundwork for inherent human dignity and equality; it borrows that from a Judeo-Christian worldview. If you remove God from the equation, you also remove inherent human dignity and equality.

Atheistic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (who was carefully read by Adolf Hitler) explains:

Equality is a lie concocted by inferior people who arrange themselves in herds to overpower those who are naturally superior to them. The morality of “equal rights” is herd morality, and because it opposes the cultivation of superior individuals, it leads to the corruption of the human species.

History stubbornly does not let us forget that ideas have consequences.

Which idea do you think is more dangerous: that all people are created in the image of God and possess inherent dignity and value, or that the concept of equal rights leads to the corruption of the human species?

Some may argue that if there had been no Bible, advocates (including preachers!) of colonial slavery couldn’t have (apparently) justified the practice. Perhaps. But by this line of reasoning, we would also have to say that if there were no physics— if E didn’t equal MC²—then there would have been no atomic bomb.

When you think about it this way, the common denominator that emerges yet again is people. What is most needed is the transformation of the human condition. And that, in stark contrast to the worldview of atheism, is exactly what Jesus of Nazareth offers.

Did you miss a podcast? – Subscribe with iTunes I RSS

If you enjoyed this article, check out The Number One Human Rights Issue Of Our Day

Have you found this blog helpful? You can have it delivered right to your inbox in one easy step.

Follow me on Twitter @Jonathan_Morrow

Posted on

The Art of Persuasion (Video)

How do we share the gospel with people who are not willing to hear it? What does it look like to be creative and imaginative in how we engage our secular and skeptical culture? One of my favorite authors Os Guinness shares about the art of persuasion in this video.

The Apostle Paul on our “rules of engagement”:

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26

If you found this post helpful, you would enjoy How To Break Free From Skepticism With One Simple Question

Listen to the latest Think Christianly podcast: Subscribe with iTunes I RSS

Enjoy what you read today? Never miss a post! Sign up to receive my blog updates directly in your inbox.