NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Top Ten Biblical Discoveries In Archaeology: Not Recommended

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Top Ten Biblical Discoveries In Archaeology

More A Pamphlet
Than A Book

Disclaimer: Credo House is a great organization. Nothing said here is intended to reflect badly on them. But . . .

I recently purchased Top Ten Biblical Discoveries in Archaeology, published under the banner of Credo House (which no longer exists), and returned it in less than a day.

Why? Several reasons.

One, I paid over $7 for the Kindle version. Seven dollars isn’t huge but the price does come with expectations.

The book is listed as having 88 pages. That’s long enough to be considered a book but in this case it misrepresents the reality.

There was lots of white space and I do mean lots.

Don’t misunderstand. White space isn’t a bad thing. It helps with reading but in this case it seemed like it was used to inflate the size. Reduce the white space, which could easily be done, and the book is now much shorter.

Making it worse was the fact that there were many illustrations, which weren’t very clear (didn’t add much value), and the text didn’t wrap. Adjacent to each illustration, none of which were very large, was – you guessed it – white space.

There was a lot of white space that seemed to be added for no reason at all, and then each illustration introduced even more white space.

From a volume point of view the book was worth maybe a dollar, not seven.

Two, the discoveries, though significant, aren’t recent. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940’s. Hezekiah’s conduit was discovered in 1867. One of the more recent discoveries was the “House of David” inscription found at the Dan site in 1993. By archaeological standards that’s not recent.

The point is the book catalogs some of the more significant finds but it doesn’t add anything new. It’s very basic. If you are looking for up-to-date, this book won’t satisfy.

Three, you can find all the material scattered throughout the web for free. Because this information is relatively old, you can find it recorded in many places on the web. Just Google the “Top Ten Biblical Archaeological Discoveries” and you’ll easily find the listings and the information.

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8 Proofs Bible Interpretation Is A Philosophical Exercise

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We walk by faith not sight but philosophy keeps us from walking in circles.

Dogma Tells Us
What To Do
Philosophy Tells Us Why

I frequently take a philosophical approach to the Bible. I wasn’t taught to do this, it just came naturally, but it isn’t thought of as the right approach so some take offense.

Hand slaps aren’t unusual.

I’ve been called both liberal and unbelieving but there are many reasons why philosophy can be very useful in Bible interpretation. I’ve listed several below.

And I’m philosophical about it.

Change Is Inevitable

After a philosophical discussion of sorts, one person told me, “you’ve changed,” as if change is the hallmark of heresy but I’m not sure that’s a valid accusation. Even religion has a long history of change.

There was a time when church folks didn’t have music in church because their “belief” system didn’t allow it. It was only after long heated discussions that a quiet hymn was allowed to be sung at the close of a service. Since then, many more musical changes have followed, as you may have noticed.

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The point, of course, is that little change was arrived at philosophically because there is no direct statement in the Bible to solve the argument. No “Thou shalt have or not have music in church” could be found. The eventual answer was arrived at using logical arguments – the philosophical method.

And there is good reason to continue honing our philosophical skills. Change is the norm. It is to be expected. It is so universal Bob Dylan wrote a famous song about it.

The truth is only a perfect understanding or perfect perspective doesn’t need to change and God is the only one who can claim those qualities. [Read more…] about 8 Proofs Bible Interpretation Is A Philosophical Exercise

Veritables: Truth Is Not Conclusive

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One truth, accurate or not, does not a conclusion make.

Conclusions Drawn
On Vibrant Perspectives
Must Be Tempered
By Caution

Unfortunately, discovering one truth or fact – here to fore unknown – is not the end of the journey.

Truth never stands alone. One piece of truth, like digits on a hand, form only a part of the picture. A finger does not a person make, so it is difficult to draw conclusions based only on one truth or even two or three separate truths.

For example, if you found an unclaimed finger on the sidewalk and reported it to the authorities their first response would be to answer several questions, the most important one being, “who does it belong to?” You couldn’t know for sure without further investigation. It’s not an easy question to answer. More detail is needed.

Getting a finger print would help but only if the person’s print is in the system and in the case of mutilations the print might not be so clear.

If the person’s print isn’t in the system the DNA is probably missing also, so there may be no help there.

Even with a witness there is no guarantee. The value of the witness is determined by how well they knew the victim, if they knew them at all, and/or how accurately they remember what they saw. Assuming, of course, they are willing to come forward.

I think you get the point.

One truth is not an answer or a conclusion. It is nothing more than one truth. You can make up a “missing finger” story and use that to guide your search for other truths but until you have more detail you can’t draw conclusions. Your hypothesis remains unproven.

But that’s not all. [Read more…] about Veritables: Truth Is Not Conclusive

Veritables: All Truth Is God’s Truth Wherever Found

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Everything in the Bible is true but not all truth is in the Bible.

The Bible Focuses On Eternal Truth

It was many years ago but I remember the statement like it was yesterday. I was in Bible college and sitting in the class of one of my favorite teachers.

I loved his nature. He was a straight shooter, never mincing words. If he believed something was true there was no flinching. Everything was absolutely right or wrong and I identified with that mindset. I wanted a clear line demarcating all the good from the bad.

But don’t get the wrong idea. Though adamant, he was gracious. And in his usual quiet but straightforward way, he made the following remark, which made a lasting impression on me.

All the Bible is true and all truth is in the Bible

I love words, especially when used to make a point rhythmically so his remark stuck. But that wasn’t the only reason it resonated. I was emotionally in tune with this statement. It was a very bold line drawn between everything in the Bible and everything else. It was a buy-in for me.

All of that happened a very long time ago – I won’t say how long. Since then I’ve grown, matured, learned a few things, and done a lot of thinking so I’m not so sure about the accuracy of that statement anymore.

Don’t get me wrong. I still believe everything in the Bible is true but I realize now that not every truth can fit in the Bible. All the most important truths are there, the ones that influence eternity, but there isn’t enough room in any one book to include every possible truth.

Not All Types Of Truth Are Equally Important

Just a quick glance at the many kinds of truth and you realize they aren’t all equal. Each type is important, yes, but they aren’t all equal. For example:

  • Individual truth (I have blue eyes)
  • Temporary truth (It’s a sunny day)
  • Moral truth (Its wrong to gossip, lie or steal)
  • Psychological truth (people prefer short reading lines but read longer
    lines faster)
  • Medical truth (diet effects your health)
  • Mathematical truth (2 plus 2 is 4)
  • Physical truth (law of gravity)
  • Historical truth (Israel inhabited Canaan after the Exodus)
  • Eternal truth (God is love, heaven is real)

The Bible does make statements that broadly relate to each type of truth, and what it says about each issue is true, but that is very different to saying it records every truth.

  • It talks about the remarkable way each person is created – we are individually distinct – but it says nothing about my blue eyes.
  • The Bible records variations in weather patterns (Noah’s flood) but says nothing about today’s forecast.
  • The Old Testament is filled with laws that imply an understanding of medical issues but it says nothing about open-heart surgery or different blood types.
  • The Bible includes a lot of ancient history and influenced the way modern history unfolded but provides no historical details following the first century AD.

If you’re curious and would like to read further, Dr. S. I. McMillen has written a great book, None of These Diseases, which shows how Old Testament law reflected a very advanced understanding of many medical issues without actually stating every individual truth associated with each condition. The book can be purchased very inexpensively at Amazon.

God has paid humanity a great compliment by not giving us every piece of truth and every answer to every question. Realizing that, leads us to another truth implied in the Bible but not clearly stated. The truth that God created us with an insatiable desire to understand more truth and the tools to pursue it.

It may feel disloyal to say “not every truth is in the Bible” but once you realize that every truth is God’s truth wherever you find it and that God has gifted us with the art of discovery, it begins to make a lot of sense. And remember. Finding a truth is much more rewarding than having it handed to you on a platter.

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