Every
year, (usually at Christmas time,) a
so-called "mainstream" magazine takes up the topic of Christianity or the Bible.
Often, Christians who believe the Bible get a fair hearing—other times, not so
much. This last time, it was Newsweek and journalist Kurt Eichenwald doing the
"honors."
Here's
the title: "The Bible: So Misunderstood It's a Sin." Actually, this piece is so
ill-informed that it's a sin—not just against God but against good journalism.
Al Mohler had this to say: "[Eichenwald's] article is a hit-piece that lacks any
journalistic balance or credibility. His only sources cited within the article
are from severe critics of evangelical Christianity."
Actually,
perhaps Dr. Mohler is being too kind! I only mention the Newsweek piece to make
a point—that the Christian worldview is under assault 24/7, and we need to be
prepared to make a rational, reasonable defense of the truth of the faith.
Of
course, the Bible has plenty of allies, not the least of which is the discipline
of archaeology. Over the years, we've told you about some of the fascinating
discoveries that have confirmed the accuracy of both the Old and New
Testaments.
For
instance, secular scholars had long doubted whether King David ever actually
existed—until, that is, archaeologists found extra-biblical evidence: a piece of
stone from an ancient victory monument, which bore the inscription in ancient
Aramaic, "King of Israel" and "House of David."
One
recent archaeological discovery was big enough to make the front page of the
Washington Post. As the Post reports, archaeologists digging beneath the floor
of an abandoned building in Jerusalem's Old City have discovered the suspected
remains of the palace where the trial of Jesus Christ may have taken place.
Yisca
Harani, an expert on Christianity and pilgrimage to the Holy Land, said, "For
those Christians who care about accuracy in regards to historical facts, this is
very forceful."
Well,
I dare say that we Christians certainly do care. After all, Christianity, unlike
many other religions, makes certain historical claims, that God visited His
people in space-time history. As the Apostle Peter said in Scripture, "For we
did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
Although
our faith does not depend on archaeology, I can't help but get excited
when a piece of holy history is unearthed for all the world to see.
And
here's another reason to be excited about archaeology and biblical history: Next week, Monday
January 19th, is a one-night showing of a compelling film entitled "Patterns of Evidence:
Exodus." Filmmaker Tim Mahoney has tackled one of the thorniest issues
inarchaeology, one that actually pits many modern archaeologists against the
biblical narratives: Did the Exodus really take place, or was it nothing more
than a grand folk myth?
Mahoney
interviews leading archaeologists. He takes us to digs on the Nile Delta and
asks, were these the homes of Canaanite slaves? If so, why did they leave all of
a sudden? Is the statue of an Egyptian official of "Asiatic" descent—one
depicted with a multicolored coat—from the tomb of the biblical Joseph?
The
argument, at least from the perspective of an archaeologist, hinges on one
critical question, one that I'm not going to give away, because I hope you will
go and see the movie.
From BreakPoint. Reprinted with
the permission of Prison Fellowship Ministries. All rights reserved. May not be
reproduced or distributed without the express written permission of Prison
Fellowship Ministries. "BreakPoint®" and "Prison
Fellowship Ministries®" are registered trademarks of Prison
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