Women vs Men – Inferior or Equal

by Becky Stelzer on January 1, 2007; last featured August 18, 2008

What is the biblical view of a woman? Is she a man’s equal, his superior, or his inferior?

Modern extreme feminism places women in authority over men, while traditional Darwinian evolution places women far below men.1 And since the Bible directs that a wife be in submission to her husband, even Christians may wonder, “Is the woman inferior or equal?”

The Genesis account of God’s creation of the first male and female gives a clear picture that is extremely different from evolutionary views in our culture. God designed both the man and woman in His own image equally (Genesis 1:26–27).

Adam was created first, but God decreed that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Therefore, God fashioned Eve out of Adam’s rib. The well-known Bible commentator Matthew Henry said that Eve was “made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”2 Read more

Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

The Proper Cure for the Disease

John Warwick Montgomery tells us a parable:

A great king (God) had a son (mankind) who had grown up out of contact with his father. While journeying in a distant province the son fell seriously ill. The doctor accompanying him (reason) was incapable of treating the disease, but the king, learning of his son’s plight, sent instructions (the gospel) for the healing of the boy. However, the king’s numerous enemies also discovered what had happened, and they likewise sent remedies – purporting to come from the king – which were actually poisonous (non-Christian religious and philosophical options). The son’s solution to this dilemma was to evaluate the remedies by three tests: first, what each remedy revealed about his father (comparison being made with the likeness to the father possessed by the son himself); second, how accurately each remedy pictured the nature of the disease; and thirdly, how sound the various curative methods appeared to be. With the help of the doctor, the son finally made his decision in terms of the remedy that best satisfied all three tests. (1)

Montgomery proposes three tests. The first test is “What each remedy revealed about the son’s father.” Evidence from the creation (2) strongly argues for the existence of a god who is personal, powerful, eternal, wise, and moral. The Bible declares all of these attributes of God.

Montgomery’s second test is “How accurate each remedy pictures the nature of the disease.” Many of the liberal and humanistic religions stress the basic goodness of man’s nature. They say corruption comes from society. This goes contrary to the facts of history and logic (see ‘People are Basically Good’ – Proof to the Contrary). History reveals that man is not basically good; he is basically selfish and sinful. The liberal view is also illogical because society is a group of individual people. To blame the situation of the world on society is to blame it on people. This is exactly what the Bible teaches: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Montgomery’s third test is “How sound the various curative methods appear to be.” If God has revealed Himself in propositional form, that revelation would have certain properties due to His infinite knowledge and moral perfection:

1. It would be entirely true – His infinite knowledge would prevent errors and His truthfulness would keep Him from deception.
2. It would be a coherent unity, therefore not self- contradictory.
3. It would contain God’s will for man, and provide the motivation to live according to that will (3).

Read more

The origin of Grand Canyon

(by late-Flood channelized flow)

by Michael Oard

Grand Canyon (fig. 1) is one of the most visible and studied icons of geology. It is the valley of the Colorado River and is 466 km (290 mi) in river length, if the 97 km of Marble Canyon are included. Its depth varies from about 900 m (3,000 ft) to 1,800 m (average depth is 1,610 m). The canyon’s width rim-to-rim is between 6.4 and 29 km (4–18 mi). The total amount of rock eroded from the canyon was 3,300–4,100 km³ (800–980 mi³).

Images: Mike Oard (unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1. Grand Canyon, northern Arizona (view north from Yavapai Observation Station, South Rim). The side Canyon is Bright Angel Canyon, caused by the Bright Angel Fault down which the North Kaibab trail runs.

A showcase for anticreationists

Anticreationists consider Grand Canyon a showcase for uniformitarian geology and proof against biblical creation and the Flood.¹ They regard it as being on the ‘front lines’ of the origins battle:

The famous landscape of the Grand Canyon lies along the front lines of competing scientific and nonscientific [i.e., creationist] views of Earth’s antiquity and evolution.²

Secularists regard creationist views as ‘nonscientific’ because we do not accept that present ‘slow and gradual’ (uniformitarian) processes explain the rocks and fossils. The point of contention is Noah’s Flood.

Slow-and-gradual can’t explain Grand Canyon

Uniformitarian scientists assume that the Colorado River, or some precursor river, cut the canyon. But the canyon’s path does not follow secular geological logic. It cuts through high plateaus, is not diverted by faults, and does not follow the topographic slopes of the bounding plateaus. Thus, Grand Canyon defies the principle of uniformitarianism upon which all secular geological interpretations are based.³ Read more

A Nation Always in the News

It seems that Israel is never out of the news for long. Despite its small size and insignificance compared to other nations, the spotlight of the world’s attention falls frequently on this troubled country.

The World could give a few reasons why this might be;

• A (generally) pro-western state surrounded by (generally) anti-western neighbours.
• A (nominally) Judaistic nation surrounded by (nominally) Islamic Nations.
• The powerful Jewish lobby in the United States and elsewhere, mustering support.
• A capital city (Jerusalem), holy to three different (and often conflicting) religions; Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
• One piece of land (Canaan), occupied by two nations, Israel and Palestine

However, the Bible Old Testament (a book holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity) has a simpler explanation:

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.
Isaiah 44:8 Don’t fear, neither be afraid. Haven’t I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don’t know any other Rock.”

The Bible says that Israel are God’s witnesses. Through them, we can see God at work, bringing about His plan and purpose for the Earth.
When Britain pulled out of Israel in 1948, no-one gave them a chance against the combined armies of the Arab nations around them and yet they managed to survive and grow. In the Six Day War, Israel again pulled off a decisive visual against overwhelming odds.
These are signs that God is with Israel – not because they deserve His support, but because Yahweh has chosen them as His witness and because of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Joseph and David.
Genesis 26:4 I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,Exodus 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 1 Kings 2:45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever.”

These and many other verses detail the promises that God made to his faithful followers concerning the land of Canaan. It is because God keeps His promises that Israel inhabit the land, not because they are in any way deserving. Read more

Jesus: God the Son or Son of God?

What does the Bible say?

Before Jesus Christ appeared, the writings of the Old Testament had for centuries been revered by the nation of Israel (the Jews) as the revelation of their God who had delivered them from Egypt at the Exodus. What impression had they gained about the nature of God? The answer is clear from the following quotation:

“Having affirmed the existence of God, Judaism really lays down only one basic idea about Him which is a recognised dogma – the Unity of God. ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.’

This is immediately a negation of the polytheism of the ancient world with its numerous deities. It is a repudiation of the idea that there are two gods or two creative sources of existence, one of good and the other of evil. It is also a clear denial of the idea of a trinity – three gods in One which is the established doctrine of Christianity. For Judaism there can be absolutely no compromise at all in this fundamental concept of the Only One God who is the ultimate creative source of all life and death, the elements of nature and history and the power behind all forces, physical and spiritual.” (C. Pearl and R. Brookes, A Guide to Jewish Knowledge, pages 96,97)

To this day the orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity remains a great obstacle for any Jew inquiring into the Christian religion.

In these days of hazy ideas, we need to remind ourselves that the Old Testament we possess is the same collection of writings revered in Jesus’ day as the word of God. Jesus himself described them as “the law, the psalms and the prophets” and said that in them were prophecies of himself. In Psalm 2 we read:

“Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (verses 7,8) Read more

Carbon 14 Dating how reliable is it?

Problem:

Dating methods (currently Carbon-14) are cited as definitely proving that man has been on the earth for at least 30,000 years. This age for man conflicts with Biblical chronology which dates the beginning of man’s existence on the earth about six thousand years ago.

Solution:

1. In order to critically appraise the claim that C-14 “definitely proves” the age of man to be at least 30,000 years, a description of C-14 dating is required:

The C-14 method of dating is used to determine the age of vegetables and animal remains. The procedure rests on the fact that cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere leads to the formation of a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic weight of fourteen, instead of the normal weight of twelve (C-14 instead of the normal C-12). Atmospheric carbon contains a small amount of radio-active C-14 which decays at a fixed known rate, but is continuously replaced by the formation of more C-14. The rate of breakdown is calculated in terms of the “half-life” which for carbon is 5,568 (plus or minus 30) years. After this amount of time, only half the original amount of C-14 will be left; after about 11,400 years, a quarter. Plants, by means of photosynthesis, and animals, by respiration and feeding on plants and one another, incorporate atmospheric carbon into their tissues, a process that is assumed to cease when the tissues die. As the C-14 disintegrates in the dead tissues and is not replaced, the ratio of non-radioactive carbon-12 to C-14 will slowly change, and its value at any time will depend on the time that has elapsed since the tissues died. Thus the age of the tissues can in principle be determined by comparing the ratio of non-radioactive carbon to C-14 in the tissue and in the atmosphere.¹ Read more

Signs which Jesus Gave

The Lord Jesus Christ gave various signs to help us identify the days immediately preceding his return to earth.  Many are contained in what is known as the Olivet Prophecy – recorded in Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21.

A Nation Reborn

Probably the greatest sign that Jesus gave concerned the rebirth of the nation of Israel.  This came to pass in 1948, after almost 2,000 years during which the Jewish people were dispersed among nations all over the earth.  Jesus predicted that dispersion when he warned that Jerusalem would be overthrown by the Romans.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near … For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled … there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles…” (Luke 21:20–24).

The Fig Tree

Immediately after these prophetic words in the Olivet Prophecy we have these words:

Then he spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:29–33).

In Scripture, the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel.  For example: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;

 I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.  But they went to Baal Peor and separated themselves to that shame; they became an abomination like the thing they loved (Hosea 9:10).

 For a nation has come up against My land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a fierce lion.  He has laid waste My vine and ruined My fig tree; he has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white (Joel 1:6–7).

 Further, Jesus told another parable about the nation of Israel using the same metaphor of a fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) and acted out another parable to the same effect when he cursed a fig tree which had become unfruitful (Mark 11:12-14).  What Jesus was predicting was that the nation of Israel – pictured as a fig tree – would again revive and would do so at a time when many other nations were also achieving independence. That is exactly what has now happened to the nation of Israel. Read more