ANSWERING COMMON OBJECTIONS
TO CHRISTIANITY
Is God real? I don't believe He exists
The most basic proof of God’s existence is simply what He has made. If I found a wristwatch in the middle of a field, I would not assume that it just “appeared” out of nowhere or that it had always existed. Based on the watch’s design, I would assume it had a designer. But there is far greater design and precision in the world around us. Our measurement of time is not based on wristwatches, but on God’s handiwork—the regular rotation of the earth (and the radioactive properties of the cesium-133 atom). The universe displays great design, and this argues for a Great Designer. Read more here
What makes Jesus different from other great men of history?
Apart from the historical records of the New Testament, the existence of Jesus is attested to by many ancient non-Christian sources like Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger. Furthermore, many of these sources attest to the miracles done in his ministry. For example, Julius Africanus quotes the historian Thallus in a discussion of the darkness that followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18). The greatest distinction that separates Him from other men in history are His claims to be God. Many of these same records attest to His crucifixion, burial, & appearances after the resurrection. Read more here
How do I know the Bible is true? Can it be trusted?
There is much evidence for the divine inspiration of the bible: 1. Fulfilled prophecy. God spoke to men telling them of things He would bring about in the future. For example, the Old Testament contains more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus Christ’s first coming. These were not written after the fact but beforehand. Second, archaeological findings support the history recorded in Scripture Third, the unity of Scripture. The Bible was written by approximately 40 human authors over a period of approximately 1,600 years. These men were quite diverse & the message of scripture does not contradict itself. Also, many of the major events in the Bible can be confirmed with extra-biblical sources. Read more here
What about all those errors in the Bible?
Any unbiased document scholar will agree that the Bible has been remarkably well-preserved over the centuries. There are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the Bible, and over 18,000 non-Greek manuscripts (read more here) . Even many hardened skeptics and critics of the Bible admit that the Bible has been transmitted over the centuries far more accurately than any other ancient document. As meticulous as the scribes were with the replication of the Scriptures, no one is perfect. Through the centuries, minor differences arose in the various copies of the Scriptures. The vast majority of these differences are simple spelling variants (akin to American neighbor versus British neighbour), inverted words (one manuscript says “Christ Jesus” while another says “Jesus Christ”), or an easily identified missing word. In short, over 99 percent of the biblical text is not questioned. Of the less than 1 percent of the text that is in question, no doctrinal teaching or command is jeopardized. In other words, the copies of the Bible we have today are pure. The Bible has not been corrupted, altered, edited, revised, or tampered with. Read more here
Is Jesus the only way to heaven?
Yes, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Such an exclusive statement may confuse, surprise, or even offend, but it is true nonetheless. The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation than through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is not a way, as in one of many; He is the way, as in the one and only. No one, regardless of reputation, achievement, special knowledge, or personal holiness, can come to God the Father except through Jesus. We can trust what Jesus said based on his death, burial, and resurrection, and the records of scripture which attest to His sayings. Read more here
What about hypocrites?
Of course, not everyone who claims to be a Christian is truly a Christian. Perhaps all or most of the famous hypocrites among Christians were in fact pretenders and deceivers. To this day, prominent Christian leaders have fallen into terrible sins. Financial and sexual scandals sometimes seem to plague the Christian community. However, instead of taking the actions of a few and using them to denigrate the whole community of Christians, we need to ask whether all those who claim to be Christians really are. Numerous biblical passages confirm that those who truly belong to Christ will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus’ parable of the seed and the soils in Matthew 13 makes it clear that not all professions of faith in Him are genuine. Sadly, many who profess to belong to Him will be stunned one day to hear Him say to them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23). All Christians fail to perfectly live up to the standard the Bible teaches. No Christian has ever been perfectly Christ-like. However, there are many Christians who are genuinely seeking to live the Christian life and are relying more and more on the Holy Spirit to convict, change, and empower them. There have been multitudes of Christians who have lived their lives free from scandal. No Christian is perfect, but making a mistake and failing to reach perfection in this life is not the same thing as being a hypocrite. Read more here
Contact
Have more questions about faith, spirituality, or Jesus? We would love to hear from you