For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Can God be found through reason alone?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Yes.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
No.
“‘Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?’” (Job 11:7)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit Romans 1:20 as affirming the claim “God can be found through reason alone” against Job 11:7 as affirming “God cannot be found through reason alone.”
- We must look at both verses in its context to see if the skeptic cited it properly.
- The skeptic’s claim that Romans 1:20 teaches “God can be found through reason alone” is dubious. While thinking about God’s existence involves reason yet it is not reason alone since in the context of Romans 1:18-19 it is clear it is God who revealed Himself and it isn’t just human reasoning alone: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” Note the part that we highlighted. Again God has to reveal Himself to people and it is not a truth that is arrived at merely by human reason alone.
- The skeptic did cite Job 11:7 correctly as affirming “God cannot be found through reason alone” but we also need to qualify that.
- In the context it is Job’s friend Zophar the Naamathite that is speaking and he’s challenging Job’s complaint about God.
- Here Zophar wants to make it clear we don’t have full and complete knowledge of God. Notice the first rhetorical question is if we know the depths of God. Obviously there are things we cannot discover about God with our own reason and speculation alone.
- Also this verse doesn’t state reason is not important at all in terms of our understanding of God; that’s an important point to remember.
- With regards to the teaching that we don’t know everything comprehensively about God (though we do know things about God because He revealed Himself) this is also taught elsewhere in the Bible such as in Psalm 145:3 and Job 36:26.
- Romans 1:20 do not contradict against Job 11:7 if we understand these verses in its context. Romans 1:20 does show we do know God and that we know Him even outside the Scripture because He revealed Himself; it shows knowledge of God is possible and that we are responsible in light of His revelation of Himself. Yet at the same time Job 11:7 tells us the limitation of our own knowledge of God specifically with the claim that we don’t know everything about God, and that there are deep things of God we don’t know. A verse on the possibility of knowledge of God and a verse on limitation of knowledge of God aren’t contradictory. Both verses can be true and they are not either/or.
- As an analogy of point number 7 that we can have a verse on the possibility of knowing God through reason and a verse on the limitation of knowing God through reason think about a textbook of the method of science. One might find a good sentence from a chapter on the possibility of knowing facts through scientific reasoning. Then there’s also another sentence one might find summarizing the chapter on the limitation of knowing facts through scientific reasoning. These don’t necessarily have to be a contradiction because while it is true we can know things from science there are also limitations of the scientific methods.
- There’s not a Bible contradiction here.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Can God be found through reason alone? […]
What a response!
I found point seven and point eight the most helpful in your explanation.
Jim, thank you for addressing this narrow view contradiction. In a similar light, what the Triune GOD revealed to us about Him is sufficient enough for us to live in faith and trust in Him.
You’re welcome and thank you for reading this! Amen to what you said that what He revealed is sufficient for life and faith. I just prayed for you this morning for things in your country.
Thank you very much, Jim! Your prayers are needed. I have not checked the news tonight. A blessed Sunday ahead. Technically, it is Sunday already here in the country.
Yup, another one of Steve/Stephen Wells’ either/or false dichotomies. Thanks for working through it. Good points. God has provided special revelation, but people STILL don’t understand. As we’ve discussed, lost pseudo-Christians can become quite knowledgeable about the Bible and be satisfied it supports works-righteousness salvation.
Its incredible how people still get it all twisted even though God clearly reveal things such as in general revelation that attest to His existence and also in special revelation how we are saved. Its not that Scripture and creation isn’t clear; its the noetic effect of sin on our minds and reasoning. So I appreciate your weekly post responding to the RC apologist twisting God’s Word in his atttempt to dismiss Protestant use of Scripture. Are you one or two weeks ahead with your write up of the series? That’s impressive
Thanks, brother! The natural man will twist Scripture every which way to make it conform to salvation by merit.
RE: weeks ahead
I try to have 15 posts in the queue at any given time because I’m blogger nerd.
It’s great to read how the Bible is without contradiction
God has revealed Himself in Creation and the Scriptures, so it is reasonable to know Him from what He’s revealed, see Psalm 19
Excellent.
Thanks for reading this answer to an alleged Bible contradiction, have a blessed Lord’s Day Maw Maw!
You also Grand.
They had to interpret two verses and they can’t even interpret them right. Two verses!
Always a delight to read these when I can. Fun and educational to see you answer the skeptics.
I enjoy them and learn from these posts too
They might say God can’t be found by reason alone, but definitely the atheist can’t find God through irrationality alone
[…] 2.) Bible Contradiction? Can God be found through reason alone? […]
Another well done rebuttal
Glad to see you use Presuppositional apologetics at the end. It is a great apologetics method that focuses on subduing your opponent where it matters through exploiting the weakness and vulnerability of their worldview. The primary focus lies in arguing about preconditions and it sill relies on God’s Word and the epistemological consciousness of the Presuppositionalist.
[…] Can God be found through reason alone? […]
…from the folks who say they believe in reason…they don’t understand how to read these passages properly
After reading three of your Bible contradiction posts I have concluded that the atheist are not really about reason and rationality. Dudes got ax to grind
I appreciate you numbering those points
Good exposition
[…] Can God be found through reason alone? […]