Apologetics Session 10: The Inter-dependence of History and the Biblical Worldview

We will in future sessions cover historical aspects of apologetics so this is an important introduction.

Establish the need: What is the relationship between history and Christianity? Does Christianity depend on history and does history itself depend on the Biblical worldview?

Purpose: We will look at four focus to help us think about the relationship between history and a Biblical worldview.

1. What is history?
2. Christianity is Historical
3. History helps us to interpret and defend the Bible
4. History needs a Biblical worldview

What is history?

We all have the idea of history dealing with matters of the past (have already occurred).

According to John Warwick Montgomery history is the study of “events or the study of these events.”[1]

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary history is “a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events.”[2]

History is also the interpretation (giving meaning through explanation such as observing cause-and-effect relationship, motives, goals, etc) of events.

Vern Poythress notes history involves three dimensions: Event, person/people and meaning.[3] This would be important for the final part of this session.

Christianity is Historical

Jesus Christ came as a man in the reality of space-time: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

1. Notice that Jesus was physical: “became flesh”
2. Notice that Jesus entered into time.
3. Application: Have you show thanksgiving to God for Christ coming down to save us?

The Gospels account of Jesus is intended by the writers to be historical; see also Luke 1:1-4, 2:1-2.

The Resurrection of Jesus was historical: “Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 2 by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

1. In the context 1 Corinthians 15 is about the resurrection.
2. Note these are claims about Jesus’ resurrection.
3. It seen as happening in reality since there are eyewitnesses (5-8).

History helps us to interpret and defend the Bible

There are three ways we will mention.

First way: History as background for interpretation of the Bible

1. If the Bible was written in the reality of space-time to an original audience that means the spheres of historical studies will provide important background information for interpretation.
2. Historical information concerning spatial reality: There is Biblical Geography.
3. Historical information concerning temporal reality: There is the area of studies concerning social and cultural patterns of the times.

Second way: Biblical languages are historically situated.

1. The Bible was written in Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek.
2. These three languages must not be confused with Modern Hebrew, contemporary Greek, etc. Thus they are historically situated.

Third way: History as a field of Christian Apologetics

1. If Biblical Christianity claims to be historical, one may ask: “Do we have other witnesses that it is so?”
2. Thus, there is a place for marshalling historical data in Christian apologetics under the proper context.[4]

History needs a Biblical worldview

Ways are mentioned here.

First the Bible as the authoritative Word of God interprets historical facts and events.

1. God’s Word is worldview lens which we view and interpret the world. See our earlier fifth session in apologetics.
2. For example: “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1Corinthians 10:11)
   1. This passage provide an explanation of the Old Testament historical narrative.
   2. It also deals with past events.
   3. It also states for us these events’ meaning and significance.

To further appreciate history’s dependence upon the Biblical worldview recall Poythress’ definition of history involves three dimension of event, person/people and meaning. Notice in this picture how these three dimensions correspond to the three elements of a worldview:

History needs a Biblical worldview 1: To know about events it requires the foundation for the biblical worldview

1. History with regards to events presupposes time but some worldviews believe that time exists.
   1. Various New Age Cults do not believe time exists.
   2. For example: the Agasha Temple of Wisdom does not believe time objectively exist: “WE TEACH YOU THAT YESTERDAY IS TODAY AND TODAY IS TOMORROW. ALL TIME IS ONLY BUT EXISTENT WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL MIND AND SPHERE OF EXISTENCE OF THAT PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL.”[5]
2. Christianity does account for the necessary axiom of time
   1. God created the world in time (6 Days creation).
   2. God interact with humans in time, so therefore time exists.
   3. Classical Christian Theism presupposes God created time.
3. Recall in our previous session we demonstrated that an atheist worldview with an epistemology of empiricism is self-refuting and therefore the atheist can’t even know things including events. Not so with Christianity.

History needs a Biblical worldview 2: Meaning needs the biblical worldview

1. Doing history one gives value judgment such as saying Hitler is evil, that a hero is morally courageous, etc.
2. Christianity provides a value system for historical judgment that is necessary for meaning when other worldviews/religions/philosophies does not.
   1. John Warrick Montgomery says “In order to turn chronicle into history, it is necessary to stress some events and deemphasize others to produce a meaningful narrative. But notice that such emphasizing is inevitably based upon value judgments as to what is important and is not (or better, what is more important and what less important).”
   2. One’s value judgment is part of one’s worldview/religion/philosophy.
   3. Thus, in narrating history, values judgment occurs but that value is already in place before historical narration.
3. We have already seen how atheism destroys the possibility of norms, ethic and values.

History needs a Biblical worldview 3: Person/People needs the biblical worldview

1. With regards to persons a secular worldview believes everything ultimately is impersonal since even a person is nothing more than stardust whose behavior and thoughts are determine by electrons and physics.
2. Christianity has Personalism with the very beginning of God.
3. Also some Eastern religions think the individual is not important and the “self” is an evil thing that should cease to exist. Such a worldview would not make the study of people in history meaningful if it is something that brings about suffering with “attachments.”

[1] John Warwick Montgomery, The Shape of The Past, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship), 8.

[2] Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/history.

[3] Prepublished edition of Vern Poythress, Redeeming Our Thinking about History: A God-Centered Approach, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2022), 12.

[4] It is possible to marshal evidence in a Presuppositional framework.  It is possible to provide evidence that take into consideration that (1) nonbelievers are not neutral but are suppressing the truth, (2) it is not the amount of evidence that the nonbelievers need, (3) we must beware of the sin of autonomy; (4) and presuppositions determine evidence.  This will be covered in the next session.

[5] Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20220621205724/http://www.agasha.org/.