Why There Is A God II

The Bible was written over hundreds of years by different authors, and yet it is about Jesus the Christ. Since most of it was written before Jesus' time, it verifies His authenticity. This is a proof that the God of the Bible is real.

The subject of scripture is not always obvious by interpreting the Bible literally. It has to be seen spiritually, which involves the use of allegory.

A new life is born into the world. A person grows in strength and stature as he gets older. Knowledge also grows along with physical size. His or her physical peak comes in ealry adulthood, and soon he is ready to start a family of his own. As the years go by vitality begins to fade, and eventually the middle-age years pass and old age sets in. Health begins to leave as one approaches the end of life. It's not just humans who follow this course, but all creatures follow the same general pattern. Even the flora passes through the seasons from the bursting forth of new life to the eventual fading into death. These are the stages of life through which all of God's creation passes. But where old life passes away, new life springs forth.

But even in our spiritual lives there is a similar pattern. Jesus described this in parables such as the ones in Matthew thirteen.  We are filled with enthusiasm as new creatures in Him, but soon the cares of this world come along and tempt us away from our first love, like the church of Ephesus.  Our faith is tried as we face the realities of life.  The skepticism of the world seeks to destroy what we have gained.  As we try to grow in our faith, we face the doctrines of Satan and strive to sort out what is true and good.  If we are true to our faith, we have overcome the world.  If we are deceived, we are called to repentance. God chastises us so we will look for what is true and good. With repentance comes reconciliation.  We need not fear the approaching darkness and judgment that lie ahead. Our spiritual lives follow the pattern of the Gospel.

1) Jesus’ nativity
2) He gathers disciples and starts His ministry
3) The religious leaders grow jealous of Jesus during His ministry, He foretells His own death
4) Judas betrays Jesus
5) His passion begins, Jesus arrested
6) Crucifixion
7) Resurrection

The church father Papias claimed that the creation account was an allegorical representation of the Gospel. How does this work?

The first three chapters in Genesis are chiastic in structure.

Garden of Eden - Day of creation
1. No man in Eden – 7. God's Rest (Hebrews chs 3,4 4:3)
2. Beasts – 6. Beasts and man created
3. Serpent – 5. Birds, whales, water creatures fill the sea
4. Darkness of sin and death- 4. Sun, moon, stars, day and night divided
5. Earth cursed, thistles – 3. Sea, Earth, grass, trees, fruit, herbs
6. Banishment from garden- 2. Division of Waters, heaven (firmament)
7. Permanent separation – 1. Division of darkness and light

The tabernacle pattern describes Christ and He is God's Word to us.  He gives us an example to live by. This is the pattern in scripture and I think it is what Jesus means when He says:

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  John 5:39

The temple/tabernacle pattern, and its relation to the Garden of Eden are well documented in the book "The Temple and the Church's Mission," by G.K. Beale.

Jesus is the temple, and this is shown in Nicholas Perrin's book "Jesus The Temple."

This is what Jesus meant about the scriptures being about Him (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-46).

The fact that the Bible gives a consistent allegorical message through its many passages, and that message which points to Christ shows a design and purpose that could only be inspired by the Creator.

Why There Is A God

God proved His existence by giving us His Word.  His Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1).

The skeptic will scoff at this and say, "Where is he? He only exists in your imagination. He is a myth who offers no evidence that he ever existed."

God has given us the evidence that He exists, and that the Bible is His written word. It is literary evidence where the proof lies in the revelation of its cloaked meaning.

Jesus is the Gospel to us. That's how we learn about Him. It's the story of His birth, ministry, betrayal, passion and triumphant resurrection. He lived His life of humble and obedient service to His Father, who sought not His own will but His Father's (Matt 26:39, John 12:27). Those who have wisdom follow Christ's example of obedience (John 13:15, 1 Peter 2:21).

How is this proof?

Papias was a disciple of the apostle John according to the church father Irenaeus. Papias wrote that the earliest Christian expositors of scripture said the creation story in Genesis was an allegorical form of the Gospel. That would make sense since the New Testament says the scriptures are about Christ (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-46). The claim is not that there are a few scattered verses here and there, but that the volume of the book is about Him (Heb 10:7).

Jesus taught in parables, and parables are a form of allegory. He demonstrated how the scriptures are about Him and his church, the kingdom of God.

The Word and Wisdom, Son and Spirit

...It was not angels, therefore, who made us, nor who formed us, neither had angels power to make an image of God, nor any one else, except the Word of the Lord, nor any Power remotely distant from the Father of all things. For God did not stand in need of these [beings], in order to the accomplishing of what He had Himself determined with Himself beforehand should be done, as if He did not possess His own hands. For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, “Let Us make man after Our image and likeness;” [Gen. i. 26.] He taking from Himself the substance of the creatures [formed], and the pattern of things made, and the type of all the adornments in the world. Irenaeus IV.xx