While running three loads of laundry (over time, of course), I watched a recording that I have of Ken Ham. This particular DVD discussed the different foundations people come from. It tackles a question of "Why Won't They Listen?" and looks at today's atheists as similar to the Greeks. Ken started with a passage in first Corinthians chapter one, and I'll share a tad bit more than he did:
"Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
---1 COR 1:22-24
What Ken Ham spoke on was the Jews having the foundation of the biblical history, and the Greeks having the history of man made wisdom. Verse twenty four of the above quoted applies to Christians (meaning "Christ followers") who know what the Jews know, and believe the power of Christ- which was not a point needed to be discussed in the DVD. Some of us know the power we stand in.
Looking at the foundation that the apostle Peter used to teach the Jews of Jesus, Ken Ham pointed to Acts chapter 2. We see the Peter referred to the Old testament (what the Jews already believed) and explained why Jesus is who He is, and blatantly accused them of crucifying Him. At verse 37 and 38, we read:
Now when they (the Jews) heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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And we read a moment later that three THOUSAND believed! Way back when, most people had a Christian upbringing. When an evangelist came and preached about Jesus, and our need to repent, we have seen revivals. But is that what we see today? No...a lot of people are leaving the church.
Ken Ham discussed how we're teaching the stories in the bible as just stories. The science and facts are left out; ignoring Peters words of "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" {1 Peter 3:15}. This is not to say that science and facts PROVE the bible. But if you tell people to "just believe in Jesus!", they will call you stupid (or "foolish"). Many of your kids our being taught as Greeks in the school system today, and the Christian foundation is being blown away by humanistic teaching.
Do we need to teach the "Greeks" differently than the "Jews"? By all means! Ken Ham went to Acts chapter seventeen. Verse 18 says that "certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered [Paul]". The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were humanistic. Sensual pleasures and logical choices were the best thing for man and his emotions. The verse goes on to show that Paul's teaching of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus had some thinking that Paul was a "babbler" and others thinking that Paul was teaching of "foreign gods."
Saying that they wanted to know what the heck Paul was teaching, the philosophers heard Paul out. Instead of quoting "King David" or the prophet "Joel, Paul set the foundation of who God is. In Acts 17:22-31, Paul describes God as the ultimate supreme (and only) creator of the universe. He states that God made nations from one blood [man].
Genesis is set, with a brief explaining that God wants mankind to seek Him. Now that the "time of ignorance being overlooked" is over, Paul explains that God calls us to repentance of our wrongdoing. Paul sets out the fact that a Judgment is coming, and that God will have us righteously judged by Jesus- whom God raised from the dead to assure us so.
Following this, we see the reaction we'd get today (verse 33):
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
These aren't people saying that they want to be Christians. Obviously, some were opposed to Jesus as they "mocked". Others weren't exactly accepting it, but they were intrigued enough to hear Paul out. It wasn't some "just believe it, and don't think about it!" Paul was outlining the truths, and those facts earned him an audience.
The chapter of this moment ends with verses 34 and 35:
"So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them."
So we see that some DID believe.
This is what we see and deal with today. I believe that it's good and NECESSARY to let people know why you believe that Genesis is literal, that Cain married his sister (or other close relative); that there is STRONG evidence for Noah's flood; that there is strong evidence that evolution is absolutely impossible; that the dating methods are fallible and based on assumptions of the rate of decay; and...well, you get the point.
That is not to say that you need to go into detail with every person. But if someone asks you if you really believe this or that, you should have a reasonable answer- just as Paul did. Or at least admit that you don't know and would love to discuss it or look into it. Again, telling people to ignore what they've been taught and "just believe" will make you "foolish".
I will end this post with this: "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" {Psalm 11:3}. If your children's foundation is shaped by the humanistic schools and/or peers, it can easily destroy what godly foundation they may have when there's no answer to the world's questions. Man up- no: "Christ up," and equip them!
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