SKEPTICISM

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SKEPTICISM
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Skepticism 1. the philosophical doctrine that
truth of all knowledge must always be in question
and that inquiry must be a process of
doubting. 2. a skeptical or doubting attitude or
state of mind. 3. doubt or disbelief with regard
to the doctrines of Christianity. (Websters New
Universal Unabridged Dictionary, p. 1700)
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Skeptic
1. a member of any of the ancient Greek
philosophical schools which denied the
possibility of real knowledge of any kind. 2. a
person who believes in or practices philosophical
skepticism. 3. a person who habitually doubts,
questions, or suspends judgement upon matters
generally accepted. 4. a person who doubts
religious doctrines, especially those of
Christianity. (Webster, p. 1700)
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Examples of skepticism
Skeptics have tried to explain away the
miraculous in Bible accounts of --

• The parting of the Red Sea
• The long day of Josh. 1012
• Jonah in the belly of the fish
• The miracles of Christ and his disciples
• The resurrection of Christ, etc.

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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34
1. the philosophical doctrine that truth of all
knowledge must always be in question and that
inquiry must be a process of doubting. 2. a
skeptical or doubting attitude or state of
mind. 3. doubt or disbelief with regard to the
doctrines of Christianity. (Websters New
Universal Unabridged Dictionary, p. 1700)
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In the 1940s, designers of the early mainframe
computer insisted that there would never be a
market for the device among consumers, because
computers were too large and complicated to be
operated by the average person. They predicted
that 5 or 10 computers easily could meet the
country s needs for the foreseeable future. It
took young visionaries like Steve Jobs, Steve
Woz- niak, and Bill Gates to see beyond this and
make the changes that have put personal computers
in virtually every home and office. (Christine
Cos- grove and Phyllis Orrick, The Future that
Never Was, TR News, 235, Nov.-Dec. 2004,
http//trb.org/ publications/trnews/trnews235futur
e.pdf)
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34
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LAWS HOLD THE PLANETS IN ORBIT
LAW EVIDENCES A LAWGIVER
A LAWGIVER MUST BE EXISTING
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Some Comments on the Creation
"Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the
solar system, I see the earth at the right
distance from the sun to receive the proper
amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by
chance. The motions of the planets require a
divine arm to impress them." (Isaac Newton)
"A pair of pliers, a chain saw or
even a missile guidance system doesn't approach
the lowliest parasitic worm in internal
complexities. The human-made world is not nearly
as intricate as the natural world." (Science
Digest, April, 1981, p.18, via W.Jackson,
Christian Courier, v. 17, 1, p. 3)
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34 Rom. 120
B. Moral doubt, 2 Pet. 33 Matt. 528 Rom. 77
Lust to set ones heart upon, to have a desire
for, long for to lust after, covet (Thayer, p.
238)
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34 Rom. 120
B. Moral doubt, 2 Pet. 33 Matt. 528 Rom. 77
C. Doubt based on pride, Ps. 104,11,13 2 Kgs.
511-12
D. Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37).
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites Sargon
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites Sargon Belshazzar
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites Sargon Belshazzar The House of David
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites Sargon Belshazzar The House of
David Politarchs
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Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37)
The Writings of Moses Sodom and Gomorrah The
Hittites Sargon Belshazzar The House of
David Politarchs The Gospel of John
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The Skeptics Approach When an inscription
follows a known structure or linguistic usage, it
is said to be a forgery when it deviates from
the know structure or linguistic usage, by the
same token, it is said to be forgery. When an
inscrip- tion parallels a Biblical passage, it is
said to be forgery when it deviates, the forger
is said to have made an error, thus unmasking his
forgery. Either way, its a forgery. (Hershel
Shanks, Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 30, 5,
pp. 10-11) 2 Thes. 32
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34 Rom. 120
B. Moral doubt, 2 Pet. 33 Matt. 528 Rom. 77
C. Doubt based on pride, Ps. 104,11,13 2 Kgs.
511-12
D. Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37).
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
A. That life came from non-life B. In
uniformitarianism C. In higher criticism of the
Bible D. In human authority in religion
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The miracles are divided into the following
classes exorcisms, cures of diseases, nature
miracles. The last-named are the most difficult
to explain, and the modernist sometimes finds
that it is necessary to question the literal
accuracy of the narrative. But we ask, if the
literal accuracy, or as it is also stated, the
historicity of these narratives, is
questioned, which means denied, what have we
left? Only what the questioner may offer us.
What the inspired writer recorded is taken from
us, what the modern mind thinks is
substituted. (R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation
of St. Matthews Gospel, p. 381, emphasis in
original)
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
A. That life came from non-life B. In
uniformitarianism C. In higher criticism of the
Bible D. In human authority in religion, Matt.
2818 Eph. 122-23
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
III. OUR REACTION TO SKEPTICISM
A. Arm ourselves with evidences, Rom. 120 Ps.
191 B. Without faith it impossible to be
well-pleasing unto him, Heb. 116 1 Pet. 315
2 Cor. 103-5 C. Recognizing when Ive said
enough
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Recognizing when I have said enough

• When inquirer asks foolish, pointless questions,
  2 Tim. 223
• When the inquirer is not interested in my
  well-being, 2 Tim. 31-5
• When he has nothing of a constructive or
  positive nature to offer, Lk. 1153-54
• When his past fruits show it is pointless to
  answer him, Matt. 76

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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
III. OUR REACTION TO SKEPTICISM
A. Arm ourselves with evidences, Rom. 120 Ps.
191 B. Without faith it impossible to be
well-pleasing unto him, Heb. 116 1 Pet. 315
2 Cor. 103-5 C. Recognizing when Ive said
enough. D. Maintain faith in the midst of doubt,
Acts 2720-25 Rom. 418 Matt. 713,14
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
A. Intellectual doubt, Ex. 311 1 Cor. 1535
Rom. 1133-34 Rom. 120
B. Moral doubt, 2 Pet. 33 Matt. 528 Rom. 77
C. Doubt based on pride, Ps. 104,11,13 2 Kgs.
511-12
D. Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 37).
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
A. That life came from non-life B. In
uniformitarianism C. In higher criticism of the
Bible D. In human authority in religion, Matt.
2818 Eph. 122-23
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SKEPTICISM
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS BEHIND SKEPTICISM?
II. THE FAITH OF MANY SKEPTICS
III. OUR REACTION TO SKEPTICISM
A. Arm ourselves with evidences, Rom. 120 Ps.
191 B. Without faith it impossible to be
well-pleasing unto him, Heb. 116 1 Pet. 315
2 Cor. 103-5 C. Recognizing when Ive said
enough. D. Maintain faith in the midst of doubt,
Acts 2720-25 Rom. 418 Matt. 713,14