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11. If Christianity is uniquely true and clear and simple, why are there so many denominations?
12. Paul and Stephen contradict one another on the length of the Egyptian sojourn. How do you explain that?
13. Why does the Bible say that rabbits chew their cud, yet they don’t?
14. How can you tell the difference between a miracle and a natural, but unusual event?
15. Is there any supporting evidence for the miracles performed by Jesus and His apostles?
If Christianity is uniquely true and clear and simple, why are there so many denominations?
One unique aspect of true Christianity, compared to other religions, is that it doesn’t use force to keep its followers in line. Yeah, I know, you may be thinking now of some legalistic denominations which sort of wield a mighty bat over their people. But those people can leave without fear of being beat up. Most denominations don’t force anyone to believe anything.
Evangelical Christians have never insisted on laws to prevent or limit the operation of other faiths. Neither have they set up rigid authoritarian hierarchies and rules to keep their followers from deviating from dogma. This is based on the understanding that the truth can always withstand scrutiny and comparison. One of the great arguments for the validity of the Christian faith is that it invites scrutiny and comparison. “Come, let us reason together, you and I…”
This freedom will naturally encourage the expression of distinctions. Certain cultural groups will want to express worship to God in different ways from others. And, since these culture groups will be experiencing different problems and successes, it is natural to expect that different teachings and applications will be emphasized.
As long as the various denominations and churches agree on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, the differences in form and practice are a sign of health and can be encouraged.
Paul and Stephen contradict one another on the length of the Egyptian sojourn. How do you explain that?
Acts 7 records Stephen’s speech before the Jewish religious leaders. In that speech he recounted the prophecy God gave to Abraham that his descendents would be strangers in a country not their own for four hundred years. He is quoting directly from Genesis 15. But, in Galatians 3, the apostle Paul speaks of 430 years between a particular event in Abraham’s life and the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses a few months after the exodus. There seems to be at least a twenty-year discrepancy between the two figures.
Some people immediately call the Bible untrustworthy or uninspired because of “problems” like this.
The difference between Stephen’s number in Acts (actually the number recorded by Moses), and Paul’s number in Galatians arises simply from their rounding off of numbers.
This practice is just as common among scientists and news reporters today as it was among Old and New Testament writers. Paul gave us the time rounded off to tens. Stephen and Moses were rounding off to hundreds. Thus, this slight numerical disparity casts no doubt on the reliability of the Bible. (For those of you who took high school chemistry, do you remember “significant figures”? This is one of those instances where it pays to study. J )
Why does the Bible say that rabbits chew their cud, yet they don’t?
The relevant passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy say that “the rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof.” The larger context of both passages is that of addressing something that is common knowledge. The intent of this passage is to give a practical guide for Jews looking for food in the wild, not to give special insight into the digestive systems of the animals.
Agrarian Jews would already know the eating habits of the rabbit, and those who slaughtered the animals would know from experience that they weren’t the same inside. They probably were placing the sideways movement of the jaws of rabbits in a broad category that also included the rumination of cattle.
This is supported by the meaning of the Hebrew phrase gerah alah, usually translated as “chew the cud.” It is defined broadly enough (a common experience in Hebrew) to include the sideways movement of the jaws of rabbits without including the four-stomach digestion process of cattle.
It is also interesting to note that rabbits and hares practice refection. (You may want to sit down for this.) That is, at rest, they may pass droppings, which they later eat for more efficient assimilation the second time through. Ahem. Great visual, huh? But it’s really the same principle of digestion as rumination.
How can you tell the difference between a miracle and a natural, but unusual event?
Briefly, a miracle is an event that defies natural laws. An event is also considered miraculous if the possibility of its chance occurrence is so remote as to be beyond that of coincidence.
Biblical examples of miracles of the first type would be Jesus changing water into wine and His feeding of five thousand men and their families with a small boy’s lunch. Both of these acts violate the laws of physics at our level.
A Biblical example of a miracle of the second type would be a killer hail storm at the right time and place selectively wiping out the army opposing Joshua’s troops.
The prophet Elijah once challenged 400 false prophets to a spiritual contest. He had them prepare a burnt offering and then pray that a bolt of lightning would consume their offering. They prayed all day without success. Then Elijah prepared his offering and had it drenched so thoroughly with water that the trench around the altar was overflowing. He prayed just once, and immediately fire from heaven consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, the soil, and even the water in the trench. Here Elijah’s God performed a miracle in both senses of the term.
Is there any supporting evidence for the miracles performed by Jesus and His apostles?
Some evidence for the truth of the miracles of Jesus and His apostles comes from the total failure of their enemies’ attempts to disprove such miracles. The Jewish Sanhedrin, for example, were intent on killing Lazarus because they could not deny that Jesus had raised him to life after four days in the tomb. Later, in response to Peter and John’s healing of a man who had been crippled since birth, the same Sanhedrin is quoted as declaring, “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows that they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.”
Paul records that 500 eyewitnesses saw the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth at one time. Most were still alive at the time of his writing. Neither the Romans nor the Jews throughout that first century were able to discredit that testimony.
Most of the early Christian leaders died for their faith in Christ and belief in His miracles. Eleven of the twelve apostles were given a choice between death and denial. All eleven chose death. Rational men of good character do not die for lies.
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FAQs 11-15
