Genesis 1:1 In the Beginning There Were No Skeptics

The Bible opens with this short statement. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

These words seem simple enough. This earth on which we live did not come about by chance. God created it. Not only did He create the earth, he also created the heavens.

As we begin to read the Scriptures we must keep a very important point in mind. God did not give us the Bible in order to tell us everything we want to know.

He gave us His Word so we could know those things He wanted us to know.

For example, Genesis 1:1 does not tell us where God came from. It merely assumes that He exists.

We read in other parts of the Bible that God is eternal. He is the first and the last. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (1 Tim 1:17; Is 41:3; Rev 1:8).

Beyond these kinds of brief statements the Bible says very little about His eternal existence. It is merely assumed in Gen 1:1 and then stated in a several passages sprinkled throughout the Bible.

A couple of nights ago a skeptic appeared on a talk show. He argued that God must have a beginning and that nothing can exist without being created by a prime mover.

The skeptic also argued that there are no miracles, supernatural powers and no God. Everything that exists is merely material and natural stuff.

He stated that we must try to understand all things in natural terms. There are no other explanations. If we cannot find a natural answer we must log these happenings as mysteries awaiting further understanding.

The skeptic's view contains a logical inconsistency and a practical problem leading to immeasurable error.

First, the inconsistency centers on the fact that the skeptic presumes we should be skeptical of everything and test all theories using the scientific method. However, the skeptic is not skeptical of his own presuppositions. Second, they cannot be substantiated by the scientific method.

If a skeptic uses his own system to test skepticism, he cannot do it. The system falls apart because it is logically inconsistent.

Second, there is a problem with the skeptic's insistence on using the scientific method to test all truth.

Why should science be the ultimate determiner of truth. Why must we reject anything that cannot be substantiated by science?

Why not use mathematics to determine truth? Why not use history? How about music? Or athletics?

The answer to these questions is not a scientific one. We have quickly moved to the disciplines of philosophy and theology. The scientific method is no longer helpful as we consider these particular issues.

Using science to verify all truth is like using a thermometer to measure the length of one of Tiger Woods' drives, or using a tuning fork to determine if our Thanksgiving turkey is cooked, or using a yardstick to tune a piano.

Third, if we limit reality to those things that are material and we test truth only using the scientific method, we will never understand God. He is not limited to material reality. In fact, the Bible tells us that He is a Spirit (John 4:24). He is not constrained by the scientific method.

What does all of this have to do with Genesis 1:1 and the rest of the Bible?

We should make it our fervent desire to learn truth. Asking questions is often part of that learning process. However, we should also realize that the Bible may not answer all of our questions. God did not give it to us in order to tell us everything.

In fact, even throughout eternity we will not know everything. Omniscience belongs only to God.

Let's humbly accept the fact that we have been given truths God wants us to understand. Let's ask questions as we read. But let's not become so skeptical that we reject God and His Word because it doesn't tell us what we want to know or because it describes a God who differs from our initial thoughts of Him.

The Scripture is inexhaustible. We can study it for a lifetime and never fully understand it all. It is challenging to the most educated person, yet some of its great truths are also understood very profoundly by the small child.

Jesus spoke about coming to Him as children. Bible Study does not require us to discard intellectual training or ability, but we must also not use that training as a battering ram to smash through doors we cannot seem to open.

Many of them will never be unlocked with our intellectual battering ram. Rather, as we ask God to teach us waiting patiently on Him while we diligently study, He imparts spiritual truth to us according to His good pleasure and timetable.

We should ask questions, but we should also maintain a willingness to learn, a complete dependence upon Him, a steadfast desire to readily accept spiritual truth and an eagerness to implement Biblical truth in our daily lives.