Does The Bible and Science Conflict With Each Other?

Does the Bible and science conflict with one another?

A Book about the Heavens

The Bible is not a book about the heavens…it is a book about how to get there, however there is science within the pages of Scripture like in Job 26:7 which says “He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.” In antiquity you’ve probably seen the planet resting on Atlas’ shoulders, on an elephant, and just about anything else imaginable but Job was certain about the fact that the earth was suspended and rested or hung on nothing. Later in this article, when we examine whether science and the Bible conflict with one another or don’t, I hope we’ll remember that the Bible was not written as a textbook, but as a love letter from God expressing His desire to rescue the repentant and those who trust in Christ. He doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to be saved (2nd Pet 3:9) but they must humble themselves before God since He is opposed to the proud and will extend His grace only to the humble (James 4:6).

The Expanding Universe

The universe is still expanding rapidly and it appears to be doing so with increasing velocity. Maybe that’s why some scientists theorize that the speed of light might not be consistent over time. Much of this is way over my head but I can see with my own eyes the appearance of an infinite universe that is spreading out over space, reminiscent of what Isaiah wrote that it is God “who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in” (40:22). This shows that the earth was never considered flat by the biblical author (“the circle of the earth”) and indeed, the universe is still spreading outward and this verse was written two thousand years before the majority of earth’s inhabitants still thought it was flat. Verses like Job 9:8 which says “Who alone stretches out the heavens” and “Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain” (Psalm 104:2) but verses saying much the same thing are found in Isaiah chapters 42, 44, 45 and in Jeremiah and Zechariah as well.

Sub Atomic Matter

The author of Hebrews wrote that it is “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (11:2). That was written many hundreds of years before microscopes were invented and long before we had the ability to see that all matter consists of sub-atomic particles that are invisible to the naked eye. Who was this Creator Who made the invisible, visible? You can find reference to Him in the Gospel of John “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (1:3) and this refers to Jesus, even though Elohim was intimately involved as you can read in Genesis one where it sometimes written “let us,” “we,” and “our” which clearly refers to the Trinity.

The Immovable Earth

The immovable earth is established in Scripture as well like in Psalm 33:9 which says “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” and “the world is established; it shall never be moved” (Psalm 93:1) and it was all “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). Elsewhere it states “The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved” (Psalm 96:10). The earth and the universe are also on the decline and are winding down and will “wear out” in time in response to the second law of thermodynamics eventually dying a “heat death” or what is called “maximum entropy.” Psalm 102:25-26 says “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away.” Paul wrote that someday “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:21) but Christians “are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2nd Pet 3:13) and that day is coming.

Conclusion

If you desire to read more about the glory of the Creator God, read Isaiah 40:9-31 or the last half of the Book of Job. Incidentally, I’m not here to persuade you to become a Christian by showing you that the Bible and science do not conflict with one another. A person becomes a child of God when they see their sinfulness and that they are cut off from God (Isaiah 59:2) and when they understand that they have the wrath of God abiding on them by their refusal to believe in Christ (John 3:36b). This hopeless state can only be rectified if they repent and chose to trust in Christ (John 3:16-17, 3:36a). That is the greatest of all creations in my opinion; a human heart, deceitfully wicked (Jer 17:9) made into a heart of flesh that is pliable and open to the truths of God and we were once dead but now made alive in Christ (1st Cor 15). The most important truth is that Jesus is the only way for you to be saved (Acts 4:12) if you are not already born again.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.