Does science contradict the biblical doctrine of creation?
NICHOLS: We first have to ask: What do you mean by science? If science is understanding the natural world, then it does not contradict the biblical doctrine of creation. This is the world God made, and the world God made will not be in contradiction to what God’s Word declares it to be.
Some will say that science can’t answer questions of origins, or science points to a Big Bang, or that when talking about creation you’ve moved beyond science and now you’re in the realm of faith. I don’t think that is helpful because what we see in science leads us to understand God. We see that this world functions according to laws. One of those laws is the law of cause and effect. It’s there. Nothing comes from nothing. Every effect has a cause.
Later, I’m going to go get something to eat. When I have food put in front of me, will I think, “Ah, it just popped into existence”? No one thinks that way. Rather, there was a chef, behind him was a farmer, and through that process the food made it to my table, and I ate it. Every effect has a cause.
When we look at this world, it is clearly an effect. And so, what do we say? It comes from nothing? That’s absurd. That’s not scientific. That’s not rational. That’s not reasonable. Science teaches us that every effect has a cause, and the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” So, we have this natural law of cause and effect that is at work and in concert with Scripture.
Sometimes I think we’re afraid, as if when someone says “science” we’re supposed to run away. I don’t think we have to do that as Christians. Understand this: there is not the world of science and the world God made; it’s one world. As Christians, we have reasons for our faith. We have reasons to know that the Bible is a reliable book in what it teaches us about who God is, who Jesus is, who we are, and what this world is all about.
BINGHAM: All truth is God’s truth.
NICHOLS: Augustine said that. Well, it gets attributed to Augustine, but it could have been before him. Regardless, all truth is God’s truth. There is not Christian truth and then some other kind of truth separate from it.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with Stephen Nichols and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.