What about Phoebe?

There's a lot of talk these days about how the Bible's ideals and moral principles are obsolete for today's society; the result of man's attempt to enforce order and control over weak-minded and/or ignorant individuals.
Perhaps the most hotly contested topic of all is the role of women in the church, and indeed the rest of society.

Understandably there are many individuals who are offended by what the Bible says in verses like Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18, and especially 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.
For this reason many people, including Christians, have come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul was a sexist. (Even though the Apostle Peter said the exact same things in 1 Peter 3:1-6) However, there is one passage of scripture that I would like to present as evidence to the contrary:

"I (Paul) commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me."
~ Romans 16:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT) 

Paul clearly thought very highly of Phoebe, and did not see himself as superior to her. In fact, he even went so far as to instruct the Church in Rome to welcome her as someone "worthy of honor." She was not a subservient, voiceless puppet. She was a person; Paul's sister in Christ, and a great help to him on his missionary journeys--something that would have been completely counter-cultural in the first century AD. 

Furthermore, the Bible goes on to tell us that "all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT) )

Are we then permitted to choose which verses apply to us and which ones do not? Obviously not! Either the Bible is the Word of God, or it isn't. We don't get to pick and choose. Just because something is hard to understand or is offensive to our 21st century culture, doesn't mean that it is any less relevant. Cultures may change. But God's Word endures forever. (1 Peter 1:25) 

See Also:

Women and the Bible: Is Bible Sexist?

Concerning Prophets ...

This is something I came across in my studies last year that I found quite interesting and thought I would share with the rest of you.

When you hear the word "prophet", what is the first thing that comes to mind?

For most of us, the word "prophet" usually conjures up images of men in robes with long, white beards, or individuals with the supernatural gift to gaze into the future and make predictions or prophecies. Even though the latter description is more indicative of a fortuneteller--not a prophet.

But if we look at the Old Testament Biblical account we find that most prophets were actually quite different. Many of them did foresee future events--especially those sounding the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. But often times the message given by prophets in the Old Testament was one of repentance and obedience to God. A good example of this is the story of Jonah. Despite the fact that he never made a signal prophesy, Jonah is still counted among the Old Testament prophets. So in that respect, a Biblical prophet had more in common with a street-preaceher than a fortuneteller.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul describes the role of prophets this way:

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ."

~ Ephesians 4:11-13New Living Translation (NLT) [Emphasis Mine]

So what is a prophet? 

In the Biblical sense, a prophet is a messenger--someone who, when filled with the Holy Spirit, teaches others about God. In the Old Testament God used prophets as His representatives on earth; pouring out His Spirit on certain individuals for a limited time. After Christ's resurrection and ascent into Heaven, God sent His Holy Spirit to permanently indwell those who believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And with the Holy Spirit also came the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which include the gift of prophesy. (1 Corinthians 12) 

Is this gift any different now than it was before? Not at all. The only difference today is that we all know what God's will is because He has revealed it to us through His Word:

"The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."

~ 2 Peter 3:9New Living Translation (NLT)

A prophet is not a fortuneteller. A prophet is someone who tells others the truth about God, explaining God's will for them by proclaiming the Good News about Jesus Christ to everyone who will listen. 

The Call to Repent

If you've been around churches for any length of time, then you've probably come to realize that the topic of repentance is a reoccurring theme in the Christian community. And while it is true that we are to repent of our sins, I feel that far to often our focus drifts away from the grace and mercy of God  and instead lingers on the promises of hell-fire and eternal damnation for those who refuse to confess their sins and repent. What is even more disturbing to me, is that we then turn around and justify ourselves by attaching verses like John 3:16 to signs, bumper-stickers, and sermons condemning the people around us —the very people that God loves and died to save. (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-11)

Indeed, most Christians can quote John 3:16 by heart—many nonbelievers also know what it says. But very few people take the time to read what Jesus goes on to say in the following verses.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

~ John 3:16-21New Living Translation (NLT)

Do you see what Jesus is saying here? It is not through repentance that we are saved; is is through faith in Him alone! Salvation is not the result of repentance; repentance is the result of salvation. (1 Peter 1:13-25)

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we are to continue living in sin. Nor am I trying to downplay humanity's need for a savior or the existence of hell. What I am saying however, is that we need to remember what it is that saves us. It isn't the good things that we do. It isn't our own righteousness. It is by grace that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ; not our repentance. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  And while it is true that all sin, great or small, leads to death (Romans 6:23), I want you to look very closely at what Jesus said in John 3:18-19. 

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil."

~ John 3:18-19New Living Translation (NLT)

What sin is the world going to be judged for? 

Rejecting Jesus Christ. 

That is the only sin that cannot be forgiven: blaspheming the Holy Spirit by ignoring His convictions and rejecting what Jesus has done for you. (John 16:8, 1 John 5:1-12) 

So then, how are we to reach people for Christ? We could focus on repentance and condemnation. But that can lead to legalism and self-righteousness, which would do more harm than good.
Remember: the Holy Spirit is our helper. It is He that teaches us to follow God and reveals the sin in our lives. Without Him we are blind. So how can a person who has never accepted Christ be expected to see their sin as anything other than normal human behavior? (Jude 19) 
When we make a habit of pointing out the sins of strangers we become Pharisees and hypocrites. We push them away from God, and reinforce the negative stereotype of Christians, the Church, and ultimately Jesus himself—who is the head of the Church. 

That being said I feel that the best way to show people God's love is through actions—following the example given to us in 1 Peter 3:8-17.

"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
 Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil."

"Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!"

~ 1 Peter 3:8-17New Living Translation (NLT)

Get to know the people you are trying to reach. Be friends with the unsaved people in your lives. Don't join them in doing the things you know are sinful. But take the opportunity to tell them about your faith gently, without attacking them. Remember, they have been blinded to the truth. (2 Corinthians 4:3-5) You can't help a blind man to see by beating him with a stick. The same is true of unbelievers. We can't force people to see the sin in their lives by beating them over the head with a Bible. The only way for them to truly repent is for God to soften their hearts and change them from within. If they are receptive to His truth and repent of their original sin—denying Jesus—then they will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Their eyes will be opened. They will see their sin for what it truly is and begin to repent as a result.

That is the mistake that far too many Christians make. Repentance isn't a once-in-a-lifetime event: it's an event that takes a lifetime, and ultimately ends with our sanctification. A righteous life isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. And the only way to finish strong is to have Jesus running along side you. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy[ awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne."

~ Hebrews 12:1-2New Living Translation (NLT)

See Also:

"Excuse me, but do you know that you're going to hell?"

The Devil's Deception

One of the biggest misconceptions people have today is that God and Satan are equal opposites. God is the ruler of Heaven and is the embodiment of good, whereas Satan is the ruler of Hell and represents all things evil. This dualistic belief however is a lie harkening back to the ancient Gnostic teachings of the First Century AD.
    Satan is a created being (what many would call an "angel") and is not equal to God in any way. In fact, even though he is in open rebellion against God, Satan still has to answer to God and seek God’s permission before he can do anything. (Job 1:6-12)
    Furthermore, Satan is not the “Ruler of Hell”, nor does he currently reside therein. According to the Bible, Hell was created—not for bad people, as some would believe—but rather as a place of punishment for Satan and the other fallen angels. (Matthew 25:41) That being said, Satan is currently in heaven accusing us before God, and will not be cast out until the End of Days. (Revelation 12:10-12)

    Heaven is God’s courtroom. Satan is the prosecuting attorney, accusing us day and night while Jesus speaks in our defense. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:24-25)

   

    Another huge misconception people have is that Satan makes them sin. I’m sure you’ve all heard the phase “The Devil made me do it”? Well, this is simply not the case.
    According to God’s word, we sin on our own, tempted from within. Very rarely does a temptation come from an external source.  (Jeremiah 17:9, Mathew 15:19, James 1:13-15) In fact, the only biblical examples I can think of where someone was tempted externally are when Satan deceived Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, and when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Aside from that, sin usually follows the example of Achan in Joshua 7:19-21.

   The truth is, Satan has always wanted to be equal with God—if not greater than Him. This attitude of self-deification was the sin that caused him to fall in the first place. (Isaiah 14:12-15) So if Satan can deceive the world into thinking that he is more powerful than he is, or that he and God are equal opposites, then he can enjoy some small measure of victory before his eminent destruction. But Satan is a defeated enemy. Jesus conquered both sin and death when he rose from the dead. Therefore, it is through Jesus Christ alone that our freedom is found. For there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:11-12)

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

~ Romans 8:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

~ Romans 16:20 New Living Translation (NLT)

See Also:

A Tale of Two Wolves: The Battle Between Good and Evil

Does the Bible Contradict Itself?

    Now, while I fully intended to write a lengthy dissertation on the subject of whether or not the
Bible can be trusted or if it contains any contradictions, I have discovered that there are many authors out there who have already done this job for me. With that in mind, I have decided to simply share the links to their works on the subject, as I feel it would be far easier on you, the reader, if you are given the opportunity to narrow your search to specific passages of scripture; seeing as how Biblical constancy is such a broad topic.

    For a generalized overview concerning supposed scriptural contradictions, I suggest reading the following chapter from The New Answers Book 2 by Paul S. Taylor: Ins't the Bible Full of Contradictions?

    If you already have a supposed Biblical inconsistency in mind, I suggest reviewing the questions and verse references from Answers in Genesis, as they have already address many of the more common "contradictions": Supposed Contradictions in the Bible

    If, however, you cannot find the answers you're looking for or if you are curious to see what my take on a particular "contradiction" is, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to address the issue. Assuming I have not already done so in a previous article. In which case I will simply direct you to the appropriate post.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right."

~ 2 Timothy 3:16 New Living Translation (NLT)

Beware of False Prophets

"No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher. Teacher say, student do."

               ~ Mr. Miyagi

                    The Karate Kid (1984)

                                                        

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

~ Matthew 7:15-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

    You will know a tree by its fruit. That was the advice Jesus gave to his followers so that they would be able to identify the false prophets who would come in the Last Days. (Matthew 24:11)
    Now it is important to note that we have been in the "Last Days" since Jesus ascended to Heaven That being said, it is astonishing to me how so many people have failed to heed Jesus’ warning over the centuries. Many false teachers have come and gone, and yet people continue to fall prey to their lies—even Christians fail to see the threat until it is too late. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

    So then, how does one spot a false prophet? What sort of fruit does a bad tree produce?

1) If a teacher preaches a gospel other than the one given to us in the Bible, or if they willingly contradict the Scriptures with their teachings, don’t believe them.

(1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

2) If a teacher claims to have had a "new revelation" or "special knowledge" do not believe them—even if they claim to have received such knowledge from an angel, dream, or vision. (Galatians 1:6-10)

3) If a teacher claims that the Body of Christ (The Church) is "deluded" or has been "hiding the truth from people", and that the key to being spiritual is to follow their "superior knowledge" instead of trusting in the Grace and Mercy of God; then they are stirring up dissension in the Church and are most likely a false prophet. (1 Timothy 1:3-7, 6:3-5, Galatians 5:7-15)

4) If a person’s teachings create a spiritual hierarchy or an elitist division in the Body of Christ (i.e. Some Christians are more spiritual than others because they have certain Gifts of the Holy Spirit, follow The Law, or do or don't do this or that, etc.) have nothing to do with them. (1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Titus 3:9-11)

5) If a person claims to be either sinless or Christ, or if they claim to know when Christ is going to return, then they are definitely a false prophet. (Romans 3:10-12, Mark 13:21-22, 32-33)

6) If a person tells you that it is wrong to study God’s Word on your own, then they are contradicting Scripture and are a false prophet. (Joshua 1:8, Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21.)

7) If a person presents a new translation of the Bible that changes passages in such a way that the overall message of Scripture is altered (i.e. The Gospel of Jesus Christ) then they are a false prophet. (1 John 4:1-6, Revelation 22:18-19)

8) If a person claims that Jesus’ death and resurrection is not enough to pay for our sins; or that God’s Grace can be earned through works; or that you can gain favor with God by adhering to a specific set of rules; then they are a false prophet. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, Romans 6:23, Galatians 3, 5:4)

9) If a person presents you with a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible, then they are a false prophet. (John 1:1-5, John 10:30-33, Hebrews 1, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-20)

10) If a person claims that the Church (The Body of Christ) was or is apostate, then they are a false prophet. (Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9)

11) If a person teaches that it is wrong to go to church, or that you should not meet together regularly to study God's Word and fellowship with other believers, then they are a false prophet. (Hebrews 10:25)

12)  If a person makes a prophesy of any kind and it does not come to pass, then that person is a false prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:22)

    There are of course many other signs that a person is a false prophet—often times one simply has to take a close look at the person’s lifestyle to see that they are not following Christ. But the twelve points I have listed above are far more subtle, and therefore far more dangerous to the Christian Walk.

    However, the list above can best be summarized into the very first point: If a person willingly contradicts the Scriptures with their teachings, don't believe them.
    That is why it is so important for us to study God’s Word. It is only by knowing God’s Word that you can defend yourself against those who would seek to pervert it. (2 Timothy 3:16)

“And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.”

~ Romans 16:17-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

See Also:

The Struggle for Unity in the Church

Holiday or Heresy: Should Christians Celebrate on Pagan Holidays?

It is no secret that the issue of holidays, and whether or not those who are in Christ should celebrate holidays, has been a topic of heated debate for many years. The reason for this debate generally stems for the belief that many of the days and traditions we generally associate with Christian celebrations are, in fact, rooted in paganism: most notably the traditions surrounding Christmas and Easter.

    December  17^th -23^rd was originally Saturnalia, a Roman festival dedicated to the worship of Saturn; during which time it was common for the acceptable social norms of Roman society to be completely overturned, resulting in wide-spread hedonism and general debauchery for the duration of the carnival.  Likewise the Christian celebration of Easter has been associated with numerous festivals devoted to various pagan gods and goddesses. As one would expect, these pagan fertility celebrations—observed on or near the spring equinox—also involved a good deal of debauchery, as well as the usual rituals and sacrifices common to pagan cultures of the day.

   That being said, there is a growing movement among believers that condemns the observance of these holidays, as well as many others. But nearly two millennia of tradition is hard to ignore, and so the question remains: should Christians celebrate holidays?
    While I cannot speak for all Christians, I personally feel that choosing to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25^th and his resurrection on Easter Sunday is perfectly acceptable. It does not matter on what day these world-changing events took place. All that matters is that they did. Furthermore, we know from Scripture that the so-called "gods" who used to be worshiped on or near these days are not really gods at all. (1 Corinthians 8:4-7, Galatians 4:8)  
    That being said, I also acknowledge that there are many Christians out there who feel convicted about celebrating God on days that may be linked to pagan festivals, and the Bible makes it very clear that neither I nor anyone else are to judge them or do anything to cause them to stumble. (Romans 14:10-13, 1 Corinthians 8:7-12) So if you are one of these individuals, then I would encourage you to do whatever you feel God has called you to do. If you feel that it is wrong to celebrate holidays that may have pagan origins, then you are well within your rights to choose not to celebrate them. I cannot, in good conscious, tell you that you are wrong. After all, the Bible says in Romans 14:23 that if you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

    However, we do have freedom in Christ. Our God is the God who redeems. He bought us all with his blood and freed us from both sin and the law through his resurrection. (Galatians 3:19-29, 4:8-12, Romans 3:21-22, Hebrews 8:7-13, 9:1-10, etc.) My God is greater than the pagan "gods", and he is greater than "their" festivals. So I feel that I am free to worship God on the days He has redeemed—including Christmas and Easter. If we were not allowed to celebrate what God has done for us on the days pagans use to worship their deities, then we would never be able to celebrate Him at all—the Brahman religion alone would see to that. After all, there are more Hindu gods than there are days in a year! Therefore, it stands to reason that there are pagan holidays and rituals going on somewhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year. Which, if we’re completely honest with ourselves, doesn’t leave much room to worship the True God.

    Ultimately however, the decision to celebrate holidays comes down to personal conviction. I feel that I am free to celebrate holidays based solely on the fact that I have been made holy through the blood of Jesus Christ. I cannot condemn anyone who disagrees with me. Nor can they condemn me. (Romans 5-6, 14:1) We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow travelers on the road of life. Our destination lies before us, and it is our duty to help each other along. If we allow our personal convictions to divide us we succeed only in hurting ourselves and weaken the body of Christ as a whole.

“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

  “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

~ Colossians 2:16-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

See Also:

What Should Christians Do?

Should Christians Pay Taxes?

One Year of Evidence

March 29th, 2015 will mark the one year anniversary since God put it in my heart to begin writing down my thoughts and musings. It has been an interesting adventure to say the least, with thousands of hits pouring in from all over the world: from The United States to China; to Poland and Russia.  God has even used this blog to take his truth as far as Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. 



It is at times like this that I remember what God's Word says:

"The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."

~ Isaiah 55:10-11New Living Translation (NLT)

And in another place:

"We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ."

~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5New Living Translation (NLT)


One year has passed; a new year begins. And I am curious to see where God will do next.

Infinite Universe?

Last night I came across a scientific article that left me utterly speechless. 

After years of continually trying to make the universe older than it appears in order to prop up the theory of evolution, scientists have finally come to the conclusion that the universe could be infinite; that is to say, it has always existed and has no beginning. 

I guess it's easier to believe that the universe has always existed, rather than to try and explain the lack of evidence for evolution—especially when the laws of physics completely undermine the theory. 

(To read the entire article, click the link below) 

Big Bang, Deflated? Universe May Have Had No Beginning

So where does that leave us? The way I see it, there are only two logical outcomes.

1) Evolution: The belief that an infinite universe created man. 

2) Creationism: The belief that an infinite God created both the universe and man. 

The similarities are striking, aren't they? The only thing missing from science's "religion" is a god—even though that's basically what they've turned the universe into.

No matter how you look at it, you cannot have everything we see in the universe—all of life's complexity and order—without having some sort of rational cause. The belief that everything came into existence by chance, simply because it "had to exist" is ludicrous. There is no logic to that statement whatsoever. Yet, if you remove the creator from the creation, this is exactly the sort of flawed reasoning one would expect to find. And sadly, this is precisely what we see in the minds of our greatest intellectuals today: men and women who have exchanged the truth of God for the fallibility of human wisdom. In an attempt to rid themselves of God they have instead crippled both themselves and science, replacing the only logical conclusion to centuries of scientific observation and experimentation with a lie.

"... ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

   "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools."
~ Romans 1:20-22New Living Translation (NLT)

Where is Noah's Ark?

Editor's Preface, 09/16/2025: In my article My Journey Out of YECism, I explain why I no longer hold to young earth creationism. That shift in perspective is important context for what follows. The essay below was written while I was still working within a YEC framework, and it reflects the kinds of arguments and assumptions common in that community.

I’ve chosen to preserve it here because it illustrates how—even on YEC’s own terms—there are strong reasons to conclude that Noah’s Ark no longer exists. In that sense, this piece is less about defending YECism and more about showing how its internal logic can lead to unexpected conclusions.

Noah's Ark: The Holy Grail of Creationism.

For millennia, people have scoured the slopes of Mount Ararat in pursuit of this ancient, sea-faring vessel with mixed success. Many have claimed to have found it, only to have their discoveries disproved. Even to this day many Christians continue to search these remote, Turkish mountains for the remains of the vessel that could prove the validity of the Genesis account. But still the question remains: where is Noah's Ark?

Now while I would be ecstatic if the Ark were found, It is my belief that the vessel has been all but destroyed.

Think about it for a moment. Noah's flood was an apocalyptic event the likes of which the world has not seen since. The entire world was covered by water, mud, and volcanic debris. The ecosystem was all but destroyed--save for the specimens carried within the Ark--and the very earth itself had been shattered by intense, seismic activity when the fountains of the deep burst open. Not only that, all traces of human civilization had been washed away as well, just as God had intended. (Genesis 6:1-8) In that sense, the world Noah and his family would have encountered upon exiting the Ark would have been post-apocalyptic in every sense of the word.

Because of this, it is my hypothesis that the Ark itself would have served as shelter for Noah's family and their descendants for quite some time after the flood, as they waited for the ecosystem to recover. Grasses and fast growing plants like wheat and barley would have been the first crops they would have been able to produce--and indeed the first plants to grow in the post-flood world. It would have taken decades for the earth's forests to repopulate, resulting in a marked lack of timber resources for building and fuel.

Because of this, I feel that Noah's descendants would have reacted in much the same way we ourselves would if we were faced with the prospect of surviving in a post-apocalyptic environment, meaning that they would have made use of all available resources--most notably, the Ark itself.

After the flood, Noah's Ark would have been the largest timber resource in the Ararat region. As such, I present to you the hypothesis that early human settlements were in fact built from the salvaged remains of the great vessel itself. The Ark's timbers would have been ideal not only for constructing settlements, but also as a fuel source, seeing as how the Ark had been coated with pitch both inside and out. (Genesis 6:14)

Additionally, it is important to note that Mount Ararat itself is in fact a dormant volcano in an incredibly unstable seismic zone. Meaning that there is a high possibility that the remains of the Ark were lost to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes thousands of years ago. Assuming the Ark remained on Ararat, and was not disassembled by early settlers.

Of course this is all speculation, and not at all relevant to the message of Jesus Christ. While the discovery of Noah's Ark would give unprecedented credence to both the Bible and the Creation Account, it is not necessary for salvation, nor is it the foundation of the Christian faith. All that matters is knowing who Jesus is, and what he has done for you. Everything else, while fascinating, is peripheral. In the end Jesus is all that matters. (Acts 4:12)