While the Bible does not try to prove God's existence, the proofs of His existence are very much compatable with Scriptures. The Cosmological Argument is supported by Job 12:7-9, Psalms 19:1-4, Romans 1:19-20, and Acts 14:17. The Teleological Argument is supported by Psalms 94:9, Psalms 8:3-4, and Acts 14:15-17. And the Argument from Religious Experience is supported by Matthew 5:13-16, II Corinthians 3:2-3, John 14:21, and others.
First is the Cosmological Argument. This argument for God's existence, which states that something that exists is eternal or that that something came from nothing, is the most significant of all the proofs. According to Mr. Roy Varghese, in "The Intellectuals Speak Out About God," the Cosmological Proof asserts that the universe exists because of a Being Who transcends it, that this Being is the Source of His Own Being and also the Source of the universe. Moreover, Scriptures clearly back up this proof. In Job 12:7-9, the author said that even the animals know of God and of His handiwork. The Psalmist, in Psalms 19:1-4, acknowledged how God's Creation declares His glory. Then, in Romans 1:19-20, the Apostle Paul wrote of the invisible qualities of God which have been clearly visible to all since the days of Creation. In Acts 14:15-17, the Physician Luke identified God as the Creator from Whom everything has come.
Next is the Teleological Argument which suggests that the order in the universe demands a Grand Designer to have made it happen. For instance, Psalms 94:9 alluded to the complexity of the human body, that is of the eyes and ears, and then identified God as the One Who had created those parts. Psalms 8:3-4 credited God as having been the One Who had created the moon and the stars and then as being the One Who had put those celestial bodies in their places. Lastly, in Acts 14:15-17, God is not only portrayed as the Creator Who brought about this creation of the universe from nothing, but also as the Designer Who put together the perfect design of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that are in them.
Last is the Argument from Religious Experience which proclaims that people who know God know that they know Him. This proof for God's existence is, first of all, supported by Matthew 5:13-16, where the evidence of such a relational knowledge of Him is visible through a person's good works before Him. Similarly, II Corinthians 3:2-3 speaks of the tablets of human hearts to indicate the Spirit of the Living God, Who works on the hearts of people and also gives eternal life to those who follow Him. Then, John 14:21 indicates that God will reveal Himself to anyone who loves Him and who obeys His commandments.
Mr. Millard J. Erickson, in "Christian Theology," says that God has revealed Himself in the Bible. But then, it becomes the obligation of each individual to study His Word and to seek out those truthes. To the person who desires to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord and to have a relational knowledge of Him, God will always take the initiative to show Himself. He will always honor an honest and sincere heart. In Romans 10:13, the Bible indicates that He will respond favorably to anyone who calls on Hm. Thus, through a study of God's Word and a personal knowledge of Him, any individual can have confidence in the existence of the God of the Bible.
In my own witnessing efforts, I do not normally use proofs such as these for the existence of God. They are, in my opinion, very weak for helping most people. These proofs do not show that the Creator God is the God of the Bible. They also do not show that He is still anywhere to be found. My choice is always to tell people about a God Who can be experienced, One Who can and does intercede into a person's life and meets the needs of that life. Therefore, I try to make all of my spiritual communications to others in a way that they are Christ-centered, rather than merely focussing on the existence of a Creator.
Tom of Spotswood "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 6 - The Two Offenses In The Old Testament Representation Of God
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