A Total Christ - by Walter Lang
Main Page - http://www.creationism.org/lang/ - Free to Copy for Educational Purposes
Day Six -- Colossians 1:9
A Total Christ -- and a Definition of Science
Writing in Evolution and the Christian Faith, Dr. Bolton Davidheiser suggests that scientific methods are based on the principle of uniformity. This means that under the same circumstances, the same cause will produce the same result or effect. In general, this is true, for we do not live in a capricious world. Yet, evolutionists maintain that everything arrived through a combination of chance happenings. The scientific method is described as being subject to experiment, subject to repetition of experiments, and subject to falsification. Dr. Davidheiser knows there is more to science than this. Though nature provides many of the answers, it does not provide all of them.
Three Types of Knowledge
In the apostle Paul's prayer for the Colossian Christians he asks for them knowledge, wisdom and spiritual understanding (1:9). "Knowledge" seems to be the general word for "wisdom" as is the Hebrew word chokma in Job 28:28. "Wisdom" seems to refer to knowledge in action, keeping us in balance, as in the Hebrew word segel. "Spiritual understanding" means putting things together, understanding or perceiving, as in the Hebrew word biyn. To obtain this greater wisdom we need more than nature can provide. Accepting a total Christ develops all these types of wisdom.
Three Levels of Science
During our speaking engagements in South Africa in 1986 and 1988 we spoke at universities, colleges, Bible schools and seminaries. We emphasized the three levels of science.
1. First is "data" knowledge. This is information gained from experimentation. It is covered by "knowledge" in Col. 1:9.
2. Second is Biblical science. We unashamedly join Scripture with science, setting aside prejudices against such a union.
3. Third, and highest, level is the grace perspective. Here we acknowledge Christ as having total knowledge. Using His substituted perfection we are able to overcome the evils and deception which result from limiting our studies to a cursed nature.
This calls for new definitions. While diligence and rigorous study are demanded, it is acknowledged that forgiveness of sins is more important. Sin is the curse under which all of nature operates. This concept is as old as the apostle Paul (2000 years) and as old as Job (4000 years ago), yet it continually provides new insights. Productive change has taken place in the study of dinosaurs, in anthropology, geology, space science, and atomic energy science. Dark ages of science can be left behind to explore new horizons.
Prayer: That we may be taught and motivated to use power of the total
Christ (2:19) to develop new definitions and more productive science.