When I think of secular critics of the Bible, such as the so-called new atheists, I am reminded of a cartoon depicting popular incredulity concerning Einstein’s theories when these first gained cultural currency. Demonstrated with a flashlight (in the cartoon) is the fact that light doesn’t go round a corner; it travels in a straight line. Einstein is therefore refuted.
My point is that an appreciation of relativity theory requires a measure of scientific literacy, along with at least an intuitive grasp of the subtle concepts involved. And so, of course, it is with the Bible – in that a certain qualification is required for its spiritually meaningful apprehension. The scriptures themselves are quite overt and emphatic on this point.
Mathew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It is revealed to babes – to those, according to John 3:5, born of water and spirit. In Isaiah this is qualified somewhat, showing that it is not exactly the newborn who accede to doctrine and knowledge, but those that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. John again concurs, Jesus stating: If ye continue in my word ... ye shall know the truth ... Truth, in other words, is revealed to those who persist – not to those who set out, or merely take a dip.
One can only wonder then at the brazen confidence exhibited by our critics in the altogether unfounded assumption that they are able to read the Bible and pontificate concerning its content. Yet from their perspective the matter is clear. We moderns are infinitely more sophisticated than the primitives who wrote the Bible, and what with a liberal arts education, or some comparative religion, anyone is suitably equipped to deal with the relevant texts.
It is noteworthy that even C. S. Lewis fell into this error – namely in the belief that he, the self-confessed layman of the Church of England, should be competent to pronounce on diverse aspects of holy scripture. But this, of course, is consonant with the intellectual culture of our age. The emphasis, the basic assumption, within our modern seminaries is that Christ is apprehended through scholarship – that it is doctorates and ordinations which enable a man to pronounce on spiritual truth. Yet as the quoted passages indicate, this assumption is false. If thus the 'church' cannot get it right, it's reactionary critics are - inevitably - twice confounded.
So concerning our dialogue with the kind of militant and vociferous atheists cited, it suffices to observe that they have no idea what they are talking about.