Based on "Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption" by Dr. Mark L. Ward, et. al., this lesson looks at how the presuppositions we make can influence our thinking, what counts as proof, the role of reason and evidence, doubts, and taking truth on authority.

1. PRESUPPOSITIONS
BASED ON BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW: CREATION, FALL,
REDEMPTION BY DR. MARK WARD, ET. AL.

2. HEBREWS 11:3
• A PRESUPPOSITION IS AN IDEA YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD EVEN BEFORE YOU
LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE.
• PRESUPPOSITIONS CAN AND DO INFLUENCE YOUR THINKING.
• EXAMPLE: WHEN A WOMAN IS MURDERED, WHO IS THE FIRST PERSON THE COPS
SUSPECT? WHY?
• THE SOLUTION TO THIS IS TO TRY TO ELIMINATE ALL PRESUPPOSITIONS,
ATTEMPTING TO COME TO THE EVIDENCE WITH TOTAL NEUTRALITY, COMPLETE
OBJECTIVITY, NO BIAS OR OPINION.

3. • THIS IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED VIEW OF THE WORLD, A VIEW THAT ONLY LOOKS AT
FACTS.
• IN TERMS OF FAITH, EVIDENTIALISTS TEND TO THINK THAT THE WAY TO PERSUADE
UNBELIEVERS THAT CHRIST DIED FOR THEM OR THAT GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE
IS TO LIST ALL THE EVIDENCE.
• HERE’S THE QUESTION: CAN YOU BE NEUTRAL AND OBJECTIVE ABOUT GOD?
• THE BIBLE SAYS YOU CANNOT.
• ROMANS 1:18-21, 25; 2:14-15
• PEOPLE DO NOT START OFF NEUTRAL. WE ARE BORN KNOWING ABOUT GOD AND
HIS MORAL LAW AT SOME LEVEL.
• BEING AN UNBELIEVER REQUIRES ACTS OF WILLFUL SUPPRESSION OF THE
KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD PUT INSIDE US.
• PROVERBS 1:7
• II CORINTHIANS 10:5

4. • EVEN IF YOU COULD BE A NEUTRAL FACT-EVALUATING MACHINE (YOU CAN’T),
YOU’D STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR LIMITS.
• YOU DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING.
• YOU CAN’T BE EVERYWHERE AT ONCE.
• YOU CANNOT TRAVEL BACK IN TIME.
• IN THE ABSENCE OF FIRSTHAND, EYEWITNESS EXPERIENCE, YOU STUCK PUTTING
TOGETHER A GOOD THEORY OR MODEL WITH THE AVAILABLE DATA.
• WITHOUT A MODEL TO HANG THE FACTS ON, THE FACTS BECOME AN IMPENETRABLE
JUMBLE.
• BIOLOGISTS TAKE NEW DISCOVERIES AND ATTEMPT TO FIT THEM INTO THE
EVOLUTIONARY MODEL.
• WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SCIENTISTS FINDS SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T FIT INTO THE
MODEL?
• EXAMPLE: WHEN THEY FIND SOFT TISSUE INSIDE A T.REX BONE THAT THEY SAY IS 65
MILLION YEARS OLD (SO IT SHOULDN’T BE THERE!).

5. • FYI: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH TRYING TO FIT NEW FACTS INTO AN OLD
MODEL.
• TWO CHOICES: IGNORE THE FACTS OR CHANGE THE MODEL.
• AFTER MARY SCHWEITZER FOUND SOFT TISSUE IN A DINOSAUR BONE, OTHER
SCIENTISTS WENT LOOKING FOR MORE AND FOUND A LOT OF IT. NO ONE HAD
EVERY LOOKED BEFORE BECAUSE THEY ALL “KNEW” THERE WOULD BE NOTHING
TO FIND.
• BECAUSE THEY HAD PRESUPPOSED THAT THESE BONES WERE MILLIONS OF YEARS
OLD, THEY NEVER STOPPED TO LOOK FOR SOFT TISSUE INSIDE.
• SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENS WHEN CHRISTIANS TELL AN ATHEIST “I WON’T
QUOTE THE BIBLE IN MY DEBATE WITH YOU.” THE CHRISTIAN HAS ALREADY
GIVEN UP THE DEBATE BECAUSE THE MAIN POINT OF THE DEBATE IS WHETHER
OR NOT PEOPLE CAN KNOW ULTIMATE TRUTH WITHOUT GOD REVEALING IT TO
THEM IN SCRIPTURE.
• THIS IS CEDING YOUR WORLDVIEW FOR THEIRS.

6. • IF YOU BELIEVE THE EARTH IS BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD AND THAT HUMANS
EVOLVED BY CHANCE FROM LOWER FORMS OF LIFE, YOU WILL SEE ALL EVIDENCE
YOU ENCOUNTER THROUGH THOSE LENSES.
• IF YOU BELIEVE THE UNIVERSE HATCHED FROM A COSMIC EGG (CHINESE
MYTHOLOGY), YOU WILL SEE ALL EVIDENCE YOU ENCOUNTER THROUGH THOSE
LENSES.
• A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WEST (INCLUDING CHRISTIANS) TALK AS IF THE
WORLDVIEW WITH THE BIGGEST BUCKET OF EVIDENCE WINS.
• THE PROBLEM IS THERE ARE NOT SEPARATE BUCKETS OF FACTS; THERE ARE JUST
FACTS. THEY DON’T PROVE ANYONE’S WORLDVIEW. FACTS ARE INTERPRETED
BY YOUR WORLDVIEW.
• EVIDENCE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION ROOTED FIRMLY
IN HISTORY.
• JESUS’ WORDS AND TEACHINGS WOULD BE WORTHLESS IF HE NEVER REALLY

7. • I CORINTHIANS 15:19
• HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR CHRIST’S DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION HAS
REAL VALUE, BUT IT ALSO HAS EQUALLY REAL LIMITS.
• IF HISTORY WERE ABLE TO PROVE TO EVERYONE’S SATISFACTION THAT JESUS
REALLY DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, COULD IT EVER DEMONSTRATE WHAT HIS
DEATH AND RESURRECTION MEANT?
• I CORINTHIANS 15:3-4
• WHAT COUNTS AS PROOF?
• I CORINTHIANS 1:21-24
• PAUL KNEW THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO SEE A MIRACLE TO BELIEVE, SOME
WANT TO “FEEL” SOMETHING TO BE TRUE, AND OTHERS WANT TO DEBATE IT TO
DEATH.
• REGARDLESS, THE MESSAGE IS “CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN,”
AND MANY PEOPLE WON’T ACCEPT ANY MIRACLES OR ANY ARGUMENT AS
PROOF OF THAT.

8. • (MIRACLES HAVE A PRETTY POOR TRACK RECORD FOR CONVINCING PEOPLE OF THE
TRUTH OF GOD…THINK ABOUT MOSES AND PHARAOH, ALL THE MIRACLES OF JESUS,
ET CETERA).
• JESUS TAKING AWAY OUR SINS IS NOT SOMETHING WE COULD SEE, SO HOW WOULD
YOU PROVE IT?
• EVEN IF PEOPLE SAW JESUS RESURRECTED (AND THEY DID!), HOW COULD THEY KNOW
THAT HE WAS “RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION” (ROMANS 4:25)?
• ROMANS 1:18-20
• IF YOU CANNOT PROVE YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH TO YOUR ATHEIST AUNT, DON’T
ASSUME THE TROUBLE IS WITH YOUR COMMAND OF THE EVIDENCE. SHE’S ALREADY
DENIED THE BEST EVIDENCE THERE IS: THE EVIDENCE GOD GAVE HER.
• PHILIPPIANS 2:11
• ONE ANSWER TO THE NON-CHRISTIAN’S DEMAND THAT WE “PROVE IT” IS THAT GOD
IS ALREADY DOING IT, RIGHT NOW, EVERYWHERE, AND YET PEOPLE AREN’T
LISTENING.

9. • SOME OF THE CENTRAL CLAIMS OF CHRISTIANITY ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE IF
SCIENCE IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE PROOF.
• HEBREWS 11:3 SAYS WE UNDERSTAND THROUGH FAITH. ULTIMATELY, FAITH IS
HOW ANYONE UNDERSTANDS ANYTHING!
• SOME PLACE THEIR FAITH IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, OTHERS TRUST REASON
OR RATIONALITY. CHRISTIANS PLACE THEIR FAITH IN A PERSON: GOD.
• THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND REASON CANNOT PROVE THEIR OWN VALIDITY,
OR THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY WAY TO PROVE THINGS.
• HEBREWS 6:13-14. GOD DOESN’T NEED A CHARACTER REFERENCE BECAUSE HE
IS THE ULTIMATE FOUNDATION FOR TRUTH.
• EVERY WORLDVIEW IS BASED ULTIMATELY ON A FOUNDATION THAT IS TAKEN BY
FAITH.

10. • REASON IS AN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TOOL THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US FOR
BETTER UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD AND HIS WORLD.
• REASON IS ONLY A PROBLEM WHEN IT TRIES TO BECOME A JUDGE STANDING
ABOVE GOD’S WORD.
• THERE ISN’T ONE SINGLE METHOD OF PROVING THE TRUTH TO EVERY PERSON.
PAUL USED MORE THAN ONE APPROACH TO PREACH THE ONE GOSPEL.
• COMPARE ACTS 14:13-52 WITH ACTS 17:22-34
• THE ARGUMENTS YOU OFFER FOR THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE CAN DIFFER
DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION. THE BEST THING IS TO JUST LET GOD SPEAK.

11. DOUBT YOUR DOUBTS
• DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF HAVING DOUBTS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH?
• HOW COULD A LOVING GOD LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME? HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BE A
TRUE CHRISTIAN WHEN I JUST CAN’T EVER SEEM TO WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST
______________?
• HOW COULD THE BIBLE BE TRUE WHEN MOST OF THE SMART, INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
OUT THERE THINK IT’S A MYTH OR OUT OF DATE? HOW COME I CAN’T GET ANSWERS
TO ALL MY QUESTIONS?
• DOUBT YOUR DOUBTS. PEOPLE WHO GIVE IN TO THEIR DOUBTS AND LEAVE THE
CHURCH TEND TO FIT IN PRETTY WELL WITH THE WORLD AROUND THEM BECAUSE
THEY FIND IT MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH.

12. • PEOPLE WHO DOUBT WANT PROOF, BUT IT’S PRECISELY WHAT YOU PRESUPPOSE
ABOUT GOD THAT DETERMINES WHAT COUNTS AS PROOF FOR YOU.
• HEBREWS 11:3 SAYS THAT FOR THE CHRISTIAN, FAITH COMES BEFORE
KNOWLEDGE.
• HEBREWS 11:1 FAITH IS ALSO OUR EVIDENCE OR PROOF.
• IT’S A FACT THAT THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED BY THE WORD OF GOD – A
KNOWABLE FACT WE CAN HAVE EVIDENCE AND PROOF FOR. BUT ULTIMATELY,
FAITH IS THE MEANS BY WHICH WE GET THIS ALL-IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE.
• THERE COMES A POINT AT WHICH YOU MUST SIMPLY BELIEVE WHAT ROMANS 1
SAYS YOU ALREADY KNOW: THAT GOD EXISTS.
• WHEN IT COMES TO THE MANY, MANY TRUTHS WE ACCEPT, WE ARE ALL
BELIEVING WITHOUT SEEING.

13. • MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE IN CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT DON’T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERTISE TO EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE THEMSELVES, SO THEY BELIEVE
WHAT PEOPLE THEY TRUST TELL THEM.
• YOU CAN DO THE RESEARCH YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE THE TIME OR IT IS
IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO YOU. IT WILL TAKE YEARS OF STUDY. NOW DO IT FOR
THE NEXT MAJOR ISSUE FACING SOCIETY.
• “99% OF THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE ARE BELIEVED ON AUTHORITY. I BELIEVE
THERE IS SUCH A PLACE AS NEW YORK. I HAVE NOT SEEN IT MYSELF. I COULD
NOT PROVE BY ABSTRACT REASONING THAT THERE MUST BE SUCH A PLACE. I
BELIEVE IT BECAUSE RELIABLE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME SO…. A MAN WHO JIBBED
AT AUTHORITY IN OTHER THINGS AS SOME PEOPLE DO IN RELIGION WOULD
HAVE TO BE CONTENT TO KNOW NOTHING ALL HIS LIFE.” – C.S. LEWIS

14. • IN THE END, ON MANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK
TO SOME EXPERTS.
• IF WE HAVE TO ACCEPT TRUTH ON AUTHORITY ALL THE TIME ANYWAY, WHAT IS
SO STRANGE ABOUT ACCEPTING GOD’S AUTHORITY?
• “YOU DON’T DEFEND A LION; YOU JUST LET IT OUT OF IT’S CAGE.” CHARLES
SPURGEON
• THE BIBLE CARRIES THE AUTHORITY OF ITS AUTHOR AND HE CAN ANSWER – OR
SILENCE – OBJECTIONS AS HE SEES FIT.
• ROMANS 9:19-20