By Eli Ayala
Day 3
Scripture:
“In your light, we see light.”
(Psalm 36:9)
Reflection:
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the above verse. It’s short but powerful. Did you know that Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created…” entails an important distinction between the Creator of all things, and “the all things created?” There is what we might call a Creator/Creature distinction. This distinction is important for many reasons, one of which includes the idea that because God has created all things, that which is created bears the meaning, purpose, and intelligibility that it has because God has appointed the meaning, purpose, and intelligibility of all things that he has made.
In other words, the Creator gets to define the meaning, purpose and intelligible relationship between created things, and the relationship in which they stand to their Maker. All of the created facts of the world are pre-interpreted by God who is the Father of the facts. Human beings who are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) are to interpret the facts of creation in a way that is in accord with God’s pre-interpretation of the facts of his creation if those facts are to be properly understood. In other words, “in his light, we see light.”
It is only within the light of God’s revelation, that the facts of the created order are rightly understood. To claim an understanding of the facts apart from the proper context in which those facts were created to be understood is to misunderstand those facts altogether.
Why is this at all relevant to apologetics? Well, the believer and unbeliever, within the context of their dispute with one another, are going to have competing understandings of the facts of the matter as they relate to the evidence for or against the existence of God, or the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While a discussion about the specific evidence for or against the existence of God and the resurrection of Jesus will hold a significant place throughout the course of your conversation, it will also be useful to ask the broader question: Who is understanding the facts and evidence within the proper context?
It will be important for the apologist to not only be able to wield the specific facts of the matter throughout the apologetic encounter, but also to be able to navigate the broader worldview context in which the facts are to be understood. Argue the facts, argue the evidence, but be able to pivot the discussion towards broader worldview considerations so as to demonstrate, that unless one sees all things in the light of God, one does not see anything in its proper context.