Thought for Today

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,

Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

John 18:38 Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no case against him.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

“’Do you believe that the Bible is the absolute source of truth and God’s final authoritative word, even when our culture says otherwise?’ she asked. ‘Yes’ Talarico answered.” (“In Texas, a distinct kind of Christianity ascends,” Boston Globe, pg. A5, November 9, 2026)

The article caught my eye yesterday, because, like Texas’ senator-elect, I am a native Texan. Also, as the article revealed, he is a Presbyterian and a “onetime seminarian.” The senator-elect answered like a politician in a distinctly evangelical, conservative state. The question, however, is one every Christian should carefully ponder.

I am not a politician. I am an ordained ‘onetime seminarian’ who graduated from seminary, successfully completed the Presbyterian ordination examinations and who was ordained by the Presbytery of Boston. I have also been granted status by the UCC and serve a UCC congregation. I could not answer that question as did the senator-elect. Of course, I do not ever expect to run for a Senate seat, much less to ever be elected to serve the Senate.

Could you give a simple yes/no answer to that question? I cannot. For me, the first consideration would be Pilot’s question, “What is truth?” Is it true that the sun and the moon stopped at Jericho? Literally? The only way that I can imagine that happening would be for the earth to stop rotating around its axis. I took a course in college in rotational kinematics. I learned about gravitation force, centripetal force and centrifugal force in my physics courses. Were the earth to stop rotating on its axis, the clash of competing forces would rip our planet apart. However, God is omnipotent. Omnipotent does mean all-powerful. What is the truth of Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho?

I learned that every molecule of water is composed of 1 oxygen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms, H2O. I learned that every atom has a nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons. The Bible tells me about the value and necessity of water for life. The Bible does not contain the word atom. The Bible tells me about Adam, but not about atoms.

Although not explicitly stated in that question posed to the senator-elect, implied is some sort of conflict between science and faith. I believe that is a false dichotomy. If you try to prepare for your physics final exam, your chemistry final exam, your calculus final exam by reading your Bible, you will fail. The Bible is not a science or mathematics textbook.

My theological dictionary defines the Bible as, “The canonical writings accepted as normative for a religious faith. In Christianity, the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament comprise the Bible. Theologically, the Bible is acknowledged in the church as a revelation from God.” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 29) It further tells me about the authority of the Bible, “Recognition of the Bible’s status and function as providing a source and norm for such elements as belief, conduct, and the experience of God.” (ibid.) In that sense and to that extent, the Bible is “the absolute source of truth and God’s final authoritative word.”

Do Paul’s words to Timothy represent the truth? Taken out of context, they could be argued to mean that scripture is the absolute source of all truth. They could be misrepresented as suggesting that the Bible would be a good source to study for that physics or chemistry final exam. That is not what Paul is suggesting at all. Paul is telling Timothy to remember all Timothy learned from Paul about Jesus, the Christ.

Do I “believe that the Bible is the absolute source of truth and God’s final authoritative word, even when our culture says otherwise?” I believe Genesis 1:1 and all that follows in the Creation narrative. I believe God created time and all of reality. However, when I want to know about science or mathematics, I consult a textbook on science or mathematics. When I want to know about our Creator God, when I want to deepen and strengthen my relationship with God, I read my Bible. That’s the truth!

Read your Bible, pray to God, trust God,

Pastor Ray