Presuppositions are things we believe without needing or being able to provide concrete proof. For example, we believe in God without being able to prove empirically his existence to anyone else. We may have what we consider to be good reasons for believing in him, but we cannot adequately prove he exists to someone else using what might be called the scientific method. Ultimately, when it comes to God, our knowledge of him depends upon revelation and faith. Once we believe, we see plenty of confirmations of his existence. Likewise, those who believe that God does not exist maintain that position without proof. Faith in God and atheism are both presuppositions that greatly influence our thinking and worldview.
As I attempt to provide a basis for establishing a proper biblical cosmology, I have certain presuppositions or premises. If our premises are correct, they will help us arrive at proper conclusions. If our premises are incorrect, they will lead us into further error.
- The first is that I believe that God exists.
- The second is that God gave us the Bible, which according to its own testimony is absolutely true. We can rely upon every word. (Proverbs 30:5)
- The third premise is that we should take the words of the Bible literally unless it is clear from the context that we should not. This point becomes extremely important when we look at such passages as the first chapter of Genesis. We should not twist the scriptures to make them mean something different from the original intent; although, prophetic scriptures can have multiple meanings. (2 Peter 3:16)
- The fourth presupposition is that the Bible is true when it speaks regarding science. It is not merely a book that communicates spiritual and moral truths. All its words are inspired by God; therefore, when it speaks regarding science, we accept it. We cannot assume that God “dumbed down” his Word to accommodate what is called the “pre-scientific” era. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Putting these four presuppositions together, we can simply say that God says what he means and means what he says. He never lies or “dumbs down” what he says, assuming that we are too dense to understand. (Numbers 23:19)
Many times God does not tell us everything we want to know, but what he does tell us is the truth. This means that when we are given a choice between believing the theories and assertions of pagan and atheistic astrophysicists or the Bible, we will choose the Bible as our most reliable source to explain the nature of the cosmos and the design of the earth. (Romans 3:4)
The Bible teaches us that we have an adversary called Satan who is a liar by nature. Jesus said that no truth dwells in him. (John 8:44) The Bible also tells us that he deceives the whole world. (Revelation 12:9) The world lies in his power (1 John 5:19), except for those who belong to Christ (1 John 5:5).
There is a worldwide satanic plan to deceive the masses regarding the design of the earth and heavens in order to hide the existence of the Creator and convince people that the Bible is unreliable. (Psalm 2:1-4)
I believe that God is revealing the truth about these things in order to awaken the people of the world to his existence and convince us that the Bible is absolutely true in order to lead us to place our faith and allegiance in our Lord Jesus the Messiah. It is my hope that this series of articles will assist you to come to a better understanding of the shape and design of the earth and heavens as revealed in the Bible.
