science and scientists
Posted on July 14, 2024 by Patrick Shabi with an estimated reading time of 11 minutes
Last updated on September 15, 2024
“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether by thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)
Before diving into specific scientific proofs in the Bible, it’s important to first look at “science” and what it means. This is especially important since we’re living in a time when many people believe the Bible and science contradict one another, which I hope these articles and other material on this website will show is actually the opposite of the truth. The Bible and science both complement one another, as we’ll see, and this should be expected since God, the Creator of all things, also created science.
Let’s first briefly look at the term “scientist.” The term actually only dates back to 1833 and was coined by British polymath William Whewell. Whewell was just the first person to coin the term, but history shows scientists have been with us for far longer. Modern scholars consider the well-known ancient Greek Aristotle to be the first recorded “scientist” in history, largely due to his extensive knowledge of natural phenomenon, and his curiosity in trying to understand why things happen as they do. Others may argue the astronomer Galileo Galilei is the first true “scientist” due to his use of experimentation, observation, and math to understand nature (instead of common sense and logical deductions used by Aristotle). Regardless of who the first scientist was, we can see that science dates back thousands of years, and even before these men, perhaps to the beginning of humanity.
These scientists made science what it is today, that is observing and then using those observations to establish rules and laws to explain how the world operates. In the realm of physics, this process is done largely through mathematical equations. Understanding this brings us to an important question to consider:
If these great scientists from the past only discovered these laws, then where did they come from?
For science to exist and to be trusted, the observations seen must be consistent and repeatable. For the observations we see to be consistent and repeatable, there must be specific laws that are being followed, otherwise everything would be in constant change and science would be impossible. This is an important point to consider since life itself and our interactions with the world would be impossible unless we had established, predictable, and constant laws. At some point, these laws of the universe had to be established. Not surprisingly, this observation was made in the beginning of science by the ancient Greeks and they debated this topic extensively. In school we learned about famous Greek scientists such as Socrates, Plato, and the previously mentioned Aristotle. These men were not only considered great scientists of their age, but also great philosophers. The Greeks realized that oftentimes science and philosophy needed to be included together to form a wholistic and complete picture of the reasoning and laws which govern the universe. This correlation between philosophy and science exists even today. Some of the great scientists of the 20th century, such as Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, considered themselves to be “philosophical scientists.”
Both ancient Greeks and modern scientists understand that science and philosophy are needed together to begin to understand and answer some of these big questions, but the question still remains. Where did the laws come from that allow science to exist?
The Natural Laws argument comes from the philosophical field and dates back to Aristotle. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the argument states, “the observation of governing laws and existing order in the universe indicates the existence of a superior being who enacted these laws.” Due to the age of this argument, there is obviously much debate, specifically on what should be considered a natural law versus a man-made law or observance.
Regardless, through basic observation and common sense we can see there are obviously core laws built into the universe which humanity can merely just discover such as mathematics, engineering, and physics. Without these laws present and consistent, our interaction with the universe would be impossible. Considering this, ask yourself:
If these laws are present, orderly, and consistent then what would that imply?
The Bible tells us plainly what this implies and precisely where these laws came from.
“For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King, He will save us.” (Isaiah 33:22)
In the New Testament of the Bible, we see the apostle James state something similar:
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy…” (James 4:12)
You might think these verses refer to the LORD as the giver of the law, particularly in the Old Testament, and that’s partially correct. However, consider the Hebrew word translated as “Lawgiver” here: ḥāqaq. This word is also used in Proverbs, but not in reference to God’s law. Instead it is used to describe the creation of the Earth and the establishment of the laws of the universe.
“When He gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep His commands, and when He appointed [ḥāqaq] the foundations of the earth…” (Proverbs 8:29)
Whether it was Aristotle or Galileo, whoever was the first person to observe or discover these natural laws did only that - discover. As the Bible states and we are able to see all around us, it was God Who created not only the universe, but also the laws that govern it and provide stability. When we ask where did the natural laws come from, we should consider Paul’s word in Colossians who succinctly summarizes this point,
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
Paul, and other Biblical authors before him, are given no consideration by scholars as being great scientists or philosophers from their times. However, we see the Biblical authors, who were inspired to write these words by God, come to the same conclusion regarding natural laws and a Lawgiver well before the great minds of the ancient Greeks, like Aristotle, began to grasp with these questions. The intricate relationship between science and the Bible is not one of opposition but of complementarity. As we’ve explored, the Bible anticipated many of the questions that would later be formalized by great minds like Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato. The natural laws they discussed and we’ve “discovered” are not inventions of humanity, but rather, reflections of the divine order established by God from the very beginning. These laws provide the consistent, predictable foundation upon which science stands, and their existence points to the necessity of a Lawgiver. As we look at the universe and the governing principles within it, it becomes clear that science, rather than contradicting the Bible, affirms the existence of a Creator. The Bible not only explains where these laws originated, but offers a broader understanding of their purpose, as seen in scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments. Just as science relies on consistent laws, our lives depend on a God who created them and continues to hold sustains and all holds all these things together. Through this, we see that both the Bible and science ultimately lead us back to the same truth: that God is the author of all creation, including the laws that govern it.