The Doctrine Of Biblical Apologetics

The Doctrine Of Biblical Apologetics

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, May 18, 2026 (Donate)

Ever catch yourself in the middle of a little debate over some aspect of the Bible when you weren’t ready for it? Many times, it is with an unbeliever or someone adhering to a false religion that may claim to “respect” the Bible but really doesn’t believe what it says.

Of course, our hope is to point others to Christ and that might have been the initial conversation with the unbeliever—but in the midst of that discussion, you are suddenly talking about the truth of the Bible or defense of its authority.

Discussions about God often entail biblical apologetics; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

When you end up in these confrontational spots, it means you’ve entered the realm of “apologetics”. Instead of just preaching the gospel or giving your testimony, you are now thrust into a position of defending God’s Word to those who are skeptical of it.

There are ways to defend the Bible while being loving and respectful. It is my hope that we can all learn to do apologetics the way the Bible does it, mimicking what God has done to answer the unbelievers and help them realize the error of the false worldviews that have taken them captive.

What Is Apologetics From A Biblical Viewpoint?

The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning a “defense” or “reasoned answer”. In Scripture, apologetics is our biblical duty of defending the Christian faith and proclaiming the truth of God against unbelief, false religion, and worldly philosophies. The classic text is 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV):

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…”

Biblical apologetics is not merely winning arguments or accumulating facts. It begins with God as the ultimate authority and recognizes that His Word is true from the beginning (Psalm 119:160). All of God’s Word was known and true before one word was penned! Don’t forget God is all-knowing. God created all things.

God is the truth (John 14:6) and so all truth is God’s truth and cannot contradict Scripture when it is rightly understood. If you or I ever think God made a mistake, then the mistake is really with you or me in our faulty understanding. Instead, we need to look at all things in light of God's Word as if it is a set of corrective lenses in glasses. 

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Apologetics, therefore, involves exposing false ideas, defending the Christian worldview, and calling people to repentance and faith in Christ. Good apologetics is done when you respect the person and lovingly reveal to them that they have been deceived into holding to a false worldview/belief.

The Bible has numerous apologetic encounters. Moses confronted the Egyptians about their false gods of Egypt through God’s mighty acts. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Jesus answered the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes with divine authority and Scripture.

Paul reasoned in synagogues and marketplaces, confronting idolatry and worldly philosophy (Acts 17). Jude 3 urges believers to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” These are just a few examples.

Apologetics is ultimately about worldview foundations—God’s worldview vs. man’s worldview. Every person interprets evidence through presuppositions. Christians begin with the truth of the triune God revealed in Scripture, whereas unbelievers suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18–25) by their own man-made fallible and sinful opinions. Thus, apologetics is not neutrality between belief systems; it is the defense of the Christian worldview as the only basis that makes knowledge, morality, science, and logic possible. More on this in moment.

What Methods Of Apologetics Have Christians Used Throughout The Ages?

Throughout church history, Christians have used several broad apologetic methods—some are not the best methods, but they were used nonetheless.

Classical Apologetics

Classical apologetics attempts to establish God’s existence and the reliability of Christianity through logical arguments and natural theology before presenting Scripture as authoritative. It starts with man’s reason as supreme and absolute and then tries to build on that foundation.

Common arguments include the cosmological argument, teleological argument, and moral argument. Thinkers associated with aspects of this approach include Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and later Protestant philosophers.

Classical apologists often argue that reason and evidence can lead a person to a general belief in some sort of deity and afterward hopefully to the truth of Christianity specifically. Though cultists or adherents of other world religions use this same method to point to their respective “gods” like Islam’s Allah, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ unitarian god, Mormon gods, Hindu’s Brahman, Greek Mythos’ Zeus, etc.

Evidential Apologetics

Evidential apologetics operates identical to classical apologetics but the focus is different. Where classical looks more specifically at the existence of God, evidential looks more at historical and scientific evidences for Christianity, hence the name evidential. All apologetics methods except fideism uses evidence by the way.

Because it operates like classical, it too uses human logic and reason as the supreme authority to look at historical and scientific evidences to then build a case that the Bible might be true in some areas. Hence, it is a probabilistic apologetic. In other words, the best an evidential apologist can argue is that the Bible might be true or probably true. By the method, they can never say that it is certainly true. This doesn’t mean that individual evidential apologists don’t believe the Bible is true, it’s just that the method cannot say that.

Because this metho looks at scientific and historical evidences, this often includes arguments surrounding the resurrection of Christ, fulfilled prophecy, manuscript evidence, archaeology, design in nature, and scientific critiques of evolutionary naturalism. Many modern apologists love discussing evidence, especially in debates over creation, the resurrection, and biblical reliability.

Fideism

Fideism emphasizes faith over rational demonstration. Some fideists argue that Christianity is believed primarily through blind faith and personal commitment rather than logical thought or philosophical defense. Certain theologians moved in this direction, pushing subjective or arbitrary faith experiences. Hence, there is no logical basis for it.

While fideism rightly points out the importance of faith, it is not a logical position and fails to do apologetics—as we are commanded to do in the Bible—but tries to sidestep it. Fideism also falls short because Christianity is not irrational. Biblical faith is trust in the true and living God based upon His self-revelation. Christianity is not a blind leap into the dark but faith grounded in God’s certain Word.

Experiential or Testimonial Approaches

Some Christians defend the faith mainly through personal testimony, changed lives, answered prayer, or inward experience. While testimonies can be powerful, personal experiences alone cannot serve as the ultimate standard that the Bible is true because experiences can be interpreted wrongly and are found in many religions.

If anything, testimony and experience can be used as a confirmation of the outworkings of the truth of the Bible but not the basis to do apologetics. In fact, it is due to many of these conversations that one is pulled into a discussion that involves apologetic defense of Scripture.

Presuppositional Apologetics

Presuppositional apologetics, unlike other views, went back to the Bible to see how apologetics was done in the Bible. Then tried to emulate it.  

So presuppositional apologetics method is that every worldview begins with foundational assumptions, or presuppositions. The Christian must start with God’s revealed truth in Scripture as the ultimate authority. Rather than placing God on trial before human reason, presuppositional apologetics argues that human reason itself depends upon God and His Word being true.

So instead of staring with human reason as the absolute authority and starting point, God and His Word—the Bible—is the absolute starting point which then gives us a basis for why logic, knowledge, truth, etc. exist in the first place. So scientific, logical, or historical evidence are seen as confirmations of Scripture, not the basis for its truthfulness.

Why Do All But Presuppositional Fall Short?

Presuppositional apologists argue that non-presuppositional systems fall short because they unintentionally grant autonomy to human reason. That is human reason apart from God; and so human reason is seen as the highest authority even greater than God—which defeats the purpose of arguing that God is the highest and greatest authority!  

Instead of beginning with God’s revelation as absolute truth, the other methods often attempt to reason from supposedly neutral ground between believer and unbeliever. However, the Bible teaches there is no neutrality. Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”

Colossians 2:3 says that in Christ, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Romans 1 teaches that unbelievers already know God internally through creation but suppress that truth.

From the presuppositional perspective, evidences do not interpret themselves. Two people can examine the same evidence yet reach different conclusions because they begin with different worldviews. For example, secular scientists may interpret fossils or starlight within evolutionary or billions-of-years assumptions, whereas biblical creationist scientists interpret the same data differently through the framework of Scripture.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Logic, science, morality, and uniformity in nature only make sense if the biblical God exists. The unbeliever borrows from the Christian worldview while denying its foundation. There is no neutral ground but there is borrowed ground. All the ground was God’s in the first place!

Classical and evidential methods may provide useful information and confirming evidences, but presuppositionalists argue they become inconsistent when they imply that human reason stands above God’s Word as judge. Scripture never presents God as merely the “best explanation” among alternatives. Rather, God is the necessary precondition for knowledge itself.

What Is Presuppositional Apologetics Defended?

Presuppositional apologetics teaches that the truth of Christianity must be presupposed because without the Christian worldview, knowledge itself becomes impossible.

Philosopher and Professor Cornelius Van Til, who systemize this method, argued that the triune God of Scripture is the necessary foundation for logic, morality, science, and rationality. Since man is created in God’s image, we can reason and understand the world. Yet fallen mankind suppresses the truth and attempts to interpret reality apart from God because of our sinful nature.

Dr. Van Til pointed out the “antithesis” or “total disagreement” between belief and unbelief. Christians and unbelievers do not merely disagree on isolated facts; they interpret all facts through competing opposite worldviews.

Philosopher and pastor Dr. Greg Bahnsen further developed Van Til’s approach, especially through the transcendental argument for God(TAG). TAG argues that the Christian worldview is the necessary precondition for intelligibility. In other words, without God, one could not account for logic, morality, induction, conclusions, knowledge, or meaning.

Bahnsen earned the title “the man most feared by atheists” due to his debates that kindly decimated hardened atheists. He famously argued that unbelievers rely upon Christian principles while denying the God who makes those principles possible. In other words, Bahnsen shows where unbelievers (whether Muslims, atheists, etc.) would borrow from God’s Word to just to try to make their case. For example:

• Laws of logic are universal, immaterial, and unchanging.
• Moral absolutes are predicated an absolute moral standard.
• Science depends on the uniformity of nature.
• Human dignity depends on man being made in God’s image.

The Christian worldview consistently explains these realities in God’s revealed Word because God is rational, sovereign, and faithful.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge* 

Presuppositional apologetics stands on the authority and self-authenticating nature of Scripture. The Bible is not proven by a higher authority because no higher authority exists. The laws of logic are tools based on God’s Word as the ultimate foundation for truth.

This approach does not reject evidence. Rather, it insists that evidence must be interpreted within the proper worldview. The resurrection of Christ, fulfilled prophecy, six day creation, morality, and history all stand first and foremost on the Bible’s truth.

Final Remarks

The doctrine of biblical apologetics is ultimately about honoring God as the supreme authority and proclaiming Christ faithfully in a fallen world. Christians are commanded to defend the faith, destroy arguments raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), and proclaim the gospel boldly.

While many apologetic systems contain useful observations and evidences, presuppositional apologetics is based firmly Scripture by beginning with God’s Word rather than autonomous human reasoning. The Christian worldview alone provides the necessary foundation for reason, morality, science, and truth itself.

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Images generated by ChatGPT

 

 

 

The Limits of Science

The Limits Of Science

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, May 15, 2026 (Donate)

Letter, unedited:

In response to “Dinosaurs and the Bible”

I do not intend this as an attack on any of you, I simply wish to comment on many of the flawed accusations you throw at “evolutionary scientists” Evolution is not a belief...it is a fact. Religion is a belief. While good science offers us a way to study the natural world and our surroundings in an objective imperical way...religion is a great partner (not alternative) to explaining our lives spiritually. There is no need to attack evolution as false when the most well acclaimed scientists and associations such as the National Academy of Science is doing nothing to dismantle the foundations of religion. And the reason for that is because science is not able to enter the realm of the meta-physical and anyone who says they can is not practicing science. There is no conflict between science and religion. period. I would appreciate that you read more literature and get your information from less biased sources. Science will never be able to explain empirically religion. And on the other foot religion is not science and creationism is not science because it is not based on scientific fact. If you do not “believe” in evolution you should do some research on anti-biotic resistence and let me know how to explain what happens. I won’t hold my breath.

F.E.

Response:

With kindness, please see my comments below.

I do not intend this as an attack on any of you, I simply wish to comment on many of the flawed accusations you throw at “evolutionary scientists”

Such as? What accusations are you referring to and where are the references?

Evolution is not a belief...it is a fact. Religion is a belief.

Considering that evolution is a subset of the religion of humanism as clearly outlined in Humanist Manifestos, this puts you in a predicament. How can evolution be a belief and not a belief at the same time and reference? This violates basic logic and is a contradictions.

The Humanist Manifesto I is a religious document; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

But more importantly, your definitions are skewed. Religion is a system of practices based on beliefs about the world and the past. Evolution is a framework about the past that can never be repeated or tested and must be accepted by interpretation and authority. That is, by all measures, a belief.

It also seems that you labor under the misconception that beliefs cannot be facts. So, if someone believes that computers exist, does that negate the existence of computers being a fact? Who determines what is “factual” and what is not? If something violates the laws of nature that we know but is accepted by most people, does that make it factual or not? (Evolutionary belief violates some basic laws of nature.)

Christians accept fact because they believe in an objective Creator who does not lie. Where, then, does the humanist find a basis for fact?

While good science offers us a way to study the natural world and our surroundings

Creationists agree here, and this methodology was developed by a creationist named Francis Bacon. But note that good science is observable and repeatable—unlike evolution and its historical postulates.

Francis Bacon, who developed the scientific method, was a devout Creationist; Public Domain

in an objective imperical way

But for objectiveness to be valid requires a correct worldview with which to interpret empirical facts. There are two worldviews competing here. Science is a useful tool for examining the universe, but humans are not objective.

We all have basic foundational concepts through which we interpret evidence—some starting with the Bible and some assuming naturalism. Few realize that the evolutionary/humanistic worldview must borrow from the biblical worldview to even begin its case. So, this undermines an evolutionary position right from the start.

Also, empiricism (that all truth claims must be obtained by experience), is self-refuting as that alleged truth claim cannot be experienced! In other words, empiricism can never be proven empirically.

...religion is a great partner (not alternative) to explaining our lives spiritually.

Creationists would agree as well, as correct religion is foundational to looking at any aspect of the world around us. Your argument here is self-refuting. That is, you define science naturalistically and then claim that naturalism and supernaturalism (religion) are partners. This is impossible, as naturalism does not allow supernatural beings or causes and supernaturalism requires them.

On the other hand, science (as in, observational science) is truly a partner in understanding the world—when we begin with God’s Word, since science is predicated on Christianity. So, for good science to even be a possibility is further confirmation of the truth of the Bible.

There is no need to attack evolution as false

But it is false. It contradicts Scripture in Genesis and Christ Himself and leads many astray from the truth of Scripture:

“But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’” (Mark 10:6, NKJV).

See also Genesis 1 and Exodus 20:11. Also, Christians are commanded to demolish these false arguments:

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5; ESV).

Third, we are warned not to succumb to such false beliefs:

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8, NKJV).

when the most well acclaimed scientists and associations such as the National Academy of Science is doing nothing to dismantle the foundations of religion.

First, this is the fallacy of appeal to majority. The majority of Germans at WWII either allowed or participated in the persecution of the Jews—but this doesn’t make it right.

Second, the NAS has aligned itself with the religion of humanism and has a history of attacking the truthfulness of the Bible. They promote the religion of secular humanism and naturalistic philosophies that deny the power of God through numerous articles and publications. This is hardly “nothing.” In addition, the president of the NAS openly recommends a leading humanist organization called the NCSE.^[1]

And the reason for that is because science is not able to enter the realm of the meta-physical and anyone who says they can is not practicing science.

And yet, evolutionists claim to transcend the metaphysical millions of years in the past to know for a “fact” what happened? This means evolutionists are not practicing science according to their claimed worldview. Scientific methodology cannot repeat the past. Evolutionary thinking is unrepeatable historical science, not operational science.

Let’s face it: there has never been a single experiment run over millions years—not even one—nor is this possible. Where is the science here? And scientists look for “God spots” on the brain and alternate universes to explain away how finely tuned our universe is, and the “evolutionary history” of religion. All of these are attempts to explain the metaphysical aspects of the universe (poorly) using naturalistic assumptions.

There is no conflict between science and religion. period.

You would be surprised to know that we agree, but I suggest you have tried to use a bait-and-switch fallacy here by calling science “evolution.” Evolution is not science. We all have the same science. The difference is the worldview by which we interpret scientific facts.

Science does not equal evolution; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

I would appreciate that you read more literature and get your information from less biased sources.

This is the pretended neutrality fallacy. You are assuming that you and other humanists are less biased, i.e., neutral, all the while trying to argue for the evolutionary worldview. By “less biased,” do you mean scientific sources that agree with naturalism? We do, in fact, get a great deal of our news and information from mainstream journals and media sources. One of our goals is to reveal that there is no neutrality and that there are underlying assumptions upon which such papers and articles are written.

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. (Luke 11:23, NKJV).

God makes it clear in His Word there is no such thing as neutrality. You are either for Christ or against Him. I want to encourage you to reconsider the claims of Christ and what it means to be saved.

Science will never be able to explain empirically religion.

Science doesn’t explain things; this is the fallacy of reification. Science is a methodology to determine observable and repeatable facts and is predicated on biblical Christianity. In other words, it would be impossible to do science without the Bible being true. Secular humanistic-believing scientists may try to explain things within their story but “science” doesn’t explain things.

And on the other foot religion is not science

With this statement, you have no choice but to agree that interrelated religions like humanism, naturalism, and evolutionism are not science. Additionally, belief in the One true God of the Bible who is logical and cannot lie means that scientific inquiry makes sense.

Science is possible because the universe exhibits uniformity. There is no reason to divorce exploring the world around us from the eye-witness account of the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

and creationism is not science because it is not based on scientific fact.

Science in its strictest sense means knowledge. Creation and evolution have little to do with scientific facts because we all have the same scientific facts! Creation and evolution are both subsets of religions; biblical Christianity and secular humanism, respectively.

The worldview of biblical Christianity, from which creation comes, is the same worldview by which science is possible. I suspect that what you mean is that creation science is not based on naturalistic assumptions about how the universe and life came to be. In that case, you’re correct. Facts are not in debate.

If you do not “believe” in evolution you should do some research on anti-biotic resistence and let me know how to explain what happens. I won’t hold my breath.

Perhaps if you did some research, you’d see that we’ve shown how antibiotic resistance fails the test as evidence for evolution (see Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria: An Example of Evolution in Action?^[2] and Is Natural Selection the Same Thing as Evolution?^[3]).

Here’s an example: how is H. pylori changing into defective H. pylori support for the general theory of evolution? First, the resistance is moving in the wrong direction for evolution (losses), and second, changing these bacteria into the same bacteria is not evolution!

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

I want to encourage you to reconsider your faith in the evolutionary worldview. That philosophy is a dead end logically, morally, scientifically, and obviously religiously. I encourage you to re-consider the claims of the Bible, particularly Christ because that is what it is all about—we are all sinners and all have fallen short—even me.

But by the grace of God, Jesus Christ, the infinite Son of God, took the infinite punishment from an infinite God, to make a way of salvation. Jesus is calling all people everywhere to repent. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). It doesn’t matter how many steps you’ve taken in the wrong direct, it is only one step back.

With kindness in Christ.

Bodie

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished by permission.

* Images generated by ChatGPT

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[1] nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=NEWS_letter_president_03042005_BA_evolution.

[2] Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria: An Example of Evolution in Action?, Dr. Georgia Purdom, July 10, 2007, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/antibiotic-resistance-of-bacteria.

[3] New Answers Book 1, Ken Ham, Gen. Ed., Chapter by Dr. Purdom entitled: Is Natural Selection the Same Thing as Evolution?, Master Books, Green Forest, AK, 2006.

The Doctrine Of Miracles

The Doctrine Of Miracles

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, May 14, 2026 (Donate)

The God of the Bible is a God of miracles. God is all-powerful and able to do all His holy will. Thus, He is in a position to do miracles unlike man or any other created being. Here are some reminders of amazing miracles God did in the Old Testament:

·       Creation Week (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

·       The confusion of languages at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

·       The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25)

·       The Ten Plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7-12)

·       The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31)

·       The sun standing still in the days of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14)

·       Elijah calling down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:30-39)

·       The crossing of the Jordan River while God stopped the water (Joshua 3:14-17)

·       Jonah swallowed by the great fish prepared by God to swallow Jonah and preserved him alive for three days (Jonah 1:17-2:10)

Moses striking the rock of Horeb at God's command to miraculously provide water (Exodus 17:1-7); Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Here are some reminders of awesome miracles God did in the New Testament:

·       Jesus created all things (John 1:1-3)

·       Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11)

·       Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41)

·       Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21)

·       Jesus walking on water showing His authority over nature (Matthew 14:22-33)

·       Jesus healing a man born blind (John 9:1-7)

·       Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after 4 days (John 11:38-44)

·       The resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:1-10)

·       The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other languages (Acts 2:1-13)

·       Peter healing the lame man at the Temple (Acts 3:1-10)

·       Paul raising Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:7-12)

God can do miracles directly or He can use people or angels to do His bidding and the power flows through them to do wonderous things. The final example here of Paul raising Eutychus wasn't by Paul’s power but by God’s power through Paul in that instance.

What are Miracles?

Miracles are extraordinary acts of God in which He directly intervenes in His creation for a specific purpose. They aren't random “magic tricks” or contradictions in God’s character, but purposeful events that show God’s authority and display His power. They were also used to accomplish His redemptive plan throughout history.

Miracles don't “break” or “violate” scientific laws in the way skeptics often claim. Instead, scientific laws describe the normal, regular way God sustains the universe.

From a biblical worldview, the laws of nature aren't independent forces that control God; rather, they are descriptions of the consistent patterns God ordinarily uses to govern creation. Since God created and sustains all things, He has authority to act differently whenever He wills. The point is that the laws of nature exist because God upholds them into existence and so God isn't bound by them.

For example, gravity describes how objects normally fall toward earth. But in the Bible, Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:25) was not gravity “ceasing to exist.” Rather, God temporarily acted in an unusual way beyond the ordinary pattern we observe.

Peter miraculously walking on water out to Lord who was walking on water; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Likewise, Christ turning water into wine (John 2:1-11) didn't “destroy the laws of chemistry and biology.” Rather, it was an act of divine power in which God supernaturally produced an immediate result that would ordinarily take time through natural processes.

Science itself depends upon regularity in nature. Scientists can study the world because God normally upholds creation consistently. The Bible teaches this consistency in passages such as Genesis 8:22:

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” Because God is faithful, creation usually behaves in predictable ways. (NKJV)

Consider also, that we don’t fully know all the laws of nature in such a precise way that God does. Perhaps some rare miracles are within the realm of the way God uphold the universe, but we simply don’t know those inner workings of the laws of nature like God does.

Nevertheless, miracles are rare precisely because they are extraordinary. If miracles happened constantly, they would no longer be considered miraculous.

In Scripture, miracles often center around key moments: the ministry of Moses, Elijah and Elisha, Christ, and the apostles. Their purpose was frequently to authenticate God’s Word.

Miracles And Worldview

Another thing to keep in mind is that miracles aren't irrational or anti-scientific. Science studies what normally happens under ordinary conditions. Miracles involve God acting beyond those ordinary conditions. Since science cannot test or repeat a unique supernatural event on demand, science is limited in how we can use it when it comes to miracles. That limitation does not disprove miracles; it simply shows that science isn't the ultimate authority over all reality—God is.

The real issue is worldview. If one mistakenly assumes naturalism—the belief that nature is all that exists—then miracles are blindly rejected before evidence is even considered. But because the God of the Bible exists and created the universe, then miracles are not only possible, but entirely reasonable and expected. The Creator who made the laws of nature can work through them normally or act beyond them according to His sovereign will.

Do All Miracles Circumvent The Normal Laws Of Science?

Not at all. Many Christians would argue that some miracles involve extraordinary timing, providence (protection and guidance in human affairs by God), or supernatural knowledge rather than an obvious suspension of ordinary natural processes.

Daniel miraculously seeing the dream of Nebuchadnezzar without being told it; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

In the Bible, not every miracle is necessarily a visible alteration of nature like the Red Sea parting or Lazarus being raised. Some events appear miraculous because of their precision, timing, prophetic fulfillment, or impossibility apart from God’s orchestration.

For example:

• Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41) involved supernatural knowledge revealed by God about future events.
• Elijah being fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:4-6) used ordinary creatures, yet in an extraordinary and divinely directed way.
• The exact timing of Esther becoming queen before the Jewish people were threatened demonstrates providential timing throughout the book of Esther, even though God is never directly named in the text.
• Jesus telling Peter where to find a coin in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27) involved supernatural foreknowledge and precise providence.
• The detailed fulfillment of Messianic prophecies over centuries points to divine knowledge and sovereignty over history.

From this perspective, a miracle doesn't always require the “breaking” of natural laws. Instead, it may involve God sovereignly arranging events, directing circumstances, revealing hidden knowledge, or governing nature in an extraordinarily purposeful way.

Many theologians distinguish between:

• Providence (e.g., Providential acts/miracles): God governing ordinary events continuously.
• Miracle: A special act of God that stands out as extraordinary, whether through direct supernatural intervention or astonishing divine orchestration.

Some miracles are clearly beyond ordinary natural explanation, such as bodily resurrection or instantaneous healing (healings of the leprous, blind, or deaf). Others may operate through natural means but in such an extraordinary way that God’s hand is unmistakable.

Final Remarks

God is sovereign over all creation at all times. Therefore, whether God acts through ordinary means, extraordinary timing, or direct supernatural intervention, all events ultimately depend upon Him. The difference is that miracles are special acts intended to reveal God’s power, truth, mercy, or judgment in a particularly noticeable way.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

* Images generated using ChatGPT

 

 

Doctrine Of The Virgin Birth

Doctrine Of The Virgin Birth

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, May 13, 2026 (Donate)

The virgin birth of Christ is seen as an extremely important doctrine of Christianity. All branches of Christianity affirm the virgin birth and the Bible speaks directly about it.

Who Was Mary?

Mary was a young Jewish woman from Nazareth in Galilee—though her ancestors were from the tribe of Judah through David the King. She was chosen by God to bear the Messiah, Jesus Christ—who is God the Son in the flesh. Christ is the image of the invisible God and it makes sense why God forbid man to make graven images of God in The Ten Commandments as man would err—and it was God’s prerogative to designate His image on earth through His Son Jesus Christ.

Mary was a descendant of King David; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Mary was engaged to Joseph, who was also a descendant of David through another lineage. Scripture presents Mary as humble and faithful as she was obedient to God. When the angel Gabriel announced that she would miraculously conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary responded in faith:

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38, NKJV).

Mary was not sinless, divine, or an object of worship. In fact, Jesus said that John the Baptist was greater than her in Matthew 11:11. Rather, she was a faithful and favored servant greatly blessed by God because she was chosen to bear the incarnate Christ. In Luke 1:47, Mary herself declared, “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,” showing that she too needed salvation through God.

Prophecies Of A Virgin Birth

The virgin birth was prophesied centuries before Christ was born. The clearest prophecy is Isaiah 7:14:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (NKJV).

The name “Immanuel” literally means “God with us.” This indicates that the coming child would uniquely be God among men. Matthew directly applied this prophecy to Jesus Christ:

“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’” (Matthew 1:22-23, NKJV).

Upon the virgin birth, Mary lay Jesus in a manger; Image requested by Bodie Hodge**

The prophecy connects to the broader messianic expectation throughout the Old Testament that the Messiah would be both truly human and uniquely divine. Genesis 3:15 already hinted that the Deliverer would come from the “seed of the woman,” an unusual expression pointing indirectly toward a miraculous birth.

When Someone Suggests “Young Woman” Instead Of “Virgin” For Isaiah 7:14, How Did John Calvin Refute This Idea?

Some critics argue that the Hebrew word “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 merely means “young woman” instead of “virgin.” Christians, like John Calvin, strongly reject this interpretation. Calvin argued that the prophecy loses its miraculous nature if it merely refers to an ordinary young woman giving birth, since that would not be a “sign” from God. A normal birth would provide nothing extraordinary for Ahaz or future generations.

Calvin also pointed out that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (aka the LXX), translated the Hebrew word with the Greek word “parthenos,” meaning “virgin.” Matthew, writing under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, likewise affirmed the prophecy referred specifically to a virgin conception.

Furthermore, Calvin noted that the context points beyond Isaiah’s own day toward the coming Messiah. The miraculous conception uniquely fits Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born without an earthly father.

Conception Of Christ And Its Significance

Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (who is God) in the womb of Mary. It was not a sexual encounter (an idea offensive to Christians) but a reverent occurrence that overshadowed Mary Luke 1:34-35 states:

“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you’” (NKJV).

The virgin birth is essential to Christian doctrine for several reasons. First, it demonstrates that salvation is entirely the work of God. Christ did not come through ordinary human effort, but through godly intervention.

Second, it preserves the true humanity and deity of Christ. Jesus was fully man because He was born of Mary, yet fully God because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This is called the dual nature of Christ.

Third, the conception and virgin birth relates to Christ’s sinlessness. Jesus did not inherit Adam’s fallen nature in the same way all other humans do—though coming in the likeness of sinful flesh He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5). He was the spotless Lamb of God, perfectly qualified to die for sinners.

Finally, the conception and virgin birth fulfills prophecy and confirms that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The virgin birth was not an isolated miracle, but part of God’s redemptive plan foretold throughout Scripture.

Does Virgin Birth Mean Mary Remained A Virgin Afterwards?

The doctrine of the virgin birth teaches that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived and born. Thus, no relations occurred during that time—Joseph and Mary were honorable to God. Scripture does not teach that Mary remained perpetually virgin afterward.

Matthew 1:25 says Joseph “did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son” (NKJV). The natural reading suggests normal marital relations occurred after Jesus’ birth—in keeping with God’s godly commands in Genesis about being fruitful and multiplying. There should be no doubt Mary and Joseph were faithful

The Bible also mentions Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3). Matthew 13:55-56 states:

“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (NKJV).

At least four brothers and more than one sister are mentioned. These are most naturally understood as the biological children of Mary and Joseph born after Jesus. The perpetual virginity of Mary became a later church tradition, but it is not explicitly taught in Scripture.

Joseph and Mary busy with their children in a crowded caravan of people heading home from Jerusalem (while Jesus stayed behind at the Temple); Image requested by Bodie Hodge**

How Did The Protoevangelium Of James Influence People To Think Mary Was A Perpetual Virgin?

The Protoevangelium of James was an apocryphal writing from the second century, not part of the inspired 66 books of the Bible. It greatly influenced later traditions about Mary.

This document portrayed Mary as uniquely holy and a perpetual virgin. It claimed Joseph was an elderly widower with children from a previous marriage, attempting to explain away Jesus’ brothers and sisters as step-siblings rather than Mary’s children.

The book also promoted ideas about Mary’s miraculous upbringing and exceptional purity. Though historically influential in some church traditions, the Protoevangelium of James is not Scripture and was never accepted as Scripture by the early church and contains legendary embellishments beyond the biblical record and many errors.

Final Remarks

The virgin birth is a major doctrine of Christianity and is found in many creeds, confessions and Statements of Faith. It proclaims that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, Christ entered the world without sin in fulfillment of prophecy and for the salvation of sinners.

Mary should be honored as the faithful mother of Jesus, yet Scripture always directs worship to Christ alone. The biblical emphasis is not on exalting Mary, but on exalting the Savior she bore: Immanuel, “God with us.”

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.