Uniformitarianism And Its Religious Undertones

Uniformitarianism And Its Religious Undertones

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

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 30, 2025 (Donate)

What do big bang, millions of years, an ice age that goes back over 10,000 years have in common? They are all build on a concept. Not just any concept, but a religious concept called “uniformitarianism”.

Land features scraped from the Ice Age in Kungshamn, Sweden; Photo by Bodie Hodge

You can’t see uniformitarianism and can’t hear it or touch it or taste it—like I mentioned, it is conceptual. But this concept shapes so much of how the secular world thinks—particularly origins. Because the world uses this concept so much, it pervades our culture and sadly, many of us have been influenced by it one way or another.

What Is Uniformitarianism?

Uniformitarianism is the belief that the geological processes we observe today—like erosion and sedimentation—have occurred at the same rates and in the same ways throughout earth’s history. In other words, it assumes the process we see today have been “uniform” throughout the past.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Thus, it is a belief system about the past that is not observed and therefore not scientific. Instead, it is religious. And you may not realize this but it is a common religious view within the secular humanistic families of religion (e.g., materialism, naturalism, secularism, etc.).

This religious idea or concept is often summarized by the phrase: “The present is the key to the past.” This is in opposition to the biblical concept of the past is the key to the present (e.g., why do we wear clothes, a past event in Genesis 3; why are there massive rock layers with fossils, a global Flood in the past; etc.).

Uniformitarianism also goes hand in hand with certain naturalistic assumptions. Naturalism (nature is all that exists) and uniformitarianism (that naturals processes are uniform) are like sisters in secular-based religions. As examples:

• Earth’s features (like canyons, rock layers, and mountains) were formed slowly over millions of years.
• Catastrophic events (like local or regional floods, tsunamis and earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions) are generally excluded as major shaping forces in earth’s past.
• Time, not extraordinary events like the global Flood of Noah’s day and its aftermath which led to the post-Flood Ice Age, is the primary driver of geological change.

This philosophy was spearheaded in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, especially by people like James Hutton and Charles Lyell, and strongly influenced Charles Darwin’s thinking on biological evolution whose prominence rose from the 1850s-1870s.

Why Is Uniformitarianism Considered Bad From A Biblical Perspective?

Uniformitarianism is a philosophy (i.e., conceptual idea that is technically religious) that stands in contradiction with God’s Word.

For example, the adherents of the religion of uniformitarianism denies the biblical narrative of the global Flood. The Bible, particularly in Genesis 6-8, describes the global Flood in Noah’s day that catastrophically reshaped the earth’s surface (see also Psalm 104:8-9). Leaders of uniformitarianism, thinking in light of their religious perspective, dismiss such events as myths or regional incidents, contradicting Scripture.

Also, this secular religion inherently has old-earth assumptions. Uniformitarianism requires a belief in millions and billions of years of earth history. This contradicts the biblical creation timeline that is exegeted from biblical genealogies, and puts the earth's age at around 6,000 years from today.

Uniformitarianism also undermines biblical authority. By adopting naturalistic explanations for the origin of geological formations, the religion of uniformitarianism is being used to replace the Bible’s historical account with autonomous human reasoning. This shift can cause Christians to compromise on scriptural truth if they start buying to uniformitarian thinking.

Uniformitarianists largely ignores observable catastrophes when it comes to ancient origins. Even observable events like the rapid formation of canyons (e.g., at Mount St. Helens) show that massive geological changes can occur quickly, not slowly over eons.

Nevertheless, these modern catastrophes are a confirmation of the possibility that past geological features may also be the result of rapid, catastrophic events—especially the global Flood. Yet these are usually overlooked by uniformitarians when trying to discuss or understand geology from ages past.

As A Caveat: Uniformitarianism Vs. Uniformity

Some hear about the problems with uniformitarianism and falsely make the assumption that this means that uniformity of nature is equally bad. But one needs to be careful here.

Uniformitarianism and uniformity of nature are two distinct concepts that are often confused but must be clearly delineated—especially in the context of biblical creation and science. Let me explain.

Uniformitarianism

Uniformitarianism is a philosophical and religious assumption about the past, particularly in geology. Adherents of this view asserts that natural processes (like erosion or sedimentation) have always occurred in the same way and at the same rate as observed today (on a normal day, not a flood day for instance).

This idea (“the present is the key to the past”) leads to interpretations of earth’s features as having formed over long ages slowly over millions of years. Recall, it excludes the possibility of past global catastrophes like the Flood of Noah’s day described in Scripture. Uniformity of nature is much different.

Uniformity Of Nature

Uniformity of nature, on the other hand, is a biblical concept that refers to the regularity and reliability of natural laws in the present. Laws of nature can be summed up as the way that God upholds His creation—and we can test these laws and describe them.

This regularity allows scientists to conduct repeatable experiments and make predictions—because the physical laws of the universe operate consistently. Most fields of science were developed by Bible-believing Christians who understood this biblical concept.

Uniformity is rooted in the faithfulness of God as Creator and Sustainer (Colossians 1:17, Genesis 8:22), not in random chance or blind processes as in secular religions where laws changed in the past (e.g., no laws, then laws at the big bang; and they will change again in the future at a big crunch/heat death).

So key differences can be summed up as:

• Uniformitarianism deals with unobserved past events while assuming a religiously naturalistic framework that denies biblical history.
• Uniformity of nature deals with the observable present and is essential for operational (observable, repeatable, and testable) science (e.g., chemistry, biology, physics, engineering) which is in line with biblical teachings.

Conclusion

In short, uniformity of nature is good and uniformitarianism, due to its false assumptions and naturalistic religious concepts, is problematic. Uniformitarianism is a flawed from its onset and thus, it is self-refuting.

Uniformitarianism is engrained with secular religious philosophy that distorts true history and undermines the biblical worldview. This religious concept should be questioned by serious scientists who work in fields like geology.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. 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.

Feedback Teaching By Example

Feedback: Teaching By Example 

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

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 29, 2025 (Donate) 

To start off, I wanted to do something different: to show you how I break down a hostile letter and how to look at it biblically. Hopefully, this will give you some pointers as to how to respond to such inquiries in the future, whether in person, email, or on forums, before we jump into the bulk of the responses. 

One of the first things I do is pray for wisdom and discernment in responding. My prayer is that each response I do will honor and glorify God. Then I read the letter and try to discern what the person believes while pointing them to Christ. 

Christ work on the Cross and His Subsequent Resurrection is sufficient for salvation; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

When reading R.B.’s email (see below, unedited), he is very hostile toward the Bible, appearing to be a non-Christian. He is likely an atheist (or unaware of being a variant form of atheist called a “humanist,” who, perhaps inadvertently, sees humans as the ultimate authority—for instance, on a subject like morality as opposed to God being the authority). 

He has obviously encountered Christians who were not well versed in apologetics—or he is basing his claims on common caricatures of creationists from skeptics. 

This gives us a head start as to how to handle the response: use the Word of God, but also show why we use it. We may also have to use some philosophy to show that the view the inquirer is using is not well grounded. 

Remember that each hostile email is an opportunity to share the truth. Here is RB’s letter exactly as it arrived. 

Letter, Unedited: 

i would just like to comment that the only proof of creationism is the bible. the bible was written by men. men can lie. man is capable of the most horribly attrocities on the planet. you ask us not to believe in the word of God, but the word of men who claim that they are speaking for God. most people pick ad choose what they want to believe in the bible. if you believe one part of the bible, you have to believe every single word. you can't take parts word-for-word, and change the rest of it through your own interpritation. all i hear is that science is all wrong because it disputes the bible, but the bible itself is the only evidence of any creationist claims. dinosaur bones were burried by the devil to test our faith. you can just discredit any scientific evidence by saying "it doesn't say that in the bible." it doesn't say anything about chemistry in the bible. does that mean that all chemists are wrong because their explanation is not in the bible?

R.B., U.S. 

Response: 

Thanks for the inquiry. I am responding below with both sincerity and respect. 

[Note: I like to start many letters like this to show the author that I am not trying to be harsh by any means. It is difficult to read the tone of a letter or email, so be up front and say (and mean!) that it is written with kindness. Even though someone may send a hostile email, we should not treat them as an enemy. The false philosophy and false principalities are the enemy (Ephesians 6:12). 

We need to keep in mind that all Christians were once enemies of God who were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:8). God first loved us, setting the example for us to pass along love and respect for others created in His image (1 John 4:9; John 15:17). In fact, we are commanded to use gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15)]; this response will also be done in a point-by-point style.  

i would just like to comment that the only proof of creationism is the bible. the bible was written by men. 

Of course, the Bible was written by men, but his claim here is that God was NOT involved. He has no way of substantiating the validity of his claim (no God involved in the production of the Bible) except by blind faith which is arbitrary. For someone to truly make this statement, he would have to be transcendent and omnipresent. 

He would have to be able to “see” into the spiritual realm and verify that God did not influence the writers of the Bible many years ago. Such attributes that this person is inadvertently claiming are attributes of God. So, in essence, R.B. is claiming to be God, or just repeating what he has heard from others, who claim to know more than God. 

This is a worldview issue right from the start. One can believe R.B., or any human, is “god” (i.e., humans seen as the ultimate authority), or one can place his faith in the true Creator God and His eyewitness account in His Word, seeing Him as authoritative. One can respond by pointing out that he is claiming to be God with this statement. 

men can lie. 

This is true, but not because R.B. is saying it. It is true because God says it (Romans 3:4). And R.B. apparently believes that lying is morally wrong. In a response, one can point out that for R.B. to say this; he is borrowing morality from the Bible by at least admitting to the concept of moral truth. 

But interestingly, one could ask R.B., “Were you lying when you claimed the Bible was written merely by men?” What this shows is that, logically, by the writer’s own standards, he could be lying. Of course, this should be done with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). 

man is capable of the most horribly attrocities on the planet. 

Again, this is true, but not because R.B. said it. In fact, I am glad that he recognizes this, because it gives us two ways to respond. 

1. Originally, God made the world perfect, and there were no atrocities. But because of man’s sin, the world is now subject to such things. It serves as a reminder that we need a Savior from sin and this sin-cursed world.[1] 

2. Many people often try to blame God for such atrocities, yet the reader rightly recognizes that man is involved. Man’s sin, again, is why such things exist. 

Both of these answers lead into the gospel message.[2] 

Another thing that is useful is to show that R.B. is borrowing Christian morality to argue against it. Consider the illustration below: 

 Image in original article

He is borrowing from the Bible’s morality to say such things are wrong. 

you ask us not to believe in the word of God, but the word of men who claim that they are speaking for God. 

Note the fallacy here. He is assuming that his statement above (that leads to a human claiming to be God) is true; hence, he is building on it. We need to point out the fallacy and then show what this philosophy leads to (the “don’t answer, answer” strategy from Proverbs 26:4–5). One could say: 

I don’t accept your proposition that God had nothing to do with His Word, but let’s assume for a moment that you are correct. How do you propose to save yourself from sin and death if salvation has not come through Jesus Christ? 

Also, why would you be upset with horrible atrocities and lies? By saying lies and horrible atrocities are wrong, you are borrowing from a biblical worldview. In a worldview that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible, why are such things wrong? Such things would be governed by chemical reactions in the brain. Why would anyone be upset about titanium reacting with boron? 

most people pick ad choose what they want to believe in the bible. 

Sadly, this is true, and it reveals how much humanism has influenced Christians. In essence, what happens is that people (even Christians) use their own ideas to pick and choose what they want to believe from the Bible. 

So, Christians, take note of what the real authority is in this situation: a person’s own ideas, not God’s Word. The real authority to those who “pick and choose” is a human, not God, i.e., humanism. Sadly, many Christians in today’s culture are mixing Christianity with humanism (recall Exodus 20:3). As Christians, we should always use God’s Word as the authority, not our own sinful, fallible reasoning. 

In response to R.B., one could point out that R.B. is doing the same thing. He is opting to believe that lying and horrible atrocities are wrong. He is picking and choosing these things from the Bible to believe, whether he realizes it or not, yet rejecting the rest—including its authority statements. 

if you believe one part of the bible, you have to believe every single word. 

If R.B. really believed this, then why doesn’t he believe the whole Bible, since he already borrowed from its morality and concept of truth? 

you can't take parts word-for-word, and change the rest of it through your own interpritation. 

Take note of R.B.’s assumption here. He assumes that the entire Bible is written in the same literary style. A remedial look at the Bile reveals poetry, metaphors, literal history, prayers, genealogical data, etc. So, he gives a false assumption and tries to build on it, so his entire argument breaks down. 

The issue is letting God interpret His own Word (Scripture interprets Scripture). This is why understanding the context and the complementary nature of Scripture is so important. It has nothing to do with human interpretation. Many, such as R.B., may be assuming “no God,” and therefore that God cannot interpret so people must. But this is not the case. 

Proverbs 8:8–9 and 2 Corinthians 4:2 reveal that the Scriptures are to be taken plainly or straightforwardly. I like to put this in simple terms: Metaphors are metaphors; poetry is poetry; literal history is literal history; and so on. So, there should be no reason for outlandish interpretations, unless one does it of their own mind (e.g., mixing it with humanism). 

all i hear is that science is all wrong because it disputes the bible, 

I wanted to cut this phrase off here and explain two things. First, science is not all wrong. It is a methodology that actually confirms the Bible and most fields of science were developed Bible believers. 

And second, R.B. is confusing the term “science” with secular interpretations of science and evolution. 

but the bible itself is the only evidence of any creationist claims. 

In reality, the Bible is the foundation for creationists’ claims. But all facts can be used by creationists as evidence. For example, dinosaurs are often taught as evidence for evolution and millions of years, but they are used by creationists to teach that God created them on Day 6 and that the bulk of the dinosaurs died in the Flood of Noah's day leaving their fossils behind (that is those that were not on the Ark).[3] 

dinosaur bones were burried by the devil to test our faith. 

If this is intended as a caricature of our position (or a general creationist position), it’s just a plain straw man argument. As just stated, dinosaurs existed and their bones were buried in the Flood. Interesting that for someone who is arguing against the Bible, R.B. seems to adhere to biblical teaching that the devil exists! 

you can just discredit any scientific evidence by saying “it doesn’t say that in the bible.” 

Again, take note that R.B. is equating interpretations with “scientific evidence.” We do not dispute dinosaur bones, we dispute the dates given for them, and we have reasonable doubt for those dates.[4] Scientific models and interpretations offer great support for the Bible. However, at the ministry we like to point out that scientific models can change with new information, but the Bible is still the inerrant framework within which to interpret scientific facts. 

it doesn’t say anything about chemistry in the bible. 

When there are absolutes (i.e., “doesn’t say anything”) in a statement, it is good to re-read it and see if that absolute is true. As a side note, in an atheistic worldview, in which absolutes do not exist, it is interesting that absolutes are used quite often! 

Regardless, the Bible does touch on chemistry, but the Bible isn’t a chemistry textbook. Consider passages about iron, bronze, and copper. To purify such items and mix alloys requires some chemistry. In fact, materials processing requires considerable amounts of chemistry. Naturally there are some subjects not mentioned in Scripture, but that is not a problem. For example, the Bible doesn't say that using a club (or gun, or rope, etc.) to kill someone is wrong; it says murder is wrong. The framework is in place. 

does that mean that all chemists are wrong because their explanation is not in the bible? 

Note another absolute (all) that tries to set up that creationists think all chemists are wrong. Of course, there are creationists who are chemists, and because of God’s attributes that we know from the Bible (logical, non-contradictory), we know that chemistry is possible. So, it has little to do with this, even though R.B. claims that it does. 

Now that we have answered the inquirer, it is good to sum up with the gospel—whether a few lines or even more in-depth. It is always good to close with some encouraging words about what to do next and even an invitation to learn more about Jesus Christ and the Bible. Remember the great commission at the end of Matthew. We want to see people saved. Perhaps something like: 

I can see that you have a strong moral conscious (lying is wrong, atrocities by man are horrible, etc.), and this is good, since it comes from the Bible. R.B., I hope that this response has challenged you to consider the truth of the Bible, which seems to be your biggest stumbling block. I want to encourage you to study this further and consider the claims of Christ. 

Then perhaps link to an article or chapter that explains the Gospel to make it a little easier for them and close with: 

With kindness in Christ, 

Bodie Hodge, a sinner saved by grace. 

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. 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.  

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

 

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[1] For more on this, please see Biblical Authority Ministries: Why Is There Death And Suffering?.

[2] For more on this please see: The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Biblical Authority Ministries: Being Saved.

[3] Bodie Hodge, Dinosaurs, Dragons, and the Bible, Master Books, Green Forest, AK, 2023

[4] Biblical Authority Ministries: How Old Is The Earth.

A Secular Obsession—Escaping Death?

A Secular Obsession—Escaping Death?

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

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 26, 2025 (Donate)

From a Christian perspective, life has value, and human life has eternal value. This is why Christians share the good news of Jesus Christ—so others can have eternal life. Being made in the image of an eternal God means our souls go on forever, and we look forward to a general resurrection of all people, where we will receive new bodies when Christ returns (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Yet, the secular world has an obsession with wanting to live longer in this sin-cursed and broken world. For instance, they have studied the genetics of death with progeria (a genetic point mutation where a single glitch leads to aging and dying of old age by the time one is a teenager).

NewScientist magazine (September 20–26, 2025)

In the NewScientist magazine (September 20–26, 2025; pp. 30–34), there is a cover article on how to live to 100. This article looks at food and exercise considerations and how the body reacts to internal maintenance and repair. The following article (ibid., pp. 34–35) examines tech millionaire Bryan Johnson’s quest for longer life.

Over and over again in secular literature, there is an obsession with escaping death—even for just a little while. But goals of immortality remain elusive. Meanwhile, the secular world dwells on abortion (forced death of the preborn) and euthanasia (forced death of the elderly) while praising “millions of years of death” as the hero that drives evolution.

The point is that in the heart of hearts of unbelievers, like these secularists, they know death is bad and that it is coming for them. The problem is that their worldview offers no solution. It is a “dead end” with no hope.

Have you ever stopped to think about a secular humanistic worldview? Everything came from nothing, life is an accident, and everything is going to die—without any ultimate meaning or hope.

You can see why so many give up and have no desire to do great things. Others try to gain temporary sanity and fight death for a while, only to succumb sooner or later.

The fact is that death is an enemy—and the secularists realize this deep down. As a Christian, I actually commend them on this realization! That might surprise you.

Death is an enemy, but not in a secular mindset. In the secular worldview, death is a natural part of life and is vital and necessary for evolution to “hopefully” move forward for a little while—until the universe eventually dies of a heat death. Then it was all pointless again.

The secular view cannot explain why death is an enemy, but the biblical worldview does. Death is the punishment for sin, and we’ve all sinned—both when our life was wrapped up in Adam and his first sin, and through our own personal sins (Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12). So, when secularists realize death is bad and want to escape it, that’s good! But this recognition comes from a Christian worldview, not a secular one.

This provides a perfect springboard to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, who took the death we deserve to satisfy God’s punishment for sin. This is how we receive everlasting life—not by exercise, diet, or other experiments, but by having the death we deserve taken for us. The God of life, who created and sustains life, will grant us eternal life when we believe in Jesus Christ, who suffered, died, and rose again to save us.

Then Christ’s perfect righteousness (because He committed no sin per 1 Peter 2:22 and Hebrews 4:15) is credited to us, and we are seen as spotless for all eternity—enjoying God’s blessings forever. There is no fear of a heat death, only hope and eternal purpose.

Christians have recently been reminded in several ways that death comes for us all because of sin. But God has made a way of escape through His Son, Jesus.

With the recent passing into glory of great men of God—John MacArthur (who once walked into my office because he wanted to meet me!), James Dobson, Charlie Kirk, and my friend Voddie Baucham (just yesterday)—we are reminded of the power and promises of God. They are now comforted and will rise again with new glorified bodies, just like Jesus did.

Voddie, Bodie, Buddy, Bodie, Voddie, Cody—we had fun with our names! Photos by Bodie Hodge

Yes, our hope is in Christ, not the world. Our hope is in God, not diet, exercise, or scientific experiments. These things may offer temporary help and benefits, but death is coming for us all. The question is: on which side of the grave will you stand? The side standing with Christ, or the one standing opposed to Him, awaiting eternal judgment?

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. 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. 

 

The Doctrine Of The Canon

The Doctrine Of The Canon

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

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 25, 2025 (Donate)

Why 66 books of the Bible? Some churches, like Rome after the mid-1500s, profess a few more by adding in some apocryphal books. Though arguably the most popular Catholic in history, Jerome, who translated the most time-honored translation in history (Latin Vulgate) that was used for well over 1000 years, held to 66 books. So, what gives?

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

This brings us to the issue of the doctrine of the canon. The canon (which means reed or measuring stick) is about inspired Scripture. So how do we know what books are contained in the canon? And why 66?

How To Get Started On The Subject?

Some suggest we should set the Bible aside and look at the subject of canon and decide for ourselves. Some suggest we let the church decide what the canon is. The problem with both of these methods is that it puts people (i.e., man, autonomous human reasoning) as the authority over God.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

When we look at the canon, God’s Word should not be neglected. It should still be treated as the authority that it is. As you can see, it is a unique quandary, because what makes up God’s Word is the very question at hand! Nevertheless, you can use your sword to defend your sword and an army can use a hill defend a hill. That analogy might be fitting here.

We’re going to use the 66 books of God’s Word to defend God’s canon.

God’s Authority On Canon

The canon of Scripture through a presuppositional apologetic framework (i.e., starting with the 66 books of the Bible), begins with the fact that God exists, that His Word is true, and that human reasoning must be subject to divine revelation rather than standing in judgment over it. This perspective shapes the way God understands and defends His own canon.

God is the ultimate authority, and because Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), it carries His authority. Therefore, the recognition of the canon is not primarily a human decision or council ruling but the result of God giving His Word and imposing its truth. In other words, the canon is self-authenticating.

From a presuppositional standpoint, to question the canon using autonomous human reason is to start with the wrong foundation. Instead, the believer must begin with God’s revelation and interpret all evidence, including canonical evidence, through that lens.

Self-Authenticating Nature Of Scripture

The Bible, by its own attestation, is the very standard that mark it as God’s Word. Confirmations of this are seen in:

• Non-contradiction since God cannot deny Himself
• Godly qualities—unity, harmony, fulfilled prophecy, miracles, written across ages with one theme, and spiritual power.
• Apostolic authority—books were written and affirmed by prophets and apostles of Christ.

To clarify, the church did not create the canon; rather, the canon generated the church by delivering God’s authoritative message through the power of the Holy Spirit. This rejects the Roman view that church tradition determines Scripture’s authority and canon.

Man was never in a position to determine canonicity. The Holy Spirit was. Instead, God’s Word has always been inherently authoritative from the moment it was revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Presuppositional Response To Challenges

Critics often claim the canon was the product of late church councils or political processes (e.g., the Council of Nicaea). One should respond by presuppositionally exposing the faulty starting point of these arguments:

1. Unbelieving assumptions—Skeptics appeal to a lesser authority in themselves to deny God’s existence or authority and therefore misinterpret historical data. This is a faulty appeal to authority and historical truth fallacy.
2. Historical evidence rightly interpreted—Early Christians already viewed Old and New Testament writings as authoritative long before any council, as seen in Peter calling Paul’s writings “Scripture” (2 Peter 3:16). Early church fathers immediately quoted New Testament books, which are apostolic-imposed books on the church as authoritative.

New Testament apostles and prophets knew what was Scripture and it would be naïve to think otherwise. As apostles imposed the canonical books on the church, people, therefore, knew what they were right from the apostolic age forward.

If anything, subsequent generations began struggling with the question of canon later. Even so, by starting with the truth of Scripture, councils merely confirmed what was already previously known and recognized, similar to how a jeweler identifies real gold rather than creating it.

Canon And The Old Testament

The Old Testament canon was completed and accepted long before Christ’s earthly ministry. Jesus Himself affirmed this canon when He referred to the Law, Prophets, and Writings (Luke 24:44). Thus, the Old Testament was already fixed, and Christ’s endorsement provides divine confirmation. Any later additions (e.g., the Apocrypha) are rejected because they lack prophetic authority and were never recognized by Jesus or the apostles.

Canon And The New Testament

The New Testament canon emerged as the apostles and New Testament prophets, under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote Scripture. These writings were immediately authoritative and recognized as such by the early church as they were imposed by the apostles as authoritative. This recognition flows naturally from the Spirit’s work in the apostolic church rather than from later institutional decisions. Later, some quested certain books after the apostles were laid to rest, but like God said, He would preserve His Word and did so (e.g., Psalm 12:6-7).

We can know with certainty that the New Testament books are 100% Scripture from God by starting with God’s authority rather than man’s reasoning. Using a presuppositional approach, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and that His Word is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, when God reveals His Word, it is inherently perfect and trustworthy.

To recap this important point, from the moment the apostles or New Testament prophets, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these books, they were immediately authoritative.

The church did not create the canon; instead, believers simply recognized what God had already given by imposition of the apostles as the office of Christ’s representatives. In the same way, the prophets of the Old Testament imposed their books and writings, which were produced by the power of the Holy Spirit, prior to Christ.  

Con sider these confirming factors:

1. Apostolic authority—Every New Testament book was written by an apostle or a direct associate under apostolic oversight (e.g., Luke with Paul, Mark with Peter) including New Testament prophets (1 Corinthians 12:28).
2. Consistency and harmony—Scripture does not contradict itself. The New Testament writings are perfectly unified with the Old Testament—being a natural fulfillment of their prophecies and with the teachings of Christ.
3. Early and widespread acceptance due to apostolic imposition—even in the first century, churches circulated and treated these writings as Scripture. For example, Peter explicitly referred to Paul’s writings as “Scripture” (2 Peter 3:16).

Testing God’s Word?

In the 1800s, an idea was introduced by some Christians that we could test God’s Word and see if it was canonical. The problem with this method, first and foremost, is that man, is suddenly thrust in as the judge to evaluate God’s Word. In other words, man is putting God and His Word on trial—subject to our fallible opinions and whims—to see he and His Word lives up to man’s imperfect standards.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The “test method” of determining the New Testament canon is flawed because it starts with man’s authority rather than God’s authority. The test method suggests that we can examine God’s Word using human-devised criteria—such as apostolic authorship, harmony with other Scripture, and widespread acceptance—to decide which books are truly inspired. While these factors may describe what God has done, they do not actually determine whether a book is the Word of God.

This approach places human reasoning above divine revelation, making man the final judge over God’s Word. If people have to “test” the books to see if they meet certain standards, then the authority ultimately rests in human hands, not in God. Furthermore, where do the test come from? The mind of man!

This leads to the dangerous idea that the Bible’s authority depends on human approval, which undermines its very nature as the self-attesting Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). When starting with God's 66 books, they ward of any attack. 

The New Testament writings were immediately Scripture the moment they were written by the apostles and New Testament prophets under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The early church did not make them Scripture through testing or councils; instead, they simply recognized what God had already given. Tests are not the foundation for why the canon is true and complete.

The test method opens the door to skepticism. If man’s reasoning can “approve” certain books, it could just as easily reject them or accept false writings, such as the Apocrypha or Gnostic gospels or cultic books and alleged neo-prophecies. This creates instability and doubt, rather than certainty (and the possibility of an open canon).

The problem with the test method is that it is a man-centered foundation. The proper approach is presuppositional: starting with God’s truth and acknowledging that His Word is self-authenticating, authoritative from the moment of its divine inspiration, and recognized by the church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If someone uses the test methods, such as various popular tests of canonicity, it creates serious problems because they unintentionally undermine the very books they are meant to confirm. Consider popular test questions:

• Was the book written by an apostle of God?
• Was the writer confirmed by acts of God (performing miracles, etc.)?
• Does the message tell the truth about God?
• Did the book come with the power of God?
• Was it accepted by the people of God?
• Whether the book had been written by one of the Apostolic circle or closely related to it
• Whether a book bore the marks of inspiration
• Whether it was Christ-centered in its teaching
• Whether it was read in the worship services of the Church

If these tests are applied strictly, they would cast doubt on certain New Testament books such as Jude and Hebrews. For example, Hebrews has no named author, and Jude was not one of the twelve apostles and never performed any recorded miracles. By this standard, both could be rejected, even though the early church recognized them as inspired.

Some books, like Hebrews, 2 Peter, and Revelation, took longer to gain universal recognition. Strictly following this test would suggest these writings were not inspired during the time of early discussion, which is false because they were always Scripture from the moment they were written.

The point is that these tests have fatal weaknesses. The test method ultimately places human judgment above divine revelation. It implies that a book only “becomes” Scripture once it passes human-devised criteria, which contradicts the biblical teaching that all Scripture is God-breathed from the moment of its inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16).

These tests should be viewed as descriptive and confirmatory in many instances, not prescriptive. They can help explain how the later church retained the canon but cannot serve as the foundation for certainty. If used prescriptively, the tests could eliminate hosts of Bible books like Hebrews or Jude (etc.), proving the method unreliable and inconsistent. A presuppositional approach should be obvious, where God’s Word is self-authenticating, and the church’s role is to recognize, not determine, His inspired writings.

Conclusion

The New Testament was always self-authenticating. Because God is sovereign and faithful, He preserved His Word perfectly and reveals His Word by final authority. Our confidence rests not in later councils or traditions, but in the unchanging character of God, who gave His Word and ensured that His people would know and receive it as 100% His true and infallible Scripture.

God’s Word is self-attesting and carries its own authority. Humans do not determine the canon; they submit to what God has revealed. Historical evidence, when interpreted correctly, supports the early and consistent recognition of both the Old and New Testament canons. Any objection by skeptics ultimately fails because they start with faulty assumptions rather than the truth of God’s revelation.

By beginning with God’s authority (the 66 books of the Bible) rather than man’s, the canon is not a fragile human construct where people can add or subtract books but the providentially preserved Word of the living God.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. 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.

 

The Authority Test: Christianity Or Humanism?

The Authority Test: Christianity Or Humanism?

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

Biblical Authority Ministries, September 24, 2025 (Donate) 

 

Part 1: Testing Christians’ Ultimate Authority

Why The Need For This Test? 

There are many Christians who say they believe in biblical authority. They may even claim to adhere to biblical inerrancy and say they take the Bible “literally,” or as it is written. However, in practice, many of these Christians often ignore the Bible. 

The primary reason many Christians do not adhere to biblical authority in practice is that they are influenced by the religion of humanism—and may not even realize it. Humanism is the common religion of the times. As Christians, we need to be able to effectively recognize and refute it. In this article I will present the “authority test” to help Christians recognize when humanism is trying to overstep the authority of God. But before I explain what I mean by “the authority test,” let’s look at the influence of humanism. 

Influence Of Humanism 

In today’s culture, the religion of humanism has infiltrated the thinking of Christians, whether laity, pastors, elders, or professors. Humanism is a religion that essentially places humans on top and everything else below. So, in this religion, God would be lower than man—or there is really no God at all.

Image from Presentation Library

Humanism really began taking hold in the western world with the widespread rejection of God as the authority beginning about 200 or so years ago. Humanism has become the staple religion in universities and state schools around the world and is directly opposed to biblical authority. 

Some famous humanists are Dr. Eugenie Scott, who heads up the National Center for Science Education, and Dr. Richard Dawkins, who openly professes atheism and writes books that attack Christianity. Both were signers of the Humanist Manifesto III. However, many people think "humanisticly" (having autonomous man as the authority), whether they realize there is a Humanist Manifesto or not. With humanism being the prime religion taught in today’s schools, it is no surprise that younger generations think as though mankind is the authority. 

God Is The Authority 

Contrary to what the world believes, we know that God, being the Creator and Sustainer of all things, is the ultimate authority in all things. Consider God’s Word: 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (NKJV). (2 Timothy 3:16–4:5)

 

Image from Presentation Library

God determines what is right or wrong. Therefore, His Word, i.e., Scripture, is useful for rebuking and correcting. Even people, families, and governing authorities for various cultures can get laws and rules for civil life correct from time to time, but this is because they are borrowing from what God has determined as right and wrong. 

The context surrounding 2 Timothy 3:16 reveals that there is a time when people will no longer adhere to sound doctrine from God but will leave the concepts of right and wrong up to their own desires. When one raises up his own desires to be the authority, this is humanism, where humans think they can sit in authority over God. Paul writing to Timothy here says that this philosophy will influence teachers and turn people away from the truth to fables. In today’s culture, this is exactly what is happening with universities and schools and why Christians need to be exceptionally discerning lest they be led astray to fables by humanism (e.g., molecules-to-man evolution) instead of resting on Scripture. 

The Authority Test 

Image in original article

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 (NKJV) says that we must “Test all things; hold fast to that which is good.” God helps us think through the issues, using the standards of Scripture, to determine what is good and right. Then we should hold fast to that. 

Using the following authority test can play a big part in the process of thinking through the issues. The authority test is this: “Does the idea/statement/presupposition that I am confronted with have man as the ultimate authority or the God of the Bible as the ultimate authority? Are man’s thoughts exalted above God’s Word, or is the Word of God honored?” 

This authority test can be used two ways: 

1. To better yourself by realizing where humanism has infiltrated your life and accordingly changing to align with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 13:5)

2. To recognize when others are thinking “humanisticly” and being able to reveal that fallacy to prepare to refute it (2 Corinthians 10:3–6)

 Brief Examples In Scripture 

There are quite a number of examples in Scripture where God’s authority was reduced and man’s ideas were raised up to be greater than what God said. Here are a few of the many biblical examples that illustrate this: 

1. Adam and Eve, Genesis 3: When the Woman (later named Eve in verse 20) was presented with two different options (what God said and what the serpent said), she raised her thoughts up to be the authority on the subject. The Woman saw the fruit and desired it. She raised her own thoughts of the fruit above what God said about the fruit in Genesis 2:17, which she was more or less aware of (Genesis 3:2–3). She, thus, was first to exhibit this humanist trait. Then Adam followed suit.

2. Cain, Genesis 4:1–12: Cain’s sacrifice didn’t mimic sacrifices of animals as God did in Genesis 3:21 for Adam and Eve (coats of skins). His sacrifice for this or other reasons was not acceptable compared to Abel’s, who did have animal sacrifices. God advised Cain, yet Cain did not listen to God, and, in his anger over God’s authority to determine what is and what is not acceptable, went out and killed his brother Abel. This violates God’s transcendent law against murder. So, Cain raised up his own thoughts to be greater than God’s by rejecting them. Once again, humanist thinking.

3. Saul, 1 Samuel 15: Instead of listening to God, Saul decided to keep back what he considered the best animal plunder to supposedly sacrifice to God, as opposed to destroying them as the Lord had commanded. Saul opted to have his own thoughts on the matter to be greater than God.

4. Pharisees, Matthew 12:38: The Pharisees wanted to see a sign from Jesus. They placed themselves in authority by trying to force Jesus, the almighty God, to submit to their wishes to prove Himself to them, thus putting themselves in authority over God. 

Putting Ideas And Comments To The Test In Today’s Culture 

Christians should learn from these types of examples, because once one reduces God as the authority, then man’s ideas, by default, become the authority. Sadly, many Christians fail to realize that when this happens, the authority is transferred over to man’s erroneous ideas and philosophies and no longer comes from Christ for some. Consider: 

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) 

As Christians, we need to be able to discern if the ideas of men (even our own) are sitting in a position of authority over God’s Word. Here are three examples: 

1. Cults: Many cults claim to add to the Word of God. In reality, they are raising up man’s words to be equal to or greater than God’s Word. This is a form of humanism. As soon as one refers to a book, magazine, organization, etc. as having equal or greater authority than the Bible, then that should be a red flag to anyone that humanism has infiltrated.

2. The deity of Christ: John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1 are clear that Jesus Christ is the Creator God. Some people demean this and reduce the deity of Christ. This is man sitting in authority over God’s Word—again. For more on this see Is Jesus the Creator God?

3. Millions of years: In no place in Scripture is the idea that the earth is millions of years old. Adding up genealogies will not get anyone even close to millions of years. The idea of millions and billions of years comes from fallible man’s ideas about the past. These fallible men interpret the geological rock layers as accumulating over millions of years, and hence, these men reject God’s Word in Genesis 6–8 about a global Flood. If one accepts these ideas, knowing that these ideas contradict God’s Word, then they are putting man’s ideas over God’s ideas. Isn’t it clear how humanistic this really is? Unfortunately, even sincere Christians can begin to adjust their methods of interpretation so that their interpretation of the Bible becomes consistent with the secular “findings” of science. These Christians may not be willfully setting up their ideas over God’s Word, but they are being heavily influenced by the results of humanistic thinking. There is no legitimate reason to reject a plain reading of the Genesis record of creation and the Flood. It is when Christians examine the “evidence” of secular geology in light of God’s Word, rather than the other way around, that they will be able to understand that the evolutionary timeline is in error. The antidote for the influence of humanistic thinking is to view Scripture as authoritative. 

Consider these comments and try to spot the humanism in these: 

a. My pastor said that our particular church agrees that evolution and the Bible are compatible.

b. The Bible doesn’t mean a normal day in Genesis 1 because science says it is much longer. 

With [a], the writer of this statement appeals to the pastor, who appeals to the specific local church, which appeals to man’s ideas about millions of years and evolution. There can be multiple levels to search through before you spot the humanism at the root. 

With [b], again the person appeals to “science,” but really they mean a secular interpretation of scientific facts. 

We must use our God-given mind to reach logical conclusions, but if our minds interpret facts in such a way that our conclusion contradicts God’s Word, then we must reject that conclusion and give God the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, we are guilty of humanistic thinking. We must allow God’s Word to be the ultimate authority. 

My prayer is that each one of us will use the authority test on a daily basis to correct our thinking. This is one of the first steps to get back to biblical authority. 

It is important to realize that when man tries to sit in authority over the Word of God, then man is trying to judge God. But God makes it clear that it is He and His Word that will judge us. 

Part 2: Testing Humanism And Witnessing 

Once Christians begin to get themselves back to biblical authority, then the next challenge is humanism in the culture. Consider these comments that are common in today’s society and try to spot the humanism in these: 

1. The paper from the latest scientific journal says dinosaurs and man didn’t live at the same time.

2. Most scientists believe in evolution, so it must be true.

3. The Bible can’t be true because it is full of contradictions. 

In [a], the paper from the journal is given authority over the Bible’s statement that on Day 6, God created both man and land animals (dinosaurs). Where did the paper come from? Fallible man. 

In [b], it appeals to multiple humans (scientists) as an authority over God and implies consensus is the method by which we determine truth—but how often has that consensus changed? The consensus in Noah’s day was that there would be no Flood! 

In [c], the person is sitting in authority over God’s Word claiming there are contradictions (which there aren’t), and, in effect, that God is lying or can’t get His facts straight in what He claims is His Word, true, perfect and complete (Revelation 22:18, 19; 2 Timothy 3:15,16; 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 3:2; Romans 2:16; Hebrews 4:12, etc.). 

Following Up The Test In Practice 

The authority test simply allows you to recognize the root of a belief system—either going back to God or going back to humanity. But what is the next step? The goals are threefold: 

1. To reveal to that person the real religion that they believe or have been influenced by is humanism

2. To show the foundational problems with that view

3. To present what the Bible says and culminate with the gospel 

Many people who think humanisticly simply don’t realize it. So, the first goal is to reveal this to them. Perhaps challenge a humanistic worldview (in kindness) by asking questions about how they view the world and how their beliefs relate to things in reality. This is usually a non-threatening way to get people to think about their beliefs (Christian or not) more deeply because they probably haven’t—especially the foundation for their belief system. 

This also reveals problems with the foundation of humanism. For example, ask that person why people wear clothes in general. The person may be a bit taken aback, but what this shows is that a humanistic view of the past really doesn’t explain the world. Ultimately, of course, clothing is a Christian aspect that goes back to sin, shame, and sacrifice in Genesis 3. 

Or ask about marriage—where does the idea of marriage come from? (Ultimately, it comes from the Bible, too). Ask why death exists and if “right and wrong” exist and what is the ultimate standard by which we judge what is right or wrong. Ask if truth exists; if so, what exactly is it? And then ask if truth is the same for everyone. Ask where the world and universe came from; and where the stars came from; and where life came from; and so on. 

A few questions like these should get the person thinking—without being “preachy.” What will likely happen, though, is that a person will reveal what they really believe about origins . . . which is probably a mixture of some big bang, long ages, and evolution with some spirituality—or even some Christianity—mixed in.

When some of that comes out, point out the areas in which they are thinking as a humanist (evolution, naturalism, long ages, big bang, etc. are subsets of humanism). You may even have to explain it. Once they realize how humanism has influenced them, then proceed to point out that humans (or even that person individually) are really raising themselves up to be “a god” by placing themselves as the ultimate authority. Point out that humanism is really a polytheistic religion where each human is his own “god.”

 Image from Presentation Library

This should get through any humanist thinking, but then suggest to them that the Bible does explain things like the origin of matter, space, time, stars, marriage, clothing, truth, and so on. Then go into the doctrine of sin and that a perfect God originally created everything perfect. It was due to man’s sin that the world is like this—full of death and suffering. Then this can lead into the gospel, and how Christ came to save us from sin and death. 

While witnessing, remember to be kind and patient (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24). After all, we were each enemies of the gospel ourselves at one point (Colossians 1:21)—but Jesus Christ was patient with us and performed the ultimate act of kindness on the cross. 

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. 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.  

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