(15) I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.16By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness : He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
The church radiates the glory of God - how we live our lives produces strong evidence of the presence of the Almighty. Scientific discoveries certainly support what the Scriptures say about our Creator God and our origins. Archaelogical finds support the Biblical narrative of our history. And, these are great tools to integrate into our discussions of God's existence and operation. But, I believe that some of the clearest, most compelling testimony in the world today is from believers in Christ who allow Jesus to live through them. The church, the body of Christ, is called to radiate the nature of Christ, and how we show Jesus to the world will help to determine how the world responds to Him.
In 2nd Peter chapter 1, the writer, who walked with Jesus, said that we have even more compelling evidence of the presence of Christ...
(16) we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and comingof our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.17For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this wasmade to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased "-18and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holymountain.19So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to alamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
It's being described as somewhat of an archaelogical "gold rush", a swing in a pendulum...Now Israeli archaeologists have discovered the remains of two of the largest buildings known to have existed in the ancient kingdom of Judah.
ChrisitanityToday.com reports that these ruins are located on the site of modern-day Khirbet Qeiyafa, southwest of Jerusalem, where developers had been planning a new construction project. According to the Israel Antiquities Authorities (IAA), which led the excavation along with professors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the archaeologists have identified one of the buildings as David's palace and the other as one of his royal storerooms. More importantly, they say the newly discovered buildings now are the best evidence of the existence of Judah in the 10th century B.C. IAA states, "The palace and storerooms are evidence of state sponsored construction and an administrative organization during King David's reign."
Baptist Press quotes Yossi Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, the leading researchers involved in the dig, as saying, "This is indisputable proof of the existence of a central authority in Judah during the time of King David."
Steven Ortiz, associate professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, attended a celebration ceremony at the unveiling of the supposed palace site, and described the site as "important" for the history of the Israelite monarchy. He added, "I think Dr. Garfinkel might be overstating the large building. It is indeed a very large building sitting on the acropolis, perfect for a public building. While saying the site dates back to the reign of David, he said that it was a bit of a stretch to say it was David's palace. Ortiz said, "If David built a palace it would be in Jerusalem, as the biblical text implies, not in an outlying fortress city. It is best to state that Khirbet Qeiyafa was perhaps a city under the hegemony of the developing Davidic monarchy."
Dan Warner, associate professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press the excavation "has certainly set off some excitement in the archaeological community, and Professor Yossi Garfinkel's inferences have not been silenced."
"Garfinkel claims to have found a major Israelite settlement from the time of David, clearly suggesting that the Davidic kingdom was real and not fictitious as many liberal scholars claim," Warner said.
WORLDMag.com offers this statement:
Many critics of Christianity discredit the Bible by saying that King David never existed. If Garfinkel’s claim is true, then the find would be yet another archeological example of the Bible’s legitimacy, following discoveries of biblical cities like Capernaum, Ephesus, Jericho, and Nineveh, and artifacts like the Dead Sea scrolls.
While Biblical scholars exercise caution in the midst of this "gold rush", they do concede that these discoveries to confirm what we read in the pages of the Scriptures. While our faith does not rest in archaelogical discoveries, when there are legitimate sites and treasures that are found, we can be provided with more tools to defend our faith. I think of visiting the Dead Sea Scrolls display in Mobile many years ago and really getting the feeling that I was beholding a critical part of history.
God has given us so much evidence of His existence and if His Word is true, as we believe that it is, I believe it can be authenticated by discoveries that are made - that goes for the field of archaelology, as well as various fields of science. Science confirms the statements that we find in the Bible, and learn so much about the operation of God as we examine what has been discovered.
All of us may not be Biblical historians - relatively few of us are, but a study of history can help us develop a greater appreciation of the hand of God as He has written His story through the pages of human experience. The Bible illustrates for us real people who intersected with a real God who demonstrated real love for His people. Miraculously, his story has survived throughout the ages, and when we hear of these findings of ancient ruins, we don't completely based our faith on them - because "all that glitters is not gold". But, we can acknowledge discoveries consistent with the Scriptures as more tools that can confirm that amazing story. And, we can help to enlighten the skeptics whom we encounter by being armed with the physical evidence.
Some of the greatest evidence of the presence of God is the way you live your own life - how you radiate the character of Christ and walk in obedience to Him. You cannot underestimate the compelling power of the new birth, the change that the indwelling Christ can make in the heart and life of a person, and our expression of His love provides overwhelming evidence of a God who is mighty to save!
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