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In Western culture, science is often viewed as the most authoritative standard for determining truth available to mankind.  According to some modern scientists, reality is that which can be perceived, that which is tangible and material, and nothing else.  Experimentation and “objective” observation, they will say, is the only way that we can appropriately perceive reality; human reason is the only tool for interpreting such perceptions.  A Christian, however, knows that such claims are not accurate.  Science is not the Christian’s only tool for determining truth, and human reasoning is not as reliable as some would like to think that it is.  The foundation upon which Christianity stands is a strong faith in God as understood through His inerrant word, the Bible.  In order for a Christian to appropriately discern between truth and falsehood, he must understand what role science plays in his life in relation to his faith.  If he does not understand this delicate relationship, he will easily waver in his faith and fall into many snares, giving the devil a foothold in his heart and in his mind.

So, what role should science play in the mind of the modern-day Christian?  In order to answer this question, one must understand what science is and how it should be used.  Merriam-Webster’’ Collegiate Dictionary Eleventh Edition defines science as “knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method” or as “such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena.”¹  Because the physical world was created by God and because God set its phenomena into place, science can help us gain a better appreciation for the majesty and divine attributes of God.  Romans 1: 20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  Psalm 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.”  These verses clearly show how the natural world is evidence of the creator and how the natural world tells us about his “invisible qualities.”

Science is not just a tool for providing evidence of the supernatural, however.  Because God created the world with order, a systematic study of His creation can lead to a deeper understanding of how to utilize the natural order to help improve the quality of life for mankind.  Genesis 1:14-15 is one example of how God created the natural world with order.  “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’  And it was so.”  God clearly intended for man to understand the world around him as is evidenced by this reference to the lights in the expanse of the sky.  By studying the world around them, men can improve the quality of life for all of mankind.  Technology has been used in the past to drastically improve quality of life in countless ways.  Technology is not inherently beneficial, but if used wisely for the benefit of mankind, it is a gift from God.

In addition to understanding what science is, a Christian must also have a firm understanding of what the Bible is, and what it means to have faith in God.  The Bible is a compilation of inspired books concerning God and His relationship to mankind.  The Bible relates the story of the Creation of the universe; the fall of man; the promise of the Savior; the history of Israel; the Prophecies about the Savior; Jesus’ birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection, and ascension; records of the early church; epistles from the apostles; and many other things.  All of this is not simply a compilation of things written by men, but a book written by God.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Peter 1:21 says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”  Because Scripture is inspired by God, the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient creator of the universe, it is infallible.  Nothing in the scriptures is deceptive, incorrect, or inaccurate, because God is never deceptive, incorrect, or inaccurate.  Because the Bible is God’s word, it is the ultimate authority, and the Christian must treat it as such.

Many critics will claim that the Bible as we know it today is a corrupted version of the original manuscripts.  This claim, however, is completely false.  Throughout the centuries, tedious care has been put into the transmission of the Bible.  The amount of textual variance between different manuscripts is extremely small and the variations are relatively insignificant.  In fact, no doctrinal issues arise from such minor variances.  The “Dead Sea Scrolls” is one unique piece of evidence for the faithful transmission of the Word of God.  These ancient Biblical manuscripts affirm that almost nothing has changed over the years concerning the content of the Bible.  We must trust God to preserve his Word for us, and we can see that he has faithfully done so in the past.

One final key premise to determining the relationship between faith and reason concerns what it means to have faith.  Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.”  Throughout Hebrews 11, various heroes of the faith are mentioned and elaborated upon.  It is clearly shown that, though their faith was not “blind,” it did contradict human reason and understanding.  In other words, faith is believing something even if it doesn’t make sense to one’s self and even if one doesn’t understand how it works.  The reason a Christian has faith is because God gave it to him, and the only reasoning that should be in involved in spiritual matters is reasoning based upon faith.  Even then, one must also be careful not to rely too much on one’s reason because all of man’s faculties have been corrupted by the fall.  While reason can be used to support one’s faith, one should not rely too heavily on it.  After all, a Christian does not reason his way to faith; faith is a gift of God (see Ephesians 2:8).

So, in light of all of this, how should science interact with a Christian’s faith?  As stated above, science can be used to improve the quality of life for man and to support the Christian faith.  But what about when science appears to contradict the Bible?  What then?  The Bible is God’s Word and thus, infallible, while science is man-made and fallible.  Thus, when the two appear to contradict, one must always side with the more reliable source.

There are several explanations for how science could point one way while God’s Word could point another.  Either, A) the natural order could really point in the wrong direction, B) man’s observation of creation could be flawed, or C), man’s interpretation of what he observes could be flawed.  The plausibility of the first scenario is debatable, but regardless of whether a reasonable interpretation of the natural order could lead to an incorrect conclusion, we must still side with the Bible.  If it is possible for nature to point us in the wrong direction, and if our conclusion contradicts the Bible, then we must side with the Bible, for either nature itself may be pointing us in the wrong direction or our observation/interpretation may be flawed.²  If it is not possible for nature to point us in the wrong direction, and if our conclusion contradicts with the Bible, then we still must assume that either our observation or our interpretation was flawed.  Because man is fallen and sinful, our faculties are corrupted.  Both our physical senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing) as well as our mental faculties (such as emotions, reasoning, and decision-making) cannot be trusted unquestionably.  Sin has corrupted us and our “glasses” are cracked and tinted by sin.  1 Corinthians 1: 18-25 says the following:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”  Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

In addition to our fallen human nature, another inhibiting force upon the powers of science is the nature of science itself.  Because science is “such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena,”³ strictly speaking, raw science does not take the supernatural into account.  Science cannot prove the existence of angels and demons.  It cannot explain the miracles of Jesus.  It cannot explain the creation of the world.  Because reality is composed of both the natural and the supernatural, science is missing half of the story.  The Bible, on the other hand, as the Word of God, is perfect and takes into account both the natural and the supernatural.  While the scope of science is limited, God’s word is not.  Christians must always supplement (and sometimes temper) their science with their knowledge of the supernatural which they glean from the Bible.

Many people will often try to “reinterpret” the Bible in light of modern scientific discoveries.  This also is very dangerous since it is often trying to explain the supernatural in terms of the natural.  One still risks compromising the meaning of the Bible when one tries to “interpret” the Bible based off of science.  To compromise in such a way in order to get science and the Bible to agree is placing science equal to the Bible.  Instead, a Christian should interpret his science with the Word of God.  Earthly reason can be ever so dangerous to one’s faith, and thus interpretation of scripture should be limited strictly to textual analysis.  We require reason to understand what we read and to interpret the effects of context, translation, etc., but to go beyond this is dangerous.  One needs to limit the external sources used to “interpret” scripture in order to avoid faulty interpretation or the corruption of its meaning.

Macroevolution is one such scientific theory concerning which a Christian can encounter this dilemma if he places too much weight on science.  Strict Macroevolution not only denies the existence of God and of a seven day creation, but it in turn denies that man has a purpose, that there is such a thing as sin, and that Jesus was the son of God.  While many Evolutionists will back up their claims with what appears to be sound reasoning, we must always view such a theory in light of what the Bible says.  Thus, Christians must utterly reject the theory of evolution because it contradicts with what God’s word tells us, not to mention the fact that it is very poorly supported.  As soon as one begins to “interpret” scripture based on external sources, one risks corrupting one’s faith.  It is a dangerous path to take.

Thus, one must be very careful how one uses science in relation to God’s Word.  While science can be useful to the Christian, he must always place God’s Word as superior to the fallen wisdom of this world.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).