The Rational Apologetic

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 NASB

Believes – In an online document entitled, “How to Motivate Anyone to Become a Christian,” the author offers the following as “compelling” proof (I will not cite this source) that would require any rational person to become a Christian.  Here’s what he wrote:

The contemporary accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth corroborate each other and are therefore believed to be historically accurate. The following selected details contained in ancient Hebrew writings that pre-date Jesus, appear to confirm his identity as the Messiah, the promised one who would save Israel as well as the Gentiles who turn to God. His fulfillment of these prophecies prove Him to be the Messiah, the anointed One, who would save His people from their sins.

1. He would be born in the town of Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-6
2. He would be born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14 fulfilled in Matthew 1:18
3. He would perform miracles – Isaiah 35:5-6 fulfilled in all the accounts
4. He would speak in parables – Psalm 78:2 fulfilled in Mark 4:34
5. The price of his betrayal would be thirty pieces of silver – Zechariah 11:12 fulfilled in Matthew 26:15
6. His death would be as a sacrificial lamb – Isaiah 53:5-8,10-11 fulfilled in John 1:29
7. Lots would be cast for his garment – Psalm 22:18 fulfilled in John 19:23-24
8. His manner of death: hands and feet pierced – Psalm 22:16 fulfilled in Matthew 27:38
9. The words of those mocking him at his death – Psalm 22:7,8 fulfilled in Matthew 27:42-43
10. He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb – Isaiah 53:9 fulfilled in Matthew 27:57-60
11. He would return to life – Isaiah 53:10-11 fulfilled in Matthew 28:5-6
12. He would be Light to the Gentiles – Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:6 fulfilled in Luke 2:29-32
13. He would enter Jerusalem as a gentle king. – Zechariah 9:9 fulfilled in Matthew 21:5
14. A fountain would open for cleansing in Jerusalem. – Zechariah 13:1 fulfilled in Acts 2:38.

Now let’s analyze this:

As you can immediately see, the assumption behind these fourteen statements is that each one must be rationally accepted as true because they appear in the Hebrew Bible.  The argument is that since these “predictions” were fulfilled in Jesus, this proves that he must be the Messiah who will save his people from their sins.  The argument is that if a series of events are predicted before they happen, and they subsequently happen according to the prediction, then they must be true, and anyone who recognizes this correlation must admit to the claim they make.

Let’s consider some implications.

1. The Jews have had these Scriptures for more than three thousand years, yet most do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Does this mean that they are either not rational (that is, sub-human) or “blinded” to the truth?  Christianity has offered both explanations.
2. The “predictions” from the Hebrew Scriptures can only be viewed through the lens of Messianic prophecy fulfilled in Jesus. No other interpretation of these verses can be allowed.  In other words, rather than viewing these prophecies as relevant to the people in the time they were given, this argument presupposes that they could only be understood in terms of their eventual fulfillment in Jesus.  What this means is that these prophecies were opaque to those who heard them before Jesus’ death and resurrection.
3. This form of argument implies that faith is essentially a matter of rational concurrence. Faith comes down to the facts.  Of course, if that is true then there really is no need for trust.  I don’t trust that 7+7=14.  I don’t trust that my oldest son was born on May 2^nd.  These are facts, and if my relationship with the Messiah is based on the facts of prophetic prediction, then trust doesn’t apply.  So, the word pístis (Greek – trust, faith) and the words bāṭaḥ and ʾĕmûnâ have no real meaning.  Unfortunately, these three words are crucial terms for a biblically-based relationship with God.
4. Finally, an exclusive commitment to a rationally-based faith is actually viciously circular. What I mean is that the evidence against this point of view is dismissed as “not rational,” and the only “facts” accepted are those that the paradigm already supports.  A purely rational “faith” maintains this epistemology until some discrepancy is so traumatic that it challenges the core of the belief structure.  At that point, followers either abandon the system entirely or become dogmatists.

Topical Index: rationality, prophecy, Messiah, John 3:16