Any insightful science in the Bible?

[JohnClay]

Is there anything related to physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, etc that is mentioned in the Bible that couldn't have just been reasoned about by thinkers and philosophers of the time? i.e. that suggests that the knowledge came from God rather than from people of the time?

Sometimes I hear about hygiene (which doctors didn't bother with until around the mid 1800s).... but that might just be about ceremonial cleanliness.

The Bible could have said that more than a thousand thousand thousand years ago the heavens were created as a speck that was incredibly hot. Then it spread out and formed the stars. Then more than a thousand thousand thousand years later the Sun, Earth and "wandering stars" (planets) were formed. (rather than the Bible seeming to say that the stars were formed before the Earth)

If you think those numbers are too big for the Bible consider these:
1 Chronicles 21:5 - 1,100,000 ("eleven times one hundred thousand")
Revelation 5:11 - "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands"

Or it could have said that our mind comes from our head.... instead it seems to be saying that our mental abilities come from our heart and gut, etc.

Note that I don't think there is anything in the Bible that contradicts the idea that the Earth is flat. Isaiah 40:22's "circle of the earth" could be interpreted as talking about a ball but it doesn't contradict the idea that the earth is a flat disc.

Apparently some Christians say that the Bible isn't meant to be a science textbook. But I think its poetry could involve real science rather than seem to involve a very non-scientific world-view.

Creationists would say that the universe is really only a few thousand years old, just like the Bible implies but do you have any evidence that the universe is that old besides the genealogies in Genesis?

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Probably the closest things to the OP are some of the things Hugh Ross talks about in terms of Cosmology. He is unique among Christian Apologists who came to Faith by applying the Scientific Method in his life.

https://www.cru.org/us/en/how-to-know-god/my-story-a-life-changed/hugh-ross.html

 

[OldWiseGuy]

This is one science is still struggling with.

Hebrews 11:3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 

[JohnClay]

Probably the closest things to the OP are some of the things Hugh Ross talks about in terms of Cosmology. He is unique among Christian Apologists who came to Faith by applying the Scientific Method in his life.

https://www.cru.org/us/en/how-to-know-god/my-story-a-life-changed/hugh-ross.html

That link says "continual expansion of the universe from the cosmic beginning" - is that based on any particular Bible verse? That seems like a single thing.... and I don't think that outweighs the times the Bible seems to get science wrong (though Christians would just say thinking with your heart is just metaphorical, etc)
I'm talking about things that couldn't be reasoned by thinkers of the time (which could include "the pervasiveness of entropy (decay)")

 

[JohnClay]

This is one science is still struggling with.

Hebrews 11:3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Do you mean that this is something that Christians looking at science have problems with?

 

[HARK!]

Here is a great expression of pi that was written about 300 years before Archimedes was born:

1Ki 7:23
He made the sea of cast metal, ten cubits from its one lip unto its other lip, circular round about; five cubits was its rise, and a measuring tape of thirty cubits would surround it round about.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Do you mean that this is something that Christians looking at science have problems with?

Science is still seeking the origin of matter. Christians know (or should know) that matter is made of ...spirit, which is not observable or detectable by science. It's the same for evolution. Science believes it but continues to try to prove it to themselves. Most Christians believe in special creation, no proof needed.

 

[JohnClay]

Here is a great expression of pi that was written about 300 years before Archimedes was born:

1Ki 7:23
He made the sea of cast metal, ten cubits from its one lip unto its other lip, circular round about; five cubits was its rise, and a measuring tape of thirty cubits would surround it round about.

That's not really any better than the knowledge of the time suggesting that that Bible verse wasn't based on the knowledge of an omniscient God....
A Brief History of Pi (π) | Exploratorium

One Babylonian tablet (ca. 1900–1680 BC) indicates a value of 3.125 for π, which is a closer approximation......The Egyptians calculated the area of a circle by a formula that gave the approximate value of 3.1605 for π.​

 

[JohnClay]

Science is still seeking the origin of matter. Christians know (or should know) that matter is made of ...spirit, which is not observable or detectable by science. It's the same for evolution. Science believes it but continues to try to prove it to themselves. Most Christians believe in special creation, no proof needed.

So scientists aren't sure about where the universe came from.... the Bible talks a lot about spirit - I thought it should be detectable by science.... (like demons, etc) Are you saying there is no evidence for evolution?

 

[HARK!]

That's not really any better than the knowledge of the time suggesting that that Bible verse wasn't based on the knowledge of an omniscient God....

Nope, it's based on an actual measurement in cubits. I didn't realize that the Babylonians had already made a rough calculation.

 

[JohnClay]

Nope, it's based on an actual measurement in cubits. I didn't realize that the Babylonians had already made a rough calculation.

Do you think this is good evidence that God himself was speaking to the author? Or could people of that time figured out that value of pi for themselves?

 

[Pavel Mosko]

That link says "continual expansion of the universe from the cosmic beginning" - is that based on any particular Bible verse?

Job 9:8

 

[HARK!]

Do you think this is good evidence that God himself was speaking to the author? Or could people of that time figured out that value of pi for themselves?

What would lead you to believe that YHWH spoke this particular verse?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

So scientists aren't sure about where the universe came from.... the Bible talks a lot about spirit - I thought it should be detectable by science.... (like demons, etc) Are you saying there is no evidence for evolution?

Science doesn't know where 'material' came from.

There's lots of 'evidence' but does it add up to evolution?

 

[JohnClay]

That link says "continual expansion of the universe from the cosmic beginning" - is that based on any particular Bible verse?

Job 9:8

Is there any evidence that people of the time thought that the universe had been expanding continuously ever since it began?
The Enduring Word commentary doesn't seem to think that verse is significant enough to say anything about it:
Job Chapter 9
Is that the only verse that supports the Big Bang?

 

[JohnClay]

What would lead you to believe that YHWH spoke this particular verse?

Well this thread is about evidence that the writers of the Bible got their knowledge of science from God rather than it coming from people of the time....

 

[JohnClay]

Science doesn't know where 'material' came from.

But does know an overwhelming amount of things related to physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, etc.

There's lots of 'evidence' but does it add up to evolution?

Well a large number of Christians believe in evolution so there must be a lot of evidence.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Here is a great expression of pi that was written about 300 years before Archimedes was born:

1Ki 7:23
He made the sea of cast metal, ten cubits from its one lip unto its other lip, circular round about; five cubits was its rise, and a measuring tape of thirty cubits would surround it round about.

The brim was flared "like a teacup" outward 4 inches all around and measured 10 cubits across.

Diameter of laver body = 9.55 cubits (30 cubits divided by 3.14).

 

[OldWiseGuy]

But does know an overwhelming amount of things related to physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, etc.

Not all of which is put to good use.

Well a large number of Christians believe in evolution so there must be a lot of evidence.

Sad, but true.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Is there any evidence that people of the time thought that the universe had been expanding continuously ever since it began?
The Enduring Word commentary doesn't seem to think that verse is significant enough to say anything about it:
Job Chapter 9
Is that the only verse that supports the Big Bang?

No I think there are six or so that Ross cites.

Astrophysics Points to the God of the Bible