Have you ever argued with someone—not over what they actually believe—but over what you think they believe? It happens all the time. We hear a simplified version of an idea, assume it’s accurate, and then attack that instead of the real thing. That’s called a strawman, and it can make even intelligent conversations go nowhere fast.
When it comes to Christianity, this happens a lot. Many people end up rejecting something that Christians themselves wouldn’t even recognize. And that’s a problem, because you can’t understand (or fairly critique) what you’ve never truly heard.
So in this study, I want to clear away some of those misunderstandings. I’m going to share eight facts Christians wish skeptics understood—things that, if you grasp them, will give you a much more accurate picture of what Christians actually believe. And if you stick with me to the end, I’ll share a ninth fact that’s the most important one of all.
1. Christians aren’t anti-intellectual
One common misconception of Christianity is that Christians are encouraged not to think for themselves. It is often claimed that this is because Christian leaders know their beliefs won’t hold up to intellectual scrutiny. But nothing could be further from the truth.
God invites us to “reason together” (Isaiah 1:181). The Hebrew word used here has the idea of laying out the relevant facts and thoughtfully arriving at the proper conclusion. Similarly, the first-century spread of Christianity was due in no small part to the intellectual approach of Christians. For example, in Acts 18:4, Paul “reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.” Paul was presenting his audience with the facts of the matter. He was crafting arguments that appealed to their minds and persuaded them to the truth of Christianity.
In fact, many of the best arguments for Christianity are of an intellectual nature. Classical arguments for theism (like the cosmological, teleological, and moral) all invite us to apply reason and logic to the nature of the world around us. The true believer has done so and is convinced in their mind that God is the best explanation for the reality we experience.
2. Christians aren’t anti-science
Understanding the Christian’s attitude towards science requires us to define what we mean by science. Many equate science with macroevolution and naturalism, and Christians do reject those philosophies. But at its heart, science is merely acquiring knowledge by observing the natural world. Christians very much approve of this type of science. In fact, the Bible commands it.
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
Psalms 111:2
The more we learn about the natural world with its size, grandeur, and complexity, the more we are awed by the God who created it. Christianity is enhanced by the discipline of science.
What is more, whether they realize it or not, all scientists begin with a theistic worldview. How so? A key aspect of science is repeatability. To be considered science rather than superstition, a phenomenon must be shown to occur in the same way given the same circumstances. There is an assumption of order in all science. But chaos and chance do not produce order. To search for order is to search for purpose, reason, intent, and design—traits of an intelligence rather than happenstance.
Why then are Christians caricatured as anti-science? Primarily because they recognize the limitations of science. The discipline of science is rooted in observation. When a phenomenon cannot be observed, like the origin of the universe or the beginning of life—events which only happened once with no humans around to observe them—science cannot definitively tell us what happened. The best science can do is offer theories that are consistent with what is presently seen. If the theory matches current observations, it might be correct, but that doesn’t prove it is what happened. What is more, if our assumptions about the past conditions are incorrect in any way, our conclusion will be incorrect as well. Science simply cannot conclusively prove what happened in the past.
So no, Christians are not anti-science. They simply realize that science is incapable of answering many of life’s most important questions. For questions like, “Where did we come from?”, “Why are we here?”, and “Where are we going?”, something more than science is needed.
3. Christians don’t believe in blind faith
It is true, the Bible does say Christians “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), but this passage has often been grossly abused. The context of this statement is the Christian’s hope of an eternal home in the heavens (v. 1), something no one has seen. The only way we can know it exists is by faith. So yes, Christians do believe realities they have not seen, but this is not the same as a “blind faith.”
Virtually everyone believes in things they haven’t personally seen. I’ve never seen a baseball pitcher throw a perfect game, but I believe it has been done. Why? Because there have been thousands of witnesses who have seen such an event and told others about it. Where credible testimony exists, all of us are willing to believe some incredible things. The Bible is credible testimony! The documents bear all the marks of authenticity (that is, being written by eyewitnesses of the events). They bear the marks of history (being set in a historical context and proven accurate where they can be checked). And most importantly, they bear the marks of inspiration (foretelling events hundreds of years before they occurred).
Yes, Christians believe in realities they haven’t personally seen, but they do so with good reason—the reliable word of God says so! (To dig into this topic further, check out this study.)
4. Christians are anti-sin, but because of love rather than hate
There are some behaviors and lifestyles Christians are staunchly against. If the Bible condemns an action as sin, then Christians are opposed to that action. Sadly, it is true that many who claim to be following Jesus Christ have opposed those actions in a hateful way, and if you have experienced that, I am truly sorry. Hateful opposition is not what the Bible teaches. Christians are to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Yet sometimes love requires us to stand against the behavior of another. Love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
If we allow ourselves to think about it for a moment, we all understand this to be true. Imagine you had a friend who was an alcoholic. You saw that their alcoholism was destroying their life. Their work was suffering, their family was falling apart, and their health was failing. What would you do? Would you not condemn their behavior and plead with them to turn things around? Might you even go so far as to stage an intervention, telling them, “If you keep living like this, I can’t be your friend any more”? And can you not see how you would take those steps out of love for them rather than hatred?
According to the Bible, continuing in sin will result in something infinitely worse. It won’t just destroy us in this life, it will destroy us in the life to come as well. Given those positions, wouldn’t we expect Christians to decry sin and plead with the sinner to repent? Wouldn’t that be the loving thing to do? If you have been reproved by a Christian, please understand their motivation is love. And if you are a Christian who reproves another, make sure love is your motivation too.
5. God’s rules are for our guidance
There’s a cartoon that shows a man jumping over a fence labelled “God’s Commands.” What the man doesn’t see is the cliff on the other side. Too late, he realized that God’s commands were given as guardrails to protect him from harm.
When Moses was presenting God’s laws to the children of Israel, he said:
The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.
Deuteronomy 6:24
God’s laws were given for mankind’s good. We see an illustration of this in Exodus 15:26 where God said:
If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.
While Moses and the Israelites wouldn’t have fully understood it, we can now see how God’s laws governing diet, cleanliness, and sexuality would have protected the children from a great many illnesses. Similarly, imagine how much more pleasant this world would be if everyone lived by the Golden Rule:
Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
Militaries, police forces, HR departments, and most counseling centers could be disbanded because international and interpersonal problems would be a thing of the past.
But what about laws and guidelines where we don’t see a clear benefit? Let me remind you that the Israelites wouldn’t have immediately seen and understood the benefit of not eating certain foods or burying human waste—but that doesn’t mean the benefit wasn’t there. No doubt there are similar benefits to following God’s laws for organizing the home and church that we are only beginning to figure out, but the benefit is there. Following God’s rules will always produce the best result for us ultimately.
6. The Bible is more than just rules
It is true, there is a portion of the Bible typically referred to as “the Law” and that section contains many “Thou shalts” and “Thou shalt nots.” However, that portion is composed of only the first five books of the Bible (Genesis to Deuteronomy), and by material, makes up less than 20% of the Bible. The remainder of the Bible is composed of a wide variety of literary genres including historical narrative, parable, poetry, prophecy, sermon, epistle, and more. Even those five books we call “the Law” aren’t all rules and laws. Indeed, much of Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers is composed of narrative stories rather than simply a list of rules. Proportionally, therefore, rules and commands only make up a fraction of the Bible.
When we view the Bible as a whole, we can see it for what it really is: the story of God redeeming mankind to Himself at a terrible cost. After Jesus’s resurrection, He appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27
The Scriptures are the story of Jesus—of God announcing His coming, of preparing and preserving the people through whom He would come, of describing what He did to redeem man, and of preparing us for His return. Our obedience to His rules are a vital part of that preparation, but never forget that those rules are but one part of God’s message of love and redemption to mankind.
While it would be impossible to boil the message of the Bible down to one single verse, John 3:16 has been accurately described as the Bible in miniature. And what do we find at the heart of that verse? God’s love for humanity.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
What’s more, it is His love for us that should inspire our love for Him, which is demonstrated by our obedience to His rules. Jesus said in John 14:15:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
The Bible is so much richer and revealing than a mere list of rules could ever be. Let me challenge you by suggesting that when you read the Bible, look for the love of God in every section and every story. I can assure you, you will find it.
7. The Bible is grounded in history
A common claim is that the stories contained in the Bible are nothing more than fairytales and folklore. But how do most fairytales begin? “Once upon a time, in a far away land…” Now, contrast that with what we read in the Bible. Luke chapter 3 opens with the ministry of John the Baptist. Note closely the detail Luke includes in the first two verses.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Luke places John’s ministry in a definite time frame by mentioning seven historical people, holding four different titles, over four different regions. That is about as historically grounded as it gets! And this isn’t the only example of Luke’s historical precision. The book of Acts makes reference to 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 islands, and 95 named individuals. All of this led biblical scholar J.B. Lightfoot to proclaim:
No ancient work affords so many tests of veracity; for no other has such numerous points of contact in all directions with contemporary history, politics, and topography, whether Jewish, Greek, or Roman.2
While Luke was the historian extraordinaire of biblical writers, this historical grounding is by no means limited to his work. Numerous archeological discoveries including the Tel Dan Stele, the Merneptah Stele, the Cyrus Cylinder, and more make reference to individuals or events mentioned in the Bible. Biblical characters and peoples like the Hittites, King David, and Pontius Pilate that were once treated as fictitious are now known to have existed via artifacts and inscriptions that have been unearthed. Time and time again the Bible has proven itself reliable when it comes to ancient history. We cannot rush to dismiss it as merely a book of fables but rather should carefully and critically examine what it teaches.
8. Much of “Christianity” doesn’t reflect the Bible
What I mean by this is that much of what is or has been practiced, done, or taught supposedly in the name of Jesus Christ doesn’t come from the Bible.
It is estimated that there are more than 45,000 “Christian” denominations. Yet, incredibly, each of these different groups claims to be following Jesus Christ and the Bible. The numbers here just don’t add up. Following one leader and one book ought to produce one faith, not two, not three, and certainly not 45,000! Clearly there must be groups, no matter how well-intentioned and sincere, that have deviated from what Jesus intended and what the Bible teaches. This fact is tragic, but it also serves as a warning. If you want to know what the Bible says, and you want to know what Christianity is supposed to look like, you need to look to the Bible more than to those claiming to represent the Bible.
Now, this shouldn’t be the case. Ideally everyone claiming to follow Jesus would truly be imitating Him and living in accord with His commandments. But practically, we know this isn’t so. If you have ever been hurt by a Christian, I am begging you not to judge Christianity, the church, the Bible, and Jesus Christ by that negative interaction. Think of it this way: Have you ever heard a beginner’s piano recital of one of the great composers, say Beethoven? The performer may very well try their best and yet butcher the piece. Now, we wouldn’t say such a performance reflects negatively on Beethoven’s abilities as a composer. His notes were beautifully arranged and properly played would produce a most pleasing sound. No, the fault lies with the performer. The same thing is true of the Christian religion as arranged by Jesus Christ. Properly lived, it will produce a life that is pleasing for all. If, therefore, you have had a bad reaction to “Christianity,” I invite you to look to the Bible because most likely what you encountered wasn’t true Christianity at all.
And that brings us to a “bonus point,” which I as a Christian want you to know more than anything else. I want you to know…
9. Jesus
And not just know about Him, but to genuinely know Him and have a relationship with Him. True knowledge of Jesus is the greatest blessing any individual could ever hope to attain. Note carefully the words of Paul:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7–11
Paul had come to find that knowing Jesus Christ was the greatest blessing one could achieve, so great in fact that it was worth giving up everything else one might have.
That Paul, of all people, could come to this conclusion is one of the most amazing transformations of history. He had once been an ardent opponent of Christianity and violent persecutor of the church, until he came to know Christ. When Paul learned who Jesus really is, not who Paul thought He was or heard He was, but when he came to see Jesus as He really is, well, that changed everything for Paul. And I believe it can change everything for you too.
So how can a person come to know Jesus today? As we have noted, you’re not guaranteed to know Jesus clearly from looking to the various churches or even those who claim to follow Him. The only way to know Jesus is by careful study of the word of God. If we can help you in the study, please reach out to us. We want you to know Jesus and would love nothing better than to introduce you to Him.
- Scripture quotations in this article are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ↩︎
- Lightfoot, J. B. Essays on the Work Entitled Supernatural Religion. London: MacMillan and Co., 1889, 1893, 290. ↩︎