Warren Christian Apologetics Center
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AH - JDB

James D. Bales

 

James David Bales (1915-1995) was born in Tacoma, Washington, the fifth of eight children. In 1930 he enrolled in the Georgia Military Academy (now Woodward Academy) in College Park, Georgia. He graduated from Harding College with a BA in 1937 and received a master’s degree at George Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1938. Bales received his PhD in 1944 from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1944 to 1980, James David Bales was a professor of Bible and theology at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
Both in public and in print, Bales earned a national reputation as a fearsome debater of theological issues and political ideologies, becoming especially well known for his anti-communism stance. Bales wrote and published more than seventy books and many more articles for religious periodicals. While Bales’ style was at times unabashedly confrontational, bold, aggressive, and often tinged with biting sarcasm when he felt he had the facts on his side, he was also committed to fair play and giving his opponent an honest hearing.
J. D. Bales served as moderator for Dr. Thomas B. Warren during his monumental 1976 debate on the existence of God with Dr. Antony G. N. Flew.

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Evidence and the Major Conflict of Every Generation

[From “Preface” to Foundations of Faith, 1948 Harding College Lectures.]

    The conflict between belief and unbelief is the major conflict of every generation. It may even be said that the vast majority of the other conflicts of this world are related, directly or indirectly, to the battle between belief and unbelief. A lack of faith in God, or a false conception of God, leads man to have the wrong conception both of himself and of his fellowman. It is quite easy for those who do not regard God to take one more step and fail to respect man. On the other hand, the Scriptures teach that we cannot actually hold to the right attitude toward God and hate our fellowman. Scriptural love for God is incompatible with hatred for mankind. Thus, the effort to lead men to God as revealed in Christ is also an effort to lead man to peace within himself and to peace with his fellow creatures.

   However, we cannot expect to lead people to God as revealed in Christ without the presentation of some evidence that God is actually revealed in Christ. This is not to say that the only thing which is necessary to conversion to Christ is the presentation of the credentials of Christ. It takes more than evidence, more than truth, to create conviction. The mind is not an impersonal, delicately balanced machine which moves in one direction, or in another, according to the amount of evidence which is piled before it. There must be a willingness to do the will of God (John 7:17), whenever one finds that will. One must love the truth, one must be honest with the evidence, one must desire the good, or evidence may not have much influence on his life. The parable of the Sower is an example of why some accept the message of truth, why some start and fail to finish, and why some do not accept it at all. The condition of the soil—the heart—as well as the presence of the seed—the truth—is a decisive factor.

   Although evidence alone cannot lead to conviction, evidence should be present so that good and honest hearts may have the opportunity to hear and believe. Thus, we find a goodly portion of the New Testament is concerned with the presentation of evidence to establish the central theme of the entire Bible, i.e., that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and Man’s Savior. The writers of the Gospels constantly appeal, especially in the book of Matthew is this appeal found, to the fulfilment in Christ of various prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus appealed to such witnesses as that of John the Baptist, His own works, the Father’s witness, and the testimony of the prophecies of the Scripture. He attributed the unbelief of His opponents to such as the following: the fact that they did not have the love of God in their hearts, because God’s word did not abide in them, and because they sought honor from man instead of seeking the only true honor which comes from God.

   The sermons in the book of Acts were in part taken up with the presentation of the evidence which shows that Jesus is the Christ. In Acts 2, for example, four lines of evidence were presented. First, the words: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22). Second, the apostles appealed to the testimony of prophecy. The prophecy of Joel concerning the last days (Acts 2:16-17), as well as David’s prophecies concerning Christ (Acts 2:25-35). Third, the testimony of the miracles which took place on Pentecost, and which had had a part in bringing the people together (Acts 2:1-4). “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). Fourth, the testimony of the resurrection of Christ. This was established by two lines of evidence. (a) The prophecy of David concerning Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2:27-31). (b) The witness of the apostles to the resurrection Christ. “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). It was on the basis of such evidence that they called on the people to believe in Christ.

   Other sermons in the book of Acts could be analyzed from the standpoint of the evidence which they contain for the Messiahship of Jesus, but this one example is sufficient for our purposes.

   This does not mean all sermons must contain a direct appeal to the evidence of the truth of the Christian faith. It does mean, however, that when we are dealing with unbelievers, as well as preparing immature believers to give reason for the hope which is within them, that there must be a presentation of the credentials of Christ.

August 3, 1950

 

 

  

Lyn Miller