“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” – Genesis 1:1
In Apologetics (the area of study focused on defending beliefs), formal arguments are put forth as syllogisms. Syllogisms are conclusions based on two propositions, or premises. A syllogism that was once used to support the existence of God was the Cosmological Argument, which stated: Premise 1- All effects have a cause; Premise 2: The universe is an effect; Conclusion: The universe must have a cause. On the surface, this may seem like a decent argument, but it leaves room for questions like, “What was the cause?” or “What caused God?,” etc. It also allows for the possibility of an infinite regress of causes and effects.
A better version of this argument is what some call the Kalam Cosmological Argument or the Modern Cosmological Argument. This argument states: Premise 1- Everything which began to exist has a cause; Premise 2- The universe began to exist; Conclusion- The universe must have a cause. Furthermore, it is argued that, since the universe consists of all time and space, it must have been caused by an uncaused cause that must be timeless and spaceless; it must have intelligence; and it must be all-powerful. All of these characteristics point to the biblical God in whom we trust and serve.
Defending in Christ,
Pastor Zach