Problem: Deuteronomy records that Moses died before he could enter the land of Israel (Deut. 34). But Moses knew how the Jews had taken possession of the land, which he never saw (v.12). Critics argue that this demonstrates that Moses was not the author of the Pentateuch. Instead, a later author must have composed this work.
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Problem: Is a bat actually a bird, according to the Bible?
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Sabellianism, named for its seminal proponent Sabellius (3rd century) generally is another denial of the triune nature of God which maintains a single person in the eternal godhead which is manifested in three varying aspects or modes of God. Hence the more widely known label of “modalism.”
Sabellius did hold to monotheism, the belief in one God, and also defended the deity of Jesus Christ as true God.
Where he went wrong was in the refusal to recognize that the apostolic writings taught that in nature and being of the one true God there existed three distinct persons, The Father who is unbegotten, the Son, who is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
A full exposition of the triune nature of the one true and living as well as its primary importance in the biblical Christian faith is beyond the scope of a short synopsis like this, but it is far more than simply an academic and optional affirmation.
Though Sabellius and his doctrine of God were rejected in the early with near unanimity his influence continues to this day.
Key tenets of Sabellianism include:
The rejection of the triunity of the nature and being of God as irrational.
The assertion of the oneness of God.
The affirmation of the full deity of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The idea that God manifests himself in three different modes as an explanation for three persons each being recognized as God in scripture.
Modern-Day Proponents of Sabellianism:
Today, the Oneness Pentecostals, which began as an excommunicated subgroup of the assemblies of God in 1916, maintain a modified version of Sabellian modalism.
A number of individuals, largely within charismatic groups, most famously TD Jakes and the contemporary Christian music group Phillips, Craig, and Dean also hold this heretical view today.
Problem: Some naturalistic scholars argue that the Jews passed through the Reed Sea –not the Red Sea. The Reed Sea is a shallow body of water, which could dry up, allowing the Jews to pass through unhindered.
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Problem: Does Genesis contradict itself regarding when human languages divided? No, there is no contradiction in Genesis regarding the origin of human languages. Genesis 11 records the famous story of the “tower of Babel,” when God first divided human language by an instant, supernatural act. Critics, however, claim that this presents a contradiction because (so they say) different languages already exist in Genesis 10, before the episode at Babel. This accusation, however, is based on a simple misreading of the chronological relationship between the genealogies of Genesis 10 and the continued historical narrative in Genesis 11. There is, in fact, no conflict at all.
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Problem: Genesis places the existence of seed bearing plants on Day 3 of creation, and land animals on Day 6. However, modern science tells us that seed bearing plants didn’t come into existence until 370 million years ago—long after land animals (380 mya). In fact, plants cannot exist without these other animals, which pollinate them and help them survive.
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Problem: Genesis teaches that God created light after the creation of the Earth. However, Earth came about after the existence of stars, which produce light.
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Problem: The Bible sometimes uses the same words (sign, wonders, power) to describe the power of demons as those used to describe miracles of God (Rev. 16:14; 2 Thes. 2:9). However, a miracle is a supernatural act of God, and only God can perform such acts. The devil is a created being and has only limited power.
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Problem: Both Jesus (Lk. 23:34) and Stephen (Acts 7:60) prayed that their persecutors would be forgiven—not judged. Jesus himself taught, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). How then could these believers pray for judgment, rather than forgiveness for their enemies?
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Problem: Jude 14 quotes the book of Enoch. Is it Scripture?
“And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,” (Jude 14).
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