In the Beginning Was Information (18 page)

Figure 26: Concerning the origin of life. The biological information in living beings is obviously "operational information" which can be specified and investigated scientifically for the recipient on the known levels — syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and apobetics. Its origin and nature is "creative information." Scientific analysis requires the existence of a sender, but we can only find Him in the revelation of the Bible.

The close link between information and will was discussed in paragraph 3.3, and this idea is also clearly emphasized many times in the Bible. We read in Revelation 4:11, "You created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." The intentional prerequisite of information is expressed in Genesis 1:26: "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness."

In the light of the information theorems, all materialistic evolution models are useless and are thus rejected.
^[17]

The British evolution theoreticist Richard Dawkins expresses the following expectation in his book
The Blind Watchmaker:
"The purpose of this book is to provide a non-supernatural explanation for the existence of complex living organisms" [D2]. As a consequence, we cannot expect to find a scientifically based answer in his discussion (e.g., because of Theorem 17).

Chapter 13

The Quality and Usefulness of Biblical Information

The semantic value of information versus usability is graphed in Figure 25 (page 117), resulting in four different areas (quadrants). According to biblical assertions all information given out by humans is evaluated by God.

Useless information:
We have subdivided useless information into two parts, namely indifferent and injurious information, and we find a permanent criterion in God’s commandments: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exod. 20:16), because "The Lord detests lying lips" (Prov. 12:22). Such people are described in Jeremiah 8:6: "I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?’ Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle." The tongue is a small part of the body, but it can have enormous effects: "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire . . ." (James 3:5–6). These quotations are restricted to cases where we, as senders, transmit injurious information. God also wants to protect us from being recipients of such information, and He warns us emphatically against association with such senders:

Proverbs 1:10: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them."

Proverbs 14:7: "Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips."

Psalm 1:1: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

In this connection, we want to point out that Adam and Eve’s sin was introduced by the evil information: "Did God really say …?" (Gen. 3:1). The response of the first people to this information which threw doubt upon God’s word, had inconceivable consequences. It resulted in death and suffering, pain and illness, war and wailing, and all of us are still suffering from the disastrous effects of sin. Man can both send and receive injurious information (lies, provocation, slander, mockery, and cursing) by listening and responding to it. God detests both, and every evil word is recorded in God’s information registers. These books will be opened one day (Rev. 20:12) and we will be judged accordingly, as Jesus prophesied: "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36–37).

Valuable information:
The most valuable information that has ever been sent is the Word of God. No other message is better and no other words ever brought more joy. There is no useless or false information in the Bible, since God’s Word is absolutely true: "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" (Num. 23:19). The Bible contains certainty and truth, as well as eternal and divine words. No other information can even approach being equal to this. The Psalmist testifies from his personal experience when he cries out, "I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil" (Ps. 119:162). Paul also refers to the treasure he has found: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay" (2 Cor. 4:7). God wants us always to be receivers and transmitters of this information which He values exceedingly.

1. As recipient:
Many people follow various courses and take pains for the purpose of being successful in their private lives and in their careers. Already in the Old Testament God has given simple advice which can easily be followed and can have great effects: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Josh. 1:8). Contemplation of and obedience to the Word of the living God is extremely important: "Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you" (Jer. 7:23).

The Word brings understanding and wisdom and it keeps us from going astray (Ps. 119:104). It renews (Ps. 119:154), enlightens and brings joy (Ps. 119:130) and shows us the way of salvation (James 1:21). Since we are dealing with the most valuable information — extremely important information, Figure 25 — we are unambiguously instructed to "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16). According to Helmut Matthies, director of information services of the Evangelical Alliance of Germany, the average German works 38.5 hours per week and watches television for 17.5 hours per week [M1]. The latter figure is increasing, and the watchers are exposed to an inconceivable amount of influencing, but they neglect the one necessary influence. God’s will is that we should let ourselves be impregnated with His eternal message.

2. As sender:
In our role as senders we will only pass on information which has impressed us. Jesus expresses this general situation in the words: "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). The Psalmist always concerned himself with the Word, so that he could and would draw from this supply: "May my tongue sing of your word" (Ps. 119:172). Christians should be recognized from the well they drink. This does not mean that no negative information should proceed from them, but that they should be bearers of good news. God’s evaluation is obvious from Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful …are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation."

This good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ which saves everyone who believes and accepts it. Jesus often emphasized that we should be senders of this message (Matt. 28:19–20; Mark 16:15; Luke 10:3; and Luke 12:8–9). When the Samaritan woman met Jesus at Jacob’s well and recognized Him as the Christ, she put her jar down and immediately went back to the town to proclaim the message of salvation (John 4:25–30). Paul also tried any possible way of winning over different people of all backgrounds (1 Cor. 9:19–22), and he even tells himself, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). He combines assignment and contents in the following words: "We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). This message is not only the most important and the most urgent, it is also the most certain message. The well-known evangelist C.H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) calls out [S9]: "If you don’t have an eternal gospel to proclaim, then your message is only worth 20 pennies. You can get uncertainties elsewhere and everywhere, but matters of eternal life are only found in the Bible."

Chapter 14

Aspects of Information as Found in the Bible

14.1 God as Sender — Man as Recipient

The five aspects of information — statistics, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and apobetics — were discussed in chapter 4, and it was stated that all five are indispensable for both the sender and the recipient. It is highly instructive to view the Bible in this way.

Sender:
In Figure 27, God is shown as the source or sender of biblical information. His Word is available to us today in completed (Rev. 22:18) and written form (e.g., Exod. 17:14; Ezek. 37:16; 1 Cor. 9:10; and Rev. 1:11), after He has spoken to us in many different ways (Heb. 1:1–2). The following list indicates the wide spectrum of methods God used to speak to us:

audibly (Exod. 19:19, Matt. 3:17)

in His own handwriting (Exod. 31:18)

through angels (Luke 2:10–12, Heb. 2:2)

through prophets (Jeremiah 1:5, Hebrews 1:1)

through dreams (Dan. 2, Matt. 1:20)

through visions (Ezek. 1:1)

through apostles (Acts 1:2)

through inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16)

through revelation (Gal. 1:12, Eph. 3:3, Rev. 1:1)

through Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Heb. 1:2)

Figure 27: God as sender; man as recipient. When God speaks in the Bible, He is the Sender of information. The message of the Bible, transmitted to us as recipients, can be analyzed according to the aspects of information, namely syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and apobetics. Only when we cover all the levels, will we achieve the purpose intended by God.

God mostly used and uses people as bearers of information, but He was and is the actual sender, while we fulfill the function of recipient. All views about the origin of the Bible based on purely human sources miss the real point, even if these are couched in highly theological terms. This question about who the sender is becomes the touchstone for belief and unbelief, and thus for life and death. For Spurgeon, the question of who the sender is also asserts itself in its power [S10]: "Our own words are mere paper darts compared to the heavy artillery of God’s Word." Although the Bible speaks about heavenly, spiritual, and divine matters, it is encoded in reasonable words (Acts 26:25) in human language, and not in inexpressible heavenly terms (2 Cor. 12:4). We will now consider the various aspects of information with respect to the Bible.

1. Statistics:
The only value of statistical analyses of the Bible is for storage purposes (see appendix A1.2.1 and Figure 35). In addition, word counts may be of use in certain investigations.

2. Syntax:
God’s thoughts are available to us, encoded in human language, originally mostly in Hebrew and Greek. This message can in principle be translated into any other natural language. All over the world, many missionaries perform the blessed service of translation, so that the gospel can be proclaimed in all living languages. They thus fulfill Christ’s prophetic promise that all nations will have heard the gospel message before His second coming (Matt. 24:14).

3. Semantics:
The contents of the Bible make it a unique book which cannot be compared with any other book. The Bible provides answers to all vital questions on earth, and it is also the only sure compass able to guide us to eternity. In thousands of books, philosophers, founders of religions, and all kinds of scientists have tried to solve the great puzzles like: What is the origin of the earth and of life? What is man? Who is God? Is there life after death? Nobody is able to make final and true statements about these questions; only the Bible can do this on the authority and by the truth of the living God. For the purpose of understanding the semantics of the Bible, some fundamental differences which distinguish it from other books are now considered: