Wolfhart Pannenberg, The Apostle Paul, and Son Lux Prove God

Ever since I read volume one of Wolfhart Pannenberg's Systematic Theology, I have been drawn to his approach to apologetics. He argues that the gods are best known through their respective religions, and that the gods "prove" themselves as the claims of their religions come true in history. The prototypical example of this would be the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal to see whose god could bring down fire and thus justify himself as the true god. YHWH brought fire and He proved himself to be the true god.

Thus, Christianity can be evaluated without bias by people outside of the faith. Christians claim that YHWH is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and that history is unraveling according to his purposes.

Can we prove that?

How would we prove that? What would be sufficient evidence?

First, the soft postmodern/critical realist apologist would say up front that it is impossible to prove 100% that God is, but he would also add that 100% certainty is not an appropriate standard for "knowledge" or "proof." We don't have 100% knowledge of anything, and yet we live our lives relatively free of anxiety about the unknown. Thus, 100% knowledge is not the standard we use in everyday living, so it's not the standard to which we should judge our knowledge of God. Like everything else, we cannot know for sure, but we can know.

Of course, this will not be the case forever. Some day, the dwelling place of God will be with men once again, and we will know for sure that God is. When the dead are raised; YHWH will be vindicated as Lord and God. But until then, we don’t know for sure. But that doesn't help us believe here and now. How can we believe now?

The Apostle Paul thought that God had intervened in human history in two radically conclusive ways during his lifetime: (1) the death and resurrection of Jesus, and (2) the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the people of faith. To Paul, these two events were the "proof" that YHWH was at work in the Christian community.

Now, I think we have good historical evidence for the truth of proposition (1). However, Jesus' resurrection happened 2000 years ago and we can't recreate it. It remains a one-of-a-kind event, and its historicity isn't much comfort to those who were born long after it happened.

But what about proposition (2)? Can that be the proof of God's existence? I think so.

To me, the "proof" that YHWH is Lord and God is the work of the Holy Spirit in the community of faith. As the church keeps in step with the Spirit and lives out Jesus' command to love one another, we prove to the world (and to ourselves) that God is.

I was reminded of all of this I was listening to Son Lux yesterday. He has a great song called "Raise." The music is so powerful that the lyrics by themselves don't do the song justice, but here they are:

Raise a living thing from nothing.
Then I will know for myself who you are.
Clothed in skin a pile of dry bones.
Then I will know for myself who you are.

I will feel breath come into my body.
Then I'll know just who you are.

Raise a living thing from nothing.
(simultaneously) Clothed in skin a pile of dry bones.
Then I will know for myself who you are.

Raise a living thing from nothing.
(simultaneously) Clothed in skin a pile of dry bones.
(simultaneously) I will feel breath come into my body.
Then I will know for myself who you are.
(repeat)

Will know for myself
You are who you say you are.

Then I will know for myself.
Then I will know.
Then I will know who you are.

Then I will know for myself.