Necessary Inferences #1495

29 “We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” (John 9:29–33, NKJV)

The blind man healed by Jesus exposed the insincerity and hypocrisy of the Pharisees who refused to accept the incontrovertible evidence that Jesus is from God. The man was proof enough that it was so. He had concluded Jesus was sent from God because of the miracle he received. He drew a necessary inference that God heard Jesus and worked this miracle by Him. Those who reject necessary inferences as a way to establish the binding authority of God from the Scriptures should revisit this text and admit that necessary inferences are indeed a God-approved way of teaching truth. This man used one to teach unbelievers. He was cast out of the synagogue for it, he was received by Jesus (John 9:34-39). If one rejects necessary inferences as binding today, then he must also reject the blind man’s conclusion about Jesus as worthless. Do you stand with him, or with the Pharisees?

Necessary Inferences #967

20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:20–21, NKJV)

A necessary inference is an inescapable conclusion. For example, it is the means by which God expects us to honor Him as the Creator. The “things that are made” (the material world which we see) testify of unseen things, namely, of God, His eternal power and His divine nature. We necessarily infer from the evidence provided by the material world that there is a God who created all things. We are driven to this conclusion by the evidence we are presented. Life does not come from lifelessness. The presence of life forces us to conclude there is a First Cause of all life; that Creative mind and power is God. Some Christians reject necessary inferences are binding authority. Yet, without necessary inferences we cannot believe God exists and that He created all things. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psa. 19:1). The evidence of a Creator is presented; We drawn the inescapable conclusion (inference) that “God created the heavens and the earth” from that evidence (Gen. 1:1). If you believe God is the Creator, then you have already accepted the binding nature of necessary inferences.