Be Fruitful and Multiply: A Case Study in Natural and Divine Revelation
alarmism, Apologetics, bellatorchristi.com, Christianity, climate change, family, Genesis 1, Gospel, image of God, population, Stewardship, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Tony Williams
My thesis is this: The consequences of defying God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” are becoming visible in the modern world. I recently heard a pastor say, “Reality is undefeated.” That line captures a powerful apologetic truth: the world God made behaves according to the design God gave. In Christian apologetics, one of the most underused tools is simply pointing to reality: the observable consequences of obeying or rejecting God’s created order. One of the first commands God gave humanity was, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28, ESV). After the flood, God repeated the same mandate to Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:1, 7). The theme continues throughout Scripture as a covenant blessing to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel (Genesis 17:2; 26:4; 28:3; 35:11; Exodus…