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Blog / If In Doubt: An Interview with Rhys Stenner

If In Doubt: An Interview with Rhys Stenner

Rhys StennerMockery of the Bible is commonplace. Skeptics dismiss Scripture with a sweeping assumption that it’s unreliable and contradictory. Do you allow this condescending attitude to cast doubt on your faith?

Bible Gateway interviewed Rhys Stenner (@rhysstenner) about his book, If In Doubt: Answering the Seven Great Questions About Faith (Worthy Publishing, 2016).

Buy your copy of If In Doubt in the Bible Gateway Store

Why do you say Jesus loves those who are in doubt?

Rhys Stenner: When Jesus rose from the dead, famously Thomas was absent. He missed the vital facts. The disciples had a doubter in the midst for a long week. But Jesus re-appeared and more than answered the questions that Thomas asked. “Doubting Thomas” became a courageous witness until his dying day. Jesus was patient. He answered the questions. But he does expect us to stop doubting and believe when the answers are given.

What differentiates your book from other apologetic books?

Rhys Stenner: I was taught that to explain simply we need to understand profoundly. Being simple is not easy. But I hope that If In Doubt is accessible and hopefully an easy read. I wrote at first at the request of a few students, and the encouragement of my children. But so many are confused and the world is shifting dramatically that already all ages are getting hold of the book.

Many parents are worried and are wondering, “have I done all I can to train my children for their future” (Deut 6:1-9), or “how do I answer the attacks on the Bible.”

In our first book signing, as we made the book accessible to our church, some members were buying several copies, and one lady with limited resources said, “This is for my son serving overseas; he’s strong in the Lord. This one is for my other son; he’s not doing so well. This one is for my friend who really needs it. And this one is for me.”

It’s aimed for the skeptic, the seeker; and as a foundation book for all.

You begin the book by asking “did God make the world?” Why start with that question?

Rhys Stenner: Obviously the beginning of the world’s most real and relevant story is vital. It’s the gateway to understanding the Bible’s grand scheme. If we doubt or neglect that God made the world and buy into the idea that nothing made nothing then we have a new religion.

The religion of naturalism holds sway among the Western “powers.” If we reduce creation to a random process, then we’ve lost the argument and there’s no foundation for God. The Bible loses its authority over our lives. The logical conclusion is what we have today: we can do as we see fit (Judges 21:25). But our maker will not be forgotten. He has a far better way.

What is irreducible complexity and why does it point to God?

Rhys Stenner: Increasingly we’re discovering the magnificence of creation. Just the human digestive system alone is a solar system of complexity and balance. When evolutionary theory began we saw things much more simply. Our appendix was seen as a hang-over from evolution. Now we know it all works amazingly together. It’s far more complex.

Michel Behe used the term to say that, just as a mousetrap has several moving parts that all work together, so the human body has multiple complex systems like the eye or the knee. If one part doesn’t work, the whole fails. Each entire system is so complex that each integral part would have had to have evolved as one, without any design permitted! Random minuscule mutations of information could not have done this, no matter how many millions of years we make up.

Complexity cannot be reduced to one thing at a time. It all has to work together or it fails. This must mean “design;” that God made all as one, as the Bible says.

Things are way more complex; so we need to challenge and question the 19th century theory of evolution. Sadly, the main reply to those who do question is ridicule. We have to push through this patiently and kindly ask questions of our skeptical friends, as we watch the ever-shifting theories of evolution so often evade the obvious flaws.

How do you see the theory of evolution impacting the idea of absolute right and wrong?

Rhys Stenner: Origins and ethics are inextricably linked. If there’s no creator of life, there’s no God, no accountability. All is a “societal construct.” There’s no right or wrong. But if the Bible is true for the beginning, it’s true until the end.

Many believers have thought that we could concede creation to the secularist and that we could carry on as before. This is not possible.

How do you respond to people who say the Bible is unreliable and mythological?

Rhys Stenner: I get so excited to answer these questions because the evidence is so overwhelming. I do need to say as gently as I can that those who claim the Bible is full of mistakes and fairy stories have rarely read any it!

The Bible is credible history—not merely working through the power and helpfulness of the Scripture but that it’s also corroborated by its careful and accurate eye-witness accounts; its painstaking preservation and protection. It’s real history. In fact, it is history. And If In Doubt provides the facts and evidence that I hope many will read and remember. In the book, we spend time over the last week of Jesus’ life to see how rapidly the message was carefully witnessed, written, passed on, and even sung.

How should someone who’s never opened the Bible begin reading it?

Rhys Stenner: I actually did it in a way I wouldn’t recommend. I began reading the Old Testament when I was 11 after winning a King James Bible as a prize! Not knowing the Lord and having no one to help me, I got bogged down half-way before the Psalms.

As soon as I became a Christian at 14, I was encouraged to go to the New Testament and read John’s Gospel. I read it rapidly and read the rest of the New Testament in a very short time.

So I would suggest starting with either the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark and going from there.

In practical terms, describe what it means for a person to build her life on the foundation of Scripture.

Rhys Stenner: Everything the believer does needs to be “biblical”—a life based in knowing our creator and forgiver Jesus and living for him always. The Bible reveals how to do this.

In practice, try reading the Bible daily. Morning and night and in between. We can even have e-reminders! Like exercise, some is better than none. Jesus was immersed in the Scriptures and obeyed his father.

Also, get into a Bible-teaching church and don’t hop around. Make sure that your pastor opens the Bible, reads it and believes and preaches all of it unapologetically without watering it down.

Briefly explain the logical progression of your book’s seven questions.

Rhys Stenner: (1) If God made the world, then (2) he’s real and has revealed himself to us. We’re answerable to him. We know this to be true because (3) the Bible is reliable. Scripture takes us to the supreme revelation of (4) Jesus Christ, the one and only. If In Doubt focuses on his last week when he died and actually (5) rose again. If we have this truth nailed down, then we can progress and see that he gives us (6) eternal life. We can be sure of the marvelous future to where we’re going and must warn others of the dangers of judgment. Then we can see what the Bible says about (7) the end of time.

In these seven chapters we’re telling the great story, in part, beginning to end.

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Rhys Stenner: Bible Gateway is so helpful. I love the app. I have always appreciated the speedy help to my Greek as well.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Rhys Stenner: Thank you for what you’re doing for Bible studies across the world, and for encouraging others to address our doubts and seek the answers.


Bio: Rhys Stenner is the senior pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, with two locations in the South Metro Atlanta area. Rhys was previously senior pastor of Holland Road Baptist Church in Brighton and Hove, England. New Hope is noted as one of the more diverse churches in Atlanta, with a strong teaching ministry on radio and podcast. Well known for its commitment to missions, New Hope currently works in Wales, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, India, Thailand, and Haiti. In addition to his leadership at New Hope, Rhys has founded and leads a partnership of many churches in Wales, as well as founding a pastors’ network in South Metro Atlanta. Rhys is a keen golfer and delights to follow rugby as well as ministering to rugby clubs in Wales. He is married to Louise and has three girls. He lives in Fayetteville, Georgia.


Filed under Apologetics, Books, Interviews