Does Extraterrestrial Life Exist?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles Tags: Bible Lessons on Extraterrestrial LifeThe Bible is silent concerning the existence of extraterrestrial life. Rather, it focuses on the earth as the only planet that contains any form of life. Since the Bible declares itself to be authoritative (2 Timothy 3:16), let us examine the following authoritative evidence to see if this is so (Acts 17:11):
1) In Genesis 1:28-30, God commanded man that the earth be subdued by him and he was to have dominion over every living thing that moved upon the earth. Note that no other planet is mentioned as having “life” in this text.
2) After Korah’s rebellion, Moses and Aaron fall on their faces imploring God not to destroy the whole congregation (Numbers 16:22). They said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?” Here we see “the spirits of all flesh” pertaining to man and not to any other being.
3) Job 12:10 – Here Job answers his “friends” and tells them that God is the sustainer of the “soul (life) of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” No other life form is mentioned here.
4) Speaking of Israel, God states through the Psalmist in Psalm 115:15-16, “Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” We see that the Lord has dominion over “the heavens” but man’s dominion is over “the earth.”
5) God declares through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 42:5, that it is the Lord who “spread forth the earth….he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.” According to the inspired prophet Isaiah, the only life that exists is the life that exists on “the earth”.
6) Again God declares through Isaiah in Isaiah 45:12, “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” Isaiah 45:18 states, “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” Note that the only inhabited planet in this text is “the earth”.
7) God declares through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 10:10-12) that He alone made the earth “by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.”
8) In Jeremiah 27:5, God through Jeremiah states, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.” Only the earth is mentioned in this text.
9) In the inspired Apostle Paul’s sermon to the Athenians (Acts 17:24-26), he declares that God “is Lord of heaven and earth….Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” Note the bounds of man’s habitation is “the earth”.
10) In 1 Timothy 2:1-5, notice the word “men” in vs. 1,4 and 5. No extraterrestrial life is mentioned here.
11) In 2 Peter 3:4-11, note vs. 7, “But the heavens and the earth….reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” Also note vs. 11, “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.”
Conclusion
Brethren and friends, science has produced no credible evidence of the existence of other intelligent life in outer space other than the earth. There have been many speculations and opinions offered, but empirical evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life is completely lacking (Note Apologetics Press article by Brother Bert Thompson).