The prevailing view today is that once a man or woman dedicates his or her life to scientific pursuits, he or she can no longer seriously believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. When Charles Darwin’s book The Origin of Species came out in 1859, a revolution in scientific thinking began that heralded the age of evolution and the demise of a Creator God. Darwin’s influence on our way of thinking in our present age is truly monumental. His theory, many scientists contend, makes it not only unnecessary to believe in the Bible but foolish indeed.
Many of you may never have heard of Robert Boyle. But if I were to tell you that he is generally considered to be the father of modern chemistry, you might just be able to grasp his importance. Boyle (1627-1691), in addition to being one of the greatest scientists of all time, was a deeply committed Christian and strong believer in the Bible. He was one of the early pioneers of the modern experimental scientific method, he discovered the basic law relating gas pressures to temperature and volume – the fundamental principle of gas dynamics (Boyle’s Law) and contributed original works on a variety of scientific endeavors. And according to Mulfinger, “As ‘the father of chemistry,’ Boyle guided the great transition from alchemy to chemistry. Before his time, men spoke of ‘elixirs’ and ‘essences;’ after his work had made its impact on the scientific world, men spoke in terms of ‘elements’ and ‘compounds.’”1
Boyle came from an extremely wealthy Irish family but never allowed his own personal great wealth to change his humble desire to use science to not only better society but to draw men closer to God. As a teenager Boyle gave his heart to the Lord and dedicated his life to integrating his love of science with his love of the Lord. He was always careful to never fall into the trap of exalting the creation above the Creator. God was always at the center of his scientific studies. He strongly felt that when science is studied properly it will always lead men to God. He once was quoted as saying, “The vastness, beauty, orderliness, of the heavenly bodies; the excellent structure of animals and plants; and the other phenomena of nature justly induce an intelligent and unprejudiced observer to conclude a supremely powerful, just, and good author.”2 Like other great Christian men of science that we will explore in future devotions scientific genius, discovery, and the Bible have long been companions in the quest for knowledge.
Boyle in addition to using a large amount of his personal wealth for charitable concerns was also very missions minded. He used his finances to spread the gospel among the American Indians as well as to the people in the country of India. He also was a strong proponent of Bible translation work and financially contributed much in this area.
Finally, to those who knew him best he was the same in public as in private – humble and full of joy. Everything Boyle did in his profession of science was done to bring glory to God. This was what brought him the highest joy. When asked to sum up this great and humble scientist, Boyle’s pastor shared: “His great thoughts of God, and his contemplation of his works, were to him sources of continual joy, which never could be exhausted.”3
1 George Mulfinger & Julia Mulfinger Orozco, Christian Men of Science. (Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International, 2001), p. 38.
2 Ibid., p. 41.
3 Ibid., pp. 44-45.