Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A guide for living life to the full. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or
to put it another way, on our voyage through life's ocean, the Bible is an anchor.
A storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the
ark? Joseph's coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah and the fish? The
parables of Jesus? These stories empahsize the triumphs and failures of ordinary
people.
A refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, and in mourning tell how
turning to the Bible brought strength in their desperate hour.
A treasury of insight as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are
magnificent creatures of a God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.
A sourcebook for everyday living. We find standards for our conduct, guidelines for
knowing right from wrong, and principles to help us in a confused society where so
often "anything goes."
I've got a good friend who's probably a lot like you. He loves the Bible and does his
best to read it and live it every day. There's one problem. Some of his friends say the
Bible isnt true, and he's not always sure how to respond. So I've created a list of the
best arguments I can find for the credibility of the Bible. Interested? Okay, here are
myTop 10 Reasons the Bible is True. (If I missed any that are important to you,
please add them in the comment section below. I'd love to hear from you.)
1. Manuscript Evidence. There are way more copies of the biblical manuscripts,
with remarkable consistency between them, than there are for any of the
classics like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. "There is no body of ancient
literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as
the New Testament." F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They
Reliable?
2. Archaeological Evidence. Again and again archaeological discoveries have
verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. The
more they dig, the more it confirms the Bible. It is important to note that Near
Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical
reliability of the Bible in many important areas. E.M. Blaiklock, The New
International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology.
3. Eyewitness Accounts. The Bible was written by people who witnessed the
events it describes; many were persecuted or martyred but never changed their
story. Would you die for something you knew was untrue? It is no moderate
approbation of Scripture that it has been sealed by the blood of so many
witnesses, especially when we reflect that they died to render testimony to the
faith with a firm and constant, yet sober, zeal toward God. John
Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
4. Corroborating Accounts. There are plenty of references in non-biblical
sources to the events described in the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus,
born in 37 AD, provide(s) indispensable background material for the student
ofNew Testament history. In them, we meet many figures well known to us
from the New Testament. Some of his writings provide direct commentary on
New Testament references. J.D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary.
5. Literary Consistency. The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years
by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that
culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even pass a secret around a circle of 12
people and get the same message at the end. There is indeed a wide variety
of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind thesethere lies a
single divine author with a single unifying theme. John R.W.
Stott, Understanding the Bible.
6. Prophetic Consistency. There are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old
Testament that are fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in
the New Testament. The very dimension of the sheer fulfillment of prophecy of
the Old Testament Scriptures should be enough to convince anyone that we are
dealing with a supernatural piece of literature.God has himself planted within
the scriptures an internal consistency that bears witness that this is his Word.
R.C. Sproul, Now Thats a Good Question.
7. Expert Scrutiny. The early church had extremely high standards for what
books were judged to be authentic and therefore included in the Bible. A book
had to have been written by an Apostle or someone in their immediate circle,
had to conform to basic Christian faith and had to be in widespread use among
many churches. This was a careful process of the people of God in many
different places, coming to recognize what other believers elsewhere found to
be true; these writings were truly Gods word. G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A.
Carson and R.T. France, The New Bible Commentary.
8. Leader Acceptance. A majority of the greatest leaders and thinkers in history
have affirmed the truth and impact of the Bible. "I believe the Bible is the best
gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is
communicated to us through this book. But for it we could not know right from
wrong. Abraham Lincoln.
9. Global Influence. The Bible has had a greater influence on the laws, art,
ethics, music and literature of world civilization than any other book in history.
Can you think of one that even comes close? Christianity, as set forth in the
Bible is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian
advances in the history of civilizationin education, medicine, law, the fine
arts, working for human rights and even in the natural sciences. Craig L.
Blomberg, in Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.
10.Changed Lives. From St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Joni Eareckson Tada to
countless everyday men, women and children, the words of the Bible have
transformed lives unmistakably and forever. As unnamed masses of Christians
down through the ages have shown us, the Bible is the most reliable place to
turn for finding the key to a life of love and good works. T.M. Moore, The Case
for the Bible.
The Bible consists of edited writings, collected and put together at one point in history.
2.
Part of the Bible is wise instruction from men, and part is from God.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Many books in the New Testament were letters to different Churches and groups.
God's record of the creation of the world is found in the Book of Genesis.
10.
Introduction
The Bible can be read as great literature, or as a history of Israel, or as a source book of theological
information. It is all of these things. But none of them does full justice to the purpose of Scripture
as set forth by the Bible writers themselves. This amazing book, the Bible, is the source of truth,
the standard for meaningful life, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the key to true freedom and liberty,
and true food for man's soul.
May our eyes be opened, our hearts enlarged, and our lives changed by this Book of all books!
I.
Definition of Terms
A. The Bible:
The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word biblion which simply means "book."
B. The Scriptures:
This word is the word we use in our translation of the Greek word graphai, which can
also be translated as "writings."
C. Testament:
This word is derived from the Latin word testamentum, which was used in early
Latin translations of both the Greek and Hebrew words for a "will" or "covenant."
(For further study: Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia, "Bible," vol. 1, pp. 554ff; A
General Introduction to the Bible, by Geisler and Nix, pp.l7ff.)
II.
A. Unique In Its Continuity The Bible has an unique continuity when you consider that...
written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants,
philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.;
Survival through Time Being written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for
hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish
its style, correctness or existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient
writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical
literature combined.
Written
Earliest Copy
Time Span
100-44 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,000 yrs
Plato
427-347 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs
Thucydides
460-400 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,300 yrs
100 A.D.
1100 A.D.
1,000 yrs
75-160 A.D.
950 A.D.
800 yrs
900 B.C.
400 B.C.
500 yrs
40-100 A.D.
125 A.D.
25-50 yrs
Tacitus
Suetonius
Homer (Iliad)
New Testament
Survival Through Persecution The Bible has withstood vicious attacks of its enemies as no other book.
Many have tried to burn it, ban it, and "outlaw it from the days of Roman
emperors to present-day Communist or Islamic-dominated countries."
"Infidels for eighteen hundred years have been attempting to refute and overthrow
this Book, and yet it stands today as solid as a rock. Its circulation increases, and it
is more loved and cherished and read today than ever before. Infidels, with all their
assaults, make about as much impression on this Book as a man with a jackhammer
would on the Pyramids of Egypt. When the French monarch proposed the
persecution of the Christians in his dominion, an old statesman and warrior said to
him, Sire, the Church of God is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.' So the
hammers of infidels have been pecking away at this Book for ages, but the hammers
are worn out, and the anvil still endures. If this Book had not been the Book of God,
men would have destroyed it long ago. Emperors and popes, kings and priests,
princes and rulers have all tried their hand at it; they die and the book still lives."
(H.L. Hastings cited in Josh McDowell's, Evidence that Demands A Verdict p. 21)
II.
Direct Voice - God spoke in an audible voice to some of them, telling them
what to write down. (Exodus 33:1)
Direct Writing - God visibly wrote certain of the truths Himself. (Exodus
31:18)
Men - The personal experiences and spiritual lives of individuals were used
by God. (Psalm 51)
Natural World - The universe, which God created, declares Him. (Psalm
19:1 and Romans 1:19-23)
Historic Events - God used the events of men to reveal His will (the Old
Testament Books of Genesis and Esther).
Holy Spirit - The Spirit of God guided men as they penned His words (2 Peter
1:21)
Inspiration
The key verse is 2 Timothy 3:16. The word "inspiration" means "God-breathed."
"Every Scripture is God-breathed." The Bible claims that on the original parchments
every sentence, every word, every line was placed there in complete agreement with
the will of God. The veritable author of the Bible is God. God used human authors to
write down the words He wanted in the Bible. He watched over them as they wrote,
so no errors could creep in.
How do we know when writings are inspired by God? The Bible itself tells us what
characteristics writings must have to be considered inspired by God. They must:
Be spoken from, and in the name of, the Lord (Jeremiah 30:2, 1 Peter 1:21).
Exalt and glorify God (John 5:39 &; 17:4-10; Ephesians 1:13-14).
Direct the love of men toward God (Colossians 3:16; Revelation 19:10).
Draw men to repent of their rebellion against God and to submit fully to Him
(Psalms 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16).
Support the laws, precepts, and principles set forth in the rest of Scripturewithout contradiction (Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 5:17; John 10:35).
Summary Of Terms
II.
The first five Books of the Old Testament were written about 1440 B.C. by
Moses. These are called the "Five Books of Moses", or the "Pentateuch"
(five writings). List them below in the order you find them in your Bible.
a.
Genesis
b.
Exodus
c.
Leviticus
d.
Number
e.
Deuteronomy
The next twelve Books in the Old Testament are historical. They were
written about 1100-600 B.C. and describe God's dealings with His chosen
people, Israel, the Hebrew nation. Note these Books and their titles.
The following five books are poetical, describing in poetry and song God's
greatness and His dealings with men. List these in order below.
a.
Job
b.
Psalms
c.
Proverbs
d.
Ecclesiastes
e.
Song of Solomon
The last twelve books of the Old Testament are called "minor prophets."
These books were written from about 800-400 B.C. Note the names of these
books in your Bible.
The first five books of the New Testament are historical As you list them in
order below, study their descriptions on the right.
a.
Matthew
The life of Christ written especially for the Jews, revealing Jesus
Christ as their long-awaited Savior-King.
b.
Mark
c.
Luke
d.
John
The life of Christ revealing Jesus as the Son of God, stressing His
deity.
e.
Acts
a)
that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
b)
The next 21 Books are letters (epistles). They are written to individuals, to
churches, or to believers in general These letters deal with every aspect of
Christian faith and responsibility. Notice the titles of these epistles.
The last book of the New Testament is a book of prophecy. It tells of future
events - including the return, reign, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the future state of believers and unbelievers.
Revelation
II.
Conclusion
1. The Bible At A Glance (66 Books)
(Open in New Window)
HISTORY
POETRY
PROPHECY
17 books
5 books
17 books
Law
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
1. Job
2. Psalms
3. Proverbs
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Song of
Solomon
About
400 years
between
Testaments
HISTORY
TEACHING
PROPHECY
5 books
21 books
1 book
Major Prophets
Gospels
Paul's letters
1. Isaiah
2. Jeremiah
3. Lamentations
4. Ezekiel
5. Daniel
1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
1. Romans
2. 1 Corinthians
3, 2 Corinthians
4. Galatians
5. Ephesians
6. Philippians
7. Colossians
8. 1 Thessalonians
9. 2 Thessalonians
10. 1 Timothy
11. 2 Timothy
12. Titus
13. Philemon
History
History and
Government
1. Joshua
2. Judges
3. Ruth
4. 1 Samuel
5. 2 Samuel
6. 1 Kings
7. 2 Kings
8. 1 Chronicles
9. 2 Chronicles
10. Ezra
11. Nehemiah
12. Esther
Minor Prophets
1. Acts
1. Hosea
2. Joel
3. Amos
4. Obadiah
5. Jonah
6. Micah
7. Nahum
8. Habakkuk
9. Zephaniah
10. Haggai
11. Zechariah
12. Malachi
Revelation
General Letters
1. Hebrews
2. James
3. 1 Peter
4. 2 Peter
5. 1 John
6. 2 John
7. 3 John
8. Jude
God used 40 different men over a period of 1,500 Years (about 1400 B.C. to 90 A.D.) in writing the Bible- (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Only the parts that speak to us in a personal way are inspired by God.
b. This Book of all Books is an amazing record of history, great literature, and
theology; but more importantly, it is the source of truth, the standard for
meaningful life, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the key to freedom and liberty,
true food for man's soul!