SECTIONS ON THIS PAGE Authorship, Uniqueness and Role
Inspiration Criticism Reliability
Overview
The Old Testament
The New Testament Clarity
Science And The Bible The Canon, Gnostic Gospels and the DaVinci Code Also See
Unhelpful Responses To Questions About The Bible
God’s Sense of Humour
Credible Authority In Conclusion Also
Reading and Understanding The Bible
Biblical Interpretation...12 Golden Rules
What Are We Looking For In The Bible?
Bible Controversies
Is The Qur’an The Word Of God? Authorship and Role Authorship The Bible is unique inasmuch as it maintains consistency, harmony, and continuity from cover to cover. It has one message from Genesis to Revelation. Nothing outstanding about that you say… After all most books have one ‘theme’, story line or subject. True! But perhaps the Bible’s uniformity is more than a little curious considering that ... (Includes Could You Write The Bible?). The Christian’s Charter A brief but comprehensive description of Scripture. How Is the Bible Different from Other Scriptures? In a religiously pluralistic culture, the Bible no longer commands a dominant market share of respect. This objection demands a response! One of the most often asked questions is "Why should I regard the Bible as God's Word? What about all of the other ‘scriptures?’"
Inspiration How Can Anyone Be Certain of the Bible's Meaning? God has communicated many things to us through the Bible. Some things are more difficult to understand, but he has gone out of his way to make his main message clear to us (Jn. 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16). He has done this in three ways. How Was the Bible Written? Inspiration does not mean simply that the writer felt enthusiastic, like Handel composing the Messiah. Nor does it mean that the writings are necessarily inspiring, like an uplifting poem. As a process, it refers to the writers and the writings being controlled by God. As a product, it refers to the writings only, as documents that are God’s message. Inspiration of The Bible We are living in an age of great skepticism, agnosticism, and atheism. All that men may say about the Bible cannot prove nor disprove that it is inspired of God. And so we must turn to the Bible itself to see if it contains evidence sufficient to cause intelligent and informed men and women to believe its claim of inspiration. God doesn't Give Autographs What I mean by that is that God doesn't allow us, or apparently hasn't in His sovereignty, to keep the autographs of the writings of the Bible.. However this is probably a good thing.
Criticism Academia’s Asinine Assault on the Bible Men who literally spent their lives poring over ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, devoting their lives to meticulous, tedious analysis of the evidence, conversant with the original languages, without peer in their expertise and qualifications, have concluded that the Bible has been transmitted accurately. Then... Calculated Contempt Why Bible Critics Do Not Deserve the Benefit of the Doubt..Chances are they haven't done a fraction of the homework they need to do to be a reputable commentator. Biblical Criticism Reviewers, both friendly and hostile, will dash you off such histories with great confidence; will tell you what public events had directed the author's mind to this or that, what other authors had influenced him, what his over-all intention was, what sort of audience he principally addressed, why--and when--he did everything. . . . My impression is that in the whole of my experience not one of these guesses has on any one point been right; that the method shows a record of 100 per cent failure. Did Adam Have a Navel? ... and Other Questions of Deep Theological Significance Questions such as these reveal skepticism and the desire to reduce the Bible God's Word to the level of absurdity. If it can be shown that the Bible consists mainly of ridiculous fallacies, then its claim to be the infallible guide to our lives is refuted. Most of the questions directed in this manner are merely parroted clichés that clearly show that the skeptic has done no serious thinking of his own.
Reliability.. Overview Is the Bible Today What Was Originally Written? The question, "Is the Bible today what was originally written?" involves two important questions: (1) Are the available manuscripts (mss.) of the Bible accurate representations of the original mss. of the respective books of the Bible (the autographs of Scripture)? This is an issue of textual transmission. (2) Are the available translations faithful renderings of the Bible in the original languages? This is an issue of translation. Are Biblical Documents Reliable?.. Perhaps the most common reason which people advance for choosing to reject the Bible. It is generally believed that the original text MUST have been changed significantly since it was first written, and therefore, it is said, there is little point in paying much attention to a corrupted book. Historical Evidence for the Bible (Overview) If the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God, as it claims (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21), we would expect there to be some evidence supporting these claims. After all, just because something claims to be the word of God does not make it true. We will examine the testimony of historical evidence to ask, Does the evidence support or deny the internal claims of the Bible? The Dead Sea Scrolls The Old Testament that we use today is translated from what is called the Masoretic Text. The Masoretes were Jewish scholars who between A.D. 500 and 950 gave the Old Testament the form that we use today. Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, the oldest Hebrew text of the Old Testament was the Masoretic Aleppo Codex which dates to A.D. 935. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we now had manuscripts that predated the Masoretic Text by about one thousand years. Additionally the scrolls were found to be almost identical with the Masoretic text. Hebrew Scholar Millar Burrows writes, “It is a matter of wonder that through something like one thousand years the text underwent so little alteration. Why The Bible Cannot Be Legend The Bible claims that its accounts are not legend. If this claim is rejected, then one must find some way of explaining the existence of a body of literature which, although falsified, corresponds, down to its minutest details, to all that is known about the history with which it claims to be contemporaneous, and which, if it had not taken place, leaves unexplained the myriad of effects that have ostensibly occurred as a result of the events that it describes. The Claims of The Bible Concerning Itself Not only do all of the Scriptures carry with them the claim to be describing events that have really taken place, but the Biblical authors believed that whatever had previously been recorded in Scripture had actually happened. For example, the book of Joshua presupposes that the events recorded in the Pentateuch had actually occurred. The Bible consistently builds upon the historicity of previously recorded events and is intelligible only if these prior events real.
The Old Testament The Claims of The Old Testament During the course of the history of Israel, the authors of the Old Testament made constant references to the portions of the Hebrew Scriptures that had already been written. From these citations, it is easy to demonstrate that the Old Testament treats itself as "the written record of the words of God as they were given by God, and as they were recorded by men who were specially designated and commanded by God to this work. The Veracity of the Old Testament: A Scientific Validation This almost universal inaccuracy and unreliability of the Greek and Arab historians with reference to the kings of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon is in glaring contrast with the exactness and trustworthiness of the Hebrew Bible. Archaeology and The Bible Are there other sources, besides the document itself, to substantiate its accuracy, reliability and authenticity? It has been well said "conformity or agreement with other known historical or scientific facts is often the decisive test of evidence, whether of one or of more witnesses" (Louis Gottschalk, Understanding History). While historical accuracy does not "prove" the Bible's spiritual authority, it does enhance its credibility in non-historic areas. Old Testament & Messianic Prophecy There is one test that we can apply to all ‘sacred writings’.... The Test Of Prophecy - the foretelling of future events. Surely a book claiming to be God's Word will contain His statements about His purpose, and predictions for the future. If you compare the ‘divine’ books such as the Bhagavad-Gita and the Koran, you will find that they contain hardly any prophecies, and certainly none that are as specific as those of the Bible and which have been fulfilled to the letter. Biblical prophecies commonly give details of actual events to occur; Actual geographic locations; Actual people (sometimes named before they were born); Actual nations, all of which would be involved in certain world events. It is a simple matter to ascertain whether such prophecies have been fulfilled or not. The Odds Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter — no errors. (The remaining 500 or so reach into the future and may be seen unfolding as days go by.) Since the probability for any one of these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance averages less than one in ten (figured very conservatively) and since the prophecies are for the most part independent of one another, the odds for all these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance without error is less than one in 102000 (that is 1 with 2000 zeros written after it)!
The New Testament The Reliablity Of The Gospels The New Testament was written by men who were either eyewitnesses themselves, or who related from the eyewitnesses their personal accounts of the actual incidents and teachings of Christ. It is beyond doubt that the New Testament accounts of Christ were circulated within the lifetimes of those who witnessed his life. It is also a fact that these people (some friendly, others hostile to the gospel) would confirm or deny the accuracy of the accounts. The bitter opponents of Jesus and his disciples would have leapt at the opportunity to discredit the claims concerning his life, death and resurrection, if the writings being circulated were untrue. Other Ancient Writings Historians such as Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, and Thales all make reference to Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity, as do the Government Officials of the time such as Pliny the Younger and Trajan. When Were The Books of The New Testament Written? Evidence that the major works of the New Testament are eyewitness accounts written within two generations of the events New Testament Conspiracy? Is it simpler to say that the New Testament writers conspired over many decades to write about actual places and people in such a way so as to convincingly deceive thousands of people into believing that Jesus was the Messiah, fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, healed the sick, cured diseases, claimed to be divine, raised Lazarus from the dead, was crucified by Romans after enduring the religious court of the Sanhedrin, was buried, and rose from the dead or that it simply all happened and they recorded it? Was the New Testament Influenced By Pagan Religions? Many have encountered criticisms of Christianity based on claims that early Christianity and the New Testament borrowed important beliefs and practices from a number of pagan mystery religions. Since these claims undermine such central Christian doctrines as Christ's death and resurrection, the charges are serious. But the evidence for such claims, when it even exists, often lies in sources several centuries older than the New Testament. Moreover, the alleged parallels often result from liberal scholars uncritically describing pagan beliefs and practices in Christian language and then marveling at the striking parallels they think they've discovered. Was the New Testament Influenced By Pagan Philosophy? Did the Christianity of the first century A.D. borrow any of its essential beliefs[1] from the pagan philosophical systems of that time? Was first century Christianity -- the Christianity reflected in the pages of the New Testament -- a syncretistic religion (i.e., a religion which fuses elements of differing belief systems)
Clarity The Miracle Of The Bible Challenging claims by the Bible about itself leaves no middle way for our personal reaction to its message. We must either accept or reject it. For if the claim is false, then the Bible's message is of no real value, and the Gospel of salvation it contains is but a figment of man's imagination. But if the claim is true, then the Bible's message commands obedience and its Gospel offers the true hope of life beyond the grave. The Bible's claim is no academic exercise: it is a matter of life and death. Why Isn’t The Evidence Clearer? Why must we read a two-thousand-year-old book and study ancient history for proof of the existence of God? "Are there any reasons for the evidence to appear obscure?
Science And The Bible Hasn’t Science Shown The Bible Is in Error? Does modern-day science prove the Bible is false? Many today seem to think so. But an even a more pertinent question is, "CAN science prove the Bible is false?" A study of the history and nature of science is needed to answer these questions. Do All Scientists Support Darwinism? "All major scientists support evolution." This is the Darwinist’s response of choice to anyone who dares question the notion that matter, time, and chance – not God – have brought all things into existence. Too many Christians, when confronted with the argument that real scientists support Darwin’s conclusions, throw in the towel for lack of knowledge. Scientific Facts In The Bible Before you laugh at stupid Christians, ask yourself if there is any proof that the claims of the Bible are true. Compelling scientific evidence that the Bible is no ordinary book: Skeptics And The Bible How do you reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the latest scientific conclusions and psychological insights?"
What is The Canon of Scripture? Apocrypha, Gnostic Gospels and Lost Books What is The Canon of Scripture is a very Important Question as the basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture. If we can't identify what is Scripture, then we can't properly distinguish any theological truth from error. Section includes the ‘lost’ books of the Bible (a view that DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE) The Apocrypha, The Gnostic Gospels including the gospel of Thomas and the latest sensation... The Gospel of Judas (Although much excitement has been generated by these discoveries, not a little misunderstanding has been mixed with the enthusiasm.). Also Constantine and the Council of Nicea. The DaVinci Code Dan Brown opens his novel with the words “FACT” in bold, capital letters and this statement: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate”. In terms of documents and rituals, and even artwork and architecture, The DaVinci Code contains few “facts” and what few it does contain require serious qualification. (Section) Also See Reading and Understanding The Bible Section includes An Overview of the Old and New Testament, Guides To Reading The Bible, How The Bible Came to Us, A Brief History Of The Bible, A Sermon on Each Book of The Bible, Commentaries etc. Section Includes What Are We Looking For In The Bible? To preach the Bible as "the handbook for life," or as the answer to every question, rather than as the revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached Scripture Biblical Interpretation...12 Golden Rules What basic and common sense rules should we apply to reading Scripture? Bible Controversies Several Articles dealing with Bible Codes, The King James Version, and modern paraphrases like The Living Bible, The Message and Good News Bible. Is The Qur’an The Word Of God? Consider the claim of the Qur’an described by its admirers as “a literary masterpiece of surpassing excellence”, and is unquestioningly accepted by Muslims to be the infallible Word of God as revealed to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel over 1,300 years ago... But is it? (Article includes ‘Was Muhammad foretold by the Bible?’, ‘Did Muhammad perform miracles?’ and ‘Did the Qur’an have predictive prophecy’?)
Unhelpful Responses To Questions About The Bible
"The Bible must be reliable because it claims to be God's Word." This is circular reasoning: the conclusion is stated as a premise. Also, what about other scriptures which make the same claim, but which contradict the truth-claims of the Bible? "The Bible's claims about Jesus are true in spite of the fact that it is full of errors in other matters." If the Bible doesn't speak reliably in the areas in which it can be tested, why should we believe it in the areas in which it can't be tested? "The Bible is God's Word because it makes me feel close to God, it helps my life, etc." This is something, but it can't be adequate by itself, because similar reports and conclusions are drawn about scriptures which contradict the Bible”. (Does It Matter If the Bible Is Historically Accurate? By Gary DeLashmutt) [TOP OF PAGE]
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God’s Sense of Humour.. In the mid-1700s Voltaire, one of the most influential writers of his day, held a copy of the Bible in his hand and stated that within 100 years from his time, Christianity would be swept from existence and would pass into history. What's hilarious is that merely 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his house and press to print and distribute stacks of Bibles! They even made his house their headquarters! (The Holy Bible: Wholly True. By Winkie Pratney) [TOP OF PAGE]
Credible Authority The first way we know something is by authority. Frankly, most of the things we think we know we don't know because we've discovered them ourselves, but rather because someone we trust told us they were so. If I wanted to know something about radiology, for example, I'd ask a radiologist whose credentials I trusted. Even if I consulted books on radiology, it would have amounted to the same thing: taking the word of someone who was an expert in the field. I wouldn't start from square one to rediscover radiology all on my own. I'd fall back on the books or the counsel of others who know better, and would probably be justified in believing what they had to say. It's interesting how people will sometimes balk at the notion at trusting an authority like the Bible, when virtually everything they think they know, they've gotten from some authority or another. Think about everything you know about the past before your own lifetime. Think about everything you know about things that are too small for you to examine yourself--the microscopic world, for example--or too big, too distant for you to examine, like distant stars. Think about every place you think you have accurate information about that you've never personally visited. Think about everything you think you know about disciplines in which you didn't personally do the primary research. This probably amounts to about 99.9 percent of all of the things we think we know. We don't know them through testing of our own, but through the testimony of others we think we have reason to trust. So, rather than being odd that we would take certain things on authority, it's actually the foundational way we know things. We trust the words of other people who are reliable. The reliability and credibility of the authority is the key issue. This teaches us an important lesson. It's very natural for us to function on the principle that if the authority is credible, then we're justified in believing the information he gives us. [TOP OF PAGE]
In Conclusion.. "The Bible must be the invention either of good men or angels, bad men or devils, or of God. However, it was not written by good men, because good men would not tell lies by saying 'Thus saith the Lord;' it was not written by bad men because they would not write about doing good duty, while condemning sin, and themselves to hell; thus, it must be written by divine inspiration" (Charles Wesley . McDowell 1990:178). Is the Bible The Word of God? Those who take the question of the Bible's authority seriously, gather the available evidence, and examine the difficulties will discover they have more than enough compelling reasons to confidently embrace the Bible for what it claims to be--God's Word. No matter which way we turn, there is strong evidence to show that the Bible can stand up to the critical tests which may be applied to it - and does so in a manner which far surpasses any other document. It is this sort of accumulative evidence which adds weight to a belief in the reliability and credibility of the Bible. It is all very well to accept the evidence that the Bible is accurate, reliable and inspired - but where does this leave us? The sad fact is that most criticism of the Bible goes hand in hand with an unwillingness to respond to the demands of its message, and is often based on preconceived theories, which are themselves unproven or unproveable. Such 'willing ignorance' is a personal tragedy for those involved as well as for those who are taken in by it, especially since The Bible can certainly stand the most searching examination. God has taken the trouble to preserve His message for mankind. Surely it would be in our own personal interests to find out what that message is! The best way of doing this, is to read the Book itself! This may sound simple enough, but most people who profess a belief in the Bible have only ever read little, if any, of it. As Ray Stedman once said “Here is our world today, like Rome, powerless amid its display of power. It can do so many things of a technological nature, but one thing it cannot do: It cannot heal a human heart, it cannot awaken hope, and it cannot unite that which is fragmented and divided. It has no power in this realm”. God and His word can.. [TOP OF PAGE] | 
Index To Section 2 ... 
