Class Notes for Is the Bible True

How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers hundreds of years ago) and read the Declaration of Independence (what our nation is built on) where it says "All men are created equal" and try treating them that way for a change!? Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop using an archaic book of stories as your crutch for your existence

The fundamental difference I have with organized religion is that I believe the Bible's a great book, but I'm not convinced that everything's factual. I think it's God's word interpreted by man, but in the end, it's man's book.

Is it important to believe the Bible is absolutely true?

Religious debates of past - what the Bible meant - now, is the Bible trustworthy
Everything must be relative - not true or untrue - what you think - Can we believe the Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16 - Why I believe the Bible is the word of God

• Prophecies of the Bible
  26 other 'bibles' - don't prophesy in O.T. > 2200 prophecies (i.e. Babylon)
  What should you do when a religious organization makes a bold prophecy and it doesn't come true?
  Deut 18:22 - false prophet - doesn't come true
  Psalm 22:12-18 - crucifixion, 1000 years before born - Not invented yet

  Born of Virgin	Isaiah 40:3	Matthew 1:18,25
  Messenger precede	Isaiah 7:14	Matthew 3:1-2

  Mathematical Odds - 8 prophecies - 1 in 10¹⁷ - silver dollars, 2 feet deep, one marked - blind man find it
  Jesus - 48 prophecies - 1 in 10¹⁵⁷ - 10⁷⁹ electrons in universe - it was a freak coincidence?

• Progression of the Bible
  66 Books, 40 Authors, 1600 years
  If you had 40 artists painting pictures unaware of the others - what do you get when put together?
  (no publisher, editor, outline - nobody knew it was going to be put together when writing)
  Each book serves it purpose - a pattern throughout with a thread of redemption
  Impossible that it be written by man - could never had gotten it right

• Protection of the Bible
  No other book attacked like Bible
  Manasseh destroyed Holy Scriptures (one was hidden in temple wall) - Josiah (grandson) found only copy
  Roman emperor Diocletian - ordered all copies of Scripture burned
               20 years later (Constantine) 1st law - ordered copies distributed
  Voltaire - predicted 100 years after death, Bible wouldn't exist
               year after death - Bible Society used his press and house to make and distribute Bibles

• Proof of the Bible
  No archaeologist has overturned any contradicting evidence
  Manuscript Evidence
  Old Testament - Massoretic text - scribes - AD 1000 - meticulous techniques - middle letter
    Dead Sea Scrolls - 1947 - 100-200 B.C Septuagint - Greek - 200 BC - All match and confirm -
  New Testament - Thousands upon thousands of copies of New Testament from 135 AD to 450 AD
    Most reliable document from that period
  Scientific Accuracies of the Bible - even though written in age of ancient ignorance
  Astronomy - Jeremiah 33:22 - stars innumerable -How many stars? Will we ever know?
  Physics - Isaiah 40:22 - circle of earth (700 BC) - man thought it was flat (for many more centuries)
                 Job 26:7 - earth suspended in nothing - (gravity)
  1861 - French Academy of Science - 51 scientific facts disproving Bible - Their facts have changed
  Historical Accuracy
  No archeological discovery has ever denied historical statements of Bible
  40 non Hebrew kings - in chronological order - tremendous odds - critics always proved wrong
  Daniel 5 - Belshazzar - King over Babylon - (co-king) - Daniel 3rd highest
  Hittites (no such kingdom) - 50 years ago, stones in Israel - entire history of Hittite empire (only Bible)
  Assyria (no such nation) - 60 years ago, brick uncovered - Sargon - king of Nineveh (Assyrian capital)

• Power of the Bible
  no other book can change a life - Why?
  What book is there than you can read each day - and learn something new?

Acts 17:11 - don't just blindly accept from anyone - learn to back it up
2 Timothy 2:14-15 - Study, but don't quarrel over the words - denominations??
  Necessity of learning it all - in context, not snippets to respond
Power has been understood for hundreds of years - reason Catholic church didn't encourage common folk to read
Jehovah Witness - uses Bible?, along with Scripture Studies - (they need it and their translation to make sense)
Purpose of preacher, teacher and corporate study - equip with tools to study, not in lieu of personal study

Doesn't contain the word of God - the Bible IS the word of God - all of it
Weight of evidence stands - Bible is trustworthy guide in moral and spiritual matters