The Bible is From God

The Bible is From God Super Sunday – Lesson 2

Does the Bible pass the test? Take sheet of paper And a GREEN marker And you will get green paper

Does the Bible pass the test? • Now put some numbers in the corner • Put YOUR picture in the middle • Is this real? A - - > • DO NOT TRY TO SPEND (A): • It is counterfeit! • How can you tell? • The REAL $100 bill has some “internal” proof that it is genuine. B - ->

Inspiration • “When the Bible claims to be inspired what is meant by that term? The English term “inspiration” derives from the Latin inspirare, which means “to breath upon or into something.” The five English words, “given by inspiration of God,” in the King James Version of 1611 actually are translated by the single Greek adjective, theopneustos, (continued)

Inspiration • Which is derived from two Greek root words (theos – God, pneo – to blow or breathe). Theopneustos would mean God breathed, or filled with the breath of God. • The book that is in this sense inspired is one into which something or another spirit or mind has been breathed; in other words, its author has been overshadowed by a power outside himself.”

Inspiration • The very nature of the Bible makes this book infallible • The Bible is infallible – inerrant • The Bible is NOT false, NOT mistaken, NOT defective.

Unity • Think about it - - - • More than 40 writers • Farmers, tree trimmers, kings, priests, fishermen, tax collectors, doctors, religious scholars, shepherds • Over a period of 3,000 years • From different nations, cultures, political situations • ALL HAVE THE SAME THEME - - -GOD’S PLAN FOR REDEMPTION

Factual Accuracy • People • Kings, governors, high priest • Places • Nations, territories, regions, cities • G P S • Lay of the land – up, down, • Direction, nearby cities

Hittites • The Hittites are mentioned over 40 times in the Bible • Exodus 23:28 – For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.

Hittites • Joshua 1:4 - From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. • Critics said the Hittites did not exist.

Hittites • UNTIL – 1906 (100 years ago) • Hugh Winkler discovered the capital of the Hittites • There was a HUGE law library (more than 10,000 clay tablets • They are now known as the Hittite Code

Hittites • We now can confirm what the Bible said about the Hittites. • We know the extent of their territory (see map) • We know they interacted with Israel • We have a carving of them invading Israel

Flax • Many critics said that “flax” did not exist at the time when Rahab hid the spies under flax on her roof – Joshua 2:6 • Flax is a plant with strong fibers

Flax • THEN – in Egypt – the Treasure City of Pithom (see Exodus 5) was discovered • The lower levels of bricks were full of these flax fibers to make the bricks stronger • The bricks higher up the wall were made of more mud and less flax • Near the top of the walls, the bricks were almost all mud – no flax • JUST AS IS DESCRIBED IN EXODUS.

Bow 7 Times • Genesis 33:3 - Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. • Critics said this was an “exaggeration” and proved the Bible was full of myths, legends and not reliable.

Bow 7 Times • The Tell-el-Armarna Tablets were written about 1450 BC • They tell about bowing 7 times when meeting a superior or to show respect • Jacob bowed 7 times to Esau – a sign of respect for his estranged twin brother

Internal Claims • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - 16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. • Psalm 119:89 - Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

Internal Claims • 2 Peter 1:20-21 - 20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they weremoved by the Holy Spirit. • Matthew 22:31-32 - 31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Internal Claims • 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 - 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Internal Claims • 2 Samuel 23:2 - “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. • Acts 1:16 - “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

Internal Claims • What should we do with this internal evidence? • When a court hears testimony from a witness – what can the jury do? • There are only three choices: • Prove the witness is not reliable • Prove the witness statement is false • Accept the witness as reliable and truthful

Internal Claims • I have shown that the testimony of the Bible has been shown to be correct and reliable. • I have shown that the testimony is true. • WILL YOU ACCEPT THE INTERNAL CLAIMS? • THE BIBLE IS FROM GOD!

The Bible is From God