Bibliology – God’s Word

1. Bibliology – God’s Word

2. You can find the Truth! • The Bible is the ‘Word of God’. • (1Jo 2:14) I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. • (Rev 1:2) who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. • (Rev 1:9) I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

3. (Heb 13:7) Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. • (Heb 4:12) For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

4. (Rev 6:9) When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; • Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

5. Every Word is essential!

6. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the works of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29). • 1 Corinthians 4:6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

7. Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. • Revelation 22:18-19 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; (19) and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

8. The Bible is the sacred book for many religions. It is interesting how they all have the same facts, but they all believe vastly different things.

9. Mormonism: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." • Christian Science: "The Bible has been my only authority. I have had no other guide in "the straight and narrow way" of Truth. In following these leadings of scientific revelation, the Bible was my only textbook." • Jehovah's Witnesses: "The Holy Scripture of the Bible are the standard by which to judge all religions."

10. The Way: "There is no room for interpretation or discussion. "We must come to The Word, let The Word speak, and then adjust our thinking according to the integrity and accuracy of The Word. After we have let The Word speak, we must accordingly harmonize our beliefs, our actions, and our living." • The Unification Church: "Until our mission with the Christian church is over, we must quote the Bible and use it to explain the Divine Principle. After we receive the inheritance of the Christian church we will be free to teach without the Bible."

11. Islam - The Quran declares the Bible to be a true revelation of God and demands faith in the Bible. Sura 2:40-42,126,136,285; 3:3,71,93; 4:47,136; 5:47-51, 69,71-72; 6:91; 10:37,94; 21:7; 29:45,46; 35:31; 46:11 • The Qur’an claims that NO ONE can change the Word of God. Sura 6:34; 10:34

12. Why Do Muslims Believe The Bible Is Corrupted? • In 1064, Ibn-Khazem, FIRST charged that the Bible had been corrupted and the Bible falsified. This charge was to defend Islam against Christianity because Ibn-Khazem come upon differences and contradiction between the Bible and the Quran. Believing, by faith that the Quran was true, the Bible must then be false. He said, "Since the Quran must be true it must be the conflicting Gospel texts that are false. But Muhammad tells us to respect the Gospel. Therefore, the present text must have been falsified by the Christians after the time of Muhammad."

13. You can know the Truth… • 2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, • 2Pe 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, • 2Pe 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. • 2Pe 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, • 2Pe 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

14. Truth: Jesus Christ – The Word of God Then Jesus said to those Jewish people who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to. Romans 6:17 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

15. The Bible was written sooo long ago in ancient languages, how could it still be valid today? It has been copied sooo many times, the original message was lost! It’s all a matter of interpretation. Even if the Bible has been preserved, it is so ambiguous that to develop any Truth from the text is impossible. That’s why we have so many denominations and belief systems within Christianity. Arguments against the Bible

16. You can live a little over 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without oxygen – but without faith you will surely die…Spiritually speaking All it takes is Faith! You can’t believe in God or the preservation of His Word without faith! So what is ‘faith’?

17. Do we REALLY need faith? The world in which we live often presents itself as cold and heartless – which in turn leads to a world of discouraged, depressed, and despairing people. So YES we need faith! Yet true faith is in short supply! So, some make faith equal with hope…they simply are not the same!

18. Some ‘hoped’ that Jesus was the Messiah… Luke 24:13-21 - "Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

19. Luke 24:13-21 - "He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

20. Luke 24:13-21 – "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;

21. Hope is not Faith! Luke 24:13-21 – but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place." They ‘hoped’ but they did not have ‘faith’!

22. So what is faith? • Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. • Webster Greek def: “The sense of the verb, from which that of rope and binding is derived, is to strain, to draw, and thus to bind or make fast. A rope or cable is that which makes fast.” • The Hebrew and the Greek suggest a trust or belief in a known truth, validated by evidence that would lead to a conviction. • It is not a ‘blind leap’!

23. Belief + Proof=Faith • Heb 11:1 Now faith (the solid rope that holds something together – the belief in a known truth) is the assurance(concrete foundation) of things hoped for, the conviction(evidence, proof) of things not seen. • Faith in Jesus Christ is valid and reasonable!We derive our evidence from the Bible and personal experience! • If the Bible is not true, we have no basis for faith!

24. Many Pastor’s have preached that you should be a Christian by blind faith. Even if the Bible is not reliable and even if Jesus didn’t raise from the dead. The Apostle Paul doesn’t agree…

25. Everything rests on the validity of the Bible and the Resurrection! 1 Corinthians 15:13-20a - "IF there is no resurrection of the dead, THEN not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

26. 1 Corinthians 15:13-20a – “More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.”

27. 1 Corinthians 15:13-20a – “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

28. 1 Corinthians 15:13-20a – “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” Heb 4:12 For the word of God isliving and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Isa 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

29. The Bible’s version of Christianity is not about a religion – but a relationship! John 1:12 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

30. Knowing Jesus is everything! • On judgment day, it won’t matter how ‘good’ you were. • The only thing that will matter is did you make Jesus Lord and Savior of your life! • If you’ve done that – you know Him, and He knows you!

31. The Science and the Sacridity of Interpretation We must remember that: “Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”1 Corinthians 3:15-17

32. That removal of the veil is also called illumination – the Holy Spirit bringing the Scripture to light. • Scripture is more important than our interpretation of it or Church tradition: Jesus asked, “Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”Matthew 15:3

33. 2Pe 1:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation • This is saying there is only one interpretation of Scripture and it is what God intended when He had the scribe write it.

34. I Corinthians 2:12-14 • NIV: (12) We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (13) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. (14) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

35. The Emergence of Books Rosetta Stone From the Caves of 4000 B.C. to the Gutenberg Bible printed c. 1454-55 A.D. handwritten codex scrolls of papyrus and the books of the Torah Gutenberg Bible

36. We knew it was coming… 2Pe 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts. • 2Ti 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. • Mat 10:22 "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. • Mat 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. • Mat 5:12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. • Jam 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. • Jam 5:9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. • Jam 5:10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. • Jam 5:11 We count those blessed who endured.

37. As darkness increases we need to shine brighter! Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; Mat 5:15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Mat 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

38. Why do we need the Bible? The Authority of Scripture A Spirit-Inspired Revelation from God Applied to Us by the Spirit – It is our sole source of faith and practice! The Necessity of Scripture Our Finiteness – The finite cannot comprehend the infinite Our Sinfulness – Pride, self will, attachment to our own truth We need a source of absolute Truth outside of our own thinking The Sufficiency of Scripture For Faith – God’s Word is proven to be that source of Truth For Life - If you live in obedience to God’s Word, you will have abundant life The Clarity of Scripture

39. Misunderstanding Scripture If the Bible is given to be understood, why is there so much confusion as to it’s meaning? Why are there so many Denominations and beliefs?

40. Is the Biblical Record Accurate? • Now we are going to examine some of the proofs for the Bible. • Scientific, Historical, Archeological, and more! • The Bible is God’s Word!

41. Over the years there have been many criticisms leveled against the Bible concerning its historical reliability. These criticisms are usually based on a lack of evidence from outside sources to confirm the Biblical record. Since the Bible is a religious book, many scholars take the position that it is biased and cannot be trusted unless we have corroborating evidence from extra-Biblical sources. In other words, the Bible is guilty until proven innocent, and a lack of outside evidence places the Biblical account in doubt.

42. This standard is far different from that applied to other ancient documents, even though many, if not most, have a religious element. They are considered to be accurate, unless there is evidence to show that they are not. Although it is not possible to verify every incident in the Bible, the discoveries of archaeology since the mid 1800s have demonstrated the reliability and plausibility of the Bible narrative.

43. The history of written language began almost 6,000 years ago in the small villages of Mesopotamia. This first written language was called Cuneiform. • Most of history at this time was handed down orally.

44. Archeological proof for the Bible • We will now take a look at the evidence that helps establish the reliability of the Bible and it’s record. • It is reliable – historically and Doctrinally!

45. Authors Written Earliest Copy Time Span No. of Copies Aristotle 345-322 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1400 years 49 Caesar 100-44 B.C. 900 A.D. 1000 years 10 Plato 427-347 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1400 years 20 Tacitus 100 A.D. 1,100 A.D. 1,000 years 20 Thucydides 460-400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 years 8 Suetonius 75-160 A.D. 950 A.D. 800 years 8 New Test. 35–100 A.D. Frags. 35 A.D. 250 A.D. 1-150 years Thousands Classical Authors and Date of Copies

46. Sources 1881 1965 1976 1998 Papyri 0 78 88 99 Uncials 19 224 267 306 Cursives 950 2,650 2,764 2,856 Lectionaries 400 2,000 2,143 2,403 TOTALS 1,369 4,952 5,262 5,664 Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament 1998 Figures from Bruce Metzger via Case For Christ. p. 60 - 63

47. A Reporters Conclusion Archaeology (N.T.) “In extraordinary ways, modern archeology has affirmed the historical core of the Old and New Testaments--corroborating key portions of the stories of Israel’s patriarchs, the Exodus, the Davidic monarchy, the life and times of Jesus.” Jeffrey Shelter, Is the Bible True? US News and World Report, Oct. 25, 1999, P. 52

48. “Is the Bible True?” U.S. News & World Report, October 25, 1999 • Mary & Joseph travel to hometown for census? • Recently discovered: Roman Empire-wide census was held every 14 years • Pool of Bethesda with 5 pillars? (John Chapter 5) • Archaeologists recently discovered this pool • Crucifixion? No skeletal remains found… • But in 1968, found a tomb with remains of a 24-28 year old man nailed to the cross, with leg broken

49. A Skeptics Conclusion Is the New Testament corroborated by Archaeology? “I began with a mind unfavorable to it (Acts), for the ingenuity and apparent completeness of the … theory. It did not lie then in my line of life to investigate the subject minutely; but more recently I found myself often brought in contact with the book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth.” Sir Wm. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, P. 8

50. Another Skeptics Conclusion Archaeology (N.T.) “As a matter of fact, however, it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.” Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, P. 31