The Bible: God's Inspired Word for Truth and Guidance

1. Truths

2. The Bible is God’s Word

3. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

4. The Bible is inspired by God

5. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.  For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

6. The Bible is God’s revelation to man

7. “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

8. The Bible is infallible

9. The Bible is our guide for faith and conduct

10. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

11. Evidence for the Bible being God’s Word

12. Internal Evidence

13. Internal Evidence • Claims of inspiration

14. “Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.  The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets” (Exodus 32:15-16).

15. Internal Evidence • Claims of inspiration • The Bible is unified

16. The Bible was… • Written on 3 continents • Written in 3 languages • Written by over 40 authors • Written over a period of 1500 years

17. Internal Evidence • Claims of inspiration • The Bible is unified • Biblical prophecies

18. “The great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt.  An evil deed foretold by the bearer of a petition. According to the prediction, another falls at night time. Conflict at Reims, London and a pestilence in Tuscany” (Nostradamus).

19. “He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave” (Isaiah 53:9).

20. “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:57-60).

21. “he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Psalm 34:20).

22. “Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.  The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs” (John 19:31-33).

24. Internal Evidence • Claims of inspiration • The Bible is unified • Biblical prophecies • Transforming power of the Bible

25. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

26. External Evidence • Historical accuracy • Historical Reliability • Integrity of the Authors • Indestructability of the Bible

27. External Evidence

28. External Evidence • Historical accuracy

29. External Evidence • Historical accuracy • Historical Reliability

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32. External Evidence • Historical accuracy • Historical Reliability • Integrity of the Authors

33. “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).

34. “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.  The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe” (John 19:33-35).

35. “If I were inventing a religion to suit my fancy, I probably wouldn’t tell myself to be as perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect, or define adultery to include lust in my heart.” (Craig Blomberg)

37. External Evidence • Historical accuracy • Historical Reliability • Integrity of the Authors • Indestructability of the Bible

38. “100 years from now Christianity will be swept from existence.” (Voltaire)

39. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

40. What should we do with all this knowledge?

41. What should we do with all this knowledge? • Read it

42. What should we do with all this knowledge? • Read it • Study it

43. What should we do with all this knowledge? • Read it • Study it • Meditate it

44. What should we do with all this knowledge? • Read it • Study it • Meditate it • Pray it

45. What should we do with all this knowledge? • Read it • Study it • Meditate it • Pray it • Memorize it