rimrock
02-25-2005, 07:58 PM
Forgive the length: If you have every wondered about this or wish to have, “…a reason for the hope that you have…” (1 Peter 3:15) then I will attempt to give you some reason. Christianity is based on REASON not “blind faith”. If you have no desire to understand this hope I can understand for once I felt the same way.
I’ve heard it many times Christians saying, “It’s in the Bible”, “You just got to believe”, “It is a matter of faith” or “The Bible says so” and typically they do this without a single reference from the Bible. The non-Christian world responds, “So What!”, “What’s the big deal?”, “Believe whatever you want”, or “What does it matter in the end anyway?” Actually these are very reasonable responses. If Christians can demonstrate that the Bible is the Word of God than “The Bible says” means something. Unfortunately many skeptics have their minds set in stone and aren’t even open to the truth. This can come from a myriad of reasons, including previous bad experiences with people who claim to be Christian or just blatant refusal to be open to the possibility. We cannot argue someone into the Kingdom only God’s Spirit can change lives.
So, how do we know that the Bible is from God?
Let’s begin with the New Testament which was originally written in the common Greek language between 50 and 100 A.D. Although we don’t have the original writings, there are presently over 5,000 Greek manuscripts in existence today, with as many as 25,000 copies of these manuscripts. The earliest of which are dated back to around 120 A.D. roughly 20 years from the originals. How does this compare with other ancient writings? Consider that there are only seven of Plato’s manuscripts in existence today with a 1,200-year gap separating the earliest copy from the original writing. Similarly, Tacitus the well known Roman historian who also wrote about 100 A.D. there are less than 20 copies of his work with the earliest copy 1000 years from the original, and only some 640 copies of Homer’s Iliad with a 500-year gap between the earliest copy and the original writing. Furthermore, the accounts in the New Testament were recorded directly by eyewitnesses, or by those who were closely associated with them and had direct contact with them.
What about the commonly talked about discrepancies? In some places the copies have “Lord Jesus” while others have “Lord Jesus Christ.” This is not significant because the meaning is clearly obvious. Do you think “discrepancies” like this warrant the claim that the Bible is false because of contradictions? If anyone claims contradictions, let them prove it. It is simply not enough to claim contradiction without the effort to demonstrate their case.
What about the Old Testament? Let’s take a quick look at one of the most remarkable finds of the 20th century: The Dead Sea Scrolls. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran in 1946, texts were found that were roughly 1,000 years older than any previously known Old Testament writing. And when compared with the texts already in hand they also proved to be virtually identical. What were the differences? They merely consisted of differences of spelling, grammatical construction and style; nothing of the original message had changed. From a pure literary stand point this does not just happen.
The most truly convincing proofs lay in the fulfillment of prophecy that is found in the Bible. Since Jesus is the full revelation of the Old Testament it is not surprising that prophecies concerning Him are the most numerous; many of which Jesus could not have intentional fulfilled. For Example: His ancestry from Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 17:19); His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); His crucifixion (Isaiah 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet (Ps. 22:16); the soldiers gambling for His clothes (Ps. 22:18); the piercing of His side and that His bones would not be broken which was not uncommon in crucifixion (Ps. 34:20). There are many more, but if you truly pause and reflect on even these the “odds” of this happening by chance quickly become impossible.
I could continue with more reason, but even this leads to one question. How can all this be true? There is only one answer: It must all come from one amazing source. This source must be powerful enough to preserve these texts without an alternation of their substance, must have a detailed knowledge of the future to predict so many numerous prophecies and have the power to arrange history in order for them ALL to be fulfilled, to use 46 different human writers over a period of 1500 years in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), and yet have one consistent theme in both the Old and New Testaments – The gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. It has to be from God!
Finally, why does all this matter anyway?
As I have tried to briefly demonstrate if the Bible is from God - Then it really matters what it says. There can only be one Truth. If two people are looking up into a clear sunny sky and one says, “The sky is blue” and the other says, “No, I think it is red” we wouldn’t say to them both, “No, you’re both right because the truth only depends on what each of us thinks it is.”
We all believe in some type of truth and everyone has options on what it is. In the end there can only be one singular truth; not all roads lead to heaven. Jesus reminds us to "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt 7:13-14). What is this gate? Jesus again says that, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9). And what is this road or way? Jesus further focuses it down with one of the boldest claims in all of history, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).
Christianity ultimately is not even a religion in the strictest sense. For the world religions and other belief systems have the same bottom line; trying to please and earn the favor of a divine being or power in our own efforts to gain reward and blessing. Even if it takes a myriad of lifetimes until we get it right. Religion differs only in creed - what their message is; what doctrines or rituals it takes; or by what code of conduct you must live, but it is all about us working towards the divine. Only Christianity is about a divine being coming to us and fixing our broken relationship to Him. He cannot add to or take away from His work which He gives to us freely. In Christianity “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
Since we are all trusting in something, since we all believe in a truth. Really spend some time reflecting on what this truth is and make sure it is the right Truth. :angel:
I’ve heard it many times Christians saying, “It’s in the Bible”, “You just got to believe”, “It is a matter of faith” or “The Bible says so” and typically they do this without a single reference from the Bible. The non-Christian world responds, “So What!”, “What’s the big deal?”, “Believe whatever you want”, or “What does it matter in the end anyway?” Actually these are very reasonable responses. If Christians can demonstrate that the Bible is the Word of God than “The Bible says” means something. Unfortunately many skeptics have their minds set in stone and aren’t even open to the truth. This can come from a myriad of reasons, including previous bad experiences with people who claim to be Christian or just blatant refusal to be open to the possibility. We cannot argue someone into the Kingdom only God’s Spirit can change lives.
So, how do we know that the Bible is from God?
Let’s begin with the New Testament which was originally written in the common Greek language between 50 and 100 A.D. Although we don’t have the original writings, there are presently over 5,000 Greek manuscripts in existence today, with as many as 25,000 copies of these manuscripts. The earliest of which are dated back to around 120 A.D. roughly 20 years from the originals. How does this compare with other ancient writings? Consider that there are only seven of Plato’s manuscripts in existence today with a 1,200-year gap separating the earliest copy from the original writing. Similarly, Tacitus the well known Roman historian who also wrote about 100 A.D. there are less than 20 copies of his work with the earliest copy 1000 years from the original, and only some 640 copies of Homer’s Iliad with a 500-year gap between the earliest copy and the original writing. Furthermore, the accounts in the New Testament were recorded directly by eyewitnesses, or by those who were closely associated with them and had direct contact with them.
What about the commonly talked about discrepancies? In some places the copies have “Lord Jesus” while others have “Lord Jesus Christ.” This is not significant because the meaning is clearly obvious. Do you think “discrepancies” like this warrant the claim that the Bible is false because of contradictions? If anyone claims contradictions, let them prove it. It is simply not enough to claim contradiction without the effort to demonstrate their case.
What about the Old Testament? Let’s take a quick look at one of the most remarkable finds of the 20th century: The Dead Sea Scrolls. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran in 1946, texts were found that were roughly 1,000 years older than any previously known Old Testament writing. And when compared with the texts already in hand they also proved to be virtually identical. What were the differences? They merely consisted of differences of spelling, grammatical construction and style; nothing of the original message had changed. From a pure literary stand point this does not just happen.
The most truly convincing proofs lay in the fulfillment of prophecy that is found in the Bible. Since Jesus is the full revelation of the Old Testament it is not surprising that prophecies concerning Him are the most numerous; many of which Jesus could not have intentional fulfilled. For Example: His ancestry from Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 17:19); His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); His crucifixion (Isaiah 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet (Ps. 22:16); the soldiers gambling for His clothes (Ps. 22:18); the piercing of His side and that His bones would not be broken which was not uncommon in crucifixion (Ps. 34:20). There are many more, but if you truly pause and reflect on even these the “odds” of this happening by chance quickly become impossible.
I could continue with more reason, but even this leads to one question. How can all this be true? There is only one answer: It must all come from one amazing source. This source must be powerful enough to preserve these texts without an alternation of their substance, must have a detailed knowledge of the future to predict so many numerous prophecies and have the power to arrange history in order for them ALL to be fulfilled, to use 46 different human writers over a period of 1500 years in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), and yet have one consistent theme in both the Old and New Testaments – The gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. It has to be from God!
Finally, why does all this matter anyway?
As I have tried to briefly demonstrate if the Bible is from God - Then it really matters what it says. There can only be one Truth. If two people are looking up into a clear sunny sky and one says, “The sky is blue” and the other says, “No, I think it is red” we wouldn’t say to them both, “No, you’re both right because the truth only depends on what each of us thinks it is.”
We all believe in some type of truth and everyone has options on what it is. In the end there can only be one singular truth; not all roads lead to heaven. Jesus reminds us to "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt 7:13-14). What is this gate? Jesus again says that, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9). And what is this road or way? Jesus further focuses it down with one of the boldest claims in all of history, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).
Christianity ultimately is not even a religion in the strictest sense. For the world religions and other belief systems have the same bottom line; trying to please and earn the favor of a divine being or power in our own efforts to gain reward and blessing. Even if it takes a myriad of lifetimes until we get it right. Religion differs only in creed - what their message is; what doctrines or rituals it takes; or by what code of conduct you must live, but it is all about us working towards the divine. Only Christianity is about a divine being coming to us and fixing our broken relationship to Him. He cannot add to or take away from His work which He gives to us freely. In Christianity “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
Since we are all trusting in something, since we all believe in a truth. Really spend some time reflecting on what this truth is and make sure it is the right Truth. :angel: