For those of you who have missed my other posts about doctrine here's the link to the first one. This weeks question:
How can we trust the Bible?
First, you can't prove the Bible with itself, except by proving the historical, archeological and scientific accuracy by the timeline and different verses within scripture. Since there are so many discoveries to list to prove the accuracy of the Bible I will just start with each of the three listed above and list 2-3 examples of each. It may get long but bear with me, it'll be worth it.
A. Scientific Accuracy
In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out to prove that the earth was indeed round. Now, he thought he found Asia but in that time it was still widely believed that the earth was indeed flat and he was able to prove that he wasn't going to fall off the earth if he kept going. Isaiah wrote sometime in between 740-680 BC
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth. Isaiah 40:22
Sometime between 384-323 BC Aristotle understood the need for the continuous Hydrologic Cycle but did not understand how it worked. The first correct explanation was given by Leonardo DiVinci in his lifetime of 1452-1520 AD. Solomon wrote regarding the cycle of the waters in approx 935 BC.
All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. Ecclesiastes 1:7
None of the authors in the Bible discovered anything scientific but remembering that all scripture is inspired by God, shows us that God knows the science of the earth and that He knows how it all works together. With the time frame of these discoveries vs. God's word and when it was written shows the knowledge of God. This brings me to...
B. Archaelogical Accuracy
The Dead Sea Scrolls is probably the most famous proof that the Bible is accurate. I am not a historian and I don't claim to really understand history very well but the Dead Sea Scrolls are the most evidential form of proof that we seem to have that proves the Bible without a shadow of doubt. There are plenty of manuscripts that line up with scripture and in fact some piece of every book of the Old Testament was found in these scrolls. The only one not included was the book of Esther.
I just found this quote in an article that intrigued me.
Couldn't someone just write these down and pretend they were written earlier? Here's your answer: Many people who do not believe in the Bible say this. However, manuscripts have been found that confirm that these various prophecies were written down 400-1000 years before they actually occured. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls put to rest most of such idle talk.
Nelson Glueck was stated as saying "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".
C. Historical Accuracy
In the late 1800s or early 1900s Sir William Ramsay was taught that the New Testament was not written in the first century and was not historically reliable. This is what he was quoted as saying after doing his own research to determine that the book of Acts was indeed incorrect and not historically accurate: "Luke's history is unsurpassed in respect to its trustworthiness". To read more on this you can read this article.
Here is one more thing to say about the Bible, the unique structure:
Although it is a collection of 66 books written by 40 or more different men over a period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book, with perfect unity and consistency throughout. The individual writers at the time of writing, had no idea that their message was eventually to be incorporated into such a Book, but each nevertheless fits perfectly into place and serves its own unique purpose as a component of the whole. Anyone who diligently studies the Bible will continually find remarkable structural patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance or collusion.
The one consistent theme of the Bible, developing in grandeur from Genesis to Revelation is God's great work in the creation and dedemption of all things, through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I know that without going on and on forever and forever I can not prove the Bible to be true. I would challenge you to do a google search How do we know the Bible to be true. I think we have to come to a point within our own lives where we make a CHOICE. We make that choice for ourselves, are we going to take the facts that we have and have the faith that those facts are indeed true and follow the Bible? I was just reading some skeptics reviews and all the comments they made, supposed contradictory to the Bible, were made without the full knowledge of the Bible and being filled with the the understanding of the Holy Spirit.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 1 Timothy 3:16
Next week: What is different among Christianity and Mormonism?
How can we trust the Bible?
First, you can't prove the Bible with itself, except by proving the historical, archeological and scientific accuracy by the timeline and different verses within scripture. Since there are so many discoveries to list to prove the accuracy of the Bible I will just start with each of the three listed above and list 2-3 examples of each. It may get long but bear with me, it'll be worth it.
A. Scientific Accuracy
In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out to prove that the earth was indeed round. Now, he thought he found Asia but in that time it was still widely believed that the earth was indeed flat and he was able to prove that he wasn't going to fall off the earth if he kept going. Isaiah wrote sometime in between 740-680 BC
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth. Isaiah 40:22
Sometime between 384-323 BC Aristotle understood the need for the continuous Hydrologic Cycle but did not understand how it worked. The first correct explanation was given by Leonardo DiVinci in his lifetime of 1452-1520 AD. Solomon wrote regarding the cycle of the waters in approx 935 BC.
All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. Ecclesiastes 1:7
None of the authors in the Bible discovered anything scientific but remembering that all scripture is inspired by God, shows us that God knows the science of the earth and that He knows how it all works together. With the time frame of these discoveries vs. God's word and when it was written shows the knowledge of God. This brings me to...
B. Archaelogical Accuracy
The Dead Sea Scrolls is probably the most famous proof that the Bible is accurate. I am not a historian and I don't claim to really understand history very well but the Dead Sea Scrolls are the most evidential form of proof that we seem to have that proves the Bible without a shadow of doubt. There are plenty of manuscripts that line up with scripture and in fact some piece of every book of the Old Testament was found in these scrolls. The only one not included was the book of Esther.
I just found this quote in an article that intrigued me.
Couldn't someone just write these down and pretend they were written earlier? Here's your answer: Many people who do not believe in the Bible say this. However, manuscripts have been found that confirm that these various prophecies were written down 400-1000 years before they actually occured. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls put to rest most of such idle talk.
Nelson Glueck was stated as saying "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".
C. Historical Accuracy
In the late 1800s or early 1900s Sir William Ramsay was taught that the New Testament was not written in the first century and was not historically reliable. This is what he was quoted as saying after doing his own research to determine that the book of Acts was indeed incorrect and not historically accurate: "Luke's history is unsurpassed in respect to its trustworthiness". To read more on this you can read this article.
Here is one more thing to say about the Bible, the unique structure:
Although it is a collection of 66 books written by 40 or more different men over a period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book, with perfect unity and consistency throughout. The individual writers at the time of writing, had no idea that their message was eventually to be incorporated into such a Book, but each nevertheless fits perfectly into place and serves its own unique purpose as a component of the whole. Anyone who diligently studies the Bible will continually find remarkable structural patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance or collusion.
The one consistent theme of the Bible, developing in grandeur from Genesis to Revelation is God's great work in the creation and dedemption of all things, through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I know that without going on and on forever and forever I can not prove the Bible to be true. I would challenge you to do a google search How do we know the Bible to be true. I think we have to come to a point within our own lives where we make a CHOICE. We make that choice for ourselves, are we going to take the facts that we have and have the faith that those facts are indeed true and follow the Bible? I was just reading some skeptics reviews and all the comments they made, supposed contradictory to the Bible, were made without the full knowledge of the Bible and being filled with the the understanding of the Holy Spirit.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 1 Timothy 3:16
Next week: What is different among Christianity and Mormonism?
1 comment:
Thanks for keeping up this thread Brooke! I am really enjoying looking at these questions in depth.
Post a Comment