WHy is the Bible true? How do we know it is God's Word? How did its truthfulness survey time and translation? Does it matter if John wrote the Gospel of John?
These are all valid quesitons which beg for discussion. It is true that no one is ever argued into a relationship with Jesus Christ, but God has given plenty of verifiable evidence that the Bible is a truthful and reliable book. Here are 3 simple responses to what is know in the scholarly world as source criticism. Please read and interact with them. I will post my views later in the week.
1. THE BIBLE IS A GOOD BOOK WITH SOME FACTS MIXED WITH SOME STORY TELLING. THE OVERALL IDEAS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE CORRECTNESS OF FACTS, PEOPLE, STORIES, OR TRANSLATIONS.
2. THE BIBLE IS SIMPLY A STORY BOOK.
3. THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD AND IS WITH OUT ERROR IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE. THE STORIES ARE FACTUAL, HISTORICAL, AND RELIABLE TRUTHS.
A popular Christian magazine had a article a few years ago which showed that many "evangelicals" in the U.S. hold to view #1 are they right? If so why. If not why.
Here is a recent Gallup poll that you may find interesting. (courtesy of the webmaster)
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2 comments:
I found this on another blog where they were discussing the Bible and I am posting it here to give you an example of how the "new age" mind thinks:
"No thanks. After many years of research I no longer believe the bible to be the word of God. I have discovered that it is the word of man, used to control others. All the evil things that "god" did in the bible would certainly not have been done by a loving God. The god of the bible was a war god. Well actually they used God as an excuse to justify their murder, robbery, kidnapping and rape. Once you free yourself from the bondage of religion, there is no going back to it....Anyway, this is not a religious thread. I respect your right to believe in the Bible, and I gave you a few reasons why I don't. I hope you respect other's beliefs too. We all believe in God."
---- by an anonymous blogger
The comment posted by the anonymous blogger echoes the problem with most of society: Our perception and understanding of history starts the day we are born. Unless one has the courage to seek the truth, they are at risk of succombing to pop culture and lies. The solid fact is that the Bible is the most historically accurate document known to man. There are thousands of manuscripts of some or most of the compiled text as we know it today. The closest other text is Homer's Odyssey with barely a hundred. Next is the issue of theme. The central theme to the Bible is Jesus Christ. The whole of Scripture points us to the fact that man is a depraved, destitue, lost soul in need of a savior. The HOLY God of the Bible provided the one and only acceptable means for reconciliaton - the blood sacrifice of his own Son as payment for the sins of the world. If that isn't an example of love, I don't know what is. Yes, people have done stupid things in the name of religion, and even in the name of God, but that doesn't mean God sanctioned or even condoned those behaviors.
Coupled with the central theme is the fact that the text of the Bible was written over a period of 1500 or so years by some 40 different authors in numerous countries throughout the Middle East. How is it humanly possible for this to occur and maintain the theme? It's not. The odds of this happening without God Himself directing it are so staggering that from a statistical standpoint, it is impossible.
One has to examine the history of the Hebrew people to understand the care to which they went to ensure the accuracy of their history. The name of God was so revered that they refused to even speak it for fear that in their human-ness they would bring about their own destruction for uttering His holy name without having their sins atoned for.
The misunderstanding of the anonymous contributor stems from their lack of belief in God. God's use of war to bring about justice on the earth was the means to exact the penalty for sin and disobedience. Sometimes it was necessary for the Hebrew people to destroy a society because they chose to ignore God and disobey His laws. The Bible says that all have sinned and have missed the mark of perfection that God expects. It also says that there is not one single righteous person on the planet who willing seeks after the things of God. Third it says that the benefit of disregarding the laws of God is death. How God chooses to bring about that death is his perogative. We are human and are stuck with having limitations on what and how much we can know. Just because we don't understand something doesn't mean it's not true or it's wrong. I can't explain gravity. I'm not stupid enough to jump from the Royal Gorge bridge and think I won't get hurt because I can't explain gravity. The central thread of the Bible deals with all of these issues to lead us to accept what God has done on our behalf. God tells us in His Word that he provided the means for rescue from the certain death of our soul by providing the necessary payment Himself. All he wants from us is to believe in Him, accept his gift of love, and live for him.
Pop culture wants us to believe that we are all "children of God" and that we're all going to end up in Heaven some day. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While it is true that God created each and every one of us, that doesn't mean we are living our lives for Him. In fact unless each of us makes a conscious decision to accept God's gift, confess our sinfulness to Him, and receive that gift into our lives, we don't stand a chance of getting into Heaven.
Dear people, the common misconceptions about God's word are serious: We can't say we believe in God and then disbelieve His Word. Either the Bible is completely, totally true, accurate historically, and without error in the original language, or it's not. There's either no storytelling, or it's all just a bunch of stories. Who are we to determine what parts are true and what parts are not? The attribute of truth that exists in God's nature prohibits lies, falsehoods, deception, and dishonesty. God is holy. He cannot deny Himself. You can trust what He says.
As Him to show you today.
-gregory.elvestad@pacificorp.com
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