Recently, I conducted an informal survey of over 500 Email and Facebook Contacts, asking them what they thought were the most important questions people are asking today about God, Christianity, the Bible and life in general.
From this simple research, the number 1 question – our participating contacts think people are asking - turns out to be, “How do you know the Bible is true?”
In fact, 73% of these participants think this question is very important and 21% think of it as important, while only 6% think it is unimportant.
In obedience to 1 PETER 3:15 - which says to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you….” – I shall endeavor to answer this important question, “How do you know the Bible is true?”
From this simple research, the number 1 question – our participating contacts think people are asking - turns out to be, “How do you know the Bible is true?”
In fact, 73% of these participants think this question is very important and 21% think of it as important, while only 6% think it is unimportant.
In obedience to 1 PETER 3:15 - which says to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you….” – I shall endeavor to answer this important question, “How do you know the Bible is true?”
10 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE
1. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE THE APPLICATION OF IT TO MY LIFE HAS PAID OFF IN MANY WONDERFUL WAYS.
The principles from the Scriptures – by taking them seriously - have stabilized and strengthened my marriage, family, relationships and personal business transactions. The faith and hope that comes from believing the Bible’s promises have always encouraged me when struggling with difficult circumstances, from the days of my youth until now.
I have found that the Bible’s wisdom will bring prosperity to anyone - if applied and obeyed - over a course of time. As a pastor, I have seen this to be true many times.
While approaching our 32nd anniversary, I must give credit to the truth of the Bible’s commands and principles, to which my wife and I are both committed for applying to ourselves and our marriage.
2. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE LIVES FOR GOOD AROUND THE WORLD.
The world is a better place because of the Bible. When properly understood, nations have abolished things like slavery because courageous people allowed the Bible’s authority to promote justice in their culture. Accepted injustices in history past like infanticide and genocide have faced successful opposition from those who were truly impacted by the truth of the Scriptures.
The following link connects to an amazing Online London Times article, written by Matthew Parris an atheist who has seen the positive impact that Bible believing Christianity has had on Africa. His title, “Why Africa Needs God,” reveals this fact.
NOTE: Those who have used the Bible to promote injustice and suffering in the world -have done so out of ignorance and gross misinformation because when rightly understood the opposite results will ultimately and always come from the Bible.
3. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE IT HAS NO PEER IN ANCIENT LITERATURE.
The most reliable of old manuscripts are the books of the Bible in terms of their sheer number, age and closeness in age to the time of their originality.
Aristotle wrote his writings around 350 BC, of which there are 5 manuscripts that are dated at around 1100 AD, making them 1450 years away from the actual time he wrote.
For Plato, there are 7 old manuscripts that are 1,200 years away from his lifetime.
For Herroditus, (called by some the father of history) there are 8 manuscripts that are 1,300 years in time distance from their date of origin.
For Caesar’s “Gaelic Wars”, there are only 10 ancient manuscripts that are around 1,000 years from their original authorship.
For Sophacles work, there are 100 manuscripts, the closest of which are at 1400 years from his lifetime.
The manuscript evidence for the New Testament is superior by comparison. A recent count (1980) shows 5,366 separate parts and fragments of its 27 Greek books, some of which can easily be dated back to the second century AD. There are in fact 50 complete ancient New Testament manuscripts.
Here a couple links that connect to more details about these manuscript facts:
When it comes to the Old Testament, we have the Jewish people as a testimony who have preserved its integrity for centuries. The faith of devout Jews in these Scriptures has kept them as an identifiable people, in spite of genocidal attempts to destroy them.
When it comes to the Old Testament, we have the Jewish people as a testimony who have preserved its integrity for centuries. The faith of devout Jews in these Scriptures has kept them as an identifiable people, in spite of genocidal attempts to destroy them.
4. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE IT HAS NO PEER IN MODERN LITERATURE.
The world’s first printed book was a Bible.
The world’s most expensive book is a Bible.
The most widely read book in history is the Bible.
The most widely read book every year is the Bible.
The #1 international best seller each year is the Bible.
The longest telegram in history was the New Testament.
The largest first edition of any book in history was the Bible.
The Bible continues be the most translated book in the world.
The world’s most expensive book is a Bible.
The most widely read book in history is the Bible.
The most widely read book every year is the Bible.
The #1 international best seller each year is the Bible.
The longest telegram in history was the New Testament.
The largest first edition of any book in history was the Bible.
The Bible continues be the most translated book in the world.
In 2003, 430,000,000 copies of Scriptures were distributed. That same year, the complete Bible had been translated into 405 different languages, the New Testament into 864 languages, and portions of the Holy Scripture were available in 2,303 languages.
If the Bible were a music CD, we could safely say that it would go platinum hundreds of times every year. The Holy Bible is peerless in the world of modern literature.
If the Bible were a music CD, we could safely say that it would go platinum hundreds of times every year. The Holy Bible is peerless in the world of modern literature.
5. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE OF ITS HARMONY IN VIEW OF THE VARIED ELEMENTS SURROUNDING ITS WRITING.
The Bible is actually a volume of 66 books, written over a span of 1,500 years; in 3 languages, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek; on 3 continents, Africa, Europe and Asia.
These books were written by 40 writers, who were fishermen, shepherds, farmers, kings, prophets, priests, an architect, a poet, physician, lawyer and tentmaker.
They wrote in many different settings, including prisons, palaces, boats, houses and tents; in the desert, cities, villages and on the sea. They also wrote during times of war and peace, captivity and freedom, prosperity and famine, loss and restoration.
These men wrote about hundreds of controversial subjects with such amazing unity that in spite of their cultural, class and historical differences, one can easily see the miraculous nature of this book we call The Holy Bible.
I believe this harmony exists because the Biblical writers were inspired by God to write what they wrote; making Him its ultimate author, even though they all wrote in their own words and styles of expression.
To see a presentation of these facts you can watch the video posted at the end of this posting.
6. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT A SCIENCE BOOK - AND IT WAS WRITTEN DURING TIMES OF GREAT SCIENTIFIC MISUNDERSTANDING - IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN AGREEMENT WITH SCIENTIFIC LAW.
Early astronomers believed they could count the stars while the Bible said it was not possible. Prolemy counted 1,056 and Kepler saw 1,005 and Tycho Brahe 777. The invention of the telescope proved JEREMIAH 33:22 was right which had read for centuries, “The host of heaven cannot be numbered……”
Modern science has discovered that all matter is made up of invisible atoms. For almost 2,000 years the Bible has said this very thing, “…the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” HEBREWS 11:3
For centuries it was believed the earth was flat, while the Bible referred to it as round in ISAIAH 40:22, “…. the circle of the earth.”
When people had little concept of planets and the universe, the Bible spoke of the earth being hung upon nothing.
World discoverers were inspired by the Scriptures and the founder of oceanography was moved to study the oceans by a verse that speaks of the “paths of the sea.”
The medical field at one time practiced bleeding as a treatment for certain ailments. It has since been proven to be harmful for the sick; while LEVITICUS 17:14 always said that “…blood is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life.” (America’s first President, George Washington died at 67 years of age, on 12/14/1799, after being bled 3 times for a sore throat).
The practice of circumcision has been proven to greatly reduce the chances of contracting cervical cancer for the wives of circumcised men. It has also been proven that the 8th day of a male’s life is the ideal time for circumcision as prescribed in GENESIS 17:12. (Prothrombin, a clotting agent in our blood, is 10% higher on that day than any other).
The need to wash our hands with running water after touching a sick or dead person was prescribed in the Bible for centuries before the medical profession made it an official part of their practice.
From the link below you can connect to the interesting story of Viennese Doctor Ignaz Semmelweis and his breakthrough discovery of “cadaverous poisoning” which led to the developing of germ theory.
While the Old Testament laws of hygiene were previously ignored by the medical profession, it is discoveries like this that can easily be seen as proof of their inspiration.
While the Old Testament laws of hygiene were previously ignored by the medical profession, it is discoveries like this that can easily be seen as proof of their inspiration.
7. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE ARCHAEOLOGY CONTINUES TO CONFIRM THE HISTORY RECORDED IN IT.
In the 19th Century, skeptics believed that Abraham was a mythological figure and that Moses could not have written the Torah because writing had not been invented yet. Both of these theories and others like them have been thoroughly disproven by Biblical archaeology.
More than one archaeologist has found increased respect for the Bible from their own experience of excavating in the Holy Land. Using the Bible as a guide, Nelson Glueck discovered over 1,000 ancient sites.
So vast is the evidence here that I will only make mention of it and encourage the reader to do some digging and to research this for his or her self.
To get started one can read the following article from the Christian Research Institute:
Also check out the Biblical Archaeological Review magazine: http://www.bib-arch.org/
8. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE OF ITS MANY PROPHECIES THAT HAVE AND ARE COMING TO PASS.
Also check out the Biblical Archaeological Review magazine: http://www.bib-arch.org/
8. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE OF ITS MANY PROPHECIES THAT HAVE AND ARE COMING TO PASS.
The life of Christ alone, as recorded from and by eyewitnesses, fulfilled over 300 prophecies that had been dormant in the Old Testament for centuries.
The religion of Judaism, which rejects Jesus as their Messiah, still preserves faith in these Old Testament prophecies that predated His earthly life for centuries, thus preventing any prophetic hoaxes.
The historical scattering of the Jewish people across the earth was a fulfillment of ancient Bible prophecy while the re-gathering of them to their original homeland is a present day fulfillment of Bible prophecy; as are the conversions of many of them to faith in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.
The current chaos in the world, economically, ecologically and politically is also predicted in the Bible and is being fulfilled before our eyes on a daily basis.
Read the words of Jesus in MATTHEW 24 or LUKE 21 and then watch an international news program and you will see why I believe the Bible is true.
The things we will see daily might include something from the following list.
Wars and rumors of wars
Nations rising against nations
Famines and diseases
False prophets and deception
Lawlessness and rebellion
Persecution of the righteous
Men’s hearts failing them from fear
Selfishness and stressfulness
Materialism and greed
Homosexuality increasing
Calls for peace and no peace
False teachers and teachings
Middle East conflicts
Earthquakes and natural disaster
Nations rising against nations
Famines and diseases
False prophets and deception
Lawlessness and rebellion
Persecution of the righteous
Men’s hearts failing them from fear
Selfishness and stressfulness
Materialism and greed
Homosexuality increasing
Calls for peace and no peace
False teachers and teachings
Middle East conflicts
Earthquakes and natural disaster
Here are a couple links to some interesting information about earthquakes.
http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqstats.html
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/top_states.php
9. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE IT HAS SURVIVED MANY EFFORTS TO DESTROY IT.
It continues to be printed - read and believed - in spite of many past and present efforts to discredit it. The famous author Voltaire denounced and predicted its demise but - years after his death – his house became the home of a Bible Publishing Society.
After writing some excellent papers on freedom, Thomas Paine wrote The Age Of Reason, of which he said, “This will destroy the Bible. Within 100 years, Bibles will be found only in museums or musty corners of second hand book stores.”
Later he recanted and lamented, “I would give worlds, if I had them, had The Age Of Reason never been written.” Paine’s book became the scourge that tormented him until his death.
In our lifetime, governments have and are denouncing the Bible or restricting its availability to their citizens but - as the old song says - “His truth is marching on.”
Watch places like China, North Korea, Viet Nam and the Islamic world; they will surely fail to suppress this mighty book.
10. I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE BECAUSE THE MESSAGE IT CONVEYS, CAN TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE TODAY BY POINTING YOU TO THE LORD JESUS, THE GIVER OF REAL LIFE.
The Bible clearly defines and portrays who God is and all that separates us from Him, which it calls sin. This holy book points us to Jesus Christ as the remedy for this problem that keeps us from knowing Him.
Having never succumbed to sinning Himself, according to the Scriptures, Jesus Christ lived and died as the perfect sacrifice, as prescribed by the Law of the Old Testament. He died a death He did not deserve so that - through faith in Him - we can escape the punishment we do deserve for sinning; thus clearing everything out of the way that separates us from God. This is the good news the New Testament brings to us: we can now have a relationship with the Almighty.
The Bible declares that if we will believe in Jesus Christ, we can call on His name and be saved from our sins: JOHN 3:16-18; ACTS 2:21; ROMANS 10:10-13.
You can experience this truth of the Bible and its promise of freedom from the guilt and separating consequences of sin. This promise is for all who will call upon the Name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins today. I challenge you to right now, wherever you are, to begin to call upon the Name of Jesus, whom the Bible reveals as God with us.
Here is a sample prayer just to get you started.
Here is a sample prayer just to get you started.
Jesus, I call upon Your Name. Please forgive me for my sins and all that is not Your will.
Jesus, I call out for You to transform my life and make me clean before You right now.
Jesus save me from everything that separates me from knowing You and Your will.
As you talk to God from your heart, more words will come to you and you can begin praying in your own words. (This is how the above mentioned transformation begins).
If you find yourself believing what you have been reading here, then faith is being born in your heart and God is beginning to give you the desire to follow His will for your life. It all starts with believing and continues by calling upon Him for His forgiveness and for His will for your life to be revealed to you.
If you find yourself believing what you have been reading here, then faith is being born in your heart and God is beginning to give you the desire to follow His will for your life. It all starts with believing and continues by calling upon Him for His forgiveness and for His will for your life to be revealed to you.
After praying like this, it is also very important to begin reading the Bible and meeting with people who can teach you what they have learned and are learning from it.
Generations Church of Granbury is such a place, made up of real men and women who love Jesus and the Bible. While we do not know all the answers to life's questions, we are getting to know the One who does and are sharing with others what we are learning.
An open invitation is extended for all - who do not have a Bible believing church home - to come and worship God with us here in Granbury at http://www.generationschurch.org
Thank you for taking the time to read this little article. If you have any questions, please feel free to call at 817.326.5378 or email me at: alan@generationspeople.org
A live audio version of this sermon can be heard at the following link
As mentioned earlier, here is a video presentation of the facts listed in #5.
