Evotional - Is the Bible Reliable?

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IS THE BIBLE INSPIRED?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

theopneustos (theh-op'-nyoo-stos); divinely breathed, given by inspiration of God.

IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE?

THE INTERNAL TEST

DO THE WRITERS OF THE BIBLE CLAIM THEIR WRITINGS ARE TRUE?

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16

The books of the New Testament were all based on primary sources, that is people who were there with Jesus or people who were getting their information from those were there with Jesus.

The time frame the New Testament was written in is also interesting. Every book was written within 100 years of Jesus’ birth (or about 60 years of His death). The Gospels themselves as thought to have been written only 40-50 years of Jesus’ death with the possibility that one of them was written only 30 years after. Seems like quite a few years - but lets look at some other books that historians consider reliable -

Alexander the Greats Biographies - 400 years
Buddha - 600 years
Zoroaster - 1800 years

THE EXTERNAL TEST

WHAT DOES OUTSIDE EVIDENCE SAY ABOUT THE BIBLE?

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference." Nelson Glueck - Former President of the Jewish Theological Seminary and noted archaeologist.

Many of the events in the Old Testament are validated archaeologically. More than enough to validate it as none have ever refuted anything that the Bible said happened. The New Testament events are also validated in this way and by other written histories at the time. Non-Christians wrote about Jesus, the early church, and even John the Baptist.

Dr. Edwin M. Yamauchi (History Bigwig) wrote this:

“[Regarding if we did not have the written Gospels] We would still have a considerable amount of important historical evidence; in fact, it would provide a kind of outline for the life of Jesus…”

THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC TEST

HOW WELL WERE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TRANSLATED TO TODAY?

The bottom line is this: scholars have concluded the Greek manuscripts from which we translate our English Bibles are 98% genuine. That is, only about 2 percent varies from the original manuscripts. These variations are minor as they are mostly things like different spellings of names of people and places. None of the variations make a difference in the meaning of the passage or the theological doctrines that make up Christianity.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God brought His word to us. Not only that, but I hope that it is clear to you tonight that you can trust the Bible’s that you have in front of you.

You can trust that it is God’s word to you.