My Strange Bible | Why Can We Trust The Bible?

 

Just because the internet says it’s true; doesn’t mean it is true

 

What Makes Something True?

  • Established fact
  • Through rigorous testing
  • Scientific method
  • Using the same method for all data

 

Just because we want something to be true doesn’t mean it is…

Just because we don’t like something doesn’t make it not true

 

>>Truth is based on facts, not feeling<<

 

When I ask you the question: “IS THE BIBLE TRUE?”

  • Are your answers based on facts or feelings?
  • What facts?

 

In this series: MY STRANGE BIBLE

  • We are trying to help the Bible feel less “STRANGE”

1st Week: WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

The Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus

  • God is the main character of the Bible
  • History is “HIS STORY”

 

2nd Week: How Do we read the Bible?

  • S.O.A.P Method

Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer

 

This last week, we must answer this question:

Why Can We Trust The Bible?

  • Is it reliable
  • Is it creditable
  • Does it stand up to the highest standard of scrutiny?

 

The Answer cannot be “BECAUSE IT”S GOD’S WORK!

  • How do we know it’s God’s word?
  • Who Told you that?
  • How do we know we have the correct version?

 

Let’s look at FOUR (4) ways we know the Bible is Trustworthy

1: We can trust the Bible because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

 

God is the Author of the Bible

  • That’s why we call it God’s word

 

The Bible Is HOLY REVELATION

  • It’s not just “Good Advice”

 

The Biblical writers did not “COME UP WITH IT OUT OF THIN AIR”

 

Bible was written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

  • Written by real hands with hearts guided by God’s spirit

 

Apostle Peter Describes it this way…

 

2 Peter 1

16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

 

Peter understood that many would have a hard time believing the Bible to be the Authoritative WORD OF GOD

  • He explains that it wasn’t their OWN THOUGHTS, but the INSPIRED THOUGHTS of the Spirit of God

 

So when Someone says, “The Bible is just a bunch of craziness written by men to control people!”

 

You can know that:

The Bible is in fact GOD’S WORD breathed through his spirit to the Biblical Writers.

 

So Again:

We can trust the Bible because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit

 

2: We can Trust the Bible (NT) because it was written shortly after the events it records

 

1 Corinthians 15

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.

 

The message of Jesus exploded quickly after the resurrection
The culture was mainly a verbal culture

  • Many could not read or write

Paul is assuring the Corinthian Church that the version of the Gospel they know is the CORRECT VERSION

 

He doesn’t just ask them to believe him but tells them to believe ALL the other WITNESSES

  • Over 500 of them!

 

So let’s look specifically at the timeline of writing the New Testament

The New Testament accounts are REMARKABLY close to the actual events they are recording

 

So again:

We can Trust the Bible because it was written shortly after the events it records

 

3: We can Trust the Bible because of the care taken in making copies

 

A common critique is that:

  • Just because the “ORIGINALS” were written early, doesn’t mean that the version we have is like the Originals
  • There 2000 years in-between us and the time of Jesus and His disciples

 

To explain, I want to show you a quick video…

 

The copies we have of the Bible are THE MOST ACCURATE IN HISTORY…

  • If someone were to say that they can’t be trusted, then no other historical document can be trusted either…

 

Doesn’t mean that you have to believe that what Jesus did happened

  • But you cannot argue that they are the most reliable historical documents EVER

 

So again:

We can Trust the Bible because of the care taken in making copies

 

4: We Can Trust the Bible Because Archaeology confirms it

 

Lastly, let’s look at something outside the Bible

“On the whole … archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine. Archaeology has in many cases refuted the views of modern critics.” – Millar Burrows, Professor of Archaeology, Yale University

 

Example: Pool of Bethesda

  • Bible says Jesus performed miraculous for the lame man
  • No outside evidence of the pool until the 19th century – calling into question the Gospel of John
  • Pool Uncovered in 1930 – verifying John’s Gospel account

 

The Bible is not a collection of timeless sayings or religious fables. Unlike the writings of other faiths, it sets the faith it commends firmly in verifiable human history.

 

Conclusion

The Bible tells of real people, real places, real stories
>>It is inspired by the Holy Spirit

 

>>It was written shortly after the events took place

 

>>Extreme care was taken in making copies

 

>>Archaeology proves the Bible to be correct in the naming of places, dates, people, and events

 

Hebrews 4

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

This is not just “a book”

  • it is THE BOOK
  • When you read the Bible, you read history
  • You read God’s story

The word of God is what gives power to the Christian life

  • It is how we KNOW God in this life

 

Don’t let your Bible become strange and different

  • It contains the word of God!

 

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