Why> Series # 3
Why Should I Trust the Bible?
Matthew 7:24-27
INTRODUCTION:
I want to thank Steve and Janet for helping us to focus on our topic for today. Our “why” for this week is “Why should I trust in the Bible?” In the text from Matthew 7 Jesus explains that anyone who listens to the God’s word and puts it into practice will be as wise as a person who builds a house on solid rock. On the other hand, anyone who ignores the Bible is as foolish as a person who builds his house on top of shifting sand. So what can we say about the Bible?
Most people across the world have at least heard of the Bible. In fact, the Bible is the number one best selling book in the World. It sells over a billion copies yearly. The Bible was on the New York Times best-seller list for so long that they took it off the list. It’s a given that it is always a best-seller … and always will be. The question isn’t “Is it popular?” But in many people’s minds, the question is, “Why should I trust the Bible?”
Misconceptions about the Bible:
A lot of people have some serious misconceptions about the Bible. For one thing, many people assume that THE BIBLE ISN’T actually TRUE.
1. The Bible isn’t true
Some people think the Bible is no more than a collection of mythical stories. Some of the stories teach good moral lessons, but they don’t see them as true accounts of real people. They assume stories like Jonah and a Whale or Moses parting the Red Sea or David and Goliath are just cute little stories. Maybe they read a book like The Da Vinci Code where a character says, “The Bible is just a product of man; it is not a product of God. History has never had a definitive version of the book.” And they figure that must be the way it is.
If they’ve heard any serious discussion about the Bible at all, it was probably on the Discovery Channel or the History Channel --- where scholars give the impression that the Bible is chock full of contradictions and that Archeology has disproved the Bible time and time again.
Nothing could be further from the truth. If you take the trouble to look at the actual Scientific Evidence, you’ll find there is plenty of Manuscript evidence and Archaeological evidence to support the accuracy of the Bible.
For example, there was a time when scholars said there was no way Moses could have written the first five books of the Bible way back before 1400 BC. Why? Because, they had found no archaeological evidence that anyone knew how to write way back then. Well, that’s what the academics taught all the way up until the 19th century when the Ebla tablets were discovered. Over 20 thousand pieces of written literature were found in one location --- and these documents were dated a thousand years BEFORE the time of Moses.
Here’s another similar example: For many years, scholars claimed that the Hittites who are mentioned in the Old Testament never really existed. After all, no one had ever found any record of their existence. But then, a dig in 1974 uncovered a new city. And guess what --- the writing on the gate said it was the capital of the Hittite Kingdom.
Some of you may remember the Biblical account of Belshazzar. The book of Daniel says he was the last King of Babylon. In the Biblical account, he saw writing on the wall that warned his Kingdom would be taken over by another power. Right after that, the Persian army overthrew Babylon. Scholars said this could not be accurate because all the historical records said the last King of Babylon was a man named Nabonidus, not Belshazzar.
This was held up as proof that the book of Daniel was inaccurate --- until ---- a new historical document was discovered. This document recorded that King Nabonidus left the Kingdom of Babylon in order to worship the Moon god in the oasis of Tayma. While he was away, Nabonidus put his son in charge. And what was his son’s name? You guessed it: Belshazzar.
I’m just scratching the surface of evidence that supports the Historical Accuracy of the Bible. Let me sum it up with a quote from D.F.Albright, an archaeologist at John Hopkins University. He said, “Excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible has progressively been discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of the numeral details. It has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.” The Bible has stood the test to time.
All kinds of evidence shows the Bible to be a trustworthy document. There is not only Archaeological evidence, there is Manuscript evidence which you can read more about in your WHY> daily devotional this week.
There is Internal evidence as well. In the Bible, we have a document that was written over a 1500 year span by over 40 authors on 3 continents in 3 different languages. Yet the internal coherence of these 66 books is absolutely stunning. There is no other collection of books like it. The word “Holy” means “set apart.” And the Bible is indeed holy. It has no equal in its accuracy, unity, and coherency.
Some people may say, “Okay, maybe the Bible contains accurate history, but it has nothing to do with my life. When it comes to modern day life, the Bible is way out of touch.”
2. The Bible is out of touch
Some people have the idea that the Bible is full of stories about other-worldly super saints who walk around with halos over their heads. For many people all they learned about the Bible came at a Pre-School level. They can tell you that Noah built an ark … or was it Moses? They can sing a song about Jacob’s Ladder --- or they remember coloring a coat of many colors that belongs to some guy in the Bible. Everything they know about the Bible is rated G … the cartoon Disney version.
All of that is a good way to get started with Bible Study … when you’re 3 years old. But if you study the Bible on an adult level, you will find some portions could be rated R. The Bible does not sugar-coat reality.
As Adults we need to read the Bible for what it is: an instruction manual for flawed people living in a sin-filled world. The Bible is full of stories about very real people who lived very flawed lives … but who came into connection with a very real God. If you don’t think so, listen to these facts about a few Bible heroes:
· Adam blamed his wife for his problems.
· Cain killed his brother, Able
· After surviving the flood, Noah despaired and got drunk. (Now, think about it. After spending a year closed up in a floating barn, then finally getting out to see nothing but mud and destruction --- you just might feel the same way.)
· Jacob was a liar and a schemer (Besides having that dream about a ladder, he lied to his father and tricked his brother out of an inheritance)
· Joseph was an abused by his jealous brothers --- who sold him into slavery.
· Long after David killed Goliath, he had an affair and ended up committing murder to hide the evidence.
· The famous prophet Elijah became so depressed at one point that he was suicidal
· The devoted apostle Peter denied Christ when he needed him the most
The Bible includes accounts of just about any ugly, unmentionable sin known to mankind … from murder to rape to incest to infanticide. The Bible may be written about ancient times, but it is completely IN TOUCH with the human condition today. You will not see anything in REAL LIFE that’s any worse than the reality found in the Bible.
If you study the Bible as a book about REAL life with REAL people and a very REAL God, here’s what you will find: you will discover that nothing you have ever DONE is so bad God cannot FORGIVE it. I’m going to repeat that because some of us need to hear it: Nothing you have ever done --- from lying and cheating to crime or even murder --- nothing is so bad that God cannot forgive it.
And you will discover something else just as amazing: nothing you’ve ever BEEN THROUGH is so bad that God cannot help you OVERCOME it. Whether you’ve been abused or molested or slandered, or incarcerated or humiliated or fired or rejected --- nothing you’ve been through is so bad that God cannot help you overcome it.
That is the message of the Bible. When you read the Bible on an adult level, you find that every Bible hero is FLAWED. They are FLAWED people of FAITH. That reminds me, I love the message they put on our sign last week: “This is the perfect church for people who are not.”
So, let me ask you this question: are you FLAWED? If you are FLAWED then you are half-way there already! All you need to do is add FAITH and you can be one of God’s heroes, too.
The Bible has just the right message for imperfect people with spotty lives. And since that includes all of us, I can say with confidence that the Bible is in touch with our needs.
Some people have another misconception that keeps them from understanding the Bible. They are kind of like the couple in our skit today. They believe the Bible is God’s Word. They know they should read the Bible. So they give it a try. But pretty soon, they run into something that is difficult or confusing --- or maybe just boring. So they just give up because they assume the BIBLE IS JUST TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
3. The Bible is too hard to understand
Unfortunately, some people assume they must get all their Bible teaching from some kind of religious “expert.” The idea is that Joe Average is bound to get it wrong if he tries to understand the Bible for himself, so he needs an expert to interpret it for him.
Which reminds me of a story I heard about one of the most notorious bank robbers from the days of the Wild West. Pepe Rodriguez would regularly sneak across the border into south Texas to rob a bank, then escape back across the border before he could be caught.
The story goes that eventually the Texas lawmen cornered Pepe in a Mexican bar. Since Pepe didn’t speak English, they asked the Bartender to translate. With guns drawn, they told the bartender, “Tell him if he doesn’t turn over the stolen money right now we’ll shoot him dead on the spot!”
The Bartender translated, and Pepe started shaking in fear. In Spanish Pepe said, “Tell them the money is in the town well. The loot is hidden in a pouch behind the seventeenth stone counting down from the handle.”
The Bartender turned to the Rangers and said in English, “Pepe is a very brave man. He says you are a bunch of stinking pigs and he is not afraid to die!” Edited from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice. Copyright 1994 by Youth Specialties, Inc.
And the moral of this story is: Don’t depend on some “expert” to interpret for you when it comes to the Bible. Things sometimes get lost in translation. God’s Word is too important for you to learn it all second hand.
The big Bible Steve and Janet used in the skit was the same one that used to sit on the Communion Table at the front of the old sanctuary. To some people that’s what a Bible is: it’s a decoration or an ornament. Some assume that every home ought to have one sitting in some prominent spot. It should be treated with respect and dusted off at least once a year. It should be quoted now and then by people like preachers or professors or politicians.
And, of course, those big family Bibles are often the old King James Version from the 1600’s … full of thee’s and thou’s and shouldst’s and wouldst’s. For a while people held out against modernizing the translation. In fact I remember hearing one old elder quoted as saying, “Nobody better mess with the good old King James Bible. If it was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it’s good enough for me.”
I grew up memorizing from that version. (It made learning Shakespeare easier for me in High School.) I love the beautiful language in the King James Version, but I also know that it is difficult for many people to follow. That’s why we usually use the New International Version or other recent translations in our services and Bible classes.
It’s also the reason we sing contemporary choruses and songs in our worship services. Now, I love some of the old hymns … because I grew up singing them. But I really enjoy singing newer songs at church --- because I believe that new songs use a manner of expression that draws our minds and hearts to worship God in a fresh way. (Now, I know we’re not exactly cutting-edge here. One of the teenagers told us a while back that we were moving right up into the 80’s. But hey … we’re working on it!)
The point is that in Bible reading as well as in worship, it’s good to use what works today. There are several excellent translations of the Bible besides the NIV. And there are good paraphrases, like one called, The Message. For clear understanding, you may find it easier to read from one of the these versions. It may also help you to get a “Study Bible” … that includes explanations and notes on each page.
Speaking of Translations, you may hear people who claim that the Bible has been translated or copied so many times that it can’t possibly be accurate any more. You need to know that we have more evidence for the accuracy of the Bible books than we have for any other kind of ancient literature.
When I studied evidences for the Bible I found out that in its 3,500 year history, the Bible has defied the ravages of time and survived thousands of copies and translations. Throughout human history the Bible has been remarkably preserved for all generations. It is true that there were no Xerox Copy Machines back then. But those who made hand copies of the Scriptures were reverently and meticulously accurate. They made every possible effort to avoid human error.
Before copying a line, the Scribe would stop and count every letter. Then, after copying the line of text, the Scribe counted to be sure the number of letters matched the original exactly. If the totals did not agree, a search was made to find the error. The Hebrew Bible was literally reproduced jot by jot, and dot by dot.
And it’s not hard to compare today’s Bible with older versions to be sure they match. Literally thousands of old manuscripts of the New Testament are available for comparison.
· One scholar counted 4,105 Greek manuscripts or portions of the New Testament,
· over 15,000 Latin versions,
· and over 1,000 versions in other languages.
And all of these documents testify to the consistency of the New Testament texts. No other ancient book possesses as much manuscript evidence as does the Bible
CONCLUSION:
The story Jesus told about theTwo Houses is not just a cute story. It is a picture of the difference between those who base their life on God’s Word and those who ignore the Instruction Manual. Storms WILL come. The question is, when they come, will you stand firm --- or will your life crash down around you?
We are hoping that everyone in our congregation will commit to reading the Bible daily during the next few weeks. It may help you to use a Devotional Guide like the one we’re using with this WHY> Series. This can guide you to scriptures and help you relate them to your life.
But the main thing is to make a reading plan. You might be amazed to find the difference reading just a few Bible Verses every day can make. The Bible has been a most beloved book for hundreds of generations. I hope that your Bible will be a well-read book as well.
