"Is the Bible True and Reliable?"
We’re currently doing a series of messages on what I call "The Basic Questions of Life." These messages deal with the basic questions most people ask at some point in their lives. Questions such as: Is there a God? Is the Bible reliable and true? How did we get here? Why are we here? And what happens after we leave here?
We answered the first question last week, so let’s move to the second question - "Is the Bible reliable and true?" I’m not asking this question because I think you need to be convinced that the Bible is reliable and true. I ask this question because I believe you need to be reminded and encouraged that the Bible is reliable and true.
We live in a world that is at war with the Word. There are those who despise it and are against everything it stands for. There are those who distort it and twist it to their own destruction. There are those who disregard it and claim that it’s false and unreliable. For instance, this past summer ABC aired a prime time special called "The Search for Jesus" - hosted and produced by Peter Jennings. At the outset of the program Jennings promised to be respectful and fair. But the next two hours was a one sided presentation against the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible. Jennings interviewed a panel of 7 "Bible scholars" who had one thing in common. They are associated with the so called "Jesus Seminar." The Jesus Seminar was organized in 1985 by Robert Funk, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Montana. He met with 30 Professors from several major univerisites and said, in effect, "We don’t beleive the Bible, we don’t beleive in the Biblical Jesus, and we don’t beleive in miracles. We need to organize our efforts in order to debunk the reliaibility of the Bible and promote our beleif that the historical Jesus is far different that the Biblical Jesus." And so the Jesus Seminar was born and today it’s web-site claims that it is made up of 74 "Scholars." But most of them are not "Bible Scholars" in any sense of the word. Take Paul Verhoeven as an example. He’s on the Jesus Seminar and what contributions has he made to the world? Mostly B-movies and R-rated flicks that are filled violence, language, and sex (like Showgirls, etc).
This is who Jennings turns to when he wants to talk about the reliabiliy and truthfulness of the Bible. Asking the Jesus Seminar to talk about the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible is like asking the director of Planned Parenthood to talk about the logic behind the right to life movement, or asking Al Gore to talk about the credentials and qualifications of George W. Bush to be our next president. You’re going to get a biased and negative answer. Jennings did not interview a single conservative Christian scholar. There are thousands of men who could of held there own against Jennings - D.A. Carson, Richard Land, D. James Kennedy, etc. But they weren’t given an opportunity to defend the reliablity and truthfulness of the Bible.
I couldn’t get Carson, Land, or Kennedy, to come speak to you today, so you’re stuck with me. But I do want to share 5 facts which verify the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible.
And somebody says, "Wait a second preacher. Don’t get carried away with the Bible. After all it’s just a book, written by ordinary men." Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about . . .
I. The Authorship of the Bible.
You have three options when it comes to the authorship of the Bible. Either the Bible was written by good men, bad men, or God Himself. Let’s consider each option.
Was the Bible written by merely good men? No, because the Old Testament alone claims over 2,600 times to be written by God. It’s inconceivable that good men would lie about the same subject 2,600 times.
Was the Bible written by bad men? No, because it’s inconceivable that bad men would write a book that continually lifts men and women to the highest plain of morality and purity, that demands the most exacting standards of righteousness, and pronounces doom upon all sinners.
The only logical alternative is, the Bible was written by God (read and explain 2 Peter 2:20-21). And since the Bible was written by God, it is reliable and true because it’s author - God Himself - is reliable and true.
Somebody says, "O.K. preacher, I see the reasoning behind that but everyone knows the Bible is an ancient book and it’s content has been changed through the centuries." Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about . . .
II. The Authenticity of the Bible.
Most folks don’t realize that we have an abundant collection of ancient Bible manuscripts and these ancient Bible manuscripts verify that the content of the Bible HAS NOT been changed down through the centuries.
Let me put it another way. In universities, it’s not uncommon to be asked to read Homer’s "Iliad" (800 B.C.) or Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars (50 B.C.). Homer’s "Iliad" is the most famous book of ancient Greece and nobody denies it’s authenticity because we have over 640 ancient copies - the oldest was copied 2,200 years after the original. And nobody doubts the authenticity of Caesar’s Gallic Wars because we have at least 10 ancient copies - the oldest was copied about 1,000 years after the original. 640 copies of the Iliad and 10 copies of the Gallic Wars.
What about the NT? There are over 5,500 existing ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. These ancient hand-copies have been studied and examined over and over again with "a fine tooth comb" and they verify that the books of the NT are authentic documents - they have not changed down through the years. Ancient NT manuscripts have been found in Palestine, Syria, and Egypt, and their content is virtually identical no matter where they were found.
What about the OT? I’m sure you’ve heard about the Dead Sea Scrolls, which refer to over 800 ancient scrolls discovered in 11 different caves near the Dead Sea from 1947 to 1956. The Dead Sea Scrolls date back to at least 100 B.C. and they contain fragments from every book of the OT except Esther. Scholars have examined those fragments and found them to be virtually identical with our standard Hebrew Bible.
Dear people, there is more evidence for the authenticity of the 66 books of the Bible than there is for any other book from the ancient world.
Somebody says, "O.K. preacher. The evidence shows that the Bible hasn’t changed through the centuries, but what about all the errors and contradictions in the Bible?" Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about . . .
III. The Accuracy of the Bible.
A lot of folks claim the Bible is filled with errors and contradictions. But what amazes me is that a majority of people who make that claim know very little about the Bible. Several years ago, when I was Youth Minister at BBC, I was visiting a family and the father was very skeptical of the Christian faith. He told me that the Bible was filled with errors and contradictions. Naturally I took him to task and asked, "Can you show me ONE error or contradiction in the Bible." He replied, "I don’t know where it is chapter and verse, but it’s the one that says the EARTH IS FLAT." It took me several months to convince Him that the Bible doesn’t say such a thing.
Folks, a majority of people who claim the Bible is filled with errors and contradictions know very little about the Bible. The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of folks who have studied the Bible in-depth are amazed at it’s accuracy. Consider . . .
(1) The Scientific Accuracy of the Bible.
The Bible is not a science book, but whatever observations it makes about the world of nature is true. Skeptics argue that the Bible is full of scientific errors, but that isn’t the case at all. Every now and then the theories of science disagree with the teachings of the Bible, but usually the theories of science just need some time to catch up. For instance . . . (ILL: Job 26:7) (ILL: Isaiah 40:22) (ILL: Lev. 13:46).
There is no conflict between science and the Bible. It’s just that sometimes the theories of science need time to catch up.
(2) The Historical Accuracy of the Bible.
The Bible is not a history book, but the history it records is reliable and accurate. Archaeology is one of the historians basic tools, and it has confirmed the historicity of the Bible time and time again (ILL: Moses wrote the Pentateuch) (ILL: The Assyrian Empire) (ILL: The existence of David).
(3) The Prophetic Accuracy of the Bible.
The OT alone has over 2,000 specific prophecies that have already been fulfilled. It is the only book of it’s kind with so many accurate prophecies (ILL: mention some of the fulfilled OT prophecies about Christ - the reason for his coming, the time of his coming, the manner of his birth, the place of his birth, the manner of his life, his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection). The first coming of Jesus verifies the prophetic accuracy of the Bible.
Dear people, every subject addressed by the Bible and every statement made by the Bible is accurate.
Somebody says, "Preacher, even if the Bible is accurate, it’s still old and outdated." Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about . . .
IV. The Ability of the Bible to Transform Lives.
Hebrews 4:12 says . . . That is, the Bible is alive and it’s has the power to address the deepest needs of your soul and change your life for the better. It has the power to save the sinner, sanctify the saint, soothe the sufferer, and satisfy the scholar.
It has the ability to transform lives (ILL: The Little Girl and the agnostic). A transformed life is one of the most effective arguments for the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible.
Somebody says, "Preacher, I’m ready to go home, but I’ve got one more question for you. How can the Bible transform my life?" Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about . . .
V. The Acceptance of the Bible.
Romans 10:17 says . . . This implies that the Bible will transform your life when you respond to it’s message in faith. It’s not enough to just believe the Bible is reliable and ture. You’ve got to respond to it’s message in faith.
What about you? Have you responded to the Bible in faith? If so, then I commend you and encourage you to read, study, meditate, and practice the Bible on a daily basis. If not, then I encourage you to examine the evidence and I pray that the holy Spirit will convince you that the Bible is reliable and true.
References
1. Delighting God, by D. James Kennedy
2. Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.
3. Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask about the Christian Faith, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.
