Is the Bible True?

1
Is the Bible True?

• Objection
• The Bible cannot be true since it has so many
  historical and geographical errors, internal
  contradictions, and is full of myths and legends.

2
I. The Uniqueness of the Bible

• A. In its composition
• B. With regard to its circulation
• C. With regard to its translations
• D. With regard to its durability
• E. With respect to the effects on peoples lives

3
II. The Accuracy of the Bible

• Manuscript Integrity

4
Is the Bible Historically Reliable?
5
Book The Gallic WarCommentaries
Author Julius Caesar Date of authorship 50 BC
SBF 28
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Understanding Manuscripts
Julius Caesar wrote The Gallic War Commentaries
400 300 200 50 0 100 200 300 400
500 600 ---------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- Centuries
B.C. Centuries A.D.
Scribal Copying of Manuscripts
Printing Press
700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
1300 1400 1500 ------------------------
---------------------------------------------- -
- - - Centuries A.D.
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Understanding Manuscripts
Scribal copying was done by hand until invention
of the printing press, c. 1439.
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Ancient Manuscripts How Many?
SBF 31
9
Ancient Manuscripts - How Many?
24,633
The BEST!
SBF 31
10
Ancient Manuscripts How accurate?
The BEST!
SBF 36
11
Scholars are satisfied that they possess
substantially the true text of the principal
Greek and Roman writers whose works have come
down to us, of Sophocles, of Thucydides, of
Cicero, of Virgil yet our knowledge of their
writings depends on a mere handful of
manuscripts, whereas the manuscripts of the New
Testament are counted by hundreds, and even
thousands.
Manuscript scholar Sir Frederic Kenyon
SBF 31
12
Understanding Manuscripts
Virgil wrote Aeneid
Earliest known manuscript
Aristotle wrote Poetics
400 300 200 50 0 100 200 300 400
500 600 ---------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- Centuries
B.C. Centuries A.D.
Julius Caesar
Scribal Copying of Manuscripts
Earliest known manuscript
Printing Press
700 800 900 1000 1100 1200
1300 1400 1500 ---------------------------------
------------------------------------- - - -
- Centuries A.D.
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Ancient Manuscripts - How Early?
The BEST!
SBF 34
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Origin of the New Testament
Early, Eyewitness Sources for the New Testament
Jesus Death New Testament
Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 11
0 ------------------------------------------------
----------------------------- First Century A.D.
Earliest Gospel Manuscripts
Jesus Death New Testament
Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 11
0 ------------------------------------------------
----------------------------- First Century A.D.
Jesus Death New Testament
Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 11
0 ------------------------------------------------
----------------------------- First Century A.D.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Legends of Jesus Begin 120 130 140 150 16
0 170 180 190 200 --------------------------------
--------------------------------------------- Seco
nd Century A.D.
John Rylands Fragment
John Rylands Fragment
Legends of Jesus Begin 120 130 140 150 16
0 170 180 190 200 --------------------------------
--------------------------------------------- Seco
nd Century A.D.
John Rylands Fragment
Legends of Jesus Begin 120 130 140 150 16
0 170 180 190 200 --------------------------------
--------------------------------------------- Seco
nd Century A.D.
Legends of Jesus Begin 120 130 140 150 16
0 170 180 190 200 --------------------------------
--------------------------------------------- Seco
nd Century A.D.
Legends of Jesus Begin 120 130 140 150 16
0 170 180 190 200 --------------------------------
--------------------------------------------- Seco
nd Century A.D.
Gospels of Mary, Thomas, Phillip, Judas, etc.
Late, Legendary Sources for The Da Vinci Code
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The evidence for our New Testament writings is
ever so much greater than the evidence for
many writings of classical authors, the
authenticity of which no-one dreams of
questioning. And if the New Testament were a
collection of secular writings, their
authenticity would generally be regarded as
beyond all doubt.
British scholar F.F. Bruce
SBF 34
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible

• There is no body of ancient literature in the
  world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual
  attestation as the New Testament.
  - F. F. Bruce

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II. The Accuracy of the Bible

• History Archeology
• Early Chapters of Genesis
• Moses - Pentateuch - Writing
• Examples
• Hittites Belshazzar in Daniel 5
  Harbor size of Caesarea Lukes writings
  Jericho

18
Harbor Caesarea
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Testimonies of Archeologists

• It may be categorically stated that no
  archeological discovery has ever controverted a
  biblical reference. - Nelson Gluck

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Testimonies of Archaeologists

• Archaeology has not produced anything that is
  unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible. On
  the contrary...there have been many opinions of
  skeptical scholars that have become codified into
  fact over the years but that archaeology has
  shown to be wrong. - John Mcray

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Testimonies of Archeologists

• The Bible is supported by archae-ological
  evidence again and again. On the whole there can
  be no question that the results of excavation
  have increased the respect of scholars for the
  Bible as a collection of historical documents.
  - Millar Burrows

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Testimony of Historian

• Christianity, like the Judaism from which it
  sprang, is a historical religion, or it is
  nothing. It does not deal in myths and metaphors
  and symbols, or in states of being and cycles.
  It deals in facts. - Paul Johnson

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II. The Accuracy of the Bible

• Miracles
• Distinguish between God and the Bible
• Public nature
• Early circulation of N.T.
• documents

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II. The Accuracy of the Bible

• Bible Explains Reality
• Explains what I know about myself and the
  world around me

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III. The Inspiration of the Bible

• A. The Bible claims for itself to be inspired.
• All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
  for teaching, rebuking and training in
  righteousness. II Timothy 316
• For prophecy never had its origin in the will
  of man, but men spoke from God as they were
  carried along by the Holy Spirit. II Peter
  121
• Thus says the Lord...

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III. The Inspiration of the Bible

• B. Fulfilled Prophecy
• Birth of Christ
• Example City of Tyre
• Person of Jesus Christ