Tuesday, November 9, 2010

"Can I Trust the Bible?"

The most common objection I hear concerning the Bible is that it can’t be trusted as God’s Word because, well, it was written by man and everyone knows men make mistakes. In actuality, The Bible was written through men, by God.

In speaking of how the Scriptures were written, 2 Peter 1:21 tells us “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

The Bible writers were not inspired as great artists are 'inspired' to produce great art. The word translated 'inspired' means "God-breathed." It conveys the idea of God "breathing out" the Scriptures. Man was the instrument used by God to convey His thoughts in the Bible.

The Bible is not one book, but 66 compiled under one binding. Written over a period of 1,500 years, by about 40 different authors, from all walks of life from varying occupations. Written in three different languages on three different continents during times of peace and times of wartime.

The Bible’s authors wrote exactly what God wanted them to write, on hundreds of controversial subjects, yet with absolute harmony from the beginning to the end.

Now think about this, say we interviewed five people of the same nationality, working at the same job, living in the same town, during the same year, and we asked them to speak their mind on just one controversial subject. What are the chances they would all agree?

And yet despite all the differences in the lives of those who penned the scriptures, the bible is absolutely harmonious from beginning to end.

The Bible’s remarkable continuity is evidence of its divine origin. This unity is due to the fact that, ultimately, it has one Author—God Himself.

The Bible served as a basis for modern scientific pursuits. Modern science was born in the seventeenth century because of a belief in an unchanging God of order, purpose, and consistency—the God portrayed in the Bible.

It is filled with numerous medical and scientific facts and have been at the forefront of modern day science. When Scientists thought the earth was flat the Bible described the shape of the earth (Isaiah 40:22) and how it is suspended on nothing (Job 26:7). Before oceans were explored the Bible knew of the existing valleys (Psalm 18:15), fountains, and springs down in the depths (Job 38:16). It even mentions the Hydrologic Cycle with great clarity (Ecclesiastes 1:6-7).

It is the only “Spiritual book” that contains fulfilled prophecy. Messianic Prophecy for example foretold us that the Messiah would be born of a Virgin, in Bethlehem, and that He would be rejected by His own people, yet bear their iniquities and save His people from their sin. Which ultimately came to fruition at the cross as Jesus proclaimed, “It is finished.”

The Bible is God’s living and powerful Word. It can be trusted because it is inerrant, inspired, and infallible. It is the compass God has given us to govern our lives.
The Bible may not tell us everything we want to know, but it certainly tells us everything we need to know in order to have a right relationship with God.

And though it has no contradictions it certainly does have mistakes. The first one was when man rejected God back in the garden. Don’t do the same.

3 comments:

Fish With Trish said...

This is very good, Mark.

Everyone who has benefited from your post should get the Paris DVD from Season 4. I might be wrong, but I think that's the one that you cover all of this on. It was really good.

Michael Coughlin said...

Thanks, Mark. That was a great explanation with a lot of good facts and scripture references.

It's amazing how "cynics" will believe anything as long as it is not in the bible. The only thing they are not cynical about is their own cynicism, it seems.

Nice work!

Rory Gabriel said...

Good job Mark.