Bible as god's word

Why do Christians believe the bible to be the Word of God?

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The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

Romans 8:16

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This is the truth

because it says it is the

truth!

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But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds

I will write them”Hebrews 10:15-16

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The New Testament• The Uniqueness of the Bible

• Historic Reliability

• How and Why Certain Books Were Included

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Unique in its Continuity

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Unique in its Continuity

The bible is the only book that was:

Written over about a 1,500 year span (NT written over a 50 year span)

Written by over 40 authors from every walk of life (NT has 10 authors)

Written on 3 different continents – Asia, Africa and Europe

Written in 3 different languages – Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek

Written by authors who mostly did not know one another

Written in vastly different places – everywhere from dungeons to palaces

The New Testament

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Unique in its Continuity Unique in its Circulation

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Unique in its Circulation

The bible is the only book in the world that has sold over a billion copies

The lowest estimate is 2.5 billion, the upper estimates are over 6 billion

The next closest are “Quotations from Chairman Mao’”(The Little Red Book) and the “Qur’an” with about 800 million each

The bible sells more copies than any other book every year

The New Testament

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Unique in its Continuity Unique in its Circulation Unique in its Translation

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Unique in its Translation

The bible has been translated into more languages than any other book

So far, it has been translated into over 2,400 different languages

This covers more than 90% of the people of the world

The next two closest books are Pilgrim’s Progress and Pinocchio with about 200 different languages

The next two closest “non-fictional” books are the Book of Mormon and the Qur’an with about 105 different languages

The New Testament

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Unique in its Continuity Unique in its Circulation Unique in its Translation Unique in its Survival

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Unique in its Survival

Through the Passage of Time

Through Persecutions - In 303 A.D., Roman Emperor Diocletian issued an edict pronouncing the obliteration of Christianity

"... an imperial letter was everywhere promulgated, ordering the razing of churches to the ground and the destruction by fire of the scriptures, and proclaiming that those who held high positions would lose all civil rights, while those in households, if they persisted in their profession of Christianity, would be deprived of their liberty."

Through Criticism

The New Testament

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“A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral

procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read.

But somehow the corpse never stays put. No other book has been so chopped, knifed,

sifted, scrutinized, and vilified.Upon this “anvil” have been worn out

innumerable “hammers” of opposition and criticism; yet the Bible still stands. What is it

about the Bible that has enabled it to withstand this test of time and opposition?

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Could it be that the answer lies in Peter’s quote from Isaiah 40:”

All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the

word of the Lord abides forever(1 Peter 1:24-25)Bernard Ramm

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• Historic Reliability The Bibliographical Test The Internal Evidence Test The External Evidence Test

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• Historic Reliability The Bibliographical Test

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“On the basis of manuscript evidence alone, the works that made up the

Christians’ New Testament were the most frequently copied and widely

circulated books of antiquity [ancient history]”

F.E. Peters - Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and History at New York University

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Author Book Date Written Earliest Copies Time Gap No. Of

Copies

Homer Iliad 800 B.C. c. 400 B.C. c. 400 yrs. 643

Herodotus History

480-425 B.C. c. A.D. 900 c. 1,350

yrs. 8

Thucydides History

460-400 B.C. c. A.D. 900 c. 1,350

yrs. 8

Plato 400 B.C. c. A.D. 900 c. 1,300 yrs. 7

Demosthenes 300 B.C. c. A.D. 1100 1,400 yrs. 200

Caesar Gallic Wars 100-44 B.C. c. A.D. 900 c. 1,000

yrs. 10

LivyHistor

y of Rome

59 B.C.–A.D. 17

4th cent. (partial) mostly 10th cent.

c. 400 yrs.

c. 1,000 yrs.

1 partial

19 copies

Tacitus Annals A.D. 100 c. A.D. 1100 c. 1,000 yrs. 20

Pliny Secundus

Natural

History

A.D. 61-113 c. A.D. 850 c. 750 yrs. 7

New Testament A.D. 50-100

c. 114 (fragment)c. 200 (books)

c. 250 (most of the N.T.)

c. 325 (complete N.T.)

+ 50 yrs.100 yrs.150 yrs.225 yrs.

5366

Writer Gospels Acts Pauline Epistles

General Epistles

Revelation Totals

Justin Martyr 268 10 43 6 3 330

Irenaeus 1,038 194 499 23 65 1,819

Clement (Alex.) 1,107 44 1,127 207 11 2,406

Origen 9,231 349 7,778 399 165 17,992

Tertullian 3,822 502 2,609 120 205 7,258

Hippolytus 734 42 387 27 188 1,378

Eusebius 3,258 211 1,592 88 27 5,176

Grand Totals

19,368 1,352 14,035 870 664 36,289

“Suppose that the New Testament had been destroyed, and every copy of it lost by the end of the third century, could it

have been collected together again from the writings of the Fathers of the second

and third centuries?”

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“Looks at those books. You remember the question about the New Testament and the Fathers? That question roused my curiosity, and as I possessed all the

existing works of the Fathers of the second and third centuries, I

commenced to search, and up to this time I have found the entire New Testament, except eleven verses.”

Sir David Dalrymple25



• Historic Reliability The Bibliographical Test The Internal Evidence Test

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“Historical and literary scholarship continues to follow Aristotle’s dictum that “the benefit of doubt is to be given to the document itself, not

arrogated by the critic to himself.” This means that one must listen to the claims of the document under analysis, and not assume fraud or error unless

the author disqualifies himself by contradictions or known factual

inaccuracies.”John Warwick Montgomery

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“The deductions that may be validly drawn from ancient Egyptian,

Sumerian, or Akkadian documents all harmonize with the biblical records; and no properly trained evangelical scholar

has anything to fear from the hostile arguments and challenges of humanistic

rationalists or detractors of any and every persuasion.”

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“There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every charge

that has been levelled against it. But this is only to be expected from the kind of book the Bible asserts itself to be, the inscripturation of the infallible, inerrant

Word of the Living God”Dr Gleason Archer

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Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been

fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me

also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly

account, most excellent TheophilusLuke 1:1-3

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For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were

eyewitnesses of His majesty.2 Peter 1:16

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That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,

which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was

manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly

our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that

your joy may be full.1 John 1:3 33

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles,

wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know

Acts 2:22

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Now as he thus made his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much

learning is driving you mad!” But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also

speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his

attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.”

Acts 26:24-26

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“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians

by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius

Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the

moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even

in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find

their centre and become popular.”Tacitus

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“The primary sources for the life of Christ are the four Gospels. However there are considerable reports from

non-Christian sources that supplement and confirm the Gospel accounts. These

come largely from Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Samaritan sources of the first century. In brief they inform us

that:

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1) Jesus was from Nazareth2) He lived a wise and virtuous life3) He was crucified in Palestine under

Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius Caesar at Passover time, being considered the Jewish King

4) He was believed by his disciples to be raised from the dead three days later

5) His enemies acknowledged that he performed unusual feats they called ‘sorcery’

6) His small band of disciples multiplied rapidly, spreading even as far as Rome

7) His disciples denied polytheism, lived moral lives, and worshiped Christ as Divine

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This picture confirms the view of Christ presented in the New Testament

Gospels.“Dr Norman Geisler

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Canon42

Canon means “an officially accepted list of books”

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“A book is not the Word of God because it was accepted by the people of God.

Rather it was accepted by the people of God because it is the Word of God. That

is, God gives the book its divine authority, not the people of God. They merely recognize the divine authority

which God gives to it.”Geisler / Nix – General Introduction

to the Bible44

Was the writing an accurate account of the events?For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty – 2 Peter 1:16

Did the writing contradict the current scriptures?Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so – Acts 17:10-11

Was the person who wrote it an apostle or a very close associate of one?

e.g. Mark was the interpreter of Peter; Luke was a “fellow laborer” of Paul

Did the writing witness with their spirits and hearts that it was the true Word of God?

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God – Romans 8:16

Was the writing accepted by the vast majority of Christians?

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These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will

teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 14:25-26

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I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the

Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He

will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.John 16:12-14

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and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul,

according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the

rest of the Scriptures.2 Peter 3:15-16

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For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the

grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.

1 Timothy 5:18

You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.

Deuteronomy 25:4

And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy

of his wages.Luke 10:7

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for

reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be

complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

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Again it is not tedious to speak of the books of the New Testament. These are, the four

Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles, seven, namely, of James, one; of Peter, two; of John, three; after these, one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; after

these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians; then to the

Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians, and that to the Hebrews; and

again, two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, that to Philemon. And besides, the Revelation

of John.Athanasius of Alexandria in A.D. 367

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Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms

concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the

Scriptures.Luke 24:44-45

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Canon The God Factor

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Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Matthew 24:35Mark 13:31Luke 21:33

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Bible as god's word

Spiritual

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