Why The Bible?

Q: of all the religious texts we have available, why do we follow God’s Word?

Examples of Other Religious Texts:

Koran

- Main Text of Islam

- Islam founded over 1400 years ago by Muhammad

- Has over 1.7 billion followers

- Currently the fastest growing religion in the Word

- “Islam” literally means ”peace” and “submission” meaning, peace with humanity and submission to the edicts of God (Allah)

- For the Christian, we would swap Isaac for Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abraham

- Islam recognizes Jesus as a Prophet, but not as the Son of God

-(source: www.alislam.org)

2. The Vedas, the Mahābhārata, and the Rāmāyaṇa

- Main religious texts of Hinduism

- The Bhagavad Gītā, contained in the Mahābhārata, is probably the most sacred readings of Hinduism

-The Gītā, as it is often called, mainly contains teachings by Krishna, as Supreme Being, to his friend and disciple Arjuna about how to attain union with him in his divine state.

- Hinduism is complex with many different branches

- (Source: article on Sacred Texts in Hinduism from The British Library website)

- Many modern New Age practices can be traced back to Hinduism (e.g.: yoga, chakras, harmonic frequencies, crystals)

- Priyanka Malhotra, director of Full Circle Books, tells us, “The term New Age was coined in the US, and there people connect it to the hippie culture, or to magic. But it’s actually about peace, love and understanding. Over the years, people misused and misunderstood the term in the West.” (Source: Hinduism Today website)

3. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

- Comprised by Siddhartha Gautama, aka: Buddha, the son of an Indian warrior-king (written down long after his death)

- Buddhism is similar to Hinduism as there are several branches of thought

II. The Bible as we know it

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (“God-breathed / theopnenustos”), 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

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

- We need the Word to live life as God intended so that we may be “compete”

x1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:1–2.

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

English Standard Version (Chapter 4)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.