Can I Trust the Bible

We Must Answer the Question, “Can I Trust the Bible?”:

Personal Story: I was asked these questions.

Hasn’t the Bible Been Changed?

Wasn’t it written by men?

Wasn’t it written to a traditional culture? Should we really follow it now that times have changed?

Christian: If this is false, you are to be pitied.

Not yet a Christian: If this is true, the stakes are high

Eternity

Purpose

Brothers Quote

There is real truth:

· “Truth is Relative.” “If that works for you, then great.” “Morality is subjective.”

· Set up to be manipulated:

“’There is no such thing as truth,’ they teach even the little ones. ‘Truth is bondage. Believe what seems right to you. There are as many truths as there are individuals. Follow your feelings. Do as you please. Get in touch with your self. Do what feels comfortable.’ Those who speak in this way prepare the jails of the twenty-first century. They do the work of tyrants.” -Michael Novak

· “If there is no absolute truth, functioning as the abature that two people can appeal to, there is only one thing they can appeal to… POWER.

John 8:32 NIV

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1. Has the Bible Been Changed or Corrupted?

Is it like A Game of Telephone?

Apply the science of Textual Criticism:

the approach that scholars use to determine how close the text is to the original manuscript. How long is the blackout period? How many ancient manuscripts do we have available?

Blackout Periods for Ancient Texts:

Herodotus = 1,300 years.

Caesar’s Gallic War = 950 years.

Livy’s Roman History = 900 years.

Homer’s Iliad = 500 years.

The New Testament = Between 30 and 300 years.

Number of Ancient Manuscripts:

Herodotus = 8 copies

Caesar’s Gallic War = 10 copies

Livy’s Roman History = 20 copies

Homer’s Iliad = 643 copies

The New Testament = 24,800 copies.

(5,800 in Greek, 10,000 in Latin, 9,000 other)

(Insert Pic 1)

2.6 Million pages of ancient NT writings.

Over 1 Mile high.

Do You See it?

The more we find…

Even if a person had tried to “Change” it…

Do you see that it is undoubtedly the most reliable ancient book ever written?

Many men gave their lives…

Application: Deeply cherish your copy of the Bible.

2. Is the Bible Divinely Inspired?

Fulfilled Prophecies:

There were over 300 prophecies written in the Old Testament that were later fulfilled by Jesus.

Why do fulfilled prophecies serve as evidence to the divine authorship of the Bible?

Ex: If I told you…

In the same way, look at the prophetic predictions that were written in the Old Testament and see if they actually happened.

The truthfulness of those statements would have been affirmed.

Could it be a coincidence?

(Insert this video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_1FrXlZx8c

The important events of the LIFE of Jesus were foretold in the Old Testament.

Healed people.

Loved People

Constantly rejected by the religious leader

He knew his purpose: To Save Us.

Serve

“His sweat became like great drops of blood,” (Lk. 22:44)

Focused on God’s Will:, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Captured

Brought before Pilate

Remained Silent.

Found not guilty – “I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.”

“Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”

Treated like some sort of violent criminal.

Chastised, shamed and mocked.

Pierced in his hands and feet, nailed to a cross.

2 Criminals next to him.

There he died, for you and for me.

Our Penalty for our sin, for our iniquities, upon Him.

“Give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45)

Knowing that we all have gone astray. He still loved you and died for you.

He offers complete washing away of sin, so that you will be presented as righteous.

By his death on the cross, your broken standing before God is healed. It’s fixed, it’s redeemed.

Raised to life.

Isaiah 53

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment, he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

...although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth… yet he bore the sin of many

Do You See It?

If you do, you can be confident that it really was God who inspired these Prophecies.

We can know that the Bible is inspired by God by looking at the prophetic claims about the Messiah and seeing if they came true.

They have proven to be God’s Word.

Application: Rejoice that God has revealed himself to us through the Bible.

3. If the Bible written for a different culture, is it still applicable to our lives today?

Cultural Relevance:

“Since the Bible was written to a different culture in a different time in History, should we really apply those old-fashioned values?”

Often times, people have this inaccurate idea that the New Testament was written to a culture similar to America in the 1950’s, where everyone went to church and had traditional Christian values. But this could hardly be further from the truth.

The Culture was actually very similar to what it is today.

The Bible was more counter-cultural in the Greco-Roman Culture than it is for us today.

Our sexual revolution is nothing compared to what was going on then.

(Pic 5)

See for yourself:

Do not withhold your body sexually from anyone.

Very liberal.

It was totally counter cultural to be a follower of Jesus:

They killed Jesus.

They killed his apostles.

For those who lived they often had to choose to either follow Jesus and be cut off from access to basic needs like water and fire, or worship false gods.

Why?

· (Pic 6 and pic 7)

Filter illustration.

Do you see it?

The culture that the Bible was written to was more similar to our culture than we realize, and it will offend us because it hurts to see where we are wrong.

But if it is true we must align our lives with it.

Boldly share about Jesus. There will be pressure for many of you from your employers to not talk about your faith. But be bold for Christ.

Application: Delight that God has shown us how to live.

Conclusion

So, based on this evidence, “Can You Trust the Bible?” I believe the answer is yes.

Is there faith involved? Absolutely. But it is by no means blind faith.

Now the question is, “Will You Trust the Bible?”

There will be changes. (for our good always)

The Best news in the world.

What is Your Next Step?

Passionately learn what God says. Read, study, process

Joyfully believe what God says.

Expectantly trust what God says.

Faithfully obey what God says.