Believing in the bible

Believing in the Bible

Text: 2 Tim 3:14-17, 1 Peter 3:15, John 1:1-5, Luke 24:44, Matthew 5:18, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:13-14, Isaiah 53, Titus 3:8-9,

Intro/Title Slide – Good morning! I have to tell you I was a little bit nervous last week, in a different than previously, coming before you. Not sure what we were really going to be singing. Working off a sermon that was mostly written by a wonderful servant of the Lord and in the Church of God in David Colp. Not having a good handle on how we do communion here as opposed to what I’ve been used to for the past 30 years. And all morning long while I’m trying make sure that we can see the lyrics, praying for the service and all of us. Trying to get some administrative things done. I had heard this still small voice saying when I arrived, “you can leave the cane in the car” and I did when I got here Sunday morning. But while preparing for the service, I kept hearing “take the knee braces off”. And I kept shrugging that off, like these are warm blanket, or something that I take security in. And what happened. You might not have noticed, the left knee brace wouldn’t stay on. Which then becomes really distracting for me, maybe not so much for you. So today Lord, let me, let us all be obedient to that still small voice that is you by the Holy Spirit in Jesus name, walk in the faith of believing in what you’re doing in our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. Let us pray. (SLIDE)

Last week we began a new series about what we believe. As individuals, as a congregation, and as family that has belonged to the Church of God, Anderson, for 133 years. Honestly, we aren’t going to have any sermons, ever as long as I’m in front of you, that would be against, what the Church of God believes. Part way through last Sunday, I had some doubts. Not about God, or Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, or the truth that is contained within the Bible, no matter what translation you prefer to read. I had doubts because it started to feel a little bit like a college lecture. Lord is this really what you want us to talk about. And the answer, in the Spirit was yes. The times that we live in, where logic, and reason, and even artificial intelligences becoming more common, can leave us, can take the coming generations after us into dark places. Into believing that there isn’t a God, or God is whomever you want them to be, but we know that’s a lie. There is one God the father, the creator of all that was, all that is, and all that ever will be. Yahweh. Jehovah. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has always kept His covenants, His promises, despite how self-centered, misguided and misbehaving, we, His creation became. The scientific reasons that God must exist could carry us through a month of sermons, easily, but I believe He wants us to be moving forward in this conversation. And if you have doubts about God, I’m not hard to find as are others in the faith who love to just have conversation with you.

So today let’s talk about what not only what we believe about the bible but what we can know about the Bible. Last week I said some things that some might consider offensive. I said for instance that the bible didn’t save you. Your salvation comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Who died on the cross for the sins of all humanity, not just the Hebrews. Now I’m going to borrow from another preacher here, Andy Stanley, who would say. If someone told you they were going to be beaten, crucified, and killed, but that they would rise from the dead three days later. And then actually did it? Wouldn’t you kind of want to pay a little more attention. And by the way, the “BIBLE”, as we know it, doesn’t exist for over 300 years after the resurrection.

Think about that for a moment. When Jesus was crucified, the Jesus movement died. The followers of Jesus for those three or so years of his ministry teaching, healing, loving the tired, the poor, the hungry, the sick, it died. As far as the disciples, and his family and followers were concerned it was over. They’re in fear of their lives. Three days later, the stone was rolled away. And for 40 days after the resurrection he taught and healed and was physically seen by over 500 people. Which is why 2,000 years later, we’re still talking about him. And people are still coming to know Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord as their personal savior every day. That’s a whole sermon coming later in and of itself. Maybe around Easter.

But if we are effectively going to be the disciples that HE calls us to be, sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in our families, our communities, and throughout the ends of the earth, we’re going to run into some folks who will be just like those who witnessed Jesus in the flesh, and still couldn’t believe, or understand, because their traditions, their own selfish desires, or addictions got in the way of seeing the truth. We have to prepared for what we might hear from someone who doesn’t know the Lord, walked away from the Lord, or believes in nothing at all. That something, like this universe and the beauty that is the earth and all that is contained within it, came from nothing. (SLIDE)

The Bible…isn’t it filled with contradictions and inconsistencies?

The Bible…There is no way what we read now is even close to what was originally written.

The Bible…its just a collection of myths and fables written/compiled long after the events

The Bible…There is no evidence it can be trusted…it’s just blind faith to believe anything written in it…

(SLIDE) Just to show you a piece of Church of God history. That is D.S. Warner, and although it kind of looks like Gary’s bible, and some others of us as well, that is actually the New Testament copy that he preached from when he traveled. With not only his written notes in the margins, like some of us do, but some notes written by his wife as well. It’s at Anderson University, and they have scanned it and you download a copy. There are over 20 DS Warner sermons, who could preach for hours at a time, that I’ve downloaded as well. Don’t worry, unless we’re at a camp meeting and the spirit moves, I’ll respect your time and keep it under an hour most Sundays. It’s ok to say “amen” to that.

We have all heard or maybe you even have some objections like these that falls into areas that lead peoples doubts about Christianity. … (SLIDE) doubts around the Bible. Clearly what we believe about the Bible is critical. Christianity and our faith in a Risen Savior are based on the foundation of the truth we find in the Bible…God’s divinely inspired Word. Doubts about scripture can be a major hurdle to faith. Actually, doubt about God’s word and if it can be trusted is the original doubt… We see it way back in the garden when the serpent deceived Eve, planting the seed of doubt recorded in Gen 3. The serpent says to Eve - “Did God actually say?…” Doubt about God’s word has been a tool of our enemy from the beginning of time.

A couple of books one of which I showed you last week.

“I don’t have enough Faith to be an Atheist” by Norman Geisler

“The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel

I have bought multiple copies of Strobel’s the Case for Christ. An investigative journalist and self-proclaimed atheist sets out to disprove the existence of God after his wife becomes a Christian. Along with C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, and I’ve also bought personalized pocket sized versions of the bible. I carry one in my glovebox just to be prepared to give it away.

Let me remind us of a passage we will drive into the vision and ministry of this church

Slide: 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”

As we explore what we believe about God’s word…My prayer is it enhances your faith but also helps you be ready to share the hope you have with a desperate world, starting right here in our community.

The Foundation of Biblical Reliability – Internal Evidence

Many of us grew up attending Sunday School. Hearing the stories of David and Goliath, of Sampson, of Joshua and Jericho, Moses parting the Red Sea, or more likely the Reed Sea. The birth of Jesus in a manger and the 3 wisemen bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh. The blind being able to see, the lam walking as Christ healed. Feeding the 5,000. As children we mostly didn’t understand the horror that Jesus went through leading up to and in the crucifixion, but we certainly celebrated the resurrection with our families. And probably hunted for easter eggs and candy. Great stories. Do we have anything else besides just a good story…the story of the Bible given to us by God…a document that is God’s words given to us to show us himself and point us on the path back to him through faith in his son Jesus Christ.

I briefly mentioned going to court last week, and having witnesses that would testify, whether for the defense or the prosecution. So let’s start by putting the defendant, because the prosecutor is the accuser of the brethren. What does the Bible say about itself… what is the testimony of the Bible about itself?

(SLIDE) We began last week with “Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God’s creation is just, so beautiful.

How about the Gospel of John. You remember John, brother of James, the sons of thunder, the sons of Zebedee, a disciple from the very beginning of Jesus ministry. A witness to the death and resurrection. (SLIDE)

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Listen to these words from Paul.

(Slide): 2 Timothy 3:14–17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Continue in what you have learned…learned from scripture…what has been passed on to you with the Sacred writings. Writings as Paul says that have the power to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ. Then listen to the next verse…All scripture is breathed out by God. It is the very breath of God…a term that doesn’t appear in other ancient literature…Paul was coining a term to describe scripture…as the very breath of God.

Slide: The Foundation of Biblical Reliability - Internal Evidence

The internal evidence is overwhelmingly that the Bible talks about itself as the supernatural Word of God. 394 times the OT refers to itself as the Word of God… What about Jesus? How did he view scripture? There are several but lets just look at a couple…

Slide: Luke 24:44, “Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

This is Jesus talking about the authority of major sections of the OT…these must be fulfilled…the Bible has authority in other words…and its words will be fulfilled

Slide: Matthew 5:18, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Again, Jesus telling us these are not just the words of men, but these are words that will be accomplished…they are supernatural. Its internal evidence…how scripture frames itself…how Jesus viewed scripture . If Jesus’ opinion is the Bible is the Word of God…its seems we shouldn’t disagree and think any less of it… Its part of the Internal evidence that helps us understand the Bibles reliability…more than just a good story…

Slide: The Foundation of Biblical Reliability - Internal Evidence

That image by the way, is external. Part of Papyrus 46, some of which is not far, at the University of Michigan. It contains verses from the Pauline Epistles of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Hebrews dating to around 175 AD.

But the evidence we have is not just what the Bible or Jesus says about it…that is pretty much a circle argument … And only a part of the larger story that

is the prophecies found in the Bible. Foretelling something that will happen in the future. Listen to this passage from the prophet in Micah written 700 years before the time of Christ…prophesying the exact town where the Messiah would be born

Slide: Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Another example of fulfilled prophecy comes from the prophet Isaiah written some 800 years before the time of Christ first in Isaiah 7: 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Or Isaiah 53 that Jesus would be spit on and struck, disfigured by suffering, rejected, bear our sins and sorrows, would make atonement for his people with his blood, would die with transgressors (thieves), would be buried in a rich man’s tomb, on and on

You may have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Israel in the 40’s…they were scrolls discovered hidden in caves near the Dead Sea… The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest (734 cm) and best preserved of all the biblical scrolls, and the only one that is almost complete. The 54 columns contain all 66 chapters of the Hebrew version of the biblical Book of Isaiah. Dating from 125 BCE, it is also one of the oldest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible known to us before the scrolls' discovery.

…Christ fulfilled all of them perfectly.

A scroll with excerpts from the book of Micah was also found in the dead sea scrolls. Every OT book aside from Esther were found in these caves. There are scores of other prophecies in the OT also fulfilled in Christ… Conservatively 300 plus prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. …all pointing to Jesus and the supernatural nature of the Bible

The Foundation of Biblical Reliability – Archeological Evidence

Another piece of the foundation is the historical accuracy of this book. This book written over 1500 years, comprised of 66 books by over 40 authors in three languages…Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek on three different continents. With all kinds of detail: Names of cities, rulers, historical events and dates, names of kingdoms and battles, on and on and on. With all the detail included, if the Bible were a work of fiction there would certainly be a lot of errors and things that didn’t line up. As it happens that is absolutely not the case which brings us to yet another piece of evidence as the foundation for the reliability of the Bible

Slide: The Foundation of Biblical Reliability - Archeological Evidence

I have to be careful…I can really geek out on this one.

Skeptics had used the example of David from the OT saying that he was not a historical figure…there was never a king David…no evidence of him

Until the discovery in the 1990’s of what is called the Tel Dan inscription from the 9thcentury BC. Its an inscription carved in stone commemorating a military victory over the “’house of David” clear proof in what has become the now third reference to King David that has been discovered. Or what about the skeptics that said Sodom and Gomorrah were fabled cities created from fiction

But then a city was discovered in the area dating to the time frame of scripture…Mudbrick structure suddenly disappearing leaving only burned stone foundations…bricks showing signs of incineration…clay pottery sherds melted into glass…Zircon crystals in pottery which when analyzed were shown to have formed within one second, the result of superheating temperatures…ash and debris about a meter thick…

Sounds a lot like the biblical story I read about Sodom and Gomorrah

Or what about the city of Jericho which if you remember the Bible story is where the Walls supernaturally came down during the conquest of Promised land

For years they said there was no evidence…until there was…

Other discoveries like the Hittite people mentioned numerous times doubted until evidence is found…figures like Pontius Pilate the governor who tried Jesus…

But again doubted until evidence is found the Bible was accurate

W. F. Albright of John Hopkins University said, “There can be no doubt that Archeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition.”

Let me conclude with the words of Schoville in his book, “Biblical Archaeology in Focus”, “It’s important to realize that archaeological excavations have produced ample evidence to prove unequivocally that the Bible is not a pious forgery. Thus far, no historical statement in the Bible has proven false on the basis of evidence retrieved through archeological research.”

The Foundation of Biblical Reliability – Manuscript Evidence

Then a final piece of evidence for time…we could really go on and on and on…This evidence comes in what we could call manuscript evidence

Slide: The Foundation of Biblical Reliability - Manuscript Evidence

The Bible of course is not the only ancient manuscript that we have and a key way that scholars and scientist affirm the authenticity of ancient documents…

Is it reasonable for us to look at what we have today… …Since we don’t have any of the originals…to be able to say…yes this is what was originally written. Manuscript evidence helps us answer questions like… How reliable are the copies that we have currently? How many manuscripts have survived?

How consistent are those manuscripts? What is the time gap between when the original was written and the existing copies we have today?

All that matters, and based on that research it can help us determine if the ancient documents we have are reliable. It’s what scholars use to determine if other ancient works are reliable. Such as works from Plato…

Caesars – Gallic Wars

Homers – The Illiad

Slide: Chart of Manuscript evidence

On the chart…You can see the author…then the time frame it was written in…then the earliest copy or fragment that we have…followed by the time span in years…then the # of copies

Do you see the time span with these ancient documents most of them 1000 years or more…with Homers Illiad being 400 years. But then books of the new testament like 1 Corinthians and the Gospel of Mark less than 100 years after they were originally written…fragments within decades. So, when 1 Corinthians talks about the resurrection of Jesus and how central that is to our faith and then Paul talks about how 500 people witnessed the resurrection. When the letter was written there would have been people still alive that he is talking about. If it hadn’t happened like he said there would have been plenty that could have stepped up and refuted his claims but they never did. Then look at the amazing number of copies and fragments and even entire manuscripts of books of the NT and groupings of books themselves found together

Other ancient manuscripts that scholars look at as reliable can’t even begin compare with what we have in the NT… I wish we had time to talk about how scribes meticulously copied scripture…how copies compared over hundreds and hundreds of years with only insignificant minor variations…like adding an s to a word or a letter to a word…nothing that changes the meaning In short, What we have in our hands today is the faithful, reliable transmission of God’s Word the Bible that he intended us to have… The Bible is so much more than just a good story…speaking of a good story…

Conclusion

The Bible…do you have doubts? On its own…it’s a good story…but there is solid reasonable evidence of its reliability that makes its truth priceless…able to point us to way of eternal life…salvation through Jesus Christ

Evidence that makes it so much more than just a good story

It is a reliable foundation of our faith and shouldn’t be the uncertain foundation of anyone’s doubts

It’s a story as Paul says able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ

2 Timothy 3:16–17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

But remember how we go about, in the power of the Holy Spirit we go about sharing God’s love through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:15

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”

And Paul’s letter to Titus. Titus 3:8-9

8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. 9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Encourage Believers…giving you something to share

Encourage Believers you can trust its words

Convict those who have never put faith in Christ…believe its truth and its power to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus

Concluding Prayer