The Word

Intro

That’s a Good Question.

Answering questions that you submitted.

Week 5 — Q and A Sunday.

Can I trust the Bible?

My story going through college and my mini crisis of faith. No archaeological proof the Exodus happened.

You’re not sure what those things mean and where those words came from, and are those words even true? Are the words in this book even true?

Here are some of the questions I have received related to the Bible.

Can we trust that the Bible is God’s word and hasn’t been manipulated by man, against man, for centuries?

Are there any other supporting documents, artifacts, witnesses, or anything that support events that took place in the Bible? Or is it just the Bible?

Does the Bible ever contradict itself?

Who, what, when, and where did someone decide what books went into the bible?

These are some excellent questions, and they’re important b/c I mean, if one thing can be proved wrong in the Bible, then all of Christianity goes down with it, right? The Bible is inaccurate, so why read it? Why believe it?

And the best way to start answering all of these is in the beginning…

Word

The story of the Bible doesn’t start with Genesis 1, it starts with the resurrection of Jesus. Without the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no Bible. This is a Christian text, without Christ, there is no text.

Luke 1:1–4 NIV

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Why so many? B/c something happened — something took place that got the attention of a large portion of the ancient world.

Luke wrote his Gospel somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-60 AD. But...Luke wasn’t the only person who wrote about Jesus. As you know, Matthew, Mark and John also wrote about the life of Jesus. Many people that’s where it stops, but it’s not.

We have 10 non-Christian writings about Jesus, such as Josephus, Celsus, Tacticus, and Pliny the Younger (Roman author and gov’t official) .

They all affirm 12 truths about Jesus that the NT teaches us.

Jesus lived in the time of Tiberius Caesar.

He lived a virtuous life.

He was a miracle worker.

He had a brother named James.

He was acclaimed to be the Messiah.

He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover.

Darkness and an earthquake occurred when he died.

His disciples believed he rose from the dead.

His disciples were willing to die for their beliefs.

Christianity spread rapidly as far as Rome.

His disciples denied the Roman gods and worshiped Jesus as God.

Now if you combine these non-Christian sources with the NT Jesus you find that Jesus was mentioned in ancient writings about as much as the emperor of the time Tiberius Caesar. Wow!

Are there any other supporting documents, artifacts, witnesses, or anything that support events that took place in the Bible? Or is it just the Bible?

Yes.

Are the NT recordings of Jesus reliable?

Joe Rogan → telephone game → that’s not how we got the story of Jesus. The story of Jesus wasn’t given to just one person or just one family. It was given to multiple people thus, eliminating the telephone theory.

The way you determine if an ancient text is reliable is based on how many copies you have. If you have a few copies then the text is likely not very reliable. If you have a lot of manuscripts it’s reliable b/c you can reconstruct the original using the manuscripts. More manuscripts and earlier manuscripts usually provide more trustworthy testimony and enable a more accurate reconstruction.

The NT has more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts than the best ten pieces of classical literature combined! Altogether there are 5,700 handwritten Greek manuscripts of the NT. AND there are nearly 9,000 manuscripts in other languages.

Allow me to show you a picture that captures this the best when the NT is compared to other ancient documents.

Explain the picture.

Using the method of textual comparison scholars, both Christian and non-Christian scholars have determined the NT is 99.5% accurate with the .5% not affecting a single doctrine of faith.

What about the OT?

Jesus had something to say about the OT.

Matthew 5:17–20 NIV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The OT is hard b/c some pieces of the it are written in different genres.

Prose

Poetry

Contrasting narrative

Imagery

These different styles are used by the authors, under the inspiration of the HS in order to tell that story — leading up to Jesus.

Psalms is all poetry and song.

Proverbs are short pithy saying.

Sections of Daniels vision use dramatic imagery.

Isaiah used contrasting narrative and imagery.

I wrote a paper in college about this concept. Here’s the truth about the Bible…

The Bible tells the story of God’s pursuit of the relationship between Him and mankind.

It’s all points to Jesus — the restoration of that relationship.

The Bible is made up of 66 books, written by over 40 authors, over 1500 years.

Brandon doesn’t the Bible have points where it contradicts itself?

Example

Creation Accounts

Genesis 1: Plants → Animals → Man & Woman (together).

Genesis 2: Man → Plants → Animals → Woman.

Tension: The order of creation looks different. Response: Genesis 1 is a “poetic overview” while Genesis 2 zooms in on humanity’s role.

But Brandon, how did we get the 66 books of the Bible today? Who mad that decision, what’s in and what’s out of the Bible?

Ah yes, that is a complex question. In a nutshell the early church, the people running from the Roman empire and the Jewish Temple began to accept the “cannon” of the NT as early as 90 AD.

Jesus affirmed what we have as the OT as being the “holy scriptures” so the early church took whatever he taught in regards to that.

“...The Easter Letter of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in AD 367 (300 years after Christ) contained a list of inspired documents identical to that we recognize today, and after that there was no further dispute in the church about the contents of the canon.” Frame, J. (2018). The Canon. In M. Ward, J. Parks, B. Ellis, & T. Hains (Eds.), Lexham Survey of Theology. Lexham Press.

Up until that time they had already generally accepted what the canon of the Bible was. They had the Gospels and the letters of Paul, and the Apostles floating around the early church. Here’s the most powerful thing and this is how you know those writings are inspired by God.

Without a full Bible, and just the story of Jesus and writings of the apostles, Christianity exploded across the ancient near east.

Application

What’s the point of all this?

The point of it is to show you that the Bible you have today is true, reliable and worthwhile to read. Or as the Apostle Paul puts it to his protege Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God-breathed: θεόπνευστος theopneustos.

Only place in the entire Bible is this phrase used. The picture Paul is painting is one of God breathing on the pen of the writer.

It won’t help you...

Get rich, although the principles will help you manage your money better.

Give you the name of your future husband, but it will teach you how to be a woman worth marrying.

Tell you how to get promoted, but it will teach you how to be a reliable person of integrity.

Answer all your questions, but it will help you become more like Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:17 NIV

17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Again the entire purpose of this book is to tell you and me the story of Jesus. The story of you heavenly Father pursuing you so you don’t have to...

go thru the divorce alone

deal with that dr report alone

try to help your prodigal alone

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This book is written so that you and I can have life by following Jesus.

If this is true, which we just spoke about it how it is… then this is astounding. This is the most important thing you could ever read and the most important decision you could ever make.

Invitation.

Extras

Why are more manuscripts important? Drill down on the accuracy of the statement. Philippians 4:13.

1. I can do all t#ings through Christ who gives me strength.

2. I can do all th#ngs through Christ who gives me strength.

3. I can do all thi#gs through Christ who gives me strength.

4. I can do all thin#s through Christ who gives me strength.

Geisler, Norman L.; Turek, Frank. I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Foreword by David Limbaugh) (p. 228). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Attribute of the Bible that, when correctly interpreted, it is completely truthful and accurate in all and every respect and that its original autographs are free from error Kurian, G. T. (2001). In Nelson’s new Christian dictionary: the authoritative resource on the Christian world. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Date debate

How early do we have manuscripts? Some are from hundreds of years later…well there’s a problem with that theory, the supporting texts don’t line up with it.

Mark 13:1–2 (NIV)

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

In 66 AD the Jews led a revolt against Rome. Rome sent General Vaspasian to quell the rebellion and he is very thorough in his dealings with the Jews. He brings catapults and battering rams to the city of Jerusalem and destroys the outer and inner city walls. He lays siege to the city causing hunger and disease to rage throughout the city. Inside of the city horrible things are happening, kids are starving, Jews are killing one another and there are even rumors of cannibalism.

Vespasian and his forces make it to the Temple, fighting Jews through the city. Arriving on the Temple Mount he sets fire to the Temple and the Jews trapped inside burn and the Temple burns all the way to the ground with only a section of the retaining wall left…we

know it today as the western wall.Show picture.

Now, one would expect to find this in the Gospels or the letters of Paul, right? Equivalent of 9/11 for us. Yet, we find nothing… in fact, we find in the book of Acts and the letters from Paul and James that the Temple is functioning fine. Which means those writings came before 70 AD. Within 40 years of the death of Christ… while eyewitnesses were still alive.

Given all that, the evidence points to Jesus being crucified and being raised to life. That’s the only logical conclusion using the methods scholars use to determine if something is true or not.

If it’s not true… Where are the supporting documents for that argument if this didn't happen? Dated from that time period. If they really wanted to stop this entire thing...just produce a body. Simply produce the body of Jesus and boom, he never rose from the dead and the movement is over. They never did and there’s no record they ever did.

Flavius Josephus (c. 93-94 AD) - Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 3, Section 3 (Testimonium Flavianum)

Summary: Josephus, a Jewish historian, describes Jesus as a wise man who performed surprising deeds, was a teacher, won over Jews and Gentiles, was called the Christ, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. His followers, the Christians, continued after his death, reporting he appeared alive on the third day.

Significance: This passage is the most detailed non-Christian reference to Jesus, though parts (e.g., “He was the Christ” and resurrection claims) are debated as possible Christian interpolations. The core—Jesus’ existence, crucifixion, and following—is widely accepted as authentic by scholars like Robert Van Voorst and Bart Ehrman. It corroborates Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and death.

· Flavius Josephus (c. 93-94 AD) - Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 9, Section 1

Summary: Josephus mentions the stoning of “James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ,” in 62 AD, under the high priest Ananus.

Significance: This brief reference is considered authentic by most scholars and confirms Jesus’ existence, his title as “Christ,” and his familial connection to James. It aligns with New Testament references to James as Jesus’ brother (Galatians 1:19).

· Cornelius Tacitus (c. 116 AD) - Annals, Book 15, Chapter 44

Summary: Tacitus, a Roman historian, states that Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, noting that their name derives from “Christus,” who was executed by Pontius Pilate during Tiberius’ reign. He calls Christianity a “mischievous superstition” that spread from Judea to Rome.

Significance: Tacitus’ account is a key Roman source, confirming Jesus’ execution under Pilate and the spread of Christianity. Its hostile tone suggests no Christian bias, making it a reliable non-Christian witness.

· Pliny the Younger (c. 112 AD) - Letters to Emperor Trajan, Book 10, Letter 96

Summary: Pliny, a Roman governor, reports that Christians in Bithynia met before dawn, sang hymns to “Christ as to a god,” and took oaths against crimes like theft and adultery. He seeks advice on punishing them.

Significance: While not detailing Jesus’ life, this confirms early Christian worship of Jesus as divine and their sizable presence in Asia Minor. It supports the New Testament’s depiction of Christ-focused worship (e.g., Colossians 3:16).

· Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (c. 120 AD) - The Twelve Caesars, Life of Claudius, Chapter 25, Section 4

Summary: Suetonius, a Roman historian, writes that Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome due to disturbances caused by “Chrestus” (likely a misspelling of Christus, i.e., Christ).

Significance: This likely refers to disputes among Jews over Jesus, aligning with Acts 18:2. While not directly mentioning Jesus’ life, it confirms the impact of his followers in Rome by the 50s AD. Some debate if “Chrestus” is Jesus, but the context supports it.

· Thallus (c. 52 AD) - Histories (preserved in Julius Africanus, c. 221 AD)

Summary: Thallus, a Samaritan historian, is quoted by Julius Africanus as explaining the darkness during Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:45) as a solar eclipse, which Africanus refutes as impossible during a full moon at Passover.

Significance: Though Thallus’ original work is lost, this fragment suggests the crucifixion’s darkness was widely known, requiring a naturalistic explanation. It indirectly confirms Gospel events and early awareness of Jesus’ death.

· Phlegon of Tralles (c. 2nd century AD) - Chronicles or Olympiads (cited by Origen, c. 248 AD, Against Celsus, 2.33, 2.59)

Summary: Phlegon, a Greek historian, reportedly wrote that during Tiberius’ reign, Jesus was crucified, accompanied by darkness and earthquakes. Origen cites him to counter Celsus’ claims, noting Jesus’ predictive abilities and resurrection.

Significance: Like Thallus, Phlegon’s work is lost, but citations confirm awareness of Jesus’ crucifixion and associated phenomena, aligning with Gospel accounts. Its value is limited by reliance on later quotations.

· Lucian of Samosata (c. 165 AD) - The Death of Peregrinus, Sections 11-13

Summary: Lucian, a Greek satirist, mocks Christians for worshiping a “crucified sage” who introduced novel rites, taught brotherhood, and led them to deny Greek gods. He notes Jesus was crucified for his teachings.

Significance: Lucian’s satirical tone confirms Jesus as a historical figure who was crucified and revered by followers, corroborating the Gospels’ depiction of his influence and death.

· Celsus (c. 178 AD) - True Doctrine (cited by Origen, Against Celsus)

Summary: Celsus, a Greek philosopher, criticizes Christianity, alleging Jesus performed miracles through sorcery, was born illegitimately, and was not divine. He acknowledges Jesus’ existence and crucifixion but disputes Christian claims.

Significance: Celsus’s hostility strengthens the case for Jesus’ historicity, as he never denies that Jesus lived, only his divine status. His references align with Gospel details like miracles and crucifixion.

· Mara bar Serapion (c. 73-100 AD) - Letter to His Son

Summary: Mara, a Syrian Stoic, writes of the Jews executing their “wise king,” comparing it to the Athenians killing Socrates and the Samians burning Pythagoras, suggesting their kingdom’s fall was a consequence.

Significance: While Jesus is not named, scholars like Robert Van Voorst interpret this as a reference to him, given the context of a Jewish execution. It confirms Jesus’ existence and execution, with a neutral tone.