"The Bible has more marks of authenticity than any profane history."--Sir Isaac Newton
"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference."--Nelson Glueck, the renowned Jewish archaeologist
"There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition."--Dr. William Albright, famed archaeologist
The Bible is like a caged lion that can defend itself. It is self-authenticating, meaning that the highest authority it appeals to is itself because if it appealed to any outside source, that would become the highest authority and arbiter of truth. When they ask you to prove the Bible, just tell them, "No, you do it!" They can do it themselves by reading it--it reads you as you read it! All documents without apparent self-contradiction or reason to disregard legally must be accepted with the burden of proof going to the skeptic--otherwise, it's assumed true and genuine.
It sure is a wonder that if a secular historian says one thing and the Bible another the secular one is considered legit? The Bible has never been found mistaken historically and that should be ample reason not to doubt its historicity on any fact. Christianity is primarily a historical religion or it's nothing, and there are no historical absurdities or inaccuracies in it. You would think with all the historical references there would be some mistake, but none have been verified, though many have tried to discredit the Word and in the process have become believers.
You don't need to believe the Bible to become a Christian; after all, the Greeks Paul appealed to, didn't either; however, if a person doesn't believe it he should be able to tell you what its main point is and what it's about and why he doesn't believe. The Bible is one of those books like Das Kapital by Marx, The Origin of Species by Darwin, and Mein Kampf by Hitler, that people refer to, but have not read or studied--their knowledge is second-hand and unverified.
The Bible is alive and powerful and can radically change a person from the inside out through faith, repentance, and regeneration. A person is never the same after an encounter in the Word and finds out for oneself that it's for real. The Bible claims to be able to divide asunder soul and spirit and can discern the thoughts, intents, and attitudes of the heart (cf. Heb. 4:12). It's the sword of the Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:17) as the offensive weapon of choice for the believer and knowing it gives us the answer to life's issues. Even Thomas Jefferson said that it makes men better citizens, fathers, and husbands. It doesn't become the Word of God upon an existential encounter but is the Word of God regardless of your experience with it. The Bible feeds you, but then makes you hungry! It is applicable to all of life and life's academic disciplines. It is God's voice and method of communication to the believer and He promises to speak to us via the Word.
Even a casual observer will notice the uniqueness of Scripture. It's inspiration from God and propositional truth; it's canonicity or selection as to which books belong--the Church Fathers didn't vote on it, but recognized them as genuine using key checkpoints or criteria as standards; and it's faithful transmission and copying, showing utmost fidelity and integrity to the originals--indeed the evidence shows it has been preserved and not corrupted, as the Muslims claim.
The Bible's very existence is a miracle since it has withstood many attempts at annihilation and suppression. It's the most loved and probably the most hated book on earth because there is room for little middle ground of attitude. With over 2,000 predictive prophecies fulfilled, it shows accuracy and not a few lucky guesses. Archeology has confirmed it's historicity with over 25,000 digs without a contradiction! There is much corroborating evidence in extra-biblical sources to verify key facts of Jesus' life. Indeed, the stones cry out, as Jesus testified (cf. Luke 19:40)! Thousands of times Scripture directly claims divine authorship as it quotes God, saying: "Thus saith the LORD," or its equivalent. If it can be verified on so many levels (there are no scientific absurdities either), then why not trust it on the level of spiritual truth and revelation? It's more than great literature, though some do see it that way, and you don't just read it once and put it aside; it's a lifelong adventure that you never put back on the shelf for storage or show.
It's blind faith not to have credible and rational reasons and facts to support one's faith or to believe for no sound reason. The skeptic who is just playing mind games or engaging in a power trip has blind faith if he's not willing to reading it with an unbiased, open mind. You don't need all the answers to believe the Bible--all knowledge begins in faith (cf. Prov. 1:7)! We believe in order to understand according to Augustine.
The trouble is that many have preconceived notions and opinions and only believe what they want to believe and reject all other facts. The Bible has withstood centuries of criticism and attack, and no one will come up with some question that hasn't been encountered and answered, or cannot be reconciled after nearly 2,000 years of preaching. It's a miracle we even have the Bible! We don't need to be reformed nor informed, but transformed! Finally, the Bible wasn't written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives!
Soli Deo Gloria!
"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference."--Nelson Glueck, the renowned Jewish archaeologist
"There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition."--Dr. William Albright, famed archaeologist
The Bible is like a caged lion that can defend itself. It is self-authenticating, meaning that the highest authority it appeals to is itself because if it appealed to any outside source, that would become the highest authority and arbiter of truth. When they ask you to prove the Bible, just tell them, "No, you do it!" They can do it themselves by reading it--it reads you as you read it! All documents without apparent self-contradiction or reason to disregard legally must be accepted with the burden of proof going to the skeptic--otherwise, it's assumed true and genuine.
It sure is a wonder that if a secular historian says one thing and the Bible another the secular one is considered legit? The Bible has never been found mistaken historically and that should be ample reason not to doubt its historicity on any fact. Christianity is primarily a historical religion or it's nothing, and there are no historical absurdities or inaccuracies in it. You would think with all the historical references there would be some mistake, but none have been verified, though many have tried to discredit the Word and in the process have become believers.
You don't need to believe the Bible to become a Christian; after all, the Greeks Paul appealed to, didn't either; however, if a person doesn't believe it he should be able to tell you what its main point is and what it's about and why he doesn't believe. The Bible is one of those books like Das Kapital by Marx, The Origin of Species by Darwin, and Mein Kampf by Hitler, that people refer to, but have not read or studied--their knowledge is second-hand and unverified.
The Bible is alive and powerful and can radically change a person from the inside out through faith, repentance, and regeneration. A person is never the same after an encounter in the Word and finds out for oneself that it's for real. The Bible claims to be able to divide asunder soul and spirit and can discern the thoughts, intents, and attitudes of the heart (cf. Heb. 4:12). It's the sword of the Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:17) as the offensive weapon of choice for the believer and knowing it gives us the answer to life's issues. Even Thomas Jefferson said that it makes men better citizens, fathers, and husbands. It doesn't become the Word of God upon an existential encounter but is the Word of God regardless of your experience with it. The Bible feeds you, but then makes you hungry! It is applicable to all of life and life's academic disciplines. It is God's voice and method of communication to the believer and He promises to speak to us via the Word.
Even a casual observer will notice the uniqueness of Scripture. It's inspiration from God and propositional truth; it's canonicity or selection as to which books belong--the Church Fathers didn't vote on it, but recognized them as genuine using key checkpoints or criteria as standards; and it's faithful transmission and copying, showing utmost fidelity and integrity to the originals--indeed the evidence shows it has been preserved and not corrupted, as the Muslims claim.
The Bible's very existence is a miracle since it has withstood many attempts at annihilation and suppression. It's the most loved and probably the most hated book on earth because there is room for little middle ground of attitude. With over 2,000 predictive prophecies fulfilled, it shows accuracy and not a few lucky guesses. Archeology has confirmed it's historicity with over 25,000 digs without a contradiction! There is much corroborating evidence in extra-biblical sources to verify key facts of Jesus' life. Indeed, the stones cry out, as Jesus testified (cf. Luke 19:40)! Thousands of times Scripture directly claims divine authorship as it quotes God, saying: "Thus saith the LORD," or its equivalent. If it can be verified on so many levels (there are no scientific absurdities either), then why not trust it on the level of spiritual truth and revelation? It's more than great literature, though some do see it that way, and you don't just read it once and put it aside; it's a lifelong adventure that you never put back on the shelf for storage or show.
It's blind faith not to have credible and rational reasons and facts to support one's faith or to believe for no sound reason. The skeptic who is just playing mind games or engaging in a power trip has blind faith if he's not willing to reading it with an unbiased, open mind. You don't need all the answers to believe the Bible--all knowledge begins in faith (cf. Prov. 1:7)! We believe in order to understand according to Augustine.
The trouble is that many have preconceived notions and opinions and only believe what they want to believe and reject all other facts. The Bible has withstood centuries of criticism and attack, and no one will come up with some question that hasn't been encountered and answered, or cannot be reconciled after nearly 2,000 years of preaching. It's a miracle we even have the Bible! We don't need to be reformed nor informed, but transformed! Finally, the Bible wasn't written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives!
Soli Deo Gloria!
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