Did you know that there are twenty-six books in the world that claim to be Holy Scripture (the Brahman Vedas, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, et al)? However, the Bible is the only one with predictive prophecy! Remember, Deut. 18:18 says that the test of a true prophet is 100 percent accuracy or the death penalty! "If they speak not according to this Word, they have no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). Only God knows and prophesies the future (cf. Isaiah 41:22; 45:21;46:9; Jer. 28:9). Note that there is something very peculiar and unique about Jesus: He doesn't quote the authorities but relies on His own authority and spoke like no man has ever done.
The Qur'an, on the other hand, has one instance of self-fulfilling prophecy when Mohammad predicts he'll return to Mecca! Only God can predict the future and God (in Isaiah) challenges any other "god" to tell the future. But there are over 2,000 fulfilled prophecies in the Bible, not just a few lucky .guesses. Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled over 300!
Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the OT tradition and many have set out to disprove the Bible and with over 25,000 sites recovered there still is no contradiction. Like Jesus said, "The rocks cry out!" Historically, the Bible has been verified, and even though secular historians are usually given more credibility than the Bible, they have yet to disprove anything in the Scriptures! For example, Luke has been discovered to be one of the best historians of antiquity.
Also, science has failed to contradict the Bible, even though the French Academy of Science declared 51 scientific facts that controverted the Bible in 1861, now not one of the so-called facts is believed--the Bible was right!. There is not a contradiction between science and Scripture and where the Bible does make a scientific statement of fact, it is correct, even if ahead of its time. The Bible is not a scientific textbook, said Galileo, but a book of salvation--however, where it does state a scientific statement it is correct and never proven wrong.
The Bible is self-attesting, (over 3,000 times it says, "Thus says the LORD" or its equivalent) [no other sacred writing does this--they don't dare!] Scripture is its own Supreme Court, its own interpreter, and commentator. It is believed because it is believable unless you have the presupposition that miracles just don't happen! Ancient peoples didn't doubt the reality of miracles, just what they meant. The writers are not inveterate or consummate liars, but credible witnesses--the credibility of a demon is not to be established and this only stands to reason! The test of their veracity was they the Apostles went to their death without recanting--death was their test! "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths or fables when we made known to you the Word of Truth but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Pet. 1:21). "Thus saith the LORD" or its equivalent) which means it assumes you believe it and doesn't appeal to some higher power or authority. It proves and verifies itself. If you appealed to science, for instance, science would have higher authority than God!
The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is therefore inerrant and infallible in its original manuscripts. None of these are extant--we rely on copies. An interesting fact is that there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts available to test the veracity of Scripture, while we only have 10 good copies of Caesar's Gallic Wars or of the History of Herodotus. There is no comparison, yet no one doubts the authenticity of these documents. There is more proof for the resurrection of Christ than for any other fact in antiquity. It is the most attested and variously supported fact if the era! Doubting Jesus' historicity is unsound and yet scholars don't dare doubt the historicity of Caesar or Alexander the Great.
The Bible is like a caged lion--you don't have to defend it, it can take care of itself. People who criticize it usually haven't read it! The Bible can convict a person if he has an open mind and is willing to do God's will he shall know whether it is of God. Jesus said, "If a man is willing to do His will, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God or whether I speak on my own authority" (John
7:17).
I know of a preacher that said, "I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me." The works of Shakespeare can be entertaining and educating, but only the Bible can transform the soul. The proof of the pudding is in the eating: "The Word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of joints and marrow, of soul and spirit, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" Hebrews 4:12).!
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