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Is the Bible True?
Objection:
“The Bible cannot be true since it has so many historical and geographical errors, internal contradictions, and is full of myths and legends.”
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I. The Uniqueness of the Bible
A. In its composition
B. With regard to its circulation
C. With regard to its translations
D. With regard to its durability
E. With respect to the effects on people’s lives
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible
Manuscript Integrity
4
Is the Bible Historically Reliable?
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Author: Julius Caesar
Date of authorship: 50 BC
Book:The Gallic WarCommentaries
SBF 28
6
400 300 200 50 0 100 200 300 400 500 600---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------Centuries B.C. Centuries A.D.
700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - -Centuries A.D.
Understanding Manuscripts
Printing Press
Julius Caesar wrote The Gallic War Commentaries
Scribal Copying of Manuscripts
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Scribal
copying was
done by hand
until invention
of the printing
press, c. 1439.
Understanding Manuscripts
8
7 10 2049
193
643
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Aristotle
Sophocles
Homer
NewTestament
Ancient Manuscripts —How Many?
SBF 31
9
7 10 2049
193
643
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700 Plato
Caesar
Livy
Aristotle
Sophocles
Homer
NewTestament
24,63324,633
Ancient Manuscripts - How Many?
SBF 31
The BEST!
10
Ancient Manuscripts – How accurate?
10.30%
4.90%
0.20%
0.00%
2.00%
4.00%
6.00%
8.00%
10.00%
12.00%
Distortion Rate
Mahabharata
Iliad
New TestamentThe BEST!
SBF 36
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““Scholars are satisfied that they possessScholars are satisfied that they possess
substantially the true text of the principal substantially the true text of the principal
Greek and Roman writers whose works Greek and Roman writers whose works
have come down to us, of Sophocles, of have come down to us, of Sophocles, of
Thucydides, of Cicero, of Virgil; yet our Thucydides, of Cicero, of Virgil; yet our
knowledge of their writings depends on a knowledge of their writings depends on a
mere handful of manuscripts, whereas the mere handful of manuscripts, whereas the
manuscripts of the New Testament are manuscripts of the New Testament are
counted by hundreds, and even thousands.” counted by hundreds, and even thousands.”
— Manuscript scholar Sir Frederic Kenyon SBF 31
12
400 300 200 50 0 100 200 300 400 500 600---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------Centuries B.C. Centuries A.D.
700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500---------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - -Centuries A.D.
Understanding ManuscriptsUnderstanding Manuscripts
Printing Press
JuliusCaesar Scribal Copying of Manuscripts
Earliest known manuscript
Aristotle wrote Poetics
Virgil wrote Aeneid
Virgil wrote Aeneid
Earliest known manuscript
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1,4501,350
1,250
1,000900
500
300
15
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600 Aristotle
Herodotus
Plato
Tacitus
Caesar
Homer
Virgil
New Testament
Ancient Manuscripts - How Early?
The BEST! SBF 34
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Gospels of Mary, Thomas, Phillip, Judas, etc.
Jesus’ Death New Testament& Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------First Century A.D.
Legends of Jesus Begin
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Second Century A.D.
Origin of the New Testament
Earliest GospelManuscriptsMatthew, Mark, Luke, John
Late, Legendary Sources for The Da Vinci CodeLate, Legendary Sources for The Da Vinci Code
Early, Eyewitness Sources for the New Testament
John Rylands Fragment
Jesus’ Death New Testament& Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------First Century A.D.
John Rylands Fragment
Legends of Jesus Begin
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Second Century A.D.
Jesus’ Death New Testament& Resurrection Quoted by Others
Eyewitness Time Period30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------First Century A.D.
John Rylands Fragment
Legends of Jesus Begin
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Second Century A.D.
Legends of Jesus Begin
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Second Century A.D.
Legends of Jesus Begin
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Second Century A.D.
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“The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no-one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.”
— — British scholar F.F. BruceBritish scholar F.F. Bruce SBF 34
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible
“There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament.”
- F. F. Bruce
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible
History & ArcheologyEarly Chapters of GenesisMoses - Pentateuch - WritingExamples:
Hittites Belshazzar in Daniel 5 Harbor size of Caesarea Luke’s writings Jericho
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Harbor Caesarea
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Testimonies of Archeologists
“It may be categorically stated that no archeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.” - Nelson Gluck
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Testimonies of Archaeologists
“Archaeology has not produced anything that is unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible. On the contrary...there have been many opinions of skeptical scholars that have become codified into ‘fact’ over the years but that archaeology has shown to be wrong.” - John Mcray
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Testimonies of Archeologists
“The Bible is supported by archae-ological evidence again and again. On the whole there can be no question that the results of excavation have increased the respect of scholars for the Bible as a collection of historical documents.” - Millar Burrows
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Testimony of Historian
“Christianity, like the Judaism from which it sprang, is a historical religion, or it is nothing. It does not deal in myths and metaphors and symbols, or in states of being and cycles. It deals in facts.”
- Paul Johnson
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible
Miracles
Distinguish between God and the Bible
Public nature
Early circulation of N.T.
documents
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II. The Accuracy of the Bible
Bible Explains RealityExplains what I know
about myself and the world around me
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III. The Inspiration of the Bible
A. The Bible claims for itself to be inspired.“All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking and training in righteousness.”
II Timothy 3:16“For prophecy never had its origin
in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” II Peter 1:21“Thus says the Lord...”
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III. The Inspiration of the Bible
B. Fulfilled ProphecyBirth of ChristExample: City of TyrePerson of Jesus Christ