Whats your reply? What do you think about the Bible? MY GOAL - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Why Do You Believe the Bible? What’s your reply?

“What do you think about the Bible?”

MY GOAL • Elevator Speech • 10 minute answer

True U Approach • Evaluate as if it was an ancient document • Extra Biblical Evidence – Marks of Historicity • It checks out where it can be confirmed • Archeological evidence • Covenants and Social Customs • Price of slaves • Tamed camels • Place and People Names on Bullae • Jews in Egypt, then in promised land

TRUE U I Corinthians 15:13-19

History of the Bible Authors • 40 different authors • Over a span of 1500 years • Compared to writings of Chaucer to Stephen King • 2 kings, 2 priests, 2 fishermen, 2 shepherds, a physician, tax collector, statesmen, soldier, butler (cup bearer), Pharisee, etc. • Surprisingly unified message

History of the Bible • Resilience under Persecutions • Diocletian decree in 300 – kill Christians, destroy all Bibles • Martyrs (Eusebius accounts – pg. 290) • During Dark Ages • Under Marxism, Communism, Islam • Modern College professors

Historic Distribution “The Bible has been read by more people in more languages than any other book in human history. The entire Bible is now translated into more than 400 languages, and portions of it have been translated into nearly 2,500 languages. Many of these languages would not even have a written form if Bible translators had not first learned the language, developed a grammar and dictionary for that language, and then translated the Bible into it .” MacDonald, J. (2002). God wrote a book • Est 1.5 Billion in print in 1932 per London Bible society • Total circulation into the 10’s of billions

OT Prophecies • 1,817 predictions in the Bible (Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecies, J. Barton Payne) • 1,239 in the Old Testament • 578 in the New King Cyrus predicted by name in Isaiah 44:28 • At the time Jerusalem was intact • Not destroyed until 100 years later • • Predicted Cyrus would decree it to be rebuilt Return of Israel to the land • Daniel’s predictions •

Golden Gate Prophecy – by Ezekiel

Golden Gate Jesus enters in through the gate in the Triumphal Entry in Mt 21 In 1543 Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent closed the gate and walled it up as Ezekiel had predicted.

Messianic Prophecies Seed of the woman • A man • From Bethlehem Micah 5:2; From Egypt, From Nazareth • From Abraham • From Isaac • From Judah • From David • Born of a virgin • A Herald – John the Baptist • When – after the decree 70x7s • His miracle working • His suffering – Isaiah 53 •

ITS EFFECT (From God Wrote a Book) • The Bible is Gripping • Hebrews 4: 12 • The Bible is Comforting • The Bible is Convicting • The Bible is Freeing – John 8:32

Internal Evidence • The Bible says it is God’s Word • OT authors claimed to bring the very words of God 3,808 times! • Jesus confirmed OT Revelation – each letter ends • Flood with “He who has ears, let him • Moses hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” • Manna from heaven • Bronze snake

“Why should you believe the Bible?”

Questions?

THE BIBLE SAYS SO • Why doesn’t this convince? • Circular • But what are the merits of this argument?