1

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.”

2

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

3

II. The Accuracy of the Bible

Manuscript Integrity

4

Is the Bible Historically Reliable?

5

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

7

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

11

““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