6 Points on why we can trust that the Bible comes from God

1. A cHRISTIAN
today’s world
WITNESS in
Tactics + sTRATEGIES
Relativism
The Bible
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers
to Live Out a Confident Faith

2. A cHRISTIAN
today’s world
WITNESS in
Tactics + Strategies
Pluralism
Islam
Sexual Revolution
Media
Training and Equipping Believers
to Live Out a Confident Faith
The bIble
Relativism

3. The Challenge of:
Authority
“Who Makes the Rules?”

4. The Challenge of Authority - Part 1:
Relativism
“True for You, But Not For Me”
Last Time:

5. The Challenge of Authority - Part 2:
The Bible
“The Bible is just a book written by men”
Tonight:

6. Last 2 Weeks

7. The Challenge of Authority - Part 1:
Relativism
“True for You, But Not For Me”

8. What is Relativism?March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 1
Relativism
Morality is individual, not universal
Therefore, we are the authority on
moral actions and behaviors.
Morality is “up to you” to decide

9. Relativism Fails becauseMarch
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 1
Relativism
It goes against our deepest moral
notions and intuitions
It destroys right, wrong, good and evil
It removes the possibility of justice,
fairness, goodness and improvement

10. We are not our own
authority

11. There must be
something beyond us

12. Tonight

13. The Challenge of Authority - Part 2:
The Bible
“The Bible is just a book written by men”

14. The Challenge of Authority - Part 2:
The Bible
“The Bible has no authority over me”

16. There is only
one way the bible has any
authority…

17. If it comes from God

18. Main qUESTION:

19. iS THE bIBLE A BOOK
FROM MEN
ABOUT GOD?
oR…
iS THE bIBLE A BOOK
FROM gOD
given to Men?
AuthoritativeLiterature

20. From men:
Subjective
From God:
Objective
TruthPreference

21. wHAT
Good REASONS
DO we have to think
The Bible
comes from God?

22. Defining “inspired”
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Step 1:

23. All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness…
2 Tim 3:16

24. wHAT Does
“Inspired”
mean?

27. “Inspired”
God superintended the writing of Scripture so
that the human authors, using their own
personalities, styles, and resources, wrote down
exactly what God wanted to say to people.

28. 6 reason that together
Make the Case
that God inspired the writing of
the Bible

32. The Bible comes from God
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
6 Reasons

33. Reason #1:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has amazing
unity despite its diverse
origins
Unity
Ring Finger
“Unity”

34. Reason #2:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has genuine
fulfilled prophecy that is
precise, detailed, and
accurate.
Prophecy
Pinkie
“Prophecy”

35. Reason #3:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has proven to be
historically accurate, even
though it records
supernatural events
History
Index
“Index to History”

36. Reason #4:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has survived
through time and lots of
persecution
fIGHTER
Fist
“Fighter”

37. Reason #5:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has answers to the
big questions of life that all
people ask.
biG quESTIONS
Biggest Finger
“Big Questions”

38. Reason #6:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has changed the
lives and has done so for
thousands of years
cHANGED lIVES
Thumb
“Changed Lives”

39. Pinkie
“Prophecy”
Ring
“Unity”
Biggest Finger
“Big Questions”
Index Finger
“Index to
History”
Thumb
“Changed
Lives”
Fist “Fighter”

40. amAZING uNITY
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason #1

41. Reason #1:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has amazing
unity despite its diverse
origins
Unity
Ring Finger
“Unity”

42. Diversity

43. Authors
40
Years
1500
Continents
3
Languages
3
Unified Story
1

44. Authors
40
That come from
totally different
areas of life
Most never knew
each other!
Moses, a political leader
Peter, a fisherman
Amos, a herdsman
Joshua, a military general
Daniel, a Prime minister

45. Authors
40
That come from
totally different
areas of life
Most never knew
each other!
David, a shepherd & king
Matthew, a tax collector
Paul, a Rabbi
Solomon, a king
and more!
Luke, a doctor

46. Over 40
generations and
incalculable
amount of culture
change
Written during times of war
Written during times of peace
Written amidst different moods
Written in all kinds of places
including…
Years
1500

47. Over 40
generations and
incalculable
amount of culture
change
Moses in the wilderness
Jeremiah in a dungeon
Daniel on a hillside and in a palace
Paul inside prison walls
Luke while traveling
Years
1500
John in exile on Patmos

48. Continents
3
Languages
3
Asia
Africa
Europe
Hebrew
Aramaic
Greek

49. Unified story that deals with the
most controversial topics in life,
yet is consistent through out
1

50. The nature of God
The Nature of Man
Where we came from
Man’s Central Problem
The solution to our problem
Man’s future destinyMan’s dignity and value
Nature of Good and Evil
The character of God
Nature of right and wrong

51. How likely is it that 10 people
agree on these from the same
time and culture?

52. How likely is it that 40+ people agree on
these who have never met each other,
spoke different languages, on different
continents and didn’t even know they
were writing for a collection?

53. fULFILLED pROPHECY
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason # 2

54. Reason #2:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has genuine
fulfilled prophecy that is
precise, detailed, and
accurate.
Prophecy
Pinkie
“Prophecy”

55. ProphecyMarch
Foreknowledge about
future events or details
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible

56. Types of ProphecyMarch
Local Prophecies
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
End Times Prophecies
Messianic Prophecies

57. Messianic ProphecyMarch
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Prophecies specifically
about the coming of the
Messiah
2 Types:
Suffering Servant Conquering King

58. Did jesus have any views about
Prophecy?

59. “Do not think that I came to destroy
the Law or the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Matthew 5:17

60. “These are the words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all things
must be fulfilled which were written in the
Law of Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms concerning Me.”
Luke 24:44

61. Messianic ProphecyMarch
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Born of woman Gen 3:15
Born of virgin Isa 7:14
1400
680
Descendent of
Abraham
Gen 12:3 680
Tribe of Judah Gen 49:10 1400

62. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Be a prophet Deut 18:18
Zeal for God Psalm 69:9
1400
980
Perform miracles Isa 35:5 680
Teach in Parables Psalm 78:2 680
Enter Jerusalem
(as king) riding
on a donkey
Zech 9:9 520
Die but live again Psalm 16:10 680

63. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Family of Isaac Line of Jesse
House of David Preexistence
Called Lord Called Emmanuel
Priest, Judge, King Spirit Upon Him
Ministry in Galilee Enter the temple
Falsely accused Money thrown in
God’s house
Falsely accused Stumbling block

64. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Quiet before accusers Wounded
Spit upon Hands & Feet Pierced
Hated without cause Suffer thirst
Rejected by his own people
Friends stood far off Forsaken cry
Bones not broken
Darkness over the
land
Side pierced Buried in rich man’s tomb

65. 61 pROPHECIES

67. Peter Stoner, Science Speaks
“We find that the chance that any man
might have lived down to the present time
and fulfilled all eight prophecies is
1 in 10 to the 17."
That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

69. aCCURATE hiSTORY
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason # 3

70. Reason #3:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has proven to be
historically accurate, even
though it records
supernatural events
History
Index
“Index to History”

71. aCCURATE hISTORYMarch
If a book comes from God,
it should probably get its
history right.
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Thankfully, it does.

72. 'I've been accused of
teaching the verbal,
plenary inspiration of the
Scripture.
Nelson Glueck, Jewish Theological
Seminary and world-renowned
Jewish archeologist

73. Nelson Glueck, Jewish Theological
Seminary and world-renowned
Jewish archeologist
I want it to be understood
that I have never taught
this…

74. Nelson Glueck, Jewish Theological
Seminary and world-renowned
Jewish archeologist
All I have ever said is that
in all of my archaeological
investigation I have never
found artifact of antiquity

75. Nelson Glueck, Jewish Theological
Seminary and world-renowned
Jewish archeologist
that contradicts any
statement of the Word of
God.'

76. Robert Wilson, a man who was fluent in more
than 45 languages and dialects, concluded after a
lifetime of study in the Old Testament
"I may add that the result of my forty-five years
of study of the Bible has led me all the time to a
firmer faith that in the Old Testament we have a
true historical account of the history of the
Israelite people."

77. biblicalarchaeology.com

78. Why is good history needed to
authenticate prophecy?

79. tHE biBLE IS A fiGHTER
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason # 4

80. Reason #4:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has survived
through time and lots of
persecution
fIGHTER
Fist
“Fighter”

81. Reason #4:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Copied and recopied by
hand for hundreds of years
fIGHTER
Yet it remains unchanged in style,
correctness and existence.

82. “The Bible, compared with
other ancient writings, has
more manuscript evidence
than any 10 pieces of
classical literature
combined.”
Josh McDowell,
Christian apologist
and writer

83. "To be skeptical of the
resultant text of the New
Testament books is to
allow all of classical
antiquity to slip into
obscurity…
John Warwick
Montgomery, New
Testament Theologian

84. John Warwick
Montgomery, New
Testament Theologian
for no documents of
the ancient period are
as well attested
bibliographically as the
New Testament."

85. Bernard Ramm,
theologian and
apologist
“Jews preserved it as no other
manuscript has ever been
preserved. With their
massora (parva, magna,
andfinalis) they kept tabs on
every letter, syllable, word
and paragraph…

86. Bernard Ramm,
theologian and
apologist
They had special classes of
men within their culture
whose sole duty was to
preserve and transmit these
documents with practically
perfect fidelity — scribes,
lawyers, massoretes,

87. Bernard Ramm,
theologian and
apologist
Who ever counted the
letters and syllables and
words of Plato or Aristotle?
Cicero or Seneca?"

88. “In one hundred years from his time
Christianity would be swept from existence
and passed into history”
Voltiare, Atheist French Philosopher

89. Geneva Bible Society

90. Reason #4:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Survived through centuries
fIGHTER
Survived persecution
Survived criticism
Survived attacks

92. Reason #4:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
“the word of God which
lives and abides forever”
fIGHTER
1 Peter 1:23

93. Answers the Big Questions
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason # 5

94. Reason #5:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has answers to the
big questions of life that
match our experience.
biG quESTIONS
Biggest Finger
“Big Questions”

95. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Every worldview has to
answer 4 main questions:
The biG quESTIONS
Origin Meaning
Morality Destiny

96. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The biG quESTIONS
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
Where did we come from?
What is important?
What determines right
and wrong?
Where will we end up?

97. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Hinduism
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
We are all part of God?
Enlightenment?
There are no distinctions
between good and evil
Absorbed into God

98. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Islam
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
Made by the will of Allah
Servitude to Allah
Whatever the will of Allah
decides on any given day
Paradise or punishment

99. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Athiesm
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
We evolved from primates
What we decide
Good and evil are relative
decided by culture
Pushing up posies

100. March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Christianity
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
Created by God to know God
Intrinsic worth
Stem from God’s nature of
perfect goodness
Redeemed if desired

101. The Bible Changes Lives
“All Scripture is inspired by God”
Reason # 6

102. Reason #6:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
The Bible has changed the
lives and has done so for
thousands of years
cHANGED lIVES
Thumb
“Changed Lives”

103. Reason #6:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
Every culture has examples
of transformed lives from
this book.
cHANGED lIVES

104. Reason #6:March
The Challenge
of Authority
Part 2
The Bible
These are not just people
who have “turned over a new
leaf”, but instead become
altogether new people.
cHANGED lIVES

105. How can we possibly explain the kind
of intergenerational, life-transforming
impact that the Bible has had on
human life?

106. Because it is more than just literature.
The Bible is the very words of God
himself, preserved and protected that
they may bring life to all who choose to
read them with an open heart.

107. For the word of God is living and
powerful, and sharper than any two-
edged sword, piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit, and of joints
and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

108. Conclusion

109. Pinkie
“Prophecy”
Ring
“Unity”
Biggest Finger
“Big Questions”
Index Finger
“Index to
History”
Thumb
“Changed
Lives”
Fist “Fighter”

110. Next Week:
thE bIBLE - Going Deeper