Study 2

THE BIBLE IS TRUSTWORTHY AND TRUE

 

          Before we begin to examine this characteristic of the Bible let us pause for a minute or two and pray.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,

          We come before You in Jesus Christ’s Holy Name to ask You to please grant us the spiritual wisdom so we can begin to comprehend the significance of the Holy Bible. Please also grant us the faith to know and believe that it is truly Your word. Please Lord God move upon us to really come to know You and the things of Your Kingdom.

Amen.

 

INTRODUCTION

          The most compelling reason that sets the Bible apart from all other works of literature is the subject of this study; namely, it is trustworthy and true.

          To see the trustworthiness of the Bible we will examine it from the following three viewpoints:

          Historical Viewpoint - In this section we will see that the places, events and people that the Bible talks about really existed and are historical facts.

          Scientific Viewpoint - Here we will examine the issue of creation and see how the fundamental principles of science bear witness to the Bible’s testimony that God created the universe and the earth along with all its inhabitants..

          Prophetic Viewpoint - In this last section we will examine the Bible’s accuracy in which it foretold and foretells various future events.

 

HISTORICAL VIEWPOINT

          As one reviews the archaeological record we find that the artifacts of antiquity not only do not contradict the statements of the Bible but they actually support the Bible’s historical accuracy. To see this, we will review some of the numerous examples of where the historical record supports the Bible's account of various historical places, people and events.

          From the Old Testament we will,

                    1. Find there is strong archaeological evidence that bears witness to the Bible's account of the Great Flood.

                    2. See that the excavations around the ruins of Jericho bears witness to the Biblical account that the walls of Jericho did fall down flat.

 

With respect to the New Testament, we will,

                    4. Find that Jesus' trial by Pilate is part of the historical record.

                    5. See that the cities identified in the New Testament are historically correct.

 

          With this brief overview let us now go to the Old Testament and examine the evidence for,

 

THE GREAT FLOOD

          In the Bible we read that during the days of Noah (approximately 2285BC), because of the sin of mankind, God flooded the entire earth. To see this let us read the following excerpts from the book of Genesis.

 

Genesis 7:11-12

"[11] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. [12] And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights."

 

Let us now move on and read from,

 

Genesis 7:18-24

"[18] The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. [19] They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. [20] The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. [21] Every living thing that moved on the earth perished--birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. [22] Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. [23] Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. [24] The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days."

 

Let us now continue our reading in,

 

Genesis 8:1-4

"[1] But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. [2] Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. [3] The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, [4] and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat."

 

          From this point we read in the Bible that Noah, his family and all the animals left the ark to go and again replenish the earth.

          As one sits back and reflects upon what we just read one can not help but be struck by the awesomeness of it all. But, did this event actually occur or is this just a myth? To find out let us read some of the,

 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

          From the archaeological record we find strong evidence that this flood was not a myth or moral story but a historical fact. For example, in Halley’s Bible Handbook it states that other non-Israelite cultures have also recorded descriptions of a mammoth flood of water that covered the earth in the same time frame identified in the Bible. Two examples of these records are as follows,

 

          1. George Smith, of the British Museum, found in 1872, in tablets from the Library of Assur-banipal at Nineveh, accounts of the Flood that parallel the Bible account. These tablets had been copied from the Assyrian tablets that date back to the First Dynasty of Ur, a period about midway between the Flood and Abraham.¹

          2. The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic gives a story of his (Gilgamesh) adventures, one of which was a visit to the island home of Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah. This visit is depicted on a seal found recently at Tell Billa near Nineveh. In his reply to Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim (Noah) relates the story of the Flood and his escape from it. The account that is given closely parallels the Biblical account.²

         

          In addition to the accounts from other cultures, we also find in Halley’s Bible Handbook more physical and objective evidence. Three of the many documented pieces of evidence are,

 

          1. The Field Museum of the Oxford University Joint Expedition, under the direction of Dr. Stephen Langdon found in 1928-29 a bed of clean water-laid clay, in the lower strata in the ruins of Kish. This clay, which is five feet thick, indicates that a flood of vast proportions covered this area. Underneath this clean clay, relics of an entirely different culture were found. Some of these relics include a four wheeled chariot, wheels made from wood and copper nails. The find also recovered skeletons of the animals that pulled the cart.³

          2. In Fara, Iraq, Dr. Eric Schmidt, of the University Museum of Pennsylvania found the remains of three cities. He also discovered a flood layer between the middle and lower city. Underneath the flood layer was found various relics such as painted pottery, skeletons, pots and pans.⁴

          3. In the annuals of Archaeology and Anthropology, M.E.L. Mallowan, director of the British Museum Excavations at Nineveh in 1932-33 describes what he believed to be flood deposits approximately sixty feet below the surface.⁵

         

          Finally, in the book, “In Search of Noah’s Ark”, by Dave Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier, Jr. we find,

          1. In 1887, Prince John Joseph Nouri ascended Mt. Ararat and found a vessel with stalls and cages on board.

          2. In 1955, French engineer Fernand Navarra brought back the first photographs of the mysterious ship.

          3. In 1972, an earth resources satellite was launched 450 miles above Earth. As it passed over the Turkish-Russian border it recorded a mysterious boat like object on Mt. Ararat.⁶

 

THE FALL OF JERICHO

          At the completion of Israel’s exodus from Egypt the Bible tells us that their entry into the Promised Land of Canaan began with the overthrow of Jericho (approximately 1234BC). This overthrow was enabled by the miraculous collapse of the city walls. To see this let us read from,

 

Joshua 6:1-5

"[1] Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. [2] Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. [3] March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. [4] Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. [5] When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.""

 

          It is noted at this time, to protect the city of Jericho from an enemy invasion, huge thick walls were built around the city

          Let us stop for a moment and consider the above situation. Here we find the army of Israel poised and ready to attack the city of Jericho. As they listened to Joshua, the commander-in-chief, they found that the battle plan to break down the great walls was not to utilize battering rams; it was not to hurl large stones or use any other instruments of war. Instead, Joshua told the Israelites that God said they were to march around the city seven times blowing trumpets. Then on the seventh walk around the city they were to shout! Can you imagine the reaction of the Israelite army as they listened to Joshua spell out the battle plan for how they were to over run Jericho?

          As we read further on in the book of Joshua, we find that Israel did exactly as they were told. As a consequence the walls fell flat and they took Jericho. Was this event concerning Jericho fact or fiction? To find out let us read some of the,

 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

          In Halley’s Bible Handbook we read that Dr. John Garstand, director of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the Department of Antiquities of the Palestine Government, excavated the ruins of Jericho in 1929-36. During these excavations he found pottery and other artifacts that gave evidence the city was destroyed during the time of Joshua. He also found that the outer wall of the city fell outward, down the hillside, dragging the inner wall and houses with it. Thus, indicating that not only was the city destroyed but the walls did indeed fall flat.⁷

          Let us move on to the New Testament and read the secular, which is non religious, evidence to support the truth of,

 

JESUS' TRIAL BY PILATE

          To better verify the historical authenticity of the New Testament, let us first examine the incident of Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate (33AD). The Bible tells us that at the close of Jesus’ earthly ministry He was taken to Pilate for execution. To see this let us read an excerpt of this event in,

 

Luke 23:1-4

"[1] Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. [2] And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king." [3] So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. [4] Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man.""

 

          The Bible tells us that even though Pilate could not find any reason by which to charge Jesus with a crime, he succumbed or obeyed to the wishes of the people and ordered Jesus to be crucified.

          A historical confirmation to the authenticity or truthfulness of this event is provided in the historical writings of Flavius Josephus, a non Christian historian. He was not only a distinguished man among his own countrymen, the Jews, but among the Romans as well. In fact, the Romans honored him with a statue that was erected in Rome. Under the direction of Emperor Titus, Josephus’s historical books were published and given a place in the public library.⁸

          In Josephus’s eighth historical book relative to the antiquities of the Jews, we find the following account of Pilate’s judgment upon Jesus,

          “Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews and many Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, …”⁹

 

Let us now move on to,

 

THE NEW TESTAMENT CITIES

          The authenticity of the cities mentioned in the New Testament such as Ephesus, Capernaum, Corinth, Caesarea and Symra are verified by the fact that their archaeological ruins still stand today. In fact, one can actually visit and tour these ruins. Other cities mentioned in the New Testament, such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Rome still exist and are thriving today. In other words one can actually visit, tour, vacation or even live in them.

 

HISTORICAL VIEWPOINT SUMMARY

          As can be seen from the above small set of examples, much archaeological evidence exists, with more continually being found, that bears witness to the fact that the events, places and people recorded in the Bible are historically correct.  As Nelson Glueck, a distinguished archaeologist from the Jewish Theological Seminary, said, “Not one archaeological artifact has been found that contradicts any statement written in the Bible.”¹⁰

         

Let us now examine the Bible’s trustworthiness from a,

 

SCIENTIFIC VIEWPOINT

          Since the origin of our Universe is a much debated issue of our day, this portion of the Bible’s trust worthiness will focus upon this subject. Namely, we will limit our examination of the Bible's authenticity to the creation of the universe, the earth and all of its inhabitants (plants, animals and people).

We begin by reading the following excerpts from the book of Genesis,

 

Genesis 1:3

“[3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

 

Genesis 1:6

“[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.””

 

Genesis 1:9

“[9] And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.”

 

Genesis 1:11

“[11] Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.”

 

 

 

Genesis 1:20-21

[20] Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” [21] So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 

 

Genesis 1:24

“[24] And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.””

 

          It is recognized that we do not have the capacity to understand how God was and is able to speak into existence such creative works. However, our lack of understanding does not invalidate the truth of it. As a matter of fact there are many examples in our everyday life that illustrates this point. Consider the situation of a person who was born blind. Does that person's blindness or inability to see light invalidate the truth of the beautiful colors of the rainbow, of the flowers or of the whole world around them? No. What if we were born deaf? Would our inability to hear invalidate the truth of the beautiful songs of the birds, the music of the orchestra, or the communication of speech? Obviously, that is not the case.

          However, even though we may have been born blind or deaf there are other avenues that would testify to us the truth of that light and sound we could not directly experience or understand. For example, through speech and touch the truths of color, shape and form are communicated to the blind. Whereas, mediums such as the written word or the feel of vibrations the truth of sound can be conveyed to the deaf.

          In a similar manner, even though we do not have the capacity to fully understand how God created the Universe, there are many “fundamental systems of science” that convey to us the truth of it. Three examples of these scientific systems or principles are:

                    1. Cause and Effect

                    2. Classification and Order

                    3. Principle of Well Ordering

 

CAUSE AND EFFECT

          The scientific principle of cause and effect, which is universally accepted by all fields of science, states that every phenomenon is an effect from a cause. More specifically, things just do not happen. For example, let us consider the case of a gold ring. A gold ring, by itself, just does not mysteriously come into being. We know that to have a gold ring it first takes people and machines to mine the gold ore from the earth, then a furnace to purify the gold and finally a goldsmith to shape and mold the gold into the design of the desired ring. In this case the phenomenon or effect is the gold ring and the cause is all the effort that was expended to bring the ring into being.

          Applying this principle to the case of creation we find the “cause” to be God and the “effect” is the universe and the earth along with its inhabitants. In other words, just as with the gold ring, this principle states that the universe did not create or come into being by itself. Thus, we find that the principle of cause and effect gives testimony to the truth and trustworthiness of the Biblical account that God created the universe and it did not randomly evolve.

 

CLASSIFICATION AND ORDER

This fundamental principle (made famous by John Ray who was the first to classify living things according to species¹¹) states that categories can be found of natural phenomena or items and can be arranged in discrete orderly classifications or systems. Examples of this principle is to note that within the scientific community there are classifications of animals, classifications of plant life, classifications of minerals, classifications of chemicals and classifications of the very elements themselves (the Periodic table). In fact it is hard if not impossible to think of anything that the scientific community has not placed in a discrete classification or system. This is not an accident. As we previously read in Genesis, God created His world in precisely this way, which is in discrete and orderly classifications. For example, we read in Genesis, there was the grass, herbs and trees each bearing seed or fruit according to their own kind. We then read about the living creatures and beasts according to their kind. In Genesis we also read that God created man in His image and likeness, not in the image of an animal.

 

Genesis 1:26-27

[26] Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  [27] So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 

 

          Hence, the principle of cause and effect, the principle of classification and order stands up to bear witness to the truth of the Biblical account of the creation of our earth and its inhabitants. Another scientific principle that bears witness to God’s creation for the entire universe is,

 

THE PRINCIPLE OF WELL ORDERING

          For our last example it is noted that the basis for all scientific exploration is the underlying assumption that the universe and all within it is a well ordered system. This principle was first promoted by Johannes Kepler who was the discoverer of the laws of planetary motion¹². To illustrate the principle of well ordering let us consider our solar system. First of all, we know that it is the earth’s gravity that keeps you and me upon this earth. In addition, the earth’s gravitational pull together with the gravitational pulls of the other planets, moons and sun along with all the associated rotations and motions enable the planets, moons and sun to be a well defined orbital solar system. It is this ordering of things that have enabled and strengthened many scientists in their belief in God. For example, in Fred Heeren’s book, “Show Me God” we read that Isaac Newton, the discoverer of the universal law of gravitation, at the end of his report, “Principia”, that reveals this law states that; “This most beautiful system of the Sun, Planets and Comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being.”¹³

 

SCIENTIFIC VIEWPOINT SUMMARY

          As one reflects upon the above three scientific principles one can not help but notice how strong they stand and bear witness to the trustworthiness of the Bible. As we ponder these things, let us also prayerfully consider the following Scriptures with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Colossians 1:16-17

"[16] For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

         

          Let us now move on to a brief survey of the third and last viewpoint relative to the Bible’s authenticity, namely the,

 

PROPHETIC VIEWPOINT

          In this section we will examine the Bible as a book in which can be found a multitude of prophecies that relate to nations, Israel, all peoples of the earth, cities and to the coming of our Savior. To see the Bible’s authenticity from this viewpoint we will examine the following two examples from the myriad of prophecies that have already been fulfilled.

          Our first example is the prophecy or promise that God will send His only begotten Son to save us from our sins. This prophecy was given by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in approximately 790-739 BC¹⁴. To read what he said we go to,

 

Isaiah 7:14

[14] Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 

          Isaiah also expanded upon this prophecy. This expansion of the prophecy is recorded in,

 

Isaiah 9:6

[6] For unto us a Child is born,

    Unto us a Son is given;

    And the government will be upon His shoulder.

    And His name will be called

    Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

          As we know this prophecy was fulfilled at the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To read about this fulfillment we go to,

 

Matthew 1:18-23

[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. [19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. [20] But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. [21] And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” [22] So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: [23] “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

 

          It is very interesting to note that during the Christmas holidays we celebrate the fulfillment of this prophecy by printing it on many of our Christmas cards and by singing various Christmas carols.

 

          Our second example of a fulfilled prophecy comes from the New Testament when Jesus predicted the,

 

THE NEW TESTAMENT FALL OF JERUSALEM

The setting under which this prophecy was given is recorded in,

 

Luke 21:5-6

"[5] Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, [6] "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.""

          As Jesus’ disciples were still admiring the magnificence of the Temple in Jerusalem they asked Jesus; “When will this prophesy happen?” To read Jesus answer we go to,

 

Luke 21:20-24

""[20] When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. [22] For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. [23] How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. [24] They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

 

          From the historical record we know that in approximately 37 years after Jesus foretold of its destruction, in the month of August, 70AD, Jerusalem was over run and destroyed by Roman General Titus. The historical record of this event can be found in just about every major encyclopedia. However, one of the better detailed accounts of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans is given in Volume I of “The Works of Flavius Josephus”, entitled, “The Wars of the Jews”. In reading the above book one of the most amazing points brought to light is that the Temple, during the Roman invasion of Jerusalem, was set on fire on the exact day and month that King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army had set fire to the Temple back in 586BC.¹⁵ Coincidence?

          Another interesting fact to note is that it was not until 1948 that again Israel, by the decree of the United Nations, became a sovereign nation. In addition, Jerusalem, from the time of the Roman invasion, had remained under Gentile, that is non-Jewish, rule or authority until the 1967 six day war. To see significance of these events consider very carefully the second half of what we read above in,

 

Luke 20:24b

         [24b] … Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

 

          Thus, we find that even in our day some of the prophecies given in the Bible are still being fulfilled!

 

PROPHETIC VIEWPOINT SUMMARY

          With all this background, let us now prayerfully reflect upon what God said through His prophet Isaiah in,

 

Isaiah 46:9-11

"[9] Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. [10] I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. [11] From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."

 

CONCLUSION

          Let us now reflect upon some of the things we have covered in the past two studies, namely the Bible’s,

          A. Multiple authorship and yet its single theme.

          B. Circulation and usage that is greater than any other know piece of literature.

          C. Manuscript evidence that exceeds any ten pieces of ancient literature combined.

          D. Authenticity not only from the historical and scientific viewpoints but also from the fulfillment and continual fulfillment of its prophetic utterances.

         

          As we reflect upon the above one cannot help but conclude that the Bible is certainly special and unique. Specifically, there is certainly something about the Scripture that separates it from all the other works of literature.

          Lord willing what we shall find in our next study, study 3, is that the reason the Bible is so special and unique is because it was written under the direction and protection of Almighty God. Namely, the Bible is the Word of God!

Blessed be the Lord forever!

AMEN and AMEN

 

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