The Bible

What evidence is there it can be trusted?

It's Claims.

• God said all these words ...; Exodus 20:1
• The Word of the Lord came to ... Isaiah 1:10
• All inspired 2 Timothy 3:16

Evidence that the Bible is more than a human invention:

1. Historical accuracy- verified by:

• Archaeology
• Ancient secular historians

2. Fulfilled prophecy

This book claims to be able to tell the future.   Isaiah 44:7

Predictions about places

• Egypt 
  • 1. It will become a weak kingdom. Ezekiel 29:15
  • 2. It will never rule over other nations. Ezekiel 29:15
  • 3. It will not have a prince. Ezekiel 30:13
     
• Memphis 
  • 1. To be laid waste and lie in ruins. Jeremiah 46:19
  • 2. To be without an inhabitant. Jeremiah 46:19
  • 3. Its images to be destroyed. Ezekiel 30:13
    
    
• Ninevah 
  • 1. Destroyed in state of drunkenness. Nahum 1:10
  • 2. Destroyed by flood Nahum. 1:8, 2:6
  • 3. Would be burned. Nahum 3:13
  • 4. A ruin. Zephaniah 2:13
  • 5. A place for flocks to graze. Zephaniah 2:13

• Tyre 
  • 1. Many nations to come against Tyre. Ezekiel 26:3
  • 2. Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Tyre. Ezekiel 26:7, 8
  • 3. Scrape away her ruins and make her a bare rock. Ezekiel 26:4
  • 4. Where fishermen dry their nets. Ezekiel 26:5
  • 5. To be cast into the sea. Ezekiel 26:12
  • 6. Will not be built again. Ezekiel 26:14

• Sidon 
  • 1. No mention of destruction.
  • 2. Blood in the streets. Ezekiel 28:23
  • 3. Sword on every side. Ezekiel 28:23

• Babylon 
  • 1. To be like Sodom & Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:19
  • 2. Never inhabited again. Isaiah 13:20
  • 3. Tents will not be pitched there by Arabs. Isaiah 13:20
  • 4. Sheepfolds will not be there. Isaiah 13:20
  • 5. Will become a pile of ruins. Jeremiah 51:37
  • 6. The thick wall will be completely pulled down. Jeremiah 51:58
  • 7. Covered with swamps of water. Isaiah 14:23

• Petra & Edom 
  • 1. Become a desolation. Isaiah 34:13
  • 2. Never populated again Jeremiah 49:18
  • 3. Conquered by Israel Ezekiel 25:14
  • 4. An empty ruin forever Ezekiel 35:7, 9
  • 5. Cessation of trade.

• Jerusalem 
  • 1. Destroyed and rebuilt many times
  • 2. Temple destroyed and dismantled Matthew 24:2

• Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Tiberius 
  • 1. Woes against Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Matthew 11:21, 22
  • 2. Tiberius was not condemned and is the only one still inhabited.

Predictions about events

Predictions about people

• Cyrus: Isaiah 45:1, 4, 13. Named 150 years before birth.

• Messiah:
  • Virgin Birth. Isaiah 7:14
  • Birth Place. Micah 5:2
  • Dates of ministry and death. Daniel 9
  • Rejected. Isaiah 53
  • Betrayal price, what happened to the money. Zechariah 11:12, 13
  • Crucifixion. Psalm 22:16
  • Bones not broken. Psalm 34:20

3. Resurrection of Jesus Recorded facts

• 1. Jesus died.
• 2. Before He died He predicted He would rise again
• 3. He was put in a tomb. A stone covered the entrance.
• 4. A guard of Roman soldiers was set.
• 5. The tomb was empty Sunday morning.
• 6. The disciples began to preach, "He has risen!"

What happened? Who moved the stone? Who removed the body? The possibilities:

• i. Jesus didn't really die, He only fainted, and later revived in the tomb. 
  • a) He had been beaten, crucified, had a spear put into his side. Who moved the stone?
  • b) How did He get out of the material He was wrapped in?

• ii The Jewish authorities moved the body
  • Then why didn't they produce the body to discount the stories of the resurrection?

• iii The Roman soldiers moved the body
  •   Why didn't they produce the body to discount the stories of the resurrection?

• iv The disciples stole the body so they could say "He is risen".
  • a) The disciples had fled in fear when Jesus was arrested.
  • b) They were hiding in fear in an upper room with the doors barred.
  • c) When the resurrection story came through, they were slow to believe it.
  • d) How did they get past the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb?
  • e) If the Roman soldiers were asleep, how did they know who took the body?
  • f) These disciples who were so timid suddenly become bold saying "He is risen!"
  • g) Many of the disciples were killed for holding to the story of the resurrection. Lies are normally told to get out of trouble, not to get into it.
  • h) How did they get the body out and leave the grave clothes there?

• v The women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. 
  • a) It is unlikely that the authorities and soldiers went to the wrong tomb
  • b) Why would the Jewish authorities bribe the soldiers unless the real tomb was empty?

The other option:

• vi He did rise from the dead

Consider:

• a) The change in the disciples from timid to bold
• b) The rise of the Christian church - they convinced others who were there that Jesus was alive.

4. World View

Only the Bible has answers to life's important questions:

• Where did I come from?
• Why am I here?
• Where am I going when I die?

5. The Bible's Morality

• Has universal application.
• Is higher than the practise of the people to whom it was written.
• Letter of the law vs spirit of the law.
• Tells truth about its characters - not just their good points.
• Has one man who lived  it.

6. Changed lives

Tells truth about its characters - not just their good points.
• The mistakes they made.
• The consequences.
• How they were forgiven and their lives changed by the grace of God.
   

7. Personal Experience   

- it can change your life if you are willing to let it.