2007 by david a. prentice why believe the bible? why believe the bible? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

2007 by David A. Prentice

Why Believe the Bible?

Why Believe the Bible?

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Contents: Overheads to be used with Chapter 3 of “Truth in the Balance,” copyright 2003 by David Prentice, M.Ed., M.A.S.T.

REVISION DATE 09/07/2009

This material is made available by the author at no charge. It may be reproduced for use in a Christian environment such as

Sunday schools or Bible classes, but it may not be used for any commercial purposes.

To be certain that you have the most up-to-date version of this material, go to the Origins Resource Association website,

www.originsresource.org.

Follow the links to “Bible College Materials” and check that the revision date shown online is the same as shown above. If not,

download the latest version.


Chapter 3Chapter 3Faith Not BlindFaith Not Blind

3-12Changed Lives

Literary Tests


1st We Can Point to Changed Lives1st We Can Point to Changed Lives

But in Christianity: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things

passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As Christians, we literally become new people

The Apostles wouldn’t die for a lie

But in Christianity: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things

passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As Christians, we literally become new people

The Apostles wouldn’t die for a lie

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Chapter 3Chapter 3How Did We get Our Bible?How Did We get Our Bible?

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New TestamentOld Testament


THE OLD TESTAMENT CANONTHE OLD TESTAMENT CANON

- No person or group decided which books would be included; it was consensus over centuries

- Any errors resulted in a book being disqualified.

- The Apocrypha were well known and had been rejected before Jesus’ time (Catholics added them 1600 yrs later)

- Jesus never disagreed with which books were included by the Jewish people as Scripture

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What 1 person or groupdecided which O.T. books?

What happened if an erroroccurred (even typos)?

Were the apocrypha acceptedin Jesus’ time?

Did Jesus ever disagree with the booksIncluded by the Jewish people?


Why not the Apocrypha?Why not the Apocrypha?

Not quoted by JesusNot quoted by any New Testament writers

Not quoted by JesusNot quoted by any New Testament writers

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Did Jesus ever quote theapocrypha?

Did any New Testament writerquote them?

Did Jesus ever quote theapocrypha?

Did any New Testament writerquote them?


THE NEW TESTAMENT CANONTHE NEW TESTAMENT CANON

1. 180 A.D., Iranaeus list showed: 21 of the 27 N.T. books2. 303 A.D., Christians had decided which books were worth

dying for and which were not3. 367 A.D. Athanasius’ list of the 27 N.T. books.4. 397 A.D. The Councils merely acknowledged which books

were already accepted as scripture (neither added any nor subtracted any).

5. Even without a list, we could reconstruct all but 11 verses of the New Testament from the writings of 2nd and 3rd century Christian writers.

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What 1 person/group decidedwhich N.T. books?

What would we do if we didn’thave a list of books?

What 1 person/group decidedwhich N.T. books?

What would we do if we didn’thave a list of books?


Chapter 3Chapter 3Bible ReliabilityBible Reliability

3-12Manuscript Reliability

New Testament: themost reliable

book in the world!


Why do We Have to Answer Sceptics?Why do We Have to Answer Sceptics?

“It’s just a collection of old Jewish myths!”

“It’s not meant to be taken literally!”

“How can you be sure the Bible you use hasn’t changed a million times since it was first

written?”

1 Peter 3:15 – Anybody remember what it’s about?

Hint: . . . But sanctify the . . .make a defense . . .

“It’s just a collection of old Jewish myths!”

“It’s not meant to be taken literally!”

“How can you be sure the Bible you use hasn’t changed a million times since it was first

written?”

1 Peter 3:15 – Anybody remember what it’s about?

Hint: . . . But sanctify the . . .make a defense . . .

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We Must Stand for Truth!We Must Stand for Truth!

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and

always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and

fear.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and

always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and

fear.”

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Chapter 3Chapter 3Literary TestsLiterary Tests

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Homer’s Homer’s IliadIliad Oldest copy? – Oldest copy? –

2,000 yrs after 2,000 yrs after originaloriginal

Partial – 500 Partial – 500 yrs after yrs after originaloriginal

5% of text is 5% of text is uncertainuncertain

The New TestamentThe New Testament

Oldest complete Oldest complete manuscript only manuscript only 300 yrs after 300 yrs after originaloriginal

Partials – less Partials – less than 100 yrs than 100 yrs after originalsafter originals

Less than ½ of Less than ½ of 1% = uncertain!1% = uncertain!


It’s been 200 yrsIt’s been 200 yrsSince George Washington Since George Washington

was around but no one was around but no one could claim that he walked could claim that he walked

on water!on water!


And NowAnd NowOld Testament

ReliabilityOld Testament

Reliability

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Beginning of O.T. PreservationBeginning of O.T. Preservation•1st parts of the O.T. - 1500 B.C.

• The last - about 400 B.C.

• King David (ca. 1000 B.C.) created a formal organization dedicated to the precise copying of the Scriptures

• Est. the position of scribe - permanent profession specializing in the copying of the holy writings

•1st parts of the O.T. - 1500 B.C.

• The last - about 400 B.C.

• King David (ca. 1000 B.C.) created a formal organization dedicated to the precise copying of the Scriptures

• Est. the position of scribe - permanent profession specializing in the copying of the holy writings

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Continuation of PreservationContinuation of Preservation• After David’s death - the nations of Israel and Judah sometimes fell into idolatry and lost interest in the scriptures• Until the Babylonian exile cured them of idolatry once and for all• From then on there were groups of scribes dedicated to the accurate copying and preservation of the sacred manuscripts

• After David’s death - the nations of Israel and Judah sometimes fell into idolatry and lost interest in the scriptures• Until the Babylonian exile cured them of idolatry once and for all• From then on there were groups of scribes dedicated to the accurate copying and preservation of the sacred manuscripts

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Former Reliability and PresentFormer Reliability and Present• Unfortunately, we don’t have any original texts from centuries before Christ• The Massoretic Text (980 A.D.), used to be the oldest known manuscript• Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

• They show amazing accuracy of the Jewish copyists

• Unfortunately, we don’t have any original texts from centuries before Christ• The Massoretic Text (980 A.D.), used to be the oldest known manuscript• Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

• They show amazing accuracy of the Jewish copyists

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Amazing Accuracy of Dead Sea Scrolls

Amazing Accuracy of Dead Sea Scrolls

• Found in caves at Qumran near the Dead Sea, include every book of the Old Testament except Esther• They’re about 1,000 years older than the Massoretic Text• The differences? Nothing more than slips of the pen and spelling variations (Jeffrey, 1996, 97-98).

• Found in caves at Qumran near the Dead Sea, include every book of the Old Testament except Esther• They’re about 1,000 years older than the Massoretic Text• The differences? Nothing more than slips of the pen and spelling variations (Jeffrey, 1996, 97-98).

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How Could They be So Accurate?How Could They be So Accurate?

The scribes dedicated their lives to copying the sacred text

They were willing to give their lives at the hand of foreign armies rather than

allow any harm to come to God’s Word

They had strict regulations-What color ink to write with

-Even what to wear while copying

The scribes dedicated their lives to copying the sacred text

They were willing to give their lives at the hand of foreign armies rather than

allow any harm to come to God’s Word

They had strict regulations-What color ink to write with

-Even what to wear while copying

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PROCEDURES FOR COPYING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES

PROCEDURES FOR COPYING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES

• Regulations regarding the color of ink and the manner of clothing

• Could not write a single letter from memory• Counted verses and number of letters in original

and copy• Counted number of occurrences of each letter• Counted middle verses and letters of major

sections of the text, and of the whole Old Testament

• Rules for how many letters wide and how many lines high each column could be

• Regulations for exact amount of space between letters and sections of text

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Imperfection IntolerableImperfection IntolerableA single mistake would be enough to reject the

entire copy!They usually destroyed the rejected copies

However, writing material was so rare that they sometimes allowed the rejected copies to be

used to teach students to read

There are spelling differences between the Massoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls but we have no way of knowing if the later were rejects

preserved only to teach people to read

A single mistake would be enough to reject the entire copy!

They usually destroyed the rejected copies However, writing material was so rare that they

sometimes allowed the rejected copies to be used to teach students to read

There are spelling differences between the Massoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls but we have no way of knowing if the later were rejects

preserved only to teach people to read

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Lack of Old Copies – not a ConcernLack of Old Copies – not a Concern

Scribes were so confident in the accuracy of the copies that they

saw no need to preserve the older deteriorated copies.

So, we can be confident in our Old Testament.

Also, no variant reading involves any question of doctrine.

Scribes were so confident in the accuracy of the copies that they

saw no need to preserve the older deteriorated copies.

So, we can be confident in our Old Testament.

Also, no variant reading involves any question of doctrine.

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Trusted CompletelyTrusted Completely

The First Generations of The First Generations of Jewish Christians, including Jewish Christians, including

Jesus and the Apostles Jesus and the Apostles Trusted the O.T. Copyists Trusted the O.T. Copyists

Completely!Completely!


THE OLD TESTAMENT: LITERALLY TRUE!THE OLD TESTAMENT: LITERALLY TRUE!

Jesus took the Old Testament literally.Jesus took the Old Testament literally.Luke 4:9 (“It is written”)Mt. 19:4 (creation of Adam and Eve)Mt. 24:37-39 (the Flood a real historical event)Jn. 5:46-47, Lk. 20:37-38 (Moses wrote the first 5

books of the Bible)Mt. 24:15 Daniel was a real man and a true

prophetMt. 5:18 “Not one jot or tittle shall pass away...”Mt. 22:32 (I AM, not I was, the God of Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob)Doctrine or resurrection based on the tense of a

verb!3-14


The Apostles & Other N.T. Writers Did Too!Its Accuracy is Crucial to our Faith

The Apostles & Other N.T. Writers Did Too!Its Accuracy is Crucial to our Faith

2 Peter 1:21 (Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit) – Peter was convinced!Over 300 other instances! On

N.T. writers quoting O.T. & alluded to it hundreds of times

more

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Galatians 3:16, Paul lays our Foundation on a Noun being Singular!

Galatians 3:16, Paul lays our Foundation on a Noun being Singular!

All the benefits we have “in Christ” are available only because in Genesis God made promises to Abraham’s seed (singular) and not seeds (plural)

Jesus is the seed (singular), we come to God through Him

If the promises had been made to seeds (plural), we would not need Jesus, any Jewish person (Abraham’s seeds) would do!

If He really is the Son of God, God would have taken care to see that His words were transmitted accurately.

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Agreement Between Old Testament ManuscriptsAgreement Between Old Testament Manuscripts

• Only a few letters difference between the Dead Sea Scrolls (around the time of Christ) and the Massoretic Text (ca. 980 A.D.).

• Despite the 1,000-year separation (over a millennium) of the Massoretes from the scribes in Yemen, the Massoretic Torah and the Yemenite Torah vary by only nine letters out of 304,805.

• The Septuagint, translated into Greek ca. 250 B.C. agrees almost completely with the Massoretic Text. The differences are almost always in the writing of numbers. They never affect any doctrines.

• Old Testament manuscripts in other languages in almost complete agreement too.

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No Discrepancy Effects DoctrineNo Discrepancy Effects Doctrine

The numbers in the O.T. can be accepted with extreme confidence

except for a tiny percentage.Most are found in the genealogy of

Genesis 5 and only have to do with the ages at which some of the

men became fathers.

The numbers in the O.T. can be accepted with extreme confidence

except for a tiny percentage.Most are found in the genealogy of

Genesis 5 and only have to do with the ages at which some of the

men became fathers.

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2007 by david a. prentice why believe the bible? why believe the bible? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

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