Is The Bible The Word of God?

The Bible Is The Word of God?

Is

Today the Bible is the largest seller of all books published

About 50 Bibles are sold every minute

The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the world.

The Bible has been translated, in whole or in part, into more than 1100 languages and dialects.

Gideons International, who work in 181 countries, place a total of over 60 million copies of the Word of God annually.

Internationally, they have presented over 1 billion scriptures.

ProBuilder megablocks 9717 Formula Racer.

I Thess 5 v 21 ‘Prove all things;

hold fast that which is good’.

‘How do you defend the Bible?’

‘How do you defend a Lion?’

27 New Testament Books

39 Old Testament Books17 Historical

5 Poetical17 Prophetical

5 Historical21 Teaching1 Prophetical

Five reasons why I believe the Bible

is the Word of God.

A E I O U

2 Peter 1 vv 12 - 21.

12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honour and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

(1) It is ONE whole

V 21b Holy MEN of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible was written on 3 continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe)

The Bible was written in three different languages

(Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)

(2) It is INSPIRED

V 21b Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Matt 5 v 18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

2 Timothy 3:16-- "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,

for instruction in righteousness."

References to God speaking or saying things occur nearly 700 times in the first 5 books of the Bible & 3 800 times in the Old Testament altogether, meaning that

60% of the Old Testament is directly declared to be the Word of God.

(3) It is ACCURATE

Peter says 2 Peter 1 v 16 ‘For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty’.

(i) It contains personal testimony

(ii) Other historical documents agree

Luke mentioned minor details that were not important in the story; which check out: e.g. Acts 18:2 – ‘There he (Paul) became

acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with

his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's

order to deport all Jews from Rome’.

A contemporary Historian Suetonius corroborates Luke

As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled

them from Rome.

Luke 1:3 - “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the

beginning..”

(iii) Biblical facts are confirmed by Archeology

In 1877, an inscription was found near Paphos, bearing Sergius Paulus's name and his title of proconsul.

Act 13:6-7 And when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain conjurer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-jesus; who was with the proconsul of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man.

(4) It is UNIQUE

Peter says 2 Peter 1 v 16 ‘For we did not follow cunningly

devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty’.

(i) It’s subject

Here is a sample of 18 prophecies fulfilled on the day that the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. n.b. Not only were the predictions made 1000 years before Christ came from heaven to earth, but they were made over 500 years before crucifixion was first used anywhere in the world as a form of capital punishment! Crucifixion didn't exist when the prophecies were made.

(ii) It’s prophecies

1) Betrayed by a friend 2) Sold for 30 silver pieces

3) The potter’s field is bought with the 30 pieces of silver4) He is forsaken by His disciples5) Silent before accusers 6) Beaten and spit upon7) Mocked 8) Hands and feet

pierced9) Crucified with thieves10) Prayed for enemies 11) Rejected by His own

people12) People wag their heads13) Clothes divided and gambled for14) Became very thirsty15) Gall and vinegar offered Him 16) His forsaken cry 17) His bones not broken18) Buried in a rich man's tomb

(iii) The Jews -

Pharoah in Egypt tried to destroy them

Babylonian Captivity – tried to absorb them

The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

The holocaust in Germany under Hitler

(5) It is EFFECTIVE

(i) It is life-giving 

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye

might have life through His name."John 20 v 31

 

(ii) It is life-changing 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,

the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5 v 17

 

(iii) It is life-enhancing 

" I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

John 10 v 10 

v 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

The Bible is actually made up of 773,692 words and would take someone 70 hours to read!

A Challenge!

You need less than 12 minutes per day to read the whole Bible in a year.

Challenge - start tomorrow - get up 15 minutes earlier than usual.

The average word in the Bible contains fewer than 5 letters.

Final thought & Question

To convict of sin. Acts 2:37.To change the heart. 1 Peter 1:23.To produce faith. Romans 10:17.To cleanse the life. John 15:3.To edify the believer. Acts 20:32.To impart eternal life. 1 John 5:13.To perfect the whole man. 2 Timothy 3:17.

The power of the Bible is seven-fold in its nature according to one commentator - It has power -

What does God’s Word need to do in your life,right now?