M-A-P-S to Guide You through Biblical Reliability

Transcription

1 M-A-P-S to Guide You through Biblical Reliability 1 Have you tried to show someone the historical reliability of the Scriptures, and not known where to start? Four basic principles chart your way to understanding basic biblical reliability. Manuscripts Manuscripts relates to the tests used to determine the reliability of the existing manuscript copies of the original documents penned by the Scripture writers (we do not possess these originals). In determining manuscript reliability, we deal with the question: How can we test to see that the text we possess in the manuscript copies is an accurate rendition of the original? There are three main manuscript tests: the Bibliographic, External, and Eyewitness. The bibliographic test considers the quantity of manuscripts and manuscript fragments, and also the time span between the original documents and our earliest copies. The more copies, the better able we are to work back to the original. The closer the time span between the copies and the original, the less likely it is that serious textual error would creep in. The Bible has stronger bibliographic support than any classical literature including Homer, Tacitus, Pliny, and Aristotle. We have more than 14,000 manuscripts and fragments of the Old Testament of three main types: (a) approximately 10,000 from the Cairo Geniza (storeroom) find of 1897, dating back as far as about AD. 800; (b) about 190 from the Dead Sea Scrolls find of , the oldest dating back to B.C.; and (c) at least 4,314 assorted other copies. The short time between the original Old Testament manuscripts (completed around 400 B.C.) and the first extensive copies (about 250 B.C.) - coupled with the more than 14,000 copies that have been discovered - ensures the trustworthiness of the Old Testament text. The earliest quoted verses (Num. 6:24-26) date from B.C. The same is true of the New Testament text. The abundance of textual witnesses is amazing. We possess over 5,300 manuscripts or portions of the (Greek) New Testament almost 800 copied before A.D The time between the original composition and our earliest copies is an unbelievably short 60 years or so. The overwhelming bibliographic reliability of the Bible is clearly evident. Author The New Testament Compared With Other Works of Antiquity 2 Date Written Earliest Copy Approximate Time Span between original & copy Number of Copies Pliny A.D. 850 A.D. 750 yrs 7 Plato B.C. 900 A.D yrs 7 Euripides B.C A.D yrs 9 Caesar B.C. 900 A.D yrs 10 Tacitus circa 100 A.D A.D yrs 20 Aristotle B.C A.D yrs 49 Sophocles B.C A.D yrs 193 Homer (Iliad) 800 B.C. 400 B.C. 400 yrs 643 New Testament A.D. 114 (fragment) 200 (books) 250 (most of N.T.) 325 (complete N.T) + 50 yrs. 100 yrs. 150yrs. 225 yrs There are thousands more New Testament Greek manuscripts than any other ancient writing. In addition there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscripts base is over 24, MAPS taken from: 2 A Ready Defense, by Josh McDowell, 1993, p. 45.

2 The New Testament documents can be reconstructed with an incredible accuracy. Furthermore, the New Testament is approximately 99.5% textually pure. This means that of all the manuscripts in existence, they agree completely 99.5% of the time. Of the variants that occur, most are easily explainable and very few have any effect on the meaning of passages. In all, no New Testament doctrine is affected by any variant reading. 3 Supported by early church fathers- Suppose that the New Testament had been destroyed, and every copy of it was lost by the end of the 3 rd century. Collecting the early Church Fathers writings you can compile the entire New Testament with the exception of eleven verses. 4 The external evidence test looks outside the texts themselves to ascertain the historical reliability of the historical events, geographical locations, and cultural consistency of the biblical texts. Unlike writings from other world religions which make no historical references or which fabricate histories, the Bible refers to historical events and assumes its historical accuracy. The Bible is not only the inspired Word of God, it is also a history book and the historical assertions it makes have been proven time and again. Many of the events, people, places, and customs in the New Testament are confirmed by secular historians who were almost contemporaries with New Testament writers. Secular historians like the Jewish Josephus (before A.D. 100), the Roman Tacitus (around A.D. 120), the Roman Suetonius (A.D. 110), and the Roman governor Pliny Secundus (A.D ) make direct reference to Jesus or affirm one or more historical New Testament references. Early church leaders such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Julius Africanus, and Clement of Rome all writing before A.D. 250 shed light on New Testament historical accuracy. Even skeptical historians agree that the New Testament is a remarkable historical document. Hence, it is clear that there is strong external evidence to support the Bible s manuscript reliability. The eyewitness document test, sometimes referred to as the internal test, focuses on the eyewitness credentials of the authors. The Old and New Testament authors were eyewitnesses of or interviewed eyewitnesses of the majority of the events they described. Moses participated in and was an eyewitness of the remarkable events of the Egyptian captivity, the Exodus, the forty years in the desert, and Israel s final encampment before entering the Promised Land. These events he chronicled in the first five books of the Old Testament. The New Testament writers had the same eyewitness authenticity. Luke, who wrote the Books of Luke and Acts, says that he gathered eyewitness testimony and carefully investigated everything (Luke 1:1-3). Peter reminded his readers that the disciples were eyewitnesses of [Jesus ] majesty and did not follow cleverly invented stories (2 Pet. 1:16). Truly, the Bible affirms the eyewitness credibility of its writers. Archaeology Returning to our MAPS acronym, we have established,the first principle, manuscript reliability. Let us consider our second principle, archaeological evidence. Over and over again, comprehensive field work (archaeology) and careful biblical interpretation affirms the reliability of the Bible. It is telling when a secular scholar must revise his biblical criticism in light of solid archaeological evidence. For years critics dismissed the Book of Daniel, partly because there was no evidence that a king named Belshazzar ruled in Babylon during that time period. However, later archaeological research confirmed that the reigning monarch, Nabonidus, appointed Belshazzar as his co-regent while he was away from Babylon. One of the most well-known New Testament examples concerns the Books of Luke and Acts. A biblical skeptic, Sir William Ramsay, trained as an archaeologist and then set out to disprove the historical reliability of this portion of the New Testament. However, through his painstaking Mediterranean archaeological trips, he became converted as one after another of the historical statements of Luke were proved accurate. Archaeological evidence thus confirms the trustworthiness of the Bible A Ready Defense, by Josh McDowell, 1993, p. 45.

3 Prophecy The third principle of Bible reliability is Prophecy, or predictive ability. The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense. Surprisingly, the predictive nature of many Bible passages was once a popular argument (by liberals) against the reliability of the Bible. Critics argued that the prophecies actually were written after the events and that editors had merely dressed up the Bible text to look like they contained predictions made before the events. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The many predictions of Christ s birth, life and death (see below) were indisputably rendered more than a century before they occurred as proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls of Isaiah and other prophetic books as well as by the Septuagint translation, all dating from earlier than 100 B.C. Old Testament prophecies concerning the Phoenician city of Tyre were fulfilled in ancient times, including prophecies that the city would be opposed by many nations (Ezek. 26:3); its walls would be destroyed and towers broken down (26:4); and its stones, timbers, and debris would be thrown into the water (26:12). Similar prophecies were fulfilled concerning Sidon (Ezek. 28:23; Isa. 23; Jer. 27:3-6; 47:4) and Babylon (Jer. 50:13, 39; 51:26, 42-43, 58; Isa. 13:20-21). Since Christ is the culminating theme of the Old Testament and the Living Word of the New Testament, it should not surprise us that prophecies regarding Him outnumber any others. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus to deliberately conspire to fulfill such as His descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12:3; 17:19; Num. 24:21-24); His birth in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2); His crucifixion with criminals (Isa. 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet at the crucifixion (Ps. 22:16); the soldiers gambling for His clothes (Ps. 22:18); the piercing of His side and the fact that His bones were not broken at His death (Zech. 12:10; Ps. 34:20); and His burial among the rich (Isa. 53:9). Jesus also predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22). Predictive Prophecy is a principle of Bible reliability that often reaches even the hard-boiled skeptic! Science 5 The Earth is suspended in nothing "He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing." (Job. 26:7, NIV). The Stars are Innumerable "He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" (Gen. 15:5, NIV). The Existence of Valleys in the Seas "The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils." (2 Sam. 22:16, NIV). The Existence of Springs and Fountains in the Seas "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." (Genesis 7:11, NIV). The Existence of Water Paths (Ocean Currents) in the Seas "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!... When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,... You made him [man] ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet... the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas." (Psalm 8:1,3, 6, 8, NIV). The Hydrologic Cycle "He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind." (Job 36:27-28, NIV) The Concept of Entropy "In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded." (Psalm 102:25-26, NIV). The Nature of Health, Sanitation, and Sickness The listing for this section is too large for this page, but the scriptural references are Leviticus

4 Proving The Bible Through Archaeology What archeological evidence has been found concerning Sodom & Gomorrah: Joseph: Jericho: David: AUTHENTICITY OF THE BIBLE - Proving the Bible through Archaeology Presented by: Grant Goodeve

5 Reasons to believe NT writers 1 1. : One of the ways historians can tell whether an author is telling the truth is to test what he says by principle of embarrassment. This principle assumes that any details embarrassing to the author are probably true. Why? Because the tendency of most authors is to leave out anything that makes them look bad. Dim-witted numerous times they fail to understand what Jesus is saying (Mk 9:32; cf. Luke 18:34; John 12:16) Uncaring they fall asleep on Jesus twice when He asks them to pray (Mk. 14:32-41) Cowards all the disciples but one hide when Jesus goes to the cross. Peter denies Him three times (Matt. 26:33-35) Doubters despite being taught several times that Jesus would rise from the dead, the disciples are doubtful when they hear of His resurrection (Matt 28:17) 2. : The N.T. writers are also honest about Jesus. Not only do they record self-incriminating details about themselves, they also record embarrassing details about their leader, Jesus, that seem to place Him in a bad light. Followers tax collectors (Matt 9:9)/ fishermen (Mark 1:16). Feet washed by prostitute (Lk 7:36-39) Is deserted by His followers (Jn 6:66) Crucified by Jews and Romans (Gal 3:13) 3. : If the N.T. writers were making up a story, they certainly didn t make up a story that made life easier for them. This Jesus had some very demanding standards. I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matt 5:28) I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:44) Be perfect..as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48) 4. : In addition to the inclusion of embarrassing details regarding themselves and Jesus, the N.T. writers recorded events related to the resurrection that they would not have inserted if they had invented the story. Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18) Mary Magdalene & other Mary (Matt 28:1-10) 1 Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek I don t have enough faith to be an atheist. Crossway Books.: Wheaton

6 5. : In light of the numerous different details in the New Testament, it s clear that the writers didn t get together to smooth out their testimonies. This means they were not trying to pass off a lie as truth. For if they were making up the N.T. story they would have gotten together to make sure they were consistent in every detail. 1 Angel- Matthew 28:5; cf. Mark 16:5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 2 Angels- John 20:12; cf. Luke 24:4 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 6. : The N.T. writers would have blown their credibility with their contemporary audiences by implicating real people in a fictional story, especially people of great notoriety and power. There is no way the N.T. writers could have gotten away with writing outright lies about Pilate, Caiaphas, and Festus. They would not include real people in a story that was meant to deceive. King Herod (Matt. 2:3). confirmed by Tacitus, Josephus Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1)- confirmed by Josephus Pilate (Matt. 27:2)-confirmed by Tacitus, Josephus, Philo Agrippa, Bernice, Festus(Acts 25)- confirmed by Josephus 7. : The N.T. writers don t just say that Jesus performed miracles and rose from the dead they actually back up that testimony with dramatic action. Virtually overnight they abandon many of their long held sacred beliefs and practices. The animal sacrifice system they replace it forever by the one perfect sacrifice of Christ. (Heb. 9:24-28; 10:10-14). Communion as an act of remembrance of Christ s sacrifice for their sins (1 Cor. 11:17-34) Baptism as a new sign that one was a partaker of the new covenant- (Deut 6:4; (Matt 28:19). We see the rapid rise of a new church (Acts 20:7), beginning shortly after the death of Jesus. 8. : The disciples risked their lives to tell the world that they had seen Jesus die and then miraculously walk among them three days later. If anyone knew if the resurrection was a lie it would have been the disciples, and no one in their right mind would die for a known lie. 2 Stephen (Acts 7:58-60) James (Acts 12:1-3) Peter (John 21:18-19)

7 Prophecy Fulfilled Name: Look up both the O.T. and N.T. passage in order to become familiar with the prophecy and fill in the blank. The number following the blank is the number of letters. You can use to help looking up the passages. 1. Born of a (6) Isaiah 7:13-14; Matt 1: Born of the line of (5) Isaiah 9:7; Matt 1:1 3. Born in (9) Micah 5:2-5; Matt 2: Be of the tribe of (5) Micah 5:2; Rev 5:5 5. Called (8), God with us. Isaiah 7:14; Matt 1: His ministry in (7) Isaiah 9:1-2; Matt 4: A (8) who gives His life for the sheep Isaiah 40:10-11; Jn 10:11 8. Will enter the (6) Mal 3:1; Matt 21: The King comes to Jerusalem on a (6) Zech 9:9; Matt 21: Rulers (7) against Him. Ps 2:1-2; Matt 26: Betrayed by a (6) Ps 41:9; Matt 26: With a (3) be struck on the head Micah 5:1; Matt 27: Hands and feet (7) Ps 22:16; Jn 20: Kept (6) before His accusers Is 53:7; Matt 26: Cast (4) for His clothing. Ps 22:18; Matt 27: Not a bone of Him shall be (6) Ps 34:20; Jn 19: Wounded for our (14) Isaiah 53:5; 1 Cor 15:3 18. Buried in a (4) man s tomb Isaiah 53:9; Matt 27: Shall bruise serpents (4) Gen 3:15; Heb 2: Will overcome (5) Ps 16:8-11; Lk 24: As you look over the prophecies fulfilled by Christ, which one stands out to you and how could you use it to explain the reliability of the Bible?

8 Prophecy Video Notes Science Video Notes

9 The Bible Stands Alone 1 Compiled by Jordan and Justin Drake In 1889 a schoolteacher told a ten-year-old boy, "You will never amount to very much." That boy was Albert Einstein. In 1954 a music manager told a young singer, "You ought to go back to driving a truck." That singer was Elvis Presley. In 1962 a record company told a group of singers, "We don t like your sound. Groups with guitars are definitely on their way out." They said that to the Beatles. Man is prone to make mistakes. Those who reject the Bible should take the time to look at the evidence before they come to a verdict. 1. It is unique in its continuity. If just 10 people today were picked who were from the same place, born around the same time, spoke the same language, and made about the same amount of money, and were asked to write on just one controversial subject, they would have trouble agreeing with each other. But the Bible stands alone. It was written over a period of 1,600 years by more than 40 writers from all walks of life. Some were fishermen; some were politicians. Others were generals or kings, shepherds or historians. They were from three different continents, and wrote in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek). They wrote on hundreds of controversial subjects yet they wrote with agreement and harmony. They wrote in dungeons, in temples, on beaches, and on hillsides, during peacetime and during war. Yet their words sound like they came from the same source. So even though 10 people today couldn t write on one controversial subject and agree, God picked 40 different people to write the Bible and it stands the test of time. 2. It is unique in its circulation. The invention of the printing press in 1450 made it possible to print books in large quantities. The first book printed was the Bible. Since then, the Bible has been read by more people and printed more times than any other book in history. By 1930, over one billion Bibles had been distributed by Bible societies around the world. By 1977, Bible societies alone were printing over 200 million Bibles each year, and this doesn t include the rest of the Bible publishing companies. No one who is interested in knowing the truth can ignore such an important book. 3. It is unique in its translation. The Bible has been translated into over 1,400 languages. No other book even comes close. 4. It is unique in its survival. In ancient times, books were copied by hand onto manuscripts which were made from parchment and would decay over time. Ancient books are available today only because someone made copies of the originals to preserve them. For example, the original writings of Julius Caesar are no longer around. We know what he wrote only by the copies we have. Only 10 copies still exist, and they were made 1,000 years after he died. Only 600 copies of Homer s The Iliad exist, made 1,300 years after the originals were written. No other book has as many copies of the ancient manuscripts as the Bible. In fact, there are over 24,000 copies of New Testament manuscripts, some written within 35 years of the writer s death. 5. It is unique in withstanding attack. No other book has been so attacked throughout history as the Bible. In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy Christianity. Anyone caught with a Bible would be executed. But just 25 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine ordered that 50 perfect copies of the Bible be made at government expense. The French philosopher Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. Voltaire died in 1728, but the Bible lives on. The irony of history is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles. The Bible has also survived criticism. No book has been more attacked for its accuracy. And yet archeologists are proving every year that the Bible s detailed descriptions of historic events are correct. 1