Thesis: To instruct the hearer on the many evidences that the Bible puts forth that it truly is the word of God.
Introduction
1. In 2 Timothy 3:16 the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul penned these words (turn there) . . .
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (KJV)
2. The words here “inspiration of God” are translated from the Greek word “theopneutos,” which literally means “God breathed,” in other words “all Scripture is God breathed,” it is that which is “breathed out from God,” it originates, comes from God.
3. Also we see in 2 Peter 1:20-21 it is also written (turn there) . . .
2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation (represents the prophets own understanding of things; CEB).
2Pe 1:21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. (ASV)
4. The phrase “of private interpretation” here refers to the fact that prophecy of Scripture did not “originate” from man, the CEB translates this “no prophecy of scripture represents the prophets own understanding of things” but rather holy men of God spake as they were “moved” by the Holy Spirit.
5. The word translated “moved” here comes from the Greek word “phero,” which means “to be moved, driven or borne along.”
6. Thus these men “spake” the very words that the Holy Spirit “drove” them to speak. God did not put “thoughts” into the minds of men, and left it up to fallible men to choose the words to convey those thoughts,
7. But rather God gave them the very “words” which are imparted to us upon the pages of inspiration.
8. As also spoken of by David in 2 Samuel 23:2 (turn there). . .
2Sa 23:2 "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.
9. Gods “word” was upon David’s tongue, the very “words” of God. This is also seen in Jer 1:9 (turn there) . . .
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10. This concept is also affirmed by the inspired apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:13 . . .
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. (ASV)
11. And also in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (turn there) . . .
1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
12. So we can see that the Bible plainly teaches that it is the very “words” given by God through the Holy Spirit which we have recorded in the Bible.
13. This is known as “verbal, plenary, inspiration”, “verbal (words), plenary (all of them), inspiration (inspired of God).”
14. In other words every single word in Scripture has its origin from God Almighty, therefore it is that by which we ought to live, serve, and worship, because it is by that which we will be judged (John 12:48; Rom 2:16; Rev 20:12).
Joh 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
Rom 2:16 in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ. (ASV)
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books (that is the Bible), according to their works. (ASV)
15. We who are Christians believe this to be true. That is why we ought to have a word for word translation of the Scriptures (form equivalence; KJV; ASV;YLT; ESV; NASB; NKJV), not a paraphrase, nor a dynamic equivalence, we need to know what God says, not what men think He says.
16. Yet our faith is not a blind faith, but one that has a basis, and that basis is evidence (Heb 11:1; KJV) . . .
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJV)
17. This evidence, both internal (within the pages of the Bible) and external (outside of Scripture), if examined by any, Christian or non-Christian, cannot not be easily pushed aside by the logical thinking mind.
18. Therefore we will look at some of these evidences which will establish that which the Bible declares of itself, that it is indeed “the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Pet 1:23).
I. First we will look at “THE UNITY OF THE BIBLE” . . .
A. The Bible was written over a time period of about 1500 years (1491 BC - AD 70-90),
By approximately 40 different individuals of differing social and educational backgrounds.
In differing locations within two different continents, and in three different languages.
There are different types of writings therein, law, history, poetry, prophetic, and apocalyptic.
Yet in all these writings, with all these varying factors, there is not one discordant note, all are in harmony one with another, in other words God’s word does have a “sum” a harmonious conclusion, as it is written (Ps 119:160a) . . .
Psa 119:160a The sum of thy word is truth;
1. Yet the critics of the Bible have been relentlessly attempting to disprove this fact by searching for, and claiming discrepancies for centuries, but they have fallen far short. Some have even had their eyes opened to God’s truth during their vain attempts, in other words the enemies of God became the children of God.
2. The grand theme of the Bible (the redemption, the saving of mankind), and its center piece (Jesus Christ), can be seen from cover to cover.
3. And as one reads its contents we can ascertain that the men which were penning such were many times unaware of the full import of that which they wrote, and how it related to Gods eternal purpose, redemption through Christ (look at Dan 12:8-13) . . .
Dan 12:8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?"
Dan 12:9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.
Dan 12:10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.
Dan 12:11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.
Dan 12:13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."
a. Yet we, with God’s completed special revelation to mankind (the OT and NT together), can see the wisdom of God in its inherent unity, and the purposeful way, providentially and miraculously, in which God brought it all to pass.
b. It has been said, and rightly so, the OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed, and this also is affirmed by Scripture in 1 Pet 1:10-12 (turn there) . . .
1Pe 1:10 Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
1Pe 1:12 To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into. (ASV)
c. Its theme is without question inherent, what was lost in the garden in Genesis, (intimate fellowship with God, and the privilege to partake of the tree of life; Gen 3:24), is regained in the book of Revelation (Rev 21:3; 22:14), and that is the hope of every Christian.
4. There is also a unity of doctrine (the teaching) throughout the pages of inspiration, sin is always condemned, and righteousness is always rewarded (ultimately).
a. Yet there are many liberal theologians of this present day that want to twist what is “reported” in the Bible as being “acceptable” in the eyes of God, in order to justify many immoral practices, and thereby increase numerically the congregations of which they are part. They need to heed the differences between what the Bible “reports,” and what the Bible “teaches as approved.” They nor we must not commend where God has not commended, we must simply speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet 4:11).
b. The fact alone that the Bible unbiasly reports sinful actions of men who are followers of Jehovah God merely stands as more evidence for its inspiration, they were not perfect, neither are we perfect, only God is perfect (Mt 5:48), but we are to be faithful (Rev 2:10), yet, outstandingly, God’s perfection is imputed to us in Jesus (2 Cor 5:21).
c. We are to practice that which is approved, and guard ourselves from that which is not (3 Jn 1:11),
3Jn 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
5. Let us note also that when a group of individuals join together to bring about a publication, even though they are aided by proof readers, computers, and modern day devices which provide better communications between each other, we still see errors therein, yet in the Bible this is not the case.
a. Even though it was written by kings and fishermen, and all types of individuals in between, over a long period of time (1500 years), most who never personally knew one another, in 3 different languages upon 2 continents, there is a unity in the Bible that cannot be even approached by mortal man.
b. This in itself speaks strongly for the inspiration of the Bible, for we know that there may have been 40 different penmen, yet we as believers know there is but One Author, and only this One, God Almighty, could produce such an infallible piece of literature as we see in the Bible, which gives us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge contained therein (2 Pet 1:3).
2Pe 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
c. Therefore the “unity of the Bible” is but one evidence that the Bible sets forth that it truly is “the word of God and not the words of men” (2 Thess 2:14) . . .
1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
II. We can also look at the “MORAL STANDARDS” that are taught upon the pages of inspiration, as a proof that they are without a doubt from God.
A. Loving your enemies, praying for them that persecute you (Mt 5:44-45), giving in order to receive (2 Cor 9:6-8), putting others before self (9 Cor 10:24), dying so one can live (Rom 6:8), being restricted by commands in order to be set free (John 8:31-32)
1. These are “paradoxal” in nature (para= against; doxal=common belief), in effect against common thought, not commonly the type of things that originate from man, but from God, man has proven this to be the case time and time again throughout the ages, and one can look about in society and see the same today.
a. That which comes from humanity for the most part is self-centered, the “me me, I I’s, the false gods conceived in the minds of men are gods that would give them their desires, their lusts, not that which would ultimately benefit them, for man tends to look at the here and now, not the there and then. This speaks for the Bible being the product of God, not man. This sadly is where many reject the Bible, they just cant believe that doesn’t approve of many things approved of men, as it is written (John 3:19-21) . . .
Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Joh 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed (reproved).
Joh 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
b. Jesus stated to His earthly brothers in Jn 7:7 . . .
Joh 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
c. Man, without Divine guidance is generally speaking a terrible mess, God by means of the Holy Spirit reveals this to each one of us, convicting us of our sinfulness (Jn 16:8),
Joh 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
d. Then proceeds to clean up that internal mess through the transforming work of the gospel (Rom 12:1-2),
Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
e. This in itself is a very large evidence that the Bible did not originate from man, but rather from God, Who is light, and in Him is no darkness whatsoever (1 Jn 1:5).
1Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
f. We become the light of the world through the Gospel, children of light, children of God.
III. We can also look at what is called the “AGREEMENT OF BOOK AND LAND” to show forth that the Bible is of God
A. This is evidence is based upon the factual geographical evidence of the Bible lands, and comparing that to the text of the Bible. If the Bible is not accurate in the geographical and topographical things of this world, then how could we trust it in things “not” of this world, spiritual matters, heavenly things, which affect the eternal destiny of our souls? On the flip side of this, if it is correct in the areas we can check upon, then this gives us evidence, that it also is correct in the areas where we cannot check, that which must be attained by faith (Rom 10:17; Heb 11:6). We will just look at a few of these evidences . . .
1. We have the phrase “going up to Jerusalem,” this phrase is found 21 times in the NT.
Mat_20:17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
Mar_10:32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,
Mar_10:33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.
Luk_18:31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.
Luk_19:28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
a. Jerusalem is built upon and surrounded by 7 mountains (Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel and Antonio), thus one must go “up” to go there.
b. Likewise we have the “going down” from Jerusalem phrases also.
c. In Lk 10:30 “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem”.
In Acts 9:32, “he came down also to the saints”.
In Acts 24:1, “Ananias came down with certain elders”.
d. These up and down statements, though incidentals, are accurate topographically, and prove that the Bible is accurate in this realm.
e. We could go through more incidentals, like the trees, the vegetation, the climate, the manners and customs of the land, and we will find no error whatsoever. The Bible and these topics are in complete “agreement.”
f. These are areas where one might expect to find error if the Bible were the work of mere uninspired men, yet it is totally accurate in all areas, even though for the most part these are incidentals, but it gives us all the more evidence that the Bible is the product of God, not men. (1 Thess 2:13)
1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
IV. We will also take a brief look into the field of “ARCHEOLOGY” and look at some of the external evidences therein.
A. If the Bible lines up historically with these evidences, or is confirmed by these evidences, it adds all the more to the credibility and infallibility of the Biblical record, and thus to its Author being the One true and living God, Who created (Gen 1-2) and sustains the whole physical universe by the word of His power (Heb 1:3).
1. Most of the critics of the Bible attempt to use this field of study as a place where they assume to effectively attack God’s word, yet over time, just the opposite has become apparent, the Bible is correct, these unbelieving individuals wrong.
2. Skeptics say that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch (Gen-Deut), for they assert that writing was unknown to the Hebrews in his day, basically making a liar of our sinless Saviour in John 5:46-47 . . .
Joh 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
Joh 5:47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
a. Yet William F. Albright (who is known as the dean of archeologists) states an archeologist named Claude F. A. Schaffer found an ancient tablet in 1949 of the Ugaritic (ancient Hebrew) alphabet in its proper order, it was discovered that the sequence of the alphabet was the same as modern Hebrew, thereby proving that the Hebrew alphabet goes back some 3,500 years (i.e. back to the time of Moses).
3. Concerning the Biblical account of Pharaoh’s dream of his cupbearer and baker (Gen 40:9-11), it was claimed to be false because it was asserted that winemaking was unknown in ancient Egypt (and that assertion was based upon the writings of a historian named Herodotus 1,000 years removed from the fact).
a. And the argument would still be going on “if” a tomb in Egypt from that time frame hadn’t been discovered with pictures of them engaged in the art of viticulture (winemaking). Thus archeology proved the so thought reliable historian to be wrong, and again, the Bible correct.
4. David, the 2nd earthly king over the physical nation of Israel, is mentioned 1048 times in the Bible, and is credited with writing 73 of the Psalms, despite this, he is not mentioned outside of the Biblical record. The critics of the Bible held this up as proof, that the record concerning David is fallacious, thus in error, thus the Bible is from fallible men, not an infallible God.
a. But in 1993 an individual named Avraham Biram discovered a 3,000 yr old obelisk in northern Israel inscribed by one of the enemies of Israel with a phrase in which said enemy was defeated by the “house of David.” This phrase “house of David” is found 26 times in the Biblical record, thus putting to rest the gainsayers in this matter also.
5. The account concerning the queen of Sheba (1 Ki 10:1-2) was scoffed at also, many asserted she and her country were considered nothing more than a legend, a mere fable.
a. Until 100 years ago Marib, the ancient capital of Sheba, was discovered in southern Africa thus proving the Bible true, and again, man wrong.
6. Sargon (king of Assyria) in Isa 20:1 was not mentioned anywhere outside of the Biblical record, and led skeptics to believe that Isaiah was wrong, thus nothing more than a false statement from an uninspired man.
b. But in 1843 the palace of Sargon was excavated several miles north of Nineveh, so Isaiah’s account was found to be true, and again, unbelieving men in error.
c. There have been evidences unearthed for the realities of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea crossing, and even Noah’s ark, all confirming the Bible to be true, and men, liars.
B. Now concerning the NT there is not as much archeological evidence as there is for the OT merely because the time frame is so narrow (less than 100 yrs). Yet the evidence that exists confirms the accounts as accurate.
1. Many NT coins have been found, and are exactly as the Bible describes them (Mt 12:41-44; 22:17-21; 26:14-15).
2. In 1961 Antonio Frova discovered the “Pilate Inscription” which confirms Mt 27:2 as far as Pilate’s office, and the time it was held.
3. In Luke’s account of the book of Acts, he, by inspiration, mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands without one error, and again that in a day when communications and sciences are far from what we have today, he (Luke) is held by many to be one the most accurate, if not the most accurate, historian of his day concerning these things, yet Luke was nothing more than a Gentile servant physician Christian with no schooling on these sorts of matters.
4. These evidences add to the weight of the evidences which we already have looked into, which all attest to the Bible being the work of God, not men (1 Thess 2:13) . . .
1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
V. Now we will look at the realm of science, specifically “SCIENTIFIC FOREKNOWLEDGE.”
A. Now the Bible is not a science book, but rather a book that enables individuals to attain that eternal inheritance (Acts 20:32), which God, Who cannot lie, promised before the ages began (Tit 1:2), it is a book that is spiritual in nature. Yet, when things are mentioned that pertain to scientific facts, they are scientifically correct, without any error whatsoever. For it only makes sense that the God Who created and sustains the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them is (Acts 14:15), must have a proper understanding of that which is “by Him and for Him” (Col 1:16), and at a level far above that of man, who is merely a part of this creation that declares the glory of God, and shows forth the handiwork of the true and living God (Ps 19:1).
First we will look in the field of “astronomy” . . .
1. In Gen 15:5 . . .
Gen 15:5 And He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then He said to him, "So shall your (seed) offspring be."
God implied to Abram that the stars are uncountable (by man), many throughout the ages have attempted to do such, finally man has come to the conclusion that indeed they are not countable. God stated this in His word thousands of years ago, man, finally acknowledged that it is true, for we know it is impossible for God to lie (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).
2. In Ps 19:4-6 The Psalmist speaks of “the circuit of the sun” . . .
Psa 19:4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
Psa 19:5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Psa 19:6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
It is a fairly recent discovery that the sun is actually traveling through the universe at 600,000 mph, and in a circuit (a circular pattern of movement), and if that circuit continues it has been calculated that it will take approx. 220 million years for its orbit around the universe to take place.
3. In Isa 40:22 the prophet writes of the “circle of the earth” . . .
Isa 40:22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
Mankind for ages thought that the earth was flat and it wasn’t until the 1500’s when Magellan sailed around the world that it was discovered and confirmed to be round as brought forth in the Bible. Again it is taking years for man to catch up, acknowledge, and agree that God’s word is Truth (Jn 17:17).
4. In Job chapters 38-39 we see Jehovah God asking Job a series of questions in order to show forth Job’s ignorance compared to the Almighty. In Job 38:19, 24 God speaks of “light” having a “way”.
Job 38:19 "Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness,
Job 38:24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
It wasn’t until the 17th century that man discovered that light is something that moves (as in the speed of light) rather than something that was instantaneously apparent.
5. The question must be put forth “how could these men that penned these statements possibly have known of these facts hundreds if not thousands of years before they came to the knowledge of mankind”? The answer is simple, “they could not on their own,” but the One God Who is “over all, and through all, and in all” would, these things are the works of His hands, He is their Designer, and He alone has a perfect knowledge of such. Let us look at a few more of scientific truths foreknown by the great I AM . . .
6. In Job 38:16 the inspired penmen speak of “recesses of the deep,”
Job 38:16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?
a. In previous centuries man thought that the continents were mere sandy extensions from one to another, and with the right apparatus, a man could actually walk through the oceans from one continent to another.
b. Yet in the 1800’s and the 1900’s there have been discovered “trenches,” “recesses,” “channels” in three of the major oceans that are from 5-7 mi in depth, and it is almost impossible even to this day for man unaided (without pressure reducing devices) to research these areas.
c. How could these ancient men have known these things? Of course the answer again is “they could not have” for the Bible is not of man, but of God.
7. In Gen 2:1-2 . . .
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.
The record states that “God finished His work,” He ceased to create. The word “finished” here is in the “past definite tense,” it indicates an action in the past that will never again occur.
This is essentially what we would refer to as “the first law of thermodynamics” which basically states “matter nor energy is neither being created nor destroyed, but rather changing forms.”
How could Moses know this fact? He as a mere man could not, but God Almighty speaking through the writings of Moses can and does know all.
8. In Heb 1:10-11 (Ps 102:25-27) . . .
Heb 1:10 And, "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
Heb 1:11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,
Heb 1:12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end."
The inspired writers speak of the earth and the heavens “perishing,” “running down,” “deteriorating.”
This is essentially the “second law of thermodynamics” which states that everything is basically running down and becoming more chaotic, usable energy is being converted into non-usable energy.
This scientific law, by the way, is directly opposed to that which evolutionists assert, things are breaking down as time passes, not becoming more complex, monkeys are not becoming men, but rather both monkeys and men are becoming dust, as ordained by God (Gen 3:19).
B. Now let us look at a couple facts revealed in “the realm of medicine.”
1. In Lev 17:11 it states that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” . . .
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
a. This was not known to be a medical truth until the 1900’s. Men for the longest time were actually “bled” when they were ill, the thought was to “dispose” or “rid” the body of the “bad blood.”
b. In fact in 1799 George Washington, this country’s founding father and 1st President was literally bled to death in an attempt to heal him, but if they would have heeded the Bible on this subject, this may not have taken place.
c. Today individuals are given blood by transfusion instead of the taking away thereof in many modern medical procedures because it is now acknowledged that “the life is in the blood”.
2. In Gen 17:12 we are told that the male Hebrew children were to be circumcised on the 8th day . . .
Gen 17:12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
Why this day? Why not some other day?
Well the reason is that it was discovered in the 20th century that on the 8th day, vitamin K and prothrombin (which are directly responsible for the clotting of the blood), are at the highest level that they will ever be in a person’s life, in other words, if a person were to have a surgical procedure, the 8th day of his life would be the best day in order to do such.
How could Moses have known these facts? It seems to be redundant, yet it is true, “only the Most High could have known these things, not man!”
The Bible is indeed inspired of God, and there is a ton of proof, therefore individuals ought to give the more earnest heed, for God is love (1 John 4:16), but He is also a consuming fire (Heb 12:29).
3. We need to remember that the Bible is not a science book, it is a spiritual book from God, that guides individuals back to God, from which they, through sin, have separated themselves from Him (Isa 59:2), but where facts are stated concerning these matters they are scientifically accurate.
a. This is very weighty evidence that the Bible is not from man, but rather, a special revelation from God to man, which is able to fill all his spiritual needs, as it is written (Ps 119:105) . . ..
Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path.
VI. Now we will look at Biblical “PROPHECY”.
A. Fulfilled predictive prophecy is one of the strongest evidences that we have that the Bible is inspired of God.
In the realm of fulfilled predictive prophecy Jehovah God puts His Deity on the line, and the deity of false gods are also exposed hereat as false indeed. In Deut 18:22 the record states . . .
Deu 18:22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
1. Prophecy is that which God puts before mankind, as His litmus test. This proves Jehovah’s omniscience, and Him to be the One and only true living God that knows the beginning from the end, and thus proves the Bible to be the word of God.
a. It also exposes those which falsely claim that Deity dwells in their camp, or that their so called writings are of the Most High, for it is written (Isa 44:6-8) . . .
Isa 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Isa 44:7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
Isa 44:8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."
b. Fulfilled prophecy is unique to Christianity; there is no other religion that will claim fulfilled prophecy as an evidence for the validity of said religion, this is the main difference between the religions of men, and that of the one true God. First we will look at fulfilled prophecies concerning nations.
B. There are numerous prophecies concerning the nation of “Israel,” much more than a short look in this lesson can properly bring to light. I think it is important to state that God never took action against a nation arbitrarily, (without a cause) God is no respecter of persons (Deut 10:17; 2 Chro 19:7; Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; 1 Pet 1:17) and this also applies to Israel, all of Gods promises, whether they be blessings or cursings, were and are still conditional (Deut 28; Mk 16:15-16). Concerning Israel we will look first at Deut 28:49-52.
Deu 28:49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand,
Deu 28:50 a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young.
Deu 28:51 It shall eat the offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; it also shall not leave you grain, wine, or oil, the increase of your herds or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.
Deu 28:52 "They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you.
1. In this passage it states that a nation would come “from far away, from the end of the earth” (Deut 28:49).
a. This passage has been interpreted as being fulfilled by 3 major sieges and their captivities (Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman).
b. Assyria in 722 BC (2 Ki 17:5-6 shows the fulfillment of this), Babylon in 606 BC (2 Ki 24:10-15 shows the fulfillment of that), and finally Rome in AD 68-70 (which was more than likely the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy).
c. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70 also declared Christ to be “the Prophet” which spoken of in Deut 18:15-19, based upon Mt 24:1-35.
2. Israel was to be sold into slavery in Egypt (according to Deut 28:68). Josephus the Jewish historian in his book “Wars” tells us of the Jews that were sold into Egypt. Following the siege and taking of Jerusalem the Roman soldiers grew tired of killing Jews. And there were too many left, from their viewpoint to kill. So orders came down from Caesar to kill all the old and infirmed, and the younger, stronger Jews were put in bonds and sent to work in the Egyptian mines [1].
3. Israel was to be scattered as a nation but never consumed (according to Deut 28:64). Israel was and is certainly scattered among the nations, but was always and is a distinct people (Jer 4:27; 5:18; 30:11; 46:28).
4. Israel would never rise again as a powerful nation, Jer 19:10-11; 22:29-30 show this to be the case. When Jesus came, the Jews thought Israel would rise again as a physical nation with Him leading the way, yet He made it clear that His kingdom was to be spiritual in nature (Lk 17:20-21; Jn 18:36), and would not advance as earthly kingdoms would (Jn 18:36), but through the preaching of the gospel (Mt 7:24-27), and is the church (Mt 16:18-19), which was established on the first Pentecost following His resurrection (Acts 2; Col 1:13).
a. The church is now spiritual Israel (Gal 6:16), the promised seed of Abraham (Gal 3:23-29), which fulfilled the prophecies of Isa 2; Dan 2; Joel 2; and Micah 2.
b. Also those that claim to be the fleshly descendants of Abraham today cannot be sure because the records of the family lineages were destroyed along with the temple in AD 70, and Jews are indeed dispersed throughout the world today, and the ones that are back in Palestine are not a world power, they have no king, no temple, they do not follow the law of Moses, they only posses only a part of the promised territory, there are no priests, no sacrifices, and no way to know for sure who is authorized to partake of the priesthood.
c. Modern Israel today is nothing more than a secular physical kingdom likened to any other, it can and never will be the world power that it once was, thus this prophecy is being fulfilled to this day.
C. Now concerning “Egypt;” Ezek 29:9-12 states that Egypt would be desolate for 40 years.
We read that God would raise up “Nebuchadrezzar” in Babylon, and give him Egypt in battle (Ezek 29:19).
Eze 29:9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I made it,'
Eze 29:10 therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.
Eze 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.
Eze 29:12 And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. . . .
Eze 29:19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army.
1. Only a prophet inspired of God could make predictions like these and have them come to pass exactly as written.
a. Rollins wrote in his book “Ancient History,” “Nebuchanezzar . . . conquered the whole kingdom . . . not repaired in forty years . . . [2].
2. It is written that Egypt would be lowered, no longer being a nation among nations (Ezek 29:14-15).
Eze 29:14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
Eze 29:15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations.
a. This prophecy describes the nation after the 40 yr desolation afflicted upon it the by the Babylonian army, and looks to the end of time. Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest, most advanced and for many centuries was one of the most powerful nations on earth.
b. It has been over 2,000 years since this prophecy was given, and it still stands, there has been various defeats against Egypt since Babylon in 605 BC, and Egypt has never regained her spot as a world power, nor ever will. Why? Because God has spoken it, and it is impossible for Him to lie (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).
3. Egypt’s land was to become an unproductive waste (Ezek 30:12; Isa 19:4-6).
Eze 30:12 And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the LORD; I have spoken.
Isa 19:4 and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
Isa 19:5 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,
Isa 19:6 and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.
a. Before the devastation of Egypt as foretold by Ezekiel and Isaiah, Herodotus, a Greek historian called Egypt “the gift of the Nile,” but this has vastly changed due to the changing of the Nile River, which provides the means of supporting life in this area.
b. Egypt today cannot even grow enough crops to support its own people, and it must export the crops they do grow in order to buy grain which they cannot.
c. Those who have visited Egypt tell of the poverty and the filth which most of its people live in even today, thus we can see that this nation has become, and still is waste and barren, God works, even today.
4. Also, “there shall be no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt.” (Ezek 30:13).
Eze 30:13 "Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt; so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
a. In order for this prophecy to fail there would need to be a natural descendant of an Egyptian rise to power and become the national leader, or prince, or ruler in Egypt.
b. According to John Urquhart in his book “Wonders of Prophecy” he writes . . .“From 350 BC to the present no native prince has ruled the land, again and again has Egypt changed masters, but among them all, no son of her’s is numbered” [3].
c. Also Smith in his book writes “Each successive ruler was raised to supreme authority from being a stranger and a slave; no son of the former ruler, no native of Egypt succeeded to the sovereignty; but a new chief was chosen from among a new race of imported slaves” [4].
d. Most of the inhabitants of Egypt today are of Arab descent, or descended of Shem and Abraham through Ishmael.
e. Even the modern rulers in Egypt cannot be counted as a prince, for they are not descended from a royal bloodline in Egypt, “There is no royal blood in their veins” [5] Smith writes.
f. Thus this prophecy is still being fulfilled to this day, and lends proof to the inspiration of the Bible as being from the One and only living God “ . . . Who rules over the kingdoms of men, and that He sets up over it whom He will (Dan 5:21).
5. We could go in more detail over more fulfilled prophecies concerning Tyre (Ezek 26), Nineveh (Isa 10:12-14; Zeph 2:13-15), Babylon (Isa 13:17-22; 44:28; Jer 50-51), and so forth.
6. Look at Isaiah 44:24ff . . .
Isa 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
Isa 44:25 who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish,
Isa 44:26 who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins';
Isa 44:27 who says to the deep, 'Be dry; I will dry up your rivers';
Isa 44:28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"
Isa 45:1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
Isa 45:2 "I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,
Isa 45:3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
Isa 45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,
Isa 45:6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Isa 45:7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.
a. This was written in about 700BC before Cyrus of Persia was born and was shown to king Cyrus of Persia about a 150 years later (550BC; Ezra 1:1-4) as confirmed by Josephus, which prompted Cyrus to send the Jews back to their land and fund the rebuilding of the temple, which was to be there when Jesus, the Word, became flesh, would come to the temple (Mal 3:1) and foretell of yet another destruction of the temple (Mt 24:1-34; Look at Ezra 1:1-4) . . .
Ezr 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled (Jer 29:10), the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
Ezr 1:2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Ezr 1:3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."
b. Look at Jer 34:2-6 . . .
Jer 34:2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Jer 34:3 You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.'
Jer 34:4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you: 'You shall not die by the sword.
Jer 34:5 You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD."
Jer 34:6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem,
c. Now look at Ezek 12:13 . . .
Eze 12:13 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.
d. How could these both be fulfilled? Now look at 2 Ki 25:6-7 . . .
2Ki 25:6 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him.
2Ki 25:7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.
e. This is almost scary, this should bring the fear of the Lord upon any that desire to go against His will.
7. We have looked at but a few of the nearly 800 prophecies in the Bible concerning nations and cities foretold hundreds of years before their fulfillment, and with exacting detail.
a. This must lead us to the conclusion that the Bible is inspired of God, for no unaided man could write nor fulfill these. And again, you will not find this in any other book that a religion is based upon today, or any day, it’s not there, they don’t have this type of prophecy and its exacting fulfillment,
b. The Bible “only” is that which is inspired of the only one true God (2 Tim 3:16), and it proves itself over, and over, and over again.
D. Now it has been stated by various scholars that there are no less than 333 OT prophecies fulfilled in the person of “Jesus Christ.”
1. The mathematical possibilities of this coming to pass by mere chance are astronomical, it has been calculated to be one over 84 (followed by 123 zeros), that would be 84 x 10 to the 123rd power; it takes an academic degree just to grasp the magnitude of this number alone.
a. Yet we know that these prophecies did not come to pass by chance alone, these were accomplished by the means of the will of God, and His Son Jesus Christ.
b. There is no one that can deny the historical Christ, and when we put together the external evidence with the Biblical (internal) evidence in the fulfilling of these prophecies, only those who “want” to be blind from the truth can turn away from the convincing evidence that exists.
c. We will just look at a few of the over 300 prophecies that were and are fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. In Micah 5:2 (written about 735-700 BC) we see the foretelling of the place of the Messiah’s birth . . .
Mic 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans (thousands) of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days (everlasting; ASV; eternity; NASB).
a. We need to remember the time element here, no uninspired man could have possibly accomplished this.
b. In this passage the key words are “Ephrathah” and that it is “little” in Judah,
c. There were two towns at that time in Palestine which were named Bethlehem, and this prophecy tells us exactly which one it would be, this is just one example of the specific nature of prophecies in the Bible, but out of her shall come forth a Ruler, Jesus.
d. Bethlehem Ephrathah is so insignificant, so small, that it was omitted twice from the lists of towns in Jos 15 and Neh 11.
e. We know that this is talking of Christ for it plainly speaks of His eternal nature (John 8:58; “from everlasting”), and we can rightly conclude that one is either God or creation (“In the beginning God created”; Gen 1:1).
3. Now concerning then lineage of the Christ, He would be the seed of Abraham (Gen 22:18), Isaac (Gen 26:4), and Jacob (Gen 28:14), all fulfilled in Gal 3:16 and Acts 3:25-26.
4. He would be born of the seed of a woman (only; Gen 3:15), this is fulfilled in Gal 4:4 “Born of a woman (only), born under the law,” specifically a virgin (Isa 7:14), conceived in her of the Holy Spirit, fulfilled in Mt 1:20-23.
5. The time of His coming would be in the days of the Roman kings, the 4th kingdom (Dan 2:44), this is fulfilled in Lk 2:1 where it speaks of the days of Augustus Caesar.
6. God’s Spirit would to be upon Him (Isa 42:1), we see this fulfilled in Mt 3:16-17 where we see Spirit descending as a dove, and coming upon Him.”
7. His ministry was to be in Galilee of the Gentiles (Isa 9:1-2), fulfilled in Mt 4:14-15.
8. He was to be despised and rejected, He would be acquainted with grief (probably referring to His healing of the sickness of sin; Isa 53:3), fulfilled in Jn 1:11; 12:37, and in some ways His whole ministry and death.
9. He would enter Jerusalem in triumph upon the “colt of a donkey” (Zech 9:9), fulfilled in Mt 21:4-5.
10 He would be crucified (Ps 22:16), with evil doers, yet buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isa 53:12), and through His shed blood we are saved (Isa 53:5).
11. He would not remain in Hades, but rather would be resurrected from the dead (Ps 16:8), and He would ascend into heaven to rule over His everlasting kingdom (Dan 7:13-14)
a. All these passages, which are but a few concerning the fulfilled Messianic prophecies in Christ, speak volumes for the inspiration of the Scriptures, thus is very strong evidence for the Bible being the inspired word of God.
b. As earlier stated, this is an evidence brought forth by God Himself, in opposition to the so called other gods (Isa 44:6-8), that would include today’s god of self, man putting himself on God’s throne, it is His challenge to them, and undeniable evidence for “all” to examine and believe in the one true and living God, and in His Son, Jesus, as the Christ, the Saviour of all who believe (Jn 3:16), and thereby obey (Heb 5:9; Rom 1:5; 16:26), being faithful even unto death (Rev 2:10).
VII. The “DOCUMENTS OF ANTIQUITY”
A. Now concerning that which we have in the Bible as being that which was originally penned (in other words not manipulated by men), and the evidence towards this assertion, all we can say is that it is almost
“unbelievable,” for it is written (1 Pet 1:24-25) . . .
1Pe 1:24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
1Pe 1:25 but the word of the Lord remains (abides) forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
1. This is a truth, God’s word is spiritual in nature, even if all the bibles were burned in the world, it would still exist, in the hearts of individuals, and on the heavenly tablets (Ps 119:89), but concerning the physical, the textual evidence for the NT in particular is far more than any other document of antiquity.
2. There are over 10,000 pieces of ancient evidences (manuscripts; codex’s/books/versions/manuscript fragments), and these are over 99% in agreement, one with another, and most differences are in spelling and word order (such as Christ Jesus vs. Jesus Christ), there are no doctrinal variations.
a. In a careful examination of the ancient documents we can see a slight changing in these texts over time, likely due mainly to scribal error (all documents were hand written at this time in history),
b. So what has happened recently is God fearing individuals compared the texts one to another chronologically, and took away what they believed based on this evidence, the mistakes and additions, going back to the oldest manuscripts that are in agreement with each other, basically there are 2 or 3 (at the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses all things are established; Deut 17:6; 19:15; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19), the Sinaiticus, the Vaticanus, and the Alexandrinus; and thereby purifying the texts.
c. Here is a list of the main oldest documents . . .
“The Chester Beatty Papyrus II is the earliest piece of the New Testament known to exist. This contains most of Paul's letters copied circa AD 100.
The John Rylands Manuscript contains part of the Gospel of John copied in AD 130. It can be found in the John Rylands Library of Manchester, England.
The Codex Vaticanus is a Greek copy of the entire Old Testament and most of the New Testament. Copied between the years 325 and 350 16, the Codex Vaticanus has resided in the Vatican's library since 1481 as one of the most trustworthy witnesses to the New Testament text. 17
The Codex Sinaiticus was discovered in the Mt. Sinai Monastery in 1859 by Dr. Constantin Von Tischendorf. It was penned circa AD 375-400 and contains all of the New Testament and most of the Old Testament. It was presented to the Russian Czar and in 1933 was bought by England. Today, it is in the British Museum in London.
The Codex Washingtonianus may be found in the Smithsonian Institution, having been written about AD 450. It contains the complete four Gospels.
The Bodmer Papyri and Bodmer Papyri II are manuscripts dating from AD 150 to 200. These various parts of the New Testament, discovered in Egypt, now exist in the Bodmer Library of World Literature. Other significant collections include the Codex Alexandrinus which is an Egyptian text circa AD 450, the Codex Ephraemi, and the Oxyrhynchus Papyri.
Notable Latin versions of scripture include the Itala Version completed around AD 200 in the North Africa region, the Wurzburg Palimpsest Codex circa AD 450, and the Lyons Codex from about AD 650. The most famous Latin version is Jerome's Vulgate from AD 390-404. 18
This overwhelming quantity of New Testament documents is appreciated even more when we realize that the Diocletian persecution of AD 303 sought to eradicate Christianity, including all of its churches and historical writings. The persecution's failure to do so is underscored by the United Bible Society's estimates that, since 1815, an unbelievable four billion Bibles have been published worldwide. 19”
3. None of the original autographs are as of yet to be found (they may have been destroyed in the early persecutions/eradication), as far as publicly known (probably according to the providence of God and His foreknowledge combined for the cause of man’s practice to worship “things” rather than God), but what we do have is closer in time to the originals than that of other types of writings, and the evidence that we have is far, far stronger than any document of a secular nature.
a. And if these evidences were of a secular nature there would be no doubting of them, yet men in their vainglory for the most part choose not submit to the God that loves them so (John 3:16), even though the evidence is so weighty.
B. Therefore, while we looked at but a part of the evidence, still it is quite convincing that The Bible is the inspired word of God.
1. When we examine the Bible against that which is physical and verifiable and find the Bible to be without any error whatsoever, perfect (Ps 19:7-8; Ja 1:25).
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving (restoring) the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
Psa 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
Jas 1:25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts (works), he will be blessed in his doing.
a. Thus it must also be correct concerning the spiritual things which one cannot bring into a laboratory to test, or put a measuring tape unto.
b. It is God’s very words (1 Thess 2:13), delivered to men by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20-21), which gives us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3) which enable us to be perfect, complete before the eyes of the all seeing, most holy God (2 Tim 3:16-17) through Jesus (2 Cor 5:21).
c. So let us be thankful that we have God’s word, and that He decided to put them into a medium which we can understand with our finite minds (Eph 3:4).
d. Therefore let us study, give diligence unto His word (2 Tim 2:15), in order that we may be able properly apply it to ourselves, and to teach others also (2 Tim 2:2), so that all the more may have that opportunity to hear, believe, and obey from the heart unto the life eternal (Rom 6:17-18), of which God promised before the world began (Tit 1:2).
1 - Josephus; Wars 9:6
2 - Ancient History; Rollins; Vol 1; p 232
3 - Wonders of Prophecy; Urquhart; p 30
4 - Wilbur Smith; p 101
5 - ibid; p 102