CAN YOU STILL TRUST THE BIBLE? (2)

TOPIC: CAN YOU STILL TRUST THE BIBLE? (2)
TEXT: PSALM 119:9-18
MEMORY VERSE: “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. ” – Psalm 105:19

One supportive evidence for the inspiration of the Bible is the remarkable phenomenon of its survival, translation, and circulation. The Bible survived the destructive elements of time. For an ancient book to have survived the forces of decay and neglect from the time of Moses until now is truly remarkable. The production and the circulation of books written in ancient times were greatly limited by the fact that they were produced entirely by hand and were therefore restricted in number. These ancient books faced fires, storms, insects, decay, neglect, mold, and even enemies. The Bible’s survival—coupled with the massive attestation of so many manuscripts, versions, and quotations—is amazing.

The Bible survived great persecution and criticism. From the days of the Roman emperors to more recent-day Communist domination in parts of the world, the Bible has often suffered efforts to stamp it out. It has been persecuted, banned, and burned. It is the martyr among books, but it has survived victoriously and grown in its influence and distribution. After a time of destructive criticism by ancient philosophers Celsus and Porphyry, the Bible experienced one thousand years of peaceful existence.

The Bible became honored by men above any other book. After one thousand years, Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) and Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) began critical attacks upon the Bible. Then criticism by Jean Astruc (1684–1766) began a series of intense attacks that have drawn attention to every microscopic detail. Bernard Ramm said, “No other book has been so chopped, knived, sifted, scrutinized, and villified.” Although many were likely deprived of access to the Bible by persecution, and many no doubt lost their faith as a result of hostile criticism, the Bible is still the most published book ever written. The Bible is also the most translated of any book. The Bible was the first book translated. (The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, was translated in approximately 250 B.C.) It has been translated into different languages and paraphrased more than any other book in existence. These facts support the claim that the Bible is inspired of God.

The only way to know whether or not a bottle of medicine is what it claims to be is to examine its contents. A student can know whether or not the Bible is truly the Word of God only if he tests its contents. The Bible, a Great Miracle. The unity and continuity of the biblical writings indicate that they were produced under the guidance of one supernatural mind. Imagine that forty men living in many lands, participating in varied occupations, having different educational backgrounds, and living at different times spanning fifteen centuries each wrote a few lines of a story. Further imagine that these lines were brought together to form a beautiful and sublime story, with each line continuing the other to tell the complete story. If such a thing could even be accomplished, it would be evident that the authors had been directed by one mind.

About forty authors from almost every walk of life—Moses, a political leader, educated in Egypt; Joshua, a military general; Solomon, a king; Amos, a herdsman; Daniel, a prime minister; Nehemiah, a cupbearer; Luke, a physician; Matthew, a tax collector; Peter, a fisherman; Paul, a rabbi; and others—wrote sixty-six books or letters during approximately fifteen hundred years that spanned sixty generations. They wrote from different locales—Moses, in the wilderness; Jeremiah, in a dungeon; Daniel, on a hillside and in a palace; Paul, inside prison walls; Luke, while traveling on land and sea; John, in exile on the isle of Patmos. They wrote during great joy and during the depths of despair. They wrote in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. They wrote material that includes hundreds of controversial subjects. These authors wrote one continually unfolding story of man—his origin, fall, redemption, and eternal destiny—with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation.

If you are suffering because of your belief in the Bible, remember, the Bible has endured so great tribulations because of you. Therefore, for every truth you believe, you will be tested and before the day of trial, make a firm belief that the Bible contains the Word of God and He is your shield and guide in all situations. Above all, trust also the voice behind the Bible.

Word Affirmation: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God." - Luke 1:30 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“If you are suffering because of your belief in the Bible, remember, the Bible has endured so great tribulations because of you.”

Central Truth