I'd like to share what a pastor friend of mine, Joey Rogers of Means, KY, shared in the way of how amazing and reliable Scripture is:
First, you have a religious
text unlike any other book. A collection of 66 books with approximately 40
authors written over approximately a 1600 year period of time, and yet you have
perfect agreement and continuity. You can't find any two authors of any
religious persuasion that can agree in continuity on anything!
Second, you have an
incredible accuracy as far as historical claims are concerned. Archeology and
other extra-Biblical records show the people, places, and events recorded in
the Bible were real historical people, places, and events. No other religious
text can hold this claim with such precision and accuracy.
Third, you have the
prophetic uniqueness of Biblical text. The Dead Sea Scrolls were a unique
discovery showing us the reality of Old Testament manuscripts. In Daniel you
have a perfect description of a coming leader, a young man who will die young
after conquering the known world. He will leave his Kingdom to four warriors,
and they will divide it into four parts. This is a perfect description of
Alexander the Great and his four generals, and it was written hundreds of years
before him. The prophet Zepheniah described the crucifixion of Christ, again
hundreds of years before crucifixion was dreamed of. Isaiah perfectly described
the life, ministry, events, and death of Christ Jesus hundreds of years before
many of these possibilities existed. These prophecies did not come in vague
mysterious random visions that could be interpreted a million ways. They came
with clear attention to the most minute detail. The odds of even a tenth of
them being accurate are impossible for human scientists to calculate... ALL of
them were perfectly accurate!
Fourth, the
philosophical difficulties we face in our own existence and purpose are only
properly answered by scripture. Atheist after atheist has been recorded as
saying the Biblical text can be argued against in it's description of the human
condition. The claims made in scripture about mankind are true and reliable.
Fifth, the Gospel
records were public record. There were thousands present at each recorded
incident in the New Testament Gospels who could have easily written in length
to discredit Jesus. Problem: secular authors in early AD history wrote to add
credit to the Person of Christ and His miracles.
Sixth, the Bible and
the Bible alone presents a unique perspective on the salvation of human souls.
Every other religion in the world is based upon the idea of human achievement.
What you achieve morally determines where you spend eternity. Yet, the
scripture speaks of Divine Accomplishment, in that Christ Jesus accomplished on
your behalf what you could never accomplish. He lived your perfect life for
you, and He died in your stead the death you deserved. No other religion can
make that claim.
Eighth, the Person and
works of Jesus Christ. His claims are true. His life was a reality. His works
are attested even in secular writings. What He did for us... Unimaginable.
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