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Apologetics Answers to difficult questions

We  will  answer  these  questions:  Aren’t  all  religions  the  same?  How  do  you  know  there  is  a  God?  How  could  God  have  made  the  earth  in  6  days  when  science  tells  us  otherwise?  If  God  is  so  good,  why  does  he  allow  so  much  suffering  and  evil?  How  can  you  believe  such  an  old  book  like  the  Bible  that  has  changed  over  time?      What  is  so  special  about  the  Bible?    If  the  Bible  has  not  changed,  why  do  you  have  so  many  versions?    How  is  Jesus  different  from  the  other  great  teachers?  Why  do  you  have  so  many  denominations?    Lesson  1    World  views:  Christianity,  Pantheism  (Hinduism  and  Buddhism),  Islam,  Judaism  Lesson  2    Naturalism  and  Evidence  for  the  existence  of  God  Lesson  3    Evolution  and  the  problem  of  evil  Lesson  4    The  Bible:  It’s  uniqueness,  importance,  and  reliability  Lesson  5    How  the  Bible  was    assembled,    archeological  support  for  the  Bible  Lesson  6    Jesus’  claims  about  himself.  Old  Testament  prophecies  concerning  Christ  Lesson  7    Evidence  for  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  Denominations  and  gray  areas    Lesson  1    World  views:  Christianity,  Pantheism  (Hinduism  and  Buddhism),  Islam,  Judaism    Importance  of  study  and  knowing  :  Colossians  2:8,  1  thes  5:21,  Acts  17:11,  1  John  4:1  The  purpose  of  this  class  is  to  focus  on  i____________________  virtues.  It  is  good  to  have  answers,  but  remember…  What  makes  our  faith  attractive  to  unbelievers?  Being  a  “know  it  all”  or  being  l________________?  John  13:34-­‐35.  This  class  is  designed  to  solidify  your  faith.  

 Worldview  definition:    How  one  sees  life  and  the  world.  How  they  make  sense  of  reality  and  discovering  the  meaning  of  life.    What  do  you  believe  about  God,  the  cosmos(the  universe),  knowledge,  values,  humanity  and  history;  one’s  basic  beliefs  about  life.  In  this  class  we  will  look  at  these  worldviews:    

• Naturalism  (atheism)    • Pantheism(Buddhism  and  Hinduism)    • Islamic    • Judaic    • Christian  

     

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 Evaluating  Worldviews…  

   

Opposing  Worldviews  

   

Ahmadinejad(Leader  of  Iran),  Osama  Bin  Laden(Leader  of  Al  Quada),  Adolf  Hitler(Leader  of  the  Nazis)  

All  believed  in  the  destruction  of  others.    Ahmadinejad  has  his  eye  on  I________,  Osama  had  his  eye  on  non-­‐Muslims,  Hitler  had  his  eye  on  the  J________.  They  all  share  a  common  worldview.  

   

Albert  Einstein  &  Charles  Darwin  did  not  believe  in  God,  but  in  the  natural  world  and  the  laws  of  science.  

   

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The  Dalai  Lama  and  many  eastern  religions  have  a  worldview  that  focuses  on  the  inward  self.  

 

Jesus  Christ  had  a  worldview  that  focused  on  the  needs  of  others  and  spreading  his  message  to  them.  

Christianity    –  has  e___________________  power  and  scope  • It  explains  humanity  better:    how  can  man  be  so  good  and  so  evil?  Made  in  God’s  i__________  and  

s____________  at  the  same  time    • It  explains  the  u________________:  its  source,  beginning,  order,  and  fine  tuning.  • It  explains  e___________:  the  existence  of  objective  moral  values  • It  explains  religious  phenomena:  man’s  spiritual  c___________________  and  religious  experience,  

miracles,  and  Jesus  • It  explains  abstract  entities:  laws  of  logic  and  mathematics  • Astrophysics:  natures  laws  and  the  universe  is  fine  t____________  and  in  o_________  • Biology  and  Chemistry:  Life  seems  to  be  intelligently  d_______________  • Anthropology  and  Psychology:  Humans  are  intellectually  g_________  yet  morally  f_____________  • Philosophy:  Humans  crave  m______________,    p______________  and  immortality  

“A  good  world  view  will  explain  a  broad  variety  of  data.  The  more  profound  the  explanatory  power  the  greater  assurance  that  one  is  in  fact  encountering  a  truthful  vision.”  Ken  Samples  

 3  types  of  reasoning:  Inductive,  Deductive  and  Abductive(moving  from  facts  or  data  or  events  to  an  explanation)  This  reasoning  is  used  by  detectives,  historians,  scientists,  doctors,  mechanics.    What  is  the  best  explanation?      

Robert  Nash,  Christian  philosopher,  “no  worldview  deserves  respect  if  it  ignores  or  is  i____________________  with  human  experience.”  

Comparing  Christianity  to  other  religions:  

It  does  not  matter  how  m_________  believe  something.    Being  in  good  company  doesn’t  make  it  true.  Christians  believe  Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  Jews  and  others  do  not.  Both  cannot  be  right  no  matter  how  s______________  people  are.    The  problem  is  that  J___________  claimed  to  be  THE  WAY  and  other  religions  claim  that  he  is  not  the  way.  Both  cannot  be  right.    Religions  can  be  seen  as  a  set  of  swimming  i_____________________  for  drowning  swimmers.  However,  Christianity  is  a  life  p__________________.  Pg  147      Religions  focus  on  a  Home  Depot  mentality…you  can  do  it  y_____________.  

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 In  Christianity  is  done  f______  you.  

Other  Religions:   Christianity:  The  focus  is  on  your     The  focus  is  on    Do  it    Man  seeks      Depends  on  what     Depends  on  what    GOOD  WORKS,     CHRIST’S  WORK,    Your  works  should  lead  you  to   Your  salvation  should  lead  you  to    

 

John  6:29  -­‐  The  “work”  that  God  requires  is  to  b_______________  in  the  one  He  has  sent.  

Do  not  confuse  facts  with  tolerance.  Many  say  Christians  are  not  tolerant  since  they  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  ONLY  way.  It  is  like  we  are  being  asked  to  ignore  the  facts.  Jesus  said  he  was  THE  way  and  for  the  sake  of  tolerance  I  will  ignore  his  claims.  If    2  +  2  =  4,  we  are  being  asked  to  not  believe  this  fact,  but  be  tolerant.  

We  cannot  prove  one  religion  is  right.  Religion  and  God  require  f________.    

What  we  need  to  ask  is…  

                                       Which  worldview  does  the  best  to  e___________  our  world?  

Hinduism

Founder _____________ The word Hindu comes from the Indus Valley in northern I______________.

Holy Book _________________________________________________________________________

Name of God ______________________________________________________________________

Their place of worship is called a t__________________ or m______________________

Name of their local religious leader p_______________

What is their belief about “ahisma” or non-injury? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the Hindu trinity? ___________________________ the creator, __________________________ the preserver, and ____________________________ the destroyer.

What is reincarnation?_________________________________________________________________

What is Karma? ______________________________________________________________________

What is the most populated Hindu country? ________________________________________________

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What is the caste system? And what are the four levels? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hinduism  is  a  spiritual  quest  to  eliminate  s_____________________  and  achieve  n_______________.    

What is nirvana?______________________________________________________________________

Spirit is more important than matter. What is maya? __________________________________________

Sometimes deity takes a bodily form or an incarnation. One example of this is K______________

Hindus seek to find divinity in themselves. They use m_____________________ and y______ to do this.

Hindus can be atheistic, polytheistic or pantheistic. There is great f______________ to believe as you like. Hindus are very tolerant of other faiths.

In this worldview the focus tends to be on self, how we can improve ourselves, rather than on how we can know God, and better serve him and others.

Buddhism

Founder ________________________________________ Born _____________ Died ______________

Was he born into poverty or riches? _____________________________

He was married at 19, had a son, and at 24 he left his family in search of e_______________________

After 6 years of living in poverty and focusing on self denial, he was unsatisfied. He then developed the M______________ Path, which was found through meditation. What are the 4 Noble truths?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are his 8 fold paths?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What are the 3 jewels? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buddha was a H__________ who sought to reform or improve the religion.

Holy Book __________________________________________________________________________

Name of God ________________________________________________________________________

Their place of worship is called a t__________________ or m______________________

Name of their local religious leader m_________

What beliefs do Hindus and Buddhists share? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Salvation: How does one reach enlightenment? ____________________________________________________________________________________

In this worldview the focus tends to be on self, how we can improve ourselves, rather than on how we can know God, and better serve him and others.

Islam  

Founder ________________________________________ Born _____________ Died ______________

Was he born into poverty or riches? ______________________________________________________

Was he married? ________ How many wives did he have? ____________________________________

Holy Book __________________________What does the word mean?__________________________

Name of God ___________________Allah means __________________________________________

Their place of worship is called a m_____________They worship on what day of the week? __________

The Kaʼaba(Godʼs house) is the holiest place in M______________. This is the place Hagar sat down to die with her son, I________________. 5 years after Mohammedʼs death, the Muslims overtook Jerusalem. It is believed the dome of the rock is where Mohommed a_________________ into heaven.

Name of their local religious leader I_________

The followers of Islam are called M__________.Most of them live in what country? __________________

What are the 5 pillars of Islam? ____________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the 5 basic beliefs of Islam?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 2 branches of Islam ________________ _______%, ___________________ ________%

What is the difference between the two groups? ____________________________________________________________________________________

What does “jihad” mean _______________________

Mohammedʼs conquest of Mecca has set the pattern for his followers to d________________ their enemies.

Who is an infidel? ____________________________________________________________

The goal is not to know God but to o___________ him.

Salvation: How does a muslim obtain a place in Paradise? ______________________________________________________________________________

Judaism

Founder ____________________________________ Born _____________ Died ______________

Holy Book __________________________________________________________________________

Name of God ________________________________________________________________________

Their place of worship is called a s_____________They worship on what day of the week? __________

Name of their local religious leader r_________

What is the Torah?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the Talmud?

________________________________________________________________________________

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What are the 3 branches: O______________________, C______________________, R___________________

What are the 3 required annual pilgrimages:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Rosh Hashanah?

________________________________________________________________________________

What is Yom Kippur?

________________________________________________________________________________

What is Hanukkah?

________________________________________________________________________________

When was their last temple destroyed? __________ What remains? __________________________

How many Jews died in the Holocaust of World War 2? ___________________________________

When did Israel become a state? ______________

Lesson  2    Naturalism  and  Evidence  for  the  existence  of  God    Naturalism  ,  Atheism  and  Postmodernism  

Reality This material universe is what is really real. As Carl Sagan, astrophysicist puts it, "The cosmos is all that is or all that ever will be." The present scientific view of how the universe came into being, now taught in major universities worldwide, is that it all came into existence with a "big bang" some billions of years ago. The atheist would say this was initiated by some physical process as yet unknown. Humans Human consciousness and intelligence developed from chemicals by a long process of chance evolution. Personality developed from impersonal hydrogen atoms. We are all the products of matter, time and chance alone. How do we know things? Knowledge is the result of physical processes in our brains. Meaning As there is no intelligent being who planned it all, life only has what m_______________ we humans choose to give it. Some would give it n__ meaning. Death Death is the end of our personal e___________________.

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Morality and values Right and wrong are merely what w____ decide for ourselves as humans, either individually or in groups. Usually it is the majority decision that wins the day. History History has n_____ ultimate purpose. We have to make the most of what we have got. In the end, this planet will certainly burn up or freeze and that will be the end of everything. Atheism is a relative newcomer to the historical scene in any significant measure, but now appears to be in decline. Statistician David Barrett says that since 1970 the number of atheists has dropped from 4.6% of world population to 3.8% (222 million). He predicts continuing decline. Postmodernism Reality We all create our own reality. God tends to be ignored.

Truth and reason There is n_____absolute truth. Emotions, feelings, intuition, reflection, magic, myth, and mystical experience are now centre stage. "I know" has been replaced by "I feel".

The postmodern aversion to truth is well expressed by Allan Bloom in The Closing of the American Mind. The danger... is not error but i__________________. Relativism is necessary to openness; and this is the virtue, the only virtue, which all primary education for more than fifty years has dedicated itself to [teaching]. Openness—and the relativism that makes it the only plausible stance in the face of various claims to truth and the various ways of life and kinds of human beings—is the great insight of our times. The true believer is the real danger. The study of history and of culture teaches that all the world was mad in the past; men always thought they were right, and that led to wars, persecutions, slavery, racism and chauvinism. The point is not to correct the mistakes and really be right; rather it is not to think that you are right at all. Sigmund Freud had described this outcome with glaring precision nearly one hundred years ago:

Fundamentally, we only find what we need and only see what we want to see. We have no other possibility. Since the criterion for truth—correspondence with the external world—is absent, it is entirely a matter of indifference what opinions we adopt. All of them are e___________ true and equally false. And no one has the right to accuse anyone else of e__________.

Someone has said that we have now moved from the conviction that everyone has a right to his own opinions, to the notion that every opinion is equally r_____________!

Religion Postmodernism does not rule out religion as did modernism, with its emphasis on human reason. However, the religions that are approved are very different from Christianity. You may believe what you want to. Go for what makes you feel good. Religion is c_______________ style. You choose what you like from what is spread in front of you, and put a meal together that suits your taste. There are strong links with paganism.

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Morality All moral values are r______________. Each person or culture develops their own moral values. The important question is not "Is it right?" but "What will it do for me?" There is a strong emphasis on the fact that we are shaped by our culture, and a consequent diminishing of personal responsibility. Tolerance Tolerance of other views is one of the pillars of postmodernism. Individualism There is a strong emphasis on individualism. In the American court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in justifying the abortion license, the court declared that it is up to each i_______________ to determine "the concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life." Problems  with  this  worldview:  

1. Without  God,  there  is  no  right  or  wrong  

If  there  is  no  right  or  wrong,  are  atheists  free  to  do  w________________  they  want?  Are  atheists  attempting  to  avoid  any  moral  r_____________________?  Why  would  an  atheist  want  to  do  good?    What  is  good?  P24  Ray  comfort    

2. Psychologists  say  the  best  thing  for  people  is  to  have  a  purpose  and  hope.    Atheists  have  no  h_______.  That  doesn’t  mean  it  is  not  true,  but  that  their  world  view  is  “u___________________”  

The  Existence  of  God    

1. Cosmological Argument The term “cosmological” comes from the Greek word “kosmos” which means “w_____________.” The cosmological argument for God’s existence goes like this: The world could not exist on its own so there must have been a f_________ cause that brought it into being. This first cause is God. Or put another way, the universe could not just exist on its own—someone or something must have made it. This cause of the universe is God. 2. Teleological Argument The teleological argument is also known as “the argument from d__________” (The Greek word “telos” means “purpose” or “design.”). The argument goes like this: The universe evidences great c_________________ or design; thus, it must have been designed by a great Designer or God. The argument from design can be likened to a watch. A watch is obviously made by a w__________________________. The world, which is much more complex than a watch, must also have been designed by a great Designer or Divine Watchmaker (God). In sum, the teleological argument asserts that the universe evidences too much complexity to be the product of random c___________. We know that the celestial bodies move with perfect accuracy in their orbits. Our bodies, too, are incredibly complex. According to the teleological

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argument, there’s just no way all this c_______________ could “just happen.” God must have created it all. 3. Ontological Argument The ontological argument can be stated in this way: “God is the greatest being imaginable. One of the aspects of perfection or greatness is existence. Thus, God exists.” Or put another way—“The fact that God can be c_______________ means that he must exist.” This argument for God’s existence was developed by the twelfth century theologian and philosopher, Anselm. It is based on Anselm’s declaration that God is “that which nothing greater can be conceived.” 4. Moral Law Argument Another argument for the existence of God is the moral law argument. It goes like this: Without God morality would be i__________________. There must be a Lawgiver (God) who originates and stands by moral law. A universal moral law cannot exist accidentally. There must be a basis behind it—God. According to this view, every person is born with an inherent understanding of r________ and w__________. Everyone, for instance, understands that killing an innocent person is wrong. Everyone understands that helping a drowning person is right. Where did this internal understanding of right and wrong come from? According to adherents of the moral law argument, this understanding comes from God. He put it into the hearts of every person. http://www.theologicalstudies.org/page/page/1572404.htm   5. Uniqueness of Mankind Argument Man and animals share a similar physiological makeup, but man is unique because he shares God’s image. The image of our creator is seen in our:

1. Language – Most animals can communicate, but only man can r______ and w______. 2. Creativity – Like our creator we can create, design, build and plan. Some animals can

build damns and nests, but animals are l______________ in variety and complexity as compared to man’s ability. Man’s creative abilities are demonstrated in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, physics, etc.

3. Ability of Love – Animals can protect their young, but man has h________________ emotional skills. He can show compassion, l____________ at humor and even cry. Both man and animals have tear ducts, but only man can shed t__________ of emotion. When we learn at Christmas time that “it is better to give than to receive,” we are reflecting the image of our creator. 1 John 4:16 says God is love.

4. Desire for Acceptance - Only God is to be w_____________. God appreciates our worship as a “sweet aroma”. Man has a similar appreciation for compliments. We love to be p_____________. This need we have for importance is a reflection of our God who is the only one worthy of praise.

5. Appreciation for Beauty – Man seeks beauty and goodness. We enjoy beautiful music, beautiful paintings, beautiful sunsets, etc.

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6. Desire for Immortality – All things struggle to survive. Mankind also yearns for life beyond death. Egyptians built the p________________ for the afterlife. Every culture seeks a god beyond themselves. We study Theology, Philosophy, Ethics, etc.

7. Freedom – We have freewill to choose right and wrong and therefore are responsible for our actions.

With a little faith, one can simply look in the m_________ and see the image their creator. It should be noted that most Christian theologians and philosophers believe that God never intended for his existence to be something that could be proven with 100% certainty. They point out that f________ is an important component in understanding God and his existence.  Review  -­‐  Teleological Argument  

The  u__________________    must  have  had  a  b______________,  its  order  and  elegance  speaks  of  a  D______________,  its  complexity  and    fine  tuning  imply  this  must  have  been  made  by  a  higher  i______________.    Almost  every  scientist  believes  in  the  big  bang/expanding  universe  theory.    If  this  world  is  a  garden,  there  must  be  a  g____________.  Finding  a  computer  leads  one  to  assume  someone  a_______________  this.  Finding  the  Gettysburg  address  assumes  someone  w_________  this.    

o The Earth…its size is perfect. The Earth’s size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth’s surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.(4) Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life. The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth’s position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day. And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet it restrains our massive oceans from spilling over across the continents.(5)

o Water…colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You’ll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life…It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees. Water is a universal solvent. Take a full glass of water, add a cup of sugar, and nothing spills over the edge; the water simply absorbs the sugar. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.(6)Water is also chemically inert. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.

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Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees. Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter. Ninety-seven percent of the Earth’s water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.

o The human brain…simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the way this article appears to you on your screen. Your brain registers emotional responses, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands. The human brain processes more than a million messages a second.(8) Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. A brain that deals with more than a million pieces of information every second, while evaluating its importance and allowing you to act on the most pertinent information…can we say mere chance brought about such an astounding organ? http://powertochange.com/students/godexist1/  

Other  examples  of  design:  strength  of  gravity,  distance  from  the  sun,  tilt  of  the  earth’s  axis,  the  eye,  discovery  of  DNA  was  a  discovery  for  a  set  of  instructions,  and  the  amazing  camel  .  .  .  http://www.plaintruth.com/the_plain_truth/2010/09/the-­‐amazing-­‐camel-­‐and-­‐its-­‐creator.html  

   

Moral Law Argument    Where  did  e____________  and  morality  come  from?  Every  person  has  “shoulds”  and  “oughts”  built  into  them.  It  would  be  strange  to  build  a  boat  and  not  give  it  a  rudder  or  send  a  rocket  into  space  without  a  guidance  system.  In  the  same  way,  God  has  built  into  mankind  his  own  guidance  system,  that  we  call  our  c___________________.        Moral  argument:  1.  If  God  does  not  exist,  moral  values  do  not  exist.  2.  Moral  values  do  exist.  3.  Therefore,  God  exists.      Intellectual  problems  are  often  a  smoke  screen  to  the  real  issue…Man  does  not  w__________  to  change  his  way  of  life,  his  morals.    

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Ontological Argument  The  multitudes  of  r_______________  speak  of  the  universal  belief  that  there  is  a  God.    Every  c_____________  has  a  sense  that  there  is  a  god(Romans  1,  Ecclesiastes  3:11).      Romans  1:20  You  have  enough  knowledge  to  know  God.  Romans  1:21  God  cannot  be  known  or  understood  because  we  have  rebelled.  

Cosmological Argument Most  scientist  today  BELIEVE  in  the  Big  Bang  theory,  which  includes  the  idea  that  the  “bang”  began  at  a  single  point.    Edwin Powell Hubble (November 29, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer who profoundly changed understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than our own, the Milky Way. He also discovered that the degree of "Doppler shift" (specifically "redshift") observed in the light spectra from other galaxies increased in proportion to a particular galaxy's distance from Earth. This relationship became known as Hubble's law, and helped establish that the universe is expanding. Hubble has sometimes been incorrectly credited with discovering the Doppler shift in the spectra of galaxies, but this had already been observed earlier by Vesto Slipher, whose data Hubble used.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Hubble    

Uniqueness of Mankind Argument Man  is  a  reflection  of  the  image  of  God.  He  is  different  from  the  animals  in  his:  

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1. L________________________  2. C_______________________  3. Ability  to  L________  4. Desire  for  A________________  5. Appreciation  for  B_______________  6. Desire  for  I_____________________  7. F____________________    Arguments  for  God’s  existence:  Cosmological,  Teleological,  Moral  Law,  Ontological,  and  the  Uniqueness  of  Mankind    God  cannot  be  proven  scientifically.  You  cannot  prove  Napoleon,  Lincoln  or  Hitler  ever  existed  from  science  because  this  requires  repetition.    

Lesson  3    Evolution  and  the  problem  of  evil    Evolution  and  Creation  Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers -- all related. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature).  

Definition: a developmental process in which an organ or organism becomes more and more complex by differentiation of its parts  

A  LAW  of  science  is  a  scientific  theory  that  has  n________  been  observed  to  fail  (ie  gravity).  

Some  problems:  

First  LAW  of  Thermodynamics:  Matter  or  energy  is  neither  being  c____________  or  d______________,  it  remains  constant  or  matter  cannot  be  created  from  nothing.  

The  Second  LAW  of  Thermodynamics:  All  things  go  from  complexity  and  order  to  randomness  and  disorder  or  simply,  life  runs  d_______  h_____  (ie  decay).  

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The  LAW  of  Biogenesis:  Life  comes  from  life.  

The  first  LAW  of  Motion:  Things  will  remain  in  the  state  of  r______  unless  some  outside  force  acts  upon  it.  

The  Fossil  Record:  According  to  the  fossil  evidence,  complex  forms  of  life  abruptly  appear  in  the  Cambrian  rock  strata  and  no  t________________  fossils  can  be  found.    

 

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Natural  Selection:    We  have  not  observed  the  formation  of  any  new  s______________.  Scientists  have  been  able  to  develop  thousands  of  mutated  flies,  but  none  have  proved  beneficial  and  no  new  insect  has  evolved.    Where  is  the  crocco-­‐duck?  It  exists  in  the  land  of  i____________________.  

 

What  are  the  negative  impacts  of  believing  the  theory  of  evolution:  

1. It  tends  to  destroy  ones  f________  in  God.  2. It  tends  to  decrease  one’s  awareness  that  he  or  she  is  a  special  c______________  of  God.  3. It  tends  to  destroy  ones  discrimination  between  right  and  w__________.  4. It  tends  to  destroy  one’s  appreciation  for  b_____________.  5. It  tends  to  destroy  one’s  h________  and  purpose.  

Scientists  make  assumptions  and  presuppositions  and  they  have  faith.    

We  have  2  choices:    

1.  C__________  and  t_______  led  to  life  (frog  in  a  blender  or  a  running  car  from    a  junk  yard)  or    

2.  Life  was  d_________________.  

Scientist  agree  that  the  universe  had  a  beginning.  There  are  3  theories:    

1. The  steady  state  theory-­‐it  is  eternal  2. The  oscillating  theory-­‐it  expands  and  contracts  like  a  spring  3. Big  Bang  theory-­‐Hubble(most  accepted)  Objects  moving  away  appear  more  red.  

 

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Young  earth  vs.  old  earth  creationists  

 

1. Young  Earth  creationism  is  a  form  of  creationism  that  asserts  the  Heavens,  Earth,  and  all  life  on  Earth  was  created  by  direct  acts  of  the  Abrahamic  God  during  a  relatively  s_________  period,  sometime  between  5,700  and  10,000  years  ago.  

 

2. Old Earth Creationism: 3 views a. Progressive  Creationism    (Day-­‐Age  Creation)  is  an  attempt  to  harmonize  the  Bible  with  

current  scientific  beliefs.  It  assumes  the  days  of  the  creation  were  actually  broad  lengths  of  t_________,  and  proposes  that  God  separately  created  the  various  kinds  of  organisms  and  later  man,  but  over  a  l______  period  of  time.  It  also  accepts  the  evolutionary  time  scale  (simple  to  complex  over  millions  of  years)  but  has  more  input  from  God.    

b. Gap  Theory  Creation  assumes  that  a  vast  period  of  time  elapsed  between  the  first  two  verses  of  Genesis.  Most  variations  of  this  theory  interpret  Genesis  1:1  as  the  f_______  creation,  which  included  the  creation  of  the  heavens,  the  earth,  plants  and  animals,  and  even  a  race  of  humans  preceding  Adam.  Perhaps  billions  of  years  then  elapsed,  during  which  time  Satan  and  his  angels  fell  and  corrupted  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  God  then  judged  and  destroyed  the  earth  and  all  its  inhabitants.  Thus,  the  earth  became  "formless  and  void"  (Genesis  1:2)  and  remained  that  way  for  eons.  The  s______________  creation,  according  to  the  gap  theory,  began  in  Genesis  1:3  with  the  first  day  of  the  (re)creation  week—the  familiar  six-­‐day  creation.  

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c. Theistic  Evolution  accepts  the  theory  of  evolution  as  the  mechanisms  for  the  development  of  life  on  earth  from  a  single  common  ancestor.  Some  theistic  evolutionists  believe  abiogenesis  is  impossible  without  a  direct  act  of  God,  and  others  

assume  God  created  the  universe  in  such  a  way  that  life  would  eventually  result.  

How  long  is  a  day?  Psalms  90:4,  2  Peter  3:8  In  matters  where  God  chooses  to  be  silent,  so  should  we.  

 The  problem  of  evil  and  suffering  “Why  does  God  allow  suffering?”  

 Before  you  accuse  God  of  being  unfair  or  unkind,  consider  these  points  from  Marie  Little’s    book,  Paul  Little:  Know  Why  You  Believe.  Inter  varsity  Press,  1988.    

1. God  created  man  good,  but  we  rebelled  and  sinned.  Romans  5  says  that  sin  and  death  entered  the  world  because  of  m______  not  God.  Romans  5:12  When  people  are  harmed  by  evil  people,  don’t  be  quick  to  judge  God.    Remember  we  are  in  a  s___________  world.    

2. Evil  is  often  a  result  of  the  works  of  S__________,  God’s  enemy,  who    is  a______________  to  do  evil.    Matthew  13:28.  Why  doesn’t  God  destroy  Satan?    Ought  God  destroy  us  when  we  act  wickedly?  

3. A  day  is  coming  when  God  WILL  remove  suffering.  4. What  has  God  done  about  evil?  He  has  sacrificed  his  own  son  to  d_____  for  evil  humans  so  that  

we  would  not  have  to  s_________  in  eternity.  He  suffered  in  our  p_________.    Is  that    fair?  It  is  a  demonstration  of  God’s  g___________.    

5. Should  God  deal  with  each  of  us  according  to  our  own  behavior?  Thank  God  he  does  not.  Psalms  103:10,  11.  

6. Our  assumption  that  the  removal  of  suffering  is  the  greatest  good,  is  f____________  thinking.  Sometimes  suffering  is  u________  by  God  for  good  (John  9:1-­‐3).    Building  muscles  and  athletic  training  almost  always  involves  some  p_________  caused  by  a  coach  that  p____________  the  athletes  farther  than  the  athlete  wants  to  go.    Like  the  coach,  God  has  our  best  in  mind.    

7. God’s  desire  is  not  death,  but  l________.  Read  Ezekiel  33:11,  2  Peter  3:9  8. God  sends  no  one  to  hell.  We  w________  our  way  there.  Romans  6:23.  God  has  provided  a  way  

of  e__________.  9. God  feels  our  pain.  Isaiah  53:3,  Hebrews  2:18,  4:15  10. God  doesn’t  ask  us  to  u____________________,  but  he  does  ask  us  to  t__________  him.  We  

do  not  see  the  big  picture  like  he  does.  Romans  8:28  

11. With  this  question  we  do  the  same  thing  they  did  in  the  garden.  We  are  attempting  to  put  the  b__________  on  someone  else.  Evil  is  not  God’s  fault.  It  is  o____.  

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In  summary:  

• Evil  is  a  necessary  part  of  f__________.  • Much  of  suffering  can  be  traced  to  evil  choices  by  h______________.  • Some  suffering  is  a______________by    God  as  judgment  and  punishment.  • God  has  an  enemy,  who  causes  s_____________________.  • God  is  the  great  s__________er.  

Lesson  4    The  Bible:  It’s  uniqueness,  importance,  and  reliability    The  Uniqueness  and  Importance  of  the  Bible    The  bible  is  unique  in  it’s  (Josh  McDowell,  EDV  pg  16):  

1. C____________________  1. Written  over  a  ______  year  span  2. Written  by  over  ____  authors.  What  were  their  occupations?  3. Written  in  different  p_________,  t________,    m________.  4. Written  in  __________  different  languages.  5. Includes    hundreds  of  controversial  subjects,  yet  from  Genesis  to  Revelation  there  

is  h_______________  and  continuity.  Theme  of  book-­‐Story  of  God’s  redemption  of  m______________  

2. C____________________  3. Survival  through  t_____________  4. Survival  through  c____________________  

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5. Teachings  p22-­‐24  1. P__________________  

6. P________________    7. Influence  on  l___________________  

How  is  it  important?    What  are  the  benefits  of  reading  and  applying  the  truths  of  the  bible?  

In  Psalms  1:1-­‐3  a  man  who  delights  in  God’s  word  is  like  …  _____________________________________________________________.    Psalms  119  Verses  1-­‐3  It  keeps  me  from  ___________.  Verses  5,  6  It  protects  me  from  ______________.  Verse  7  It  helps  me  keep  the  right  attitude  by  ___________________God.  Verse  9  It  keeps  me  _____________.  Verse  22  It  keeps  me  from  ________________  and  ___________________.  Verses  98,  99  It  makes  me  _____________  than  my  enemies  and  teachers.  Verse  105  It  gives  me  ___________________.  Verse  165  It  gives  me  great  ___________________.    Can  we  say  like  the  Psalmist  does  in  119:16,  20,  24,  40,47,  97,  127,  131?  

2  Timothy  3:16-­‐17  The  word  of  God  has  multiple  p________________,  Hebrews  4:12  The  word  of  God  is  p________________  

 

How  we  know  things  to  be  true…The  Wesleyan  Quadrilateral  

 

 

 

 

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The  Reliability  and  Accuracy  of  the  Bible  

New  Testament  

3  Tests  of  Historicity  (this  can  be  applied  to  any  document):    

1. B_____________________________  Evidence  Test–  Since  we  don’t  have  the  o_____________...    

a. How  reliable  are  the  c______________?    b. How  m________  copies  do  we  have?    c. What  is  the  t__________  between  copies?    

 

WORK   WHEN  WRITTEN   EARLIEST  COPY   TIME  SPAN   NO.  OF  COPIES  Caesar’s  Gallic  Wars  

       

Annals  of  Tacitus          Illiad  by  Homer          New  Testament           The most important manuscript copies of the New Testament are: 1. The  Codex  Vaticanus  (B)  325-­‐350AD  has  been  located  in  the  Vatican  library  in  Rome  since  1481,  but  

not  made  available  until  1889.  It  is  written  in  Greek  and  does  not  include  the  Pastoral  Epistles  or  Hebrews  9:15  through  Revelation.    

2. The  Codex  Ehraemi  Rescriptus  (C  )  345AD  excludes  2  Thessalonians  and  2  John.  It  was  not  published  until  1845.  

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3. The  Codex  Alexandrinus  (A)  450AD  given  to  King  James  after  the  KJV  (1611)  was  written  in  1627.  It  is  missing  portions  of  Matthew,  John  and  2  Corinthians.  

4.  The  Codex  Bezae  (D)  450  or  550AD  was  written  in  Greek  and  Latin.  It  contains  the  Gospels,  Acts  and  a  small  section  of  3  John  in  Latin.    

5. The  Codex  Claromontanus  (6th  century)  excludes  Hebrews,  Philippians,  1,  2  Thessalonians    6. The  Codex  Siniaiticus  (Aleph)  a  4th  century  Greek  manuscript  was  discovered  in  1844  and  included  

over  half  of  the  OT  all  of  NT  except  Mark  16:9-­‐20  and  John  7:53-­‐8:11.    7. The  Codex  Hierosolymitanus  (Constantinopolitanus  or  H)  written  around  1056AD  and  discovered  in  

1873  contained  a  synopsis  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  .    Many  other  books  were  included  in  these  manuscripts  that  were  not  accepted  into  the  canon.  Some  examples  are  the  Epistle of Barnabas,The Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, These will be discussed in the next section.    

Codex Vaticanus Codex Alexandrinus Codex Siniaticus  

2  more  Tests  of  Historicity…review  test  one  

2. Internal    Evidence  Test–  Authors  of  NT  were  e______  w_____________________  Luke  1:1-­‐3,  2  Peter  1:16  

3. External  Evidence  Test-­‐    a. Evidence  from  n____-­‐biblical  authors  (  Historians  who  wrote  about  Jesus:  

J______________,  P___________,  T_____________,  S____________________,  and  E____________________.    

b. A__________________  support    

Reasons  we  can  trust  the  Old  Testament:  1. The  New  Testament  quotes  from  all  66  Old  Testament  Books  except  5  books(E______,  

N_______________,  E___________,  E______________________,  and  the  Song  of  S_____________).  This  does  not  mean  they  are  not  inspired.    The  author  of  Hebrews  was  so  convinced  the  OT  was  the  word  of  God,  that  he  quoted  it  ____  times.    

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2. Jeremiah  36:2  God  instructed  him  to  write  all  the  words  on  a  scroll,  Later  the  king  of  Judah,  Jehoiakim  burned  the  scroll  36:23,  but  God  directed  him  to  write  them  again.  This  shows  God’s  determination  to  protect  and  preserve  his  word.  

3. Jesus  b_________________  the  Old  Testament  to  be  scripture,  God’s  word.  Matthew  5:18  says  he  believes  it  to  be  the  supreme  authority.  In  Matthew  4  he  says,”  it  is  written”.  Jesus  quoted  from  ________  of  the  39  Old  Testament  books.  He  spoke  of  the  L______,  the  p_____________  and  the  w_________________    (Luke  24:44).  These  3  words    sum  up  the  3  divisions  of  the  Hebrew  scripture:  

 Torah:  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy  (the  books  of  the  Law)  Prophets:  

Former  Prophets:  1-­‐Joshua  2-­‐Judges  3-­‐1-­‐2  Samuel    4-­‐1-­‐2  Kings    Latter  Prophets:  5-­‐Isaiah  6-­‐Jeremiah  7-­‐Ezekiel  8-­‐Book  of  the  Twelve:  Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi  

The  Writings:    Psalms,  Proverbs,  Job,  Song  of  Songs,  Ruth,  Lamentations,  Ecclesiastes,  Esther,  Daniel,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  1-­‐2  Chronicles  

4. Archeology:  Nelson  Glueck  a  nonchristian  archeologists  said:  “It  may  be  stated  categorically  that  no  archeological  discovery  has  ever  controverted  a  biblical  reference.”    

 Prior  to  the  discovery  of  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  the  oldest  COMPLETE  Hebrew  manuscript  of  the  OT  was  dated  at  900AD.  How  can  we  be  sure  it  was  translated  correctly  over  the  previous  900  years?    Read  quote  on  page  53(chart  166  letters,  10,  4,  3)   "Probably  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  have  had  the  greatest  Biblical  impact.  They  have  provided  Old  Testament  manuscripts  approximately  _________    years  older  than  our  previous  oldest  manuscript.  The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  have  demonstrated  that  the  Old  Testament  was  accurately  transmitted  during  this  interval.  In  addition,  they  provide  a  wealth  of  information  on  the  times  leading  up  to,  and  during,  the  life  of  Christ.  —Dr.  Bryant  Wood,  archaeologist,  Associates  for  Biblical  Research  

 Summary:  Jesus,  his  disciples,  and  the  church  fathers  all  believed  the  bible  to  be  the  word  of  God.  If  you  

do  not,  you  are  in  disagreement  with  them.  The  early  church  fathers  never  questioned  the  divine  authority  of  scripture.  Controversies  raged  against  what  it  taught,  not  what  it  was.  

 

       

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Lesson  5    How  the  Bible  was    assembled,    archeological  support  for  the  Bible  

 How  the  Bible  was  Assembled  (Canonization)  

   In  160AD  a  church  leader  by  the  name  of  M___________  declared  that  he  had  determined  which  writings  were  considered  scriptural.    This  caused  the  church  to  react  by  determining  which  books  they  thought  ought  to  be  considered  as  canon  or  as  the  “rule”  to  measure  truth.  It  took  the  church  the  following  ______  years  to  determine  and  develop  the  Bible  that  we  have  today.  

The  New  Testament  was  written  in  G_________.  The  Old  Testament  was  written  in  H_______________  with  a  few  chapters    in  A_______________.  The  OT  in  Hebrew  is  called  the  Masoretic  Text.    When  the  Old  Testament  was  translated  into  Greek  it  was  called  the  S________________  or  LXX  because  70  scribes  were  assigned  the  task  in  the  3rd  century  BC.    So  at  Jesus’  time  the  Old  Testament  was  available  in  Hebrew  and  Greek.  

CRITERIA FOR CANONICITY          What  did  the  early  fathers  use  to  determine  whether  one  book  should  be  included  or  not  included  in  the  canon  of  scripture?    

FF Bruce’s criteria: 1. A_______________  Authority  2. A______________  (dated  in  the  apostle’s  time)  3. O______________  (consistent  with  the  rest  of  the  teachings  of  the  bible)  4. C_______________  (acknowledged  by  the  majority-­‐universal  recognition)  5. T_______________  Use  (what  has  always  been  believed  or  practiced)  6. I________________  (vocabulary  is  of  men,  but  the  message  is  of  God)  

When the early church fathers assembled the accepted books for the New Testament they first looked for books that were written by those who w___________ and t____________ with Jesus. Because of this the four g_______________ were the first books recognized as scriptural. Following the gospels, the A______ and P______________ epistles were the next group to be accepted.

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The remainder of the books were not agreed upon until the end of the fourth century. The first time all 27 books were listed together was in _________AD in a letter written by the bishop of Alexandria, A_____________________. During this time between Marcion, 160AD and the end of the fourth century, the Church wrestled with developing the canon or rule. The question of who had the truth or authority was continually directed back to those c____________ to Jesus, his d______________. If a book was ascribed to an apostle, that carried much validity. The Church developed the importance of “apostolic succession” to help determine who had the truth and was able to speak authoritatively.  The  OT  canon  was  first  assembled  in  170AD      What  about  the  Apocrypha?  In  1546  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  accepted  the  Apocryphal  books  as  scripture.    Criteria  for  expulsion  of  the  spurious  books  or  apocrypha(hidden)  pg  33  From  Unger’s  Bible  dictionary:  

1. They  abound  in  h______________  and  g__________________  inaccuracies    and  anachronisms.  2. They  teach  doctrines  that  are  f________  and  encourage  p_____________  which  are  at  variance  

with  inspired  Scripture.  3. They  resort  to  literary  types  and  display  an  artificiality  of  subject  matter  and  styling  out  of  

keeping  with  inspired  scripture.  In  other  words  they  are  very  d_________________.  4. They  l______  distinctive  elements  which  give  genuine  scripture  their  divine  character,  such  as  

p_______________  power  and  p_____________  religious  feeling.    Jesus  and  the  New  Testament  writers  never  once  q__________  from  the  Apocryphal  books.  

Why  so  many  versions?  

The  Living  Bible  (TLB)  —  A  paraphrased  rendition  of  the  King  James  Version  by  Kenneth  Taylor  in  1971.  This  is  not  a  genuine  translation,  but  is  a  type  of  phrase-­‐by-­‐phrase  commentary  that  was  originally  intended  to  help  the  author’s  own  children  understand  the  scriptures.  It  is  useful  for  inspiration  and  commentary,  but  for  serious  Bible  study  it  should  only  be  used  in  conjunction  with  a  legitimate  translation.   The  King  James  Version  (KJV)  —  Translated  in  1611  by  47  scholars  using  the  B___________________  family  of  manuscripts,  Textus  Receptus.  This  remains  as  a  good  version  of  the  Bible.  It  has  been  the  most  reliable  translation  for  over  three  centuries,  but  its  Elizabethan  style  Old  English  is  difficult  for  modern  readers,  especially  youth.  This  is  still  a  good  translation  for  those  who  can  deal  with  the  language.   The  New  King  James  Version  (NKJV)  —  130  translators,  commissioned  by  Thomas  Nelson  Publishers,  produced  this  version  from  the  B___________________  family  (Textus  Receptus)  in  1982.  This  is  a  revision  of  the  King  James  version,  updated  to  modern  English  with  minor  translation  corrections  and  retention  of  traditional  phraseology.  This  is  a  very  good  version.   The  New  American  Standard  Bible  (NASB)  —  Translated  in  1971  by  58  scholars  of  the  Lockman  Foundation,  from  Kittle’s  Biblia  Hebraica  and  Nestle’s  Greek  New  Testament  23rd  ed.,  which  include  the  A_____________________  Family  codices.  Though  academic  in  tone,  it  is  said  to  be  the  most  exact  English  translation  available.  A  very  good  version.  

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The  New  International  Version  (NIV)  —  Over  100  translators  completed  this  work  in  1978  which  was  composed  from  Kittle’s,  Nestle’s  and  United  Bible  Society’s  texts,  which  include  the  A_____________________  Family  codices.  This  is  considered  an  “open”  style  translation.  It  is  a  good,  easy  to  read  version.   Billy Graham said the best version is “the one that is r_______.”

http://www.slideshare.net/jcrocombe/bible-­‐manuscripts-­‐and-­‐translations  

 

Archeological  evidence  supporting  the  bible    

You  cannot  p________  the  bible  with  archeology.    Archeology  only  s______________  the  bible.  

1. The  Moabite  stone  Moab’s  king  Mesha  gives  his  viewpoint  of  2  Kings  3  on  the  Moabite  stone,  which  was  discovered  in  1868  at  Dibon,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  stone  even  mentions  king  Omri  by  name.  

 

2. The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser stands nearly 7 feet tall and 2 feet thick. On each of the 4 sides there are 5 panels with carvings of various kings bringing tribute to king Shalmaneser III. The second panel from the top of the obelisk reveals king Jehu of Israel bowing at the feet of Shalmaneser of Assyria. This is the same Jehu who is mentioned in Scripture, and this carved relief is the only image in all history of one of the Hebrew kings. On the panel Shalmaneser is offering a libation to his god. The cuneiform text around the panel reads:

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"The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri: I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king [and] spears."

 

Sketch of the Jehu Relief Panel

 

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/does-­‐archaeology-­‐support-­‐the-­‐bible  

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Major  Evidences  Regarding  Genesis  1–11  

 

One of the Babylonian Creation Tablets, Enuma Elish

Enuma  Elish—This  is  the  Babylonian  Creation  Record.  We  also  have  the  Ebla  Creation  Tablet.  The  Bible  record  is  clearly  superior  to  this  as  the  Enuma  Elish  has  creation  from  pre-­‐existing  matter,  which  really  isn’t  creation  at  all.  The  Bible  is  the  true  account  of  this  historical  event.  

The  Epic  of  Gilgamesh  includes  the  Babylonian  Flood  Story.  Again,  the  biblical  record  is  greatly  superior.  As  Nozomi  Osanai  wrote  in  her  master’s  thesis  on  a  comparison  between  Noah’s  Flood  and  the  Gilgamish  Epic,  “According  to  the  specifics,  scientific  reliability,  internal  consistency,  the  correspondence  to  the  secular  records,  and  the  existence  of  common  elements  among  the  flood  traditions  around  the  world,  the  Genesis  account  seems  to  be  more  acceptable  as  an  accurate  historical  record.”1  

 

Part of the Gilgamesh Epic

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Major  Evidences  Regarding  Exodus  to  Deuteronomy  

 

The Eshnunna Law Code dating to c.1900 BC

These are the other four books of the Pentateuch, written by Moses, and probably at times in consultation with Aaron, the chief priest, and Joshua, the military leader.

1. The  Law  of  Moses  was  written  by  a  man  raised  in  the  courts  of  pharaoh,  and  it  was  greatly  superior  to  other  law  codes,  such  as  those  of  the  Babylonian  king  Hammurabi,  and  the  Eshnunna  code  that  was  found  near  modern  Baghdad.  

2. The  covenant  forms  of  the  writings  of  Moses  follow  the  same  format  as  those  of  the  Hittites,  as  endorsed  by  Professor  George  Mendenhall.  The  law  code  is  a  unity,  dating  to  about  1500  BC  (the  time  of  Moses).  These  writings  come  from  one  source  only,  and  there  is  no  one  to  fit  this  requirement  at  this  time  except  Moses.  Ethical  concepts  of  the  Law  were  not  too  early  for  Moses,  despite  earlier  hypercriticism.  (Ebla  tablets  from  Syria  pre-­‐date  Moses  and,  for  example,  include  penalties  against  rape.)  

At the time of his lecture, Professor Nelson Glueck stated, “I have excavated for thirty years with a Bible in one hand and a trowel in the other, and in matters of historical perspective I have never found the Bible to be in error.” Being a world-class Jewish scholar, Professor Glueck would have meant the Old Testament when he referred to the Bible, but it is also true that at least on one occasion, to my knowledge, he defended the accuracy of the New Testament writings as well.

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Major  Evidences  Regarding  Joshua  to  Saul  

 

Canaanite deities, Baal and Asherah

This section includes the conquest, the judges, and the early kingdom.

Deities  such  as  Baal,  Asherah,  and  Dagan  are  properly  identified  in  association  with  the  right  people.  

Major  Evidences  Regarding  David  to  Solomon  

 

The entrance to the Solomonic City of Gezer

1. Following  the  discovery  of  the  Ugaritic  library,  it  has  become  clear  that  the  Psalms  of  David  should  be  dated  to  his  times  and  not  to  the  Maccabean  period,  800  years  later,  as  critics  

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claimed.  The  renowned  scholar  William  Foxwell  Albright  wrote,  “To  suggest  that  the  Psalms  of  David  should  be  dated  to  the  Maccabean  period  is  absurd.”4  

2. Solomonic  cities  such  as  Hazor,  Megiddo,  and  Gezer  (1  Kings  9:15)  have  been  excavated.  Solomon  even  used  similar  blueprints  for  some  duplicated  buildings.  

Major  Evidences  Regarding  the  Assyrian  Period  

 

King Sargon of Assyria, mentioned at Isaiah 20:1

This was the time of “The Reign of Terror,” not long after Solomon’s death.

1. Isaiah  20:1  was  challenged  by  critics  because  they  knew  of  no  king  named  Sargon  in  lists  of  Assyrian  kings.  Now  Sargon’s  palace  has  been  recovered  at  Khorsabad,  including  a  wall  inscription  and  a  library  record  endorsing  the  battle  against  the  Philistine  city  of  Ashdod  (mentioned  in  Isaiah  20:1).  

2. Assyrian  titles  such  as  tartan  (commander-­‐in-­‐chief  ),  and  several  others,  are  used  casually  yet  confidently  by  Bible  writers.  

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Part of a pathway excavated by Dr. Clifford Wilson between Sennacherib’s palace and the temple where his sons killed him

Other Assyrian titles such as rabmag, rabshakeh, and tipsarru were also used by Bible writers. As the Assyrians disappeared from history after the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, this retention of “obsolete” words is a strong pointer to the eyewitness nature of the records. Thus it points also to the genuineness of the prophecies because the same men who wrote the historical facts also wrote prophecies.

3. The  death  of  Sennacherib  is  recorded  at  Isaiah  37:38  and  2  Kings  19:37  and  is  confirmed  in  the  records  of  Sennacherib’s  son,  Esarhaddon.  It  was  later  added  to  by  Esarhaddon’s  son  Ashur-­‐bani-­‐pal.  

Various details about Nineveh and the account of Jonah point to the Bible’s historicity. The symbol of Nineveh was a pregnant woman with a fish in her womb.

Adad-Nirari III, who might have been the king of Jonah’s time, introduced remarkable reforms—possibly after the message of the prophet Jonah. Adad-Nirari’s palace was virtually alongside the later construction of what is known as “Nebi Yunis” (“the prophet Jonah”). That structure is the supposed site of the tomb of Jonah, and although that is unlikely, the honoring of Jonah is very interesting.

Major  Evidences  Regarding  the  Babylonians  and  Nebuchadnezzar  

Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and took Judah into captivity.

1. Daniel  knew  that  Nebuchadnezzar  was  responsible  for  the  splendor  of  Babylon  (Daniel  4:30).  This  was  unknown  to  modern  historians  until  it  was  confirmed  by  the  German  professor  Koldewey,  who  excavated  Babylon  approximately  100  years  ago.  

2. We  now  know  from  the  Babylonian  Chronicle  that  the  date  of  Nebuchadnezzar’s  capture  of  Jerusalem  was  the  night  of  March  15/16,  597  BC.  We  also  know  that  Belshazzar  really  was  the  king  of  Babylon  at  this  time  because  his  father  Nabonidus,  who  was  undertaking  archaeological  research,  was  away  from  Babylon  for  about  10  years.  He  appointed  his  son  Belshazzar  as  co-­‐regent  during  that  time.  

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3. Prophecies  against  Babylon  (e.g.,  Jeremiah  51,  52)  have  been  literally  fulfilled.  Nebuchadnezzar  wrote  that  the  walls  of  Babylon  would  be  a  perpetual  memorial  to  his  name,  but  Jeremiah  said,  “The  broad  walls  of  Babylon  shall  be  utterly  broken”  (Jeremiah  51:58).  Jeremiah,  inspired  by  God,  has  been  confirmed.  

 

Critics said ‘There was no such king’, but his palace and library were uncovered

Major  Evidences  Regarding  Cyrus  and  the  Medes  and  Persians  

The Medes and the Persians took over after the Babylonians.

1. Cyrus  became  king  over  the  Medes  and  Persians.  We  read  of  Cyrus  when  his  name  was  recorded  prophetically  in  Isaiah  44:28,  45:1.  He  issued  the  famous  Cyrus  Decree  that  allowed  captive  peoples  to  return  to  their  own  lands  (2  Chronicles  36:22–23  and  Ezra  1:1–4).  The  tomb  of  Cyrus  has  been  found.    

2. God  was  in  control  of  His  people’s  history—even  using  a  Gentile  king  to  bring  His  purposes  to  pass.  The  Cyrus  Cylinder  (a  clay  cylinder  found  in  1879  inscribed  in  Babylonian  cuneiform  with  an  account  of  Cyrus’  conquest  of  Babylon  in  539  BC)  confirms  that  Cyrus  had  a  conquest  of  Babylon.    

3. Some  Jews  remained  in  Babylon,  as  shown  in  the  book  of  Esther.  The  type  of  “unchanging”  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  shown  therein  (Esther  1:19    

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The Cyrus Cylinder—Isaiah referred to him prophetically

Major  Evidences  Regarding  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  

This was the time of the resettlement in the land after the exile in Babylon.

1. Elephantine  papyri,  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls,  Targums  of  Job,  etc.,  show  that  Aramaic  was  then  in  use,  as  Ezra  indicates.  

 

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Part of the restored wall of Nehemiah

2. Sanballat  was,  as  the  Bible  says,  the  Governor  of  Samaria  (Nehemiah  4,  6),  though  it  was  claimed  by  many  writers  that  Sanballat  was  much  later  than  Nehemiah.  Several  Sanballats  are  now  known,  and  recovered  letters  even  refer  to  Johanan  (Nehemiah  12:13).  Geshem  the  Arab  (Nehemiah  6)  is  also  known.  Despite  longstanding  criticisms,  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  accurate  records  of  an  actual  historical  situation.  

3. The  letters  about  Sanballat  (above)  clear  up  a  dating  point  regarding  Nehemiah.  Nehemiah’s  time  was  with  Artaxerxes  I  who  ruled  from  465  to  423  BC,  not  Artaxerxes  II.  This  illustrates  the  preciseness  with  which  Old  Testament  dating  is  very  often  established  by  modern  research.  

http://www.christiananswers.net/archaeology/home.html  

This  website  lists  more  archeological  examples  of:  Likenesses,  Buildings,  Burial  sites,  and  Biblical  Events    

Lesson  6    Jesus’  claims  about  himself.  Old  Testament  prophecies  concerning  Christ    

Who  was  Jesus?    

His  impact  pg  24  quote    

I AM statements

6:35 B____________ of l________ 8:12 L__________ of the w____________ 10:7, 9 D_________ or G__________ 10:11, 14 G_________ S____________________ 11:25 R_______________________ and the l_______ 14:6 The w_____, t__________ and the l________ 15:1,5 T__________ v__________ 8:48-59 I AM Y__________________ refers to Exodus 3:13, 14

 Isaiah  45-­‐48(I  am  or  I  am  He)    

Jesus’  claims  

1) Peter  claims  Jesus  is  the  Messiah(Mark  9)  Jesus  is  not  s___________  and  doesn’t  r__________  Peter.    Peter  latter  claims  Jesus  is  God  (Mark  16:15-­‐16)  

2) Jesus  makes  himself  e______l  with  God(John  5:18)  3) Jesus  claims  e____________  with  the  Father(John  10:30-­‐33)  4) Jesus  changed  “  Thus  saith  the  Lord”  to  “___  say  unto  you…”(Matthew  5:20,  22,26,  28)  5) Jesus  claims  to  be  able  to  f___________  sins(Mark  2:5-­‐11)  6) Jesus  claims  to  be  the  M______________(Mark  14:61-­‐64)  7) Received  w_______________  from  Thomas  (John  20:27-­‐29)  and  a  healed  blind  man(John  9:35-­‐39)  in  

contrast  to  Peter(Acts  10:25,  26)  and  an  angel(Rev  19:10)  who  refused  to  be  w_________________.  

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What  backs  up  these  claims?  (If  someone  claims  to  be  an  expert  on  a  subject,  they  usually  have  a  degree  or  some  experience  to  back  up  their  claim).  What  did  Jesus  have  to  support  his  claim  to  be  God?  

1) Jesus’  moral  character,  he  was  s____________(1  Peter  2:22,  1  John  3:5,  2  Cor  5:21)  2) Jesus’  teaching  was  unusual.  He  taught  with  a____________________(  Matt  7:29,  Mk  1:22,  Lk  4:32)  3) Jesus  demonstrated  power  over  n____________  by  raising  the  dead(John  11)  and  the  wind  and  the  

waves(Mark  4:41)  4) Jesus  demonstrated  power  over  s_______________  by  healing  many  5) Jesus  rose  from  the  d__________    6) Jesus’  e______________  did  not  question  his  existence  or  his  miracles.  They  simply  explained  them  

as  being  powered  by  the  d__________.    

In  conclusion,  Jesus  either  l_______  about  who  he  said  he  was  or  he  was    a  delusional  l___________  thinking  he  was  God,  or  he  truly  believed  that  he  was  who  he  said  he  was…  L______.  

Over  300  Messianic  Prophecies  Gen. 3:15.....He will bruise Satan's head.....Heb. 2:14, 1 Jn. 3:18 Gen. 9:26,27...The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem...Lu. 3:36 Gen. 12:3...As Abraham's seed,will bless all nations...Acts. 3:25,26 Gen. 12:7...The Promise made to Abraham's Seed...Gal. 3:16 Gen. 14:18...A priest after Melchizedek...Heb. 6:20 Gen. 14:18........A King also........Heb. 7:2 Gen. 14:18...The Last Supper foreshadowed...Mt. 26:26-29 Gen. 17:19.......The Seed of Isaac.......Rom. 9:7 Gen. 22:8...The Lamb of God promised...Jn. 1:29 Gen. 22:18...As Isaac's seed, will bless all nations...Gal. 3:16 Gen.26:2-5..The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer..Heb.11:18 Gen. 49:10...The time of His coming...Lu. 2:1-7; Gal. 4:4 Gen. 49:10.......The Seed of Judah.......Lu. 3:33 Gen. 49:10......Called Shiloh or One Sent......Jn. 17:3 Gen. 49:10...To come before Judah lost identity...Jn. 11:47-52 Gen. 49:10...To Him shall the obedience of the people be...Jn. 10:16 Ex. 3:13,14........The Great "I Am".......Jn. 4:26 Ex. 12:5...A Lamb without blemish...1 Pet. 1:19 Ex. 12:13...The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath...Rom. 5:8 Ex. 12:21-27...Christ is our Passover...1 Cor. 5;7 Ex. 12:46...Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken...Jn. 19:31-36 Ex. 15:2...His exaltation predicted as Yeshua...Acts 7:55,56 Ex. 15:11...His Character-Holiness...Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27 Ex. 17:6...The Spiritual Rock of Israel...1 Cor. 10;4 Ex. 33:19...His Character-Merciful...Lu. 1:72

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Lev.14:11..The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood..Lu.5:12-14; Acts 6:7 Lev.16:15-17...Prefigures Christ's once-for-all death...Heb. 9:7-14 Lev.16:27...Suffering outside the Camp...Mt. 27:33; Heb. 13:11, 12 Lev.17:11...The Blood-the life of the flesh...Mt. 26;28; Mk. 10:45 Lev.17:11...It is the blood that makes atonement...1 Jn. 3:14-18 Lev.23:36-37...The Drink-offering: "If any man thirst." ..Jn. 19:31-36 Num. 9:12...Not a bone of Him broken...John 19:31-36 Num. 21:9...The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up...Jn. 3:14-18 Num. 24:17...Time: "I shall see him, but not now."...Gal. 4:4 Deut. 18:15..."This is of a truth that prophet."...Jn. 6:14 Deut. 18:15-16..."Had ye believed Moses, ye would believe me."...Jn. 5:45-47 Deut. 18:18...Sent by the Father to speak His word...Jn. 8:28, 29 Deut. 18:19...Whoever will not hear must bear his sin...Jn. 12:15, Deut. 21:23...Cursed is he that hangs on a tree...Gal. 3:10-13 Ruth 4:4-9...Christ, our kinsman, has redeemed us...Eph. 1:3-7 1 Sam. 2:10...Shall be an anointed King to the Lord...Mt. 28:18; Jn. 12:15 2 Sam. 7:12...David's Seed...Mt. 1:1 2 Sam. 7:14a...The Son of God... Lu. 1:32 2 Sam. 7:16...David's house established forever...Lu. 3:31; Rev. 22:16 2 Ki. 2:11...The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated...Lu. 24:51 1 Chr. 17:11...David's Seed...Mt. 1:1; 9:27 1 Chr. 17:12, 13a...To reign on David's throne forever...Lu. 1:32, 33 1 Chr. 17:13a..."I will be His Father, He...my Son."...Heb. 1:5 Job 19:23-27...The Resurrection predicted...Jn. 5:24-29 Psa. 2:1-3...The enmity of kings foreordained...Acts 4:25-28 Psa. 2:2...To own the title, Anointed (Christ)...Acts 2:36 Ps. 2:6...His Character-Holiness...Jn. 8:46; Rev. 3:7 Ps. 2:6...To own the title King...Mt. 2:2 Ps. 2:7...Declared the Beloved Son...Mt. 3;17 Psa. 2:7, 8...The Crucifixion and Resurrection intimated...Acts 13:29-33 Psa. 2:12...Life comes through faith in Him...Jn. 20:31 Psa. 8:2...The mouths of babes perfect His praise...Mt. 21:16 Psa. 8:5, 6...His humiliation and exaltation...Lu. 24:50-53; 1 Cor. 15:27 Psa. 16:10...Was not to see corruption...Acts 2:31 Psa. 16:9-11...Was to arise from the dead...Jn. 20:9 Psa. 17;15...The resurrection predicted...Lu. 24:6 Psa. 22:1...Forsaken because of sins of others...2 Cor. 5:21 Psa. 22:1...Words spoken from Calvary, "My God..." Mk. 15:34 Psa. 22:2...Darkness upon Calvary...Mt. 27:45 Psa. 22:7...They shoot out the lip and shake the head...Mt. 27:39 Psa. 22:8..He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him...Mt. 27:43

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Psa. 22:9......Born the Saviour......Lu. 2:7 Psa. 22:14...Died of a broken (ruptured)heart...Jn. 19:34 Psa. 22:14,15...Suffered agony on Calvary...Mk. 15:34-37 Psa. 22:15........He thirsted........Jn. 19:28 Psa. 22:16...They pierced His hands and His feet....Jn. 19:34,37;20:27 Psa. 22:17,18...Stripped Him before the stares of men...Lu. 23:34,35 Psa. 22:18.....They parted His garments.....Jn. 19:23,24 Psa. 22:20,21...He committed Himself to God...Lu.23:46 Psa. 22:20,21..Satanic power bruising the Redeemer's heel..Heb. 2:14 Psa. 22:22.....His Resurrection declared.....Jn. 20:17 Psa. 22:27...He shall be the governor of the nations...Col 1:16 Psa. 22:31......It is finished......Jn. 19:30 Psa. 23:1....I am the Good Shephard....Jn. 10:11 Psa. 24:3......His exaltation predicted......Acts 1:11; Phil. 2:9 Psa. 30:3......His resurrection predicted......Acts 2:32 Psa. 31:5...Into thy hands I commit my spirit...Lu. 23:46 Psa. 31:11...His acquaintances fled from Him...Mk. 14:50 Psa. 31:13...They took counsel to put Him to death...Jn. 11:53 Psa. 31:14,15...He trusted in God, let Him deliver him...Mt. 27:43 Psa. 34:20.....Not a bone of Him broken.....Jn 19:31-36 Psa. 35:11....False witnesses rose up against Him....Mt. 26:59 Psa. 35:19...He was hated without a cause...Jn. 15:25 Psa. 38:11.....His friends stood afar off.....Lu. 23:49 Psa. 40:2-5...The joy of His resurrection predicted...Jn. 20:20 Psa. 40:6-8....His delight-the will of the Father....Jn. 4:34 Psa. 40:9....He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel....Mt. 4:17 Psa. 40:14...Confronted by adversaries in the Garden...Jn. 18:4-6 Psa. 41:9.....Betrayed by a familiar friend.....Jn. 13:18 Psa. 45:2...Words of Grace come from His lips...Lu. 4:22 Psa. 45:6...To own the title, God or Elohim...Heb. 1:8 Psa. 45:7...A special anointing by the Holy Spirit...Mt.3:16; Heb.1:9 Psa. 45:7,8...Called the Christ (Messiah or Anointed)...Lu. 2:11 Psa. 55:12-14...Betrayed by a friend, not an enemy...Jn. 13:18 Psa. 55:15...Unrepentant death of the Betrayer...Mt. 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-19 Psa. 68:18...To give gifts to men...Eph. 4:7-16 Psa. 68:18...Ascended into Heaven...Lu. 24:51 Psa. 69:4...Hated without a cause...Jn. 15:25 Psa. 69:8...A stranger to own brethren...Lu. 8;20,21 Psa. 69:9...Zealous for the Lord's House...Jn. 2:17 Psa. 69:14-20...Messiah's anguish of soul before crucifixion...Mt. 26:36-45 Psa. 69:20...My soul is exceeding sorrowful...Mt. 26:38

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Psa. 69:21...Given vinegar in thirst...Mt. 27:34 Psa. 69:26...The Saviour given and smitten by God...Jn. 17:4; 18:11 Psa. 72:10,11...Great persons were to visit Him...Mt. 2:1-11 Psa. 72:16...The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground...Jn. 12:24 Psa. 72:17...His name, Yinon, will produce offspring...Jn. 1:12,13 Psa. 72:17...All nations shall be blessed by Him...Acts 2:11,12,41 Psa. 78:1.2...He would teach in parables...Mt. 13:34-35 Psa. 78:2b...To speak the Wisdom of God with authority...Mt. 7:29 Psa. 88:8...They stood afar off and watched...Lu. 23:49 Psa. 89:27...Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings...Lu. 1:32,33 Psa. 89:35-37...David's Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever...Lu. 1:32,33 Psa. 89:36-37...His character-Faithfulness...Rev. 1:5 Psa. 90:2...He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2)...Jn. 1:1 Psa. 91:11,12...Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ...Lu. 4;10,11 Psa. 97:9...His exaltation predicted...Acts 1:11;Eph. 1:20 Psa. 100:5...His character-Goodness...Mt. 19:16,17 Psa. 102:1-11...The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary...Jn. 21:16-30 Psa. 102:25-27...Messiah is the Preexistent Son...Heb. 1:10-12 Psa. 109:25...Ridiculed...Mt. 27:39 Psa. 110:1...Son of David...Mt. 22:43 Psa. 110:1...To ascend to the right-hand of the Father...Mk.16:19 Psa. 110:1...David's son called Lord...Mt. 22:44,45 Psa. 110:4...A priest after Melchizedek's order...Heb. 6:20 Psa. 112:4...His character-Compassionate, Gracious, et al... Mt. 9;36 Psa. 118:17,18...Messiah's Resurrection assured...Lu. 24:5-7;1 Cor. 15:20 Psa. 118:22,23...The rejected stone is Head of the corner...Mt. 21:42,43 Psa. 118:26a...The Blessed One presented to Israel...Mt. 21:9 Psa. 118:26b...To come while Temple standing...Mt. 21;12-15 Psa. 132:11...The Seed of David(the fruit of His Body)...Lu. 1:32 Psa. 138:1-6...The supremacy of David's Seed amazes kings... Mt. 2:2-6 Psa. 147:3,6...The earthly ministry of Christ described...Lu. 4:18 Psa. 1:23...He will send the Spirit of God... Jn. 16;7 Song. 5;16...The altogether lovely One...Jn. 1:17 Isa. 6:1...When Isaiah saw His glory... Jn. 12:40-41 Isa. 6:9-10...Parables fall on deaf ears...Mt. 13:13-15 Isa. 6:9-12...Blinded to Christ and deaf to His words...Acts. 28:23-29 Isa. 7:14...To be born of a virgin...Lu. 1:35 Isa. 7:14...To be Emmanuel-God with us... Mt. 1:18-23 Isa. 8:8...Called Emmanuel...Mt. 28:20 Isa. 8:14...A stone of stumbling, a Rock of offense... 1 Pet. 2:8 Isa. 9:1,2...His ministry to begin in Galilee...Mt. 4:12-17

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Isa. 9:6...A child born-Humanity...Lu. 1:31 Isa. 9:6...A Son given-Deity...Lu. 1:32; Jn. 1;14; 1 Tim. 3:16 Isa. 9:6...Declared to be the Son of God with power... Rom. 1:3,4 Isa. 9:6...The Wonderful One, Peleh...Lu. 4:22 Isa. 9:6...The Counsellor, Yaatz...Mt. 13:54 Isa. 9:6...The Mighty God, El Gibor...Mt. 11:20 Isa. 9:6...The Everlasting Father, Avi Adth...Jn. 8:58 Isa. 9:6...The Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom...Jn . 16:33 Isa. 9:7...To establish an everlasting kingdom...Lu. 1:32-33 Isa. 9:7...His Character-Just...Jn. 5:30 Isa. 9:7...No end to his Government, Throne, and Peace...Lu. 1:32-33 Isa. 11:1...Called a Nazarene-the Branch, Netzer...Mt. 2:23 Isa. 11:1...A rod out of Jesse-Son of Jesse...Lu. 3:23,32 Isa. 11:2...The anointed One by the Spirit...Mt. 3;16,17 Isa. 11:2...His Character-Wisdom, Understanding, et al....Jn. 4:4-26 Isa. 11:4...His Character-Truth...Jn. 14:6 Isa. 11:10...The Gentiles seek Him...Jn. 12:18-21 Isa. 12:2...Called Jesus-Yeshua...Mt. 1:21 Isa. 25:8...The Resurrection predicted...I Cor. 15:54 Isa. 26:19...His power of Resurrection predicted...Jn. 11:43,44 Isa. 28:16...The Messiah is the precious corner stone...Acts 4:11,12 Isa. 29:13...He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word...Mt. 15:7-9 Isa. 29:14...The wise are confounded by the Word...I Cor. 1:18-31 Isa. 32:2...A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place...Mt. 23:37 Isa. 35:4...He will come and save you...Mt. 1:21 Isa. 35:5...To have a ministry of miracles...Mt. 11:4-6 Isa. 40:3,4...Preceded by forerunner...Jn. 1:23 Isa. 40:9..."Behold your God."...Jn. 1:36;19:14 Isa. 40:11...A shepherd-compassionatelife-giver...Jn. 10:10-18 Isa. 42:1-4...The Servant-as a faithful, patient redeemer... Mt.12:18-21 Isa. 42:2...Meek and lowly... Mt. 11:28-30 Isa. 42:3...He brings hope for the hopeless... Jn. 4 Isa. 42:4...The nations shall wait on His teachings... Jn. 12:20-26 Isa. 42:6...The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles...Lu. 2:32 Isa. 42:1,6...His is a Worldwide compassion... Mt. 28:19,20 Isa. 42:7...Blind eyes opened... Jn. 9:25-38 Isa. 43:11...He is the only Saviour... Acts. 4:12 Isa. 44:3...He will send the Spirit of God... Jn. 16:7,13 Isa. 45:23...He will be the Judge... Jn. 5:22;Rom. 14:11 Isa. 48:12...The First and the Last...Jn. 1:30;Rev. 1:8,17 Isa. 48:17...He came as a Teacher...Jn. 3:2

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Isa. 49:1...Called from the womb-His humanity...Mt. 1:18 Isa. 49:5...A Servant from the womb...Lu. 1:31;Phil. 2:7 Isa. 49:6...He is Salvation for Israel...Lu. 2:29-32 Isa. 49:6...He is the Light of the Gentiles...Acts 13:47 Isa. 49:6...He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth... Acts 15:7-18 Isa. 49:7...He is despised of the Nation... Jn. 8:48-49 Isa. 50:3...Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation... Lu. 23:44,45 Isa. 50:4...He is a learned counsellor for the weary... Mt. 11:28,29 Isa. 50:5...The Servant bound willingly to obedience... Mt. 26:39 Isa. 50:6a..."I gave my back to the smiters."... Mt. 27:26 Isa. 50:6b...He was smitten on the cheeks... Mt. 26:67 Isa. 50:6c...He was spat upon... Mt. 27:30 Isa. 52:7...To publish good tidings of peace... Lu. 4:14,15 Isa. 52:13...The Servant exalted...Acts 1:8-11; Eph. 1:19-22 Isa. 52:13...Behold, My Servant... Mt. 17:5; Phil. 2:5-8 Isa. 52:14...The Servant shockingly abused... Lu. 18:31-34; Mt. 26:67,68 Isa. 52:15...Nations startled by message of the Servant... Rom. 15:18-21 Isa. 52:15...His blood shed to make atonement for all... Rev. 1:5 Isa. 53:1...His people would not believe Him... Jn. 12:37-38 Isa. 53:2a...He would grow up in a poor family.... Lu. 2:7 Isa. 53:2b...Appearance of an ordinary man... Phil. 2:7-8 Isa. 53:3a...Despised.... Lu. 4:28-29 Isa. 53:3b...Rejected... Mt. 27:21-23 Isa. 53:3c...Great sorrow and grief... Lu. 19:41-42 Isa. 53:3d...Men hide from being associated with Him... Mk. 14:50-52 Isa. 53:4a...He would have a healing ministry... Lu. 6:17-19 Isa. 53:4b...He would bear the sins of the world... 1 Pet. 2:24 Isa. 53:4c...Thought to be cursed by God... Mt. 27:41-43 Isa. 53:5a...Bears penalty for mankind's transgressions... Lu. 23:33 Isa. 53:5b...His sacrifice would provide peace between man and God... Col. 1:20 Isa. 53:5c...His back would be whipped... Mt. 27:26 Isa. 53:6a...He would be the sin-bearer for all mankind...Gal. 1:4 Isa. 53:6b...God's will that He bear sin for all mankind... 1 Jn. 4:10 Isa. 53:7a...Oppressed and afflicted... Mt. 27:27-31 Isa. 53:7b...Silent before his accusers... Mt. 27:12-14 Isa. 53:7c...Sacrificial lamb... Jn. 1:29 Isa. 53:8a...Confined and persecuted... Mt. 26:47-27:31 Isa. 53:8b...He would be judged... Jn. 18:13-22 Isa. 53:8c...Killed.... Mt. 27:35 Isa. 53:8d...Dies for the sins of the world... 1 Jn. 2:2 Isa. 53:9a...Buried in a rich man's grave... Mt. 27:57

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Isa. 53:9b...Innocent and had done no violence... Mk. 15:3 Isa. 53:9c...No deceit in his mouth... Jn. 18:38 Isa. 53:10a...God's will that He die for mankind... Jn. 18:11 Isa. 53:10b...An offering for sin... Mt. 20:28 Isa. 53:10c...Resurrected and live forever.... Mk. 16:16 Isa. 53:10d...He would prosper... Jn. 17:1-5 Isa. 53:11a...God fully satisfied with His suffering... Jn. 12:27 Isa. 53:11b...God's servant... Rom. 5:18-19 Isa. 53:11c...He would justify man before God... Rom. 5:8-9 Isa. 53:11d...The sin-bearer for all mankind... Heb. 9:28 Isa. 53:12a...Exalted by God because of his sacrifice... Mt. 28:18 Isa. 53:12b...He would give up his life to save mankind... Lu. 23:46 Isa. 53:12c...Grouped with criminals... Lu. 23:32 Isa. 53:12d...Sin-bearer for all mankind... 2 Cor. 5:21 Isa. 53:12e...Intercede to God in behalf of mankind... Lu. 23:34 Isa. 55:3...Resurrected by God... Acts 13:34 Isa. 55:4...A witness... Jn. 18:37 Isa. 59:15-16a...He would come to provide salvation... Jn. 6:40 Isa. 59:15-16b...Intercessor between man and God... Mt. 10:32 Isa. 59:20...He would come to Zion as their Redeemer... Lu. 2:38 Isa. 61:1-2a...The Spirit of God upon him... Mt. 3:16-17 Isa. 61:1-2b...The Messiah would preach the good news... Lu. 4:17-21 Isa. 61:1-2c...Provide freedom from the bondage of sin and death... Jn. 8:31-32 Isa. 61:1-2...Proclaim a period of grace... Jn. 5:24 Jer.23:5-6a...Descendant of David...Lu. 3:23-31 Jer. 23:5-6b...The Messiah would be God... Jn. 13:13 Jer. 23:5-6c...The Messiah would be both God and Man... 1 Tim. 3:16 Jer. 31:22...Born of a virgin... Mt. 1:18-20 Jer. 31:31...The Messiah would be the new covenant... Mt. 26:28 Jer. 33:14-15...Descendant of David... Lu. 3:23-31 Eze.17:22-24...Descendant of David... Lk. 3:23-31 Eze.34:23-24...Descendant of David... Mt. 1:1 Dan. 7:13-14a...He would ascend into heaven... Acts 1:9-11 Dan. 7:13-14b...Highly exalted... Eph. 1:20-22 Dan. 7:13-14c...His dominion would be everlasting... Lu. 1:31-33 Dan. 9:24a...To make an end to sins... Gal. 1:3-5 Dan. 9:24b...He would be holy... Lu. 1:35 Dan. 9:25...Announced to his people 483 years, to the exact day, after the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem... Jn. 12:12-13 Dan. 9:26a...Killed... Mt. 27:35 Dan. 9:26b...Die for the sins of the world... Heb. 2:9

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Dan. 9:26c...Killed before the destruction of the temple... Mt. 27:50-51 Dan. 10:5-6...Messiah in a glorified state... Rev. 1:13-16 Hos. 13:14...He would defeat death... 1 Cor. 15:55-57 Joel 2:32...Offer salvation to all mankind... Rom. 10:12-13 Mic. 5:2a...Born in Bethlehem... Mt. 2:1-2 Mic. 5:2b...God's servant... Jn. 15:10 Mic. 5:2c...From everlasting... Jn. 8:58 Hag. 2:6-9...He would visit the second Temple... Lu. 2:27-32 Hag. 2:23...Descendant of Zerubbabel... Lu. 3:23-27 Zech. 3:8...God's servant... Jn. 17:4 Zech. 6:12-13...Priest and King... Heb. 8:1 Zech. 9:9a...Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem... Mt. 21:8-10 Zech. 9:9b...Beheld as King... Jn. 12:12-13 Zech. 9:9c...The Messiah would be just... Jn. 5:30 Zech. 9:9d...The Messiah would bring salvation... Luke 19:10 Zech. 9:9e...The Messiah would be humble... Mt. 11:29 Zech. 9:9f...Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey... Mt. 21:6-9 Zech. 10:4...The cornerstone... Eph. 2:20 Zech. 11:4-6a...At His coming, Israel to have unfit leaders... Mt. 23:1-4 Zech. 11:4-6b...Rejection causes God to remove His protection.. Lu. 19:41-44 Zech. 11:4-6c...Rejected in favor of another king... Jn. 19:13-15 Zech. 11:7...Ministry to "poor," the believing remnant... Mt. 9:35-36 Zech. 11:8a...Unbelief forces Messiah to reject them... Mt. 23:33 Zech. 11:8b...Despised... Mt. 27:20 Zech. 11:9...Stops ministering to the those who rejected Him... Mt. 13:10-11 Zech. 11:10-11a...Rejection causes God to remove protection... Lu. 19:41-44 Zech. 11:10-11b...The Messiah would be God... Jn. 14:7 Zech. 11:12-13a...Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver... Mt. 26:14-15 Zech. 11:12-13b...Rejected... Mt. 26:14-15 Zech. 11:12-13c...Thirty pieces of silver thrown into the house of the Lord. Mt. 27:3-5 Zech. 11:12-13d...The Messiah would be God... Jn. 12:45 Zech. 12:10a...The Messiah's body would be pierced... Jn. 19:34-37 Zech. 12:10b...The Messiah would be both God and man... Jn. 10:30 Zech. 12:10c...The Messiah would be rejected... Jn. 1:11 Zech. 13:7a...God's will He die for mankind... Jn. 18:11 Zech. 13:7b...A violent death... Mt. 27:35 Zech. 13:7c...Both God and man.. Jn. 14:9 Zech. 13:7d...Israel scattered as a result of rejecting Him... Mt. 26:31-56 Mal. 3:1a...Messenger to prepare the way for Messiah... Mt. 11:10 Mal. 3:1b...Sudden appearance at the temple... Mk. 11:15-16 Mal. 3:1c...Messenger of the new covenant... Lu. 4:43

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Mal. 4:5...Forerunner in the spirit of Elijah... Mt. 3:1-2 Mal. 4:6...Forerunner would turn many to righteousness... Lu. 1:16-17

    THE  PROPHECY  OF  ISRAEL'S  SEVENTY  WEEKS         DANIEL  9:24-­‐27                1                                  2                                  3                                  4                                  5                                  6                                                         WHICH  OF  THESE  DID  JESUS  NOT  FULFILL  AT  HIS  FIRST  COMING?         WHEN  WILL  THE  INCOMPLETED  PROPHECY  OCCUR?                                 JERUSALEM                   REBUILT                                         7  WEEKS(_____  YEARS)              

       62  WEEKS(________  YEARS)          

                             

                   

                               TRIBULATION  

              CHURCH         DECREE             AGE      

  ______BC    69  WEEKS(________  YEARS)      

               70TH  WEEK  

                                   

                      THE  DECREE  TO  REBUILD  JERUSALEM  BY       MESSIAH         ARTEXERXES  WAS  IN  457BC         COMES  &                     IS  CUT  OFF       457  -­‐  ________  =  _______  AD                             JERUSALEM       JESUS  BORN  IN  4  BC           DESTROYED       HOW  OLD  WAS  HE  WHEN  HE  BEGAN  HIS  MINISTRY?     DATE______AD                           4  BC  +  _____  =  ________AD              

 

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 Psalm  22(17),  69(7),  Isaiah  53(38),  Zechariah  11(13)  –  in  class  groups  to  find  number  of  prophecies  in  each  chapter.  

Lesson  7    Evidence  for  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  Denominations  and  gray  areas  

Evidence  for  the  Resurrection  

Importance  of  Resurrection,  Paul  said  if  Christ  is  not  raised  your  faith  is  in  vain.  Mohammed’s,  Buddha’s,  Abraham’s  grave  in  contrast  to  Jesus’  empty  tomb,  None  of  these  leaders  claimed  they  would  rise  from  the  dead  and  that  they  were  God.    Jesus  Christ  claimed  both.  Why  is  the  resurrection  important?    

 

Importance  of  Resurrection:    1  Corinthians  15:14-­‐19.    

Mohammed’s,  Buddha’s,  Abraham’s  grave  in  different  than  Jesus’.  His  is  an    e__________  tomb!    None  of  these  leaders  claimed  they  would  rise  from  the  dead  and  that  they  were  God.    Jesus  Christ  claimed  both!    The  Evidence  of  the  Resurrection  

1. Biographical  evidence-­‐  w________________  evidence  …bible,  Josephus,  Tacitus  2. Jesus’  testimony-­‐  his  e_________  predictions,  in  all  4  gospels  3. Central  proclamation  of  the  Church    -­‐    ____  of  27  NT  books,  all  apostle  c_________  include  

it,  it  is  never  debated  or  q_________________  4. The  transformation  of  the  d__________________  

a. T__________  before  b. their  deaths  

i. Peter-­‐crucified  u_________  d_________  ii. Andrew-­‐crucified  iii. James  the  greater-­‐b_________________  iv. John-­‐died  in  e______  v. Thomas-­‐s________________  

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vi. Bartholomew-­‐crucified  vii. Jude-­‐crucified  viii. James,  the  less-­‐s_____________  ix. Philip-­‐crucified  x. Matthew-­‐b____________  alive  xi. Simon  the  Zealot-­‐crucified  xii. Matthias-­‐stoned  and  b_________________  xiii. Conclusion????  

c. P________  (like  Hitler  becoming  a  Jew,  or  Reagan  becoming  a  Communist,  or  Churchill  becoming  a  Nazi)  

5. Change  of  Saturday  to  S______________  worship  6. B_________________  and  its  meaning  7. Lack  of  refutation  by  Jesus’  e______________  8. No  adequate  t_______________  to  explain  away  the  event  

a. The  e____________  stole  the  body  b. The  d____________  stole  the  body  c. He  never  d_______,  but  escaped(swoon  theory)  d. Everyone  went  to  the  w___________  tomb(angels,  women,  disciples)  e. Post  resurrection  appearances  were  h______________-­‐  who  saw  Jesus  afterwards?  

i. __________________________________________________________  ii. __________________________________________________________  iii. __________________________________________________________  iv. ___________________________________________________________  v. ___________________________________________________________  vi. ___________________________________________________________  vii. ___________________________________________________________  viii. ___________________________________________________________  ix. ___________________________________________________________  x. ___________________________________________________________  

1  Corinthians  15:5-­‐8,  Matthew  28:9,  Mark  16:9-­‐14,  Luke  24:13…,  John  20,  21  

Evidence  of  Jesus  from  non-­‐biblical  sources,    chp  5,  historicity  of  Jesus,    

 Denominations  and  Gray  Areas  

Why  so  many  Christian  denominations?  Was  the  Reformation,  the  Protestant  split  good  for  the  church?    All  have  the  basics.  Why  is  Mormonism  not  a  denomination  of  Christianity?  What  about  Seventh  Day  Adventists?  Mountains  (who  is  J_________?  How  am  I  s________?)  vs.  mole  hills(gray  areas)    

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Gray  areas:  Is  it  okay  for  a  Christian  to  watch  and  read  about  Harry  Potter(sorcery)?    To  smoke?  To  watch  R  rated  movies?  To  dance?  Girls  have  to  wear  dresses?  Drinking  alcohol?  Listening  to  rock  music?  Gray  areas:  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________    Tests:  a) Is  it  B______________________?  b) Does  it  G_____________  God?  c) Are  O___________  helped  or  harmed?  d) Can  you  proceed  without  d_____________?    B________________?  G_____________  God?  1  Corinthians  10:23-­‐33      O________________  helped?  D_______________,  can  you  proceed  without  it?  Romans  14    Final  thought…Love  vs.  knowledge  -­‐  John  13:34-­‐35.  By  this  will  all  men  know  that  you  are  my  disciples,  if  you  have  l____  for    one  another.      Romans  2:4  The  k______________  of  God  leads  us  to  repentance.