Is the Bible really true?

How we can be sure

What is the Bible?

The world’s bestseller: the most translated book ever

In two main parts: Old testament and New testament

A ‘library’ of 66 different books

Written by about 40 different authors

Over a period of about 1500 years

One message !

Gutenberg Bible, Mainz, 1453. The first printed book.

Dead Sea Scroll, the great Isaiah Scroll in Hebrew, c. 100 B.C. The scroll is about 8m. long and is the type given to Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth, Luke 4

Papyrus P66 Greek manuscript of the Gospel of John.

Dated 200 A.D. but some place earlier

‘P52’ Earliest Papyrus Fragment of John’s gospel dated 117 to 138 AD and found in Egypt

What is the Bible about?

How did we get here?

What has gone wrong?

What is God’s answer?

What is the Bible about?

• It is not a textbook about science or history but wherever the bible touches on these areas it has been shown to be correct…

•‘ There is no scientific fact that is out of agreement with the Bible.‘

G. Campbell Morgan

•Clay cylinders (6” long) from Ur dating from the time of Nabonidus and mentions him and his son Belshazzar. Discovered in 1850 about three years after a German liberal commentator proposed that Belshazzar did not exist (i.e. Bible not true)

What does the Bible teach about itself?

‘Thus says the LORD’ : used about 3600 times in the Old Testament

In the New Testament:‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God… (2 Timothy 3:16)

‘Your Word is truth’ (John 17:17)

How can we know it is true?

Many prophecies fulfilled…

For example concerning Jesus Christ:

The place of his birth (Micah 5:2)

His death by crucifixion (Psalm 22)

His resurrection from the grave (Psalm 16)

His worldwide Church (Matthew 24)

Is today’s Bible genuine?

We have over 100 scrolls of Old Testament material & nearly 25,000 copies of all or parts of the New Testament!

By contrast we have…10 copies of Caesar’s Gallic War (58-50 BC)

10 copies of Tacitus’ histories (born c.52 AD)

643 copies of Homer’s Iliad (born c.850 BC)

Is today’s Bible genuine?

“It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain: especially this is the case with the New Testament… This can be said of no other ancient book in the world.”

Sir Frederick Kenyon

The Bible…Is completely self consistent: infallibleIs accurate historically/scientifically: inerrantClaims to be the Word of God: inspiredHas been fulfilled prophetically: confirmedKept the same throughout history: preserved

Contains 4 eyewitness accounts of the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ

Entrance to a tomb of the type used in the first century, and not later in the Jerusalem region. The doorway is about 1 m. high, the stone blocks it completely.

John 20:24-26 The doubting disciple…

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said to him: ‘We have seen the Lord’. But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’

John 20:27-29: The risen Lord

And after eight days the disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, ‘Peace to you!’

Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here and look at My hands; and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’

And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Resurrection: the greatest miracle

“To me the evidence is conclusive, and over and again in the High Court I have secured the verdict

on evidence not nearly so compelling.”

Sir Edward Clarke

“I know pretty well what evidence is; and I tell you, such evidence

as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.”

Lord Lyndhurst

John 20:30-31 The reason for the Gospel…

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Why does it matter?

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – we are not what we should be

If Jesus Christ rose from the dead, then he was who he said he was

In Him we see God’s answer to the problem of sin and death

What should you do?

Jesus said: ‘Repent and believe the gospel’

Repent = be sorry for your sin and turn away from it

Believe = turn to Jesus Christ and commit your life to Him.