UNRAVEL66 BOOKS • 40 AUTHORS • ONE STORY

PART 1 • WEEK 2

UNRAVEL[uhn-rav-uhl]

1. To undo or untangle something that is tangled or knotted.

2. To free from complication or difficulty.

3. To make plain or clear.

4. To explain or solve.

5. To unravel a mystery.

Birth, Ministry, Death & Resurrection Prophecies Fulfilled • The DisciplesGreat Commission • Ascension

Creation • The Fall • The FloodTower of Babel • Abraham

A New Nation • 12 Tribes • Egypt

The Beginning • Prayer • PersecutionSupernatural Power • Impact/GrowthPaul • Problems • False Teachers

Moses • 10 Plagues • The Passover The Exodus • Red Sea • Mt. Sinai

Law • Wandering • The Tabernacle

6. THE LIFE TO COME

A Stern Warning • A Glimpse of HeavenThe Throne Room • Things to ComeFinal Judgement • Our Eternal Destiny

OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT

1. FROM PARADISE TO SLAVERY

5. THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

4. THE LIFE OF CHRIST1. FROM PARADISE TO SLAVERY

3. FROM HOLINESS TO PRIDE

2. FROM SLAVERY TO HOLINESS

Joshua • Promised Land • Forgetting GodThe Judges • The Kings • The Temple

Divided Kingdom • Exile • The Prophets

HERE’S WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE BIBLE…

“It is a collection of fantastic legends without scientific support. It is full of dark hints, historical mistakes, and contradictions. It serves as a factor for gaining power and subjugating unknown nations.”

Official dictionary of the Soviet Union

“One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad.”

Aleister Crowley(Occultist)

“You can point to the alleged miracles of the Bible, or any other religious text, but they are nothing but old stories fabricated by man and then exaggerated over time.”

Dan Brown(Author, “The DaVinci Code”)

HERE’S WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE BIBLE…

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

George Washington

“The Bible is a Book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed.”

Patrick Henry

“The existence of the Bible is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.”

Immanuel Kant

“A good church is a Bible-centered church. Nothing is as important as this — not a large congregation, a witty pastor, or tangible experiences of the Holy Spirit.”

Alistair Begg

HERE’S WHAT THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ITSELF…

All Scripture is inspired by God…

2 Timothy 3:16

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own

interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they

were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:20

WHO’SRIGHT?

WHO’SWRONG?

AND CAN WE KNOW FOR SURE?

LAST WEEK…

The INDESTRUCTIBILITY of the Bible

The SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE of the Bible

The HISTORICAL EVIDENCE of the Bible

JESUS Believed in the Bible

The Bible Changed MY LIFE

CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

The UNITY of the Bible

1. Invite 40 Friends to the library…

2. Tell them to Choose Any Book they want…

Everyone will choose at least 1 book, but some will choose multiple books, until they have a total of 66 books.

3. Now Read All 66 Books in any order you choose…

What are the odds that ALL 66 books will:• be in agreement with each other• all point to the same theme• all fit together to form one continuous story?

YOU WOULD PROBABLY AGREE THAT THE ODDS ARE ASTRONOMICAL

YET THAT’S EXACTLY HOW THE BIBLE CAME TOGETHER

40 AUTHORS1,500 YEARS

66 BOOKS1,189 CHAPTERS

OVER 31,000 VERSESNEARLY 800,000 WORDS

1 STORY

GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN OF SALVATION

1,000’s of Characters… 1,000’s of Events…1,000’s of Years… 100’s of Topics…

THE TOTAL CONTINUITY OF THE BIBLE CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY RANDOM CHANCE OR BY ANY MEANS OF HUMAN INTERVENTION. IT IS A MARK OF DIVINE AUTHORSHIP.

“Take just ten authors from one walk of life, in one generation, from one place, at one time, on one continent, in one mood, in one language, to write about one controversial subject… What would be the result of that? Harmony or diversity of opinion?”

F. F. BRUCE

There weren’t 40 AUTHORS of the Bible…There were 40 WRITERS…

But only “ONE” AUTHOR –

GOD!

CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

The UNITY of the Bible

The MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE of the Bible

The Bible is the mostWELL DOCUMENTED

BEST PRESERVED literary work of ALL TIME.

ANCIENT LITERARY WORKS NUMBER OF MANUSCRIPTS

Homer – “Iliad” 1,757

Herodotus – “Histories” 109

Plato – “Tetralogies” 210

Caesar – “Gallic Wars” 251

Sophocles – “Tragedies” 193

Tacitus – “Annals” 31

Livy – “History of Rome” 160

New Testament More than 24,000

CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

The MARTYRDOM of the Bible’s Authors

The UNITY of the Bible

The MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE of the Bible

• Many of the Bible's writers were PUT TO DEATH in horrible ways in defense of their written testimony.

• All but one of the New Testament writers were EXECUTED.

• Yet NOT ONE OF THEM renounced their faith in Jesus Christ!

NO ONE would knowingly DIE for a LIE…

Yet people throughout the centuries havewillingly given their lives in defense of the Bible,

because they know it is the TRUTH.

• Have you submitted your life to God’s Word?

• Are you doing what the Bible says instead of just hearing it?

• Are you willing to obey God’s Word in every area of your life, even when it calls you to do the hard things?

What about you?

”Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them."

Paul Hovey

• Who God is (He is holy)

• Who we are (We are sinners)

• And the only way we can be forgiven of our sin debt…

The Bible tells us the truth about:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

It is appointed unto man to die once, and after this, the judgement.

Hebrews 9:27

We will all give an account to God one day

Are you ready for that day?

JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK AS WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE!

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