The Reliability of the Bible

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The Reliabilityof the Bible

• Mid Year Conference 2008
• John North

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Einstein
The true problem lies in the hearts and thoughts
of men. It is not a physical problem, but an
ethical one. What terrifies us is not the
explosive force of the atom bomb but the power of
the wickedness of the human heartits explosive
power for evil.
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5 ways that the Bible is reliable
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1. Reliable Manuscripts

• How many copies?

• Time gap from original to earliest copy?

• Where were the copies found?

• What differences exist between the copies?

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(No Transcript)
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Can we really know what the original said?

• 200,000 variants 8 per copy

• Mostly obvious typos

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Sample types of variants

• Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the whole worl.

• Christ Jesus is the Saviour of the whole world.

• Jesus Christ s the Saviour of the whole world.

• Jesus Christ is th Saviour of the whle world.

• Jesus Christ is the Savor of the whole wrld.

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Variants

• Less than 40 lines

• None has any impact on a major teaching of
  Christianity

• 100 certainty on 99.5 of the New Testament

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Old Testament

• Perfect skin/parchment
• Number of lines
• Number of words
• Number of letters
• Middle letter
• Mistakes? Destroy the manuscript.

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2. Reliable History

• Internal test
• What does the Bible claim about itself?
• External test
• Does the Bible agree with other things we know
  about the ancient world?

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A Hittite city!
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Nelson Gluek

• It may be stated categorically that no
  archaeological discovery has ever controverted a
  biblical reference.

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3. Reliable Prophecies

• 2,500 prophecies
• 2,000 already fulfilled
• _at_500 have to do with the future, still to be
  fulfilled
• 100 accuracy

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Daniel

• 500 BC
• Messiah would begin public ministry 483 years
  after decree to restore Jerusalem
• Jesus began his public ministry 483 years after
  Persias King Artaxerxes issued the decree to Ezra

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Micah

• 700 BC
• Bethlehem would be the Messiahs birthplace

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David and Zechariah

• 400 years before crucifixion was invented
• Described Jesus death in words depicting his
  crucifixion
• Also said his body would be pierced, but no bones
  broken

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4. Reliable Consistency

• God used 40 human authors
• Different socio-economic backgrounds
• Different occupations
• Different cultural heritage
• Different periods of history
• One book with one message
• GODS BOOK WITH GODS MESSAGE

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5. Reliable Spiritual Truth

• Read it and see for yourself
• Ask someone about its impact on them
• My story

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God is speaking to you, but as long as your Bible
is closed, you are missing so much of what he
wants to say and do in your life!