SHOULD WE ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

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SHOULD WE ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS THE INSPIRED WORD
OF GOD?
?
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SHOULD WE ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS THE INSPIRED WORD
OF GOD?

• The Bible claims to be inspired by God.

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2 TIMOTHY 316-17

• All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
  is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
  correction, for instruction in righteousness,
  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
  equipped for every good work.

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2 PETER 119-21

• And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,
  which you do well to heed as a light that shines
  in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
  morning star rises in your hearts knowing this
  first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any
  private interpretation, for prophecy never came
  by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as
  they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

5
1 CORINTHIANS 1437-38

• If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or
  spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things
  which I write to you are the commandments of the
  Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be
  ignorant.

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SHOULD WE ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS THE INSPIRED WORD
OF GOD?

• The Bible claims to be inspired by God.
• Should this claim be accepted or rejected?
• There are several good and sufficient reasons for
  accepting the Bible's claim to be inspired of
  God.
• In this lesson we will look at the top ten
  reasons.

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

• Man's religious nature can no more be denied than
  can his intellectual nature!
• Man will worship something or someone!
• When directed by the Bible, man is led to the
  loftiest heights of life.
• In the absence of the Bibles influence, man is
  led to extreme cruelties and abominable customs.

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DEUTERONOMY 1229-30
"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you
the nations which you go to dispossess, and you
displace them and dwell in their land, take heed
to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow
them, after they are destroyed from before you,
and that you do not inquire after their gods,
saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods?
I also will do likewise.'
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DEUTERONOMY 1231
"You shall not worship the Lord your God in that
way for every abomination to the Lord which He
hates they have done to their gods for they burn
even their sons and daughters in the fire to
their gods."
11
LEVITICUS 1821
"And you shall not let any of your descendants
pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you
profane the name of your God I am the Lord."
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LEVITICUS 202-3
"Again, you shall say to the children of Israel
'Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the
strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of
his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put
to death. The people of the land shall stone him
with stones. I will set My face against that
man, and will cut him off from his people,
because he has given some of his descendants to
Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My
holy name.
13
LEVITICUS 204-5
"And if the people of the land should in any way
hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some
of his descendants to Molech, and they do not
kill him, then I will set My face against that
man and against his family and I will cut him
off from his people, and all who prostitute
themselves with him to commit harlotry with
Molech."
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2 Kings 326-27
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was
too fierce for him, he took with him seven
hundred men who drew swords, to break through to
the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he
took his eldest son who would have reigned in his
place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon
the wall and there was great indignation against
Israel. So they departed from him and returned to
their own land.
15
MATTHEW 410
Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!
For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord
your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "
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JOHN 424
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth."
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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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9. HUMAN PRIDE

• Man, generally, does not attribute to others his
  own accomplishments.

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ISAIAH 558-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are
your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways
higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your
thoughts."
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JEREMIAH 1023
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself
It is not in man who walks to direct his own
steps.
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9. HUMAN PRIDE

• Man, generally, does not attribute to others his
  own accomplishments.
• He may give credit to where credit is due, but he
  will not usually give credit to where none is due.

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY

• Someone once compiled a list of more than 1,000
  books that have been written in opposition to the
  Bible, yet it still stands and most of these
  books are out of print. Example Thomas Paine's
  The Age of Reason.
• Men are still writing books and magazine articles
  in opposition to the Bible but still more Bibles
  are sold than any other book in the world. And it
  continues to be published in more languages than
  any other.

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1 PETER 122-23

• Since you have purified your souls in obeying the
  truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the
  brethren, love one another fervently with a pure
  heart, having been born again, not of
  corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the
  word of God which lives and abides forever,

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1 PETER 124-25

• because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory
  of man as the flower of the grass. The grass
  withers, And its flower falls away, But the word
  of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the
  word which by the gospel was preached to you.

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND

• Love your enemies?

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MATTHEW 543-45

• "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love
  your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to
  you, love your enemies, bless those who curse
  you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
  those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven
  for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the
  good, and sends rain on the just and on the
  unjust."

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MATTHEW 546-48

• "For if you love those who love you, what reward
  have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the
  same? And if you greet your brethren only, what
  do you do more than others? Do not even the tax
  collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect,
  just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

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7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND

• Love your enemies?
• Return good things for evil?

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ROMANS 1219-21

• Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather
  give place to wrath for it is written,
  "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
  Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him If
  he is thirsty, give him a drink For in so doing
  you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not
  be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND

• Love your enemies?
• Return good things for evil?
• Deny self?

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MATTHEW 1624

• Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone
  desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
  and take up his cross, and follow Me."

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7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND

• Love your enemies?
• Return good things for evil?
• Deny self?
• Would man write a book condemning the things he
  wants to do and requiring him to do things he
  would not, otherwise, want to do?
• What would be gained by such a hoax?

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Approximately forty men wrote the Bible over a
  period of about 1600 years.
• They were surrounded by different cultures, spoke
  different languages, represented different walks
  of life and wrote under a variety of
  circumstances.
• a political leader a military leader a
  shepherd a king a herdsman a prime minister a
  tax collector a medical doctor a rabbi and at
  least two fishermen.

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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Approximately forty men wrote the Bible over a
  period of about 1600 years.
• They were surrounded by different cultures, spoke
  different languages, represented different walks
  of life and wrote under a variety of
  circumstances.
• It was written on 3 different continents -
  Europe, Asia, and Africa.

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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Yet, the great theme of Scripture is maintained
  in all the writings.

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GENESIS 314-15
So the Lord God said to the serpent "Because you
have done this, You are cursed more than all
cattle, And more than every beast of the field
On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat
dust All the days of your life. And I will put
enmity Between you and the woman, And between
your seed and her Seed He shall bruise your
head, And you shall bruise His heel."
40
GALATIANS 44-5
But when the fullness of the time had come, God
sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under
the law, to redeem those who were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
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GENESIS 121-3
Now the Lord had said to Abram "Get out of your
country, From your family And from your father's
house, To a land that I will show you. I will
make you a great nation I will bless you And
make your name great And you shall be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I
will curse him who curses you And in you all the
families of the earth shall be blessed."
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GALATIANS 38-9
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the
gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all
the nations shall be blessed." So then those who
are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
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1 PETER 117-19
And if you call on the Father, who without
partiality judges according to each one's work,
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your
stay here in fear knowing that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or
gold, from your aimless conduct received by
tradition from your fathers, but with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot.
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1 PETER 120-21
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you who through Him believe in God, who
raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so
that your faith and hope are in God.
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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Yet, the great theme of Scripture is maintained
  in all the writings.
• There is unity in the Bible from Genesis to the
  book of Revelation.
• The Old Testament message is "Messiah is coming!"
  
• The New Testament message is "Messiah has come
  and gone and is coming again!

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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Yet, the great theme of Scripture is maintained
  in all the writings.
• There is unity in the Bible from Genesis to the
  book of Revelation.
• The Bible does not contradict itself.
• There is no way - apart from the Holy Spirit of
  God supervising the writing of the Bible - that
  this could have been accomplished.

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6. ITS UNITY HARMONY

• Compile the writings of forty other men who lived
  at different intervals over a 1600-year period
  and see how much unity you have.
• Especially if they are writing on the subject of
  religion!

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS
• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS

• The Bible presents its heroes truthfully with all
  of their faults and weaknesses.
• It does not glorify its heroes as other religions
  do.
• When you read the Bible, you realize the people
  it speaks of have problems and do wrong just as
  we do.
• What made them great was that they trusted in
  God.

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5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS

• One example is David.
• David is described as a man after God's own
  heart.

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1 SAMUEL 1314

• And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done
  foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of
  the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For
  now the Lord would have established your kingdom
  over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall
  not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a
  man after His own heart, and the Lord has
  commanded him to be commander over His people,
  because you have not kept what the Lord commanded
  you."

52
ACTS 1321-22

• "And afterward they asked for a king so God gave
  them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of
  Benjamin, for forty years. And when He had
  removed him, He raised up for them David as king,
  to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have
  found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own
  heart, who will do all My will.' "

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5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS

• One example is David.
• David is described as a man after God's own
  heart.
• Yet, David committed adultery and murder.

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2 SAMUEL 112-3

• Then it happened one evening that David arose
  from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's
  house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing,
  and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
• So David sent and inquired about the woman. And
  someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the
  daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the
  Hittite?"

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2 SAMUEL 114-5

• Then David sent messengers, and took her and she
  came to him, and he lay with her, for she was
  cleansed from her impurity and she returned to
  her house.
• And the woman conceived so she sent and told
  David, and said, "I am with child."

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2 SAMUEL 1114-15

• In the morning it happened that David wrote a
  letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
• And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set Uriah in
  the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat
  from him, that he may be struck down and die."

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2 SAMUEL 1116-17

• So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he
  assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there
  were valiant men.
• Then the men of the city came out and fought with
  Joab. And some of the people of the servants of
  David fell and Uriah the Hittite died also.

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5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS

• One example is David.
• David is described as a man after God's own
  heart.
• Yet, David committed adultery and murder.
• This could have been left out of Scripture to
  hide these details of David's life.
• But God included these things.

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE
• 5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS
• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE

• Archaeological findings support the historical
  accuracy of Scripture.
• Though many unbelievers throughout history have
  tried to find archaeological evidence to disprove
  what is recorded in Scripture, they have failed.
• It is easy to say that Scripture is untrue.
• Proving it to be untrue is a different story.
• It has not been done.

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4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE

• Archaeological findings support the historical
  accuracy of the Bible.
• Though many unbelievers throughout history have
  tried to find archaeological evidence to disprove
  what is recorded in Scripture, they have failed.
• The scientific accuracy of the Bible has also
  been demonstrated time and time again.

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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 3. ITS CONTINUED INFLUENCE
• 4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE
• 5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS
• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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3. ITS CONTINUED INFLUENCE

• How could a book of purely human origin continue
  to hold the interest of so many over so long a
  period?
• The more one seriously studies the Bible, the
  greater his interest in it and the greater its
  influence on him.

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MATTHEW 1344-46
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which a man found and hid and
for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has
and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful
pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great
price, went and sold all that he had and bought
it."
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3. ITS CONTINUED INFLUENCE

• How could a book of purely human origin continue
  to hold the interest of so many over so long a
  period?
• The more one seriously studies the Bible, the
  greater his interest in it and the greater its
  influence on him.
• This is easily understood only if it represents
  the wisdom of God.

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ISAIAH 556-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon
Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his
way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts Let
him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on
him And to our God, For He will abundantly
pardon.
67
ISAIAH 558-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are
your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways
higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your
thoughts."
68
ISAIAH 5510-11
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from
heaven, And do not return there, But water the
earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it
may give seed to the sower And bread to the
eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from
My mouth It shall not return to Me void, But it
shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 2. ITS ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS
• 3. ITS CONTINUED INFLUENCE
• 4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE
• 5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS
• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

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2. ITS ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS

• What is man's origin?

71
GENESIS 126-27
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and
over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth." So God created man in His own image in
the image of God He created him male and female
He created them.
72
GENESIS 27
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life and man became a living being.
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2. ITS ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS

• What is man's origin?
• What is man's purpose?

74
ECCLESIASTES 1213
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is
man's all.
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2. ITS ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS

• What is man's origin?
• What is man's purpose?
• What is man's destiny?

76
JOHN 528-29
Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves will hear His
voice and come forth--those who have done good,
to the resurrection of life, and those who have
done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
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THE TOP 10 REASONS FOR ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS THE
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

• 1. ITS FULFILLED PROPHECIES
• 2. ITS ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS
• 3. ITS CONTINUED INFLUENCE
• 4. ITS ACCURACY IN HISTORY SCIENCE
• 5. ITS FLAWED PORTRAITS
• 6. ITS UNITY HARMONY
• 7. ITS DEMANDS ON MANKIND
• 8. ITS INDESTRUCTIBILITY
• 9. HUMAN PRIDE
• 10. MAN'S RELIGIOUS NATURE UNLEASHED

78
1. ITS FULFILLED PROPHECIES

• God spoke to men telling them of things that He
  would bring about in the future.
• Most of them have already occurred.
• Some have not.

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1. ITS FULFILLED PROPHECIES

• God spoke to men telling them of things that He
  would bring about in the future.
• For example, there were more than 300 prophecies
  concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ more
  than 2,000 years ago.
• Scientific dating confirms that the manuscripts
  and scrolls containing these prophecies were
  written before not after the birth of Christ.

80
ISAIAH 4424-25
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who
formed you from the womb "I am the Lord, who
makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens
all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by
Myself Who frustrates the signs of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad Who turns wise men
backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness
81
ISAIAH 4426-28
Who confirms the word of His servant, And
performs the counsel of His messengers Who says
to the deep, 'Be dry! And I will dry up your
rivers' Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to
Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the
temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." '
82
ISAIAH 451-2
"Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus,
whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations
before him And loose the armor of kings, To open
before him the double doors, So that the gates
will not be shut 'I will go before you And make
the crooked places straight I will break in
pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of
iron.
83
ISAIAH 453-5
"I will give you the treasures of darkness And
hidden riches of secret places, That you may know
that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am
the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake,
And Israel My elect, I have even called you by
your name I have named you, though you have not
known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other
There is no God besides Me. I will gird you,
though you have not known Me,
84
ISAIAH 456-8
That they may know from the rising of the sun to
its setting That there is none besides Me. I am
the Lord, and there is no other I form the light
and create darkness, I make peace and create
calamity I, the Lord, do all these things.'
"Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the
skies pour down righteousness Let the earth
open, let them bring forth salvation, And let
righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord,
have created it.
85
ISAIAH 459-10
"Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the
potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
Shall the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are
you making?' Or shall your handiwork say, 'He has
no hands'? Woe to him who says to his father,
'What are you begetting?' Or to the woman, 'What
have you brought forth?' "
86
ISAIAH 4511-13
Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and
his Maker "Ask Me of things to come concerning
My sons And concerning the work of My hands, you
command Me. I have made the earth, And created
man on it. I--My hands--stretched out the
heavens, And all their host I have commanded. I
have raised him up in righteous-ness, And I will
direct all his ways He shall build My city And
let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward,"
Says the Lord of hosts.
87
2 CHRONICLES 3622
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
that the word of the Lord by the mouth of
Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up
the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he
made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom,
and also put it in writing, saying,
88
2 CHRONICLES 3623
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia All the kingdoms
of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me.
And He has commanded me to build Him a house at
Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of
all His people? May the Lord his God be with him,
and let him go up!
89
WE SHOULD ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS THE INSPIRED WORD
OF GOD!

• It is doubtful that mere men would have produced
  such a book as the Bible.
• If mere men had produced such a book it would no
  doubt fall far short of the Bible in the above
  areas.