Sermon Notes by Pastor Jon
Intro- 2 Timothy 3:14-17
*The Bible is God’s Word, so it’s true & trustworthy (worthy of reverence & submission)
*Draws striking reactions: 1) passion, 2) apathy/indifference 3) skeptics
*Skeptics question the authenticity, truthfulness, & reliability of the Bible
*You may say, “I think Bible has some nice stories/teachings (golden rule) but not totally true.”
- There are things you can learn & other things you shouldn’t take so seriously
- There is legendary material and myths in the Bible
- It’s just like any other religious book
- It’s not authoritative for everyone
- It’s fiction, like a novel, and not historically accurate
*3 main objections to the Bible:
- Scientifically impossible (we dealt with this in week 1)
- Historically unreliable (this week)
- Culturally regressive (we will deal w/ this in 2 weeks)
*NOT SURPRISING the Bible is attacked & often held to higher standard than other books
-The Bible makes weighty claims
-If they’re true then the ramifications for your life are eternal & need to be dealt w/
-If they’re false then you can live at ease
*Let’s try to answer this objection & give plausible reasons for accepting Bible’s truthfulness
REASONS TO ACCEPT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE BIBLE:
1. THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATIONS TO THE SO-CALLED “ERRORS” OF THE BIBLE
*Any time someone makes this assertion just ask them “Ok, name them…”
-Many people won’t be familiar enough to name any
-RESPONSE: The Bible is the most influential book of all time, and it makes claims that, if true, will affect your eternal destiny. I would encourage you to read it just so you can be aware of what you’re rejecting, and then if you come across errors let’s talk about them
-Other will mention some (usually to distract off of dealing w/ Jesus)
-SAY: ok, let me study & if I can give plausible explanation for this will you consider Christ?
*My dad assigned a class over 200 supposed errors/mistakes/contradictions in the bible & asked them to come up w/ plausible explanations & they had no trouble (entry level seminary students) coming up w/ at least 1 plausible explanation for ALL of them (some even given to them by critical scholars who raised the objections in the 1st place).
*You can use a study Bible, commentary, etc. and figure this out as well when witnessing
2. THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE
*It’s VERY popular to claim that the Bible is historically unreliable
-Often claimed gospels written so many yrs after events that accounts can’t be trusted
-Writers embellished or imagined these stories
-Popular w/ the DaVinci code & discovery of Gnostic gospels (Thomas/Judas)
-Over long time legend/embellishment before written down
-Power struggle w/ divine Jesus party winning &suppressing all other texts (Constantine)
*The scholarship for this is WEAK (gospel of Thomas at earliest is 175 AD, 100 years after Jesus)
-Irenaeus of Lyons in 160 AD (15 yrs before Thomas) says there were 4 & only 4 gospels
-widespread idea promoted by Da Vinci code that the Emperor Constantine determined the NT canon, casting aside the earlier and supposedly more authentic Gnostic gospels is simply not true (See Philippians 2:5-11 written 15-20 years after Jesus’ death)
*PROBLEM: The timing is FAR TOO early for the gospels to be legends
-Canonical gospels written at MOST 40-60 years after Jesus’ death
-Virtually ALL historians agree on this today (Mss evidence overwhelming)
-Most: Mk written 70’s, Mt/Lk 80’s & John 90’s
-Paul’s letters written 15-25 yrs after Jesus’death (& provide full outline of life)
*So, the Biblical accounts were circulating with the lifetime of hundreds of eye-witnesses present at the events.These accounts were written BY the eye-witnesses & during the lifetime of other eye-witnesses who could be cross-examined!
- Luke says he wrote his gospel based on eyewitness testimony of those still living (Lk1:1-4)
- Example: Mark 15:21 where Mark adds the phrase “Father of Alexander and Rufus” because his readers knew Alexander and Rufus and could ask them for confirmation that what Mark was writing was true.
- Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:1-6 that 500 witnesses saw the resurrected Lord at one time and many of them are still alive. In effect, Paul is saying if you don’t believe me then go ask them!
*You can’t write that in a document for public reading unless there were witnesses…
*Plus, bystanders, officials & opponents who could’ve contradicted the accounts…
*Eye-witness testimony is KEY (one of the strongest evidences in court)
-In fact, almost all evidence in court proceedings must be sponsored by a witness
-Exhibit can’t speak for itself (must be interpreted)
*This is true for history as well…
-Knowledge of past is really “faith” in the testimony of others about the past (RevWar)
-Even archeological evidence that is “unbiased” has to be interpreted/can’t speak
-Decide which testimonies are credible & which are not!
*The NT was written BY eyewitnesses & W/N the lifetime of other eyewitnesses who could be cross-examined.
*Manuscript evidence is STRONG that we have original text (stronger than any ancient doc)
-It has NO peer: 5700 NT manuscripts, other classic Greek texts have fewer than 20
-There are NT manuscripts w/n 100 years of the date of writing; other texts more than 500 years after writing
*Add to this the non-flattering details of the accounts. If these stories were fabricated to gain status/power, then you’d expect more flattery:
- Women were the 1st eyewitnesses to the resurrection. The testimony of a woman was not admissible in court in that culture. If you were going to make up the resurrection then you wouldn’t have women be the ones verifying it; you’d have a pillar of the community being the first one to see it.
- The leaders of the early church, the Apostles, are consistently presented as bumbling idiots, petty, jealous, and cowards who abandon and deny their Lord.
- Matthew 28:17 says that as the 12 are walking to the Mount of Olives for Jesus to ascend into heaven that some of them still doubted the resurrection! Why add such an unflattering verse if it didn’t happen that way?
3. THE FULFILLMENT OF DIRECT PROPHECIES
*That Jesus would accidentally fulfill direct prophecies from the OT is virtually impossible statistically (like filling TX knee deep w/ silver dollars, marking one with a black x, sending in a man blindfolded to find it, and he finds the one with the x on first try)
- Isaiah 7:14 The virgin birth
- Micah 5:2 Born in Bethlehem
- Zechariah 9:9 Ride in on a donkey
- Psa. 22:1-18 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?…16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
- This was written hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented
- Isaiah 53- seems to be written at Calvary
- AND ON AND ON WE COULD GO…
*Daniel 9 command to exact day of Jesus’ entry:
*Daniel 9:25- command to rebuild the city (Neh 2:1) March 5, 444 BC going 483 years get 38AD
-Jewish calendar is 30 days per month/360 days per year (see Noah’s ark)
-Decree given March 5, 444 BC & Jesus enters Jer in 33AD
-483 years of 360 days = 173,880 days (Jewish Calendar)
-From 444 BC to 33 AD we get 476 years (no year 0) at 365.242 days comes to 173,855
-25 days short (calculated from March 5 & entry was March 30)
*See a book called “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ” by Harold Hoehner.
4. THE SUPERNATURAL UNITY OF THE BIBLE AS A STORY ABOUT JESUS
*Bible written by over 40 people over span of 1500 years & Yet 1 single message (IMPOSSIBLE)
*It’s all about Jesus (Lk 24) > 2 Tim 3:14 wise for salvation thru faith in Jesus
*The Bible is a Messianic book. Here’s a quick scan:
- Jesus is the seed of the woman who crushes the head of Satan (bruises heel)
- Jesus is the better Abel, the righteous/innocent sufferer who dies for our sins
- Noah’s ark points us to Jesus who drowned under God’s wrath at Calvary to rescue us from his wrath & make the world new
- Jesus is the reversal of the Tower of Babel. He is lifted up and draws all nations/languages together.
- Jesus is the seed of Abraham who blesses all nations
- Jesus is the better Isaac, the only begotten son sacrificed on the mountain and the ram caught in the thorns
- Jesus is the better Joseph who is betrayed by his bros for silver & the evil meant for him God uses for good to save the world
- Jesus is the better Moses who rescues us from a greater slavery to sin & Satan.
- The Passover points to Jesus the lamb who died so the death angel passes over us.
- The manna (bread from heaven), the rock that flows water, and the bronze snake lifted up in the wilderness all point to Jesus
- Jesus is the greater Tabernacle/Temple. He is God with us in human flesh.
- Jesus is the scapegoat who carries our sins away and the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement that allows us to approach the throne of God.
- Jesus is the perfect law-keeper who takes the curses meant for law-breakers.
- Jesus is the greater Joshua who casts out our enemies and brings us into a better promised land!
- The Judges where there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes shows the need for King Jesus.
- Jesus is the greater Samson, born miraculously, betrayed by close companion for $ and his death brings his greatest victory.
- Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, points us to redemption in Jesus, and Ruth produces the line of Kings that leads to Jesus.
- Jesus is the greater David anointed by the Holy Spirit and doing battle with serpent..
- Jesus is the Greater Solomon who builds a Temple made of living stones lived in by the HS
- Nations streamed to Solomon bringing treasure. Prophets said it would happen again and this time they’d bring gold and frankincense to the light (Isa. 60:6)
And on and on and on and on and on we could go….
CONCLUSION- WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO W/ JESUS?
*The evidence is there. This book is accurate, and it’s all about him. He came to die for your sins and God raised him from the dead, He is now REIGNING and will return to judge. What will you do w/ Jesus?
