Satan's power is over all the nations of the earth. The Bible claims to be the only book that is divinely inspired and that all other claims of inspiration from other works should be ruled out. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev (New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Cudahy, 1959), 31. It carries absolute authority and is unflinchingly reliable. Here are a few examples of the historical accuracy of the Bible. The Bible was also given by means of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim? It is foolish for a man to reject a revelation because it does not fit in with the local circumstances of his short life span. The totality of evidences presents a strong case for the divine inspiration of the Bible. About 2500 years ago, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and challenged unbelievers to apply a very practical test. We sincerely hope you will discover for yourself the truth about God Almighty, as Creator, Provider and Savior of men. God challenges men to examine these, prophecies to see whether or not they have been fulfilled! Moreover, this unique collection of Books is bound together by a central theme and a unity of purpose which makes the books into One Book. For years, skeptics thought the story of the falling walls of Jericho was a myth. He then captured and completely destroyed the city. However, recent archaeological discoveries have led several prominent scholars to conclude that the biblical description of the fall of Jericho is consistent with the discoveries they have made. Another evidence of supernatural confirmation is the testimony of prophecy. Consider these facts. It means trusting God to provide the answers to the big questions in life, such as where right and wrong comes from. Suppose ten medical students graduating in the same year from medical school wrote position papers on four controversial subjects. Have you got a Bible beside you now? Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; now I announce new events. These verses clearly teach that the fact of inspiration and the facts of history when taken together will prove whether or not a prophet had written the words of God. Before they begin to occur, I reveal them to you.” (Isaiah 42:8-9). Middle Eastern archaeological investigations have proven the Bible to be true and unerringly accurate in its historical descriptions. This problem is partly explained by our next point. No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21). Are these sections nothing more than Jewish literature? So, when you read the Bible you are in good company, for millions of modern people are reading it! Ibid., 152-53.8. 1. He has promised that he has instituted authority for our benefit (see Romans 13:4, Proverbs 3:1-2), and so we should trust Him. Another example is the story of Jericho recorded in the book of Joshua. They have thereby tried to deny that they are even prophecies. For example, Moses was educated in Egypt, Peter was a fisherman, Solomon was a king, Luke was a doctor, Amos was a shepherd, and Matthew was a tax collector. Leah: The Woman No Man Loved But Every Woman Envied (Gen. 29:15-35). It remains united in its theme. Is he lying that he has authority to give? Paul writes this first letter to his disciple and coworker Timothy to remind him “how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). Since we have good reason to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, any teaching that contradicts the Bible must be false. For this reason Divine revelation is progressive. Higher even, than the Bible. Unless we are willing to obey God’s Word with a sincere heart, we will never learn the deepest truths it contains about eternal life. You will find a copy of the Bible helpful as a textbook for use with this course. Does the Bible promote or prohibit praying to angels? In the city they discovered a massive library of thousands of tablets. For a prediction to be fulfilled in the way and in the time foretold by the prophet is proof that God spoke through the prophet. In the Gospel of Luke and Acts, "Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine islands without error. The writers address numerous controversial subjects yet contradictions never appear. In fact, God requires that we test this claim sincerely. (Elwell, p154) It is true that man wrote the Bible itself, but God inspired the words that those men were writing. No, it was not by coincidence.{2. The bottom line is that God expects you to respect him and his choices. Accepting the divine inspiration of the Bible leads to the conclusion that all other works cannot be divinely inspired. Fourth, it was written under many different circumstances. Authority can be defined as the right to issue commands and demand obedience. God does not. God is eternal, and we are mortal. JOSH: Biblical authority means having the Bible as the source for your worldview. There are nearly one hundred prophecies made about Jesus in the Old Testament, prophecies such as His place of birth, how he would die, His rejection by the nation of Israel, and so on. Now, notice what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to…” who? Thus character is the primary thing in authority, because godly character commands respect and a man with respect has authority. Or decree for us some future events! In 333 B.C., however, Alexander the Great laid siege to Tyre. We lack the wisdom, power, and knowledge to order the world. Me! So learn to trust him and honor Him. However, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, archaeologists in Turkey discovered a city which proved to be the capital of the Hittite empire. It is this unique explanation of the moral and spiritual factors behind the historical narrative, which makes the Bible so relevant to us today. These two short paragraphs give a definition of the Christian concept of the inspiration of Scripture. This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says, their protector, the Lord who leads armies: “I am the first and I am the last, there is no God but me. I take this to refer to human authority. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 869.3. The Bible enables us to discover the will of God for our lives because this divine will is made plain in hundreds of real-life illustrations in the Bible. Interpreting the Word. reply delete Certainly they are classified as Jewish literature, but even the Jewish people were able to distinguish between ordinary literature and Divinely inspired literature. Even if you claim, "the law of non-contradiction is false," you are asserting this statement is true and its opposite is false. William F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel (Baltimore: John Hopkins, 1953), 176.6. (1 Peter 1:12-13). A third line of evidence is the unity of the Bible. 5. Thus, making itself the highest authority. Jesus claimed to be the divine Son of God and confirmed His claims through His sinless, miraculous life and resurrection. The Bible is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, and sufficient standard for their faith and life. However, this places the church in authority over the Bible, for if the church determines what is canon, then the church has final authority. These include the testimony of Jesus the divine Son of God, prophecy, unity, and archaeology. Do Christians have the authority to command angels? Divine Truth Cannot Be Compressed Into The Life Span Of Any Human Being. Romans 13:1 ESV / 811 helpful votes. "{4 Dr. William Albright, who was probably the foremost authority in Middle East archaeology in his time, said this about the Bible: "There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament. He also judged others' teachings and traditions by the Old Testament. God spoke to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:2), about 600 B.C. But, there is also a secondary aspect of authority, namely, the authority of position or office. This is a universal law which is practiced daily in every part of the world. The Bible alone proves to be divinely inspired and its exclusive claims rule out the claims of other books. One of the leading archaeologists on Jericho presently is Dr. Bryant Wood. In Luke 11:51, Jesus identified the prophets and the canon of the Old Testament. 2 Peter 1:21 states, "No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." Let him make his claim! And they make the claim that the Catholic Church holds itself as the authority over the Bible. Some say, for example, “Why should I read a book which is merely Jewish mythology?” Jewish mythology is quite different from what we find in the Bible. The Koran, the holy book of Islam, denies the deity of Christ, the triune nature of God, and the atoning work of Christ on the cross (Sura 4:116, 168). Notice there are two major divisions, one called the Old Testament and the other called the New Testament; both sections are divided into many subsections. No book in history can compare to the Bible when it comes to the fulfillment of prophecy. The original version of this article is found at www.probe.org/authority-of-the-bible-a-strong-argument-for-christianity/. “Produce your evidence,” says Jacob’s king. However, only the Bible proves to be divinely inspired by God and therefore, other claims of divine inspiration should be ruled out for several reasons. Others ask, “How could such an ancient Book still be relevant?” True, people today are much better educated than ever before; yet the Bible (in part or the whole) ranks as the “world’s best-seller.” Every year more than one hundred million copies are sold! In this way the Bible was kept from becoming a mixture of truth and legend which is what we find in most ancient books (for instance, the Greek classics). For more information refer to the articles "The Historical Reliability of the Gospels" (www.probe.org/historical-reliability-of-the-gospels) and "The Uniqueness of Jesus" (www.probe.org/uniqueness-of-jesus).2. These scrolls contained the book of Isaiah and other prophetic books. It's just another collation of ancient texts - Page 2 - Internet: Serious Business - Zelda Universe Forums The bible is just some ancient texts, it has no more authority than Cicero or Plato. Why does the Bible have such authority over us? Archaeology does not directly prove the Bible's inspiration, but it does prove its historical reliability. Our Government Is From God. Since these works contradict biblical teaching, we reject their claim to divine inspiration. God spoke to Malachi (Malachi 1:1-2), about 400 B.C. Now look at the authorship of the Bible. They were simply God’s messengers, and often the great truths they wrote down were too profound for them to understand. Related Topics: Bibliology (The Written Word), 2. The testimony of Christ and the legacy of prophecy are two proofs for inspiration. The Pali Canon, the holy scriptures of Southern Buddhism, teach a naturalistic worldview (or pantheistic, as some schools interpret it). Thus, God spoke directly to His prophets from time to time throughout the entire period of Israel’s national existence commencing with Moses and ending with Malachi. There are many books today that claim to be the Word of God. And because God delegated some of His authority to various human beings, we get to see His authority active every day. Open your Bible at the title page and you will find an index listing the names of the sixty-six Books of the Bible. This might make some wonder why God has the right to have authority over everything. First, the Bible was written over a span of fifteen hundred years. In 573 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland city of Tyre. Here are some examples. “Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! Who is like me? Only due to Constantine's opportunism that Christianity got as big as it did. The Bible is an incredible document. You are my witnesses. Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999), s.v., Archaeology, New Testament."9. And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him (2 Peter 3:15). Visit Probe's website. These books present views of God that are contrary to the Bible. Because they were inspired by God, the prophets were divinely guided in the selection of facts to be written; they were divinely guided in the choice of words to describe the facts; and they were divinely guided in recording not merely human comment on the facts, but the attitude of God toward the behavior of the persons referred to. The worldview of the Pali Canon and its view of salvation contradict biblical teachings. The first thing that impresses most beginners is the size of the Bible—it contains more than 800,000 words. Archaeology has verified numerous ancient sites, civilizations, and biblical characters whose existence was questioned by the academic world and often dismissed as myths. Isaiah wrote to warn Israel of God's coming judgment on their sin; Matthew wrote to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah; Zechariah wrote to encourage a disheartened Israel who had returned from Babylonian exile; and Paul wrote addressing problems in different Asian and European churches. Christianity is based on the Bible which Christians accept as their final authority because they believe it to be inspired by God. They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory (1 Peter 1:10-11). This claim is found in a large number of places in the Bible. It is profitable for doctrine, for instruction and for correction. We have given several proofs for the divine inspiration of the Bible. Hopefully, the man who fills … The Bible is the only book that gives supernatural confirmation to support its claim of divine inspiration. The book of Acts, which records the miracles of the apostles, has also proven to be a historically accurate record written by a first century eyewitness. Many religious books claim to be divinely inspired, but only the Bible has evidence of supernatural confirmation. The Old Testament begins with a concise account of the creation of the world. We see this in the verse we began with, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it? It was completed about 100 A.D. People must have a true and authoritative basis for their faith. The Bible makes exclusive claims regarding God, truth and salvation that would exclude other scriptures. The Bible is the only book with supernatural confirmation to support its claim of divine inspiration. Jesus confirmed the Old Testament and promised that the Holy Spirit would inspire the apostles in the continuation of His teaching and in the writing of what would become the New Testament (John 14:25-26 and John 16:12-13). Answer: According to the Bible, authority ought to be submitted to and respected. “Hello, Pastor John! Is it wrong to have angel figurines? Some people use Luke 10:19 as proof that they have all authority, even over Satan and his minions. Fifth, the writers had different purposes for writing. The Bible Claims To Be A Revelation Of God. There is no other protector; I know of none.” (Isaiah 44:6-8). Jesus declared that he is the divine Son of God, the source of truth, and the only way to eternal life (John 1 & 14:6). In Matthew 4:9 and in Luke 4:6, what authority is Satan talking about? He presently serves on the faculty of the Bible Institute of Hawaii (www.biblehawaii.org) and is the Director of t... More, 2. A Muslim leader once asked, “Would God punish a man for failing to understand Bible doctrines?” The answer is, “No, we are not punished because we cannot understand the mysteries of the Bible, but for unbelief—for refusing to believe what God has said.” The prophets themselves were unable to understand the great truths they taught, so obviously many aspects of Divine revelation are beyond the limitations of our minds. 3. Please read them carefully: “Present your argument,” says the Lord. Today, Tyre is a small fishing town where fishing boats come to rest and fisherman spread their nets. To say that the church determines the canon grossly oversimplifies the process by which we received our Bible. Ralph H. Alexander, "Ezekiel," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. In Mark 7:8-9, Jesus refers to the Old Testament as the "commands of God." you are invited to follow my christian blog. The events of His life have been recorded in the four Gospels, which have proven to be historically accurate and written by first century eyewitnesses. the church cannot add to or take away from scripture! If we were to calculate the odds of this event happening by chance, the figures would be astronomical. Is there any God but me? Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. This article is also available in Spanish. The unity of the Bible is just one more amazing proof of the divine inspiration and authority of the Bible. Question: "Why does Scripture emphasize the right hand of God?" Let me offer you a good illustration. The Bible then becomes authoritative because it lets us in on what it was like being an early Christian—and it is the early Christian experience that is then treated as the real authority, the real norm. It seems one author guided these writers through the whole process: the Holy Spirit. From this logical beginning, the story continues for thousands of years until we reach the end of the Old Testament in the days of Malachi about 400 B.C. Yes, do something good or bad, so we might be frightened and in awe. Another evidence of supernatural confirmation is the testimony of prophecy. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Why do Christians believe the Bible to be a Book inspired by God? In Galatians chapters 1-2, Paul explains that he took two different trips to Jerusalem to see the Jerusalem apostles. Roman historians have long taken it for granted."{9. When dated, they were found to be written from 120 to 100 B.C.,{3 well before Jesus was born. Many popular religions are based entirely on human ideas and thus are merely theories or philosophies. Many popular religions are based entirely on human ideas and thus are merely theories or philosophies. Randall Price, The Stones Cry Out (Eugene, OR. We will study this in detail in later lessons. It teaches us the truth about God and states the kind of moral conduct God requires of us. Truly I am God, I have no peer; I am God, and there is none like me, who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred, who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire,’ who summons an eagle from the east, from a distant land, one who carries out my plan. Moreover, it is not being read only by people in Western lands! These tablets showed that the Hittite language was an early relative of the Indo-European languages. First, we must answer some of the questions many people have in their minds as they begin to read the Bible. Our MB Confession of Faith simply states: “We accept the Bible as the infallible Word of God and the authoritative guide for faith and practice.” But how the Bible functions authoritatively in our lives is not quite so simple. Archaeology presents tangible proof of the historical accuracy of the Bible. . Probably because that would turn out badly, but Jesus Himself has “all authority,” not we, and His authority extends into the dark spiritual kingdom of Satan. Moses wrote in the desert of Sinai, Paul wrote in a prison in Rome, Daniel wrote in exile in Babylon, and Ezra wrote in the ruined city of Jerusalem. “All authority comes from God, and those in position of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1). However, in 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. For example, God exercises this authority, or control, by the way in which He rules the universe. Based on the Great Commission, the only “authority” believers possess is the authority to go into all the world, the authority to make disciples, the authority to baptize in the name of the Triune God, and the authority to teach Jesus’ commands. Predictions were fulfilled in some cases hundreds of years after they were made, and so the prophets did not live long enough to see the fulfillment of their own words. In a later lesson we shall explain in detail what these two “Testaments” are and how they relate to each other. When all was ready, God created man. It is found in the following verses. If one proposition is known to be true, its opposite must be false. The Bible is history, but history strikingly different from ordinary history. 2. "{5 At this time, the number of archaeological discoveries that relate to the Bible number in the hundreds of thousands.{6. The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language (except for a few small sections written in Chaldee) and the New Testament was written in the Greek language, which had become at that period the international language just as English is today. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers,1999), 66. Do angels appear to people today? Jesus even specifically affirmed as historical several disputed stories of the Old Testament. Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish archaeologist, states, "No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. He expects that you will respect the people he's placed in authority over you. Many of the refugees of the city sailed to the island, and the island city of Tyre remained a powerful city. {1} Since Jesus is God incarnate, whatever He taught is true, and anything opposed to His teaching is false. Some say these prophecies were fulfilled by chance, but the odds against this would be exceptionally large. Scholars have found him to be a very accurate historian, even in many of his details. Because the Bible is given by inspiration of God it is profitable. It’s a very important question, and it arrives today from a listener named Aaron in Texas. the church has not been given the authority to change or overrule the authority of the bible. We've studied the testimony of Jesus, prophecy, and the unity of the Bible as providing supernatural confirmation of the divine inspiration of the Bible. The record of prophecy is thus evidence for the unique and supernatural origin of the Bible. I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols. For … It is not enough to say that it is a unique Book, for it is a collection of sixty-six ancient Books. The Search of the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), 1. The Bible makes exclusive claims regarding God, truth and salvation that would exclude other scriptures. This briefly is what the Bible claims for itself! The Bible is an interpretation of history, showing how men (as individuals and as nations) have either been blessed or punished by God for their attitude to Him and His holy laws. People who believe in Sola Scriptura will frequently make the statement that the Bible alone is the highest authority over men. David wrote during a time of war, Jeremiah wrote at the sorrowful time of Israel's downfall, Peter wrote while Israel was under Roman domination, and Joshua wrote while invading the land of Canaan. Second, learn to trust God's authority. the bible is the authority in the church. by Ryan TurnerThough Paul did not walk with Jesus while he was on this earth, he did receive approval from the followers of Jesus. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully. The Search of the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), 1. He thus demonstrated His affirmation of the Old Testament to be the Word of God. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” – John Stott . Thus, our first topic for study is the basis for this belief. There is no other ancient book that has so much archaeological evidence to support its accounts. The Search Of The Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), Christmas Searches: Expository Sermons For Christmas, 3. The Hindu scriptures include the Vedas and the Upanishads. (Genesis 15:20, 2 Samuel 11, and 1 Kings 10:29). Secular history tells of the rise and fall of nations, of great wars and battles, and of the ways in which men and nations have affected the peoples of surrounding territories. It would have been an incredible accomplishment for Jesus to have fulfilled the numerous prophecies. This test can be applied to thousands of predictions in the Bible leading to the conclusion that God has spoken. Since God is a God of truth, we should expect His revelation to present what is historically true. google search>>> steve finnell a christian view. What legitimate authority does Satan have over this world? "{8 A. N. Sherwin-White states, "For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. Article contributed by Probe Ministries . We have seen that Jesus, being God incarnate, affirms the inspiration of the Bible. That unity is organized around one theme: God's redemption of man and all of creation. The Authority Of The Bible Is Unchanging As The Source Of Moral Conduct. The great ancient city of Tyre to this day lies buried in ruins exactly as prophesied. Consider an excerpt from the Baptist Faith and Message that will serve to illustrate the point. Since we have good reason to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, any teaching that contradicts the Bible must be false. All these authors, from a span of fifteen hundred years, wrote on many controversial subjects, yet they do not contradict one another. That doesn't mean you have to agree with every one of their decisions, but it does mean you still need to show respect for the position, and by extension, the person who is in the position. His research has shown that the archaeological evidence matches perfectly with the biblical record. The above dates are given in round numbers to convey the sense of historical continuity. That is my name! Ezekiel prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would destroy the city, many nations would fight against her, the debris of the city would be thrown into the ocean, the city would never be found again, and fishermen would come there to lay their nets. God spoke to Samuel (1 Samuel 3:11), about 1000 B.C. Some of the prophecies in the Bible will not be fulfilled until the coming day of judgment. Any attempt to reject its basic historicity must now appear absurd. The reason God’s Word is our authority in every area is because God is the ultimate Authority, and He is the one who ultimately authored Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). There are large sections of the Bible which contain history and poetry. Let us examine these two aspects of the Divine origin of the Bible. “Let them produce evidence! All Scripture is given by God. For this reason, our study of the Bible cannot be treated simply as an academic exercise! "Well, what's so amazing about that?" The Bible The Christian holy book is the Bible and this is the most important source of authority for Christians, as it contains the teachings of God and Jesus Christ. The Search Of The Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), Christmas Searches: Expository Sermons For Christmas, 3. In other words you end up appealing to the law you are trying to deny thus making a self-defeating argument. Can such a claim be tested? Leah: The Woman No Man Loved But Every Woman Envied (Gen. 29:15-35), www.probe.org/historical-reliability-of-the-gospels, www.probe.org/authority-of-the-bible-a-strong-argument-for-christianity/. When we read the Bible seriously and ask God to speak to our hearts through its inspired teachings, we begin to realize that God does indeed speak to men with Divine authority through His Word, the Bible. Here's another example. God spoke to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:3), about 600 B.C. All people are created in the image of God and can articulate principles that are true. Why were Michael and Satan disputing over the body of Moses (Jude 9)? It was given in two main ways, first by direct revelation (by which the actual words of God are recorded by the prophets): second by inspiration (by which the Holy Spirit guided the prophets as they wrote and thus the prophets wrote Divine Truth). Demons the disembodied spirits of the Shepherds ( Luke 2:8-20 ), why does the bible have authority... 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