Hello everyone this is my first Thread in this forum, as I am not sure if any threads like my topic already existed I would implore the community to be kind to the newbie
Living in the new generation, the youth in my city seem to be experiencing a spiritual drought and as a result there are many who are unsure about their faith. I find myself trying to put myself in their shoes and thinking that if I am someone who was unsure of my beliefs how then can I be sure that whatever the Bible says is true?
I would like to ask for everyone's input on this subject, also imagine that I was an unbeliever and you wanted to prove, and show the Bible's inerrancy, credibility and it's divinely breathed words to me.
Hello my friend. I would be glad to speak with you and address your question which I believe is......"Is the Bible really the Word of God"?
As apologist and lawyer Josh McDowell says writes......"it is the evidence that demands a verdict". That is, once you weigh all the evidence, we must do something with that information because we can not stay neutral.
The Bible is not a book but is rather a library. There are 66 books written by several generations of men over about 1500 years. Our faith as Christians rest on this entire library. All of the books converge to tell the same story. It is almost as if there was one main author using writers to tell that story that He wanted told. Wait a minute......that is exactly what we believe happened!!!!
There are historical documents used to confirm those 66 books.
Two Oxford students began a systematic search for ancient "papyri in 1895. They found over 10 years, more than 10,000 manuscripts and partial's in Egypt. They were made up of letters, bills, historical documents, diaries, receipts, certificates and almanacs. Among all of their finds was a piece of John's gospel. That is the oldest known Bible manuscript and it is evidence that the gospel of John was in existence and was being circulated in Egypt in the years immediately after John's death.
IF we apply the very same tests to this gospel of John that we apply to the almanac and diaries, we will produce evidence of reliability.
Only two men recorded history in the 1st century. Both Romans, one being Caesar and Tacitus. There are 10 copies but no one doubts their authenticity even though there are only a few scattered fragments. In light of those two men's recordings, how does the Bible stand in comparison?
A copy of Matthew, Mark, and John was found together in one volume in A.D. 250.
A copy of the gospel of Luke just as it is in your Bible was found and dated A.D. 150.
The fragment of John found in Egypt was dated A.D. 145.
In A.D. 350 there were 5000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.
Then we should look at and consider the character of the writers of the Bible. Matthew was an eyewitness. Mark interviewed people even Peter. Luke interviewed and was a Doctor who traveled with the disciples. John was an eyewitness.
Now then. Only 3 things could have happened.
1. These 3 men got together and came up with a total lie.
2. They could have made up individual lies.
3. They could have written the truth.
So then, when you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, what does one story sound like to you coming from 4 perspectives?
Ask 4 different people what they saw at a car accident and you will get 4 differaning stories. BUT when you read the gospels of these 4 men you get ONE story where every single element matches 100%.
Then consider the prophecies in the Bible. Every single prophecy given in the Scriptures have come to pass 100%. The only ones that have not come true are those concerning the 2nd Coming of Christ which are yet in the future.
The one thing that proves without a shadow of doubt that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is TIME.
Time proves the truth given to be perfect and without any errors.