Keypoints
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In a world that is full of lies and half-truths, the Bible is the one source of truth that can be relied upon. |
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The Bible claims to be the word of God, a fact which is confirmed by fulfilled prophecy and the findings of archeologists. |
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The good news contained in the Bible is as relevant to readers today as when the Bible was written. |
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We live in an age of instant communications. News is communicated via the media from all corners of the globe, almost as soon as the events have taken place. But how do we know that the things we read, see, or hear, are the undistorted truth? Often, we find that the truth is distorted by the media to make a story. Often, the source of the news is unreliable too and the truth only emerges after further investigation. We are left wondering about the truth of the matter. A lot of this instant communication involves international politics. Politicians are notorious for telling us what they think we want to hear. To use a phrase, they are `economical with the truth' and, again, we are left with uncertainty as to their real intentions.
Where, then, can we find the truth about the world we live in? Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? People who look to the religious leaders to find an answer to these questions find only confusion and disagreement. The truth about our existence is hidden behind a mask of conflicting human ideas.
However, there is a source of information which is reliable and is not distorted by conflicting human ideas. The Bible contains really good news for the world, a book that provides the answer to the basic questions concerning our existence.
The word Bible just means a library of books. It is a very special library for it is the one communication that we can rely on in a world of uncertainty - it is a communication from God Himself!
 Why we should read the Bible
In a court of law, a case is tried and determined on the basis of evidence presented to the judge and jury. Often the evidence is conflicting and it is difficult to know where the truth really lies. We can test the Bible in the same way by examining its message and considering lines of evidence which are not conflicting, to help us come to the right conclusion.
The claim of the Bible
First of all, let us look at some words from the Bible itself, which we can describe as the internal evidence. Does it claim to be a direct communication from God? The New Testament contains the writings of the Apostle Paul and in his 2nd letter to Timothy Paul wrote these words:
`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.' [2 Timothy 3.16,17 NKJV]
The important phrase here is `all scripture is given by inspiration of God.' In other words, the writers of the books of the Bible were influenced by God Himself to record the message. That word inspiration simply means `breathed in.' If we look at another New Testament passage we can see this more clearly. The Apostle Peter wrote these words in his 2nd letter:
`...no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, (or origin) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.' [2 Peter 1.20,21 NKJV]
The teaching in this quotation is consistent with the words of Paul. God spoke through the mouthpiece of His prophets and this is confirmed when we look at the Old Testament. Time and time again we read such phrases as `The word of the LORD came to...' or `Thus saith the LORD...' King David, the writer of many of the Psalms, penned these words:
`The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue.' [2 Samuel 23.2 NKJV]
The first thing we can learn about the Bible, is that it claims to be a direct communication from God. From beginning to end the claim is the same -`this is the Word of God' - which is why Jesus said to his disciples concerning God's Word:
`Thy word is truth.' [John 17.17]
The preservation of the Bible
But, how do we know that the Bible we hold in our hands today is the same as the original message? To answer that question, we must realise that the Bible was written down over a long period of time. It was also written in more than one language. The Old Testament was written mainly in the Hebrew language (the language of the Jews) and the New Testament in Greek.
If we examine the history of the preservation of the Bible, we find a remarkable story that suggests that the hand of God was always present to ensure that His Word was preserved down through the centuries in its original form. The original manuscripts were copied by hand and have been preserved in their original language. Many of the ancient scrolls have been preserved and we can compare these writings on the scrolls with our English versions of the Bible. One of the great archaeological discoveries of recent times was a large quantity of ancient scrolls called the Dead Sea Scrolls. These included an almost complete Hebrew scroll of Isaiah which was over 2,000 years old. This confirmed the accuracy of the modern translations - the differences between the two were insignificant.
Throughout history attempts have been made to suppress the Bible, to prevent people from being able to read God's Word in their own language. The Bible as we know it was completed nearly 2,000 years ago. For many centuries it was only available in Greek or Latin but eventually, through the work of translators, men like Wycliffe and Tyndale, we are able to read the Bible in English today. Furthermore, in the last 100 years the Bible has been translated into all of the major languages of the world. The power of God, which controlled its writings in the first place, has also made sure of its preservation, so that all nations of the world may have the opportunity of reading the Word of God.
The words of the Psalmist remind us of the importance of God's Word, the Bible:
`I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.' Psalm 138.2
If we reflect carefully on these words we can begin to have confidence that this collection of writings which we call the Bible is the source of all Truth. It is God's communication to mankind and it is as relevant to the beginning of the 21st Century as it was when God commanded His servants to record the message all those centuries ago. So, we find that there is harmony throughout the Old and the New Testaments which we would not expect to see if they were not inspired by God. The writers were from different walks of life - some were peasants and some were kings. They also lived a long way apart in terms of both time and place - but they all had one thing in common, they were guided by the Spirit of God.
The writings of the prophets
One thing is certain, none of us can foretell the future however hard we try. The Apostle James wrote:
`Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.' [James 4.13,14 NIV]
By contrast, God who is in control of all things knows the future and has communicated history in advance through the mouthpiece of His prophets. God said to the prophet Amos:
`Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' [Amos 3.7]
The Bible includes details of the history of many nations both great and small and one nation in particular - the Jews, or the nation of Israel, as they are called today. In ancient times a successive line of empires ruled the lands of the Bible, now called the Middle East. First, Egypt then Assyria dominated the region. These nations were powerful in their day but God decreed through the prophets of Israel that their empires would crumble and fall. Assyria would disappear altogether (See the book of Nahum and Zephaniah 2.13-15) and Egypt would become a base nation (see Ezekiel chapter 29). Small nations like the Phoenicians and the Edomites were powerful in the ancient world and yet their demise was also the subject of prophecy. The words of the prophet Joel foretold the desolation of Egypt and Edom. [Joel 3.19] Assyria was succeeded by the empire of Babylon (now part of modern Iraq). Who would have thought at that time that this powerful empire would suddenly come to an end and that its great capital Nineveh would cease to exist? Of course, nobody would believe it if they were told that America will cease to be the most dominant power in the world -and nobody believed the prophets of Israel at the time - but the prophetic words were fulfilled in every detail.
Bible prophecy is a fascinating subject on its own and the words of the prophets have stood the test of time, confirming the accuracy of the Bible records. We are reminded again of those words of the Apostle Peter which we have already referred to:
`for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved (borne irresistibly along) by the Holy Spirit.' [2 Peter 1.21 NKJV]
The nation of Israel
Among all the nations of antiquity there is one nation that has not lost its identity. We refer of course to the Jews - the people of the book as they are often referred to. The Bible tells us about God's special choice of this people to serve Him. It tells us about their remarkable history, all of which was the subject of prophecy. One remarkable prophecy is contained in the words of Jesus in what is known as the Mount Olivet prophecy. Jesus said to his disciples concerning the Jewish people:
`And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.' Luke 21.24 NKJV
We have witnessed a part-fulfilment of these words which were spoken by Christ nearly 2,000 years ago. They have been proved to be true, for only in 1967 did Israel regain full control of their ancient capital city of Jerusalem which had been under Gentile domination for 2,500 years. However, the words of the prophets do not leave us there, for God has a plan for Jerusalem in the future, as we read in the words of Isaiah:
`Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.' [Isaiah 2.2,3 NKJV]
The message of the Bible
The evidence of prophecy is such that it cannot be discarded. Here is remarkable proof that this collection of books is exactly what it claims to be, the inspired Word of God. The finds of the Archaeologist confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible in so many details, both great and small. The Bible is no story-book but a true record of God's dealings with men and women in the past. More importantly, it unfolds to us God's plan for the future.
What then is the message of the Bible for us today? We begin at the beginning, the first book of the Bible and the first verse tells us how things began:
`In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.' [Genesis 1.1]
The evidence for creation is always before our eyes if we care to look for it. Have you ever looked at the sky on a cloudless night and stood there in amazement? David king of Israel did just that and wrote in the Psalms:
`When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him..?' [Psalm 8.3,4]
Yes, the evidence is there before our eyes. God's creative power is seen in the heavens and on the earth in the beauties of the things we see around us. Then, there is man himself, created in the image of God as the first book of the Bible tells us:
`...God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...' [Genesis 1.31]
What went wrong? The early chapters of Genesis tell us that our first parents were given a simple test by God. But, they failed the test and took the forbidden fruit. As a result, they suffered the consequences of their disobedience. (See Genesis chapters 2 and 3) We all share the consequences of that act of disobedience for, like Adam and Eve, we are all disobedient sinners and we all die.
Of course, if we believe that all things evolved, the Bible will have no place in our lives. On the other hand, if we accept the Bible as God's Word, we will be able to answer questions such as - "Where did we come from?" As we learn from the book of Genesis there is a rational answer to this question. But what about the question -"Why are we here?" Is it just to live out our lives and then to pass off the scene as countless millions of men and women have done in the past? If we deny the existence of God this will be our lot. However, if we consider the evidence and accept God's Word as the source of ultimate Truth, we will discover the full answer to the question `why are we here?' and find out where we are going.
The message of the Bible is a message of hope for those who seek it and it is centred in the work of one man - the Lord Jesus Christ. We recall the words of the Apostle John which focus our minds on the message of the Bible:
`...God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' [John 3.16]
This is the promise of God to all those who put their trust in Him and become disciples of Jesus. For them, death need not be feared because their hope is in Jesus who said to those who believed:
`...If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' [John 8.31,32 NKJV]
What is the truth that Jesus referred to? What is this freedom which Jesus promised? The Bible message centred in Jesus, concerns our future. As Jesus said, we can be made free - free from this present short life and free from the fears and anxieties that characterise the world in which we live. The world we live in today is polluted by human greed in all its varied forms, but the world of tomorrow will be free from all that mars the beauty of God's creation, for the promise of God is to fill the whole world with His glory. [Numbers 14.21]
We have looked at just a fraction of the internal and external evidence to support the claim that the Bible is God's Word - the source of all Truth. If you accept the evidence, the next step is to respond to the Divine invitation while you have the opportunity and prepare for the time when God will intervene in the affairs of this world as He has planned from the beginning, as Paul told the Athenians:
`...He (God) hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man (Jesus) whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' [Acts 17.31]
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