Christ and the Bible are the most powerful force for good in human history.
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The most powerful force for good is God himself, from whom all virtue flows.
The scripture is one way he communicates with us... so as it contains God's thoughts, it intrinsically contains much power for good.
When civilizations refuse to avail themselves of this communication, and it's divine ability to change the human heart... then that civilization will inevitably spiral further and further away from whatever is good.
We all know this, but we can say it in different kinds of ways.
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The scripture is one way he communicates with us... so as it contains God's thoughts, it intrinsically contains much power for good.
When civilizations refuse to avail themselves of this communication, and it's divine ability to change the human heart... then that civilization will inevitably spiral further and further away from whatever is good.
We all know this, but we can say it in different kinds of ways.
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- Show all
Only God is Good..
A point about the Bible and the truth...
Christ's mission was not understood by His people when He came.
The truth was given to the Israel nation to be a light to the world... and at first they were corrupt and failed to obey which resulted in darkness and desolation.
Eze 23:35 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
Eze 23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
They were given the sanctuary and ceremonies and all the services to point them to Christ. Christ was the foundation of it all.
After they came out of Babylon they rebuilt the sanctuary and it was nowhere near the spender of the one that Solomon built, but they were told its glory would be greater. ??
Hag 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
Because Christ walked in this sanctuary it was greatly blessed. It all pointed to Christ.
But the Isreal nation did not see Jesus according to their expectations. They'd become so extreeme about the services that they missed the true meaning.
They were ment to be a light to the world and God gave them this light to teach the people about the saviour and His mission.
But the Jews had exalted the forms and ceremonies and had lost sight of their object. The traditions, maxims, and enactment of men hid from them the lessons that God intended to convey.
They missed Christ when He came.
Both extremes have been used by Satan to lead people away from Christ.
Extreme grace, Tradition, legalistic practices, and all the false teachings.
Will people be ready when He comes this time.
A point about the Bible and the truth...
Christ's mission was not understood by His people when He came.
The truth was given to the Israel nation to be a light to the world... and at first they were corrupt and failed to obey which resulted in darkness and desolation.
Eze 23:35 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
Eze 23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
They were given the sanctuary and ceremonies and all the services to point them to Christ. Christ was the foundation of it all.
After they came out of Babylon they rebuilt the sanctuary and it was nowhere near the spender of the one that Solomon built, but they were told its glory would be greater. ??
Hag 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
Because Christ walked in this sanctuary it was greatly blessed. It all pointed to Christ.
But the Isreal nation did not see Jesus according to their expectations. They'd become so extreeme about the services that they missed the true meaning.
They were ment to be a light to the world and God gave them this light to teach the people about the saviour and His mission.
But the Jews had exalted the forms and ceremonies and had lost sight of their object. The traditions, maxims, and enactment of men hid from them the lessons that God intended to convey.
They missed Christ when He came.
Both extremes have been used by Satan to lead people away from Christ.
Extreme grace, Tradition, legalistic practices, and all the false teachings.
Will people be ready when He comes this time.
Why Jesus?
1. His Life and Teachings
Jesus did things in the world that no other religious founder did. This makes Jesus unparalleled in His uniqueness with other religious founders. When you look at His life recorded in the New Testament, no one is comparable to the Man that Jesus is. He is the one and only Man’s man. How many other founders were able to predict their death and resurrection? None. Jesus is the only one that was able to do that (Matt. 16:21, 17:22-23, Mark 8:31, 9:31-32, Luke, 9:22, John 2:19, 21, 22). Jesus also worked miracles that aren’t being done today. What all religious founders other than Christ can have said to be miraculously “healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matt. 9:35)? None. What all religious founders other than Christ committed no sin (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:9)? None. What all religious founders other than Christ whose moral values are genius and perfect in every way imaginable (Mt. 5; Mt. 7:12; cf. Gal. 5:22-24)? None.
2. His Influence Across the Globe
The global influence of just one single individual in the world whose gospel was preached (Mark 16:15, Col. 1:6, 1:23, Rom. 10:18), whose followers “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). In an article called “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ”, Peter Kemeny wrote “Christianity has had a beneficial effect on civilization. The world is a better place because Jesus came. [Tom] Holland, a British historian, makes the case for this in his 2019 book, “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.” Holland’s area of expertise is the ancient world. While he admires the ancients for their greatness, the more he learned about them the more he came to see that their values were barbaric and vastly different from his own. The ancients were cruel. The Spartans routinely murdered children who had mild imperfections. Infanticide was commonplace. The poor and the weak had no rights. The powerful used the bodies of slaves as outlets for physical gratification.”
“This led Holland to ask, what was it that brought the western world to the place where it began to value human life, even the lives of those with physical handicaps? What was the origin of western prohibitions against rape? From whence arose western morals that taught men to control themselves, to marry, and to be faithful to their wives? How did those in the west come to treat women as more than objects?
Such humane values did not materialize out of thin air. They are the fruit of Christianity. They are the result of the proclamation of Christianity throughout the world, and particularly, throughout the Western world.”
“Without Christianity, there would be little that is civilized about western civilization. Even social justice warriors who seek to eradicate Christianity are living off the borrowed capital of a Christian past when they call for love, tolerance and compassion. As Jonathon Van Maren put it, “If the West had not become Christian … no one would have gotten woke.”
Matthew Paris, a writer for the London Times, is another unbeliever who sees the value of Christianity. In his essay, “As an Atheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God,” he wrote, as a “confirmed atheist I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa … Government projects … alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good … Those who want Africa to walk tall … must not kid themselves … Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone, and the machete.”
What founder other than Christ had that much of an influence in the world? None.
3. His Fulfillment of Prophecies
Take all the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. Out of all the hundreds of prophecies He fulfilled (many believe He fulfilled over 300), just fulfilling 8 prophecies alone in the exact same way the prophets prophesied is so incredibly low, that it couldn’t have possibly been a coincidence that one man was able to fulfill them. Now, imagine doing that over 300 times. An illustration that has been given by others is, suppose you were going to fulfill just eight of those prophecies….cover Texas with coins to a depth of two feet. Pick one of those coins and paint it red. Drop the coin somewhere in Texas, mixing it into the coins. Then, while being blindfolded, pick up the red painted coin. Try that eight times. Now try it three hundred or more times. If that’s not evidence I don’t know what is. The fact that one man was able to fulfill prophecies with that low of a probability is nothing short of divine.
Old Testament Prophecies such as His birth (Is. 7:14; Mich. 5:2), the way He entered in Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9), coming from the line of Abraham (Gen. 12:3), being betrayed (Ps. 41:9), being silent before His accusers (Is. 53:7), being spat and struck upon (Is. 50:6), speaking in parables (Ps. 78:2), that He would resurrect from the dead (Ps. 16:10), that He would be sacrificed for sin (Is. 53:5), etc etc.
What other founder other than Christ prophecies 100% of the time, exactly how the prophets said it would be? None.
4. His Indestructible Kingdom
Daniel prophesied the Messiah's kingdom would endure forever. "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).
The Hebrew writer said the kingdom “cannot be shaken” (Heb. 12:28).
Jesus said “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18)
“As Jesus gave a parable concerning the kingdom of God, He explained it saying, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). So long as the kingdom remains, the seed of the kingdom which is the word of God, must remain. But the Kingdom will last forever, so the Word of God must last forever. If It lasts forever, It is indestructible. So long as the Bible remains, the kingdom has not been destroyed. It may be suppressed for a while, it may not be apparent, but as long as God's word remains, the kingdom has not been destroyed. When the seed of the kingdom is sown, men and women can become Christians; Christians make up the kingdom. One cannot cause wheat to cease to exist merely by pulling up all the wheat plants he can find. If he leaves just one seed of wheat, in which is the germ of life, he has not destroyed wheat. This single seed can be planted, a plant will come forth, bear its fruit, and wheat remains. So it is with the Word of God. One can fight the church, kill its members, but God has said that his Word cannot be destroyed. And until one can figure out how to destroy the Word of God, which he can never do, the kingdom cannot be destroyed, because as the seed of the kingdom, the word of God, is sown into the hearts of men and women, it will bear fruit; they will become Christians and the kingdom will remain. It cannot be destroyed!” — Cecil Willis, “The Indestructibility of the Bible”
What other founder other than Christ has a kingdom that is indestructible and was prophesied? None.
5. His Giving of Eternal Life
John 10:27 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
By God’s mercy and grace, Jesus saves us (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5). Eternal life is a promise (1 Jn. 2:25; Titus 1:2). In just about every other religion that believes in some form of afterlife or salvation, you have to base it off of your own self worth, your own goodness, your own works and achievements. All of that can lead to one giving glory to self, boasting and bragging how they earn it, whereas Christianity is not about being saved by works (Eph. 2:9), or being rewarded the way to be saved by our works (Titus 3:5). Christianity is the only religion that has God reaching down to save wretched sinners who didn’t deserve it. We didn’t work or earn forgiveness. We didn’t merit forgiveness. It was lovingly given by God for all to receive when we didn’t deserve it. That’s grace. Christianity is the only religion that is founded in the actual saving grace of God. It’s the only religion that has Jesus, the one fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, the one never sinned, the one worked actual genuine miracles, the one who willingly gave Himself for man’s salvation, the one has an indestructible kingdom, and as we will see in the final point, the one which every major religion points to Him in some form or fashion.
What other religious founder other than Christ has given us eternal life in the manner Jesus has? None.
1. His Life and Teachings
Jesus did things in the world that no other religious founder did. This makes Jesus unparalleled in His uniqueness with other religious founders. When you look at His life recorded in the New Testament, no one is comparable to the Man that Jesus is. He is the one and only Man’s man. How many other founders were able to predict their death and resurrection? None. Jesus is the only one that was able to do that (Matt. 16:21, 17:22-23, Mark 8:31, 9:31-32, Luke, 9:22, John 2:19, 21, 22). Jesus also worked miracles that aren’t being done today. What all religious founders other than Christ can have said to be miraculously “healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matt. 9:35)? None. What all religious founders other than Christ committed no sin (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:9)? None. What all religious founders other than Christ whose moral values are genius and perfect in every way imaginable (Mt. 5; Mt. 7:12; cf. Gal. 5:22-24)? None.
2. His Influence Across the Globe
The global influence of just one single individual in the world whose gospel was preached (Mark 16:15, Col. 1:6, 1:23, Rom. 10:18), whose followers “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). In an article called “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ”, Peter Kemeny wrote “Christianity has had a beneficial effect on civilization. The world is a better place because Jesus came. [Tom] Holland, a British historian, makes the case for this in his 2019 book, “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.” Holland’s area of expertise is the ancient world. While he admires the ancients for their greatness, the more he learned about them the more he came to see that their values were barbaric and vastly different from his own. The ancients were cruel. The Spartans routinely murdered children who had mild imperfections. Infanticide was commonplace. The poor and the weak had no rights. The powerful used the bodies of slaves as outlets for physical gratification.”
“This led Holland to ask, what was it that brought the western world to the place where it began to value human life, even the lives of those with physical handicaps? What was the origin of western prohibitions against rape? From whence arose western morals that taught men to control themselves, to marry, and to be faithful to their wives? How did those in the west come to treat women as more than objects?
Such humane values did not materialize out of thin air. They are the fruit of Christianity. They are the result of the proclamation of Christianity throughout the world, and particularly, throughout the Western world.”
“Without Christianity, there would be little that is civilized about western civilization. Even social justice warriors who seek to eradicate Christianity are living off the borrowed capital of a Christian past when they call for love, tolerance and compassion. As Jonathon Van Maren put it, “If the West had not become Christian … no one would have gotten woke.”
Matthew Paris, a writer for the London Times, is another unbeliever who sees the value of Christianity. In his essay, “As an Atheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God,” he wrote, as a “confirmed atheist I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa … Government projects … alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good … Those who want Africa to walk tall … must not kid themselves … Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone, and the machete.”
What founder other than Christ had that much of an influence in the world? None.
3. His Fulfillment of Prophecies
Take all the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. Out of all the hundreds of prophecies He fulfilled (many believe He fulfilled over 300), just fulfilling 8 prophecies alone in the exact same way the prophets prophesied is so incredibly low, that it couldn’t have possibly been a coincidence that one man was able to fulfill them. Now, imagine doing that over 300 times. An illustration that has been given by others is, suppose you were going to fulfill just eight of those prophecies….cover Texas with coins to a depth of two feet. Pick one of those coins and paint it red. Drop the coin somewhere in Texas, mixing it into the coins. Then, while being blindfolded, pick up the red painted coin. Try that eight times. Now try it three hundred or more times. If that’s not evidence I don’t know what is. The fact that one man was able to fulfill prophecies with that low of a probability is nothing short of divine.
Old Testament Prophecies such as His birth (Is. 7:14; Mich. 5:2), the way He entered in Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9), coming from the line of Abraham (Gen. 12:3), being betrayed (Ps. 41:9), being silent before His accusers (Is. 53:7), being spat and struck upon (Is. 50:6), speaking in parables (Ps. 78:2), that He would resurrect from the dead (Ps. 16:10), that He would be sacrificed for sin (Is. 53:5), etc etc.
What other founder other than Christ prophecies 100% of the time, exactly how the prophets said it would be? None.
4. His Indestructible Kingdom
Daniel prophesied the Messiah's kingdom would endure forever. "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).
The Hebrew writer said the kingdom “cannot be shaken” (Heb. 12:28).
Jesus said “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18)
“As Jesus gave a parable concerning the kingdom of God, He explained it saying, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). So long as the kingdom remains, the seed of the kingdom which is the word of God, must remain. But the Kingdom will last forever, so the Word of God must last forever. If It lasts forever, It is indestructible. So long as the Bible remains, the kingdom has not been destroyed. It may be suppressed for a while, it may not be apparent, but as long as God's word remains, the kingdom has not been destroyed. When the seed of the kingdom is sown, men and women can become Christians; Christians make up the kingdom. One cannot cause wheat to cease to exist merely by pulling up all the wheat plants he can find. If he leaves just one seed of wheat, in which is the germ of life, he has not destroyed wheat. This single seed can be planted, a plant will come forth, bear its fruit, and wheat remains. So it is with the Word of God. One can fight the church, kill its members, but God has said that his Word cannot be destroyed. And until one can figure out how to destroy the Word of God, which he can never do, the kingdom cannot be destroyed, because as the seed of the kingdom, the word of God, is sown into the hearts of men and women, it will bear fruit; they will become Christians and the kingdom will remain. It cannot be destroyed!” — Cecil Willis, “The Indestructibility of the Bible”
What other founder other than Christ has a kingdom that is indestructible and was prophesied? None.
5. His Giving of Eternal Life
John 10:27 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
By God’s mercy and grace, Jesus saves us (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5). Eternal life is a promise (1 Jn. 2:25; Titus 1:2). In just about every other religion that believes in some form of afterlife or salvation, you have to base it off of your own self worth, your own goodness, your own works and achievements. All of that can lead to one giving glory to self, boasting and bragging how they earn it, whereas Christianity is not about being saved by works (Eph. 2:9), or being rewarded the way to be saved by our works (Titus 3:5). Christianity is the only religion that has God reaching down to save wretched sinners who didn’t deserve it. We didn’t work or earn forgiveness. We didn’t merit forgiveness. It was lovingly given by God for all to receive when we didn’t deserve it. That’s grace. Christianity is the only religion that is founded in the actual saving grace of God. It’s the only religion that has Jesus, the one fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, the one never sinned, the one worked actual genuine miracles, the one who willingly gave Himself for man’s salvation, the one has an indestructible kingdom, and as we will see in the final point, the one which every major religion points to Him in some form or fashion.
What other religious founder other than Christ has given us eternal life in the manner Jesus has? None.
6. His Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:4, Phil. 3:10, 1 Peter 1:3, 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Mt. 28; Mk. 16; Lk. 24; Jn. 20 etc etc) is the be all end all that proves Jesus is the one to follow. There’s only one Savior who defeated death, resurrected, and has an empty tomb.
Even if I didn’t believe in supernatural for the resurrection, the arguments for it not happening does not hold any water when you look at what Jesus and His apostles would (and did) go through and endure.
No historian from the first century that I’m aware of has claimed to have located Jesus' body, no historian that I’m aware of from the first century has documented that the tomb was not empty, and no historian from the first century that I’m aware of refutes the event.
Why is that?
Because the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
What other founder other than Christ has resurrected after being dead for three days (Mt. 12:40)? None.
His Attributes
7. If Jesus’s resurrection had happened with other peoples founders/gods, why then did the Athenians (who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing) did not know anything about the resurrection? They said it was a new doctrine (Acts 17:19-21). Since Paul taught the resurrection to the Athenians, this would inform them that there was a real God, Jesus Christ, who came into the world, who exceeded their (and anyone else’s) expectations. He met all the attributes of God. Something no pagan/idol or mythological deity had ever done, as they were created by man. No single pagan, idol or mythological god had all the attributes that Jesus has. If they somehow do, it’s only because the followers of false gods were implementing them to be their attributes after either hearing inspired prophets foretelling the arrival of the Redeemer, or, as the prophecies were made "from the foundation of the world" (Lk. 11:50; Acts 3:18-21), they had most likely been passed down orally to those who were following false gods while they were hearing about the one true God who has those attributes. When Jesus Christ came to earth, it was “the fullness of the time” (Gal. 4:4).
Some claim that the life and person of Christ was created by the disciples. But answer me this…how could imperfect, flawed men, create a perfect and flawless man if they had never encountered someone like that? In order to create something, there first must be something of that kind in reality to be get a foundation or a basis for it, but no man had the life and character that Jesus ever has or had..as He is different than any other man who had and has ever lived. If mere man is the highest source and the utmost pinnacle of knowledge, then how would they have ever been able to write and speak about an eternal Godhead, three “persons” yet one God, who has more superior knowledge than man, who had a member of the Godhead to dwell among man in the flesh? The only way flawed and imperfect mere man could have done this is not by inventing or creating, but by actually witnessing the life and character of Jesus Christ, the member of the Godhead who became flesh.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:4, Phil. 3:10, 1 Peter 1:3, 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Mt. 28; Mk. 16; Lk. 24; Jn. 20 etc etc) is the be all end all that proves Jesus is the one to follow. There’s only one Savior who defeated death, resurrected, and has an empty tomb.
Even if I didn’t believe in supernatural for the resurrection, the arguments for it not happening does not hold any water when you look at what Jesus and His apostles would (and did) go through and endure.
No historian from the first century that I’m aware of has claimed to have located Jesus' body, no historian that I’m aware of from the first century has documented that the tomb was not empty, and no historian from the first century that I’m aware of refutes the event.
Why is that?
Because the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
What other founder other than Christ has resurrected after being dead for three days (Mt. 12:40)? None.
His Attributes
7. If Jesus’s resurrection had happened with other peoples founders/gods, why then did the Athenians (who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing) did not know anything about the resurrection? They said it was a new doctrine (Acts 17:19-21). Since Paul taught the resurrection to the Athenians, this would inform them that there was a real God, Jesus Christ, who came into the world, who exceeded their (and anyone else’s) expectations. He met all the attributes of God. Something no pagan/idol or mythological deity had ever done, as they were created by man. No single pagan, idol or mythological god had all the attributes that Jesus has. If they somehow do, it’s only because the followers of false gods were implementing them to be their attributes after either hearing inspired prophets foretelling the arrival of the Redeemer, or, as the prophecies were made "from the foundation of the world" (Lk. 11:50; Acts 3:18-21), they had most likely been passed down orally to those who were following false gods while they were hearing about the one true God who has those attributes. When Jesus Christ came to earth, it was “the fullness of the time” (Gal. 4:4).
Some claim that the life and person of Christ was created by the disciples. But answer me this…how could imperfect, flawed men, create a perfect and flawless man if they had never encountered someone like that? In order to create something, there first must be something of that kind in reality to be get a foundation or a basis for it, but no man had the life and character that Jesus ever has or had..as He is different than any other man who had and has ever lived. If mere man is the highest source and the utmost pinnacle of knowledge, then how would they have ever been able to write and speak about an eternal Godhead, three “persons” yet one God, who has more superior knowledge than man, who had a member of the Godhead to dwell among man in the flesh? The only way flawed and imperfect mere man could have done this is not by inventing or creating, but by actually witnessing the life and character of Jesus Christ, the member of the Godhead who became flesh.
8. Final Point: Other Major World Religions Point to Him
“In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is considered to be a messenger of God (Allah) and the Messiah (al-Masih) who was sent to guide the Descendants of Israel (Bani Isra'il) with a new scripture, the Gospel (Injil)”
Muslims also believe Jesus was miraculously born, and “The Quran also specifies that Jesus was able to perform miracles—though only by the will of God—including being able to raise the dead, restore sight to the blind and cure lepers.”
“In the Quran, Jesus is described as the Messiah (al-Masīḥ), born of a virgin, performing miracles, accompanied by his disciples, and rejected by the Jewish religious establishment.”
“And indeed, We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave ‘Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with Rûh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some, you disbelieved and some, you killed.” (Quran 2:87)
“And will make him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allâh’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper…” (Quran 3:49)
The Quran teaches those who followed Jesus had compassion and mercy in their hearts (Quran 57:27)
“Then, We sent after them, Our Messengers, and We sent ‘Iesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), and gave him the Injeel (Gospel). And We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him, compassion and mercy.” (Quran 57:27)
“The Quran mentions Jesus by name 25 times—more often than Muhammad—and emphasises that Jesus was a mortal human who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message.”
Islam also believes Jesus was raised to heaven (Quran 3:55)
“And (remember) when Allâh said: ‘O ‘Iesa (Jesus). I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that ‘Iesa (Jesus) is Allâh’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allâh) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allâh, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad , ‘Iesa (Jesus), Mûsa (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Qur’ân] till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.’” (Quran 3:55)
Judaism
“Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus being God, or a person of a Trinity, or a mediator to God. Judaism also holds that Jesus is not the Messiah, arguing that he had not fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh nor embodied the personal qualifications of the Messiah. According to Jewish tradition, there were no more prophets after Malachi, who lived centuries before Jesus and delivered his prophesies about 420 BCE.”
“According to Conservative Judaism, Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah have "crossed the line out of the Jewish community". Reform Judaism, the modern progressive movement, states "For us in the Jewish community anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate"
Hinduism
“Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no established set of beliefs and thus no universal or common view of Jesus. However, a lot of Hindus, including religious and political leaders, tend to variously venerate Jesus as either a Āchārya, Sadhu or Avatar. Some Hindus and Hare Krishnas also claim that Jesus was predicted or prophesied in the scripture Bhavishya Purana”
Buddhism
“The Dalai Lama [the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists] was asked what question he would ask if he met Jesus. He said, “For me, as a Buddhist, my attitude toward Jesus Christ is that he was either a fully enlightened being or a bodhisattva [a being who aids others to enlightenment] of a very high spiritual realization. . . .”
For the Dalai Lama, Jesus is the model of a "spiritually mature, good, and warm hearted person."
Other Religions
The Druze Faith
“In the Druze faith, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets and the Messiah, being among the seven prophets who appeared in different periods of history. The Druze venerate Jesus "the son of Josephand Mary" and his four disciples, who wrote the Gospels. In the Druze tradition, Jesus is known under three titles: the True Messiah (al-Masih al-Haq), the Messiah of all Nations (Masih al-Umam), and the Messiah of Sinners. This is due, respectively, to the belief that Jesus delivered the true Gospel message, the belief that he was the Saviour of all nations, and the belief that he offers forgiveness.”
The Bahai Faith
“The Baháʼí Faith consider Jesus to be a manifestation of God, who are a series of personages who reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization.” [Bahá’u’lláh also said this was true for all of God’s “manifestations”, including himself, — J Warner Wallace]
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith and grandson of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, described the teachings of Jesus Christ as follows:
“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended.
Bahá’u’lláh [the founder of the Baha’i faith] declared that the sacrifice of Jesus was indeed extraordinary, for it was through that sacrifice that Jesus “purified the world.” Bahá’u’lláh says that those who failed to accept Christ deprived themselves of “beholding the face of God.” The Bahá’í writings affirm that Christ “left nothing unfinished or incomplete.”
Concerning the major world religions, J. Warner Wallace states “Given Jesus is a common feature of the major religions of the world, it might be important for us to learn more about the man whom everyone feels the need to describe. While the world’s religions account for Jesus tangentially, only one faith system is established on the authentic, attested eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, teaching and ministry. If one was inclined to begin a spiritual quest for truth, it would be wise to start with the faith system best describing the man all other faith systems find themselves compelled to explain. Christianity is founded on the reliable record of the man-God we know as Jesus and ought to be the first stop in any seeker’s journey of faith.”
From Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, to Baha’is and others, non-Christians of many beliefs recognize Jesus as an important figure, as they mention Him in some form or fashion.
The evidence for Jesus surpasses that of all other religions for a purpose. From the beginning, the evidence pointed to Him. Should we really be that surprised? After all, “In the beginning” (Jhn 1:1-4, 14), the evidence always pointed to Jesus as being the one to follow (Jn. 10:27; Mt. 16:24). From internal evidence to external evidence, it always pointed to Him as being “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).
John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4)
Case Notes
Kemeny, Peter. “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ.” The Frederick News-Post.
West Ark Church of Christ. “Does Jesus Christ Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah?”
Willis, Cecil. The Indestructibility of the Bible, Truth Magazine.
“Jesus in Islam.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
“Religious Perspectives on Jesus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
Wallace, J Warner. “Who Is Jesus, According to Other Religions?” Cold Case Christianity.
“The Bahá’í Faith.” Bahais of the United States.
Yamamoto, J. Isamu Isamu. “The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus.” Christian Research Institute.
Muck, C. Terry “Jesus through Buddhist Eyes.” Books and Culture.
“In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is considered to be a messenger of God (Allah) and the Messiah (al-Masih) who was sent to guide the Descendants of Israel (Bani Isra'il) with a new scripture, the Gospel (Injil)”
Muslims also believe Jesus was miraculously born, and “The Quran also specifies that Jesus was able to perform miracles—though only by the will of God—including being able to raise the dead, restore sight to the blind and cure lepers.”
“In the Quran, Jesus is described as the Messiah (al-Masīḥ), born of a virgin, performing miracles, accompanied by his disciples, and rejected by the Jewish religious establishment.”
“And indeed, We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave ‘Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with Rûh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some, you disbelieved and some, you killed.” (Quran 2:87)
“And will make him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allâh’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper…” (Quran 3:49)
The Quran teaches those who followed Jesus had compassion and mercy in their hearts (Quran 57:27)
“Then, We sent after them, Our Messengers, and We sent ‘Iesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), and gave him the Injeel (Gospel). And We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him, compassion and mercy.” (Quran 57:27)
“The Quran mentions Jesus by name 25 times—more often than Muhammad—and emphasises that Jesus was a mortal human who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message.”
Islam also believes Jesus was raised to heaven (Quran 3:55)
“And (remember) when Allâh said: ‘O ‘Iesa (Jesus). I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that ‘Iesa (Jesus) is Allâh’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allâh) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allâh, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad , ‘Iesa (Jesus), Mûsa (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Qur’ân] till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.’” (Quran 3:55)
Judaism
“Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus being God, or a person of a Trinity, or a mediator to God. Judaism also holds that Jesus is not the Messiah, arguing that he had not fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh nor embodied the personal qualifications of the Messiah. According to Jewish tradition, there were no more prophets after Malachi, who lived centuries before Jesus and delivered his prophesies about 420 BCE.”
“According to Conservative Judaism, Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah have "crossed the line out of the Jewish community". Reform Judaism, the modern progressive movement, states "For us in the Jewish community anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate"
Hinduism
“Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no established set of beliefs and thus no universal or common view of Jesus. However, a lot of Hindus, including religious and political leaders, tend to variously venerate Jesus as either a Āchārya, Sadhu or Avatar. Some Hindus and Hare Krishnas also claim that Jesus was predicted or prophesied in the scripture Bhavishya Purana”
Buddhism
“The Dalai Lama [the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists] was asked what question he would ask if he met Jesus. He said, “For me, as a Buddhist, my attitude toward Jesus Christ is that he was either a fully enlightened being or a bodhisattva [a being who aids others to enlightenment] of a very high spiritual realization. . . .”
For the Dalai Lama, Jesus is the model of a "spiritually mature, good, and warm hearted person."
Other Religions
The Druze Faith
“In the Druze faith, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets and the Messiah, being among the seven prophets who appeared in different periods of history. The Druze venerate Jesus "the son of Josephand Mary" and his four disciples, who wrote the Gospels. In the Druze tradition, Jesus is known under three titles: the True Messiah (al-Masih al-Haq), the Messiah of all Nations (Masih al-Umam), and the Messiah of Sinners. This is due, respectively, to the belief that Jesus delivered the true Gospel message, the belief that he was the Saviour of all nations, and the belief that he offers forgiveness.”
The Bahai Faith
“The Baháʼí Faith consider Jesus to be a manifestation of God, who are a series of personages who reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization.” [Bahá’u’lláh also said this was true for all of God’s “manifestations”, including himself, — J Warner Wallace]
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith and grandson of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, described the teachings of Jesus Christ as follows:
“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended.
Bahá’u’lláh [the founder of the Baha’i faith] declared that the sacrifice of Jesus was indeed extraordinary, for it was through that sacrifice that Jesus “purified the world.” Bahá’u’lláh says that those who failed to accept Christ deprived themselves of “beholding the face of God.” The Bahá’í writings affirm that Christ “left nothing unfinished or incomplete.”
Concerning the major world religions, J. Warner Wallace states “Given Jesus is a common feature of the major religions of the world, it might be important for us to learn more about the man whom everyone feels the need to describe. While the world’s religions account for Jesus tangentially, only one faith system is established on the authentic, attested eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, teaching and ministry. If one was inclined to begin a spiritual quest for truth, it would be wise to start with the faith system best describing the man all other faith systems find themselves compelled to explain. Christianity is founded on the reliable record of the man-God we know as Jesus and ought to be the first stop in any seeker’s journey of faith.”
From Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, to Baha’is and others, non-Christians of many beliefs recognize Jesus as an important figure, as they mention Him in some form or fashion.
The evidence for Jesus surpasses that of all other religions for a purpose. From the beginning, the evidence pointed to Him. Should we really be that surprised? After all, “In the beginning” (Jhn 1:1-4, 14), the evidence always pointed to Jesus as being the one to follow (Jn. 10:27; Mt. 16:24). From internal evidence to external evidence, it always pointed to Him as being “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).
John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4)
Case Notes
Kemeny, Peter. “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ.” The Frederick News-Post.
West Ark Church of Christ. “Does Jesus Christ Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah?”
Willis, Cecil. The Indestructibility of the Bible, Truth Magazine.
“Jesus in Islam.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
“Religious Perspectives on Jesus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
Wallace, J Warner. “Who Is Jesus, According to Other Religions?” Cold Case Christianity.
“The Bahá’í Faith.” Bahais of the United States.
Yamamoto, J. Isamu Isamu. “The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus.” Christian Research Institute.
Muck, C. Terry “Jesus through Buddhist Eyes.” Books and Culture.
A testator's signature is the most widely used method of authentication for their will. The testator signs his name after confirming that he is of sound mind and that this is his final will and testament. Official legal evidence of his approval of the document is provided by his signature. Handwriting is as distinctive as a person's fingerprints. One way to confirm that the testator actually penned the will is to compare the handwriting in the will to other examples of the testator's handwriting.
Suppose within the testator’s document or will it contains the individuals password (or code) to a certain computer, locker, safe, etc etc..that no one else would know but the “owner” of the password or passcode. Upon discovering that the password or passcode works to the computer, locker, safe of the deceased, it would then be authenticated that the document/will to be belonging to the deceased. The testator.
Is there any evidence that God has put His signature, “seal” with His “signet ring” on His word? If so, in what way? Has He verified His word to be His word?
Let us find out…
When it comes to the Bible, God has verified the Bible's authenticity to be His word by giving the men who wrote it the knowledge and abilities they could only have if He were delivering the message. Prophecy being fulfilled is one example of these proofs. Man alone cannot know the future (Prov. 27:1; Jms. 4:14). The Bible writers claimed to be writing a message from God, which would be supported if they were able to make accurate predictions about the future that no man could possibly know unless it was revealed to them by God, showing him as a true prophet (Jer. 28:9).
When Christ told people things before it came to pass, when what He said would come to pass did come to pass, then people would believe in Him (Jn. 13:19, 14:29). For other prophets, the same would apply if they were able to accurately and thoroughly forecast the future. It would support their assertion that they were revealing God's will (Jn. 16:4). Also see John 16:13; Numbers 16:26-30; Deut. 18:22.
The Bible prophecies and has fulfillments of people (Is. 40:3-5; Mal. 3:1; Is. 9:6), of events (Is. 53; Joel 2:28-32; Lk. 21:31-38; Dan. 7; Mt. 26:34, etc etc), and the fact that the writers of the Bible were able to foresee these events centuries before they ever happened is a testament to God's signature, His “seal” (His “signet ring”), which authenticates it to be of Him.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, these predictions of Him from the Old Testament were written down, gathered, copied, and even translated into Greek. Parts of each of these writings, which were written long before Jesus was born, are found in the Dead Sea scrolls. God purposefully and frequently put His signature on the Scriptures by putting facts in these books that no one else could have known beforehand.
The Messianic prophecies of Jesus’s birth (Is. 7:14; Mich. 5:2), the way He entered in Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9), coming from the line of Abraham (Gen. 12:3), being betrayed (Ps. 41:9), being silent before His accusers (Is. 53:7), being spat and struck upon (Is. 50:6), speaking in parables (Ps. 78:2), that He would resurrect from the dead (Ps. 16:10), that He would be sacrificed for sin (Is. 53:5), etc etc. The Bible, if it is human in origin, contains these incredible prophesies that no human could accurately foretell about one singular individual. Hence, they could not have done so using only human intelligence. Therefore, the Bible's origins are not of human (2 Peter 1:20-21).
(The Septuagint (the very first translation of the Hebrew Bible made into Greek) was probably as early as the third century BC. Around the third century BC, most likely.
The Hebrew Bible, sometimes known as the Old Testament, was translated into Greek in the third century B.C., giving rise to the Septuagint Bible. The Latin term septuaginta, meaning 70, is the source of the name Septuagint. Because 70 or 72 Jewish scholars are said to have participated in the translation process, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is known as the Septuagint).
The foreknowledge of the following for hundreds..(if not thousands of years) before modern man: The amazing foreknowledge in the fields of science such as: astronomy (Isaiah 40:22; Job. 26:7; Jer. 33:22) biology (Gen. 1:11-12, 21, 24; Acts 17:25), oceanography (Psalm 8:8; Job 36:27-28), and medical (Gen. 17:12; Num. 19:11-12, 16-18; Lev. 17:11, etc etc). The Bible is deadly accurate in those things which is said not to have been discovered by men until the last few centuries. Keep in mind, the Bible writers did not have to gain knowledge or discover it, but already knew it. How did they know these things? It was due to being divinely revealed from God. That is another unique “signature” that God has put in His word to testify and give evidence that it’s His word.
Other unique “signatures” that God confirmed in His word to know it has been authenticated from Him is miracles. In the same way as fulfilled prophecy, genuine miracles from God cannot occur by human ability or natural laws. It is by the supernatural power of God that people were able to perform them. Miracles were another way to identify one’s message to be of a sign from God.
We see this in the Old Testament in Ex. 4:8-9, 30, 8:19; Deut. 34:11; Isa. 8:18; 1 Kings 17:24, 13:3, 5, 18:36-39. Other passages that showed the supernatural power of God with miracles in the OT is in Ex. 14:21-31, with the dividing of the Red Sea.
In the New Testament, we find this in passages such as Mk. 16:20; Acts 14:3; 2 Cor. 12:11-12; Heb. 2:3-4. The New Testament is Jesus’s will, as He is the testator (Heb. 9:16-18). He confirmed His will to be truly His with signs and miracles, and His apostles and other disciples that had the ability bore witness of Jesus’s divine message.
In a personal will, you have at least two witnesses to sign it. The Bible follows that. Out of the mouths of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established (Mt. 18:16; Jn. 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1; Deut. 19:15; etc etc). Jesus’s apostles confirmed His New Testament, His will, with signs..miraculous supernatural signs.
Jesus’s apostles were eyewitness/witnesses (Lk. 1:2; Mt. 9:9; 2 Peter 1:16; Jn. 15:27, 19:35, 20:29-31, 21:1ff-25; Lk.24:46-48; Acts 1:8, 2:32, 3:15, 4:33, 5:32, 10:39, 43, 22:15; cf. 1 Cor. 15:5-6; 1 Jn. 1:1-3, 4:14).
Other people who would be classified as witnesses of either Jesus’s life (or His death, burial and resurrection) would be Mary (Lk. 1, Jn. 19:25-27), Mary Magdalene (Jn. 19:25; Mk. 15:40), Mary, the wife of Cleophas (Jn. 19:25), Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus (Jn. 19:38-42), many of the Jews which came to Mary believed on him (Jn. 11:45), Zaccheus (Lk. 19), John the Baptist (Jn. 1:7, 15, 29-34), the leper (Mt. 8.), the blind man (Lk. 9), and more.
When it comes to authorship, The Bible has the phrase “saith the LORD” 833 times in the OT (KJV), and 13 times in the NT (KJV). The Bible has “the word of the LORD” 242 times in the OT (KJV) and “the word of the Lord” 13 times in the NT (KJV). It also says “the word of God” a total of 45 times (KJV). The Bible also says it is inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible says it’s the “word of truth” a total of 5 times (KJV), mentions it as “thy word is true” 1 time (KJV), “word are true” 1 time (KJV), and “thy word is truth” 1 time (KJV). All of this equals to 1,155 times that the writers make declaration of the word of truth (the Bible) being of God.
If the Bible is God’s word, it would also have passed the internal reliability test within itself. In 2 Kings 22, when a copy of the book of the law was found by the high priest Hilkiah in the house of the Lord during King Josiah’s reign, no one questioned whether or not it had been tampered with or corrupted. We read that same thing in 2 Chron. 34:14-15, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses. Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. In Nehemiah 8, when Ezra, “a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses” (Ez. 7:6) was told “to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel”, no one questioned whether it had been tampered with or corrupted, when Ezra “read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” (v3). People such as Philip and The Ethiopian eunuch believed the book of Isaiah had not been altered or corrupted, as Philip taught from it to the eunuch by asking “of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” and the eunuch was reading from it. Acts 8:30-34.
John 10:35 “…the Scripture cannot be broken”
Ps. 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Ps. 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
Jesus believed the OT that the Jews had to be faithful scripture and accurate when He said, "You search the scriptures...." (John 5:39).
Is. 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Suppose within the testator’s document or will it contains the individuals password (or code) to a certain computer, locker, safe, etc etc..that no one else would know but the “owner” of the password or passcode. Upon discovering that the password or passcode works to the computer, locker, safe of the deceased, it would then be authenticated that the document/will to be belonging to the deceased. The testator.
Is there any evidence that God has put His signature, “seal” with His “signet ring” on His word? If so, in what way? Has He verified His word to be His word?
Let us find out…
When it comes to the Bible, God has verified the Bible's authenticity to be His word by giving the men who wrote it the knowledge and abilities they could only have if He were delivering the message. Prophecy being fulfilled is one example of these proofs. Man alone cannot know the future (Prov. 27:1; Jms. 4:14). The Bible writers claimed to be writing a message from God, which would be supported if they were able to make accurate predictions about the future that no man could possibly know unless it was revealed to them by God, showing him as a true prophet (Jer. 28:9).
When Christ told people things before it came to pass, when what He said would come to pass did come to pass, then people would believe in Him (Jn. 13:19, 14:29). For other prophets, the same would apply if they were able to accurately and thoroughly forecast the future. It would support their assertion that they were revealing God's will (Jn. 16:4). Also see John 16:13; Numbers 16:26-30; Deut. 18:22.
The Bible prophecies and has fulfillments of people (Is. 40:3-5; Mal. 3:1; Is. 9:6), of events (Is. 53; Joel 2:28-32; Lk. 21:31-38; Dan. 7; Mt. 26:34, etc etc), and the fact that the writers of the Bible were able to foresee these events centuries before they ever happened is a testament to God's signature, His “seal” (His “signet ring”), which authenticates it to be of Him.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, these predictions of Him from the Old Testament were written down, gathered, copied, and even translated into Greek. Parts of each of these writings, which were written long before Jesus was born, are found in the Dead Sea scrolls. God purposefully and frequently put His signature on the Scriptures by putting facts in these books that no one else could have known beforehand.
The Messianic prophecies of Jesus’s birth (Is. 7:14; Mich. 5:2), the way He entered in Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9), coming from the line of Abraham (Gen. 12:3), being betrayed (Ps. 41:9), being silent before His accusers (Is. 53:7), being spat and struck upon (Is. 50:6), speaking in parables (Ps. 78:2), that He would resurrect from the dead (Ps. 16:10), that He would be sacrificed for sin (Is. 53:5), etc etc. The Bible, if it is human in origin, contains these incredible prophesies that no human could accurately foretell about one singular individual. Hence, they could not have done so using only human intelligence. Therefore, the Bible's origins are not of human (2 Peter 1:20-21).
(The Septuagint (the very first translation of the Hebrew Bible made into Greek) was probably as early as the third century BC. Around the third century BC, most likely.
The Hebrew Bible, sometimes known as the Old Testament, was translated into Greek in the third century B.C., giving rise to the Septuagint Bible. The Latin term septuaginta, meaning 70, is the source of the name Septuagint. Because 70 or 72 Jewish scholars are said to have participated in the translation process, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is known as the Septuagint).
The foreknowledge of the following for hundreds..(if not thousands of years) before modern man: The amazing foreknowledge in the fields of science such as: astronomy (Isaiah 40:22; Job. 26:7; Jer. 33:22) biology (Gen. 1:11-12, 21, 24; Acts 17:25), oceanography (Psalm 8:8; Job 36:27-28), and medical (Gen. 17:12; Num. 19:11-12, 16-18; Lev. 17:11, etc etc). The Bible is deadly accurate in those things which is said not to have been discovered by men until the last few centuries. Keep in mind, the Bible writers did not have to gain knowledge or discover it, but already knew it. How did they know these things? It was due to being divinely revealed from God. That is another unique “signature” that God has put in His word to testify and give evidence that it’s His word.
Other unique “signatures” that God confirmed in His word to know it has been authenticated from Him is miracles. In the same way as fulfilled prophecy, genuine miracles from God cannot occur by human ability or natural laws. It is by the supernatural power of God that people were able to perform them. Miracles were another way to identify one’s message to be of a sign from God.
We see this in the Old Testament in Ex. 4:8-9, 30, 8:19; Deut. 34:11; Isa. 8:18; 1 Kings 17:24, 13:3, 5, 18:36-39. Other passages that showed the supernatural power of God with miracles in the OT is in Ex. 14:21-31, with the dividing of the Red Sea.
In the New Testament, we find this in passages such as Mk. 16:20; Acts 14:3; 2 Cor. 12:11-12; Heb. 2:3-4. The New Testament is Jesus’s will, as He is the testator (Heb. 9:16-18). He confirmed His will to be truly His with signs and miracles, and His apostles and other disciples that had the ability bore witness of Jesus’s divine message.
In a personal will, you have at least two witnesses to sign it. The Bible follows that. Out of the mouths of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established (Mt. 18:16; Jn. 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1; Deut. 19:15; etc etc). Jesus’s apostles confirmed His New Testament, His will, with signs..miraculous supernatural signs.
Jesus’s apostles were eyewitness/witnesses (Lk. 1:2; Mt. 9:9; 2 Peter 1:16; Jn. 15:27, 19:35, 20:29-31, 21:1ff-25; Lk.24:46-48; Acts 1:8, 2:32, 3:15, 4:33, 5:32, 10:39, 43, 22:15; cf. 1 Cor. 15:5-6; 1 Jn. 1:1-3, 4:14).
Other people who would be classified as witnesses of either Jesus’s life (or His death, burial and resurrection) would be Mary (Lk. 1, Jn. 19:25-27), Mary Magdalene (Jn. 19:25; Mk. 15:40), Mary, the wife of Cleophas (Jn. 19:25), Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus (Jn. 19:38-42), many of the Jews which came to Mary believed on him (Jn. 11:45), Zaccheus (Lk. 19), John the Baptist (Jn. 1:7, 15, 29-34), the leper (Mt. 8.), the blind man (Lk. 9), and more.
When it comes to authorship, The Bible has the phrase “saith the LORD” 833 times in the OT (KJV), and 13 times in the NT (KJV). The Bible has “the word of the LORD” 242 times in the OT (KJV) and “the word of the Lord” 13 times in the NT (KJV). It also says “the word of God” a total of 45 times (KJV). The Bible also says it is inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible says it’s the “word of truth” a total of 5 times (KJV), mentions it as “thy word is true” 1 time (KJV), “word are true” 1 time (KJV), and “thy word is truth” 1 time (KJV). All of this equals to 1,155 times that the writers make declaration of the word of truth (the Bible) being of God.
If the Bible is God’s word, it would also have passed the internal reliability test within itself. In 2 Kings 22, when a copy of the book of the law was found by the high priest Hilkiah in the house of the Lord during King Josiah’s reign, no one questioned whether or not it had been tampered with or corrupted. We read that same thing in 2 Chron. 34:14-15, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses. Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. In Nehemiah 8, when Ezra, “a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses” (Ez. 7:6) was told “to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel”, no one questioned whether it had been tampered with or corrupted, when Ezra “read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” (v3). People such as Philip and The Ethiopian eunuch believed the book of Isaiah had not been altered or corrupted, as Philip taught from it to the eunuch by asking “of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” and the eunuch was reading from it. Acts 8:30-34.
John 10:35 “…the Scripture cannot be broken”
Ps. 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Ps. 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
Jesus believed the OT that the Jews had to be faithful scripture and accurate when He said, "You search the scriptures...." (John 5:39).
Is. 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
All of this evidence validates facts of it being preserved and reliable.
The accuracy of the Old Testament text was demonstrated forcefully by the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. Robert Dick Wilson says “we are scientifically certain that we have substantially the same [Old Testament] text that was in the possession of Christ and the apostles and, so far as anybody knows, the same as that written by the original composers of the Old Testament documents.”
God’s word states that Jesus is the Son of the Living God (Mt. 16:16) His only begotten Son (Jn. 3:16), even though the skeptic, agnostic, infidel and atheist say otherwise, the law of non-contradiction requires one of the two claims to be wrong. He can’t be both the Son of the Living God all while not being the Son of the Living God.
God’s word says it’s inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16), since it says it’s the word of truth (Ps. 119:143, 160; Jn. 17:17; 2 Sam. 7:28; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; Jms. 1:18; 1 Kings 17:24), and since holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21), then it is either inspired of God and is the word of truth or it is not. There is no middle ground.
Since Jesus says He is who He says, then either He’s the Son of the Living God or He’s not. He is either “a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst” (Acts 2:22) or He is not.
The law of non-contradiction means something cannot both be true and false simultaneously in the same sense. Someone cannot both be guilty and innocent simultaneously of the same crime in the same sense. Applied to the Bible, it cannot be both God’s word and not be God’s word simultaneously. Applied to the Bible, what the people witnessed, said, and recorded cannot both be true and not be true simultaneously. The law of excluded middle excludes a middle ground between truth and false. There’s no middle ground.
Claiming inspiration of God is extremely rare. Kenny Barfield noted in his book, Why the Bible is Number 1, that only seven documents are known to exist in the entire world that openly claim divine inspiration.
“[Yet] none of them exhibits such amazing qualities as the predictive prophecy and scientific foreknowledge that can be found in the Bible. Furthermore, the unity of the Bible and its accurate historical documentation of biblical people, places, and events is unparalleled in human history and bears testimony to the fact that the very existence of the Holy Scriptures cannot be explained in any other way except to acknowledge that they are the result of an overriding, superintending, guiding Mind.” (Eric Lyons – The Claim of Inspiration)
Suppose you found your great uncle Bob’s personal will. He signed it, two or three of his eyewitnesses also has their signatures. Their signatures has testified that they witnessed your great uncle Bob sign it. Although the witnesses are dead, their testimony, signatures, stands in a court of law. No sincere person would ever doubt it’s not Bob’s will. The validity of the evidence within confirms its legitimacy.
Today, we have the will of God. Though there is evidence from outside sources that supports it, it is the internal evidence of His will itself which contains the true, conclusive evidence. The evidence and signature for His will is the miracles, the signs, the prophecies being fulfilled, and the foreknowledge on various things which only God could have known, and is far superior and far stronger than great uncle Bob’s.
God’s will also has eyewitness testimonies and written records testifying that they saw miracles. Despite them being dead, it does not change what they wrote.
The proof for the Bible's validity is just as logical, just as obvious, and incredibly powerful than the support for any human will. The evidence for God’s word single-handedly crushes the evidence for all other human wills like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jer. 23:29).
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29).
As George DeHoff said “THE Bible contains its own proof of its divine origin. It vindicates itself. No stronger arguments are needed than those which lie within the Book itself. An infidel will come as near being convinced by this internal evidence as by any external proof.”
The writers of the Bible also faced persecution, but none of them ever renounced what they wrote as a lie. The prophets were killed and persecuted (Mt. 23:30-31; Acts 7:51-52), Jesus warned His followers would be hated (Mt. 10:22, 24:9; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17; Jn. 15:18-21), the apostles were imprisoned, beaten and suffered for Jesus’s name (Acts 5:18, 40-41; cf. 16:23-24; 2 Cor. 11:25-27). Who would go through a lifetime of severe persecution that led to suffering, beatings, torture and death when they knew it was a lie? There are many who will die for a lie that they believe to be true, but it’s an entirely different ballgame when people dies for a lie that they flat out know is a lie because they originated it. I don’t know any group of men who would originate a lie, all while knowing it would get them killed and still go through with it. If they made it up then at least one would have renounced it, but not a single writer of the Bible went to their death recanting what they wrote as a lie. No matter if you flogged them, imprisoned them, or killed them, they were not going to deny the truth of what they personally witnessed, heard and wrote.
Remember, there is no middle ground. Either God’s word is God’s word or it is not. Also remember the law of noncontradiction…it can and cannot be God’s word at the same time.
Does the Bible have an individual who has the attributes, characteristics, qualities as God? Does He have teachings that has been taught throughout the world, who has the ethical morality of a genius? Yes, His name is Jesus.
The accuracy of the Old Testament text was demonstrated forcefully by the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. Robert Dick Wilson says “we are scientifically certain that we have substantially the same [Old Testament] text that was in the possession of Christ and the apostles and, so far as anybody knows, the same as that written by the original composers of the Old Testament documents.”
God’s word states that Jesus is the Son of the Living God (Mt. 16:16) His only begotten Son (Jn. 3:16), even though the skeptic, agnostic, infidel and atheist say otherwise, the law of non-contradiction requires one of the two claims to be wrong. He can’t be both the Son of the Living God all while not being the Son of the Living God.
God’s word says it’s inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16), since it says it’s the word of truth (Ps. 119:143, 160; Jn. 17:17; 2 Sam. 7:28; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; Jms. 1:18; 1 Kings 17:24), and since holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21), then it is either inspired of God and is the word of truth or it is not. There is no middle ground.
Since Jesus says He is who He says, then either He’s the Son of the Living God or He’s not. He is either “a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst” (Acts 2:22) or He is not.
The law of non-contradiction means something cannot both be true and false simultaneously in the same sense. Someone cannot both be guilty and innocent simultaneously of the same crime in the same sense. Applied to the Bible, it cannot be both God’s word and not be God’s word simultaneously. Applied to the Bible, what the people witnessed, said, and recorded cannot both be true and not be true simultaneously. The law of excluded middle excludes a middle ground between truth and false. There’s no middle ground.
Claiming inspiration of God is extremely rare. Kenny Barfield noted in his book, Why the Bible is Number 1, that only seven documents are known to exist in the entire world that openly claim divine inspiration.
“[Yet] none of them exhibits such amazing qualities as the predictive prophecy and scientific foreknowledge that can be found in the Bible. Furthermore, the unity of the Bible and its accurate historical documentation of biblical people, places, and events is unparalleled in human history and bears testimony to the fact that the very existence of the Holy Scriptures cannot be explained in any other way except to acknowledge that they are the result of an overriding, superintending, guiding Mind.” (Eric Lyons – The Claim of Inspiration)
Suppose you found your great uncle Bob’s personal will. He signed it, two or three of his eyewitnesses also has their signatures. Their signatures has testified that they witnessed your great uncle Bob sign it. Although the witnesses are dead, their testimony, signatures, stands in a court of law. No sincere person would ever doubt it’s not Bob’s will. The validity of the evidence within confirms its legitimacy.
Today, we have the will of God. Though there is evidence from outside sources that supports it, it is the internal evidence of His will itself which contains the true, conclusive evidence. The evidence and signature for His will is the miracles, the signs, the prophecies being fulfilled, and the foreknowledge on various things which only God could have known, and is far superior and far stronger than great uncle Bob’s.
God’s will also has eyewitness testimonies and written records testifying that they saw miracles. Despite them being dead, it does not change what they wrote.
The proof for the Bible's validity is just as logical, just as obvious, and incredibly powerful than the support for any human will. The evidence for God’s word single-handedly crushes the evidence for all other human wills like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jer. 23:29).
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29).
As George DeHoff said “THE Bible contains its own proof of its divine origin. It vindicates itself. No stronger arguments are needed than those which lie within the Book itself. An infidel will come as near being convinced by this internal evidence as by any external proof.”
The writers of the Bible also faced persecution, but none of them ever renounced what they wrote as a lie. The prophets were killed and persecuted (Mt. 23:30-31; Acts 7:51-52), Jesus warned His followers would be hated (Mt. 10:22, 24:9; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17; Jn. 15:18-21), the apostles were imprisoned, beaten and suffered for Jesus’s name (Acts 5:18, 40-41; cf. 16:23-24; 2 Cor. 11:25-27). Who would go through a lifetime of severe persecution that led to suffering, beatings, torture and death when they knew it was a lie? There are many who will die for a lie that they believe to be true, but it’s an entirely different ballgame when people dies for a lie that they flat out know is a lie because they originated it. I don’t know any group of men who would originate a lie, all while knowing it would get them killed and still go through with it. If they made it up then at least one would have renounced it, but not a single writer of the Bible went to their death recanting what they wrote as a lie. No matter if you flogged them, imprisoned them, or killed them, they were not going to deny the truth of what they personally witnessed, heard and wrote.
Remember, there is no middle ground. Either God’s word is God’s word or it is not. Also remember the law of noncontradiction…it can and cannot be God’s word at the same time.
Does the Bible have an individual who has the attributes, characteristics, qualities as God? Does He have teachings that has been taught throughout the world, who has the ethical morality of a genius? Yes, His name is Jesus.
Some Bible facts:
Holy Spirit inspired men.
1,500 or so years.
Three continents.
Two/Three different languages.
A message containing perfect unity and harmony.
In spite of all this, it does not contain one single unresolved contradiction to do any damage to the faith whatsoever.
It has been loved and hated.
It has withstood the hammers of critics of all kinds…from atheists, agnostics, etc etc.
Princes, philosophers, prelates, politicians and poets have all conspired against it.
It has been insulted by the scorn of fools.
It has become the jest of infidels and the joke of sceptics.
It has been assailed consistently and persistently by professed scholars and has been made the butt of the critic.
Assaulted by every known plan…it has come forth unscathed from the inferno.
The weapon has yet to be devised that can overthrow it.
The scholarship has yet to be developed that can discredit it.
The science has yet to be created that can demolish it.
The plan has yet to be devised that can annihilate it.
The book they wrote has never been disproven.
As a historical document it is of the most highest caliber.
The biblical text stands head and shoulders above the literature of its contemporaries.
The Bible is like the anvil which wears out many hammers and remains unblemished.
The hammers are worn out, but the anvil still endures.
The evidence for God’s word single-handedly crushes the evidence for all other ancient documents like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jer. 23:29).
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29)
(Some might ask or wonder if you have investigated every other religion. The answer is quite simple: There is no need to investigate every other religion when you have as much evidence pointing to the Bible as being God’s word and Christianity being the one faith. In a criminal investigation, when one particular suspect has evidence pointing to him as being the perpetrator of a crime, an investigator has no need to investigate every other suspect. When you have evidence pointing to a certain individual, there’s no need to look any further).
At the end of a trial, juries are “unbelievers” when it comes to every other potential suspect, because the evidence confirming the guilt of their particular defendant was sufficient. In a similar way, we can be confident “unbelievers” when it comes to every other potential deity, because the evidence for Christianity is more than sufficient. There’s a reason why Christianity is still on the table. There’s a reason to believe it to be true. There’s a reason to be a follower of Jesus. He has evidence that outweighs all the others. The evidence pointed to Him from the beginning.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2)
You, the reader, must now render your judgment in light of all the evidences and the testimonies. The decision made by others has no bearing on you. The decision you make is what matters. The verdict you choose will determine your eternal fate. God offers the gift of having an inheritance of eternal life. I have submitted to you the evidence and have presented my case.
In closing: Like a will, which has eyewitness testimony that confirms the testator's signature, the Bible also has eyewitness testimony of the apostles, that confirms the miracles as God's signature on His will. The Bible frequently documents facts that only God could have known and events that only God could have brought about in the lives of Bible writers. God's "signature," which is similar to the signature in a will, is of fulfilled prophecies, miracles, and signs. God deliberately put His “seal” in the Bible to demonstrate to any sincere truth seeking individual that this is indeed His will, His testament, being of Him. An estimated forty men wrote separate treatises covering the first page of Genesis to the last page of Revelation.
Throughout this investigation, we have read where the Bible exhibits the traits of being of God and God has acknowledged His authorship. We have seen where it has been written by God and is entirely consistent and logical. We have learned how it has improved society and people's lives. We have demonstrated that it’s a powerful book. We have learned that it has complete unity and harmony, which goes back to being consistent and logical. We have discovered it has the supernatural miraculous evidence, such as prophecy, miracles, and foreknowledge that no other book has. None of this can be ascribed to human origin. We also learned it has an individual to be sinless, an ethical moral genius, selfless, who has attributes of God, who had a single event that changed the course of the world, and whose teachings changed the world for the better when followed accurately. We discovered the book as being indestructible, has withstood criticism, hate, etc etc.
All of this is enough reason for me to conclude based on the evidence that the Bible is indeed God’s word and the resurrection did indeed happen.
What do you choose as your verdict, dear reader?
Case Notes
Gill, N.S. “The Story of the Septuagint Bible and the Name behind It.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 13 Jan. 2020.
Harrub, Brad. “Not Just a Good Book”
Dattolo, Fred. “Proving the Bible: Science”
“What Does It Mean That Zerubbabel Was the LORD’s Signet Ring (Haggai 2:23)?”
Kelly, Rebecca. “The History of Wax Seals - from Ancient Egypt to Today.” Bounde, Bounde, 12 July 2023.
“The History of Wax Seals: A Journey through Time.” Fiona Ariva, Fiona Ariva, 16 July 2023.
Pratte, E. David. “How to Determine Whether the Bible Is True What Is the Proper Method to Test the Bible's Validity?”
Whitten, Russ. “HAVE YOU WONDERED? Is the Bible really the Word of God?”
Wallace, J Warner. “Good Reasons to Trust a Courtroom over a Laboratory When Trying to Determine What Happened in the Past.”
Paisley, Kyle Richard. “Seven Reasons Why I Believe THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD”
La Vista church of Christ. “What If I Say You Can’t Prove God Is Real?”
Pratte, E. David. “Eyewitness Testimony as Evidence for God’s Word”
DeHoff, W. George. Why We Believe the Bible
Pratte, E. David. “Bible Preservation: Transmission, Ancestry, and Canon of Scripture”
Jackson, Wayne. “The Remarkable Robert Dick Wilson.”
Waddell, Cory. “Just One Among Many”
Warner, J. Warner. “Why The Ancient Christian Record About Jesus Is The Most Reliable”
Ankerberg, John. “THE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST | FROM SKEPTICISM TO BELIEF | PART 2”
Craig, Lane William. “THE LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS AS EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD”
Butt, Kyle. Lyons, Eric. “3 Good Reasons to Believe the Bible Is From God”
Warner, J. Wallace. “Do Atheists Believe In Just One Less God Than Christians?”
Pratte, E. David. “Evidences for God, Jesus, & the Bible”
Kemeny, Peter. “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ.” The Frederick News-Post.
West Ark Church of Christ. “Does Jesus Christ Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah?”
Willis, Cecil. The Indestructibility of the Bible, Truth Magazine.
Benton, Wane Terry. “If the Bible was Human in Origin”
Holy Spirit inspired men.
1,500 or so years.
Three continents.
Two/Three different languages.
A message containing perfect unity and harmony.
In spite of all this, it does not contain one single unresolved contradiction to do any damage to the faith whatsoever.
It has been loved and hated.
It has withstood the hammers of critics of all kinds…from atheists, agnostics, etc etc.
Princes, philosophers, prelates, politicians and poets have all conspired against it.
It has been insulted by the scorn of fools.
It has become the jest of infidels and the joke of sceptics.
It has been assailed consistently and persistently by professed scholars and has been made the butt of the critic.
Assaulted by every known plan…it has come forth unscathed from the inferno.
The weapon has yet to be devised that can overthrow it.
The scholarship has yet to be developed that can discredit it.
The science has yet to be created that can demolish it.
The plan has yet to be devised that can annihilate it.
The book they wrote has never been disproven.
As a historical document it is of the most highest caliber.
The biblical text stands head and shoulders above the literature of its contemporaries.
The Bible is like the anvil which wears out many hammers and remains unblemished.
The hammers are worn out, but the anvil still endures.
The evidence for God’s word single-handedly crushes the evidence for all other ancient documents like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jer. 23:29).
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29)
(Some might ask or wonder if you have investigated every other religion. The answer is quite simple: There is no need to investigate every other religion when you have as much evidence pointing to the Bible as being God’s word and Christianity being the one faith. In a criminal investigation, when one particular suspect has evidence pointing to him as being the perpetrator of a crime, an investigator has no need to investigate every other suspect. When you have evidence pointing to a certain individual, there’s no need to look any further).
At the end of a trial, juries are “unbelievers” when it comes to every other potential suspect, because the evidence confirming the guilt of their particular defendant was sufficient. In a similar way, we can be confident “unbelievers” when it comes to every other potential deity, because the evidence for Christianity is more than sufficient. There’s a reason why Christianity is still on the table. There’s a reason to believe it to be true. There’s a reason to be a follower of Jesus. He has evidence that outweighs all the others. The evidence pointed to Him from the beginning.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2)
You, the reader, must now render your judgment in light of all the evidences and the testimonies. The decision made by others has no bearing on you. The decision you make is what matters. The verdict you choose will determine your eternal fate. God offers the gift of having an inheritance of eternal life. I have submitted to you the evidence and have presented my case.
In closing: Like a will, which has eyewitness testimony that confirms the testator's signature, the Bible also has eyewitness testimony of the apostles, that confirms the miracles as God's signature on His will. The Bible frequently documents facts that only God could have known and events that only God could have brought about in the lives of Bible writers. God's "signature," which is similar to the signature in a will, is of fulfilled prophecies, miracles, and signs. God deliberately put His “seal” in the Bible to demonstrate to any sincere truth seeking individual that this is indeed His will, His testament, being of Him. An estimated forty men wrote separate treatises covering the first page of Genesis to the last page of Revelation.
Throughout this investigation, we have read where the Bible exhibits the traits of being of God and God has acknowledged His authorship. We have seen where it has been written by God and is entirely consistent and logical. We have learned how it has improved society and people's lives. We have demonstrated that it’s a powerful book. We have learned that it has complete unity and harmony, which goes back to being consistent and logical. We have discovered it has the supernatural miraculous evidence, such as prophecy, miracles, and foreknowledge that no other book has. None of this can be ascribed to human origin. We also learned it has an individual to be sinless, an ethical moral genius, selfless, who has attributes of God, who had a single event that changed the course of the world, and whose teachings changed the world for the better when followed accurately. We discovered the book as being indestructible, has withstood criticism, hate, etc etc.
All of this is enough reason for me to conclude based on the evidence that the Bible is indeed God’s word and the resurrection did indeed happen.
What do you choose as your verdict, dear reader?
Case Notes
Gill, N.S. “The Story of the Septuagint Bible and the Name behind It.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 13 Jan. 2020.
Harrub, Brad. “Not Just a Good Book”
Dattolo, Fred. “Proving the Bible: Science”
“What Does It Mean That Zerubbabel Was the LORD’s Signet Ring (Haggai 2:23)?”
Kelly, Rebecca. “The History of Wax Seals - from Ancient Egypt to Today.” Bounde, Bounde, 12 July 2023.
“The History of Wax Seals: A Journey through Time.” Fiona Ariva, Fiona Ariva, 16 July 2023.
Pratte, E. David. “How to Determine Whether the Bible Is True What Is the Proper Method to Test the Bible's Validity?”
Whitten, Russ. “HAVE YOU WONDERED? Is the Bible really the Word of God?”
Wallace, J Warner. “Good Reasons to Trust a Courtroom over a Laboratory When Trying to Determine What Happened in the Past.”
Paisley, Kyle Richard. “Seven Reasons Why I Believe THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD”
La Vista church of Christ. “What If I Say You Can’t Prove God Is Real?”
Pratte, E. David. “Eyewitness Testimony as Evidence for God’s Word”
DeHoff, W. George. Why We Believe the Bible
Pratte, E. David. “Bible Preservation: Transmission, Ancestry, and Canon of Scripture”
Jackson, Wayne. “The Remarkable Robert Dick Wilson.”
Waddell, Cory. “Just One Among Many”
Warner, J. Warner. “Why The Ancient Christian Record About Jesus Is The Most Reliable”
Ankerberg, John. “THE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST | FROM SKEPTICISM TO BELIEF | PART 2”
Craig, Lane William. “THE LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS AS EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD”
Butt, Kyle. Lyons, Eric. “3 Good Reasons to Believe the Bible Is From God”
Warner, J. Wallace. “Do Atheists Believe In Just One Less God Than Christians?”
Pratte, E. David. “Evidences for God, Jesus, & the Bible”
Kemeny, Peter. “Words of Faith: Atheists for Christ.” The Frederick News-Post.
West Ark Church of Christ. “Does Jesus Christ Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies of the Messiah?”
Willis, Cecil. The Indestructibility of the Bible, Truth Magazine.
Benton, Wane Terry. “If the Bible was Human in Origin”
With respect to a newcomer:
Posting long blocks of text, especially in sequence, unsolicited, and in a thread someone else started, is generally frowned upon. While you do provide adequate white space, your posts are still long enough that many simply will not read them. Remember, this is a discussion forum, not a lecture forum.
Posting long blocks of text, especially in sequence, unsolicited, and in a thread someone else started, is generally frowned upon. While you do provide adequate white space, your posts are still long enough that many simply will not read them. Remember, this is a discussion forum, not a lecture forum.
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