Video Transcript: Why I Choose to Believe in the Bible

You know, as I talked to people all around the country, about these issues, especially this issue of the authority and authenticity of the Bible, it never ceases to amaze me how many objections people come up with reasons not to believe the Bible. But no matter how many ways they state these objections, it always comes around the same central issues. Was God the author of the scriptures? Or was he not? You may not have heard these objections before. If you haven't, hold on, you probably will. If not you, then perhaps your children, your grandchildren, someone. But as you've seen over the course of this week, these are the objections that our culture is raising. 

There are answers, and we can and must become equipped to offer those answers. Oh, I know, I know. I've heard it all before. We heard the guy today. Well, no, there's some stuff in books that they kept out and other stuff that they put in. And, you know, I love the one about these overzealous monks who, you know, got the texts, and they sort of changed the texts. I just love that. I love when people bring that up. I'm sorry. It may make me like an evil man. But I do. I mean, people bring that up and something in me just starts to sort of leap for joy. Why you ask? I'm glad you asked. We're just talking about the New Testament. 

Let's just talk about New Testament for a minute. We have some 5000 manuscripts when it comes to the New Testament. Now, lest you say it doesn't sound like a whole lot of manuscripts, could we just compare that for a moment? If we're talking about Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars, we have approximately 10 manuscripts. If we're talking about Homer's Odyssey, we have approximately 10 manuscripts. If you want to discuss Aristotle's Poetics, we have approximately five manuscripts. And if you want to talk about the works of Herodotus, we have approximately three manuscripts. So we're ranging from 10 down to three. With the New Testament, we're talking about 5000. 

The comparison is almost embarrassing. Unfortunately, however, Heraclitus doesn't have nearly as much difficulty as the New Testament. So here we have these 5000 documents. Not only that, but we have these documents that are written down very early on. Some of these documents are written so early, that one portion of the Gospel of John referred to as P 52. You don't have to remember that. Remember this, that we have one portion of the Gospel of John that dates back as early as somewhere between AD 120 and Ad 150. Now you might be saying, Man, I seems kinda late. Really. 

Let's compare again, shall we Caesars got like wars, the earliest of those 10 manuscripts that we have was written down 1000 years after the original. Well, how about Heraclitus, the earliest of those three manuscripts that we have was written down 1300 years after the original when it comes to Aristotle's Poetics, the earliest manuscripts that we have, were written down 1400 years after the originals. And when it comes to Homer, the earliest documents that we have were written down 2100 years after the original. But with the New Testament, we're talking within a number of a few decades of the originals that we can go back to and put our hands on right now.

I choose to believe the New Testament because it is a reliable collection of historical documents. Not only that, it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. 1 Corinthians 15, just from reads, The Apostle Paul tried delivered to you as a first importance when I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and they appeared to surface, Peter, then 12. After that he appeared to more than 500 Brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. You catch that? Over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection. 

Paul writes, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which means he writes First Corinthians, during the lifetime of most of those eyewitnesses who were still alive. We've got a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. We just getting started y'all sorry, look at verse 17, when he received honor and glory from God, the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him by the majestic glory. This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. And we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 

Oh, it's getting good now. So far, we've got a good history book, a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. However, we're moving away from the good old history. But now, these eyewitnesses report to us supernatural events. He's referring to the Mount of Transfiguration. When Jesus is transfigured before their very eyes, and they hear an utterance from heaven. So these eyewitnesses write historical accounts of super natural events. Maybe that's not supernatural enough for you. I just get as supernatural as I can get, okay. Friday, dead. Sunday, no more dead.

Reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, and they report to us supernatural events, and these supernatural events occurred as fulfilment of specific prophecies. Look at the next part of this, verse 19, And so we have the prophetic word made more sure. It was already secure, it was already there. It came from God, however now, for some reason, it's been made more sure, wonder what that reason is. I'm glad you asked. 

Once you open your Bibles with me to Psalm number 22, while you open them, Psalm number 22, I want you to just realize something for in the first century. Let's say we live somewhere around Jerusalem. And I want you to open the Psalm number 22, I wouldn't have been able to say open to Psalm number 22. Because Psalm number 22 would have been called Psalm number 22 In the first century. But if I want you to turn to that book in the first century, I would have told you to turn to the title of Psalm number 22. The title of Psalm number 22, would have been the first line of Psalm number 22. And let's say I wanted to say it to you in Aramaic. I would say open your scrolls to Eli Eli Lama Sebathani, or My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Now that ought to sound very familiar. Why? Jesus cried that same thing while he was being crucified. Why? several possibilities, but let's just turn to what he referred to. Psalm 22 There's that first verse, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? 

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. Look at Psalm 22 verse 6, I am a woman not a man of reproach of men, despised by the people, All who see me sneer at me. They separate with the lip, they wag the hits and commit yourself to the Lord, let him deliver him, let him rescue Him because He delights in him. That sounds familiar. does sound like what's being said to Jesus while he's on the cross? Look at verse 12. Many bulls are surrounded by strong bulls a patient have encircled me. 

They open wide their mouth at me as a ravening and roaring lion and poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint My heart is like wax. It is melted within me interesting poured out like water, heart melted like wax, piercing in his side. First upwardly because he's been crucified, blood and water rush out. Bones out of joint, Why could it be because you're being crucified? What's the next part of this? My strength is dried up like punctured my tongue cleaves to my jaws. One of the statements he made was I searched, you lay me in the dust of death, verse 16 For dogs have surrounded me, Gentile folks. 

A band of evil doors has encompassed me one on the right and one on the left, by the way. They pierced my hands and my feet, I can count all my bones. Verse 18, They divide my garments among them. And for my clothing, they cast lots, folks that was written 1000 years before Jesus was ever born. And it was written by a man who never once saw crucifixion in his life, because crucifixion had not yet been invented. And so we have the prophetic word made more sure. I choose to believe this book, because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. 

These eyewitnesses report to us supernatural events that took place as fulfillment of specific prophecy, on top of all that this book has changed my life and the lives of millions. And oh, by the way, God is its author.

So here's the painful question. Where is the church in all this?

Ironically, backtracking from truth. Now, what we're doing is, with these, these entertaining services, comprised of music that is carefully chosen to appease people, and sermons that sound a lot more like pop psychology than Biblical Exposition. In order to have this sort of non threatening, we're just like your presentation. And the fact of the matter is, we're not the world around us, that we are we are distinct from the world around us. And those distinctions are important. How do we maintain those distinctions? 

The Bible is the source of our distinctiveness. I mean, that is what separates us. That is what sort of declares our difference, that we believe biblical truth. That is the main way that we maintain our distinctiveness. And it's not so much that we do these things outwardly. And these outward trappings, you know, some people want to be distinct because they intentionally choose to dress a certain way that that makes a statement or use certain terms that make a statement, and I just believe that that's the correct approach. 

The correct approach is for us to be a people who have principles, understand where those principles lie in the Scripture in the Word of God, and who speak the truth and love, that we proclaim those principles there will be more than enough distinction. As we go to discussion time, I'm sure that there are several of you who've had encounters like this in real life, individuals who said that they didn't believe the Bible and gave one reason or another. share those with your group is as a two fold purpose. 

First of all, we need to be aware of what the objections are that people are raising. Secondly, as we come together, we can strengthen one another as we find answers. And as you answer your question, you'll perhaps help someone else answer theirs. And we'll all be better equipped in the long run.