Seven Cornerstones – Part 5

Worldview of the Bible

Worldview – a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.

The entire Bible is true, reliable and relevant, making it the best moral guide for every person, in all situations.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Is the Bible Infallible? (Definition: incapable of making mistakes or being wrong)

Historically Accuracy

• Over 5 Billion Sold
• Every year, people buy hundreds of millions of Bibles in more than 1,500 languages.
• These 66 books were written by 40 authors over 1,000 years.
• Yet the Bible tells one unified story, the story of Jesus Christ, from beginning to end. The Old Testament foretells his coming and the New Testament tells why he came.

Some think that because the Bible has been copied so many times there are errors. The truth…

The accuracy of today’s Old Testament was confirmed in 1947 when archaeologists found “The Dead Sea Scrolls” along today’s West Bank in Israel. “The Dead Sea Scrolls” contained Old Testament scripture dating 1,000 years older than any manuscripts we had. When comparing the manuscripts at hand with these, from 1,000 years earlier, we find agreement 99.5% of the time. And the .5% differences are minor spelling variances and sentence structure that doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence.

The New Testament was written in first century A.D. There are some 25,000 early manuscripts in existence, almost 6,000 of which (many being only recognizable fragments) are Greek texts and the others being early translations of the Greek New Testament. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied not long after the original. In contrast:

Caesar’s Gallic Wars was written in the first century B.C. There are only 10 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,000 years after the original.

Aristotle’s Poetics was written in the fourth century B.C. There are only 5 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,400 years after the original.

Archeological Accuracy

Archaeologists have consistently discovered the names of government officials, kings, cities, and festivals mentioned in the Bible — sometimes when historians didn’t think such people or places existed.

For example, the Gospel of John tells of Jesus healing a cripple next to the Pool of Bethesda. The text even describes the five porticoes (walkways) leading to the pool. Scholars didn’t think the pool existed, until archaeologists found it forty feet below ground, complete with the five porticoes.

Belshazzar in Daniel Ch. 5.

Many of the ancient locations mentioned by Luke, in the Book of Acts in the New Testament, have been identified through archaeology. “In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities and nine islands without an error.”

It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”—Nelson Glueck, Renowned Jewish archaeologist

Internal Accuracy

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.—Matthew 5:17–19 (NLT)

Matthew 4 – the temptation of Jesus. He always responded. “For it is written”

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.—2 Peter 1:16–21 (NLT)

Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.—1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”—Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.—2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

Behavioral Accuracy

Scientific Evidence for the Power of 4

Study done on 40,000 Americans ranging in age from eight years to more than 80.

When you read the Bible Four or More times a week you experience:

Feeling lonely drops 30%
Anger issues drop 32%
Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
Gambling = 74% lower odds
Getting drunk = 57% lower odds
Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
Viewing pornography drops 61%

Sharing your faith jumps 228%
Discipling others jumps 231%
Memorizing scripture = 407% higher odds

Conclusion:

Reading God’s Word is to a Christian what breathing oxygen is to a human being. It would be a miracle that one could exist without the other. Start reading TODAY!