Beth-El Baptist Church

10/17/2010

Greg Tomlinson


Open: What evidence is there that the Bible is the Word of God?


Many people claim that the Bible is not the Word of God but it is a book written by many different people.


  1. What does the Bible say about itself?

John 3:12; 17:17 Jeremiah 44:2-6

2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Peter 1:20-21


The Bible states over 400 times “thus sayeth the Lord” which means that the scriptures claim for themselves to be the very words of God. The words are not man's words and wisdom but God's words and wisdom. Furthermore Jesus, Paul and Peter state the scriptures are not man's invention but God's which defines them as intrinsically true. Jesus gave us a standard by which to evaluate the Bible. Does it match the known earthly things.


  1. What things of the earth can be used to determine if the Bible is true?

Isaiah 48:5-7 1 Kings 13:1-5 (930 BC – fulfilled 630 BC)

Daniel 8:19-22 (540 BC – fulfilled 340 BC) Daniel 9:25-27 (540 BC – fulfilled 4BC)

Isaiah 44:28-45:2 1 Kings 16:34 cmp Joshua 6:26


One of the major things of the earth that validates the legitimacy of the scriptures is fulfilled prophecy. God states that since He has told us things that will occur (often several hundred years before it happens) and that no one else had a clue that it would happen, this confirms that it is God himself who is speaking these words. Such examples such as Cyrus being specifically named as a gentile ruler who will commission the rebuilding of the temple. The work of king Josiah in burning the bones of false prophets given 3 hundred years before it takes place. The rebuilding of Jericho at the cost of the lives of the builder's eldest and youngest sons. The naming of Greece as a swift conquering power which will be divided after the death of the first ruler about 200 years before it took place. The identification of the timing for the coming Messiah (Jesus) at about 490 years after the call to rebuild until the birth of Jesus. The timespan between the prophecy and its fulfillment points the the all knowing power and person of God.


  1. What else besides fulfilled prophecy?

Matthew 26:69-75 Luke 24:33-39

Acts 3:30-38 Acts 12:1-6

1 Corinthians 15:3-9


The transformed lives of the disciples is a huge issue to deal with. Before the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples had denied Jesus and were hiding from the Jews. After the resurrection, the disciples were boldly identifying the sins of the Jewish leaders, the same leaders they were hiding from before. There is also the reality that the Apostles were killed for their belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If they knew that Jesus did not rise from the dead, it needs to be explained why they would be willing to die, even torturous deaths, for something they knew to be a lie. It just would not add up. Add to this that fact that Paul tells the people in Corinth, that if they did not believe the resurrection, then they should simply go and speak the one of the 500 people who were mostly still living who saw Jesus.