What Do We Believe About the Bible, and Why? Questions? What Do We Believe About the Bible, and Why?

The Questions We Will Address What we believe about the Bible Why we believe this about the Bible Why this matters for us

II Timothy 3:14-17 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

What we Believe About the Bible The Bible gives us the message of salvation. vs. 13-15 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

What we Believe About the Bible The Bible gives us the message of salvation. The Bible teaches us how to walk with God. vs. 16 Paul says that the Scriptures are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

What we Believe About the Bible The Bible gives us the message of salvation. The Bible teaches us how to walk with God. The Bible tells us how to serve God. vs. 17 the Bible tells us that it is given so “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

What we Believe About the Bible The Bible gives us the message of salvation. The Bible teaches us how to walk with God. The Bible tells us how to serve God. The Bible is the Word of God. In vs. 16 we are told that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,…”

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? The Gospels are good history. The Gospels tell us what Jesus taught. The Gospels tell us about the events surrounding Jesus’ death. The only viable explanation of (3) is that Jesus rose from the dead. If Jesus rose from the dead, He is the Son of God. If Jesus is God’s Son, we can trust what He tells us. Jesus’ statements about Scripture give us reason to think it is the Word of God.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (1) The Gospels are good history -The Gospel accounts have various layers of information that can be conformed. -Historical facts. -Geographic details. -Names and time periods. -The Gospel variations harmonize. -The Gospel variations strengthen confidence.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (2) The Gospels tell us what Jesus taught -He was the divine Son of God. (John 10:36, John 11:4, etc.) -He would be crucified and raised again. (Matt. 16:21, Matt. 17:22-23, Mk 8:31, etc.) -The Old Testament is the Word of God. (Mk 7:9-13, Matt 4:4-10, Matt 5:17-19, etc.) -The Apostles would be given divine guidance and remembrance. (Jn. 14:25-26, Jn 16:12-13, Matt 16:19)

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (3) The Gospels tell us about the events surrounding Jesus’ death -He was crucified, dead, and buried. -The disciples were cowards both before and immediately after His death. -His tomb was well known and well guarded. -Three days later, the tomb was empty. -Jesus re-appeared to various believers and non-believers after the tomb was empty. -The disciples were radically transformed after seeing Jesus alive again.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (4) The only viable explanation of (3) is that Jesus rose from the dead -Wrong Tomb Theories. -Specific problems with: reappearances, common knowledge of the tomb, continued absence of a body, etc. -Stolen Body Theories. -Specific problems with: martyrdom of the disciples, conflicting motives of the Jews and Romans, continued absence of the body. -Swoon Theories. -Specific Problems with: clear death of Christ, loss of mobility in bodily extremities, etc.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (5) If Jesus rose from the dead, He is the Son of God -It shows that he can predict future events. -It shows that he has power over nature. -It shows that he has power over life and death. -It shows that nothing and no one can contain him.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (6) If Jesus is God’s Son, we can trust what He tells us -God is by nature good and therefore incapable of deception. -God is omniscient, knowing everything. -As omniscient, God cannot be wrong in what he says. -God does not lie or mislead. -If (1) we have reason to think that God has spoken, and (2) we have a record of what He has spoken, then we have reason to trust that record.

Why Do We Believe This about the Bible? (7) Jesus’ statements about Scripture give us reason to think it is the Word of God -Jesus clearly viewed the OT as the word of God. -Jesus made significant statements that undergird our epistemic confidence in the NT. -Our view of the Bible is a Christological issue, we rest our confidence in the confidence that we have in Him.