“THY WORD IS ESTABLISHED IN HEAVEN”

Prepared for Grace International South Africa Pastor’s Training in Apologetics

Cornerstone Bible Church Excerpts from The Da Vinci Code “The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times……” (p. 231)

The Bible is a “Divinely Inspired” Book “inspired” God-breathed. “All Scripture is God-breathed..” 2 Timothy 3:16 - (NIV) “God produced….the scriptures” (Benjamin Warfield) The Bible is the product of GOD. “inspired” God-breathed. “All Scripture is God-breathed..” 2 Timothy 3:16 - (NIV) “God produced….the scriptures” (Benjamin Warfield) The Bible is the product of GOD. Cornerstone Bible Church

THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION THE BIBLE’S CLAIM BY DIRECT STATEMENTS BY ATTRIBUTING WORDS OF MEN TO GOD BY JESUS CHRIST’S ATTITUDE TO- WARDS O.T.

THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION BY DIRECT STATEMENTS “God Said” appears 9 times in first chapter of the First book (Genesis) of the Old Testament. “The Lord Spoke” appears 560 times in the first 5 books of the Old Testament.

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION BY DIRECT STATEMENTS The Old Testament claims to be God speaking over 3800 times. Old Testament Prophets claim their message came direct from God. Example: Isaiah times Ezekiel times Jeremiah times

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION Prophets were told to write down what God said. “And Moses wrote down all the word of the Lord ….” (Exodus 24:4) “Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book” Jeremiah 30:2 See also 36:2 God told the prophet Jeremiah “Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book” Jeremiah 30:2 See also 36:2

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION BY ATTRIBUTING WORDS OF MEN TO GOD What DAVID spoke is referred to as Scripture which the HOLY SPIRIT spoke Dr. Luke the Physician and Historian recorded in Acts 1:16 that The Apostle Peter said that “THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE THE SCRIPTURE concerning Judas THROUGH THE MOUTH OF DAVID ” see Psalm 41:9

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION BY ATTRIBUTING WORDS OF MEN TO GOD The Apostle PAUL’S WRITINGS accepted as the WORD OF GOD The Apostle Peter places the writings of Paul in par with (Old Testament) scriptures (2 Peter 3:16)

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION BY ATTRIBUTING WORDS OF MEN TO GOD The Apostle PAUL’S WRITINGS accepted as the WORD OF GOD The Thessalonians received Paul’s writings and “accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God” (1 Thess 2:13).

Cornerstone Bible Church In I Tim. 5:18 the Apostle Paul cites an Old Testament reference (Deut. 25:4) and a New Testament reference (Luke 10:7) and calls both of them “Scripture.” “For the Scripture says ……… the worker deserves his wages.” [Deut 25:4 (OT) and Luke 10:7 (NT) 1 Tim. 5:18 (NT)] THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION

Cornerstone Bible Church THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE A DIVINE REVELATION JESUS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE OLD TESTAMENT Jesus confirms His witness to the extent of the Old Testament “From the Blood of Abel to the Blood of Zachariah” (Luke 11:51; Matthew 23:35)

Cornerstone Bible Church JESUS CHRIST’S WITNESS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT “from Genesis (Abel the first martyr – Genesis 4) the first book Of the Hebrew Bible to Chronicles (Zachariah The last martyr – 2 Chronicles 24) to the last book of the Hebrew Bible. Jesus CONFIRMED the DIVINE AUTHORITY and INSPIRATION of the entire HEBREW BIBLE. The Bible Jesus used. “From the Blood of Abel to the Blood of Zachariah” (Luke 11:51; Matthew 23:35)

Cornerstone Bible Church JESUS CHRIST’S WITNESS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT “….all things that are written about me (Jesus) in the LAW OF MOSES and the PROPHETS and the PSALMS Must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:45) THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE HEBREW BIBLE ACCEPTED BY JESUS AS DIVINELY INSPIRED

Cornerstone Bible Church JESUS CHRIST’S WITNESS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18) Matthew 5:18 in the Aramaic language. The jot is highlighted in red.

Cornerstone Bible Church JESUS CHRIST’S WITNESS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT “……THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES TESTIFY OF ME” (John 5:39)

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 2:21) Cornerstone Bible Church REVELATION & INSPIRATION

Cornerstone Bible Church A thought in The mind of God The mind of the human authors “….men spoke from God 1 Peter 2:21 1 Peter 2:21

Cornerstone Bible Church ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS The minds of the human authors “Men spoke from God… As they were carried along by the Holy Spirit

Cornerstone Bible Church THE HOLY SPIRIT GIRDED WITH UNKNOWN TRUTH (eg. Genesis) GUIDED AS THEY WROTE GUARDED AGAINST ERRORS Even when recording known facts the Holy Spirit guided and guarded against errors ( Luke 1:1-4) ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS

Cornerstone Bible Church INSPIRATION GURANTEES: AUTHENTICITY –GOD’S ORIGINAL WORD ACCURACY – WITHOUT ERROR AUTHORITY - THUS SAITH THE LORD

Cornerstone Bible Church History Books Law Books Poetry books

Cornerstone Bible Church HARMONY OF THE BIBLE ATTESTS TO ITS INSPIRATION WRITTEN OVER 1600 YEAR SPAN (approximately 1500 BC to AD 100). 60 GENERATIONS 40 + AUTHORS DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE (KINGS, PRIESTS,SHEPHERDS ETC) DIFFERENNT PLACES- (WILDERNESS, PALACE, PRISON) DIFFERENT TIMES (WAR, PEACE, ADVERSITY,PROSPERITY) DIFFERENT MOODS (JOY, SORROW, DESPAIR) 3 DIFFERENT CONTINENTS (ASIA, AFRICA, EUROPE) 3 LANGUAGES (HEBREW, ARAMIC, GREEK) WIDE VARIETY OF LITERARY STYLES(POETRY, HISTORY ETC) DIFFERENT CONTROVERSAL SUBJECTS (Adapted from Evidence for Christianity by Josh McDowell- 2006) WHEN BROUGHT TOGETHER THERE IS ABSOLUTE HARMONY PRESENTING A SINGLE UNFOULDING STORY.

Cornerstone Bible Church STORY OF THE BIBLE PERSON of Jesus Christ PLAN of Redemption PROGRAM of the ages HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE HISTORY is HIS STORY

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THE EARTH GREEK MYTHOLOGY HINDU MYTHOLOGY JOB 26:7

Cornerstone Bible Church SUPPORT OF THE EARTH

Earth Support in Rig-Veda HINDU SCRIPTURES Mythology has remained part of the body of Hindu Literature, and the myths relating to creation are Important because they contain the symbolic Imagery of how the cosmos came into being. And when the myth is studied, it becomes easy to See how the nature of the myth can be traced to the Original Hindu world-view. (Article ‘Cosmology to Mythology” by Roshiela Benimadho, Abhimanyu Bhogal & Sindhu Bhogal – South Africa published in Veda Jyoti Vol 3 Issue 1March 2006 Page 5 researched and produced by the: Arya Pratinidhi Sabha – Durban South Africa )

Earth Support in Rig-Veda HINDU SCRIPTURES on the heads of a number of elephants.elephants stood on a turtlethe turtle on a cobra snake Our flat world, stood on the heads of a number of elephants.. The elephants stood on a turtle and the turtle on a cobra snake.

Earth Support among Greeks Greek mythology had Atlas supporting the earth.

Earth from the Moon This famous photo of Earth was taken by astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission as they orbited the Moon in Earth held up by no material support

EARTH from the Apollo 17 spacecraft 1972

Earth Support in the Bible “God hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7)

Cornerstone Bible Church SHAPE OF THE EARTH

Cornerstone Bible Church SHAPE OF THE EARTH flat worldon the heads of a number of elephants.elephants stood on a turtlethe turtle on a cobra snake Our flat world, stood on the heads of a number of elephants.. The elephants stood on a turtle and the turtle on a cobra snake. Rig -Vedas Rig -Vedas HINDU MYTHOLOGY

Shape of Earth – The Bible Isaiah 40:22 (a bout 700BC) [God] sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,……….

SHAPE of Earth in Job 26 [God] has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS The Bible inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around The world at the time when science believed that the Earth was flat and that he would fall at the other end of the earth.

Shape in Modern Science Earth is pretty close to circle

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The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew, with some Aramaic. The letter “aleph” in Hebrew script. A sample of Aramaic letters.

The New Testament was written in Greek. A sample of Greek letters. The letter “alpha” in Koine Greek dialect.