Twelve Points that Show Christianity is True 1. Truth about reality is knowable. 2. The opposite of true is false. 3. It is true that the theistic God exists. 4. If God exists then miracles are possible. 5. Miracles can be used to confirm a message from God. 6. The New Testament is historically reliable. 7. The New Testament says Jesus claimed to be God. 8. Jesus’ claim to be God was miraculously confirmed by: a. His fulfillment of many prophecies about Himself; b. His sinless and miraculous life; c. His prediction and accomplishment of His resurrection 9. Therefore, Jesus is God. 10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true. 11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God. 12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God (and anything opposed to it is false).

Copyright by Norman L. Geisler 2008

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions.

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions. II. What the Conclusion Does Mean It means that: A. Everything taught in the Bible is true. B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is true. C. Christianity is the true religion.

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. 1. Even the Bible cites truth outside itself.

1. The Bible cites truth outside itself a.Old Testament References 1) The Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13): “The sun stood still, and the moon stopped…. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?” 2) The Chronicles of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad the Seer (1 Chrn. 29:29): “Now the acts of king David…are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the Seer.” 3) General Revelation in nature (Psa. 19): “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

b.New Testament References 1) Words of Jesus not in the Gospels Acts 20:35: Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (this is nowhere in the four Gospels). Jn. 21:25: “Now there were many others things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (cf. 20:31).

1. The Bible cites truth outside itself b.New Testament References 1) Words of Jesus not in the Gospels (Acts 20:35 cf. Jn. 20:31; 21:25). 2) The Book of Enoch Jude 14-15: “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousand of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way….”

1. The Bible cites truth outside itself a.Old Testament References b. New Testament References 1) Words of Jesus not in Gospels (Acts 20:35 cf. Jn. 20:31; 21:25). 2) The Book of Enoch (Jude 14). 3) Aratus, Phainomena Acts 17:28b: “For we are indeed his [God’s] offspring.”

4 ) Epimenides of Crete Titus 1:12: “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’” Acts 17:28a: “In him [God] we live and move and have our being.” 5) Meander, Thais 1 Cor. 15:33: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

c. Many truths outside the Bible 1. From the physical sciences 2. From mathematics 3. From the social sciences 4. From history 5. From personal experiences

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. 1. The Bible cites truth outside itself. 2. The Bible says there is truth outside itself. Note: Sola Scriptura (The Bible alone) does not mean: a) The Bible is our only source of truth, but— b) It is the only (1) written source of (2) infallible truth from God.

2. The Bible says there is truth outside itself. a.Psa. 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.” b. Acts 14:17: “He did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons….” c. Acts 17:24-28: “The God who made the world and everything in it… gives to all men life and breath and everything…is not far from each one of us.”

d. Rom. 1:20: “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” e. Rom. 2:14-15: “When Gentiles who have not the law [of Moses] do by nature what the law requires…they show that what the law requires is written on their hearts….”

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions.

1. Moral truths in other religions. C. S. Lewis demonstrates this in The Abolition of Man which affirms: “This thing which I have called for convenience the Tao, and which others may call Natural Law,... is not one among a series of possible systems of value. It is the sole source of all value judgments. If it is rejected, all value is rejected.... the effort to refute it and raise a new system of value in its place is self-contradictory.”

Moral Truths in Other Religions C. S. Lewis has an excellent Appendix in his book which culls from many of the great non-Christian cultures of the world moral principles that are very much like those in the Ten Commandments.

Sample of Moral Similarities “I have not slain men” (Ancient Egyptian). “Utter not a word by which anyone could be wounded” (Hindu). “Men were brought into existence…that they might do one another good” (Roman). “He whose heart is in the smallest degree set upon goodness will dislike no one” (Ancient Chinese). He “who mediates oppression, his dwelling is overturned” (Babylonian). “Natural affection is a thing right and according to Nature” (Greek). “I saw in Nastrond [=Hell]…beguilers of others’ wives” (Old Norse). “If a native made a ‘find’ of any kind and marked it, it was thereafter safe for him…no matter how long he left it” (Australian Aborigines).

Confucius Say… Confucius had what has been called the negative Golden Rule: it says, “Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.” This complements what Jesus said in Matt. 7:12: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.”

2. Theological truths in other religions (compatible with Christianity). 1.The Theistic God exists—Judaism, Islam, and pre-literate Religions 2.Humans have a soul—Most religions 3.Immortality (life after death)—Most religions 4.Resurrection---Several religions 5.Basic Moral Laws---Most religions 6.“Prayer” (meditation) to God—Most religions

2. Theological Truths in Other Religions John Mbiti showed that even so-called “Pagan” African Religions have a concept of a “High God” or “Sky God” that is theistic.

Ebla Tablets: Theistic God One of the earliest records we have, the Ebla Tablets from Syria, affirm a theistic God created the world out of nothing (ex nihilo ): “Lord, of heaven and earth: the earth was not, you created it, the morning light you had not [yet] made exist” ( Ebla Archives, 259). One of the earliest records we have, the Ebla Tablets from Syria, affirm a theistic God created the world out of nothing (ex nihilo ): “Lord, of heaven and earth: the earth was not, you created it, the morning light you had not [yet] made exist” ( Ebla Archives, 259).

Wilhelm Schmidt ( ) Australian (German born) anthropologist who wrote The Origin of the Idea of God ( ), a twelve volume set that shows monotheism was the first religion from which other religions are corruptions.

Frazer’s Golden Bough Fallacy Frazer’s evolutionary view is that religion evolved from Magic to Animism to Polytheism to Henotheism to Monotheism.

Frazer’s Golden Bough Revised 1. It is contrary to fact (see above). 2. It has a fallacious evolutionary basis. 3. It manipulates the facts to fit its theory. 4. Theodore Gaster’s revision of the book admits Frazer was wrong, saying: “that the two things [magic and religion] stand in genealogical succession…has now been shown to be a mere product of late nineteenth century evolutionism, without adequate basis” (Frazer, The New Golden Bough, xv-xvi).

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions. 1. Moral truths in other religions. 2. Theological truths in other religions. II. What the Conclusion Does Mean It means that: A. Everything taught in the Bible is True.

A. Everything taught in the Bible is true 1-8 (above) 9. Therefore, Jesus is God. 10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true. 11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God. 12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God.

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions. II. What the Conclusion Does Mean It means that: A. Everything taught in the Bible is True. B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is True.

B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is True. 1.Truth is what corresponds to reality (# 1)—This is undeniable. Note: The assertion that “Truth does not correspond to reality” is a statement that claims to correspond to reality.

“Truth is not telling like it is!” A Self-Defeating Statement “Isn’t that telling it like it is?”

B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is True. 1. Truth is what corresponds to reality (# 1)—This is undeniable. 2. False is what does not correspond to reality (#2)—This is undeniable. Note: The opposite of true is false. This is based on the undeniable Law of Non-contradiction.

Opposite ideas cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Opposite ideas cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. The Opposite of True is False (The Law of Non-Contradiction) The Opposite of True is False (The Law of Non-Contradiction) The Earth is Round The Earth is NOT Round

The Opposite of True is False Sure-Fire Way to Convince a Skeptic! “Anyone who denies the law of non- contradiction should be beaten and burned until he admits that to be beaten is not the same as not to be beaten, and to be burned is not the same as not to be burned.” (Avicenna, Great Muslim Philosopher) Sure-Fire Way to Convince a Skeptic! “Anyone who denies the law of non- contradiction should be beaten and burned until he admits that to be beaten is not the same as not to be beaten, and to be burned is not the same as not to be burned.” (Avicenna, Great Muslim Philosopher)

“Opposites can both be true.” A Self-Defeating Statement “Is the opposite of that true?”

B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is True. 1. Truth is what corresponds to reality (# 1)—This is undeniable. 2. False is what does not correspond to reality (#2)—This is undeniable. 3. Hence, if the doctrines of Christianity are true, then whatever opposes them is false—This is undeniable.

Outline I. What the Conclusion Does not Mean It Does Not mean that: A. There is no truth outside the Bible. B. There is no truth in other religions. II. What the Conclusion Does Mean It means that: A. Everything taught in the Bible is True. B. Nothing opposed to what is taught in the Bible is True. C. Christianity is the true religion.

C. Christianity is the true religion. 1.Everything it teaches is true. 2.Its teachings are superior. 3.What it teaches is sufficient for faith and practice. 4. Of all human beings, Christ alone is God. 5. Christ is the only way to God.

1. Everything it teaches is true. Psa. 119:160: “The sum of your word is truth….” Mt. 22:29: “You err because you do not know the Scriptures….” Jn. 17:17: “Your word is truth.” Rom. 2:2: “The judgment of God is according to truth.” Rom. 3:4: “Let God be true and every man a liar.” 2 Tim. 2:15: “Study to show yourself approved unto God…rightly handling the word of truth.” Psa. 119:160: “The sum of your word is truth….” Mt. 22:29: “You err because you do not know the Scriptures….” Jn. 17:17: “Your word is truth.” Rom. 2:2: “The judgment of God is according to truth.” Rom. 3:4: “Let God be true and every man a liar.” 2 Tim. 2:15: “Study to show yourself approved unto God…rightly handling the word of truth.”

2. Its teachings are superior. a. They are the highest teaching known to man. b. They are the most comprehensive teachings known. c. They are the most widespread teaching in the world (the Bible is the all-time best seller). d. They are the most enduring teaching (withstanding the test of time).

3. What it teaches is sufficient for faith and practice. 2 Tim. 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Rev. 22:19: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book [the last NT book written by the last NT apostle].

4. Of all human beings, Christ alone is God. a.Jesus claimed to be God (#7) by— 1) Claiming the names of God 2) Claiming to be worshipped as God 3) Claiming to be the object of prayer as God 4) Claiming equality with God 5) Claiming eternal glory with God 6) Claiming His words were on a par with God’s b. Jesus proved to be God by— 1) Fulfilling miraculous predictions 2) Living a miraculous life 3) Achieving a miraculous resurrection

5. Christ is the only way to God. Jn. 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Jn. 10:1, 9: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in another way is a thief and a robber…. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” Jn. 8:24: “For unless you believe that I am he [the Messiah] you will die in your sins.” Jn. 3:18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” 1 Tim. 2:5: “There is one God and one mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus.”

Final Word 1. Truth about reality is knowable. 2. The opposite of true is false. 3. It is true that the theistic God exists. 4. If God exists then miracles are possible. 5. Miracles can be used to confirm a message from God. 6. The New Testament is historically reliable. 7. The New Testament says Jesus claimed to be God. 8. Jesus’ claim to be God was miraculously confirmed by: a. His fulfillment of many prophecies about Himself; b. His sinless and miraculous life; c. His prediction and accomplishment of His resurrection 9. Therefore, Jesus is God. 10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true. 11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God. 12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God (and anything opposed to it is false).