 2007 by David A. Prentice We have new notes Pages We have new notes Pages ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

 2007 by David A. Prentice Contents: Overheads to be used with Chapter 3 of “Truth in the Balance,” copyright 2003 by David Prentice, M.Ed., M.A.S.T. REVISION DATE 09/07/2009 This material is made available by the author at no charge. It may be reproduced for use in a Christian environment such as Sunday schools or Bible classes, but it may not be used for any commercial purposes. To be certain that you have the most up-to-date version of this material, go to the Origins Resource Association website, Follow the links to “Bible College Materials” and check that the revision date shown online is the same as shown above. If not, download the latest version.

 2007 by David A. Prentice Why Believe the Bible? Why Believe the Bible? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

 2007 by David A. Prentice All the Cool Kids Love to Praise God and Learn about Jesus! Don’t Take My Word for it, Just Ask the Expert... All the Cool Kids Love to Praise God and Learn about Jesus! Don’t Take My Word for it, Just Ask the Expert... 

 2007 by David A. Prentice

Let’s See How to Answer Contradictions

Did the people with him hear the voice or did they not?

Comparing the 2 Passages Acts 9:7Acts 22:9 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. “Hearing a Voice” vs. “did not hear a voice” Ahh!!! Contradiction in my Bible! How can it not be?

Comparing the 2 Passages Acts 9:7Acts 22:9 They heard without understanding I ate dinner without the vegetables... They did not hear with understanding I did not eat dinner with the vegetables! Modern Example: Did you eat your vegetables with dinner?

Comparing the 2 Passages – Answer not in the Greek (like I thought it was) but in the context! John 8:15John 8:16 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. At that time, He was not in the world as a Judge But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. But He will be and not alone either!

So, what did we learn together? Remember, I was afraid to do it too... We should never be afraid to tackle “contradictions” in the Bible! 1 st because God never contradicts Himself God wants us to seek understanding of His Word: Prov. 2:1-11 Being afraid to search it out shows a lack of faith in God’s Word

Could these two write a paper that agrees about everything?

What about these two?

And these? Remember, their papers have to agree about EVERYTHING!

What would you say, if I said people with similar differences all wrote papers that completely agreed?

These 2 only lived a few hundred years apart... The bible was written by men who lived thousands of years apart!

The Bible was written by Shepherds, kings, priests, fishermen, farmers, and a medical doctor

And by people who spoke 3 different lanugages!

Is the Bible Consistent? Written over a vast period with many different authors, languages, political situations... Does it all flow?

Even More Differences  The Bible was written in times of peace and war  prosperity and poverty  health and pestilence, plenty and famine  Some of the books were written while the Jewish people ruled most of the Middle East; others, while they were enslaved by invaders YET EVERYTHING AGREES!

Groups of People Rarely Agree without God’s Help

The Bible is Not a Normal Book!  Despite the fact that the Bible was written by so many men under such widely differing circumstances, it is not like men and women who couldn’t agree to save their lives  It is perfectly harmonious with itself from beginning to end. The Bible is perfectly consistent in its doctrine from beginning to end.

It Contains Moral Standards that Never Change  Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal  If it were man’s book, these standards would change to fit the circumstances  In times of famine and war, human authors might relax the law against stealing, especially from the enemy  A man with a with a sin nature with a tendency toward fornication might want to relax the commandments against immorality

But It’s Not Man’s Book! It’s God’s!  None of the human writers relax any of the moral standards  The fishermen don’t disagree with the kings about giving  The writers with newer culture don’t disagree with the old about modesty  The Bible is perfectly consistent in its doctrine from beginning to end!!!

Court is in Session God Doesn’t Have to Prove His Word is True But All the Tests in the World Can’t Prove It’s Not!!!

The Bible makes statements that can be tested for accuracy through history, science, archeology etc.

 Oh no! Not those dreaded words!

Bring back tonight’s notes next time, or leave them here! You’ll need them! Bring back tonight’s notes next time, or leave them here! You’ll need them! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 