There is no God… …so says the fool, Psa. 14:1  No Creator  No Truth  No Judgment  No Savior

The honest man knows there is a Creator, Heb. 3:4  Supreme Being  Judgment  Savior  Truth, Jn. 17:17

Written over about 1500 years  First writing around 1400 BC – Before Christ  Last writing around 96 AD – Anno Domini  Time period *Beginning of Creation: 4000 BC, Gen. 1:1 *Close of Apostolic Age: 96 AD, Rev. 1:9

66 Books written by about 40 men  Moses  David  Isaiah  Jonah  Matthew, Mark, Luke, John  Peter  Etc.

Written in different times, cultures, nations  Exodus, Kings, Captivity, Occupation  Egyptian influence, Jewish, Babylonian, Roman

Written in three languages  Hebrew  Aramaic  Greek

In spite of all these factors, The Bible has one unified message  God is Creator, Gen. 1:1, 26; Psa. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:3  Man is lost, Gen. 3:6; Psa. 53:3; Rom. 3:23  Savior needed, Gen. 3:15; Isa. 53:4, 5; Acts 4:10-12

Author When WrittenEarliest CopyTime SpanNo. of Copies Caesar B.C.900 A.D.1,000 yrs10 Plato B.C.900 A.D.1,200 yrs7 Tacitus100 A.D.1100 A.D.1,000 yrs20 Pliny A.D.850 A.D.750 yrs7 Thucydides B.C.900 A.D.1,300 yrs8 Herodotus B.C.900 A.D.1,300 yrs8 Sophocles B.C.1000 A.D.1,400 yrs193 Aristotle B.C.1100 A.D.1,400 yrs49 Homer – Iliad 900 B.C.400 B.C.500 yrs643 NT A.D.125 A.D.25 yrs24,000 +

NT has over 24,000 copies from ancient times  Over 5,300 Greek  Over 10,000 Latin  Over 4,000 Slavic

Text in Question  Iliad: 15,600 lines, 764 questioned = 4.89%  NT: 20,000 lines, 40 questioned = 0.2%

External evidence  Josephus, Jewish historian, & John the baptist *Named *Herod’s arrest, imprisonment, execution *His influence by preaching among the Jews

External evidence  Archeological *Erastus pavement stone, Rom. 16:23 *“Synagogue of the Hebrews” inscription found in housing district, Acts 18:4-7 *Luke mentioned 32 countries 54 cities 9 Mediterranean islands 95 people

The OT is inspired of God, 2 Pt. 1:20, 21  Claims *Moses “The LORD said” 45 times in Exodus *David, 2 Sam. 23:1, 2

The OT is inspired of God, 2 Pt. 1:20, 21  Proof in prophecy *Nations, Dan. 2:39, 40; Isa. 10:5, 6; 2 Kgs. 17:5, 6 *People, 1 Kgs. 13:1, 2; 2 Kgs. 23:15, 16; Isa. 44:28; Ezra 1:1-4 *Christ, Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4; Dan. 2:44; Lk. 2:1; Psa. 22:16; Lk. 24:39

The NT is inspired of God  Claims *Jesus, Jn. 16:13 *Luke, Acts 2:4 *Paul, Gal. 1:12 *Peter, 2 Pt. 3:15, 16

The NT is inspired of God  Proof *Previous points *Miracles, Mk. 16:20 *Jesus: lived, died, resurrected Testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Translation does not affect inspiration  OT Greek translation Septuagint (LXX)  Quoted by Jesus, apostles, & prophets *Mt. 22:31, 32; Ex. 3:6 *Heb. 1:5; Psa. 2:7 *Acts 28:26, 27; Isa. 6:9, 10

The Bible is the inspired word of God: Truth  If not, it is a fraud  If not, reject it  If not, there is no truth  If not, we are utterly & hopelessly lost