1. What is the Bible?
Some thoughts…

2. What is the Bible? The Bible is Important The Bible is Accurate
The Bible makes Bold Claims

3. The Bible is Important Written in ancient Middle East
The most popular book in world history
The most widely translated book in the world
Broad cultural integration
Accepted by worldwide scholars

4. Where Was The Bible Written?
Mostly Israel; other Middle East, Mediterranean and Asian Nations
Culturally similar to China

5. Most Popular Books in World History

6. World’s Most Translated Books

7. A few famous Bible-believers
Sir Francis Bacon – inventor of scientific method
Johannes Kepler – defined laws of planetary motion
Galileo Galilei – influential physicist, astronomer, scientists
Blaise Pascal – mathematician, developed calculus
Isaac Newton – defined rules of gravity, etc.
Francis Collins – leader of Human Genome Project (first to map DNA)
Andrew Pinsent – Physicist, co-inventor of creation of the Large Electron-Positron Collider at CERN
Copernicus, Boyle, Pascal, Faraday, Maxwell, Kelvin, etc.

8. Global Bible Influence

9. The Bible is Important Written in ancient Middle East
The most popular book in world history
The most widely translated book in the world
Broad cultural integration
Accepted by worldwide scholars
Everyone should understand the message of the most popular, widely translated, globally influential book in world history

10. The Bible is Accurate Thousands of ancient manuscripts
Not enough time to develop legends
Detailed reports of actual events
Archaeology support for historical site
A consistent, unified message
Detailed, accurate prophecies
Matches human experience

11. Original Copies of Ancient Books

12. Time Gap Between Events and Writing

13. Detailed, eye-witness accounts
Matthew 14:20,21 (NT28) > 5000 witnesses to Jesus’ creation of food
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NT310) > 500 witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection
Detailed reporting of actual events
John 21:11 (NT205) > 153 Fish
Mark 4:37,38 (NT68) > Jesus sleeping on a cushion

14. Would you write this?
Mark 14:35,36 (NT92) > “take this cup from me”
Mark 15:34 (NT95) > “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Mark 16:6,8 (NT97) > “the women…”

15. Over 25,000 historical Bible sites have been discovered by Archaeology

16. Bible Writers and Timeline
Bible was written:
Over 1600 years: 1500BC to 100AD
40 separate writers in three languages
Kings, fishermen, prophets, a doctor…
Bible written
1500BC
100AD
2017AD
Old testament (OT) NT
Jesus birth, life, death
Amazing consistency and unity from cover to cover!

17. The Old Testament (1500BC to 400BC) The New Testament (50AD to 100AD)

19. Detailed, Accurate Prophecies
Isaiah 44:28 (OT1182)
Written about 700BC before Cyrus was born and while the temple was standing
Ezra 1:1-3 (OT770) written 150 years later (538BC)
Daniel 9:25,26 (OT1450)
Written about 600BC. Predicts that 483 lunar years between decree to rebuild Jerusalem and Messiah
Nehemiah 2:1,6-8 (OT790) Artaxerxes writes decree in 444BC
Jesus rides into Jerusalem in 33AD.
Over 300 specific prophecies about Jesus

20. Real Human Experience Genesis 12:2,12,13 (OT18) > Abraham lies
Mark 14:69-71 (NT94) > Peter denies
Romans 3:23 (NT269) > Everyone sins

21. The Bible is Accurate Thousands of ancient manuscripts
Not enough time to develop legends
Detailed reports of actual events
Archaeology support for historical site
A consistent, unified message
Detailed, accurate prophecies
Matches human experience

22. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
is a personal message to each of us
reveals the truth about God
reveals the purpose of man

23. The Bible Claims came from God 2 Peter 1:21 (NT417)
2 Timothy 3:16 (NT376)

24. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
Isaiah 40:8 (OT1171)
Matthew 24:35 (NT48)
Psalm 119:89 (OT1005)

25. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
is a personal message to each of us
Hebrews 4:12 (NT387)
Psalm 119:105 (OT1005)
Psalm 1:1-3 (OT881)

26. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
is a personal message to each of us
reveals the truth about God
Acts 17:24,25 (NT242)
Romans 11:33,34 (NT283)
Isaiah 55:8,9 (OT1200)
Psalm 83:18 (OT965)

27. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
is a personal message to each of us
reveals the truth about God
reveals the purpose of man
Jeremiah 9:23,24 (OT1241)
Isaiah 43:7 (OT1178)
Psalm 103:11 (OT982)

28. The Bible Claims came from God is eternally important
is a personal message to each of us
reveals the truth about God
reveals the purpose of man

29. What is the Bible? The Bible is Important The Bible is Accurate
The Bible makes Bold Claims
Hebrews 11:6 (NT396) faith is required
John 1:46 (NT163) “come and see”

30. Study Plan What is the Bible? A Very Good Creation The Origin of Evil
Date
Lesson
Topic
18-Mar 1
What is the Bible?
11-Mar 2
A Very Good Creation
25-Mar 3
The Origin of Evil
8-Apr 4
The Spread of Wickedness
15-Apr 5
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
22-Apr 6
Israel and the Exodus
29-Apr 7
The Ten Commandments and Exodus
13-May 8
The Promised Land and Kings
20-May 9
Transition from Old to New Testament
27-May 10
The Works and Words of Jesus
3-Jun 11
Jesus' Death and Resurrection