1. Is the Bible
the Word of God?

2. The Bible’s Composition
66 Books (39 in OT, 27 in NT)
Period of 1,600 years
40 different writers

3. The Bible’s Canonization
All NT books to have apostolic roots
To be theologically in line with OT
Accepted widely by Christians

4. The Bible’s Claim: Plenary, verbal inspiration
The Bible’s Claim: Plenary, verbal inspiration (1 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:20-21) l Individual words (Matt 24:35, 1 Cor 2:13) l Verb Tenses (Matt 22:32) l Noun Numbers (Gal 3:16) l Individual Letters (Matt 5:17-18)

5. The Bible’s Characteristics
Infallibility
Inerrancy
1. God cannot err (Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18)
2. The Bible is God’s word (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:21)
3. Therefore, the Bible cannot err.

6. Passes the Transcriptional test
No. of Greek copies – 5,686
Time-gap – as little as 30 years
Accuracy - over 99%
“The scrolls have shown that our traditional Bible has been amazingly accurately preserved for over 2,000 years.”
- Eugene Ulrich

7. 2. Passes the Honesty Test
No evidence of collusion
Recounts derogatory remarks
Includes harsh sayings
…and self-incriminating reports
Contrary to culture of writers

8. 3. Passes the Consistency test
Breadth of subject matter
1,600 year time period
40 varied authors

9. 4. Passes the Historical Accuracy test
Sir. William Ramsay:
“Luke is a historian of first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”

10. 5. Passes the Archaeological Accuracy test
William F Albright:
“There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition.”

11. 6. Passes the Contemporary Literature test
Paul Maier:
‘‘Many facts from antiquity rest on just one ancient source, while two or three sources in agreement generally render the fact unimpeachable.’’

12. Passes the
Medical
Accuracy test
Circumcision 8th day (Lev 12:3)
Life in the blood (Lev 17:11)
Quarantine (Lev 13:46)

13. Passes the Scientific Accuracy test
The Universe had a beginning (Gen 1:1)
Innumerable stars (Gen 22:17)
Earth suspended in space (Job 26:7)
Water cycle (Ecc 1:7)

14. 9. Passes the Predictive Accuracy test Prof. Peter Stoner:
‘‘We find the chance that any man might have lived to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017…that would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.’’

15. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)
Lord George Lyttelton
Gilbert West
Frank Morrison
Josh McDowell
John Warwick Montgomery
Sir William Ramsay
Dr. Allan Rex Sandage
Lee Strobel