1. The Bible’s Reliability Christianity stands or falls with the Bible. “Jesus loves me, this I know,…. How many genuine errors or contradictions would it take to reduce the Bible to the point of unreliability?

2. The Bible’s Reliability The Scripture’s Doctrine of Scripture It claims to be God’s book, originating from the very breath of God: 2 Tim 3:16 2 Tim 3:16 What about the OT? “Thus saith the LORD” occur 279 times in the OT.

3. The Bible’s Reliability The difficulties of historical study What is different about researching recent history vs. ancient history? If errors exist in the areas we can check: dates, places, peoples, then…. The Bible is not just “a” record/ account, it is….

4. The Bible’s Reliability Is the Old Testament reliable? Is it just a typical history? Miracles, poetry, God and Angels, etc. How does this affect how people perceive the Bible? Skepticism, denial, condemnation

5. The Bible’s Reliability Is the Old Testament reliable? If one can allow for God’s existence, he can allow for these aspects. If he cannot allow for it, then his mind is made up only God can open it.

6. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for OT reliability: The text of the Hebrew OT has been preserved with an accuracy unparalleled in any other Near-East literature. Massoretes (500-900 AD) Dead Sea Scrolls

7. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for OT reliability: Archaeology largely supports biblical dates: Age and origin of Abraham, Moses and many of the other figures in the OT. “no archaeological discovery has ever [contradicted] a biblical reference.”

8. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for OT reliability: Archaeology has backed Biblical accounts with regard to social and political patterns of the times. “Legendary” people groups found to have existed. Other Religions’ rituals and practices

9. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for OT reliability: Evidence for Israelite conquest of Canaan

10. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for NT reliability: Large amount of manuscript evidence 5,600 Greek manuscripts of the NT in existence today Oldest NT documents come from a time only around 50 years post authorship

11. The Bible’s Reliability There is evidence for NT reliability: Few copyist errors present are insignificant No historical errors! Luke is now considered among the best ancient historians ever!

12. The Bible’s Reliability “[T]he disagreement among scholars is not so much over the “facts” in the field; rather, it is over how one should interpret those facts, and with what sorts of presuppositions one may legitimately approach the study of Old Testament history” (Walter Kaiser ).

13. The Bible’s Reliability http://www.livingwaters.com/witness ingtool/archaeologyandhistory.shtml http://www.livingwaters.com/witness ingtool/archaeologyandhistory.shtml http://creation.com/history- questions-and-answers http://creation.com/history- questions-and-answers http://evidencetobelieve.net/reliabilit y-of-the-bible/ http://evidencetobelieve.net/reliabilit y-of-the-bible/

14. For Next Sunday! Your challenge: Find at least 2 reasons why we can believe the resurrection of Jesus really happened.