Why The Bible?II TIMOTHY 3:16-17

Why The Bible?

1) The Word of God 2) Infallible 3) Christ Confirmed It 4) Internal Eyewitness Testimony 5) Fulfilled Prophecy 6) Historical Evidence 7) Scientific Accuracy 8) It Changes Lives 9) Salvation

The Word of God

II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

Infallible

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Infallible

II Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Christ Confirmed It

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

Christ Confirmed It

Adam & Eve – Mt 19:3-6, Mk 10:5-9 Abel – Lk 11:51 Noah & The Flood – Mt 24:37-39, Lk. 17:26-27 Abraham – Jn 8:56-58 Sodom & Gomorrah – Mt 10:15, Lk 10:12 Lot – Lk 17:28-32 Manna from heaven – Jn 6:31, 49, 58 Moses & bronze serpent – Jn 3:14 Jonah & Great Fish – Mt 12:39-41

Internal Eyewitness Testimony

Author’s Testimony II Peter 1:16 For we have not followed

cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

I John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Internal Eyewitness Testimony

Author’s Appeal to their Audience Acts 2:22-23 Ye men of Israel, hear these

words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Internal Eyewitness Testimony

Author’s Appeal to their Audience Acts 26:26 For the king knoweth of these

things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

I Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

Fulfilled Prophecy

Deuteronomy 18:20-22 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Fulfilled Prophecy

Lineage of David – II Sam 7:12 / Lk 1:32 Born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 / Mt 2:1 Born to a Virgin – Isa 7:14 / Mt 1:22 Rejected – Isa 53:3 / Jn 13:18 Betrayed /30 pieces of silver – Ps 41:9,

Zech 11:12 / Jn 13:18, Mt 26:15 Hands & Feet Pierced – Ps 22:16 / Lk 24:39 No broken bones – Ps 34:20 / Jn 19:33 Flesh no corruption – Ps 16:10 / Act 2:31

Historical Evidence

Walls of Jericho Joshua 6:2-5 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have

given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

Historical Evidence

Sir William Ramsey I set out to look for truth on the borderland where

Greece and Asia meet, and found it here [in the Book of Acts—KB]. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided always that the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and of justice (1915, p. 89). – The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament,

Historical Evidence

Grapes In Egypt Genesis 40:9-11 And the chief butler told his

dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

Scientific Evidence

Round Earth Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon

the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Scientific Evidence

Water Cycle Ecclesiastes 1:7 All the rivers run into the

sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

Ecclesiastes 11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth:

Amos 9:6 … he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth:

Scientific Evidence

Paths In the Seas Psalm 8:8 …and whatsoever passeth

through the paths of the seas.

It Changes Lives

The Brothers of Jesus John 7:5 For neither did his brethren

believe in him. Jude 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus

Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

It Changes Lives

The Brothers of Jesus James 1:1 James, a servant of God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

I Corinthians 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

It Changes Lives

Saul of Tarsus Acts 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and

stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

It Changes Lives

Saul of Tarsus Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I

count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Salvation

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Salvation

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.