The Bible, God's Inspired Word - part two
INTRODUCTION:
1. In our study of inspiration, we now wish to consider some of the evidence found that proves such.
2. Consider each carefully.
I. THE UNITY OF THE BIBLE
A. The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different writers who lived in different parts of the world and from different walks of life. They wrote in three different languages, discussing thousands of controversial subjects.
B. Inspite of all these variations and diversities, there is complete unity in the Bible.
C. The conclusion: All these writers were under the direction of God, being moved by the Holy Spirit - 2 Pet. 1:21
II. THE PURITY OF ETHICS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE
A. Ethics - morality; dealing with things right and wrong.
B. In the Bible, righteousness is always commanded and commended; sin is always condemned.
1. Creation: when the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was placed in the garden of Eden - Gen. 2:16-17
2. Flood: Gen. 6:5,9; 7:1
3. Nations:
a. Amorites (Gen. 15:16) - God could not give their land to Israel at that time, because it could not be justly taken from them.
b. Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:20-32) - These cities could have been spared if a sufficient number of righteous people had been found.
c. Judah and Israel (Deut. 30:15-20) - Captivity came to each because of a failure to keep God's law.
4. Individual purity - Psalm 89:14; 45:6; Matt. 5-7
a. Inner purity, not outward or ceremonial morality, is always stressed - Prov. 4:23; Matt. 5:8, 20
b. Animal sacrifices had the object of developing a sense of righteousness in its condemnation of sin, as they were associated with repentance - Lev. 17:11-14
c. But, when the sacrifices took the place of holy and righteous conduct, they were condemned - Isa. 1:14-17; Hos. 6:4-6; Micah 6:6-8
C. Question: How could a perfect moral standard be the outgrowth of a product of falsehood and deception? The only conclusion - the Bible is from God!
III. FULFILLED PROPHECY
A. God has declared His power to foretell events, basing His claim to be the one God on this ability - Isa. 41:1-8, 21-26.
1. God has told man how to discern true prophecy from false - Deut. 18:20-22
B. Fulfilled prophecy falls into three categories:
1. History of Israel - Deut 28:36-57 becomes their history foretold:
a. God told them they would have a king 400 years in advance - vs. 36
b. They would become a hiss and byword - vs. 37; Jere. 29:18
c. A nation from afar would come against them - vs. 49-50. * Assyria, Babylonia and Rome all fit this description.
d. Great sufferings would accompany their seige - vs. 53, 56-57 * See Josephus, Wars, Bk. 6, ch. 3, parag. 4, pg. 818
* Although scattered, Israel would never be consumed - Jere. 5:18; 30:11. But, neither would they ever be a kingdom - Jere. 19:10-11.
2. The nations:
a. God foretold of the "full end" of nations that surrounded Israel. The absence of these nations today, like the presence of Jews today, stand as monuments to the inspiration of these prophecies.
b. Babylon - Isa. 13:1-14:27; Jere. 50-51
1) To be entirely overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah. The Medes to be the destroyers - Isa. 13:17-19; Jere. 51:11, 28
2) Never to be inhabited nor dwelt in from generation to generation. This is true to this day.
3. Jesus Christ: Over 300 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ. Here's just a few:
a. Born of a virgin - Isa. 7:14 ---- Matt. 1:18, 24ff.
b. Seed of Abraham - Gen. 22:18 ---- Matt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16
c. Tribe of Judah - Gen. 49:10 ---- Luke 3:23, 33
d. House of David - Jere. 23:5 ---- Luke 3:31
e. Born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2 ---- Matt. 13:34
f. Taught in parables - Psalm 78:2 ---- Matt. 13:34
g. Betrayed by a friend - Psalm 41:9 ---- Matt. 10:4
h. Sold for 30 pieces of silver - Zech. 11:12 ---- Matt. 26:15
i. Silent before His accusers - Isa. 53:7 ---- Matt. 27:12f
j. Hands and feet pierced - Psa. 22:16 ---- Lk. 23:33; Jn. 20:25.
k. Buried in rich man's tomb - Isa. 53:9 ---- Matt. 27:57ff.
l. Resurrected - Psa. 16:10 ---- Acts 2:27-31
m. Ascension - Psa. 68:18 ---- Acts 1:9
* Note: Many of these prophecies Jesus couldn't self-fulfill.
IV. SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY
A. As old as the Bible is, it contains none of the geographical, historical and scientific mistakes and inaccuracies that characterize the writings of men.
1. Books of medicine, astronomy, geology, etc., even fifty or one hundred years old, are usually outdated because of mistakes.
2. Yet the Bible touches on all known sciences and has no inaccuracies.
B. Scientific truths undiscovered by men, with his knowledge and resources, are stated as facts hundreds of years in advance of human discovery. Here are a few:
1. Roundness of the earth - Isa. 40:22
2. Suspension of the earth in space - Job 26:7
3. Paths (currents) in the seas - Psa. 8:8
4. Life in the blood - Lev. 17:10-16
5. All nations from one blood - Acts 17:26
6. Quarrantine, disinfection procedures, covering over the mouth in treatment of infectious diseases - Lev. 13-14
7. Five basic facts of science - Gen. 1:1-2
a. Time: "In the beginning"
b. Space: "God created the heavens"
c. Matter: "and the earth"
d. Force: "and the Spirit of God"
e. Motion: "moved upon the face of the waters"
QUESTIONS:
1. List the four areas of evidence in this section to prove Bible inspiration.
2. In your own words explain the significance of the unity of the Bible in showing its inspiration.
3. What do "ethics" have reference to?
4. What four examples are given to show that righteousness has always been commanded and sin always condemned in the Bible?
5. In Isaiah 41:21-26, upon what did God base His claim to be the one true God?
6. Into what three categories does fulfilled prophecy fall?
7. The presence of the Jews today as a scattered people gives evidence to what?
8. List two fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ and be prepared to discuss them in class.
9. List three areas in science that the Bible revealed long before man's scientific investigation discovered them. What does this suggest?
