Some people think that the Bible is just an old history book that is outdated, or even incorrect. Others absolutely hate the Bible, because of its influence on the people in society. In today's society, governed by the claims of science, people are taught to be skeptical of all truth that is not proven by science. I write proven in italics, because even scientific proof is rooted in faith. So before beginning with a study of the Bible itself, I think it is helpful first to investigate the Bible's origin. That's what we'll do here.
The Bible claims to have eternal origins. It proclaims to be written by the hand of God through men inspired by the Holy Spirit of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Without further evidence, that's pretty hard to believe! But there is plenty of evidence that supports the claims of Scripture's divine origin. Take for example, the manuscript evidence, the archaeological evidence, the prophetic evidence, and the changed lives of those impacted by the Bible's message. If it can be shown that the Bible really is the Word of God, then a host of other objections can be answered by simply referring to Scripture itself. Having demonstrated the trustworthiness of God’s Word, an apologist can then proceed to share its central message: redemption in Jesus Christ.
I wrote a book, Biblical Glasses: Looking at Life Through the Bible, several years ago, and I want to let the preface, introduction, and first chapter of that book serve as the introduction of this commentary, entitled: A Work in Progress. The title refers both to the fact that the commentary is not finished, and may not be completed before God calls me home, and to the reality that our lives on this earth, once we can to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, are basically that, a work in progress. Our completion and perfection won't be realized until Jesus returns in glory.
Attempting to renew my driver’s license as a university freshman, I failed the vision exam, a requirement for license renewal. The test administrator said I needed corrective lenses to pass the test and receive a valid license. In other words, I had to get glasses!
I scheduled an appointment that same day to have my eyesight checked; after being fitted with corrective lenses, I could see so clearly! I was amazed at how poor my vision had become, how I failed to notice its slow but steady deterioration, and how much I was missing without glasses! A couple days later, I returned to the driver’s license office donning my spectacles and passed the test. The clerk issued my new license, and I have been wearing corrective lenses ever since.
Why do I reveal this particular short span of my life as the opening of this book? It is amazing to me that I had no inkling of my gradually weakening eyesight. It had only been two or three years since I aced the vision exam to obtain my first driver’s license, yet my eyesight had gone from near perfect to quite pathetic; I was oblivious. My eyes were looking without seeing, and glasses helped me to look and see! This seemingly unimportant sequence of events from my past serves as an adequate illustration of what I believe is going on in America today. Just as my eyesight steadily worsened without my realizing it, our esteemed nation’s worldview is gradually deteriorating, and most people are unaware. I hope to show we can see most clearly when we put on “Biblical Glasses.”
My motivation for writing this book lies in the corruption I see in the world. While growing as a Christian, I am reminded to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [me] to give the reason for the hope that [I] have” (1 Peter 3:15). I feel like the return of Jesus Christ is near; yet, while I know Jesus commands His followers to proclaim the Good News about Him to the entire world (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-16), I rarely feel confident verbally sharing the Gospel with those who do not first bring up the topic by asking me what it means. Having said that, I think this book is one way I can share the message of Jesus Christ with perhaps more people than I could have reached verbally.
The first six chapters of this book include primarily the basics of Christianity, the “spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2), “the elementary truths of God’s Word” (Hebrews 5:12). Chapters seven through ten contain “solid food” (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12-14) along with the milk in a brief discussion of Christian doctrine. Depending on your spiritual readiness, some of this discussion may be difficult to grasp. C.S. Lewis said:
There are certain things in Christianity that can be understood from the outside, before you have become a Christian. But there are a great many things that cannot be understood until after you have gone a certain distance along the Christian road. … Whenever you find any statement in Christian writings which you can make nothing of, do not worry! Leave it alone. There will come a day, perhaps years later, when you suddenly see what it meant.
I have made every effort with this book to follow Paul’s instructions in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.” However, I do not pretend all of the following information is my own. In fact, I have compiled a significant amount of the text from well-known sources you may recognize as you read. A list of these sources, along with other recommended books and websites for additional research, can be found in Appendix B and following.
I welcome comments or questions regarding any of the topics discussed in the ensuing chapters. Feel free to reach me at your convenience via e-mail at chip@biblicalglasses.com. I also invite you to visit and peruse the website designed to accompany this book: www.biblicalglasses.com.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:14). “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13).
Introduction:
The word worldview, derived from the German language in 1858, offers its best English definition as “a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint1.” There are a variety of worldviews in existence today. People from diverse cultures and backgrounds have different conceptions of the world primarily because of their history in the world. Was it always that way? Was there ever an absolute truth, a single worldview that governed the lives of all people?
Although I am far from an expert historian, a brief review of our world’s history has enhanced my understanding of how culture today compares with the past and why our world is the way it is. Consider the following:
Prior to the benchmark of 500 B.C., secular history suggests most people in the world believed God or gods controlled the world; Biblical history agrees. Around 500 B.C., thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Confucius began pondering both the world’s existence and individual relationships within the world apart from God. Despite these early attempts to reduce God in the worldview of sophisticated people, the next 2000 years saw a consistent theological worldview that God, or gods, created the world and divinely appointed leaders, who in turn taught truth to the people by their lifestyles2.
During the enlightenment, an intellectual movement associated with the eighteenth century (1700s), modernism became prevalent as the popular worldview. Modernism taught that truth could be found in one’s own life, through science, technology, traveling the world, and communicating with all sorts of people in many cultures. In some societies, modernism, “a theological tendency to accommodate traditional religious teaching to contemporary thought and especially to devalue supernatural elements3,” is still considered a dominant worldview; however, post-modernism, the successor of modernism, is the worldview of choice for many people today.
Whereas modernists generally maintain that a passive divine being exists, post-modernists, also known as humanists, have developed “a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism altogether and stresses an individual’s dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason4.” Humanists generally believe there is no objective or absolute truth, no divine Being or beings; only subjective or individual truth exists. This philosophy suggests truth can be found only by consulting inner feelings and making decisions based on internal instincts. A more common description of the post-modern or humanist worldview is referred to as moral relativism, which advocates “knowledge of morality and ethics [as] relative to the limited nature of the mind5.” In the post-modern worldview, truth is what you make it, because there is no divine authority to provide universal truth!
Looking back at the world in the past 200 years, and more explicitly at America in the past sixty years, knowledge, technology, travel, and population have been growing at exponential rates just as the Bible foretold (see Daniel 12:4; Revelation 9:15-16, 13:16-18)6.
We are learning more and more about the universe in which we live; satisfying daily needs is becoming easier and more convenient than ever. Modern medicine is quite possibly the greatest achievement in all of human history. Life expectancy rates are rising due to medical achievements and discoveries7! Think about it: If 200 years ago you had the flu, you would have likely died; if you had a bad fever, you would have died; if you needed an appendectomy, you would have died. The list could go on and on!
Despite the modern conveniences of which we can take advantage in the twenty-first century, there are more “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7) than ever before. There is no way to stop a terrorist suicide bomber with all the weaponry available today. One madman could practically bring the entire world to its knees by unleashing the power of a nuclear or chemical weapon. Look at the number of deaths in all the wars and acts of genocide during the twentieth century! Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung combined to kill a tenth of a billion people8. It is estimated that abortion has ended the lives of over a billion babies worldwide in only the past thirty years! Abortion worldwide killed fifty million (50,000,000) babies in 1995 alone9! Over 100,000 people in this world die from starvation, AIDS, and waterborne diseases each day10! As the Bible prophesied, there are increasing numbers of natural disasters like earthquakes, famines, and pestilences11, and there are blatant sexual perversions throughout the world (see Mathew 24). (We will study some of these instances in chapter ten.)
The complexity of education, health care, civil rights, and church/state issues has caused more division in our country than ever before. Lack of justice in our court systems allows for professional criminals and victims to get their way while taxpayers often unknowingly support them. Corruption in the government and among large corporations dominates the news as ethical standards continue to deteriorate; we must now guard against unscrupulous financial reports and other formerly reliable corporate practices. There is decreasing morality in America, arguably caused by our own television programs and other forms of immoral entertainment. Worst of all, the family, which as we will see has been the one constant throughout all of time, has fallen apart. The following prayer of an anonymous teenager shows the effects of the family’s downfall:
Now I sit me down in school, where praying is against the rule. / For this great nation under God finds mention of Him very odd. / If Scripture now the class recites, it violates the Bill of Rights. / And anytime my head I bow becomes a Federal matter now. / Our hair can be purple, orange or green, that’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene. / The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. / Praying in a public hall might offend someone with no faith at all. / In silence alone we must meditate, God’s name is prohibited by the state. / We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, and pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks. / They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. / We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, and the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King. / It’s ‘inappropriate’ to teach right from wrong, we’re taught those ‘judgments’ don’t belong. / We can get our condoms and birth controls, study witchcraft, vampires, and totem poles. / But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, no Word of God must reach this crowd. / It’s scary here I must confess, when chaos reigns the school’s a mess. / So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; my soul please take12.
Notwithstanding the incredible advancements since the end of World War II (i.e. modern medicine, knowledge, technology, travel, etc.), the world is getting worse. Scientific observation has clearly proven the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which essentially says the universe and everything in it are deteriorating13. Regardless of what we are told by society today (evolution and moral relativism), the evidence clearly points to the Second Law of Thermodynamics as objective, absolute truth. It is true for all people all the time our world is decaying! It has been doing so ever since the beginning. So I want to start there—in the beginning. Maybe by looking at the beginning, we can have a fresh perspective on the world—a truthful worldview. Where can we learn about the beginning? I believe it starts with the Bible. We need to take a look at the world through “Biblical Glasses.”
Before proceeding, answer the following questions to see what presuppositions or preconceived notions you may have:
- Where did you come from?
- What is your worldview?
- Why are you here?
- What will happen when you die?
The four main interests humans have deep down inside are: Origin, morality, purpose, and death14. How do we know the answers to these questions? Can we be sure of the answers? Should we care about the answers to these questions? Why or why not? I have searched for and studied the truthful answers to the questions above; the answers say things today’s popular worldview does not support.
The popular worldview of our society today is flawed. We see a gradual, yet explicit decline of morality, an increase in hyper-tolerance, the teaching of lies (such as evolution), and a distinct straying from the truth given to us by God. The bottom line regarding a legitimate worldview is whether or not objective, absolute truth exists. If absolute truth exists, then it is only logical and wise to seek it out, learn it, and follow it, living according to it. If you think it is absolutely true that there is no absolute truth, then you are contradicting and deceiving yourself.
For example, the atheist claims God does not exist. To prove God does not exist, the atheist would have to be God—omniscient and omnipresent. Since no atheists have all the knowledge in the universe, they cannot be sure God does not exist in the knowledge they do not have. They must therefore logically admit God may exist, because no one can be sure He does not exist. Clearly the atheistic viewpoint is illogical and self-contradictory, just like the viewpoint saying it is absolutely true that absolute truth does not exist. Atheism is ignorant and irrational, and when atheists realize this, they generally become agnostic.
Agnostics say it cannot be known whether or not God exists. Similarly, agnostics may say it cannot be known whether or not absolute truth exists. In other words, agnostics are not sure, and they think no one can ever be sure. They do not have scientific proof, which is based on testing and repeatable observations, of God or truth; but they overlook the legal/historic proof, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt based on a preponderance of reliable evidence15. If you are unsure about absolute truth based on scientific proof, then look at absolute truth based on legal/historic proof by answering this simple question.
Was Ronald Reagan sworn in (with his right hand on the Bible) as President of the United States of America in 1980? Of course, you will answer yes to the question. Is it true for everyone all the time? Of course it is! The argument posed against this fact is based on lack of scientific proof—we cannot know for sure, because we were not present at the ceremony; we did not experience the inauguration with any of the five senses—seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, or touching. The response to this argument, based on legal/historic proof, is that all of the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, points to the event as having actually occurred. In other words, it is a fact; it is true. How do we really know something is true? What is truth?
Truth is “the state of being factual and real16.” Knowledge is defined as “understanding truth or fact through reasoning and interpreting the examined evidence17.” How do we know if absolute truth exists? That is where faith comes in to play. Faith is defined in the Bible as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The word faith describes “a belief that is held with an especially strong conviction18.” Belief conveys “conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon, especially when based on examination of evidence19.” A belief is “a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing20.” Trust describes “an assured reliance or dependence on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something21.”
These words—truth, knowledge, faith, belief, and trust—are not only clearly interrelated, but also very powerful. To summarize, knowledge of truth requires faith and trust in the belief that truth is factual based on examined evidence. We can trust, faithfully believe, and therefore have knowledge or know certain things are truthful and factual based on evidence!
All humans are finite beings living by faith, whether we admit it or not. We have faith in the past, living as if events in our lives, such as our births, did actually occur. We have faith in the present, that we do truly exist and have actual thoughts. We have faith in the future, living and making plans as if tomorrow will come despite having no knowledge of tomorrow. As I hope to show, we can trust, faithfully believe, and therefore know, based on the overwhelming evidence, that Jesus Christ is both the Son of the One, True God revealed in the Bible and Savior of the world. Since we (humans) are moved to action by our faith and beliefs, our lives will be forever changed by the evidence for the truth about God found in the Bible.
The evidence is important! What does the evidence show about our world? What observations can be made? How does faith, and its relation to our worldview, affect our thinking? How does science fit in here with its claims about our world? Science is “knowledge covering general truths or laws especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method22.” The scientific method requires examining the evidence through observation and testing. Science is great when it shows, by observing and testing, what things are and how things work, but when science makes assumptions outside the boundaries of the scientific method, it is no longer science—it becomes speculation at best! Science often claims to have the keys to the past in missing links that it does not observe and cannot accurately test. Such is the case with the theory of evolution.
In the same way, people often display contradiction in their faith and worldview. For example, many claim to believe in and worship the God of the Bible and also feel confident Darwin’s evolution is fact. These two views cannot co-exist, as we will see later. Our society keeps us too busy to spend time worrying about faith/worldview contradictions. Moral relativism has developed out of demand for self-serving convenience and lack of time for genuine examination of the evidence.
Ultimately, American society’s most precious possession is time, because none of us will escape death. Death is the great equalizer for all people—rich or poor, black or white, wise or ignorant. Interestingly, the word translated as death in the Bible actually means separation, not extinction, annihilation, non-existence, or unconsciousness23. (We will look more at the importance of this later.) Many of us spend our time working toward self-gratifying possessions we cannot take to the grave. We have less and less time, because our culture encourages fame and fortune. It encourages power, wealth, and prestige, which are bonding and seductive. The Bible says: “Do not store up … treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up … treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).
I recently read an article in which the story of a missionary martyr who served the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador in the 1950s was told. This missionary was Jim Elliot; in his journal he wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose24.” We are called not to amass material possessions and wealth, which are temporary, but to serve God, Who is eternal. That does not mean we cannot enjoy the incredible blessings God has provided for us, especially here in America, but it does mean we need to realize God is both the giver of all we have and the sustainer of our lives. When we begin to believe, understand, and appreciate that, our lives will change for the better, and we will see the world from the truthful vantage point—with a Biblical worldview.
Which of the following statements represents your feeling on belief and truth?
- I believe something, because it is true.
- Something is true, because I believe it.
While the former is clearly the logical choice, our post-modern culture chooses the latter, thinking the act of believing makes things true for the individual. Rather than remaining properly objective, truth becomes subjective, best represented by hyper-tolerance. The selfish mentality says, "So-and-so can believe or do whatever he/she wants to believe or do, as long as he/she doesn't bother me!"
Defining tolerance can be a difficult task in our society today; I will offer two definitions: Tolerance is “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own25.” Tolerance is also “the recognition of the rights of an individual to his own opinions and customs, as in religious worship26.” When we respect the rights of others to have and express opinions differing from our own, we are being tolerant.
Certainly tolerance is an integral part of our country, but it can be excessively applied. Notice the mentality mentioned above. It says, “As long as he/she doesn’t bother me!” Should we be tolerant of something that causes pain? There is no doubt of the intense pain and suffering that comes with being criticized for holding viewpoints not matching the common perception of normal. (See the movie Angus.)
Tolerance means we do not harm or kill each other on account of our differences. We do not burn each other’s churches, temples, or mosques because of different religious beliefs. We should not treat people differently based on their opinions. At the same time, tolerance does not mean we should ignore our differences, nor does it mean we must refrain from harsh criticism of our opponents and their opinions. It is no crime to say publicly someone’s belief is wrong or sinful. Tolerance does not require acceptance!
Tolerance has gotten out of hand to the point where criticism is considered intolerant. The line from true tolerance (recognition of the right to hold and attempt to spread opinions—even evil ones) to extreme tolerance (acceptance of evil behavior) is too often crossed. Consider the many things in this world once considered intolerable: Abortion, adultery, fornication (consensual sex between non-married persons), cohabitation (living together before marriage), swearing, and dishonesty, to name just a few. These things have moved from intolerable to acceptable, even the expected norm in many cases. This is where tolerance has gone awry.
Diversity in this country can be taken to mean people are bothered by different things. Remember all laws impose one group’s behavioral conviction on all people. For example, the U.S. Government has made robbery illegal. This law compels everyone to avoid stealing, regardless of an individual’s opinion on the matter. Just because it is illegal does not mean it cannot be done; it simply means it will not be tolerated, and there may be consequences to pay if convicted. People get away with much more heinous acts than theft every day. Certainly most of us would agree it is wrong to steal, but I am sure some people in our country think stealing is acceptable. Our Government offends petty thieves and kleptomaniacs by setting a law to prohibit their activity.
On the flipside, abortion is currently a legal act. By law, a pregnant woman may have her unborn baby sucked out of her womb with a vacuum or cut into tiny, manageable pieces to abort the pregnancy. But many people consider abortion equivalent to, or even worse than, premeditated murder. Our Government likewise offends pro-lifers by setting a law that allows this activity.
Where does the Federal Government draw the line at offending someone? Does it stop with murder? What about abortion? Does it stop with gay marriages? What about the recognition of same-sex unions? Does it stop with nudity or bad language on television? Not anymore. Ironically, about the only thing this society cannot tolerate is intolerance.
This country was undeniably founded on theistic principles, objective truth. It is absolutely true our founding fathers had the God of the Bible as their foundation. To quote the United States Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights27.” These rights do not come from society or human tradition, and they certainly do not come from evolution. Instead they come from our Creator, God! It is the Creator God Who has established justice and freedom for America, not because we deserve it, but because of His mercy and grace and for His glory. I would argue our nation has prospered throughout her short history because of her foundation on truth. That foundation has been chiseled away in the past forty years, and the corruption stems from lies—evolution and moral relativism. What we see is a lack of truth. Our society no longer recognizes the absolute foundation on which our nation was built.
As our Government determines which actions are beyond the limits of tolerance—that is to say, illegal—I think everyone would agree it is not always correct. Is the Government looking the other way when it comes to evil in our country? To ignore evil in the name of tolerance is to be an accomplice to the evildoer. The Government has certainly had its share of lies and deception. Lies are undoubtedly tolerated in all areas of our society. Dishonesty breeds skepticism about truth. We lose trust in our leaders, because they lie.
According to the Bible, Satan told the first lie when he tempted Eve to disobey God in the Garden of Eden; he said, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Eve became skeptical of God when she believed Satan’s lie, and we do the same thing when we believe evolution and moral relativism. Lies make us become skeptical of people, and we begin to trust only ourselves. Many people only care about themselves. Should the individual set the limits on tolerance? Would that not provide for a chaotic anarchy? No universal laws, no universal truths? No justice, no mercy? It seems this is the direction we are headed. What we are forgetting is a foundation of truth, objective, absolute truth.
Perhaps a more obvious example of tolerance and intolerance lies in mathematics. Two plus two equals four. This equation is undeniably, universally, and absolutely true. Any answer other than four is not tolerated. By tolerating only the truthful answer, are we considered intolerant? No! We are correct not to tolerate an incorrect answer! Certainly you are free to disagree, but you would simply be wrong. This truth applies not only in mathematics, but also wherever absolute truth exists. Truth cannot tolerate error. Truth by definition is intolerant.
You might be skeptical on my views of tolerance. Skepticism is one reason our post-modern worldview is on the rise. Skepticism grows quickly with a diminishing ability to trust. As it continues growing more and more difficult to trust people, it may seem logical to turn to yourself. The Bible says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). There comes a point when we must realize we cannot even trust ourselves. We are not perfect, and deep down inside we all know it! The Bible says: “The requirements of the law are written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15). The Bible also says: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). We have a built-in morality code we cannot keep. We are not strong enough to hold ourselves accountable for perfect ethical and moral behavior.
Rather than admit to their shortcomings and turn to God for help, post-modernists have said we can decide for ourselves what behavior is okay, despite the absolute truth laid in our hearts that says otherwise. The post-modern worldview teaches we can cover the truth with lies and suppress it long enough to make it go away. The theory of evolution, which attempts to eliminate God from existence, goes a long way in supporting post-modernism. Like Hitler’s Big Lie Technique, if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough, people believe it; it becomes an accepted part of the culture28. The post-modern worldview and the theory of evolution are prime examples.
When we examine Biblical history, we will see it has always been difficult and often foolish to trust in mortal men for anything of true value. The Bible says: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save” (Psalm 146:3). Instead, the Bible says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). “Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8). We should not insist on learning through personal experience; rather we are to learn the lessons history has already taught. The Bible says: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
Trust is a missing quality within the post-modern worldview. By reviewing Biblical history, we can learn how trust began to gradually deteriorate when sin entered the world long ago. We will see God alone as completely faithful and worthy of our trust.
I am so thankful I have learned what I know about the world and its Creator. I want everyone to know what I know and more! I hope it is clear after continued reading that the truth (faith, trust, belief, knowledge) of life after death (heaven or hell) is real for everyone. I hope it is clear that heaven is accessible by only one name—Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “Salvation is found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This viewpoint is considered intolerant today, so do not take my word for it. Jesus Himself said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Hell is merited by all who do not trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. All people need to hear this so they can make an informed decision about the worldview to which they subscribe. They should see Christianity is not a blind faith, but “a faith that fits the facts29.” The evidence supports the claims of the Bible!
As we embark on a brief overview of Biblical history, I hope to encourage a deeper examination of the overwhelming evidence showing the truth of the Bible. Based on the evidence, we can know it is true! Again, I am not asking you to take my word on the matter; I am asking you to take God’s Word. I am asking you to take some time to investigate the truth of the Bible for yourself. The evidence is really overwhelming! I want to simply give you a starting point. Read on to have a taste—just a taste—of the evidence for God. The Bible says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8).
CHAPTER 1
The History of the Bible
Before discussing the Bible’s origin, I want address its significance for Christianity and other faiths. The Christian faith is based on the Bible. In fact, the Bible should be the only authority and foundation of faith for all Christians. However, some so-called Christians combine Biblical principles with church or cultural tradition, and others simply base their faith on the generic values in the Bible, modifying its ideology to fit their culture. Varied perceptions of the Bible have produced denominations, even cults, within Christianity, thereby curtailing the intended meaning of the word Christian. We will examine what it means to be genuinely Christian in chapter six.
The Jewish faith, embraced by Jesus Christ, is based on the Old Testament of the Bible. Many Jews have much better knowledge of the Old Testament than fundamentalist Christians. However, Jews do not accept the New Testament of the Bible; they believe Jesus was merely a good teacher. The Jewish people today still await their prophesied Messiah. Unfortunately they missed Him when He came 2000 years ago. The good news for Jewish people is that He will come again; they still have time to realize He was and is the Messiah the Old Testament foretold. In fact, God, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), is waiting for more of His chosen people to recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah before judging the world.
Muslims respect the Bible as a basic guide. They believe much of the Old Testament is divinely inspired; but they think Abraham’s illegitimate son, Ishmael, was God’s chosen one, rather than Abraham’s legitimate son, Isaac. Why does it matter? Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was a descendant of Ishmael, and Jesus was a descendant of Isaac. Muslims consider Jesus a great prophet and good teacher who paved the way for Muhammad’s revelation 600 years later. They understand that Jesus will return to conquer the antichrist, as prophesied in the Bible; however, the Islam faith abandons Biblical teaching when, among countless other details, it promotes Jesus’ conversion to Islam after His victory. The Bible said the descendants of Ishmael would become a great nation (the Arabs), just like the descendants of Isaac (the Jews), “and they lived in hostility toward all their brothers” (Genesis 25:8). We will inspect the beginnings of the Arab/Israeli conflict in chapter ten.
Other major faiths, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, recognize but do not emphasize Biblical teaching because of their relativist beliefs. Since truth is relative for Buddhists and Hindus, their leaders see no benefit in teaching the Bible; their holy scriptures work just fine. There are also faiths, such as voodoo and witchcraft, which are Satanic in nature and denounce the Bible. Yes, Satan is real; we will learn more about him later.
Finally, Christian cults, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim to believe the Bible is true, but clearly do not based on their teachings of a false Christ. These cults have customized their own versions of the Bible to include their unorthodox teachings and, in some cases, raised other sacred texts, such as the Book of Mormon, to levels of authority. Not surprisingly, the Bible declares cults and the occult will be prominent in the end times (see Matthew 24; Mark 13).
What is it?
The Bible is a compilation of historical accounts, poems, songs, laments, prayers, and letters believed by many to be the divinely inspired Word of God revealed to all mankind. Forty different authors writing in several styles over a period of 1600 years (1550 B.C.–95 A.D.) penned the sixty-six books of the Bible. The Bible contains 1189 chapters, divided roughly into thirds represented by historical accounts, lifestyle mandates, and prophecy. The Bible asserts itself as the Word of God about 2500 times1 and mentions repeatedly that the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture (see 2 Peter 1:20-21; Galatians 1:6-12, 5:9, and others).
The history of the world from around 4000 B.C. to 400 B.C. is recounted in the Old Testament, followed by 400 silent years separating its thirty-nine books from the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The New Testament details an additional hundred years of history, from roughly 10 B.C. to 90 A.D. The history of the Bible takes place in the Middle East of our modern world. The Old Testament accounts tour present day Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The New Testament goes further into Europe and Africa, with a focus on the Greco-Roman region. From Genesis to Revelation, all sixty-six books tell one unfolding story. Together they give consistent answers to the most important questions we can ask: Where did we come from? Why are we here? How should we live? Why is there death and suffering? What happens at death? In whom or what should we place our hope and trust? Scripture’s consistent answers to these questions show that the Bible is indeed one book2.
Where did it originate?
The Old Testament was compiled by Ezra as early as 458 B.C.3. Paul said, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). When the New Testament writers, as well as Jesus Himself, referred to what “was written in the past,” they were alluding to Ezra’s compilation, which was originally written in Hebrew and later translated to Greek.
The Greek translation, called the Septuagint, debuted around 250 B.C.; unfortunately, the oldest copies of Septuagint manuscripts are from 300 A.D. Based on the existing manuscripts’ variations, there is reason to believe that the Septuagint’s list of included books, unlike Ezra’s compilation, varied over its 550-year uncertain past4.
The official canon of the Old Testament was recorded in 90 A.D. at the Council of Jamnia, which documented thirty-nine divinely inspired books. Josephus, a remarkable secular writer and, more importantly, a reliable historian, indicated in 95 A.D. that the thirty-nine Old Testament books were recognized by Jewish rabbis as authoritative5. These thirty-nine books were basically the same as Ezra’s original Hebrew compilation, though they were placed in a different order; Ezra’s compilation ended with the Book of 2 Chronicles, while the official Old Testament ends with Malachi.
Sometime around 180 A.D., there arose some debate over several additional books collectively labeled the apocrypha. The most important apocryphal books are listed below6 with their approximate written dates:
- Tobit (250–175 B.C.)
- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) (190 B.C.)
- Addition to Esther (180–145 B.C.)
- Judith (175–110 B.C.)
- 1 Maccabees (103–63 B.C.)
- 2 Maccabees (100 B.C.)
- Wisdom (150 B.C.–40 A.D.)
- Baruch (200 B.C.–70 A.D.)
- Addition to Daniel (unknown)
When Jesus hinted in Matthew 23:35 that the end of the Old Testament was the death of Zechariah around 400 B.C.7, He was referring to the Pharisees’ Scriptures, the original compilation of Ezra. He excluded the apocryphal books, which were written chronologically well after all the Books in the Pharisees’ Scriptures, including Malachi, the final Book of our Old Testament, and before the New Testament, which begins with the four Gospels.
To summarize, the Bible we have today was not one big book throughout history. The Old Testament, the Jewish Bible, was first compiled by Ezra as early as 458 B.C. and then officially assembled and re-ordered by Jewish rabbis using Hebrew manuscripts in the first century A.D. to contain thirty-nine books. Though not by unanimous decision—many prominent leaders such as Jerome and Athenasius did not approve of the apocryphal books8—Church bishops included the apocrypha when they switched to the Latin Bible, translated from the inconsistent Greek Septuagint in the fourth or fifth century. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches today incorporate the apocrypha and would argue that their Bible versions were the only ones until the Protestant Reformation in 1517. However, they did not officially add the apocrypha to make a total of forty-six Old Testament books until 15469, during the Counter-Reformation. The apocrypha, which, by the way, includes many known historical flaws, admits it is not divinely inspired, and contradicts several of Jesus’ teachings, was never considered part of canonical Jewish Scripture.
The New Testament of the Bible is consistent among Christian denominations in its views that Jesus is God Incarnate, which is why Muslims and Jews refuse to accept it. Protestant and Catholic denominations use the same twenty-seven books of the New Testament, which were compiled into a single text during the third century A.D.10.
The New Testament was written over a fifty-year period (45–95 A.D.), as the disciples were ministering all over the region. There was no agreement on the books of the New Testament until the third century, because there were so many disciples preaching and teaching. When Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 32411, pagans were forced to adopt common Christian practices. Ultimately, this decision contaminated the Church, because the pagans mixed their traditional heathen rituals with Christian principles. (Think of Halloween, which stems from both satanic and Christian traditions12, as a modern day example.) The Councils of Athenasius in 367 and Carthage in 397 recognized the twenty-seven books of the New Testament as inspired13.
Over the next 700 years, the Bible was unchanged; the Church extended all over Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Orient. In 1054, a great schism split the Church, and it divided into the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches14. (We will look more at post-Biblical history in chapter eight.)
In 1228, Stephen Langton divided the Bible into chapters15. The first English-translated Bible was introduced in 138816. Rabbi Nathan divided the Old Testament into verses in 144817; just over a hundred years later, in 1551, Robert Stephanus did the same for the New Testament18. The King James Version of the Bible was first published in 1611 and is still the most widely used Bible version19!
Currently there are over seventy English versions of the Bible20, which has been translated into over 2300 languages21. Jesus said the Gospel must be preached to the entire world before the end comes (see Matthew 24; Mark 13). There are some 4000 languages and 380 million people without a Bible translation22. Nevertheless, the Jesus film, which contains the message of Luke’s Gospel, has been translated into nearly 800 languages and shown over five billion times in just twenty years23!
The oldest Book of the Bible, Job, was written a half-century before the earliest Hindu Scriptures. Moses wrote Genesis two millennia before Muhammad dictated the Koran24. No other book has been as loved or hated, as consistently bought, studied, or quoted, as the Bible throughout all of history25. We have the Bible, because God wants us to know the true history of the world He created. He wants us to see His character and know we are here to glorify and enjoy Him. He wants us to see His love for us. God wants to show us His ways and make straight our paths with His laws. He wants us to know and love Him. He wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
Is it accurate?
Now that we know what the Bible is and from where it came, we need to determine if it is reliable as history and divinely inspired as absolute truth. How do we know if it is accurate? The Bible tells us to “test everything [against its authority]. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). After several years of research, I have found the Bible to be accurate, reliable, and divinely inspired for several reasons26.
First of all, the Bible is historically correct. The world leaders found in the Bible are the same world leaders found in secular history texts, from Egyptian pharaohs and Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus of Persia and Roman Caesars. The Biblical timeline coincides with secular world history.
Next, the Bible is archaeologically accurate. Modern archaeologists have repeatedly unearthed evidence of the people, places, and cultures portrayed in the Bible. Time after time, the descriptions in the Bible have been more reliable than scholarly speculation. Much secular evidence agrees with the Biblical account of a great flood having occurred around 2500 B.C. In fact, secular flood scholars believe a worldwide flood nearly wiped out every living thing on earth. The Bible says eight people and two of each kind of animal survived. All human genetic information (DNA—mitochondria), many scientists now agree, can be traced back to just one woman27, Eve. The Bible describes in detail things discovered outside of theology. Dr. Nelson Glueck, one of the best modern authorities on Israeli archaeology, said:
No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries28.
For example, in 1947, shortly before Israel became a nation again, a Bedouin shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, which had been hidden for 2000 years. This discovery, one of the most important archaeological finds regarding the Bible, produced manuscripts of Scripture that predated previous oldest copies by 1000 years! A nearly complete copy of Isaiah revealed the Book of Isaiah in our own Bible is the same today as it was then. The Dead Sea Scrolls discredit those who think the original Bible has been lost over its many-year history29. We have an extremely pure Bible today!
Another amazing example is the recent find by a couple of real-life Indiana Jones’. In the late 1980s, Larry Williams and Bob Cornuke decided to search for the real Mount Sinai, where, among other important events, Moses received the Ten Commandments. They followed the Bible through the Book of Exodus and came to Jabal al-Lawz, a mountain in Saudi Arabia known to locals as the Mountain of Moses, confirming what the apostle Paul wrote about its location (see Galatians 4:25). Jabal al-Lawz offers overwhelming, clear-cut Biblical evidence of being the real Mount Sinai, rather than the traditional site on the Sinai Peninsula as named by the Roman Emperor Constantine’s wife in the fourth century30. These explorers, by following the Bible, have also found anchors from Paul’s shipwreck off the coast of Malta and astonishing evidence for the resting place of both Noah’s Ark in Iran and the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia31.
Perhaps of utmost importance, there are nearly 30,000 Bible manuscripts like the ones found near the Dead Sea, the majority of which were written within 25–200 years after the events of Jesus’ life took place32. Compare these numbers with some other ancient texts: Homer’s Iliad, presumably written in 900 B.C., offers 643 manuscript copies, the earliest dating from 400 B.C.33. Plato and Aristotle presumably wrote around 400 B.C.; there are about fifty manuscripts representing their work, and the earliest evidence of their writing is from 1000 A.D. Caesar wrote around 60 B.C., but only ten copies of his writings have been found, the earliest of which is from 900 A.D.34. Even Josephus, aforementioned as a reliable historian, offers few manuscripts dated 1000 years after he logged his history accounts35. Simply put, the Bible is the most reliable history account in existence, and most well-respected secular scholars agree.
Additional evidence of Biblical authority lies in its scientific accuracy. The Bible recorded many principles of science and laws of nature long before scientists established them experimentally. Examples include36:
- Second Law of Thermodynamics—entropy (Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 102:25-27; Romans 8:20-21)
- Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)
- Stars produce sound (Job 38:7)
- Importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)
- Four distinct kinds of flesh—human, animal, fish, and bird (1 Corinthians 15:39)
- Man is made of the same elements as the earth (Genesis 2:8, 3:19; Psalm 103:14)
- Every substance is made from an exact measure of element ingredients (Isaiah 40:12)
- Almost infinite extent of the universe (Isaiah 55:9)
- Roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)
- Earth’s rotation on an axis (Isaiah 51:6; Luke 17:31,34)
- Water cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)
- Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
- Air has weight (Job 28:25)
- Gravitational field (Job 26:7)
- The hot core of the earth (Job 28:5)
- The seas contain routes and currents (Psalm 8:8)
- Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy (2 Peter 3:7)
- Messages can be sent by electricity (Job 38:35)
- The value of pi (1 Kings 7:23)
Of course, the Bible does not use scientific language in stating these attributes of God’s creation; however, they are completely in agreement with modern scientific facts. “It is significant also that no mistake has ever been demonstrated in the Bible—not in history, in science, or in any other subject37.” Some people have devoted their lives to finding inconsistencies in the Bible, but what they actually find are complimentary accounts. Science makes some wonderful observations in our world; we learn about volcanoes, earthquakes, protons, neutrons, electrons, viruses, genetics, etc. Science unfortunately cannot make observations about the past, because scientists are simply not present in the past. All science can do is make observations about the present. Any proposal about the past must be examined with all present evidence taken into account.
The extraordinary evidence of fulfilled prophecy is another evidence of Biblical truth. Several hundred Bible prophecies have been fulfilled to the miniscule detail, often long after the prophet passed away38. Many of the fulfilled prophecies dealt with Middle Eastern nations and cities; others foretold the course of history, which occurred just as the prophets said it would. Still other prophecies discuss the spread of Christianity, false religions, end times events, and many other subjects. Amazingly, over 300 cited prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Christ at His first coming; more than 500 prophecies are given regarding the second coming of Christ39! 3500 years ago, the Bible predicted events nobody wanted to accept: “Before Israel went into the Promised Land, Moses predicted that Israel would be unfaithful, would lose the land God was giving her, and would be dispersed throughout the entire world, re-gathered, and then re-established as a nation (see Deuteronomy 28-31)40.” Look at the present day nation of Israel; its history fits with the Bible flawlessly!
There is neither a more revered nor sacred book than the Bible; there is no other prophetic book like it. In fact, other religious books contain no prophecy of which to speak, unlike the Bible, which is about one-third prophecy41! Only the Bible demonstrates this amount of accurate prophetic evidence on such a terrific scale that any explanation other than divine revelation is absurd.
The perfect unity, consistency, and structure of the Bible testify to its divine authenticity. Despite being a collection of sixty-six books written by more than forty men over a 1600-year period, the Bible is clearly one book. The writers had no idea their individual messages were to be eventually compiled into one book, but each specific message nonetheless fits perfectly and serves its own unique purpose as a component of the whole42. If you could approach forty men of assorted social status spanning different times in history, like the Bible authors, and ask their opinions on God and man, you would get forty different answers. But the Bible unitarily and consistently depicts not only God’s character, but also man’s character. “Anyone who diligently studies the Bible will continually find remarkable structural and mathematical patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance43.” From the first Book, Genesis, to the last, Revelation, the consistent theme of the Bible is God’s great work for His glory in the creation, sustaining, and redemption of all things through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Bible has been preserved despite thousands of years of persecution. Other books have been destroyed, but the Bible has survived. Also of major importance, the Bible changes lives! Former Pharisees, like the apostle Paul and Nicodemus, and former atheists, such as C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel, demonstrate the life changing capabilities of the Bible through the message of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. Even entire nations like the Norwegian Vikings and the aforementioned Huaorani tribe of Ecuador have been transformed by the Bible and its Hero, Jesus Christ44. Look around; find some true Christians and ask them how the Word of God has changed their lives. The Bible has certainly changed my life! Although I am making the effort to express it, the comfort of God’s Word is nearly indescribable, certainly difficult to put into words. If you are not ready for the Bible, just read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis or The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel to get a feel for the changes God’s Word can have.
Ultimately, it is critical to know the Bible’s assertions about itself. It would be irrational for me, along with millions of other people, to claim that the Bible is God’s Word if the authors of Scripture had not themselves claimed to speak for God. If the Bible writers did not profess divine inspiration, the Bible would be a collection of unsolved mysteries, historical accounts, and ethical suggestions. “A Bible that did not claim to speak on behalf of God would not have become foundational to the faith of hundreds of millions of Christians and Jews (see 2 Peter 1:16-21) 45.” Providentially, the Bible authors did claim to be inspired by the Holy Spirit (see 2 Peter 1:20-21; Galatians 1:6-12, 5:9, and others).
The Bible is painfully honest. It shows Jacob, the father of God’s chosen people, to be a deceiver. It describes Moses, the lawgiver, as an insecure, reluctant leader, who, in his first attempt to come to the aid of his own people, killed a man, and then ran for life to the desert. It portrays David not only as Israel’s most loved king and spiritual leader, but as one who took another man’s wife and then, to cover his own sin, conspired to have her husband killed. At one point, the Bible accuses the people of God, the nation of Israel, as being so bad they made Sodom and Gomorrah look good by comparison (see Ezekiel 16:46-52). The Bible represents human nature as hostile to God. It predicts a future full of trouble. It teaches that the road to heaven is narrow and the way to hell is wide. Scripture was clearly not written for those who want simple answers or an easy, optimistic view of religion and human nature46.
What did Jesus think about the Scriptures? It is evident Jesus Christ believed the Bible was a Book about Himself (see Matthew 4:1-11, 5:17-19)47. He said: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). Jesus and His apostles taught that the Holy Scripture is “God preaching, instructing, showing, and telling us things, and testifying to Himself through the human witness of prophets, poets, theological narrators of history, and philosophical observers of life48.”
Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible discuss great miracles, with the primary ones being the Exodus from Egypt in the Old Testament and the resurrection of Christ in the New. If these miracles did not actually occur, then the Bible loses its trustworthiness. It would no longer have the qualities of inerrancy or infallibility. If Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead, then the Christian faith is built on a lie (see 1 Corinthians 15:14-17)49. We can have confidence from eyewitness accounts, such as Paul’s, that the resurrected Christ physically appeared on at least twelve occasions to a minimum of 530 people. These claims were provided in a timely fashion so as to be easily verified by those to whom Paul preached (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Nearly all of these eyewitnesses ended up as martyrs for their professions that Jesus had been resurrected.
Many people have given their lives for what they believed to be the truth; just look at all the Palestinian suicide bombers in the past decade! Martyrdom is not unusual; still, “people do not die for what they know to be a lie50,” so we must scrutinize the claims of the eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ, as they would have certainly known whether or not He had truly risen.
The Bible’s inerrancy is not the inerrancy of any one published text or version, nor of anyone’s interpretation, nor of any scribal slips or pious inauthentic additions acquired during transmission. Rather, Scriptural inerrancy relates to the human writer’s expressed meaning in each book, and to the Bible’s whole body of revealed truth and wisdom51.
To summarize, I have listed some reasons to believe the Bible is accurate:
1) Historical Accuracy
2) Archaeological Accuracy
3) Scientific Accuracy
4) Complimentary Accounts
5) Prophetic Accuracy
6) Structure, Unity, and Consistency
7) Amazing Preservation
8) Power to Change Lives
9) Claims of Divine Inspiration
10) Painful Honesty
11) Jesus’ Claims
12) Eyewitness Martyrdom
What about doubt?
You are certainly not alone if you have questions about the reliability or inspiration of the Bible. The Scriptures, like the world in which we live, contain elements of mystery. Yet if the Bible is what it claims to be, we do not have to try to sort out the evidence on our own. Jesus promises divine help to those who want to know the truth about Him and His teachings. Jesus said: “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own” (John 7:17).
Early in my born again Christian life, I struggled with and fought against the idea that the Bible was the infallible and inerrant Word of God. I did not think it could be true. My arguments were many:
- It is too old to be accurate.
- Surely it is just a story!
- There are so many versions of the Bible; only one version, like the original, can be accurate!
- It has been translated into over 2300 different languages. Surely the meaning is not the same in those languages as it was meant to be in the original Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek languages.
- It was written by forty different people spanning 1600 years. Who gets to determine which of those authors were divinely inspired? How do they know?
- Jesus probably existed as a real Person in history, but no way did He perform miracles and rise from the dead! Surely, He was not God!
I could go on and on, as many people will do when discussing their doubts regarding the Bible. While I am certainly not an expert on this topic, I have cared enough to investigate the matter and come to the logical conclusion. It is certainly okay to doubt the authority of the Bible before examining the evidence. To doubting Thomas, Jesus said: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
Doubt can lead to different outcomes, depending on which path is taken when it arises. Thomas doubted, but then he examined the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and feet, and he believed! When doubt is overlooked, ignorance develops. The problem with ignorance is that people argue for their belief without examining the evidence or knowing why they think they believe what they think they believe. They do not have any justification for their thoughts. Ignorance causes frustration, hardened hearts, and cynicism. Of course, if you doubt the Bible’s accuracy without any investigation, you will continue to have difficulty believing its truth.
Recall our prior discussion of skepticism. If you doubt Ronald Reagan was sworn in (with his right hand on the Bible) as President of the United States of America in 1980, you will be frustrated and cynical when people tell you otherwise—unless you examine the evidence. You will be comforted if you investigate and find the assertion is either true or false based on the evidence. How many skeptics have read the Bible? If they read it, did they study it and care enough to ask questions about tough concepts, suspect verses, and doctrinal concerns?
The beautiful thing about doubt is that it can provide an even deeper assurance of truth when the evidence is examined and found to be true. If you teach your children Ronald Reagan was sworn in (with his right hand on the Bible) as President of the United States of America in 1980, they will probably believe you without any evidence. Later in their lives, they may doubt the fact and want to confirm it by studying American History or hearing it is true from several other sources. When they find the evidence confirms the event’s actuality beyond a reasonable doubt (legal/historic proof), they are reassured you were telling them the truth long ago, and they have even more faith and trust in your honesty than ever before. The same is true with the Bible. If we believe it with blind faith, then come to doubt it, then search for and find evidence supporting its authenticity, we will have so much more assurance and stronger faith to share with others.
Many people are skeptical about things they do not understand. They often accept false truths without looking at the evidence. As I said earlier, many people would claim that both the God of the Bible is real and Darwin’s evolution is true, but the two are mutually exclusive. If one is true, then the other must be false. Darwin’s theory says the universe evolved naturally from non-existence to its current state apart from God over billions of years52. The God of the Bible says He created the universe and everything in it in six days.
You may be skeptical about my comparison of a well-known event that occurred in many of our lifetimes—Ronald Reagan’s inauguration—with a series of events said to have occurred in and around a tiny country halfway around the world between 6000 and 2000 years ago—creation/Biblical history. That is okay! We can still continue to examine the evidence for Biblical accuracy and make wise and discerning decisions.
Wisdom is “accumulated philosophic or scientific learning53,” such as knowledge. Wisdom is “the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships54,” such as insight. Wisdom is “good sense55,” or judgment. Discernment is “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure56;” it means “to detect with senses other than vision57” or “to come to know or recognize mentally58.” Of course, discernment and wisdom involve accounting for what God puts in front of our faces. We cannot claim to be discerning and wise if we pay no attention to the Gospel. We need to, at the very least, investigate the possibility of its truth. The Bible says: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 53:1). The Bible contains a Book of Proverbs, which is:
For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:2-7).
The Bible says: “If … you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). In the following [commentary], we will seek Him together, starting at the very beginning of time.