Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Bible: Can We Trust It?*

*/August 31, 2008/*

 

 

*Prep: *

·         Piper Message (in leftovers)& Grudem

·         Hard Sayings: Archeology and Prophecy

·         Bruce’s message

·         Bible: Daniel 7 & 8, Ps 22, John 20:1-8

·         Case for Christ: Josephus, Jesus Seminar’s assumption

 

 

*Intro*

 

Continuing our series on the Bible:

 

1.

Of Canon & Copies: Does our modern Bible have the right books and the original words?

2. Can We Trust the Bible?

Why should believe that the Bible is God’s revelation?

3. God Speaks, We Listen and Learn: This is not strictly on topic, but irresponsible not to include.

The *goal* of this series is twofold:

 

1.

*Demonstrate* the *trustworthiness* of the Bible as God’s revelation, both to *strength* our *faith* in it and equip us to *defend* it.

2.

Train us to “*correctly* *handle* the word of truth,” neither blinded by arrogance or ignorance as I said before.

*Q & A:* Text questions to 360-421-5530.Answered at end of sermon.

*Prayer*

 

While there is good reason, it is ultimately of faith, as everything is.

Help us *encounter* *you* in your Word.

*The audacious claim*

 

The basic question is “Can we trust the Bible.”

But that begs the question, “Trust it *for* *what*?”

 

·         Can we trust the Bible to be *inspired* of God, the *word* of God *spoken* through the ancient authors?

·         Can we believe that it *infallibly* records the *life*, *words*, *death*, and meaning of Jesus?

·         Can we trust that:

 

*2 Timothy 3:16-17 * 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This passage is not effective for convincing the unconvinced, but to those *who* *believe* the Bible to be trustworthy, it *accurately* *conveys* what the Bible *says* of *itself* and what *we* *believe* about it.

·         It contains the *very* *words* of *life* and is the only reliable measure of all truth.

This *doesn’t* mean that there is *no* *truth* outside of the Bible, but that, as God’s revelation, all *truth* is *measured* against it.

Ä  This is our *audacious* claim: That God has *spoken* and *we* *have* those words.

Either we are *arrogant*, *ignorant*, self-*deluded*, *exclusivistic*, ego-*centric*, *imperialistic*, *unscientific* *morons*, or we are *right*.

We had better be pretty sure.

*My route: Finding Jesus*

 

I want to share with you why I believe the Bible, even when the doubts come, and they do, sometimes pretty strong.

It is a mix of *reason* and *experience*, of *mind* and *heart*.

·         Not all of this may fit you, but I trust it will be helpful.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat next to a *guy* at the *Co-op*...I explained how I handled the doubts:

 

1.

I am forced to believe that *God* *is* there, that this is *not* all *by* *chance* and that *someone* *listens* when I pray.

2.

I am in *awe* of *Jesus*, moved by him.

Whatever difficulties I have (with pain, etc.) are eclipsed by the fact that God became one of us and *suffered* *alongside* us.

I am *drawn* to him and cannot turn away.

I *trust* *him*, he alone is *worthy* of my whole *heart* and entire *allegiance*.

I echo Paul:

 

NIV *2 Corinthians 4:3* And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

In the *face* of Jesus I see the *image* and *glory* and *love* and *compassion* of the *God* that my *reason* prevents me from denying.

*Yeah, but...*

 

Ä  At this point my reason breaks in and says, “Yeah, but how can you place so much faith in this Jesus?

*Where’s the proof*?”

Just because the Bible is *authentic* (as I showed last week) does not mean it is *accurate*.

Q   *Why* should we *believe* that the Bible accurately records the *life*, *words*, *death*, and *meaning* of *Jesus*?

Just as *lawyer* examine and cross-examine witness to determine *accuracy* and *honesty*, we can examine the *Biblical* *witness* of the Gospels to see if they stand up to *scrutiny*.

·         As I did last, week, I will address some common objections to the accuracy of the Gospels.

·         This material is largely from “The Case for Christ.”

Q   Aren’t the Gospels *riddled* with *inaccuracy*?

Q   Weren’t the Gospels written far *too* *late* to be trustworthy?

Q   Don’t they *reflect* the of the *early* *church* more of Jesus?

This is a claim of “The *Jesus* *Seminar*.”

They say that all the *miracles* and *claims* were *added* *later* and that over time Jesus went from a *peasant* *carpenter* to a *Messiah*.

1.

There was not enough time to add mythical elements.

Consider: There was a *400* *year* gap between *Alexander* the Great and his earliest biographers, yet they are considered accurate (myths only crept in later).

Gospels: Less than *40* *years*.

*Paul’s* testimony (20 years earlier) was based on things he heard as soon as *two* *years* after.

2.

The writers claim to have firsthand accounts.

NIV Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to *draw up an account* of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were *eyewitnesses* and servants of the word.

Therefore, since I myself have *carefully investigated everything* from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an *orderly account* for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the *certainty* of the things you have been taught.

We have no *good* *reason* to doubt their honesty.

These writings were accepted by *other* *eyewitnesses* and by the all of the *successive* *generations*.

 

 

3.

The authors had little reason to fabricate their story.

Ten of the eleven apostles died as martyrs – something you don’t do for a known lie.

 

 

4.

The four Gospels are self-consistent.

5.

The four Gospels are not identical.

6.

The Gospels contain self-damaging material.

·         Disciples were *too* *stupid* to get it (but went on to lead the church).

·         *Women* (who were not allowed to testify in court) being the first to find the empty tomb.

·         *Confusing* *statements* about *Jesus*: Not enough faith, a healing that took two tries, God forsaking him.

\   If the Gospels had been *made* *up* to any extent, they would have *edited* *out* these difficulties.

The only reason for including these things is that they *actually* *happened*.

7. The Gospels contain irrelevant material.

·         E.g.

Jn 20.

Why all the details?

Because it’s what happened.

8.

Jesus’ contemporaries could have exposed a lie.

If the Gospels were a lie, there would have been multiple opportunities for it to be refuted.

·         In fact, *early Jewish writings* describe him as a *healer* and *miracle*-*worker*, but a *deceiver*.

Ä  Here are only *eight* evidences – “Case for Christ” has *more*.

*The real issue*

 

When everything is factored in, I believe the Gospels stand up quite well to scrutiny “*beyond* a *reasonable* *doubt*.”

Not all doubts, but reasonable ones.

·         If treated with the *same* *standard* as other *ancient* *documents*, it *holds* up *exceedingly* *well*.

The *biggest* *objection* to the Gospels is an objection to miracles.

If it is *supernatural*, it *cannot* be *true*.

·         This is called an */a priori/* position, that is, a *presupposition* that that is *just* the *way* *things* *are*.

And this is what is meant when Paul said “The *Gospel* is *veiled* to the perishing.”

\   So as I examine *why* I trust the Bible, I see *Jesus*, *accurately* *portrayed*, and I *trust* in *him*.

And because I trust him, and he trusts the *OT*, I trust it.