One of the major problems many people have today in accepting the Bible as the Word of God is the supposed conflict between the Bible and Science. It is the popular belief that the Bible and science are at odds, that intelligence is on the side of unbelief, and that only childish or sentimental or uneducated people still trust the contents of the Bible. (2/20) This world-view has caused a prejudice that keeps many from even considering the legitimacy of the Bible Scriptures. By examining the evidence before deciding this will allow for a fair hearing on the subject. It is the purpose of the Christian evidences set forth here to show the correlation of Christianity to fact.
Science, which is knowledge, is the organized body of observation and experiment on present (repeatable) processes. Science can examine and analyze present processes and materials, but science cannot say conclusively how things came into existence, because origins are not subject to experimental verification. Science can only show what can be verified now, not what has happened in the past. That is for historians, biographies, and autobiographies.
If the God of the Bible is a reality, He cannot contract His speech in Nature by His speech in Scripture. If the Author of Nature and Scripture are the same God, then the two “books” of God must eventually recite the same story ... as science discovers more and more and continues to discard theories that contradict the reality of nature. Science merely documents nature, while God is the reality lying behind all phenomena, supporting it, directing it, and explaining it. We must be ready to hear the voice of science and the voice of Scripture on common matters. Scientific knowledge is invaluable for a knowledge of the Bible --- at least to know it fully and completely.(2/25)
Science is simply the process of discovering the mechanisms of nature, which God has put in place to make our universe work as it does. Science has opened up the secrets and meaning of nature, the creation of God. Both science and theology deal with the same universe, one part is physical and the other invisible. Through the Scriptures we discover the origin, purpose and end of the created universe. The reliability of the Scriptures can be validated by logical examination of evidence, just as valid scientific data can. Through science we find clues, analogies, confirmations of the existence and nature of the invisible universe. (2/28)
If one were to put into operation an automotive plant so fixed that as the finished products were driven off the assembly line they would drop into the maws of the huge smelter from which they were originally derived, it would be judged as a case of a perverted and fantastic mentality. Yet this is precisely the type of analogy much of modern science is following. It is the intent of science to amass all the facts about the universe in its countless facets; it is the function of theology to give these data their purpose and theological ordering. (2/27)
OF SCIENCE
ASTRONOMY
1) Job stated, in speaking of God, that "He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, and hangs the earth upon nothing"(Job 26:7). That of course, is a well known fact today. The earth is literally "hanging upon nothing". But we must remember that this was not the concept of Job's day. Men in Job's time felt the earth was possibly suspended on the backs of four elephants, who stood on the backs of a giant turtle! Or, they felt that the earth was suspended upon the shoulders of a supernaturally strong man! There were many odd views about the condition of the earth, but none stated the matter in the clear and correct manner as did Job. A lucky guess --- when everyone else was wrong ?
2) Isaiah said, "It is he [God] who sits upon the circle of the earth " (Isaiah 40:22).
The Hebrew word Isaiah used for "circle", means literally something with "roundness" or "sphericity". Of course, the people of Isaiah's time (and for many generations to come) thought the earth was flat, not spherical. Another lucky guess ?
3) Psalm 19:6 contains several interesting facts. In speaking of the sun (vs. 4), the psalmist says that "His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and the circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."
For many years, Bible critics scoffed at the Bible stating that this verse taught the old false doctrine that the sun revolves around the earth! Then, it was recently discovered, that the sun is in fact, moving through space. It is not stationary, as was once thought. In fact, it is estimated to be moving through space at about 600,000 miles per hour, in an orbit so large it would take an estimated 200,000,000 years just to complete one orbit! Another lucky guess ?
Oh, another thing, there is another gem tucked away in these two verses. The writer hints at the fact that the sun is the source of the energy of the earth ("and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof"). An amazing statement, considering when it was written, is it not?
OCEANOGRAPHY
1) Solomon, long ago, wrote, "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place wither the rivers go, there they go again" (Ecclesiastes 1:7). The Mississippi River, when running at an average rate of flow, dumps approximately 6,052,500 gallons of water into the gulf of Mexico - per second. Where does all that water go? And remember this is just the water from one river! The answer, of course, lies in the hydrologic cycle, of which the Bible speaks. Ecclesiastes 11:3a states that "if the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth" Amos 9:6b reminds us that "He...called for the waters of the sea, and poured them out upon the face of the earth; the lord is His name"
The idea of a complete water cycle was not fully understood or accepted until the 16th and 17th centuries. The first substantial evidence came from the experiments of Pierre Perrault and Edme Maroitte. Astronomer Edmund Halley also contributed valuable data to the concept of a complete water cycle. More than 2,000 years prior to their discoveries, however, the scriptures indicated a water cycle. How? Just a lucky guess?
2) Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873) was once confined to bed during a lengthy illness. His son, who had been asked to read for him from the Bible, turned to Psalm 8 and upon reading verse 8, drew his fathers immediate attention. The verse reads, "The birds of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas". It had never been noticed by Maury before. Using this verse he decided to find the "paths of the seas".
Indeed, he found just that! He was the first (of whom we have a written record) to recognize that the seas were circulating systems with interaction between wind and water. His book on physical oceanography is still considered a basic text for studies of that sort. The book, Matthew Fontaine Maury: Pathfinder of the Seas, by C.S. Lewis (published in 1927 by the U.S. Naval Institute) recounts the entire story. Maury "took God at His Word" and found that Word to be fully accurate!
3) Job was asked by God (Job 38:16), "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?". The Hebrew word for "recesses" (or "trenches") refers to that which is "hidden, and known only by investigation." What then were these "recesses of the deep" (the Hebrew for "deep" is the word for seas or oceans)?
Man, in previous centuries, thought of the seashore as nothing but a shallow, sandy extension from one continent to another. Then, in 1873 a team of British scientists searching in the Pacific Ocean found a "recess" 5 1/2 miles deep. Later, another team of scientists found in the Pacific ocean a trench more than 6 miles deep! How did Job know the recesses of the deep were there, when they weren't discovered for centuries?
Physics
· Moses wrote, "... and the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them" (Genesis 2:1). This is an interesting statement, because Moses chose the Hebrew past definite tense for the verb "finished", indicating an action completed in the past, never again to occur. That is exactly what the Fist Law of Thermodynamics says! This law (often called the Law of the Conservation of Energy, and/or Matter) states that neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed. How did Moses know ?
· In three places the Bible affirms that the earth is wearing out in Isaiah 51:6 and Psalms 102:26, and Hebrews 1:11 all say that, "... the earth will wear out like a garmet". This is precisely what the Second Law of Thermodynamics says: everything is running down, wearing out; energy is becoming less and less available for use; Entropy (a measure of randomness, disorderliness, lack of structure) is increasing.
That of coarse, means that eventually the universe will "wear out". The Bible writers knew it, and stated it clearly. We didn't discover it until a few years back. How did the Bible writers know?
MEDICINE
· Moses told the Israelites that "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leveticus 17:11-14). Indeed, Moses was correct. Because the red blood cells can carry oxygen (due to hemoglobin in the cells) life is made possible.
In fact, human red blood cells can carry 270 million molecules of hemoglobin, each.. If there were any less, there would not be enough residual oxygen available to sustain life after, say, a good sneeze, or a hard pat on the back! We know today that "the life of the flesh is in the blood". But it wasn't known even as recently as in George Washington's day. He was bleed to death through the blood-letting process of that days doctors. How was Moses so accurate ???
· According to the old testament, circumcision was to be performed on the eighth day of a newborn male's life. (Genesis 17:12). Why the eighth day? In 1935 Professor H. Dam proposed the name "Vitamin K" for the factor in foods which helped prevent hemorrhaging in baby chicks.
We now know that Vitamin K is responsible for the production of prothrombin by the liver. If Vitamin K is deficient, there will be a prothrombin deficiency and hemorrhaging may occur, since both Vitamin K and prothrombin are necessary for proper blood-clotting. Oddly enough, it is only on the 5th through the 7th days of the newborn male's life that Vitamin K begins to be produced (usually produced by bacteria in the intestinal tract). It is only on the eighth day that the percentage of prothrombin climbs above 100%!
The only day in the entire life of the newborn that the blood-clotting element prothrombin is above 100% is day eight. Therefore, the best day for circumcision is the eight day! Did Moses have access to modern day scientific knowledge, or did God tell him to write this?
· Genesis 3:15 says, "... between her seed and thy seed", revealing that a female (as well as a male) possessed the seed of life . Such, however, was not believed in Moses day, or even until recently. Ancient writers believed that only the male possesses the seed of life, and that the female was nothing more than a "glorified incubator". One writer even suggested that you could deposit the male semen in the warm mud, and the result would be the same as depositing it in the human female! How was Genesis so accurate?
BIOLOGY
In the field of biology, one of the most commonly accepted and widely used laws of science is the Law of Biogenesis. This law was set forth many years ago to dictate what both theory and experimental evidence showed to be true among living organisms --- that life comes only from preceding life, and perpetuates itself by reproducing only its own kind or type. As Dr. David Kirk has correctly stated, “By the end of the nineteenth century there was a general agreement that life cannot arise from non-living under conditions that now exist upon our planet. The dictum ‘All life from preexisting life’ became the dogma of modern biology, from which no reasonable man could be expected to dissent.” (7) The experiments which formed the ultimate basis of this law were first carried out by such men as Francesco Redi (1688), Lazarro Spallanzani (1799), Louis Pasteur (1860), Rudolph Virchow (1858). It was Virchow who documented that cells do not arise from formless matter, but instead come only from preexisting cells. (1, vol. IX, #6/22). This law has no exceptions. (This, by the way, is one of the major flaws in the theory of evolution!)
· Thousands of years before the “Law of Biogenesis”, Moses declared that things reproduce "after their kind" (Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24). You don't get bananas from corn stalks, buffaloes from zebras, or dogs from cats. Moses was right on target, but how did he know these things --- since the science of genetics wasn't instituted until the year 1900?
· Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:39 stated that there are four fleshes --- those of men, beasts, birds, and fishes. Today, every evolutionists acknowledges this truth. These fleshes are different indeed in their biochemical makeup. But how did Paul, an itinerant preacher, know this?
· Paul also said that it is God who gives all life (Acts 17:25). For centuries men tried to prove spontaneous generation true; they attempted to "create" life through naturalistic process, yet always without success. Men may alter the state that life is, but they cannot create it. But, how did Paul know this almost 2,000 years ago ? One of those lucky guesses? (1/Vol1, #9, 33)
GEOLOGY
The Worldwide Flood of Noah (Genesis 1:2, 6, 9; and 7:11-24) has been ridiculed often.
In 1885, Edward Suess was one of the first geologists to publish a study based on the geologic framework of all countries. His research lead to his discovery that all land surfaces had been under water, especially in his observations of the world's mountain ranges. This explains why you find shells on the tops of mountains. Coincidence?
Many huge fossil beds have been found where great numbers of many different types of animals were together: Flood explains this: as waters rose, animals sought higher ground and eventually were all together, then swept off together where currents deposited them along with loads of sediment.
The quick-frozen Mammoths in Siberia is in favor of the Flood.
The Grand Canyon: water cut through material not yet consolidated after it had been deposited by the flood.
How would you get all those animals in the Arc?
Ernst Mayr, a leading taxonomist, list only 17,600 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians:
· Taking sheep as the average size for the animals (You can fit 240 sheep into a two
level box-car);
· The Arc was a huge box that would have space for of 522 box cars (the measurements are in Genesis 6:15). This means all 17,600 would fit leaving plenty of space for food and
people. So maybe the Flood and Noah's Arc aren't so far-fetched after all
ARCHEOLOGY
· The Bible is filled with references to actual cities, places, mountains, rivers, civilizations: Archeology (The study of history by means of uncovering ancient ruins) has confirmed the Bible record time and time again.1) Civilization began in Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent has been proven to be the cradle of civilization.
2) Long lives of patriarchs before the flood . Archeology has revealed men living great lengths of time:
The Sumerian’s, lived in ancient Mesopotamia from 4000 to 3000 BC, (sometimes called “the cradle of civilization”) and seem to have been the oldest people to make use of writing. These people made contributions to many area which still influence us today in Astronomy, Mathematics, Geometry, Fine Arts, and Architecture. Their day was divided into two twelve hour segments, and their architecture may have been responsible for constructing the famous “tower of Babel” (4/9-14), from which all languages seem to have originated (6/47). Cuneiform from excavations of the capital city of Mari, have produced records of familiar Biblical names such as Peleg, Serug, Nahor, and Terah, as well as the city of Haran where Abraham lived, as well as the city of “Ur of Chaldees” in his youth. (5/26-28) From them has been recovered a record called The Sumerian King list which tells of kings reigning from (10,800 to 64,800???) years. The Bible is pretty conservative compared to these, and suggests that before the Flood there was a water canopy around the earth which created a greenhouse effect removing the harmful rays of the sun (see Genesis 2:6-14).
3) The Great Flood: Archaeologists have found many accounts of a Great Flood which are amazingly parallel to the Bible (Genesis 6-8). Most striking similarities are: divine judgment; of a hero who constructs a boat; even of sending out birds. Mere coincidence?
4) Today many believe that Noah's actual arc is still in existence on Mt. Ararat in Turkey: some claim to have seen it; due to its being under snow most of the time, and being located close to the Russian border, it has been extremely difficult to prove this conclusively.
5) Stories like the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9); Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19); Jericho (Joshua 6) are no longer regarded as myths --- have been proven by archeology.
ATOMIC PHYSICS
2 Peter 3:10-12 was used over 100 years ago to prove that the Bible could not have been divinely inspired. It reads, " ... the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up ... the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved ... "
"How could there be a fire big enough to burn up the whole world?", they said. Two generations later science discovered atomic energy. In these verses God is prophesying how the world would come to an end through an atomic reaction that actually melts the basic building blocks of matter itself. That is an atomic physics statement from a fisherman of 2,000 years ago! Mere chance? No chance!
NUMERICS
· In 1882, Ivan Panin, a Russian immigrant had just graduated from Harvard. A brilliant mathematician, multi-lingual scholar (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) and a literary figure, he had traveled as an agnostic and had often lectured on atheism. He began studying the Bible in the original languages, of which he was fluent.
Now both Hebrew and Greek (the New Testament languages) are unique in that they do not use special symbols for their numbering system, but instead use the letters of their alphabets to represent numbers. Each letter can actually represent a number, too.
Aware of the numerical values of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets, Panin experimented one day by replacing the letters with their corresponding numbers in the Scriptures. Suddenly, his trained mind saw a mathematical pattern. The verses he had studied bore unmistakable evidence of "an elaborate mathematical pattern, far beyond random chance, or human ability to construct!"
This study marked a turning point in his career, and from that time until his death in 1942, he devoted his entire life to the study of Bible numerics. He later supplied the Nobel Research Foundation with over 43,000 sheets of his studies accompanied by his statement that this was his evidence that the Bible was the Word of God, and was acknowledged by them, "As far as our investigation has proceeded.. we find the evidence overwhelming in favor of such a statement."
Panin found that patterns of prime numbers, such as 11, 13,17, 23, "but especially 7", were found in great clusters. When you add up the sum of all numerical values for different words, sentences, paragraphs, passages, and whole books, you find the same pattern in each of these forms!:1) The number of words in a vocabulary divides by 7.
Some example are:
2) The number of proper names, both male and female, divides by 7.
3) The number of words that begin with a vowel, or a consonant, divides by 7.
4) The number of nouns is divisible by 7, as are the words that are not.
5) The same for words that occur more once in a sentence, paragraph, book, or the whole Bible divided by 7.
6) Even the number of words beginning with each letter of the alphabet are divisible by 7!
7) And on and on the list goes ... limited only by your imagination!
Genesis 1:1, the very first sentence in the Bible states "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." In the Hebrew that comes out exactly 7 words, that have exactly 28 (4 x 7) letters, 3 nouns (God, Heaven, and Earth), one Hebrew verb (created). Taking the letters of the nouns and substituting their numerical equivalents and adding them up, you get 777 (111 x 7)! The verb had a numerical value of 203 (29 x 7). This process can be carried out as far as you want to go!
Matthew 1:1-11 has 49 words (7 x 7) in the original Greek, with 28 words that begin with a vowels (4 x 7), and the remaining 21 (3 x 7) begin with a consonant. 7 end with a vowel, and 42 end with a consonant (6 x 7). The 49 words have 266 letters (38 x 7); 140 are vowels (20 x 7); 126 are consonants (18 x 7). Of these 49 words, 14 occur only once (2 x 7); 35 occur more than once (5 x 7); 42 are nouns (6 x 7) that have exactly 49 letters (7 x 7). Male name occur 56 times ( 8 x 7), and women's names appear 3 times (a prime number), and the letters of their names adds up to 14 . How far do you want to check it. It keeps coming out the same!
Every word, chapter, and book in the Bible checks out this way. The Bible has it's own built-in self-checking mechanism against someone tampering with it! Take out one letter and it damages the whole pattern ! How could mere fishermen and tax collectors have conjured up something as remarkable as this mathematical pattern? (3)
One mind, one author --- one God, many different writers, but one Writer! Can you imagine the kind of Mind that would do this, and not even care if you found out?
Conclusion
These items are just a meager sampling of the science in the Bible. How did the writers have this scientific foreknowledge? Simple: God had them put it there, through divine revelation!
All conflict between the Science and the Bible falls into the realm of interpretation of facts --- which are based upon assumptions (assumptions which can be in error!). No fact of science is in conflict with the scriptures! To set science against theology is simply to oppose Creation to Revelation, and Nature to Redemption. It is the uniform testimony of Scripture that the God and Christ of creation are the God and Christ of redemption. It is the interest of science to amass all the facts about the universe in it’s countless facets; it is the function of the Bible to give these data their purpose and theological orderings.
Science without Scripture sets forth the universal scheme as blind, meaningless, and purposeless never knowing of an hour of creation, or consummation, and in the perceptive of an infinity of years and an immensity of space our human hopes, joys, tragedies, aspirations, civilizations, intellectual and artistic achievements are meaningless, insignificant and trivial.
Science in harmony with the Scripture and human life with all it’s hopes, joys, tragedies, aspirations, civilizations, intellectual and artistic achievements become the very center of the universe. It is the insistence of the Biblical revelation that God is the God of all humanity, of all the world, and of all the universe. Both science and Christianity deal with the same universe. The emphasis in science is on the visible universe, and of Christianity the emphasis is on the invisibility universe, but it is one universe! (2/28-29)
The more one studies the Bible, from any perspective (Science, History, Prophecy, Numerology, Etc.), the more it's reliability is established ! You can put any test that you want on this book and nothing is even in the same class. No other work of man in any language even faintly resembles the intricate structure and design of the Bible. The Bible is not just a book --- it is God who has spoken in history, and presents His Truths of the invisible, or spiritual side of the universe. They are just as “true” as the God’s physical truths science documents for us. Truth is truth and facts are facts no matter who develops them!
The Bible will, and has, stood the test of time and is worthy of your investigation. The truth welcomes examination. Find out for yourself: is the Bible what it says it is, the word of God? Or is it just another book in a sea of books?
The Bible also says that we each will live eternally, either in heaven or hell, depending on whether we obey God. The Bible says we must: believe (Romans 10:17), repent (turn from sin --- Romans 3:23; Acts 17:30), confession of Jesus as the Son of God (Romans 10:10), baptism into Christ for the remission of sins (Galatins 3:27; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16), and to be faithful until death (Revelation 2:10). If you were to die right now, would you go --- to heaven or hell?
References:
1) Thompson, Bert & Jackson, Wayne, “Reason & Revelation”, Apologetic Press, Inc., Montgomery, Al, 36109.
2) Ramm, Bernard, “The Christian View of Science and Scripture”, Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Ferdmans Pub. Co.
3) Panin, Ivan, “Bible Numerics”, Waubaushene, Canada LOK 2CO
4) Hyma, Albert, “Ancient History”, New York: Barnes & Nobel, Inc., College Outline Series
5) Seller, Charles E. & Russel, Brian, “Ancient Secrets of the Bible”, New York: Dell Publishing
6) Free, Joseph, “Archaeology and Bible History”. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications
7) Kirk, David, “Biology Today”, New York: Random House, 1975.
The Bible as Given by God?
Blog Archive
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Science And The Bible
Understanding The Bible
The Bible is a complex library of books, but it’s basic lessons can be understood by following these seven helpful rules.1) SEARCH FOR GOD’S WAY
We must desire to know and obey God’s will. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak of My own authority” (John 7:17). We should not expect to understand the Bible if our intentions are not good. Jesus said His parables were not understood by some because they did not have the proper motives and attitude (Matthew 13:13-23).
2) FOLLOW THE BIBLE ONLY
Beware of the traditions of various religious groups. There is a tendency to assume these traditions are from the Scriptures. In many instances they are contrary to the Scriptures. For example, clergy - laity distinctions are contrary to the instructions of Jesus who said to His disciples, ““But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” (Matthew 23:8; 1 Peter 2:9) Careful study is required in order to distinguish between the traditions of men and the instructions from God. To do God's Will we must always "Listen When The Bible Speaks, And Remain Silent When The Bible Is Silent", Revelation 22:18-19; Dueteronomy 4:2; 12:32;1 Corinthians 4:6. The Bible is God's rules about how we should live our lives. God wants us to "search the scriptures daily", as in Acts 17:11.
3) AVOID THOUGHT SYSTEMS
Systems of thought cause us to interpret the Scriptures to fit the system of thought. Dispensationalism, Premillennialism, and Calvinism all involve systems of thought. For example, Calvinism will lead us to read the idea of inherited sin into Psalm 51:5. David was simple expressing his deeply felt repentance for sin. Sin is something we do, not something we inherit. It is essential that we open our Bibles to learn what God has revealed. We must allow God to speak to us through His Word.
4) NOTE THE TESTAMENTS
Specific instructions for those who follow Christ are found in the New Testament. For example: Christians were instructed to remember Christ’s death, burial and resurrection in the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to observe the Passover (Exodus 12:3-22) which helps us to understand the Lord’s Supper’s instructions and symbolism. Although we learn many lessons from the Old Testament, we follow the instructions found in the New testament.
5) CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING
When we study a passage of Scripture we must define the context, which is very important in understanding what God is saying to us in the Bible: “Who is speaking?” “To whom are they speaking?” “When was it spoken?” “Where was it spoken?” “and “What is the purpose?” In other words in relation to the words around it; the sentences, verses, chapters, and books before and after it. The Bible must be taken as a "whole" to be understood properly, otherwise confusion results. Psalms 119:160 (N.A.S.) says, "The sum of Your Word is Truth". God's Word contains no contradictions! Any apparent contradiction is in our understanding and lack of enough study on the matter under consideration. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
TAKE NOTES: A notebook is a valuable aid to Bible study because we tend to remember what we write down (or at least we can find it). If we forget, a notebook helps us to remember. Write down main thoughts, central characters, word meanings, things alike and unlike, anything that stands out to you.
6) CONSIDER ALL VERSES RELATED TO THAT TOPIC
Read every verse on a given subject. Beware of one or two verse answers. The question, “What must I do to be saved?” should not be answered with one or two verse. Romans 10:9 mentions confession and belief; Romans 10:13 mentions calling on the name of the Lord; Romans 10:14 mentions hearing; Romans 6:3-5 mentions baptism; Acts 2:38 mentions repentance and baptism; Romans 6:17 tells of obedience from the heart. There are many more verses that mention the requirements for salvation. ALL ARE NECESSARY.
Look up all references with parallel thoughts, through the use of a complete concordance of the Bible. These list every word in the particular version of the Bible you may have and their locations in the Bible, as well as giving their Greek or Hebrew meanings. (Strong’s Complete Concordances, Nave’s Topical Bible, and Trench Synonyms are good but not exclusive choices). Much of this will come from your experience of reading the Bible though many times. Try and get in the habit of reading the Bible through each year to gain an overall understanding of God’s Word. All of the Bible is His Word, and is necessary for our understanding of His will. (Psalms 119:160).
Define word meanings (An Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words is very valuable here), things alike and unlike, and write down main thoughts, and central characters. It is helpful to read a passage in various translations, making careful comparisons.
Look for approved (by God) Commands, Examples, or Necessary Inferences (can it be taken no other way logically = “necessary” inference).
Figures of speech should be carefully studied and be understood fully. Word study books give helpful information and a Bible atlas is useful.
7) DO AND TEACH
We will want to share the good things we find in the Bible. Our friends may not always accept what we say, but they will believe what we do. Jesus, “... began to do and teach.” (Acts 1:1). As we teach others, we understand more fully the truths of the Scriptures. We are thankful God did not leave us without a guide. The Word of God is “... a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me at BibleTruths@hotmail.com to leave comments, suggestions, for more information, or the locations of the church belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Is the Bible the Inspired Word of God?
The "intelligent" people of today see the Bible as a great myth that should be scorned and rejected. They say that to believe the Bible is a sign of weakness. They say the Bible is a work of man who needed a God, and therefore he created one in his mind, and began to write about Him. They explain the Biblical account of our creation by saying that because people did not understand their beginnings, they made up a theory of a great God who created all things.
Others, though they do not disdain the Bible, look at it as a wonderful work of men. They claim it is a book to be admired and studied; a book of great value to society in molding character and shaping lives. But they, too, deny that it is a book from heaven.
Even in the religious world, there is a sharp disagreement concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures. Some religious groups now teach that the Bible is inspired, but in the same way that Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Poe were inspired when they wrote their works. They say, "God blessed these men with the ability to write profound works. Similarly, God blessed the men who wrote the Bible with the ability to pen their beliefs in profound ways." This theory is called "Universal Inspiration."
Other religious groups teach that the Bible is inspired in its general principles and ideals of righteousness, but not in its historic facts, specific statement of doctrine or commands. They say, "God guided the general teachings, but not the specific writings." This theory is called "Partial Inspiration." Many religious groups are now holding to this theory.
Despite the views of many in our society, we maintain that the Bible contains God’s Word. It is inspired in all that it says. The men who wrote the Bible, wrote exactly what God wanted them to write, without error or contradiction, while still retaining their own character and style.
First, if the men who wrote the Bible were liars, and knew they were liars, why would they write a book that condemned liars to a devil’s hell (1 Timothy 1:9-10; Revelation 21:7)? If hypocritical men invented a Savior, why would they invent a Savior who condemned hypocrisy (Matthew 23)? Why would false witnesses write a book condemning false witnesses? Why would proud, boastful men write a book that praised humility and self-sacrifice? Surely we need not go further to see the fallacy. When individuals organize a religion or "club," they naturally make rules that will fit their lifestyle and ease their conscience. If ordinary men lied and created a Bible, they would not make it self-condemning.
Second, if ordinary men wrote the Bible, why do they depict themselves in a "bad light" from time to time? Why would they have their Savior born in a barn? Or grow up in Nazareth? Or die on a Roman Cross with thieves? Why would the disciples admit their constant lack of faith in Jesus as their Savior? Why would Peter’s denial be highlighted as it is in the Gospels? Why would Paul’s past life be presented? Etc. A Human nature would have caused the writers to depict Jesus as a "hero" and their own role in history as faultless.
Third, if ordinary men wrote the Bible, what motive could they have had? What did they have to gain? They did not gain money. They did not gain comfort. If they were living a lie, they did not gain happiness. And if they were living a lie, they did not gain a home in heaven. These individuals, because of their faith, were considered the scum of the earth in the eyes of many, and most died horrible deaths as their reward. People do not go to such lengths (sacrifice of time, money, suffering) without motives. The disciples, by lying, had nothing to gain and everything to lose.
The Bible was written by many different men, most of whom were of very ordinary background. They were shepherds, farmers, a tax collector, fisherman, and a tentmaker --- unlearned and ignorant men in comparison to the "Scholars" that existed in the first century. Yet, these simple, ordinary men wrote with exaltation, and confidently claimed that their writings were from God. They gave God the credit for everything they did. These very ordinary men produced a book that has lasted for thousands of years, and is still the single best-selling book in the world. Is this not incredible? It is very incredible, unless we understand that the Bible is not merely a work of man, but of God. Common sense leads us to this conclusion.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
In this passage, Paul makes four important claims about the Bible:
- 1) It’s teachings are inspired --- they come from God;
2) Because the Bible represents God’s Word, it’s teachings are authoritative --- they are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness; and
3) It is complete, giving us all that we need to know in order to serve God properly.
4) A proper relationship with God depends on a proper understanding of these truths.
Peter said,"Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation. For prophesy never had it’s origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit," (2 Peter 1:20-21).
So, according to the Bible, when we read from its pages, we are not reading the words and thoughts of some frail mortal such as you and I. We have before us the mind of the Eternal God, the All-Powerful and Omnipotent Creator.
Is the Bible what it claim’s to be? Is it really the Word of God? Fortunately, this subject does not come down to mere subjective speculation, or "our word against your word." There is ample evidence, internal and external, verifying the validity of the Bible: many books have been written on the subject. Obviously, in the limited format, the best we can do is to survey a few of the evidences that point to the Bible’s inspiration.
Fulfilled Prophecies
Consider the following prophecies found in the Bible:
2) In Micah 4:10, 150 years before the event, Micah prophesied that the kingdom of Judah would be taken captive by Babylon. In Jerimiah 25:11-12 it was further prophesied that the captivity would last for exactly 70 years. Check your history books, both came true exactly as prophesied.
3) The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy seemingly impregnable Babylon and subdue Egypt along with most of the rest of the known world. This same man, said Isaiah, would decide to let the Jewish exiles in his territory go free without any payment of ransom (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats (and he did, eventually, perform them all), and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile.
4) The exact location and construction sequence of Jerusalem's nine suburbs was predicted by Jeremiah’s "last days", that is, the time period of Israel's second rebirth as a nation in the land of Palestine (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This rebirth became history in 1948, and the construction of the nine suburbs has gone forward precisely in the locations and in the sequence predicted.
Allow me to illustrate. Suppose someone in England wrote two lines of music, someone in Greece wrote three lines of music; someone in Germany wrote five lines of music; I wrote a couple of lines of music, and so on. Also suppose that like myself, all of the other writers were generally unskilled musicians. Yet, we each wrote the same melody, in the same key, with the same timing and rhythm, etc., so that when the music was brought together, it made a beautiful, complete symphony. What would you think? If you are like me, you would say, "Impossible! Unless each of these amateur musicians were being guided by some master musicians."
Consider the Bible. This collection of 66 books was penned by probably at least 40 writers, from four continents, over a period of 1600 years, yet contains no contradictions! Some wrote in Palestine, some in Egypt, others in Asia, Rome, Babylon, and Persia. They were from prisons, palaces, and islands. They were from different backgrounds. Because they were separated by time, distance, circumstances, and backgrounds, many of the authors never saw, spoke to, or even heard of any of the other men that helped pen the pages of the Scriptures. Yet, when all of these books were brought together, they were all in perfect harmony, without contradiction or discrepancy, telling of the spiritual history of humanity and God’s provincial care. They all wrote of the same God, the same events, the same Savior, the same fears and the same hopes.
What do you think? Possible? Sure it is ... IF they were guided by the same Master Mind. That mind was the Eternal God.
Scientific Foreknowledge
Job wrote of God, "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing," (Job 26:7). At the time Job wrote this, there was virtually no scientific knowledge concerning the universe. The last thought of the average man was that the earth sat upon nothing! Some thought that it rested upon the back of a great turtle, while others held equally ridiculous theories. How was Job able to know that the earth was suspended in space, thousands of years before such could be proven? He must have had help from Someone greater than himself.
This verse also revealed, centuries before human exploration confirmed the fact, that the north polar region of the earth is a barren "empty space" --- a barren, frozen wasteland, a permanent ice cap with no land underneath. Submarines are able to navigate under the ice cap because there is nothing underneath it to prevent them.
Isaiah wrote, "It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.," (Isaiah 40:22). It was believed for more than twenty centuries after Isaiah wrote that the earth was flat. At the close of the 15th century, when Columbus made the famous voyage, there were still many who held to this erroneous belief. Yet, Isaiah confidently declared that the earth was round. How could he learn such information on his own?
There are numerous other passages that could be noted. For example, the Bible declared that there were channels or rivers that flowed through the Seas (2 Samuel 22:16). The gives good and accurate teachings concerning the control of disease prevention (Leviticus 13:45; 14:1-47); geographical information; astronomy, biology, and oceanography. The Bible writers were centuries ahead of their time! They must have been guided by a higher power!
The Bible Has Endured the Test of Time
First, it has survived the threats and warfare of those who have hated it. Throughout the ages, people have tried to destroy and discredit the Bible. Roman emperors of the first three centuries tried to destroy it. They were unsuccessful. In the centuries to follow, the Roman Catholic Church tried to keep the Bible out of the hands of the people. They made it a crime to translate the Bible into a language other than Latin. They later made it a crime to own a Bible without receiving authorization from the Roman Catholic Church. In 1229, the Catholic Church forbade reading or studying the Bible, except by church officials. Despite these awesome attempts by the Catholic Church to keep people from reading the Bible, it is now printed in nearly every known language, and is available throughout the world.
Robert Ingersol, the famous infidel of the Nineteenth Century, once held p a copy of the Bible and boasted, "In fifteen years, I’ll have this book in the morgue." In less time than this, Ingersoll was in the morgue. Voltaire, the Philosopher, boasted that within 100 years, the Bible would be found only in museums. Nearly 200 years later, the Bible is still available in most societies. Ironically, after Voltair’s death, his house was purchased by the Geneva Bible Society. From the same presses that once printed Voltaire’s atheistic literature, thousands of Bibles were printed.
Second, the Bible has survived the false religions that have been built upon it. The teachings of the Bible have been misrepresented by many through every age since its writing, yet, it’s truths live on.
Years have come and gone, and the Word of God continues to be published and read by people everywhere, Surely this must suggest that there is something special about the great book. As one writer once wrote, "The Bible is an anvil that has worn out many hammers." Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away," Mark 24:35. "For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever," (1 Peter 1:24-25). No other book has had to endure what the Bible has endured, The fact that the Bible is still available is evidence of its inspiration.
Conclusion
This book, God’s book, teaches us what to believe, how to live, how to worship, etc. We should make it our goal to live by the teachings of the Bible, for the Bible also reveals that a vast eternity awaits each of us. And, where we spend eternity will be based on whether or now we live in accordance to the teachings of the Bible.
Author - Jim Crouch, Christian Expositor, Volume 7, Number 1, March 1993, pgs. 19-26, P.O. Box 725, Buffalo, MO 65622.
Please ask your-self this: Since all the historical, scientific, and prophetic statements made in the Bible are true and accurate; then what about the what the bible says about the choices that you make now (or don't make) --- that can affect your eternal future (life or death)? It is in your best interest to study it to find out what God requires of those who would be His children (Romans 8:14-16).
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Bible Prophesies
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One of the strongest unbiased evidences of Biblical inspiration is the occurrence of fulfilled prophecy. The bible is essentially unique among the religious books of mankind in this respect. Some of them contain a few vague forecasts, but nothing comparable to the vast number of specific prophecies found in the Bible. The same is true of modern "prophets", so-called. Such seers as Nostradamus, Jean Dixon, and others have made many predictions, but often they are obscure and capable of various meanings. A few of these "modern prophecies" seem to have been fulfilled in a general way, but most of them have completely failed.(1/181)
Prophets, to be legitimate, must stand the test of time. If the prophet was not 100% correct 100% of the time he is a false prophet. Prophecy, to be valid, must predate the event; must be precise enough so as to not be vague; must have enough events described to be beyond human ability to calculate or manipulate --- in other words not be something that man could do, without God's guidance!
37 More Specific Bible Prohecies of Christ
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Only God knows the future. He is able to "call the things that are not, as though they were" (Romans 4:17). He declares "the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done." (Isaiah 46:10; Acts 15:18). If one can demonstrate the ability to always predict future things that find exact fulfillment, it would follow logically that such a person, in possession of this gift, would be speaking on the behalf of God. His message therefore, would be valid. (3/81-82) The Bible is God's final prophetic word to humanity. Do not listen to those who claim special predictive abilities, or those who would twist the Scriptures in an effort to fulfill a personal prophetic agenda. There are many religions today that claim to have "prophets", but remember for a prophet to be from God there can be no errors, ever! That lets all of the "prophets" since the first century on.
Scholars suggest that there are about 1,000 prophecies altogether in the Bible --- some 800 in the Old Testament and about 200 in the New Testament. (3/82) It must be noted carefully that the gift of prophecy was clearly in operation during those by-gone ages when the Biblical scriptures were being prepared and validated as God's Word. But the gift of prophecy was terminated near the end of the first century AD, when the New Testament was completed,
(1 Corinthians 13:8-10) and was no longer needed.
37 More Specific Prohecies of Christ
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· One of the major Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ's coming as the Messiah is from the book of Daniel. First, when Daniel recounted and interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he revealed that God would establish the Messianic kingdom during the time of the Roman Empire (i.e., the forth kingdom represented in the kings dream ---.Daniel 2:24-45). Roman domination of Palestine began in 63 BC, and the Empire continued until AD 476.
· Second, the Christ was promised to come before "the septer" departed from Judah (Genesis 49:10). If this prophecy has reference to the Messiah ("Shiloh") coming before God's people lost their national sovereignty and judicial power ("septer"), then He had to come before the Jews lost their power to execute capital punishment (John 18:31). When Rome deposed Archelaus in AD 6, Coponius was installed as Judea's first procurator, "The ... procurator held the power of jurisdiction with regard to capital punishment" (Solomon 1972, 13:117). Hence, Christ was predicted to come before AD 6 (see also McDowell, 1972, PP 176-178).
· Third, Daniel predicted that the Messiah would come, die, and bring and end to "sacrifice and offering" before the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:24-27: Matthew 24:15; Jackson). Jerusalem was obliterated be Rome in AD 70.
· Forth, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2). It is a matter of historical record that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem while Palestine was under Roman rule, before Judah lost her judicial power, and before the destruction of Jerusalem (see also Matthew 2:3-6 and Luke 2:1-6). (7,45)
27 More Specific Bible Prophecies of Chirst
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Many of the prophecies concerning the messiah were totally beyond human control, such as:
Birth: Place, time, manner of.
Death: Peoples reactions, piercing of side, burial
Resurrection: Where did His body go?
By using the modern science of probability in reference to just eight of these prophesies --- the chance that any man might have lived to fulfill all eight prophecies is one in one hundred trillion!
To illustrate this: If we take 100 trillion silver dollars --- and lay them on the face of Texas, they would be two feet deep. Now we mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly --- all over the state. Now blindfold a man and let him travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick only one silver dollar. What chance would he have of picking the right one? The same chance that the prophets would have of writing just eight of these prophecies and having them all come true for any one man --- if they had written them without God's inspiration!
40 More Specific Prohecies of Christ
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The chance of any one man fulfilling all of 38 prophecies is one in 10 to the 157 power. The electron is about as small an object as we can imagine. if we had a cubic inch of these electrons and tried to count them, it would take us (at 250 per minute) 19,000 time 19,000 time 19,000 years to count them. Now mark one of them, and thoroughly stir it into the whole mass. What chance does our blindfolded man have of finding the right electron? --- The same chance as one man of fulfilling 38 of the prophecies about Christ, without being the Son of God!
Here is a short listing of some of the hundreds of prophecies concerning Christ:Linage Genesis 3:15; 9:26: 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-16
Son of GodPsalm 2:6-7
Virgin birthIsaiah 7:14
BirthplaceMicah 5:2
Piercing of sideZechariah 12:10
DarknessPsalm 22:2
VinegarPsalm 69:21
MockingPsalm 22:6-8
NakednessPsalm 22:17
Gambling for clothesPsalm 22:18
Unbroken bonesPsalm 34:20
BurialIsaiah 53:9
ResurrectionPsalm 16:10; Hosea 6:2; Psalm 30:3,9; Isaiah 53:10
Assention to right hand of GodPsalm 110:1; 68:18; Proverbs 30:4; 24:3-10
Seems impossible? Even so, it was predicted to happen many centuries before it happened. Jesus Himself predicted the fall of Jerusalem in Luke 19:43-44, "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Dueteronomy 28:64 prophesies "Then the Lord will scatter you among the nations from one end of the earth to the other." Jesus again predicts in Luke 21:24, "They will fall by the sword and will be taken prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled."(see also Romans 11:25; Isaiah 11:11).
The Jews began to return to Palestine in small numbers in the early part of the twentieth century, and then in much larger numbers after World War I. After World War II the Israeli nation was re-established in part in 1948, and in 1967 in the "six-day war" Israel recaptured the "old city" of Jerusalem. Amazingly, Jerusalem is now completely under Jewish control, except for one spot. This is on Mount Moriah where the Arabs have built their famous Dome-of-the-Rock, the second most holy place in the Muslim world. The Jews for political or other reasons have not yet dared to expel the Arabs from this site, raze it, and proceed to rebuild their temple, as they must want to do. (1/192-193) "Last Days Prophecy" is being fulfilled right before our eyes!
1) Nebuchadnezzar will destroy the mainland of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:8).
2) Many nations against Tyre (Ezekiel 26:3).
3) Make her a bare rock; flat like the top of a rock (Ezekiel 26:4).
4) Fishermen will spread their nets over the site (Ezekiel 26:5).
5) Throw the debris into the water (Ezekiel 26:12).
6) Never be rebuilt (Ezekiel 26:14).
7) Never be found again (Ezekiel 26:21) (2/285)
Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to mainland Tyre three years after the prophecy and after a 13 year siege (585-573 BC) Tyre made terms and acknowledged Babylonian authority over them.(4/xxii.,452) When Nebuchadnezzar broke the gates down, he found the city almost empty. The majority of the people had moved by ship to an island about a 1/2 mile off the coast and fortified a city there. The mainland city was destroyed in 573 BC, as predicted. The city of Tyre on the island remained a powerful city for several hundred years. (2/286)
Alexander the Great, in his war on Persia, marching southward called on each city to open their gates to him, as part of his plan to deny the use to the Persian fleet. Tyre refused to do so, and Alexander laid siege to the city. Possessing no fleet, he demolished old Tyre, on the mainland, and with the debris built a causeway 200 feet wide across the straits separating the old and new towns, erecting towers and war engines at the farther end. (4/xxii., 452) Tyre continually raided the causeway with fire-ships greatly retarding progress, until Alexander pressured conquered subjects to make ships for his operation. After attaining a superior naval force, Alexander finished the causeway, battered the walls of Tyre down killed eight thousand of the inhabitants and sold thirty thousand into slavery. (5/153)
A history book by a secular historian reads, "Alexander the Great ... reduced Tyre to ruins... the larger part of the site of the once great city is now bare as the top of a rock --- a place where fishermen now spread their nets to dry." (5/55) Another historian, John C. Beck, says, "The history of Tyre does not stop with after the conquest of Alexander. Men continue to rebuild her and armies continue to besiege her walls, until finally after sixteen hundred years, she falls never to be rebuilt again." (6/41)
All the prophecies of Ezekiel about Tyre have come true: Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland city of Tyre; Many nations were against Tyre; Alexander made her a bare rock and threw debris into the water to make the causeway; fishermen now spread nets over the site; (there is a city of Tyre today, but it is located down the coast from the original Tyre) the old city of Tyre has never been rebuilt, even though a great freshwater spring are located at the site, providing 10,000,000 gallons daily. It is still an excellent site today but has never been rebuilt, although many have tried. All seven of the predictions came true in the minutest detail.Sidon (Ezekiel 28:22-23);
Samaria (Hosea 13:16 & Micah 1:6);
Gaza-Ashkelon (Amos 1:8; Jeremiah 47:5; Zephaniah 2:4);
Moab-Ammon (Ezekiel 25:3-4; Jeremiah 48:47 & 49:6);
Petra-Edom (Isaiah 34:6-15; Jeremaih 49:17-18; Ezekiel 25:13-14 & 35:57);
Thebes-Memphis (Ezekiel 30:13-15);
Nineveh (Nahum 1:8-10; 2:6; 3:10; 3:13; 3:19);
Babylon (Daniel 2,7; Isaiah 13:19-22; 14:23; Jeremiah 51:26 & 43);
Chorazin-Bethsaida-Capernaum (Matthew 11:20-24 );
Enlargement of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:38-40); and finally
Palestine (Leviticus 26:31-33 & Ezekiel 36:33-35),
where the events are happening right before our eyes!
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments or further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
References
Compiled and edited by P. Dennis Crawford
1) Morris, Henry M., "Many Infallible Proofs", San Diego: Creation Life Publishers, 1974
2) McDowell, Josh, "Evidence that Demands a Verdict", Campus Crusades for Christ, Arrowhead Springs, San Bernardino, Ca 92414, 1972
3) Jackson, Wayne, "Reason & Revelation Vol. Xv, No. 11, 1995", "Prophecies - True and False", Apologetics Press, 230 Landmark Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117
4) Encyclopedia Britanicia, 1970
5) Myers, Philip Van Ness, "General History for Colleges and High Schools", Boston: Ginn and Company, 1889.
6) Beck, John Clark, Jr., "The Fall of Tyre According to Ezekiel's Prophecy", Unpublished Master's Thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1971.
7) Brominling, Brad T., "Reason and Revelation Vol. XI, No 12, 1991", "The Prophet's Portrait of Christ", Apologetics Press, 230 Landmark Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117
8) Charts by Rose Publishing, Torrance, CA, 1998
Is Your Bible Accurate?
By Rick Cutter
if it is beleaguered with errors and contradictions?
The Bible’s Accuracy Under Attack
One thing is certain Accusations of gross Biblical inaccuracy should be taken seriously, for if these charges are true then Christianity is without doubt the greatest hoax ever foisted upon humanity.
· Attacks on the Bible’s integrity are by no means a new thing.
Voltaire (1694-1778), the renown French philosopher / agnostic / anti-Christian, predicted within 100 years of his time Christianity would become extinct. Presently, Voltaire appears to be extinct while Christianity continues to explode. Worse still, within 50 years of Voltaire’s death the Geneva Bible Society acquired use of his home as a printing office and distribution center for the very Bibles he so fervently scorned. (3)
The Bible has repeatedly endured and resiliently rebounded from attack after endless attack , but its extraordinary truths, uncanny accuracy, and undeniable prophecies appear to have eternally inoculated it from anything but momentary setback
50,000 Errors in the Bible?
While millions of people consider the Bible to be the accurate word of God many others, including some scholars, question whether the Biblical word s we read today are the same swords penned by the original Biblical authors.
Muslims and other skeptics allege the Bible contains almost 50,000 errors and perhaps over 100 Bible contradictions (examined in the next article).
Their logic is unmistakable: “With so many errors, how can we trust the Bible’s message?”
Even some “Bible believing” Christians question Biblical accuracy. They’ve been informed by certain credible sources about Biblical inexactness and have thustly concluded that Biblical content should be accompanied with a large grain of salt --- although, they surmise. Biblical ;principles are probably accurate. Hence, specific Biblical doctrines should not be taken seriously since, they believe, some of the finer details have been lost through time.
Needless to say, such allegations hold huge, perhaps even “religion-changing” implications.
A Closer Look at Biblical Accuracy
In a moment we will show that charges of gross Biblical inaccuracy are grossly untrue. But first let’s examine the reasons why some intelligent people make such startling accusations.
The widespread circulation of these allegations is probably due to misunderstanding in 3 areas:
1) Failure to understand how the Bible came into existence,
2) Failure to understand how ancient Bible manuscripts were collected and combined to form a “reconstructed text” from which translations are translated, and misunderstanding how so-called “errors” are counted, and,
3) Failure to understand how that, one’s own motives must not be allowed to cloud rational judgment and honest logic; nor should religious traditions or preconceived opinions be allowed to influence one’s quest for truth.
Now let’s take a closer look at these misunderstandings. (Note: This article will focus on the New Testament portion of the Bible since it is the Christians’ primary Guide. However, the concepts following also apply to both the New Testament and the Old Testament.)
Misunderstanding #1 Failure to Understand How the Bible Came Into Existence
Fortunately, you don’t have to climb a telephone pole to make a phone call, or memorize a car manual to operate an automobile.
Likewise, you needn’t be a connoisseur of textual reconstruction to understand the vital concepts of how we got our modern Bibles : How Biblical books were originally chosen, copied, re-copied, and finally collected to form a reconstructed “original” from which our modern Bibles are translated into various world languages.
Are the Original Biblical Books Gone --- And If So, What Are the Ramifications?
The New Testament was originally written in the first century during the height of the most powerful government to ever control the civilized world: the Roman empire. The Romans were a surprisingly advanced society, and writing technology was no exception.
The 1st century writing material in vogue was papyrus (from which our modern term “paper” is derived) Light and easily transportable, Papyrus “paper” was manufactured from the Papyrus reed which grew abundantly in Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Jordan River valley. (4) Hence, New Testament authors penned the original New Testament books on papyrus. The earliest book s of the New Testament were composed around 50 a. d. and were completed about 96 a. d.
But papyrus had its drawbacks. Although abundant and light, it was also somewhat fragile. As a result, it is unlikely any of the original Biblical books have entirely survived. This means it would be extremely difficult for unprincipled individuals to alter the original text, for to do so would require modification of perhaps thousands of copies across the world.
Why Were Only 27 Books Selected to Be “the New Testament?”
Exactly 27 books, written by 9 men probably on papyrus, were collected into one document that we now call “the New Testament.” These so-called “books” were actually letters (to individuals and churches), historical documents, and prophetic writings revealing, future events. (5)
But why these - and only these --- 27 books?
Let’s take the Apostle Paul’s 2 letters to the church at Thessalonica as an example. At the end of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he instructed them to pass his letter on to all Christians to read. 1st Century Christians apparently obeyed this mandate, since today there exists 5,300 Greek manuscripts (these were hand—written copies containing all or portions of the New Testament - Greek was the original language of the New Testament), and an amazing 19,000 more copies in various other languages, adding up to a whopping 24,000 New Testament manuscripts worldwide (all located in museums and libraries dotting the globe)
Obviously, since 1st century Christians considered Paul’s writings sacred, they made copies. Original letters were then passed on to other churches, who made copies of their own. Some Christians - unable to obtain Paul’s original letters - probably made their copies from copies - in essence creating second generation copies of the original. This process was repeated for all Biblical books, some of which were specifically addressed to multiple churches (such as the epistles [letters] of Peter, James, and Hebrews) rather than to a single person or church (such as Paul’s epistles to Philemon and Timothy). (6)
This means that the original letters of these universally-accepted, inspired Christian writers were copied thousands of times. Each new copy helped ensure the accuracy of the original, since it further eliminated the probability the original could be modified - either inadvertently by careless copyists, or purposefully by unscrupulous individuals - because doing this would require locating and modifying numerous manuscripts.
Naturally, as each of these letters and books were circulated, they were compiled into a collection of sacred writings (called a “canon”).In this manner, early Christians settled on 27 New Testament books written by 9 inspired writers that became universally accepted as inspired writings which embodied the entirety of God’s will. (7)
By 170 a. d. , complete sets of the New Testament could be found containing our modern New Testament.
How Can We Be Sure the Manuscripts Were Copied “Mistake-Free?"
Let’s face it: Early Christians --- regardless of how well-meaning --- were not perfect individuals.
True, they considered the original writings of Paul, Peter, and the other Biblical authors to be accurate according to God’s will. True, they were careful. They doubtless tried to be accurate. But they were human. And humans make mistakes.
Which leads to a question: if early Christians probably made a few slip-ups, why do modern textual experts consider the Bible to be an essentially accurate document?
Why Do Experts Consider the Bible Accurate?
Plainly, one reason is simply due to the sheer number of Bible manuscripts (24,000). Since there are so many of them, and because their content is so similar (more on this in a moment), scholars believe beyond reasonable doubt the reconstructed Bibles we have today are essentially equivalent to the original. Even if a “bad apple” manuscript existed among the 24 000 --- perhaps due to a sloppy copyist or unscrupulous person who tampered with the text --- the massive number of copies would make identifying and eliminating the “bad apple” a relatively simple task And what about all those allegations regarding unscrupulous modifications to Biblical manuscripts? There is no reliable historical evidence suggesting such a conspiracy ever took place except in the imaginations of Biblical opponents.
Philip Schaff wrote:
“We possess so many MSS [manuscripts] and are aided by so many versions, that we are never left to the need of conjecture as the means of removing errata [errors].” (Companion to the Greek New Testament and English Version, p. 182)
Another reason scholars have enormous confidence in Biblical accuracy is that early Christians were utterly intolerant of dishonesty. Early Christians were commanded - by Christ and Biblical writers to be absolutely truthful, reliable, and honest in all situations. And all historical evidence seems to suggest hey did just that. (8)
And finally, Christians were strictly forbidden to add or take away from God’s word in any manner. They deeply believed in the importance of preserving every detail of the entire word of God “exactly as it had been delivered to them.” (9) (10)
Thus it should come as no surprise that textual experts consider the Bible to easily be the most well- attested book of antiquity. There are many more surviving manuscripts of the New Testament than there are of any other piece of ancient literature. Outside of Homer’s Iliad which has less than 700 surviving manuscripts, no other ancient Greek or Latin work has more than 700 surviving manuscripts, and very few have more than 20 (11)
Misunderstanding #2: Failure to Understand How the Bible Was Reconstructed and How "Errors" Are Counted
Since the original 27 New Testament books are probably not in existence, how did textual critics go about reconstructing the original text from all those 24,000 manuscript copies?
Textual reconstruction is actually a simple concept. Older copies, unless sloppily copied, are clearly more valuable since there is less of a chance they possess accidental mistakes (misspelled words, missing lines, skipped words, etc.) - and more of a chance they are first / second / third generation copies of the original. With 24,000 manuscripts, it would be normal to expect insignificant, unintentional mistakes to creep into the text - they would also be extremely easy to identify.
Specialists in manuscript analysis report that copyists were prone to making two types of scribal blunders: First, slightly modifying proper names (especial unfamiliar foreign names) and second, using contemporary numbering systems. In other words, the vast majority of so-called errors we hear about today were apparently harmless scribal modifications of names (e. g. , today the Russian name “Katya” might be translated into English as “Kate” or “Katherine”) and conversions of ancient weights and measures to more easily understandable contemporary systems.
Textual critics call any modification a “variation" or “variant reading."
How Do Textual Experts Count “Errors?”
Since the purpose is to recreate the original text as accurately as possible, textual critics keep track of the number of variations among the manuscripts. It is the manner in which they count these variations that has led to all the modern confusion and misinformation about so-called Bible errors.”
How then do textual critics count variations?
Each variation in every copy is added up by experts. Thus, if a single word was misspelled in an early copy. and 5,000 copies bad been made of that one copy, textual specialists would consider this as 5,000 variations, even though the variation would not change their ability to accurately reconstruct the original whatsoever.
50,000 Errors - Or Less than 10?
Some scholars believe the New Testament contains perhaps from 150,000 to 200,000 variant readings among the 24,000 manuscripts. (12)
That sounds like an enormous number,. but 150,000 divided among 24, 000 averages to a meager 6 variant readings per manuscript. While this is only an average, it showcases the astonishing accuracy of Bible manuscripts, particularly when one realizes the New Testament contains roughly 250,000 words and well over 1,000,000 letters (although not all manuscripts contained all New Testament books). When one factors into this the intentional modification of proper names and numbers, the incredible accuracy of the New Testament comes into irrefutably sharp focus.
Thus, the declaration of “50,000 errors in the Bible” leaves a grossly exaggerated impression. Those who make such statements are either purposely attempting to mislead their unsuspecting listeners, or are honestly ignorant of the concept of textual reconstruction. It is extremely unlikely modern reconstructed texts contain any significant differences to the original text. Even the staunchest of skeptics have yet to identify a single modified Biblical doctrine attributable to scribal error - or anything else!
Ironically, as each new manuscript is discovered, more validation is given to existing manuscripts --- but the total number of variations also increases. In other words, a higher number of Bible variations is probably more indicative of the great number of Biblical manuscripts (24,000) than it is of’ Biblical textual corruption.
(Specific charges of so-called Bible contradictions will be investigated in a coming article.)
What If a "Mistake or Two" Exists in the Reconstructed Text —Can We Really Trust the Bible?
Some people have suggested that, in spite of the incredible accuracy of our modern Bibles by virtue of the many manuscripts we have to work with, there still exists the mathematical possibility, albeit tiny, that an error may have somehow crept into the final text of what we call “the Bible.” Does that mean we should no longer take seriously the Bible’s message?
Consider the following illustration. Imagine for a moment that you somehow found an ancient, hand-written scroll containing a map with instructions to the location of what you believed would be priceless treasures on a sunken ship, somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. With joyful anticipation you make travel arrangements to locate the treasure --- when you get a phone call from an expert you’ve confided in and he has bad news: your map may be a 3rd generation copy of the original, which means there is the possibility that it could contain errors.
Would that stop you? Would you suddenly rush out and cancel your plane reservations?
Most sensible people probably wouldn’t.
Yet too many today, when it comes to their only valid spiritual map from earth to heaven, are only too eager to flippantly lay aside this priceless Guide for fear of a rare misspelled word! Unfortunately, the consequences for making this fateful decision could be disastrous.
Tossing out the baby with the bathwater is never a good thing.
But What About Bible Translations --- Are They Accurate?
If the reconstructed Greek texts are essentially accurate. What about the translations made from those texts? Are they accurate too?
By and large, the answer is a resounding "yes.” As far as English Bible translations are concerned, many translators have done an absolutely phenomenal job of paying meticulous attention to detail to ensure that our English Bibles are as close to the original thought as is humanly possible.
Of course, there are various types of translations on the market. Some define themselves to be mere paraphrases, others have attempted to construct word- for-word translations, and others fall somewhere in between. The bottom line is, serious Bible students probably need multiple translations since comparing translations --- just like comparing manuscripts --- gives one the greatest opportunity for not “losing anything in the translation.”
Misunderstanding #3: Failure to Remove Prejudice and Pre-Conceived Motives From Truth Searching
To find truth, ones own motives must not be allowed to cloud rational judgment and honest logic; nor should religious traditions or pre-conceived opinions be allowed to influence one’s quest for truth. And while some allegations of Biblical errors emanate from honest, misinformed individuals, others show the unfortunate signs of seedy theological motivation.
Muslims are a prime example (as are many other religions pdc). Because they actually claim to accept the entire Bible as truth, they find themselves perched in a precarious position. To be intellectually honest, they must either make a valid historical case that the Bible manuscripts have been massively altered --- or they must abandon Islam entirely!
This is because the Bible clearly attests its completeness - in other words, it claims to be the final revelation from God. No other revelations will follow it This doesn’t leave much room for the Koran (or any other such-like "revelation from God”) since the Koran came rather late to the party --- 500 years late, in fact. And just as bad for Muslims is the Bible’s repeated identification of Jesus as the promised Messiah Since the Koran does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Koran glaringly contradicts the very Bible it claims to authorize. (13)
Thus, many modern Muslims have “bought in” to baseless charges of gross Biblical inaccuracy. Muslims claim the original Biblical books were 100% accurate, but the manuscripts were all tampered with by unscrupulous Greeks who purposely altered the Bible to make it sound like Jesus was the Messiah and to make folks doubt the Koran. They further assert that the only part of the Bible which perhaps be trusted are those portions which do not disagree with the Koran, a book they believe is infallible.
Muslims also believe all manuscripts of the Koran are also infallible, since Allah, they insist, guided the copying process to ensure 100% accuracy. This creates yet another logical difficulty for Muslims who now must explain how those who copied the Koran were guided by Allah to prevent human error --- but those who copied the Bible (which they also believe came from Allah) were not guided by Allah, but instead plagued with a severe case of “blunderitis.” Furthermore, to get every manuscript to match, early Muslims destroyed every conflicting copy of the Koran, such that today no Muslim can be certain the Koran is even similar to that which Mohammed originally wrote. Did Allah guide only the hands of certain copyists?
Obviously, while we certainly respect our Muslim friends, such Islamic charges are plainly devoid of credible evidence.
Yet the Bible continues to be the number one best seller year after year after year --- much to the vexation of the thinly veiled, theologically motivated, logically vacant campaign against it’s intregity.
Attacks upon the Bible, instead of thwarting its popularity, have resulted in closer examination into the Book which has again emerged unscathed and stronger and more popular than ever from the baseless attacks and groundless conspiracy theories.
We close with the timely words of Frederic Kenyon:
“ ... no fundamental doctrine of the Christian Faith rests upon a disputed reading ...” and, “ ... the general result of [24,000 Bible manuscript] discoveries strengthened the proof of the authenticity of the Scriptures, and our conviction that we have in our hands, in substantial integrity, the veritable Word of God.” (14).
(2) McDowell, p 16.
(3) McDowell, p 20.
(4) The Papyrus reeds (which grew from 3 - 10 ft tall) were sliced and arranged lengthwise and crosswise, water applied, pressed, dried, rubbed smooth, and then rolled up in sections usually of 5 x 9" to about 9 x 15" and lengths of about 20 to 30 ft. Authors would typically write in columns as narrow as 3". By the 4th century AD, papyrus was replaced by parchment (dried animal skins) due to its greater durability, although papyrus remained in wide-spread use until the 8th or 9th century.
(5) Apparently 9 men penned (on papyrus) the 27 books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter, Jude, and the unidentified author of Hebrews, possibly Barnabas). Every author was either an apostle or a direct associate of an apostle, and divinely inspired - and all were universally accepted by early Christians (which is why their writings were copied and considered so valuable). Of these 9 men, 4 were among the original 12 apostles of Christ (Matthew, John, Peter, and Jude). Paul (also considered by early Christians to be an apostle of Christ), Mark (also called John Mark, who had accompanied Paul on part of his first mission campaign), Luke (a physician / historian who also accompanied Paul on portions of his mission campaigns), James (the brother of Jesus, not an apostle), and the author of Hebrews - round out the remaining authors. The Catholic Bible contains several additional books sandwiched between the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament which were added into the Bible 1500 years later and thus are not accepted by many as legitimate inclusions.
(6) Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; 1 Peter 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:14;
1 Timothy 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13 - Several letters were not written to individual churches, meaning they were circulated to many congregations. For example, Peter addressed his 2 letters to numerous congregations spread across Roman provinces - Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia to be exact. James wrote his epistle to "the 12 dispersed tribes of Israel" - in other words, to Jewish Christians who had been scattered across the Roman empire due to persecution. There is only one logical way Christians could read these books addressed to them: by circulating the original, or obtaining copies of copies. It is also very possible the originals were copied initially several times and distributed in original form.
(7) All other writings fell by the wayside as a set of 27 books began to settle in as the complete New Testament. Other inspired, redundant books (such as Paul's letter to the Laodicean church, not extant) also fell off due apparently to its redundancy of teaching to other existing books.
(8 Colossians 3:9; John 8:44; John 10:1; 1 John 2:21; Revelation 21:8.
(9) Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 22:18-19.
(10) Neil R. Lightfoot, How We Got the Bible, p 92. Of course, the first Christians were Jews, and Jewish scribes were famous for the extreme and painstaking measures they took to avoid scribal slips of addition, modification, or omission. Jewish Biblical copyists were so accurate that some have actually suggested their hand-written copies were more accurate than those produced on modern printing presses. Why? Because Hebrew scribes literally counted every verse, word, and even every letter in each book. They even went to the absurd extreme of counting the number of times each letter was used in each book. They calculated middle verses, middle words, etc., etc - to the point of the ridiculous. Every count reportedly had to total correctly in each new manuscripts or the entire document was destroyed. By contrast, even modern printing presses occasionally fail to copy a letter, chop off the top or bottom of a page, leave out a page, or due to poor printing render part of the text difficult to read. This was not the case with Jewish scribes. Every manuscript copy was examined and re-examined with a fine-tooth comb. Therefore it is logical to conclude that the first Christians - who were entirely Jews, and who considered the Bible's message the greatest treasure on earth - labored for the same squeaky-clean accuracy as their scribal predecessors.
(11) F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, p 178.
(12) McDowell, p 44.
(13) 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Revelation 22:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6; John 8:24; Matthew 16:13-18.
(14) Frederic G. Kenyon, Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, p 23, and, The Story of the Bible, p 113.
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A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
Bible Archaeology
In the Spring of 1947, a shepherd boy named Muhammad was searching for a lost goat on the west side of the Dead Sea, about eight miles south of Jericho. He tossed a stone into a hole in a cliff. To his surprise, he heard the sound of shattering pottery! On the floor of the cave were several large jars, carefully sealed, containing leather scrolls, wrapped in linen cloth. Because of this, the scrolls were preserved in excellent condition since about AD 68, about 30 years after Christ's death.
The problem before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was "How accurate are the copies we have today of the Bible, compared with the text as originally written?” Because the text has been copied so many times, can we trust it? One of the scrolls found was a complete manuscript of the Hebrew text of Isaiah. It is dated by Paleographers at around 125 BC This is more than 1,000 years older than any previously possessed before this time. “The Isaiah copies proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the text. The remaining 5% variations consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and differences in spelling."
This demonstrates the unusual accuracy of the meticulous copyists of the Scriptures. Each of the fifty chapters of Genesis are either illuminated or confirmed by some archeological discovery, as are most of the remaining books of the Bible! 1) “Moses' time was prior to all knowledge of writing” ??? --- The Ebla tablets are 1,000 years before Moses, and records laws, customs, and events in writing!!!
2) "Various uses of the name for God indicated more than one author" ??? ---- At Ebla, a Cannitish test was discovered, dated at the same time Moses lived, that used five different names for God ... in a single narrative!!!
3) "The 'Five Cities of the Plains' (Genesis 14) did not exist, and the kings and events listed were fictitious and historically unreliable"??? --- The Ebla archives refer to all 'Five Cities of the Plains' on one tablet ... in the exact same sequence and spelling as in Genesis 14; these kings were made to pay tribute to Ebla !!!
4) "The Priestly Code and moral legislation recorded by Moses were far too developed to have been written by him."??? --- At Ebla, tablets containing law codes were discovered; demonstrating that other civilizations at the time of Moses possessed elaborate judicial proceeding and case law!!!
Don't you think it's worth examining more closely to see if it is in fact the Word of God, and if it is, then what must we do to receive eternal life from God?
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
Bible Numerology
CLICK TO ENLARGE OR PRINT
The numerical structure of the Bible has been studied closely, being the subject of numerous volumes in the past. But none are more provocative than the works of Dr. Ivan Panin.
Ivan Panin was born in Russia on December 12, 1855. Having participated in plots against the Czar at an early age, he was exiled and, after spending some years studying in Germany, he came to the United States and entered Harvard University. After graduation in 1882, he converted from agnosticism to Christianity. In 1890 he discovered some of the phenomenal mathematical designs underlying both the Greek text of the New Testament and the Hebrew text of the Old Testament.
He was to devote over 50 years of his life painstakingly exploring the numerical structure of the Scriptures, generating over 43,000 detailed, hand-penned pages of analysis (and exhausting his health in the process). He went on to be with the Lord in his 87th year, on October 30, 1942.
The Hepadic Structure
The recurrence of the number seven--or an exact multiple of seven--is found throughout the Bible and is widely recognized. The Sabbath on the seventh day; the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine in Egypt; the seven priests and seven trumpets marching around Jericho; the Sabbath Year of the land are well-known examples.
Also, Solomon's building the Temple for seven years, Naaman's washing in the river seven times, and the seven churches, seven lamp stands, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven stars, and so on in the Book of Revelation, all show the consistent use of the number seven.
But there turns out to be much more below the surface. Ivan Panin noted the amazing numerical properties of the Biblical texts--both the Greek of the New Testament and the Hebrew of the Old Testament. These are not only intriguing to discover, they also demonstrate an intricacy of design which testifies to a supernatural origin!
Vocabulary
One of the simplest--and most provocative--aspects of the Biblical text is the vocabulary used. The number of vocabulary words in a passage is normally different from the total number of words in a passage. Some words are repeated. It is easy, for example, to use a vocabulary of 500 words to write an essay of 4,000 words.
An Example
The first 17 verses of the Gospel of Matthew are a logical unit, or section, which deals with a single principal subject: the genealogy of Christ. It contains 72 Greek vocabulary words in these initial 17 verses. (The verse divisions are man's allocations for convenience, added in the 13th century.) The number of words which are nouns is exactly 56, or 7 x 8.
The Greek word "the" occurs most frequently in the passage: exactly 56 times, or 7 x 8. Also, the number of different forms in which the article "the" occurs is exactly 7.
There are two main sections in the passage: verse 1-11, and 12-17. In the first main section, the number of Greek vocabulary words used is 49, or 7 x 7.
Why not 48, or 50?
Of these 49 words, the number of those beginning with a vowel is 28, or 7 x 4. The number of words beginning with a consonant is 21, or 7 x 3.
The total numbers of letters in these 49 words is 266, or 7 x 38-- exactly! The number of vowels among these 266 letters is 140, or 7 x 20. The number of consonants is 126, or 7 x 18--exactly.
Of the 49 words, the number of words which occur more than once is 35, or 7 x 5. The number of words occurring only once is 14, or 7 x 2. The number of words which occur in only one form is exactly 42, or 7 x 6. The number of words appearing in more than one form is also 7.
The number of the 49 Greek vocabulary words which are nouns is 42, or 7 x 6. The number of words which are not nouns is 7. Of the nouns, 35 are proper names, or exactly 7 x 5. These 35 names are used 63 times, or 7 x 9. The number of male names is exactly 28, or 7 x 4. These male names occur 56 times or 7 x 8. The number which are not male names is 7.
Three women are mentioned-- Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. The number of Greek letters in these three names is 14, 7 x 2. The number of compound nouns is 7. The number of Greek letters in these 7 nouns is 49, or 7 x 7. Only one city is named in this passage, Babylon, which in Greek contains exactly 7 letters. And on it goes. To get an indication of just how unique these properties are, try the example in the inset.
Gemetria
There are even more features in the numerical structure of the words themselves. As you may know, both Hebrew and Greek uses the letters of the alphabet for numerical values. Therefore, any specific word--in either Hebrew or Greek--has a numerical value of its own by adding up the values of the letters in that particular word. The study of the numerical values of words is called gemetria.
The 72 vocabulary words add up to a gametrical value of 42,364, or 7 x 6,052. Exactly. If one Greek letter was changed, this would not happen.
The 72 words appear in 90 forms--some appear in more than one form. The numeric value of the 90 forms is 54,075, or 7 x 7,725. Exactly.
We will defer other examples of gametrical properties of the Biblical text for subsequent articles, but it becomes immediately obvious that hidden below the surface are aspects of design that cannot be accidental or just coincidence. Remember, the rabbis say that "coincidence" is not a kosher word!
Other Implications
There are words in the passage just described that occur nowhere else in the New Testament. They occur 42 times (7 x 6) and have 126 letters (7 x 18). How was this organized?
Even if Matthew contrived this characteristic into his Gospel, how could he have known that these specific words--whose sole characteristic is that they are found nowhere else in the New Testament--were not going to be used by the other writers? Unless we assume the absurd hypothesis that he had an agreement with them, he must have had the rest of the New Testament before him when he wrote his book. The Gospel of Matthew, then, must have been written last.
It so happens, however, that the Gospel of Mark exhibits the same phenomenon. It can be demonstrated that it would have had to be written "last." The same phenomenon is found in Luke. And in John, James, Peter, Jude and Paul. Each would have had to write after the other in order to contrive the vocabulary frequencies! You can demonstrate that each of the New Testament books had to have been "written last."
There is no human explanation for this incredible and precise structure. It has all been supernaturally designed. We simply gasp, sit back, and behold the skillful handiwork of the God who keeps His promises.
And we are indebted to the painstaking examinations and lifetime commitment of Dr. Ivan Panin for uncovering these amazing insights.
Isn't God--and His remarkable Word--fun?
Notes:
McCormack, R., "The Heptadic Structure of Scripture," Marshall Brothers Ltd., London, 1923; E.W. Bullinger, Numbers of the Scriptures; F.W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (7 vols.); Browne, Ordo Saeculoreium, et al.
Ivan Panin (various works), "Bible Numerics," P.O. Box 206, Waubaushene, Ontario, L0K 2C0
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
Bible Oceanography
The idea of a complete water cycle was not fully understood or accepted until the 16th and 17th centuries. The first substantial evidence came from the experiments of Pierre Perrault and Edme Maroitte. Astronomer Edmund Halley also contributed valuable data to the concept of a complete water cycle. More than 2,000 years prior to their discoveries, however, the scriptures indicated a water cycle. How? Just a lucky guess?
1) Solomon, long ago, wrote, "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place wither the rivers go, there they go again" (Ecclesiastes 1:7). The Mississippi River, when running at an average rate of flow, dumps approximately 6,052,500 gallons of water into the Gulf of Mexico - per second. Where does all that water go? And remember this is just the water from one river! The answer, of course, lies in the hydrologic cycle, of which the Bible speaks. Ecclesiastes 11:3a states that "If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth" Amos 9:6b reminds us that "He...called for the waters of the sea, and poured them out upon the face of the earth; the Lord is His name"
2) Matthew Fontain Maury (1806-1873) was once confined to bed during a lengthy illness. His son, who had been asked to read for him from the Bible, turned to Psalm 8 and upon reading verse 8, drew his father's immediate attention. The verse reads, "The birds of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas". It had never been noticed by Maury before. Using this verse he decided to find the "paths of the seas".
Indeed, he found just that! He was the first (of whom we have a written record) to recognize that the seas were circulating systems with interaction between wind and water. His book on physical oceanography is still considered a basic text for studies of that sort. The book, Matthew Fontaine Maury: Pathfinder of the Seas, by C.S. Lewis (published in 1927 by the U.S. Naval Institute) recounts the entire story. Maury "took God at His Word" and found that Word to be fully accurate!
3) Job was asked by God (Job 38:16), "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?". The Hebrew word for "recesses" (or "trenches") refers to that which is "hidden, and known only by investigation." What then were these "recesses of the deep"? (The Hebrew for "deep" is the word for seas or oceans). Man, in previous centuries, thought of the seashore as nothing but a shallow, sandy extension from one continent to another. Then, in 1873 a team of British scientists searching in the Pacific Ocean found a "recess" 5 1/2 miles deep. Later, another team of scientists found in the Pacific Ocean a trench more than 6 miles deep! How did Job know the recesses of the deep were there, when they weren't discovered for centuries?
Physics
Moses wrote, "... and the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them " (Genesis 2:1). This is an interesting statement, because Moses chose the Hebrew past definite tense for the verb "finished", indicating an action completed in the past, never again to occur. That is exactly what the Fist Law of Thermodynamics says! This law (often called the Law of the Conservation of Energy, and/or Matter) states that neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed. How did Moses know?
In three places the Bible affirms that the earth is wearing out in Isaiah 51:6 and Psalms 102:26, and Hebrews 1:11 all say that, "... the earth will wear out like a garmet". This is precisely what the Second Law of Thermodynamics says: everything is running down, wearing out; energy is becoming less and less available for use; Entropy (a measure of randomness, disorderliness, lack of structure) is increasing.
That of coarse, means that eventually the universe will "wear out". The Bible writers knew it, and stated it clearly. We didn't discover it until a few years back. How did the Bible writers know?
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruths@hotmail.com for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
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- At one time I was an Agnostic/atheist, not much caring if God existed or not. Then one day I was challenged to examine the evidences of God and the Bible. These are the basic truths I as "Just a Christian" am trying to share with others on these blog-sites: 1) To provide the “evidences” for God and the creation, the infallibility of the Scriptures, and for Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of mankind. [Hebrews 11:1] 2) To reach the lost with the complete Gospel of Christ and salvation. [Romans 1:16; 2:16; 5:19-20; Galatians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9] 3) To help Christians to grow in their knowledge and faith and the grace of God, and commitment to following Christ. [1 Peter 2:2] 4) To promote and defend the unity of church and the doctrine of Christ. [Mark 7:7-9; John 10:16; Ephesians 4:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:10] Please e-mail me at BibleTruths@hotmail.com with any comments or suggestions. Thanks, DC