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V. ARGUMENTS THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD The positive question “Is the Bible the Word of God?” can also be phrased negatively, “Does the Bible have mistakes?” Actually, this is a question concerning the credibility of revelation. It is not an attempt to prove that every word in the Bible is accurate. That is a question of inspiration which will be dealt with in the next section. Also, this section does not answer the question regarding the trustworthiness of the message in the manuscripts that we now possess. That will be dealt with in the section on inerrancy. This section does not begin its arguments that the Bible is the Word of God because it says so. That would be arguing in a circle. That would be like saying, “Wood comes from a tree because it is made of wood.” This section bases its claim upon the demonstration (1) that the Bible is consistent with itself, (2) that the Bible corresponds with reality, and (3) that the Bible’s claims can be scientifically demonstrated. We shall examine the Bible’s claim that it is the Word of God. Being presuppositionalists, we accept it as God’s self-revelation—now we must demonstrate that: (1) its claims are consistent, (2) its claims correspond with reality, (3) its claims work in the life of the reader, and (4) its claims are in harmony with history, with archaeology and with all of nature. When we can successfully apply to the Bible all the methods of proving truth, we can accept its premise that it is the self- revelation of God.

THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE OF: ─────────────────────────────── 1. The unique revelation of Jesus Christ. 2. The extraordinary claims that the Bible is from God. 3. The empirical fulfillment of prophecy. 4. The convicting, convincing, converting power of the

message. 5. The inexhaustible infinity of its message. 6. The unity of the message from diverse human sources. 7. The trans-cultural appeal of the message. 8. The unmistakable honesty of the Bible. 9. The immeasurable superiority to other literature.

10. The pragmatic test of experience.

This section will present ten proofs that the Bible is the Word of God. These arguments are not all equally convincing, but descend in order of importance. A. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE REVELATION OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST. No other book except a book from God could have contained a convicting yet extraordinary message about the Son of God. Even if another book could have conceived such a message, it would not have done so. The first argument that the Bible is the Word of God is based on the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the person of Christ existed before Creation, that He was the Creator, that He manifested Himself in the Old Testament through Christophanies, that He was born of a virgin and came into the world as the God-man. The Bible declares that Christ lived without sin and died as a substitute for the salvation of sinners. The Bible further declares that Jesus was buried and on the third day arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven where He makes intercession at the right hand of God the Father. Finally, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ shall return to take those who believe in Him to be with Him forever. This unique revelation of the God-man demands an examination by any rational person who is seeking the truth. The claims of Jesus Christ are so radical that they cannot be ignored. The claims are so overwhelming that a person must fully accept them, or utterly reject them. If Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as He claimed, and if He died for all men, then everyone is obligated to believe in Him. If Jesus Christ is not what He claimed, then man must respond by rejecting His claim.

The claims of Jesus Christ are quite remarkable when examined thoroughly. Jesus Christ affirmed his deity: (1) He applied to Himself the statement of Jehovah, “I am” (John 8:24). This affirmation is taken from the root word for “Jehovah,” “I am that I am” (Exod. 3:14-15; John 4:26, 18:5-6). The Jews did not misunderstand His claim. They knew that Jesus was claiming full deity, and they tried to stone Him (John 8:59). (2) Jesus claimed to be identical with the Father (John 14:9, 10:33). (3) He asserted His omnipresence (Matt. 18:20; John 3:13), omniscience (John 11:14), and omnipotence (Matt. 28:18; John 5:21-23, 6:19). (4) Jesus received and approved of human worship (Matt. 14:33; 28:9; John 20:28-29). (5) He forgave sins (Mark 2:5-7, Luke 7:48-50). (6) He made Jehovahistic statements, “I am”—i.e., bread, light, the door, the way, the truth and the life, resurrection and life,— hence identifying Himself with God (John 6:37, 8:12, 10:9, 11:25, 14:6). Obviously, Jesus took Himself extremely seriously. Why? Because He understood who He was. There is no doubt that Jesus claimed to be God and told others that He was God. C. S. Lewis has rightly stated his position. I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m

ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg— or he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.i

C. S. Lewis brings us to a dilemma. The claims of Jesus Christ must be accepted for what they are: “He was God” or “He must be rejected.” Lewis adds, You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet

and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.ii

The remarkable teachings of Jesus Christ draw us to the following conclusions: that Jesus Christ is God, that Jesus Christ is the message of the Bible, and that the Bible is the Word of God. Josh McDowell has given us the chart on the previous page to illustrate this claim.iii The claims of Jesus Christ are so all-encompassing that there is no alternative or middle road. Either a person must believe in the message of the Bible or reject it. If he believes, he will go to Heaven as Jesus promised, but if he rejects, he will be punished in Hell. The logical conclusions are so absurd that if accepted, man believes in

Christ and hence accepts the Bible as the Word of God. However, the claims are so constructed that if man rejects, it is an automatic rejection, because the logic of rejection drives a man to deny its credibility. Some claim that Jesus Christ is a journalistic or creative invention. If man invented Christ by journalistic fiction or by religious mysticism, then two questions face us. First, if man invented Christ, why has man not invented a greater god than Jesus Christ? And second, if man invented Christ, why has He not been able to improve on Christ over the years? If man invented Christ, why has he not improved upon Him? If man invented Christ, why has he not invented another? Let us examine the first question. The fact that Jesus Christ is presented as the perfect God-man implies He has all the attributes that the average man would project onto deity. The Greeks had their concept of deity which is nothing more than an extension of the adoration of man. The Americans have invented Superman, Spiderman, Batman or some other super-hero. Again, all of these qualities are the amplification of man and his desires to live beyond his present human limitations. The gods created by man are an extension of the desires of man and not a personification of the infinite and eternal power that are usually inherent in deity. The fact that Christ possesses absolute powers suggests He must be God who has revealed Himself to man. The second question follows the same nature as the first: if man journalistically created Christ out of fiction, why has he not been able to improve on the idea of Christ? Many men have tried to humanize Christ, making Him less than God. But no one has ever tried to improve on Jesus Christ to make Him more loving, more powerful or more eternal. The fact that He possesses absolute power implies He cannot be improved. Yet Jesus is perfectly human, and He is therefore the God-man who cannot be equaled or duplicated. Therefore, the absolute qualities of the person of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture give credence that the Bible was written by God, and not by man. This argument is not absolute proof, but is a strong suggestion that the Bible is a revelation from God. Man would not write the Bible if he could, and man could not write the Bible if he would. By this we mean man would not write the Bible, for in doing so he has created a message of the perfect Son of God who condemns all men. Since God will judge sin, no rational man would write a book that would be self-condemning. Rather, the average man will write a book that reinforces the way he lives. Surely judgment in Hell would not be desired by any rational thinking man for himself or for others. In the second place, man could not write a Bible if he would. Because of the limitations of humanity, it is impossible for an imperfect human with limited rational ability to conceive of an unlimited God who is all-powerful and eternal in attributes. Man could not have written the Bible if given the ability. Man would not have written the Bible if given the opportunity. Lewis S. Chafer, founder and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, puts it this way: “It is not such a book as man would write if he could, or could write if he would.”iv Jesus Christ has equal appeal to all nations, and very few readers consider Him a Jew born in Asia. In the nations of the earth, Jesus Christ is loved and revered by all people whether young or old, male or female. The universal appeal of Jesus Christ is not an argument that stands by itself, but it does contribute to the fact of the uniqueness of the self-revelation of God in the incarnation of His Son. The unique revelation as found in the Bible points to the fact that it is the Word of God. Also consider the fact that Jesus Christ has all the ideal characteristics and qualities that are found in an exemplary person. Abraham was known for his faith, Job for his patience, Elijah for his boldness and Paul for his logical rationality. Luther was a reformer, Whitfield a preacher and Bill Bright is a soul winner. But Jesus Christ has all of these traits wrapped up in One Person. As a matter of fact, every exemplary quality found in an ideal person is present in Jesus Christ. The all-encompassing characteristics of Jesus Christ point to the uniqueness of His revelation, which in turn points to the Bible as being the Word of God. B. THE EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS THAT THE BIBLE IS FROM GOD. We cannot prove that the Bible is the Word of God merely by saying, “It claims to be the Word of God.” This is a circular argument. Many false leaders have claimed to speak God’s Word, but they were wrong. Therefore, how can we use this argument to prove the Bible’s

credibility? We do this by putting it to the test. Either the Bible is the Word of God (and it must be accepted as from God) or it is the greatest forgery every printed (and must be rejected). First, let us examine the claims that the Bible makes concerning the source of its message. Over 3,000 times in Scripture the authors claim their message is from God. Expressions like “thus saith the LORD” appear approximately 500 times in the Pentateuch and over 1,200 times in the prophets. Old Testament prophets used expressions like “thus saith the LORD or “The word of the LORD came unto . . . .” These expressions are themselves among the strongest arguments for accepting the Bible. Concerning the expressions “Word of the Lord” (debhar Yahweh), B. B. Warfield writes that it “is at once the simplest and the most colorless designation of a Divine communication.” He then goes on to note, “Both phrases [‘Word of the Lord’ and ‘Law of the Lord’] are used for any Divine communication of whatever extent; and both came to be employed to express the entire body of Divine revelation, conceived as a unitary whole . . . and both passed into the NT with these implications.” We would expect that if God wrote a book, His truthfulness would demand that He claim to be its author. Therefore, when we find such phrases as “The word of the LORD came to me” or “The mouth of the LORD has spoken . . .” it is not unusual that God is claiming authorship of the Bible. Seldom do human authors not add their by-lines to their stories or their names to the front of their books. So that man could not mistake its source, God has placed His autograph throughout the Scriptures in thousands of places. If we argue from the a priori arguments that there must be a message from God, and if we argue that Jesus Christ could not be invented by the human mind, then we must have a book with a unique message from God. Then, to argue a step farther, the uniqueness of the message demands a unique avenue of communication. Since the message demands credibility so it can be accepted, God must communicate the message in a way that guarantees its reliability. Therefore, God gives the message, and the human messengers tell everyone the message came from God. The question of revelation does not concern the reliability of the human authors, but the authenticity of its divine author, God. Did God write the Bible? We must accept the Bible as the Word of God, or we must reject it as a hoax or a fraud. If it is a fraud, we should reject it completely for its lack of integrity and reliability. On the other hand, if the Bible is God’s Book, we must accept its message and respond accordingly. The world has attempted to minimize the Bible by stating, “It is a good book, but full of errors.” Actually, this antithesis is difficult to believe, if not impossible. How can the Bible be a good book with errors? If it is a good book, meaning it has an acceptable message, then it should be accepted and believed. If it is a book with errors, then it cannot be trusted and should be rejected. Actually, “a good book with errors” is a fairy tale, cartoon, or fiction. These “good” books have a purpose to amuse us, or to allow us to escape reality, but we do not accept their message as authoritative. If a book is merely for our enjoyment, it surely does not compare with the Word of God. If it is written to deceive us, surely it could not be from God who claims to be the truth. C. THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY. The strongest empirical argument that the Bible is the Word of God is based on its demonstrated ability to predict the future. Man does not have knowledge of the future. Only God claims to have that knowledge. Therefore, if one can accurately predict the future, He must be God, and we must accept the truthfulness of his message. Christianity is the only religion that gives fulfilled prophecy as one of its bases for credibility. When the writers of Scripture predict the future, and then their predictions are fulfilled, they have credibility for their claims that they speak for God. Note what Wilbur Smith said of fulfilled prophecy. A man who has read several thousand books, concludes that whatever one may think of the authority of the

message presented in the book we call the Bible, there is worldwide agreement that in more ways than one it is the most remarkable volume that has ever been produced in these some five thousand years of writing on the part of the human race.

Mohammedanism cannot point to any prophecies of the coming of Mohammed uttered hundreds of years

before his birth. Neither can the founders of any cult in this country rightly identify any ancient text specifically foretelling their appearance.v

The enemies of Scripture usually do not attack the fact of fulfilled prophecy. They usually try to explain it away. First, they try to make fulfilled prophecy an historical event by moving the date of the prediction forward. They claim the Bible is not the Word of God and that the Bible is a human book. Giving their motives the benefit of the doubt, they are trying to make the Bible consistent in their own eyes, but it would be a deceitful way of writing history. They discredit the Bible. A second attempt to explain away prophecy is to “spiritualize” the prediction and fulfillment. They try to make words mean something other than what the authors originally wrote. An English deist once said that a man named Jesus Christ read the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and then went out and attempted to fulfill them. If this man were correct, Jesus Christ was a lunatic for dying to prove predictions that He knew were not true. Some say that certain Old Testament prophets wrote after the events happened. But the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls establish a historical date to indicate that these books were written before the events they predicted. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Old Testament (c. 285 BC) that indicates that Daniel correctly predicted the events of Jesus Christ before they transpired. The Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that the Hebrew text was written and collected before Christ was born. 1. The prediction of names. Cyrus was predicted by name (Isa. 44:26-28, and 45:1) one hundred years before he lived. Three hundred years before Josiah was born, an unnamed prophet predicted that Josiah would reign (1 Kgs. 13:2). Josiah became the sixteenth king of the Southern Kingdom and the fulfillment is recorded in 2 Kings 23:15-18.. 2. Predictions concerning Messiah. The messianic prophecies related to Christ that have already been fulfilled are divided into four areas. The exact details of their fulfillment indicate the supernatural insight that the author had into the future and qualifies the Bible as the Word of God.

a. The prophecies of the birth of Christ 1.) To be born of the lineage of David. (a) Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) (b) Isaac (Gen. 17:19) (c) Jacob (Gen. 28:14) (d) Judah (Gen. 49:10) (e) David (2 Sam. 7:12-13) 2.) Date of birth. According to Daniel 9:25, the Messiah was to be born before AD

30, or the expiration of the Daniel’s 69 weeks of years (445 BC-AD 30). 3.) Place of birth. Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2) 4.) Supernatural of a virgin. (Isa. 7:14). b. Prophecies of His life on earth 1.) To be a Savior and Deliverer. (Gen. 3:15; John 19:23; Isa. 53:5-6, 12) 2.) His deity. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic. 5:2; Isa. 11) 3.) To be preceded by a messenger. (Mal. 3:la; cf. Isa. 40:3-5) 4.) To be a prophet. (Deut. 18:15; cf. John 1:21; 4:29; 6:14; Acts 3:20-24; John

5:46; 8:28; 14:24) 52:13-53:12. 5.) To be a priest. (1 Sam. 2:35; Psa. 11:4; Zech. 6:12) 6.) To be a king. (Gen. 49:10; Num. 24:17; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Psa. 2; Isa. 2:1-4; 4:1-

6; 9:6-7; 11:1-12; 49:7; 52:15; Jer. 23:1-6; Zech. 9:9) 7.) To be a corner stone and foundation. (Isa. 28:14-18; Gen. 49:24; 1 Kgs. 7:10-

22; Psa. 118:22; Isa. 8:14; Zech. 4:7) 8.) To be the obedient Servant of Jehovah. Important passages: Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-7;

52:13-53:12 c. Prophecies of His death 1.) Betrayed by a friend. (Psa. 41:9) 2.) Falsely accused. (Psa. 35:11) 3.) Spit upon. (Isa. 50:6)

4.) Pierced. (Psa. 22:16-17) 5.) Ridiculed. (Psa. 22:6-7) 6.) Forsaken of God. (Psa. 22:1) 7.) Bones not broken. (Psa. 34:20) 8.) Silent before accusers. (Isa. 53:7) 9.) To die with the wicked. (Isa. 53:9) 10.) To be buried in a rich man’s tomb. (Isa. 53:9) 11.) To be a sacrifice for sin. (Isa. 53:5-6, 12) 12.) New Testament Prophecies. (Mt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Lk. 9:22; John 12:32-33) d. Prophecies of His Resurrection. (Psa. 16:10; cf. Psa. 22:22; 118:22-24; Matt. 12:38-40; 16:21;

17:9, 23; 20:19; 27:63; Mark 3:31; 9:9, 31; 10:34; 14:58; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 2:19-22)

3. Predictions concerning the nations. Many predictions about nations were made concerning events unlikely to happen when the prophecy was made. Isaiah predicted that Babylon would fall and not be inhabited (Isa. 13:19- 22). When this prediction was made, Babylon was the capital city of the most powerful nation on earth. This becomes an important fact because this prophecy was fulfilled outside the Bible. Also, the downfall of Nineveh (Zeph. 2:13-15) was predicted when it ruled the world. Its collapse was unexpected, yet fulfilled. Tyre was a mighty city when God predicted it would be thrown into the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek. 26:3-6, 12:14); later, Nebuchadnezzar partly destroyed the city, and, in 330 BC, Alexander came and took pillars from the city and cast them into the sea to make a causeway to an island offshore where the people were fortified. Today, the pillars are used for a spreading of the nets exactly as God had predicted. Philistia was strong when God predicted its downfall (Zeph. 2:4-7) and by the time of the New Testament, the land of Gaza was called desert (Acts 8:26). Egypt was one of the primary kingdoms of the world during the time of the Bible, but God predicted, “It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself anymore above the nations: for I will diminish them and they shall no more rule over the nations” (Ezek. 29:15). Egypt has never again gained international superiority since God predicted its downfall. These are only a few of the then unfulfilled prophecies regarding the nations. 4. Prophecies about Israel. God has promised that He would bless Israel (Gen. 12:3) and that they would endure as a race. Most Jews are recognizable by physical characteristics. Every Jew that walks the face of the earth is a proof that God wrote the Bible and that His predictions came true. God promised to curse those who curse Israel. We have seen the nation of Israel prosper when her contemporaries have faded into the dust—i.e., the Hittites, Edomites, and Canaanites. But, on the other side, because of Israel’s unbelief and rejection of God, He promised that the Jewish people would always endure suffering and affliction (Lev. 26:28-29; Deut. 28:25, 32, 37, 49, 53, 62, 64, 65, 68). This apparent contradiction is fulfilled by the continued, yet humanly unexplainable, persecution of the Jewish race. But, despite continued tribulation and recurring holocaust, the Jews continue as a race. Because God has predicted future blessings for them, they will continue as a people. For all of the prophecies that have been complete, the most miraculous demonstration is yet to come. Some have estimated that approximately 75 percent of biblical prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. This involves the Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Millennium and the judgments by God. These prophecies cannot be used to prove the Bible is the Word of God, but the credibility of past fulfilled prophecy should warn us that the prophecy of future judgment will be fulfilled. D. THE CONVICTING, CONVINCING, CONVERTING POWER OF THE MESSAGE. Even though the Bible tells us of sinful acts, it is not a popular book where sinful acts take place. Even though the Bible tells of adultery and sexual immorality, the Bible is not found in houses of prostitution or immorality. Even though the Bible tells of men getting drunk, the Bible is not found in taverns and nightclubs. The Bible is unique in its call to repentance, in its convicting power to unsettle those who sin, and in its power to convert and transform those who accept its message. The transformation in the life of those who receive the message of the Bible is another proof that it is a message of God. The Bible has a transforming power to change the lives of individuals. This is an empirical argument that other books cannot claim. There are thousands of individuals who have rejected the existence of God, but began reading the Bible for various reasons. As they came in contact with the message of God’s Word, they were brought under conviction and accepted its message concerning Jesus Christ. When they came to know Jesus Christ as their

personal Savior, they were converted. These people usually do not come to a place where they intellectually accept the integrity of the Bible. They skipped the academic steps of logical persuasion and when they were converted, their attitude toward the Bible changed. They instantaneously accepted the testimony of the Bible, that God was its divine Author and that it was authoritative for their lives. Harold Lindsell calls this “the pragmatic test” and suggests its validity is demonstrated in Scripture when God proved Himself with signs to men like Abraham. Concerning its validity to prove the supernatural nature of the Bible, Lindsell suggests, There is the changed life that proves to the person whose life is changed, and to those outside who see the

transformed life, that what the Bible promises it delivers.

The Bible is as powerful as... Powerful to... 1. A hammer (Jer. 23:29) Judge sin 2. A mirror (James 1:23) Reveal sin 3. Water (Eph. 5:26) Cleanse sin 4. A sword (Heb. 4:12) Defeat Satan 5. A lamp & light (Psa. 119:105) Guide 6. Honey & gold (Psa. 19:10) Satisfy

7. Milk (1 Pet. 2:2) Sustain & nourish 8. Bread (Matt. 4:4) Sustain & nourish 9. Seed (Luke 8:11) Produce growth

For two thousand years, the Church of Jesus Christ has manifested before the eyes of an unbelieving world that Jesus Christ does make a difference. Because of Him, thousands of people have lived noble lives. Tens of thousands of people have willingly suffered martyrdom by burning, by torture, and by the axe. Children and grandchildren have followed the faith of their fathers and continued their witness.vi

Some who profess to be Christians have not had the victories that are promised in Scripture. Usually they have never experienced the saving power of the Word of God. And there are certain Christians who are born again, but they have had intellectual problems with Scripture. Perhaps it is their ignorance of Scripture or some false doctrine in their lives that has given them problems with sin. E. BY THE INEXHAUSTIBLE INFINITY OF REVELATION. In a casual reading, the Bible is a simple book. It can be understood by children in Sunday School with a minimal amount of teaching. When it is preached, it can be understood by those who are illiterate and without the ability to comprehend the written page. But on the other hand, there is such an infinity in the Word of God that no reader can ever exhaust the depths of the message of the Word of God. Whether a person is reading about the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, or the sovereignty of God, there is an inexhaustible mystery in every doctrine. As sincerely as finite man attempts to understand theology, he encounters the infinity of God—he cannot comprehend every part of its teaching. At times the infinity of God is seen as a contradiction by those who have not read it carefully. Truth never contradicts itself, but truth transcends itself, especially when God introduces a higher authority, such as times when God supernaturally performs a miracle. Arthur W. Pink suggested the infinity of spiritual resources as another reason to recognize the Bible as the Word of God. Not only is the Bible infinite in content, it is infinite in application. Although one may know, word for word, the entire contents of some chapter of Scripture, and although he

may have taken the time to ponder thoughtfully every sentence therein, yet on every subsequent occasion, provided one comes to it again in the spirit of humble inquiry, each fresh reading will reveal new gems never seen there before, and new delights will be experienced never met with previously. The most

familiar passages will yield as much refreshment at the thousandth perusal as they did at the first. The Bible has been likened to a fountain of living water: the fountain is ever the same, but the water is always fresh.vii

The fact that the Bible is infinite and unfathomable implies that the Author is infinite in His nature and expression. Since the Bible is infinite, we can only conclude that an infinite God would have written it. Yet, because God desires to communicate His message to everyone, we can only conclude that He wrote a simple Bible for everyone to understand. Since God is infinite and compassionate, we have a Bible that is easy to be understood yet at the core of every doctrine is an infinity that reaches beyond man’s comprehension. F. THE UNITY OF THE MESSAGE FROM DIFFERENT HUMAN SOURCES. The unity of the message of Scripture is an internal argument that has its strongest appeal to those who are familiar with the Bible’s content. As a person objectively reads the Bible, he finds a unified message that centers in Jesus Christ, a unified theme which is the redemption of God, a unified structure so that each part of the Bible contributes to the whole. And when a person is finished reading the Bible he realizes that the subtraction of any book takes away from the composition of the whole. Finally, there is a unity of literary emphasis, even though there are numerous authors, so that the reader gets the impression that there was one mind that guided the preparation of the entire Bible. The unity of the Bible is contrary to what one would normally expect from a book that was written by authors in the circumstances in which they wrote. Pink observes, The manner in which the Bible has been produced argues against its unity. The Bible was penned on two

continents, written in three languages, and its composition and compilation extended through the slow progress of sixteen centuries. The various parts of the Bible were written at different times and under the most varying circumstances. Parts of it were written in tents, deserts, cities, palaces, and dungeons, some parts in times of imminent danger and others in seasons of ecstatic joy. Among its writers were judges, kings, priests, prophets, patriarchs, prime ministers, herdsmen, scribes, soldiers, physicians, and fishermen. Yet, despite these varying circumstances, conditions, and workmen, the Bible is one Book; behind its many parts there is an unmistakable organic unity. It contains one system of doctrine, one code of ethics, one plan of salvation, and one rule of faith.viii

The argument of unity is based on the dual authorship of Scripture. First, human authors wrote Scripture and each book of the Bible is reflective of that author’s occupation, vocabulary, style, and his sociological background. But the Bible does not have a single author. Rather, it has dual authorship. Each book of the Bible was written by a human author as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. The human author used the literary tools available to him, such as vocabulary, ability to think rationally, poetical nature and historical observation, but the Holy Spirit guided the writing of Scripture so that each book was inspired of God and was written without error or mistake. As such, the Holy Spirit gives unity to the Scriptures, hence supplying a supernatural dimension that proves it is the Word of God. There were at least 36 authors, perhaps 40, who wrote the 66 books of the Bible inasmuch as some men wrote more books than others (the apostle John wrote five books of Scripture). Yet in spite of the diversity of authors, there is unity in the Bible, reflecting its supernatural origin. There were approximately 1600 years during which the various authors wrote the books of the Bible, from Moses, who began writing around 1440 BC to John who finished the last book of the Bible around AD 100. The Bible was written over 55 generations, yet there remains a singular unity. Only God who transcends all time could be its source. There was also a great diversity of occupations of the writers of Scripture. Inasmuch as a man writes out of his background, the different occupations of the Bible writers should have produced different kinds of books. Yet there is no clash in their points of view. Rather than contradictions, there is a unity in the Bible pointing to God as its Author.

THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE WRITERS

Moses Politician David Shepherd/King Samuel Prophet Peter Fisherman Isaiah Politician Luke Physician Matthew Tax-collector Paul Theologian Amos Herdsman Joshua General Job Businessman Nehemiah Butler/Cupbearer Jeremiah Prophet The Bible was written in different locations stretching over 2000 miles. Ezekiel wrote in Babylon some 560 miles east of Jerusalem, while Paul composed his final prison epistle in Rome, approximately 1450 miles west of Jerusalem. Some prophets were sent to the ten northern tribes while other prophets wrote to the southern tribes. Yet the social background does not change the perspective nor destroy the unity.

1. History Pentateuch/Historical books

2. Biography Gospels 3. Hygiene/Holiness Leviticus 4. Poetry Psalms 5. Theology Epistles 6. Prophecy Daniel

An anthology, or compilation of authors, will sometimes detract from the unity of a book. However, in the Scriptures there is different subject matter, but their unity is obvious. Considering that the Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors, over 1600 years, by men from a vast number of occupations, separated by as much as 2,000 miles and covering a vast number of subjects, its unity is evident in its theme, structure, literary emphasis and thrust. Any objective reader of the Scriptures should recognize that it is the Word of God.

7. Letters Paul’s epistles 8. Psychology Ecclesiastes 9. Genealogy Chronicles

G. THE TRANSCULTURAL APPEAL OF THE MESSAGE. The Bible has a universal appeal, whether people read it during the first century of the church or in the modern twenty-first century. There seems to be a common spirit in receiving, interpreting, internalizing and applying the message of the Scripture. Although nearly 2,000 years old, the Bible always seems to be up to date and meets the needs of its readers. The universal appeal extends to all races. Seldom does anyone take the attitude that Orientals wrote the Bible. As a matter of fact, many linguists have pointed out that the “translatableness” of the Bible is another demonstration that it is a unique book whose Author is God. No matter what language, the Bible’s message comes through clearly when it is translated from one language to another. The argument for the universal appeal applies to the rich as well as to the poor. The Bible is found in the bookcases of the rich, as well as on the coffee tables of the poor. And, finally, all ages love the Word of God, from children to the elderly. Because God wanted to communicate to all people, in all circumstances, at all periods of time, and at all levels of society, He supernaturally endowed the Bible with His Spirit so that it would have a universal appeal. While not a conclusive argument, it reaffirms the others when taken en masse. H. THE UNMISTAKABLE HONESTY OF THE SCRIPTURES. When an objective reader is studying the Word of God, he does not get the impression that the writer is holding back on anything. When the authors talk about themselves, they are honest about their sins, their nations, and their exploits. They do not give in to their pride and cover up their mistakes, nor do they allow false humility to keep them from deserving their achievements. The Bible is unmistakably honest in objective statements. If the Bible were “invented” by men, they would have been more respectful in omitting the sins of some of God’s people. However, the sins of God’s heroes are

always included. Usually, these great men of God fell at their strongest point. Perhaps God wants us to take our eyes off men and put our eyes on Him. Also, God wants us to know that all men are mortal and fallible. When we see a flaw in our heroes, it makes us accept ourselves and our failures with a little more humility and perseverance. Pink notes several illustrations in both the Old and New Testaments of this type of honesty in Scripture before concluding, Surely it is apparent to every impartial mind that the New Testament is no mere human invention. And

surely it is evident from the honesty of its writers, in so faithfully portraying the enmity of the carnal mind against God, that their productions can be accounted for only on the ground that they spoke and wrote “not of themselves,” but “as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).ix

Noah Drunkenness Abraham Lied about his wife Moses Pride Eli Undisciplined, wicked sons David Adultery Solomon 300 wives, 700 concubines Elijah Ran from Jezebel Peter Denied the Lord Thomas Doubter Paul Paid a vow in the Temple I. THE IMMEASURABLE SUPERIORITY OF THE BIBLE WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER LITERATURE. A comparison of the Bible to the other religions books of the world—The Koran, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, The Book of Mormon—will demonstrate the superiority of the Bible in most literary aspects. The same can be achieved when comparing the Bible to classics, such as the writings of William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, or any of the modern authors. When the Bible is compared to the religions of the world, they all teach that man must do something to please God. But the Bible teaches grace: i.e., that God has done everything for man. No other religion in the world offers a salvation that is free, complete, comprehensive, yet all man has to do is receive it. The religions of the world say, “Do this to live.” Christianity says, “Done.” When considering the superior message of the Bible, one can only conclude that it is the Word of God. J. PRAGMATIC TEST OF EXPERIENCE. The world is quick to test any claim that is made by man, organizations, or especially by a new product. The Underwriters Laboratory tests the validity of new products before they place their seal of approval upon them. Perhaps the greatest test that the Bible is the Word of God is its pragmatic impact on the lives of those who test its conclusions. Those who have a personal experience with Jesus Christ know that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to produce new life in the believer. The child of God has come to know the Lord Jesus Christ through Scripture, therefore there is no doubt in his heart that the Bible is the Word of God. E. Y. Mullins agrees with this point: I have, for me at least, irrefutable evidence of the objective existence of the Person so moving me. When to

this personal experience I add that of tens of thousands of living Christians, and an unbroken line of them back to Christ, and when I find in the New Testament a manifold record of like experiences, together with a clear account of the origin and cause of them all, my certainty becomes absolute. One of the most urgent of all duties resting upon modern Christians is to assert with earnest and vigor the certainties of Christian experience.x

But many people have claimed to have had some type of experience. What validity is there to the claim that the Bible is the Word of God because lives have been changed by its message? Could not someone claim that The Koran is the Word of God because it changed his life? Josh McDowell faced this question and replied,

For example, let’s say a student comes into the room and says, “Guys, I have a stewed tomato in my right tennis shoe. This tomato has changed my life. It has given me a peace and love and joy that I never experienced before, not only that, but I can now run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat.”

It is hard to argue with a student like that if his life backs up what he says (especially if he runs circles

around you on the track). A personal testimony is often a subjective argument for the reality of something. Therefore, don’t dismiss a subjective experience as being irrelevant. There are two questions or tests I apply to a subjective experience. First, what is the objective reality for

the subjective experience, and second, how many other people have had the same subjective experience from being related to the objective reality? Let me apply this to the student with the “stewed tomato” in his right tennis shoe.

To the first question he would reply: “A stewed tomato in my right tennis shoe.” Then the second question

would be put this way: “How many people in this classroom, in this university, in this country and on this continent, etc., have experienced the same love, peace, joy, and increased track speed as the result [of] a stewed tomato in their right tennis shoe?”

At this point, most of the history students laughed. I didn’t blame them, for it was obvious that the answer

to the second question was “No one!” Now I had to apply these same two questions to my own subjective experience: 1. What is the objective reality or basis for my subjective experience—a changed life? Answer: the person of Christ and His resurrection. 2. How many others have had this same subjective experience from being related to the

objective reality, Jesus Christ? The evidence is overwhelming . . . that truly millions from all backgrounds, nationalities and professions

have seen their lives elevated to new levels of peace and joy by turning their lives over to Christ. Indeed, the professor confirmed this when he said, “I have met scores of people around the world that have been transformed by Christ.”xi

The result of Josh McDowell’s argument is that there is an objective reality back of the experience that is repeatable in various circumstances by many individuals. On resurrection morning the angel invited the women to, “Come, see the place” (Matt. 28:6), telling them to put God on the spot and to determine if the tomb was not empty. They found by experience that their observations were correct. Jesus had been raised from the dead. In the same way the psalmist invites the reader, “O Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psa. 34:8). Those who come to the Bible and read it, internalize its message and apply it by faith, find that God will keep His promises. Those who have doubts about the Word of God should respond to the words of the Lord Jesus, “If any man will [wills to] do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17, translation by author). Jesus is saying that the key to doubt is man’s will, not his intellect. If a person will surrender his will to God, he will experience the new life that is promised in Scripture. The problem is that the “natural man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14), since he is spiritually blind. He cannot understand the dual nature of its source, nor the spiritual impact of its message. But when a man comes to know Jesus Christ as his Savior, he experiences the message of salvation.

i. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: MacMillan Company, 1952), 40-41. ii. Ibid., 41. iii. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, CA: Campus Crusade for Christ

International, 1972), 108. iv. Chafer, Systematic Theology, 22. v. Wilbur Smith, The Incomparable Book (Minneapolis: Beacon Publications, 1961), 9-10.* vi. Lindsell, God'’s Incomparable Word (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1977), 48. vii. Pink, Divine Inspiration, 18. viii. Ibid., 65. ix. Ibid., 28. x. E. Y. Mullins, Why Is Christianity True? (Chicago: Christian Culture Press, 1905), 294-295.* xi. McDowell, Evidence, 339-340.