In my last post, I took a somewhat antagonistic stance toward the Bible and presented some of the problems inherent in proving its veracity. In this entry, I'll address why I still believe the Bible to be true. If you're looking for foolproof evidence of the truth of the Bible, you won't find it in this post.
I can only tell you what I have felt, perceived, and experienced. My faith began in ignorance, in the trust of adults who told me things, and because they were nice people or people I saw as authorities, I believed them. While I don't recall my actual moment of salvation, I remember going through the motions in the years that followed.
Even so, I also remember times I didn't die, in which death was probable. I remember numerous times in which I "asked for a sign" and got it. My faith in God as a young boy was shaky, but it existed. So what proved the Bible for me?
First of all, the fact there are records outside the Bible to suggest the existence of Jesus. There is evidence of Noah's flood, of the enslavement of the Israelites, of the advent of Christianity in the first century. Historical documents, archaeological evidence, and scientific explanations for how, say, the ten plagues of Egypt could have logically progressed.
I'll address each of those as they come up in Scripture later. This is merely my opening statement. Here's the thing: since Jesus existed, do the biblical accounts make sense? His resurrection was key for me in that regard. Every theory I could possibly put forward against it didn't make as much sense as the biblical account.
Since the resurrection makes sense, then Jesus must be who He claimed to be. In that case, the portions of the Old Testament containing prophecies regarding Christ must be true. And if those prophecies are true, that must mean the rest of it is true.
That's been my experience thus far, and I've yet to come across a verse that doesn't make sense in its proper context. That's what this "trial" will endeavor to find: whether there are errors, contradictions, or other problems in the Bible to nullify its authenticity as a divine document. I know what I expect to find, but it's more the journey than the destination I'll be interested in.
I don't expect what I've said thus far will convince anyone who doesn't believe in God to turn to Him. That, I pray, will come later. In my next entry, we'll talk about what the Bible is, more specifically than we have thus far.
I can only tell you what I have felt, perceived, and experienced. My faith began in ignorance, in the trust of adults who told me things, and because they were nice people or people I saw as authorities, I believed them. While I don't recall my actual moment of salvation, I remember going through the motions in the years that followed.
Even so, I also remember times I didn't die, in which death was probable. I remember numerous times in which I "asked for a sign" and got it. My faith in God as a young boy was shaky, but it existed. So what proved the Bible for me?
First of all, the fact there are records outside the Bible to suggest the existence of Jesus. There is evidence of Noah's flood, of the enslavement of the Israelites, of the advent of Christianity in the first century. Historical documents, archaeological evidence, and scientific explanations for how, say, the ten plagues of Egypt could have logically progressed.
I'll address each of those as they come up in Scripture later. This is merely my opening statement. Here's the thing: since Jesus existed, do the biblical accounts make sense? His resurrection was key for me in that regard. Every theory I could possibly put forward against it didn't make as much sense as the biblical account.
Since the resurrection makes sense, then Jesus must be who He claimed to be. In that case, the portions of the Old Testament containing prophecies regarding Christ must be true. And if those prophecies are true, that must mean the rest of it is true.
That's been my experience thus far, and I've yet to come across a verse that doesn't make sense in its proper context. That's what this "trial" will endeavor to find: whether there are errors, contradictions, or other problems in the Bible to nullify its authenticity as a divine document. I know what I expect to find, but it's more the journey than the destination I'll be interested in.
I don't expect what I've said thus far will convince anyone who doesn't believe in God to turn to Him. That, I pray, will come later. In my next entry, we'll talk about what the Bible is, more specifically than we have thus far.
