Why the Bible is Important.

There are many diverse belief systems in the world today, some have many millions of followers and some only a few. There are of course many people who profess no particular faith or interest in spirituality at all.

Some of the faith groups proclaim and list very specific doctrines and beliefs about their god or gods, and some even present an account of the origin of man, his place in the world, and perhaps a view of the future. This may involve reincarnation, life on other planets, or a form of Heaven and perhaps an Eternity too.

A few though, are quite vague and circumspect in their beliefs, even welcoming the opinions, ideas or visions of their followers. Not all of course profess a particular deity, but may instead attribute their worship or perhaps ‘respect’, to the 'Natural World', or perhaps to the power or spirit which they believe is found within nature, which mankind is just one of its many creatures.

Modern Eclecticism.

Perhaps because of  today’s ‘pick-and-mix’, consumer orientated culture, especially manifest in the western nations, there are many people who while professing to be Christians, actually say they don't believe that the Bible is 'inspired' by The Creator, or has any authority in respect of what is right and wrong, about personal morality, or that Jesus is The Way to find personal salvation.   

It is sadly, no great surprise to me that western culture particularly, has become increasingly dismissive of spiritual and religious matters in general, and that the Judao-Christian doctrines in particular, are of any historical or modern relevance.

In fact, many people are quite indignant that there might be definitive truths expressed in the Bible, and they strongly reject what the Bible has to say concerning moral matters, life-style choices and what the God of the Bible says about sin, and even the definition of right and wrong.

But as the Hebrew Prophet Jeremiah said to the Jews...

“The heart of man is deceitful above all, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

In the wider society, there are a plethora of writers, philosophers, academics, and now 'Bloggers' who ‘evangelically’ reject the accuracy, and historicity of the Bible. Though to be fair, they do also generally reject the beliefs of the billions of adherents of the many other faith communities around the world, often calling them a form of superstition or delusion.

A brief search on the internet will readily yield literally thousands of websites, articles, publications and videos which assert that the Bible is filled with errors, inaccuracies and contradictions. Sadly, and all too often, many of the readers of these articles often accept these claims at face value, and rarely take the time to consider how those that defend the Bible, respond to the various critical statements and accusations.

It’s as if the 'doubters' and the sceptics are just looking for a ‘logical’ reason NOT to believe what is written in the Bible, and are personally unwilling to take the time to look a little deeper into the matters discussed, or read anything that is remotely ‘pro’ Biblical in anyway.

I would be the first to insist that we should use our brains and our reasoning to evaluate the assertions of Christianity, and not simply take them on trust. But real discussion should be a 'two way street'!

Sceptics might be somewhat surprised to learn that there are several examples of writers in the Bible, who challenged the people both then and for today, to examine and test its claims for themselves and to be convinced, or not, in their own hearts and minds. This is because the 'Author' and 'The Inspiration' of the Bible's writers, actually desires and encourages His 'readers' to not simply 'follow the crowd' or 'hedge their bets' concerning their future, so to speak, but to be genuinely willing to see if the Bible's assertions are true.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the wold, rather than according to Christ.”  Colossians 2:8

What Makes The Bible Different?

The Bible, its origin, its history and the beliefs of Christianity should be open for examination, investigation and interpretation, and I would maintain that any sincere enquirer will not be disappointed if they take the time to study what it says, and if possible, share any questions they may have with a mature Christian they may know.

The Bible is unquestionably the world's all-time bestseller with an estimated 2 billion copies in print, and it has been translated completely into 469 different languages, and partially into many hundreds more!

It survives today as arguably the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with over 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts recovered so far. By comparison, the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity is Homer's Iliad, with only 643 preserved manuscripts discovered.

And while the printing press was not invented and operational until the middle of the 15^th Century, archaeologists have discovered thousands of hand-written manuscript copies of the Old Testament, many which date back to before 200 BC.

Additionally, by way of example; the Apostle John, who lived alongside Jesus and learned from him as one of the twelve disciples, penned five of the New Testament books. He died in 100 AD, yet numerous fragments of John's Gospel have been preserved from between 110 and 130 AD.

Compared to other ancient works such as Plato, Homer or Tacitus, the discovery of these New Testament manuscripts, which had been produced within a short period of time between the author’s original manuscripts and their subsequent copies, is very significant.

So if you dispassionately consider the content of the Bible, you should observe that when you apply the generally accepted process of evaluating witness evidence, for use for example in a legal criminal case, the Biblical scriptures can be considered consistent and reliable. 

By way of an example; if you were to ask a dozen different people to recall and write about just one event that they collectively witnessed, such as a traffic accident or a High Street bank robbery, would you expect ALL the statements to be identical? 

Of course not!

You would reasonably expect some variation in the descriptions of the characters involved, or the order in which parts of the incident took place, and most likely, who said what to who. But you would not be sceptical about whether the event actually took place, would you? 

Consequently, rejecting 'out of hand' the Biblical account of events recorded in the New Testament for example, simply because there are some slight differences in the details,  often witnessed by hundreds of individuals in the towns and villages of Israel, just two thousand years ago, is unreasonable.

Would you not be more suspicious if you were told to believe that the whole of the New testament for example, was written solely by one man, without any reference to other individuals, and that there was only one copy available? 

Can we put our trust in what is written in the Bible?

People generally misunderstand what is meant by the phrase; ‘ 'Faith in the Word of God’, wrongly thinking it means trusting ‘blindly’ without question or consideration... 
Which it is not!

As I will examine more specifically in a future essay, Christians put their 'faith' in the Word as it is written in the Bible, but also in THE WORD, which the Bible 'reveals' is Jesus, The Christ.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from The Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14  

It is not my intent to list, visit or scrutinise the beliefs expressed in the writings of the many world religions or philosophies in this particular essay, but I would like to consider and demonstrate what I believe are the reasons that the Christian faith can be sourced, examined and consequently withstand logical criticism. 

I am also confident that Christianity can be considered a reasonable faith to uphold in the 21^st Century.

The Christian faith, I believe, can provide answers to the many questions that people have, which may include; mankind’s origin, his development down the centuries, his present moral condition and even his/our future destiny.

But before I get ahead of myself, I would like to go back to the start, or more specifically, to the origin of the 'first' Bible, and briefly examine some of the many reasons why it can be trusted as a source of historical record, instruction in life, as well as providing answers to our questions about the purpose of life, and death too.

As I have discussed in an earlier article, the beliefs, doctrines and conduct of someone who professes to be a Christian cannot be just an arbitrary matter of personal preference or simply what a person thinks or wishes to think they should be. It is the Bible that the Christian should be the foundation of truth and authority in regard to the Christian faith, because it is the source and the standard of Christian theology and teaching.

Perhaps surprisingly, polls carried out in the United States and the UK for example, consistently report that although professing Christians regard the Bible as very important for guidance on spiritual and moral issues, in reality, of the 60% of respondents who said they own one of more Bibles, only half of them actually read it more than four times a year. 

Furthermore, when it came to regular Bible reading or study, ONLY 25% of  those respondents said they read the Bible more than twice per week! 

Is this a poor endorsement of the Bible?

I would suggest that it is more tellingly, a terrible indictment of those people who say they are Christians, BUT are not willing to accept what the Bible clearly says, especially where it might 'impact' on their preferred 'life-style'.

It is therefore not surprising to learn, that of the many people who say they are Christians, a great many, as a statistical fact, cannot readily explain using Bible verses, either what a Christian is, or what the Bible actually has to say on many of the fundamental doctrinal, spiritual or moral issues about which it is clear!

The Apostle Paul wrote in his inspired letter to his friend Timothy leading the congregation at Ephesus;

“All scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:16

So if this statement is true, how can we begin to apply it to our lives?

To begin to answer this question, perhaps we should consider what people believe about the Bible, its origin, reliability, and even its infallibility.

In the case of the foundational Christian teachings, the source documents are contained in the Hebrew Old Testament and the later Greek New Testament, which have been combined to form the Christian Bible.

Accordingly, the texts and documents that form the canon, or the ‘accepted rules, principles and standard’ of today’s Bible, should reasonably have a provenance, accuracy and historicity that can be verified by independent academics.

As the Bible asserts to propound fundamental truths and doctrines that adherents are expected to agree with, should it not have by way of proof, a document or written record of an event, a meeting or a council where the foundational precepts originated?

Such ‘proof'  should be open to examination by impartial academic experts in the fields of manuscripts, languages and history.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

This has most certainly been the case in respect of the Judeo-Christian Bible, which has been scrutinised and researched by experts from all the major respected academic institutions of the world, over a period of many hundreds of years.

The Bible…

By way of an overview, the Bible, as Christians acknowledge it, is a composite of historical writings on various ancient manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back to the period of about 1400BC. The word Bible is simply the English form of the Greek word: Biblia, which means ‘books’.

The Bible most widely used and translated today, is a collection of 66 formally individual ‘books’ or scrolls of which 39 form the Old Testament and 27 the New Testament.

The original manuscripts were written predominantly in the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages

There was a total of 40 separate writers of the original manuscripts, and the documents were written between approximately 1400BC and 130AD.

Though the Bible today is a composition of the 66 separate ‘original’ documents, translation experts examined literally tens of thousands of ancient scrolls, manuscripts, partial documents and fragments, before agreeing on the reliability of the present canon or ‘composition’ of the manuscripts in today’s Bible.

There are sadly no original scrolls or fragments of parchment surviving from four thousand years ago, when the events about which they speak were taking place. Although archaeologists, historians and experts in ancient civilisations have made numerous 'other' discoveries of evidence supporting many Biblical references. 
Many years of study and research in and around the Middle East has confirmed the reliability of references to cities, places, cultures, events and even people that existed over four thousand years ago, and while papyrus and manuscripts may not have survived the long ages, there are numerous carvings, clay and stone tablets and hieroglyphic writings that make reference to the Hebrews and Israelites.

The Qumran Scrolls…

Additionally, the reliability of the duplication by ancient scribes of later Biblical scrolls, some still used in geographically isolated communities of Jews during the early period of the twentieth century, was unequivocally verified when thousands of ‘lost’ scrolls and other manuscripts were discovered in the Judean desert caves of Qumran, in Israel, in 1947.

These remarkably well preserved and isolated parchments, sealed in ancient clay storage jars, were dated to have originated around 150BC. This was over a century before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, and consequently provided verifiable proof that existing manuscripts already in general use in the 20th Century, had continued to be accurately copied from other earlier sources, quite independent from those that had been lying isolated in the desert caves of Judea for over a thousand years.

Using the Qumran and numerous other ancient documents gathered from all over the Middle East and Asia, translation and language experts have been able to compare the accuracy and consistency of separate texts from different periods and separate locations, and confirm their overall accuracy of copying and content, and consequently their historic continuity and reliability.

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through who also He made the world…”  

Hebrews 1:1

Interestingly, and despite ongoing criticism and scepticism, impartial academic experts point out that in comparison to various other ‘ancient’ written works, such as Homer’s Iliad or the writings of Euripides for example, the content on which people generally take for granted as history, there are many thousands of manuscripts available which provide the Bible with historical legitimacy too, more in fact than any other written work from mankind’s history.

The Bible: Composition… 

The Jews generally refer to the Bible as the Tanakh, which is an acronym of the first letters of the Hebrew words; Torah (Teaching and Law) Nevi’im (Prophets) Ketuvim (Writings)

Another name for the earliest parts of the Bible is the Pentateuch, meaning; ‘five scrolls’ and comprises the first five books of the Bible, also known as; ‘The Law of Moses’. These are; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, and all five are believed to have been written by Moses and his personal scribes during their forty years in the wilderness, during their exodus from Egypt in 1446BC, to the land of Canaan.

Additionally, another ancient volume; The Septuagint, meaning ‘seventy’, is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Torah. It is believed that during the rule of the Ptolemy II, the Greek king who ruled Egypt between the years 283 to 246 BC, sponsored the translation of the five books of Moses from Hebrew to Greek.

The New Testament, although now comprising 27 separate manuscripts, was not compiled as a single composite document until around 397AD although the composition of the Old Testament and at least 26 books of the ‘New’ Testament were being widely circulated by 300AD amongst the early Christian congregations.

Of course one must not overlook the fact that many manuscripts that were later to become integral to the New Testament were in general use by 50AD to 60AD, and many copies were in circulation among the early congregations. They became known as in the Epistles, a Greek word; Epistole, meaning ‘letter’, and were written by the Apostles Paul, Peter, John, Timothy, Jude and James, and explained the Christian faith and its doctrines, as well as teaching and encouraging the many Gentiles coming to faith in the Jewish Messiah; Jesus.

Luke, an educated physician and disciple of Paul embarked on a careful study of the life, teaching and significant events in the life of Jesus and his disciples, and wrote;

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4

If the Bible is to be accepted as the Christian’s supreme authority in respect of matters of 'belief, doctrine and practice', then we should be confident that the primary source is reliable, is consistent in its theology, and can withstand academic, linguistic and historical scrutiny of its accuracy.

 

The Bible has undergone a rigorous process of translation and study, where academics examined thousands of the earliest manuscripts as well as copies of these early texts, and was undertaken in order to verify that subsequent translations remained faithful to the originals. This has verified that the ancient and laborious process of letter by letter, line by line hand written copying process, that produced the thousands of documents and manuscripts we still have today, produced only a miniscule percentage of copying errors, none of which has had any significant doctrinal impact on the message conveyed or the facts presented.

Readers of the Bible can be reassured that despite the ongoing, incorrect and often dishonest criticism of the accuracy and trustworthiness of the scriptures, what is written in its pages can be trusted as accurately conveying the authors original message and intent.

There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women and children and the strangers who were living among them. Joshua 8:35

The Bible: Translated…

As important as provenance certainly is, there must also be a widely accepted means of interpretation of the original passages in their original languages. It is essential that interpretation is not what any or every reader simply ‘thinks’ or even ‘believes’ the words mean. But what a robust academic exegesis produces, that is; reading ‘out of the words’ what the original writer intended, and not the opposite type of interpretation; eisegesis, which is a reading ‘into’ a passage what the reader ‘thinks’ the author meant, or finding meanings that the writer never intended to convey.

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  II Peter 1:20

There are certain general principles of language and of thought that underlie writings. These principles form the basis of the means of communication between intelligent beings. Consequently, the study of any ancient writing begins with the defining of the original meaning of words, which must have regard for the historical context, the cultural milieu and other known factors such as tradition or even superstition, that may bare on the information being presented in the particular writing.

This ‘Grammatico-historical’ approach is the recognised academic method of translating and understanding ancient texts.

A further generally accepted and applied method of interpretation may be described as; ‘The Plain Meaning Rule’, which says: “When the plain meaning of verse makes sense, seek no further sense”. But whilst the reader should never lose sight of the plain meaning of any text, there will be times when there is in fact ‘another meaning’ that the writer may wish to convey. Bible interpretation requires some background knowledge, a willingness to study, and much patience and wisdom. It is not a place for indulging the imagination.

You can of course look for deeper meaning in writings that specifically present spiritual and supernatural matters, but in seeking a deeper meaning in any text, one should not reinterpret or contradict what is clearly stated, because to do so may open the door to all manner of strange propositions and ideas that may result in ‘personal’ interpretations which basically become a form of sensual theology. 

Such ‘theology’ basically caters for an individual’s ideas, feelings or lusts, rather than what the writer of the original text meant. 

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind… Colossians 2:18

Having said all the above, there is of course a plethora of individuals and groups, as there are books, media articles and internet sites that strenuously maintain that the Bible cannot be trusted, its content believed or its moral and spiritual advice heeded.

But as the earliest chapters of the Bible make clear, the consequence of the actions of the first two created humans, Adam and Eve, was the loss of innocence and the corruption of mankind, which has resulted in a generally doubting and rebellious heart that wilfully rejects the Biblical admonition to do good and resist what is bad, to the point that most people simply do what pleases them and says; “to hell with the consequences!”.

There has been no shortage of people who have taken liberties with the general rules of Biblical interpretation to write their own fanciful accounts of ‘spiritual encounters’ and experiences, and sought to legitimise them with ‘interpretations’ of passages from the Bible.

Sadly these books simply represent ‘personal’ interpretations of the scriptures and are basically a form of sensual theology. A theology that is little more than an expression of an individual’s ideas or feelings rather than what the Biblical text plainly says or the writer of the original text meant.

Such writings prove the warning of the Apostle Timothy when he wrote that people will:

“... who gather to themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn their ears from the truth to myths.”  

 II Timothy 4:3

The Bible: Interpretation…

Below are a few basic rules or practices that one must employ in order to rightly interpret the Bible and arrive at a right and reasonable understanding of its content.

Definition and Etymology…

When studying the Bible, I hope you will agree that one must first consider what the words we are reading mean in their own right. Understanding the definition and origin of the words used will better enable the reader to determine what a passage and its co-text is seeking to convey to the reader. One must consistently apply the known plain meaning of each word used, and not attribute to it any other meaning, unless the style of writing has a particular intention, a may be found in Parables or Poetry for example.

Usage of Words…

As was explained earlier, the original biblical writings were predominantly in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The writers were of a Middle Eastern culture where idioms and parables were common in discourse. Additionally, references to ancient practices and traditions requires the reader to avoid imposing their modern or western usage or interpretation of words onto the original text. 

The modern reader should also avoid pre-conceived notions and cultural bias against customs and practices from the ancient world, which may offend their 21^st century sensibilities.

 

Context…

It has been said, that a text read out of context which ignores its co-text can result in a pretext, that is, the wrong meaning or interpretation. Consequently, to gather a proper understanding of both the words, the passage and the whole text, one must consider the words before, after and those in the associated passage. Seeking the authors intended meaning necessitates interpreting verses in context.

Historical Background…

To arrive at a proper interpretation of a written document, and especially one that is ancient, requires the reader to have an awareness of what life was like during the time period the text was written. The language, customs, particular cultural norms and what can be learned of the prevailing conditions and development of society, will provide a background for considering what may have influenced the writer. An understanding of the prevailing beliefs and practices at the time of biblical writings may help the reader understand some matter that would otherwise be confusing.

Using the same criteria of 'reliability' with which we might judge other historical works, the Bible continues to be proved trustworthy because historical events, battles, ancient empires and kings, archaeology, customs and practices and even individual characters, have been academically verified.

Such reliability requires truthfulness and accurate copying over long periods of time, and content that is historically and factually correct, and which has been faithfully preserved.

Such verification engenders confidence, and by these standards we can regard the Bible as reliable.

Logic...

One should not overlook basic logic when interpreting ancient scriptures. Equally, we should not presume that the writers were either uneducated or ignorant of the principles of maths, science and of history. We also, should ask ourselves if the initial interpretation makes sense, because as words are used to convey information, then we should logically expect to be able to understand what the writer meant to say. 

The Bible conveys instructions, thoughts, ideas and great truths in written form, and it is logical that we should be able to comprehend the content by applying our human ability of reason.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, King of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction. To discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behaviour, righteousness, justice and equity. To give prudence to the naïve, to the youth knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear the increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel… The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1: 1-5

Genre…

The Bible contains several types of writing styles or genre, such as; history, narrative, law and rules, prophecy, apocalyptic, poetry and songs, wisdom sayings and proverbs, gospels and letters.

Each literary genre has a different style and characteristics which must be recognised in order to interpret the text properly.

The reader though should not simply dismiss prophetic passages as imaginary by implying they are simply a form of poetry, or an historical account as if it were a proverb or myth. Additionally, there are portions of scripture that contain more than one genre within the passage, and so the reader must be diligent to consider the context when studying and interpreting.

The following word of caution should always be borne in mind when studying the scriptures: 

“Knowing this first; that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” II Peter 1:20.

Consequently, should anyone suggest that they have been 'given' some never before considered, special insight or personal revelation for the interpretation of a passage of scripture or a prophecy, such pronouncements should treated with much caution.

Biblical Authority? 

The Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition of the word ‘Authority’ says;

Power. Command. Mastery. Sovereignty. Supremacy. Jurisdiction. Rule...

‘The power to give orders or make decisions’.

‘The power or right to control or direct someone or something’.

‘A citation (as from a book) used as defence or support’.

‘The source from which the citation is taken’.

‘A person in command’.

Atheists have, and will no doubt continue to reject that the Bible has ANY Authority or place in the 'modern' world.

Agnostics and others will perhaps debate the integrity of various Bible passages, and followers of 'other' religions will too reject that the Bible is the Word of God.

Secularists in particular have an agenda, which has become somewhat obsessive, to cast doubt and 'pull-down' a book which expresses many unflattering things about the nature and heart of mankind. Especially when it accuses them of sinning, and challenges them to repent, change their ways, or expect severe eternal consequences.

The Bible 'chaffs' many atheists to the core.

The fact remains, that more than 90% of the text of today's Bible versions, is unanimously consistent with the earliest manuscripts. In passages where the wording is at all disputed, there is nevertheless no doctrinal contradictions and we can be assured, that the accurate, revealed words and thoughts of The Creator have been faithfully passed along to us for today.
Some critics also argue that leaders in the early Christian Church deliberately corrupted the Bible texts for their own greedy agenda, seeking to create a Cult where they had power and control over gullible people.

This argument though begs one serious question... 

Why would such a group of men and women be willing to suffer persecution and die horrible deaths in defence of the very scriptures they are accused of corrupting?

It makes no sense to falsify documents or perhaps allow others to corrupt or 'invent' stories, and then willingly suffer and die for a lie!

Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11

Willing to die for a lie?

From the First Century AD, many men and women were willing to lose their freedom and sometimes their lives, rather than deny what they personally witnessed concerning the life, death and resurrection of the Jew named Jesus. 

Either they actually saw the death and resurrection of Jesus, who they called The Christ, or they didn't. They certainly knew in their hearts whether or not their account was true!

Nevertheless, these men and women maintained their account even under the threat of torture and death at the hands of their persecutors.

Since those early days of the 'first' Christians, many millions of sincere souls have chosen to embrace death rather than reject what they read and believed in the Bible.

Why would so many men knowingly die for a lie if it was not true?

“And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify of the Gospel of the Grace of God.” Acts 20:23-24

Would you?

Whilst it is right and reasonable that man should be free to question and test ALL things, in order to 'evaluate' if they are true, one must also be willing to accept that man is not all-knowing nor all-powerful. 
When we embrace the logical belief that there is a Creator God of the universe, and that He is intimately interested and involved in the future of individual men and women, then we can perhaps better understand that as the Creator of everything, He IS far above and beyond our own limited knowledge and abilities.

The professing Christian must submit their opinions about the nature of God The Creator to that revealed in the Bible. Because being willing to admit that we do not in fact know everything, and certainly cannot do everything. This attitude will enable us to begin to comprehend our relationship with the God of the Bible.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8

This concludes my comments on the importance of both understanding the early history of the Bible and also why you can trust that it is NOT an invention of man, as many critics insist.

In a later piece, I will explore further aspects of the Bible’s accuracy and what you can expect to learn if you explore it yourself, such as Prophecy, Inspiration, Wisdom Literature and the Apocalyptic writings too, which I believe provide overwhelming evidence of reliability, and its supernatural authorship.

In conclusion...

The Bible stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, and its overall reliability is without serious question.

I do hope that you will consider my thoughts and acquire one, read it, and see for yourself… I did!

From Alan, in Jesus.

What is a Christian?

I once heard someone say that you can no more be ‘sort of Christian’ than you can be ‘sort of pregnant’. You either are, or you are not!

In the case of pregnancy, whilst the new life growing inside a mother may not be immediately obvious to everyone, the mother certainly knows things have changed. Similarly, when a person takes their first steps to commit themselves to become a follower of the Lord Jesus, the early signs may not be so obvious to everyone either, but the new believer will very soon have to come to terms with the ramifications of their new condition.

Again, during pregnancy, as that ‘new life’, that ‘new creation’ begins to grow in complexity and strength within the womb, it slowly develops all the attributes that will eventually enable it to literally stand-up for itself, and survive in the big wide world outside. Likewise, metaphorically, the developing faith of a new Christian should become progressively stronger and more developed, providing that they eat the right ‘food’, avoid unhealthy environments, and take care that the ‘new life’ within them is not exposed to things that may be toxic. Faith will grow stronger with exercise and thus enable the believer to deal with all the challenges that everyday life has to throw at them, it just takes persistence. 
But it is very important to understand what the Bible says 'faith' is: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen," Hebrews 11:1. 

 

So please keep the above analogy in mind as we spend just a few minutes considering what is involved in being a Christian.

To begin with, the Dictionary definition of a Christian is quite interesting (Ref: Oxford English) 'Relating to or professing Christianity or its teachings. A person who has been Baptised or is a believer in Christianity'. (Ref: Merriam Webster) 'A person who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ'.

So according to the writers of the secular dictionaries, a person who says they are Christian, who says they believe in the Bible and says they follow Jesus teachings, and who may have been Baptised, IS a Christian.

That seems straight forward enough!

But is that statement supported by what we generally observe each day?

In the population Census for England and Wales in 2011, 59.3% of the resident population: 33.2 million people identified themselves as being Christian.

While just 25% of the population: 14.1 million people responded that they had no particular 'religion' at all. Interestingly, a comparison with the previous Census in 2001 revealed that there had been a decrease in the proportion of people who identified as Christian: Down from 71.7% to 59.3% in just ten years. (Data from Office for National Statistics in April 2013) 

Considering this data, is it be unreasonable to wonder why; if more than 50% of the UK population declare to a Government Census that they believe the Bible, follow the teachings of Jesus and who may have been Baptised by one of the various Church denominations in the UK... do we observe so much dishonesty, casual and violent crime, immorality, adultery, sexual perversion, vulgar language in the public arena? 

Likewise, why are TV programmes such as Big Brother, Jeremy Kyle, Graham Norton and Soap Operas like East Enders and Coronation Street both of which proudly present, develop and pubicise increasingly immoral, lurid and sensational story-lines so popular?

Where is the Godly moral influence of the ‘Christian 50%’ in society?

What if perhaps some of the 30 million professing Christians are mistaken in their understanding of how a Christian is supposed to speak and behave?

What if perhaps they have not actually read the Bible all the way through, and have not seriously considered its content and instructions, but instead have created a personal philosophy, morality and lifestyle that they choose to call Christian, in order to make them feel good about themselves?

Perhaps you know someone who says they are Christian, but also say something like;   “I have my own private faith, so please don’t impose your interpretation of the Bible on me, thank you”.

Maybe the Bible can give us a better definition about what a Christian is, and how to become one. Specifically; a person who can actually be both ‘Salt and Light’ in society.

Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world..."

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven"  Matthew 5:13

You may be surprised to learn that the word Christian is used just three times in the Bible: Acts 11:26. Acts 26:28 & 
I Peter 4:6. In each instance the Greek word 'Christanos' is used, which is defined in the Bible as a; 'follower of Christ'. 

Note: The Hebrew word which is at the root of the word Christ and Christian, originates from the Old Testament concept of the Moshiach or Messiah, which translates as the 'Anointed One' ...who is the Jewish Messiah of biblical prophecy. (Read: The Book of Daniel 9:20-27) 

The New Testament records how Jesus regularly argued and disputed with the Jewish Religious Authorities about their treatment of the ordinary Jewish people. In particular Jesus challenged their interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures and the Law, especially regarding how the people should behave, worship and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

You see, Jesus disagreed with how the 'clergy' of that time had created numerous 'man-made' rules and regulations, many that were not actually found in the Torah: the Old Testament book of the Law of Moses. Jesus told them that they had neglected the spirit or 'intention' of the Torah, whilst imposing their interpretation of the 'rule' of the Law.

The leaders of course did not take kindly to Jesus challenging their authority, and especially calling them hypocrites. Meanwhile, the ordinary people watched this dispute with great interest, probably because they too saw the double standards of the leaders, but were too afraid to speak out.

It is because you cannot hear My word. "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies". John 8:39

About one thousand four hundred years had elapsed between God giving Moses the Law and the Covenant in the desert of Sinai, to the time when Jesus began teaching and healing the Jews in Jerusalem and Israel. He called on them to repent, because He said that the Kingdom of God was at hand. 
The Jews were under the military Rule of Rome, but also were experiencing oppression by a corrupt religious establishment. The people had given up hope in Messiah.

Jesus began His ministry by selecting a dozen disciples to ‘follow Him’ and He called them to be ‘fishers of men’. Jesus said they were to go out to the 'lost sheep of Israel', and help them find their way back to a trust in their God.

People were generally ‘religious’ by way of their rituals and traditions, but did not  understand or actually believe what the Bible said or what their prophets had warned. Their 'condition' was very much like we witness today among many professing Christians, attending Church only at Christmas and Easter, or maybe Christenings, Weddings and Funerals. 

They went to the Temple in Jerusalem, and to their  local Synagogues, and they even gave their tithes and offerings, but they had no real knowledge of the Bible, no sincere faith in what the Bible said about the past or the future, and had no personal relationship with their God or belief that He heard or even answered their prayers.

Jesus said to the religious leaders: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the One and only God? "Do you not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" John 5:39

Sadly like so many people today, including many who even attend Church; the simple Gospel truth that you MUST be Born Again is questioned and ridiculed.   They angrily protest: “How dare you say that Jesus is the ONLY way!”

In fact today, two thousand years after the trial, scourging, death and Jesus miraculous resurrection from the tomb, the destructive influence and writings of corrupt men and women, self-opinionated atheist academics and liberal clergy, have brought the Church and the wider society to essentially the same condition that Jesus encountered when He came first for the ‘lost sheep’ of the House of Israel.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;... Jesus answered and said to him, "truly, truly, I say to you, unless one s born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

We read in this passage that even Nicodemus, a religious teacher and leader did not grasp the simplicity of the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed. Specifically, that the promise of eternal life is a free gift, bestowed from above by our Creator, and all we have to do is repent (ask forgiveness), believe that He can forgive our sins and then accept His promise of a new life.

But what does it say?... if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8

What has all that got to do with me?

Imagine for a moment that you were taken to ‘court’ and charged with a crime, accused of being a Christian… Do you think there would be sufficient evidence available to convict you? Would there be any witnesses who could testify that you are guilty as charged? What evidence would be presented?

I ask this simple question, because contrary to a large number of professing Christians, you are not one because one or more of your parents say they are. Neither do you become a Christian because you are 'sprinkled' or 'dipped' in water as an infant. You do not automatically become a Christian because you attend a particular Church or denomination or even an Evangelical ‘Mission’ where someone lays their hands on you and you perhaps ‘fell down’.

NO! You become a Christian by making a conscious decision that you want to be a follower of Jesus. You should become overwhelmingly aware that you are a sinner and that no amount of saying sorry for past wrongs, or promising to do the right thing ‘from now on’ can make you deserving of going to heaven rather than ending up in a literal fiery Hell for eternity.

Your sins CAN be forgiven and consequently will not be waiting for you at the judgement…    BUT, your repentance has to be heartfelt and sincere. You must accept that it is ONLY Jesus’ death on the Cross at Calvary, on your behalf, (because it is you who actually deserve death!) that is the effective antidote for your terminal condition.

He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. II Corinthians 5:21

Never forget this fundamental truth!

"For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

You have a choice between opposing world-views…

Either what the Bible says, or what numerous philosophers and secular scientists believe. What an Omnipotent, Omniscient Creator God who was there says…               

Or what numerous fallible, atheist men and women, who were not there, profess they believe.

Remember: "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of Christ" Romans 10:17

But the two views can’t both be right!

Please don’t be misled, the Bible DOES tell you that there is a coming judgement, including the basis God uses for deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice… as the Christmas song goes.

The Atheist, the Muslim, the Hindu and the Buddhist etc., the academics, and the liberal clergy and even the; ‘all religions are the same’ types, often say they ‘like’ or ‘admire’ what Jesus did as a good person, and how He fed the poor and so on. But they ALL emphatically deny His assertion of the Father and Son relationship, they reject Jesus explanation for the Origin of the world and of Sin. They reject a literal Adam and Eve, and a worldwide Flood. They reject His Death and Resurrection, and they definitely reject and are greatly offended by His warning of a coming judgement for those who choose to go their own way.

So your choice is quite simple… Will it be His Way or the 'broadway'!

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13

Your future is in your hands.

For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.                           II Corinthians 5:10

Just as you can’t be sort of pregnant, neither can you be 'sort of' a Christian and continue to hang on to a contra-biblical belief that mankind and the universe is just the result of random chance Evolution that took millions or even billions of years without any design, plan or purpose.

The Theory of Evolution absolutely requires NO Creator or Design or Plan. So 'logically' demands a rejection of a belief in a Creator God, and by this same logic, rules out an origin for Sin and most assuredly rejects the 'fairness' of a coming judgement for how we have lived our lives. Oh, and by the way… don’t be deceived by suggestions that God used or even initiated Evolution!

The Evolutionist and the Atheist rather, insist that because we are just evolved Apes and acting according to our primitive ‘nature’, we should not be judged! 

This is the same conceited pride that inspired Lucifer to lead his rebellion.  See: Isaiah 14:12-17

An American Evolutionary Biologist, Geneticist Academic: Richard C. Lewontin wrote in a forward to Carl Sagan's 1995 Book: 'The Demon haunted World'...

"It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a-priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door... To appeal to an omnipotent deity is to allow that at any moment the regularities of nature may be ruptured, that miracles may happen."

Evolution 'is' the worlds Religion!

Evolution is 100% the opposite of the Biblical account that says Sin came into the world through Adam’s disobedience in the garden in Eden, and so Jesus sacrificial death holds NO logic if there was NO original fall!

If the ‘Sins’ that the New Testament says Jesus made Atonement for, were not really our fault all along, because, as the doubters say; Adam and Eve did not exist, they were not really tempted by a literal Satan in the form of a Serpent in a real Garden in Eden… 

Fundamentally this argument implies that Jesus was a liar, the Gospel writers were liars and the Bible can’t be trusted. 
Read: I Corinthians 15:45-49

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

Only one of the accounts can be true, and a Christian can only grow in faith and understanding by trusting in the Biblical account, because to try to believe bits of both will ensure constant conflict on an almost daily basis, which will eventually result in compromise, maybe even a loss of faith. The battle we face is for control of our hearts AND minds. 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.   Romans 12:2

Many 'secularists' argue that they are free thinkers, and do not follow myths and legends. But in reality, the world tells you daily what to believe, what is right, what is moral, and the media, the schools, scientists, and even many so called churches and clergy regularly assert that things are right and acceptable, when the Bible clearly says they are wrong. In fact the liberal clergy seem to want to re-write the Bible every other week, so they can appear loving, non-judgemental and so not offend the world.

So decide now whom you will serve.

"For the scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed'". Romans 10:11

For sure, there are many difficult and perhaps initially confusing passages and events recorded in the bible. Things that can only be understood by study.

But the author of the Bible promises to help us to understand it's content and meaning. But we need to study to show ourselves approved, and to develop our faith in His Word.

"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "But when He, The Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come". John 16:12

You will read in the Bible many things which are quite contrary to what our many years of secular education, secular atheist media influence, and ever-changing societal values have imposed upon us. The challenge from this point onward will be to be like the new baby in the womb, and be ‘Born Again’ with His values and His standards. Our new faith has a new goal.

Remember; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval". Hebrews 11:1

What of tomorrow?


“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? 

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.                  II Peter 3:3

Please consider these thoughts carefully, be honest to your heart, and may the Lord Bless your reflection.

                 Shalom in Jesus wonderful name.