Sunday, October 6, 2024
This series of talks exists to take you on a journey through Christian Apologetics. Each message is specifically designed to help you better understand and know your faith while giving you tools to also share your faith with others and have an ability defend your faith in moments where it’s being challenged.
The Bible is the most popular, best selling and distributed literary work of all time. It’s comprised of 66 books, penned by 40 different authors and written over a 1,600 year period of time.
Fun facts: It wasn’t orignally written with chapters and verses. Chapters were added by Cardinal Hugo De S. Charo in the year 1238. Verses were later added to help with reading retention by Robertus Stephanus in the year 1551 after the printing press was invented. Today, it has been translated in 1,200 different languages. According to the Gideon Society (in the United States alone) there are 168,000 copies of the Bible distributed every single day.
Question: Do the original documents of the bible still exist today?
Answer: No. We have authenticated manuscript copies of the originals.
MANUSCRIPTS
Authenticated handwritten copies of the original.
Question: Can you trust a manuscript copy with no original?
Answer: Yes. This is absolutely and easily possible, if the manuscripts are validated as authentic.
Authenticating Manuscripts
1. How many surviving manuscripts are there?
2. What is the time gap between the original and the copy?
The more manuscripts you have, the greater the validation and the more trustworthy the document becomes. The bible has over 15,000 authenticated manuscripts, making it the most manuscript supported ancient document in the world. In comparison to other validated historical works, the next (most supported) document is Homer’s Ilead which has 643 authenticated manuscripts.
The earlier the manuscripts you have, the greater the validation and the more trustworthy the document becomes. The earliest time gap between the original and the earliest manuscript copy we have of the bible is 25 years making it the most supported ancient work in the field of testing. In comparison, the time gap between the original and the earliest manuscript copy of Homer’s Ilead is 500 years.
MATTHEW 24:35 NIV
Heaven and Earth will pass away but my word will remain.
But, is this document telling the truth? Historians conduct literary tests to determine whether a document claiming to be historical is telling the truth and can be validated as historical fact.
Do we have Early Testimony?
Most, if not all of the books of the New Testament were written before 70 A.D.
Do we have Eyewitness Testimony?
ACTS 2:32 NIV
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
ACTS 3:15 NIV
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this
ACTS 4:18-20 NIV
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
ACTS 10:39-40 NIV
We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
ACTS 26:24-27 NIV
At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
Is there Testimony ‘Embarassing’ to the Authors?
New testament writers depict themselves as slow to understand, motivating Christ to speak to them in parables. They are often found reacting with cowardice and selfishness. Peter is called Satan by Christ and denied Him three times. The disciples were found sleeping on Jesus in his most anguished hour and ran away from Christ when He was captured and crucified.
Is there Enemy Attestation?
There are a total of 10 validated historical Non-Christian sources (Tacitus, Celsus, the Jewish Talmud, etc.) who validate the existence of Jesus Christ and verify much of the historical claims made by the New Testament.
JOHN 8:32 NIV
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Your belief in truth doesn’t change truth. But, your belief in truth does change you.
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