Lesson 2 — The Holy Scriptures

LESSON TWO

1. 1 THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

In this second lesson we shall study the many wonderful facts about the Bible—how the Bible originated, proofs of its inspiration, and how it may be used to get what we need in this life and in the life to come.

1. 1 BIBLE

   This word designates the collection of the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that are recognized and used by the Christian churches who follow the religion of Jesus Christ.

The word “Bible” is not found in the English versions of Scripture. It is the equivalent of the Greek word " biblia ," meaning books . The phrase " ta biblia" meaning the books occurs in Dan. 9:2 of the Septuagint for the prophetic writings. This usage for the Old Testament passed into the Christian Church, and in time was extended to the whole of the Old and New Testaments. About the thirteenth century, by common usage, the term was changed from the plural to the singular “the Book.”

1. 1 OTHER NAMES OF THE BIBLE ARE: the Scripture Mark 15:28John 7:382 Timothy 3:16-17; the Scriptures Luke 24:27, 32John 5:39Acts 17:11; the Holy Scriptures Romans 1:22 Timothy 3:15; the Promises Romans 9:4-5Romans 15:8; the Oracles of God Romans 3:2Hebrews 5:121 Peter 4:11; the Lively (living) Oracles Acts 7:38; the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms Luke 24:25, 44; the Law of the Lord Psalms 1:2; the Law and the Prophets Matthew 5:17Matthew 11:13Acts 13:15; the Book of the Lord Isaiah 34:16; the Word of God Mark 7:13Romans 10:17Hebrews 4:12; the Sword of the Spirit Ephesians 6:17; the Old and New Testament Luke 22:202 Corinthians 3:6-15Hebrews 9:15; the Word of Christ Colossians 3:16; the Word of Life Philippians 2:16; the Scripture of Truth Daniel 10:21; the Word of Truth 2 Timothy 2:15; and the Gospel of Christ Romans 1:16.

The word “testament” means a document disclosing the will of a person, a contract, an agreement, or a covenant between two contracting parties . All these meanings will become clearer the more one studies the Bible. By the end of the second century, the Old and New Testaments became permanent names for the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.

The Old Testament is largely a record of God’s dealings with the Hebrew people and the revelations of His will to them and through them to the whole race, whereby He binds Himself to take into new and special relationship all who obey His will. The New Testament is largely the fulfillment and enlargement of the Old Testament and gives the record of the promises, agreements, or compacts between God and man, showing the privileges, blessings, and requirements of the gospel through Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world.

II. What the Bible is Not

1. The Bible is not an amulet, a charm, a fetish, or a thing that will work wonders by its very presence without any voluntary agency. The Bible does not claim to be any such thing. It does claim that if one will study and practice its doctrine, it will work wonders in this life now and hereafter. It will not benefit a man by its presence any more than a spring of cool water in the desert will benefit a thirsty man if he refuses to drink.

2. The Bible is not a book of chronological events or one unbroken series of divine utterances. It was given piecemeal, “here a little, and there a little,” to many men throughout eighteen or more centuries Isaiah 28:9-11. In spite of this it forms a perfect unity, as we shall see.

3. The Bible is not a book of heavenly utterances in supernatural language. It is God’s revelation in the simplest human language possible.

4. The Bible is not a book of mysteries. It explains its so-called "mysteries" and it is self-interpreting, so that no mystery remains.

5. The Bible is not a book that says one thing and means another. It has generally only one simple meaning. If a few passages have a double meaning, that is made clear from the passage itself or from parallel passages. One cannot, as is commonly believed, get a thousand different meanings from any one passage.

6. The Bible is not a specimen of God’s skill as a writer or logician. It is a book written by men whom God used to record His revelation. God used the men by giving them freedom of expression to use their own language and ways of expressing truth. The writers were God’s penmen, not God’s pens. All that inspiration guarantees is unity of thought, not the sameness of words and expressions.

7. The Bible is not a book of systematic discourses on any one subject, but it does give divine information on practically every subject. One must collect together here and there all God’s information through various writers in order to get the whole truth. When this is done, there is perfect harmony, and everything about the subject that man really needs to know is clear.

8. The Bible is not a book that conforms to the tastes, customs, or habits of any one nation or people, or for any particular age or period of time. It is a book to which all people in all ages can conform, and yet retain their own peculiar customs and habits that are not sinful and contrary to the will of God.

III. What the Bible Is

The Bible is God’s inspired revelation of the origin and destiny of all things. It is the power of God unto eternal salvation and the source of present help for body, soul, and spirit Romans 1:16John 15:7. It is God’s will and testament to men in all ages, revealing the plan of God for man here and now and in the next life. It is the record of God’s dealings with man—past, present, and future. It contains God’s message of eternal salvation to all who believe in Christ and eternal damnation to those who rebel against the gospel.

As a literary composition, the Bible is the most remarkable book ever made. It is a divine library of sixty-six books, some of considerable size and others no larger than a tract. These books include various forms of literature, history, biography, poetry, proverbial sayings, hymns, letters, directions for elaborate ritualistic worship, laws, parables, riddles, allegories, prophecy, drama, and all other forms of human expression. They embrace all manner of literary styles. It cannot be excelled from any standpoint.

It is the book that contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts binding, its histories true, and its decisions immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be sate, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here heaven is opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide your feet in righteousness and true holiness. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully, meditatively, searchingly, and devotionally. Study it constantly, perseveringly, and industriously. Read it through and through until it becomes part of your being and generates faith that will move mountains. It is a mine of wealth, the source of health, and a world of pleasure. It is given to you in this life, will be opened at the judgment, and will last forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the least to the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

It is a mirror to reflect James 1:23; a hammer to convict Jeremiah 23:29; a fire to refine Jeremiah 23:29; seed to multiply 1 Peter 1:23; water to cleanse Ephesians 5:26John 15:3; a lamp to guide Psalms 119:105; and food to nourish , including milk for babes 1 Peter 2:2; bread for the hungry Matthew 4:4; meat for men Hebrews 5:11-14; and honey for dessert Psalms 19:10. It is rain and snow to refresh Isaiah 55:10; a sword to cut Hebrews 4:12; a bow to revenge Habakkuk 3:9; gold to enrich Psalms 19:7-10; and power to create life and faith 1 Peter 1:23Romans 10:17.

IV. General Facts About the Bible

1. 1 HOW THE BIBLE WAS GIVEN TO MAN

   It was given through the audible voices of God Matthew 3:16-17Matthew 17:5John 12:28; of angels Acts 7:38Hebrews 2:2; of prophets Acts 3:212 Peter 1:21; of Jesus Christ Hebrews 1:1-3Revelation 1:1; and of the apostles Acts 1:2Ephesians 4:7-11. It came through visions (Isa. 6; Dan. 7–8; Ezek. 1); dreams Matthew 1:20Matthew 2:12; revelation Galatians 1:15-16Ephesians 3:3; and inspiration 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

1. 1 LANGUAGES OF THE BIBLE

   The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic . The New Testament was written in Greek .

1. 1 DIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE (King James Version) . There are two main divisions—the Old Testament made up of 39 books, and the New Testament made up of 27 books. Each Testament is divided into five main divisions. The Old Testament is divided into the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses—Genesis through Deuteronomy; twelve historical books—Joshua through Esther; five poetical books—Job through the Song of Solomon; five books of the Major Prophets—Isaiah through Daniel; and twelve books of the Minor Prophets—Hosea through Malachi. The New Testament is divided into the four Gospels—Matthew through John; the historical book—Acts; the fourteen Pauline Epistles—Romans through Hebrews; the seven General Epistles—James through Jude; and the prophetic book—Revelation.

The Bible as a whole is divided into 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and 31,214 verses, made up of 773,746 words and 3,566,480 letters. There are nearly 1,250 promises to all men in various ages, but only about 500 that can be definitely claimed by modern Christians. Many promises concerned Israel and certain natural peoples and nations of the past, present, and future that does not specifically concern the present life of Christians. There are, however, an abundance of promises for Christians covering every known need in this life and the life to come, as we shall see quoted in the following lessons.

The longest two words are in Isa. 8:1 and in the title of Ps. 56; the longest verse, Esth. 8:9; shortest verse, Jn. 11:35; middle book, Micah; middle verse, Ps. 118:8; middle and shortest chapter, Ps. 117; longest book, Psalms; shortest book, 2 John; longest chapter, Ps. 119. Chapter divisions were made in A.D. 1236. Four verses in Ps. 107 are alike: v 8, 15, 21, and 31. Also 2 Ki. 19 and Isa. 37, Ezra 2 and Neh. 7, and 2 Chron. 36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-3a, are alike.

There are 26 unknown books mentioned in the Bible. Since the invention of printing there have been over 1,330,231,815 bibles printed and sold in England and Europe besides those in other lands. Over 30 million are now distributed annually. The first complete English Bible was finished in 1380. The first printed was the Gutenberg Bible in 1450. The only uninspired parts of the Bibles are the divisions of the chapters and verses, references, marginal notes, chapter and page headings, footnotes, summaries of chapters, and all other parts except the original text.

In some large family bibles there is a section of fourteen books called the Apocrypha , a group of spurious books that were rejected from our present canon of Scripture because:

1. They did not pass the tests required of inspired books.

2. They were not written or approved by a prophet.

3. They were not recognized by the Jews as inspired and as a part of Scripture.

4. They were not recognized or even quoted by Christ and the Apostles, a fact more striking as Paul quotes twice from heathen poets.

5. The last Old Testament prophet predicted that the next messenger to come to Israel from God would be the forerunner of Christ Malachi 3:1. Most of these books were written during the period between Malachi and Christ.

6. Divine authority is not claimed by their authors, and by some it is virtually disowned (2 Macc. 2:23; 15:38).

7. They contain statements at variance with biblical history.

8. They are self-contradictory and opposed to doctrines of Scripture.

9. Josephus did not regard them as Scripture. He lived at the time of the apostles and stated that the present books of the Old Testament, which are in our version, were the only inspired books (see Josephus , Book I, section 8).

10. They were not a part of the ancient versions of Scripture.

11. They were first added after A.D. 300. The Laodicean Council in A.D. 363 rejected them as being not inspired, thus proving that by that time some were claiming inspiration for them. They first appeared in the Vatican Version of the fourth century. At the Council of Trent in A.D. 1546, the Catholics accepted six of these books as inspired and added them to their modern versions of Scripture. They are the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, Judith, and 1 and 2 Maccabees.

12. Philo and others did not regard them as inspired.

13. The lack of prophetic element in them, and apparent imitation of other books of the Old Testament that are inspired.

14. Too free use of imagination, giving rise to silly stories, and the lack of spiritual force and power.

VI. The Bible An Inspired Revelation From God

Christianity claims to be a revealed religion. The record of that revelation is contained in the Sacred Scriptures. Note the following points:

1. 1 REASONS MAN CAN EXPECT A REVELATION FROM GOD

   Man’s intellectual and moral nature requires a revelation from God. Such will help him preserve and insure the moral and spiritual progress he needs to attain and the higher nature that he cannot hope to reach unaided. There is within man’s moral makeup an intuition, a reason, and a hunger for the supernatural and for knowledge of things unrevealed. And as nothing in nature exists without a purpose, these natural cravings must be satisfied. The only way these natural desires of man can be met is by means of a supernatural revelation and manifestation, leading man to the desired end of his creative makeup. Thus, only a revelation of things to come beyond this life can fully satisfy the natural demands of man’s nature.

All history testifies to the fact that in those nations where biblical revelation is not known, there is a very low standard of living. Because of such imperfect knowledge, man’s actual condition has been that of moral depravity and utter helplessness to cope with the evil forces and the higher demands of nature.

What we know of God through nature gives us grounds to know that this lack in human life has been met by a supernatural revelation to supply this need. It is only right to believe that since God made man a moral and spiritual being, for spiritual ends, He also supplied the means to attain these ends. It is not natural or reasonable from any standpoint to believe that the Creator would leave His creation in such an imperfect state by creating within man this longing for the unknown, without meeting his needs with a divine supply. At the same time, both conscience and reason affirm that man is a sinner and merits condemnation. But he cannot from reason alone know that God will be merciful and save him. His doubts can be removed only by God’s own word to him. This requires a divine revelation.

1. 1 WHAT MAN MAY EXPECT OF A DIVINE REVELATION

   Not only should man expect a revelation, but he may expect that a divine revelation would be in perfect harmony with, and supplementary to, nature. Those who are in any sense honest and rational concerning such proof may expect a revelation that is beyond all doubt from a supernatural source. They may expect this revelation to come through chosen vessels, and be preserved by divine power through the ages. They may further expect it to be attested by miraculous works and prophetic utterances that have been fulfilled to the letter. All this is true of the Bible, as we shall see in proofs of inspiration below.

1. 1 THE MEANING OF REVELATION

   The word “revelation” is from the Greek apokalupsis , meaning to unveil, reveal, and uncover, or the lifting up of a curtain so that all may see what was previously veiled. There can be no excuse for different interpretations of the revelation of God of things that can be seen alike by all, if all will look at the same thing in the same way.

The revelation of God is simply the unveiling of facts and truths , which man could not know of himself, but which are divinely revealed by the Spirit of God. About one-fifth of the Bible is prophecy which requires a revelation. Then there are many other parts of the Bible, such as creation, Lucifer’s reign, God’s plan, and many things that had to be revealed before man could possibly know the facts about them. The history of the Bible did not have to be revealed, but it is as much inspired as the revealed part. Inspiration simply guarantees the true recording of facts as they happened, or as they are going to happen. The method of disclosure and the truth disclosed are both called revelation Ephesians 3:3Colossians 1:26Revelation 1:1Romans 16:25.

1. 1 THE MEANING OF INSPIRATION

   The Greek theopneustos literally means God-breathed . It is that special influence or power of the Holy Spirit upon the minds and in the lives of holy men, which qualified and enabled them to make an infallible record of divine truth concerning the will of God to man. Paul said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God [i.e., is God-breathed ], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Peter said, “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began,” and that, “holy men of God spake as they were moved [ borne along ] by the Holy Ghost” Acts 3:212 Peter 1:21.

1. 1 THE PURPOSE OF INSPIRATION is to secure truth and unity in record and not conformity or sameness of statement. Inspiration has accomplished this beyond human comprehension, as proven in Point VII, below.

1. 1 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVELATION AND INSPIRATION

   Revelation discovers new truth while inspiration superintends the communicating and recording of that truth. We have examples of inspiration without revelation Luke 1:1-4; inspiration including revelation Revelation 1:1, 11; inspiration without illumination 1 Peter 1:111 Corinthians 14:13-19; and revelation and inspiration including illumination 1 Corinthians 2:12-161 Corinthians 14:30.

We find lies of Satan and men, false statements, murders, adulteries and many sins recorded in Scripture. Inspiration simply records the truth of what was said or done , and guarantees to us that Satan lied, that what is written is actually what he said, but it does not change the lie to a truth. Inspiration records sins of men, but it does not sanction those sins as the will of God. The student of Scripture must keep in mind the difference between what Satan and men say, and what God actually says . God is responsible only for what He says, and for what He inspires men to say. He is not responsible for what others say. All He is responsible for is the true record of what men and demons have said and done.

1. 1 TO WHAT DEGREE WERE THE WRITERS OF THE BIBLE INSPIRED? Some words were the exact words of God Exodus 32:16Deuteronomy 5:4, 24Matthew 3:17Matthew 17:5John 12:28; some words were put into the mouths of the speakers who spoke as the Spirit inspired them Exodus 4:12Numbers 23:5Ezekiel 2:7Ezekiel 3:10-11Acts 3:21; and some words were written as the writers were moved by the Spirit Exodus 34:172 Peter 1:21Revelation 1:11. In other parts of Scripture the speakers and writers were inspired to choose their own words in relating divine truth, or in saying things that were later recorded by the Spirit through men Daniel 12:8-9John 20:30-31Luke 1:1-4Acts 1:1-2. Regardless of the way the various passages were recorded it was by a full and plenary inspiration; that is, the entire Bible was inspired of God.

In speaking and writing the divine record of things past, present, and future, the Spirit used attention, reason, investigation, memory, logic, and all the faculties of the writers and speakers. He guided them to choose the material of others—spoken and written—such as imperial decrees, genealogies, letters, historical records, and whatever was necessary for the recording of truth. The Spirit worked in and through their own spirits, and preserved their individualities in their writings. The Bible is in truth the very Word of God in human language, and it should be understood on the same basis that we do other books in human language.

VII. Proofs of Revelation and Inspiration

The following reasons are sufficient to prove to an unbiased mind that the Bible is an inspired revelation of God:

1. 1 ITS WONDERFUL UNITY

   Over 40 different authors wrote the 66 books of the Bible during a period of over 1,800 years, and they all had one theme—the creation and redemption of the human race by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

These books of the Bible were written by men from all walks of life, such as kings, priests, judges, lawyers, princes, shepherds, soldiers, courtiers, statesmen, musicians, inventors, singers, poets, preachers, prophets, fishermen, farmers, tentmakers, publicans, physicians, rich men and poor men. They were written in various lands of three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa. They were written in different ages and by many men, some who never saw each other or knew what the others wrote on the same subjects. Yet when their writings became one book, there is not one contradiction among them.

Suppose 40 medical men, each in a different land and age, would each write their own book on how to cure a particular disease, what kind of cure would such collections make? How much unity would there be among their writings? Collect together 40 books on the same subject, each written by a different author, and see how many contradictions and controversies exist among the writers. Some will try to prove how the others are wrong and why his theory is right. This is all too apparent to those who have read different authors on any one subject. There is no unity of thought between the books of men on any subject. But there is perfect unity between the books of the Bible, which speak of hundreds of subjects in the realm of religion, politics, science, etc. This proves there is one divine author for all 66 books. Who else but a divine author could produce such a work?

1. 1 ITS SUPERIORITY TO OTHER BOOKS

   There is an abundance of evidence that the Bible is superior to all other books. It is not like any other book in its claims—in its message, its moral tone, its insight into the future, and in its words of peace, comfort and hope to all men. It is different because of its insight into human nature and into all things of life here and hereafter.

It is the outstanding book among millions of books. It is in a class by itself. Other books can be classified as to their subject matter, message, and style, but this is not so with the Bible. It does not fit into any human classification of books. Its unique origin, its message, and its wonderful structure all prove its superiority.

It is also unequaled in its benefits to men, in its circulation, and in its popularity. In spite of all competition and the advantage of advertising that other books have over the Bible, it is still the best seller. More than 30 million copies are distributed annually. Millions of men in all lands acclaim the Bible as the only book that satisfies the soul and gives any hope of life beyond the grave. When the book of a modern writer is translated into a few languages, the author is as proud as a peacock. The Bible has been translated into 1,086 languages and dialects, and new translations are being made every year. There are twelve editions solely for the blind. It is the most modern book of all ages, and all other books are hopelessly outclassed when compared with the Bible.

From the standpoint of literature and truth, the Bible is a recognized authority on the affairs of daily life as well as those things in the next life. It has no equal. Millions of men in all ages have lived and died by its teachings. No such trust can be placed in any other book. Religions, secret orders, and practically every kind of human doctrine claim to be based upon the Bible. It is the simplest book to understand and yet it needs constant study. Even the non-believer feels he is uneducated without a sound knowledge of its teachings. The more one reads, the more he realizes that he is far short of mastering its contents. There are always new discoveries of truth in the Bible. It is always new to those who read it most. This is not so with any other book. When they are read a time or two, their contents are mastered, and the subject matter becomes old and uninteresting. All this proves the divine origin of the Bible.

1. 1 ITS INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD

   No book has had an influence on the world like the Bible. It has been and still is as high as the heavens above the earth in comparison with other books. In lands where the Bible is unknown, this fact is plainly evident. While the Bible has made modern civilization, if man’s present trend of rejecting the Bible continues, such civilization will be destroyed. Without the Bible men would be in dense spiritual and moral darkness, and in mental ignorance believing pagan superstition. Millions of lives have been enlightened and changed in every generation by its teachings, thus proving that its superior influence must be of divine origin.

1. 1 THE CHARACTER OF THOSE WHO ACCEPT IT PROVES THE BIBLE TO BE INSPIRED OF GOD

   Those who grow in holiness and consecration to the highest good of others, accept it as from God and cherish it more and more. Only infidels, skeptics, moral and spiritual rebels, and human wrecks of all kinds are the ones who refuse to accept its inspiration. Naturally, they reject it because it condemns all their activities and promises punishment in the end.

1. 1 THE GREATNESS OF THOSE WHO ACCEPT IT AS A REVELATION FROM GOD PROVES THAT IT IS MORE THAN AN ORDINARY HUMAN PRODUCT

   Some men argue that the Bible and its religion is accepted only by the weak, the young, and the ignorant, and that its champions outside the pulpit are few and far between.

This is one of the greatest errors in the camp of infidels, and shows willful prejudice or superficial knowledge of the question. The greatest thinkers and representative men of all ages have openly confessed their faith in Christianity and the Bible. The wise men of the world, who have been best qualified to detect error and imposture, have laid at the feet of Christ their homage, and confessed that the Bible is the Word of God.

We have over a thousand testimonies of the greatest men since Christ outside of the clerical profession who have left witness of their unwavering faith in the Bible as the Word of God and in Christ as the Son of God. Thus, men who have been leaders of human thought throughout the centuries, and who were not biased (as preachers are accused of being), and who had no personal interest at stake, have simply been honest in acknowledging facts. When such men use their pen and voice to extol Christ and the Bible to be what they claimed to be, it is time for skeptics and unbelievers to listen to facts without bias.

These men have been kings, presidents, senators, congressmen, diplomats, philosophers, scientists, poets, authors, historians, artists, philanthropists, reformers, educators, lawyers, physicians, soldiers, journalists, financiers, governors, leaders of great movements and men acknowledged to be representative of the old and new world. Carlyle said, “No sadder proof can be given a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.” Webster said, “Great authorities are great arguments.” We shall not take time or use space but for a very few testimonies to prove our point. In addition to these statements consider the following remarks by other famous men:

“Above all, the pure light of revelation has had an influence on mankind, and increased the blessings of society. It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”—George Washington

“I have always said that a studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”—Thomas Jefferson

“The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. I speak as a man of the world.”—John Quincy Adams

“It [the Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.”—Andrew Jackson

“It was for the love of the truths of this great and good Book that our fathers abandoned their native shores for the wilderness.”—Zachary Taylor

“I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book that you can by reason and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man. It is the best book which God has given to man.”—Abraham Lincoln

“I have known ninety-five of the world’s great men in my time, and of these eighty-seven were followers of the Bible.”—W. E. Gladstone

“Almost every man who has by his lifework added to the sum of human achievement . . . has based his lifework largely upon the teachings of the Bible.”—Theodore Roosevelt

“A man has deprived himself of the best there is in the world who has deprived himself of this” (a knowledge of the Bible).—Woodrow Wilson

“There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals, etc. . . . he who seeks for guidance . . . may look inside its covers and find illumination.”—Herbert Hoover

“The Bible contains more philosophy than all the libraries that I have ever seen; and such parts as I cannot reconcile with my little philosophy, I postpone for future investigation.”—John Adams

“To the influence of this Book we are indebted for the progress made in civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future.”—Ulysses S. Grant

“The young must be taught, and they must be taught truly if the spring-waters of democracy are to be kept untainted . . . The influence of the Scriptures in the early days of the Republic is plainly revealed in the writing and thinking of the men who made the nation possible . . . They found in the Scriptures that which shaped their course and determined their action.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt

“England has become great and happy by the knowledge of the true God through Jesus Christ . . . This is the secret of England’s greatness.”—Queen Victoria

“Do not join those who either ignore the Bible altogether, or, at least, give it a spurious interpretation of their own devising.”—Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany

“What I was as an artist, seemed to me of some importance while I lived; what I really was as a believer in Christ Jesus, is the only thing of importance to me now. What can I do with respect to the next world without my Bible? No philosopher offers anything that meets, and, much less, relieves, my case.”—John Bacon

“The Bible is more than a Book; it is a living being with an action, a power which invades everything that opposes its extension.”—Napoleon Bonaparte

“The sacredness of the Bible awes me.”—William Cohen Bryant

“It is hard to make a choice of the most beautiful passage in a Book which is gemmed with beautiful passages as the Bible.”—Mark Twain

“The only spiritual light in the world comes through Jesus Christ and the inspired Book . . . Without His presence and the teachings of the Bible we would be enshrouded in moral darkness and despair . . . nations without Christ, contrasted with those where Christ is accepted, reveal so marked a difference that no arguments are needed.”—Samuel Colgate

“All other books are of little importance in comparison with the Holy Scriptures, which are a revelation from God, and are given as the only rule of faith and practice.”—Alexander Cruden

“Here is my creed: I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe, that He governs it by His providence; that He ought to be worshipped; that the most acceptable service we can render Him is doing good to others; that the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another world respecting his conduct in this. As to Jesus of Nazareth, I think His system of morals, as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see.”—Benjamin Franklin

“I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I were sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.”—Alexander Hamilton

“I hope that the Bible will be more and more studied by all ranks of people and expounded simply by the teachers, for the religion of the people can never be founded on moral philosophy.”—Alfred Tennyson

“We, the undersigned, Students of the Natural Sciences, desire to express our sincere regret that researchers into scientific truth are perverted by some in our own times into occasion for casting doubt upon the truth and authenticity of the Holy Scriptures. We conceive that it is impossible for the Word of God written in the book of nature and God’s Word written in Holy Scripture, to contradict one another . . . physical science is not complete, but is only in a condition of progress.”—Signed by eight hundred scientists of Great Britain, recorded in the Bodelian Library, Oxford, England.

“The Bible is the Book of faith, and a Book of doctrine, and a Book of morals, and a Book of religion, of special revelation from God; but it is also a Book which teaches man his responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow man.”—Daniel Webster

1. 1 MAN COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN THE BIBLE IF HE WOULD, NOR WOULD HE HAVE WRITTEN IT IF HE COULD. If any man questions this statement, let him write a book one-billionth as good as the Bible. History does not record a single instance where a critic of the Bible ever tried to improve it.

1. 1 GOOD MEN MUST HAVE WRITTEN THE BIBLE

   The writers claimed to be inspired of God. They either were inspired or they were liars. If they were liars, then bad men must have written it, and such is contrary to every known human trait. The Bible condemns all sin and this no evil man would do. Some of the bible writers recorded their own sins which brought them into disgrace. No man would so expose himself unless divine power moved him so that others might profit. Only a good man would submit to such a revelation of his own life, so good men must have written it. If good men wrote it and said they were moved by the inspiration of God, then the Bible is an inspired book.

1. 1 ALL MAN’S NEEDS ARE MET BY THE BIBLE. This has been true of all ages. Every promise in God’s Word has been fulfilled in the lives of men who have met the conditions, so it must be from God who fulfills these promises. In due time, we shall show you from the Bible that you can get what you want in this life as well as the life to come. We shall not only tell you how, but you can personally experience the fruition of the promises.

1. 1 THE PRESERVATION OF THE BIBLE THROUGH THE AGES PROVES ITS INSPIRATION

   No other book has ever gone through the same conflicts that the Bible has. Whole kingdoms and religions have tried to destroy the Bible, but it has weathered every storm; and it still exists long after its enemies have passed off the scene of action. Voltaire , over one hundred years ago, said, “The Bible in one hundred years will be a thing of the past.” Nevertheless, today in the same house where Voltaire lived and made this statement there are thousands of Bibles stacked, and from that house many thousands of Bibles are distributed annually. Most books written a few hundred years ago have been destroyed and forgotten, but the Bible has come down to us from thousands of years and it becomes more and more known throughout the world as time goes on.

1. 1 THE HEAVENLY CHARACTER OF ITS CONTENTS PROVES THE BIBLE TO BE A REVELATION FROM GOD

   The Bible is full of heavenly truths that could never have been known, except by revelation.

1. 1 THE RESPONSE OF THE SOUL TO THE BIBLE PROVES ITS SOURCE

   The author of the Bible and the creator of the soul are the same person. The Bible is perfectly adapted to the soul. It shows complete acquaintance with the soul. It was made for all parts of man’s nature. The law and the epistles are for man’s reason, the psalms and gospels for the affections, and the prophecies and revelations of the wonders of God for the imagination. The Bible judges the soul by contradicting its passions, revealing its guilt, and humbling its pride and vanity. No mere human product could or would look down upon and condemn that nature. The Bible meets the deepest needs of the soul by solving its problems, and presenting a way out of its slavery to sin and Satan.

1. 1 THE INFINITE DEPTH AND LOFTY IDEALS OF THE BIBLE PROVE A DIVINE AUTHOR

   The Bible is inexhaustible and infinite in its coverage of truth, for this life and the one yet to come. Men have found it to be practical in serving every common purpose and meeting every requirement. It is universal in its appeal, reasonable in its teachings, reliable in its promises, durable in its conflicts, everlasting in its usefulness, new and modern in its statements, indispensable to human civilization, indisputable in its authority, interesting in its histories, colorful in its biographies, accurate in its prophecies, individual in its messages, far reaching in its vision, complete in its laws, comprehensive in its knowledge, infinite in its detail, unselfish in its purpose, simple in its application, just in its demands, righteous in its judgments, clear in its application, and masterful in its wisdom. No activity is ignored in its pages. In matters of government, the home and in every sphere it is unequaled for wisdom and instruction. Nothing can be added or taken away. It gives instruction to the lawmakers and counsel to the magistrate. It cautions the witness, requires an impartial verdict of a jury, and furnishes the judge with the sentence. It tells the wife how to manage the home and the husband how to rule the household. It instructs in matters of courtship and marriage. It entails honor to parents and enjoins obedience to children. It prescribes and limits the power of a sovereign and master, and commands subjects and servants to obey. It gives directions for weddings and burials. It promises food and raiment, and limits the use of both. It unveils the destiny of the dying and instructs and comforts the bereaved. It defends the rights of all and reveals vengeance to every oppressor. It is the first book, the best book, and the oldest book in the world. It contains the choicest matter, gives the best instructions, and affords the greatest pleasure and satisfaction that ever was enjoyed. It contains the best laws and the most profound revealed mysteries that have ever been penned. It exhibits life and immortality and shows the way to glory. It is a recital of all the past and a certain prediction of all that is to come. It settles all matters of debate, makes the wise foolish and the foolish wise, and detects all lies and confutes all errors. It is the most compendious Book in the world, the most authentic and genuine, and the most entertaining that was ever published. It contains the most ancient antiquities, the most strange events, the most wonderful stories of love, biography, history, wars, heroic deeds, and unparalleled adventures, travels, and voyages. It describes the celestial, terrestrial, and infernal worlds, and the origin of the universe, angelic myriads, human tribes, devilish legions, and innumerable living creatures. It instructs the most accomplished mechanic, politician, scientist, historian, rhetorician, mathematician, and the most learned professional in any subject. It puzzles the wisest critic, corrects the vain philosopher, confutes the wise astronomer, exposes the subtle sophist, and rebukes the vain and sinful. It is a complete code of laws, a perfect body of divine truth, an unequaled narrative, and the only written revelation of God to man. To understand it is to be wise. To be ignorant of it is to be destitute of divine wisdom.

1. 1 FULFILLED PROPHECY PROVES THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE

   This is an indisputable proof, for there are hundreds of prophecies spoken centuries before fulfillment which exclude all human possibility of fulfillment. They are in such infinite detail as to be beyond all human power to predict. There were 333 prophecies fulfilled in the life of Christ. Hundreds have been fulfilled in the rise and fall of nations and numerous other events. There are many now being fulfilled and are yet to be fulfilled, as we shall see in Lessons Thirty-seven through Fifty-two. About 3,268 verses of the Bible prophecies of thousands of details have been fulfilled. There are 3,140 verses that are being fulfilled and will yet be fulfilled. Not one detail of any prediction that should have been fulfilled up to 1948 has ever failed. Those that have not been fulfilled will be in due time, as we shall see in our future lessons. Only God could foretell such future events, thus proving the Bible to be a revelation of God by inspiration.

According to the laws of simple and compound probability, the 333 prophecies of Christ could have only one chance in one and 97 ciphers of fulfillment. Men today who make prediction of events a few days ahead based upon the present trend of things do not claim to be more than about 80 percent correct. Many men can guess like this, but no man can predict things hundreds and thousands of years ahead, as did God, without having one failure of any single detail of prediction. Yet this is true of bible prophecies. No sane man will dare attempt to refute this claim. No man has ever found one failure in prophecy after trying a whole lifetime to do so. So we can rest assured that the Bible is God’s Word.

1. 1 MIRACLES ALSO PROVE THE DIVINE REVELATION OF THE BIBLE

   Hundreds of miracles are recorded in Scripture which only God could have brought about. Millions of men have been healed of diseases and saved from sin throughout the centuries by obedience to the Word of God. This cannot be said of any other book. Any man today can prove this claim in his own life if he will put the Bible to a test. No man can have any right to unbelief until he has done this.

1. 1 THE TESTIMONY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TO THE INSPIRATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

   Jesus has been proven to be not only a credible witness, but a messenger from God. In all His teachings He referred to the divine authority of the Old Testament Matthew 5:17-18Matthew 8:17Matthew 12:40-42Luke 4:18-21Luke 10:25-28Luke 15:29-31Luke 17:32Luke 24:25-45John 5:39-47. He quoted the Old Testament 78 times, the Pentateuch alone 26 times. He quoted from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Micah, and Malachi. He referred to the Old Testament as “The Scriptures,” “the word of God,” and “the wisdom of God.” The apostles quoted 209 times from the Old Testament and considered it “the oracles of God.” The Old Testament in hundreds of places predicted the events of the New Testament; and as the New Testament is the fulfillment of, and testifies to the genuineness and authenticity of the Old Testament, both Testaments must be considered together as the Word of God.

1. 1 THE CLAIMS OF THE BIBLE AND ITS WRITERS PROVE ITS INSPIRATION

   The Bible claims a supernatural origin. The writers of the Bible were credible witnesses. They possessed actual knowledge of the facts they relate and of the revelations they received from God. They were capable, competent, honest, reliable, and unselfish, and no man has ever been able to discredit one thing they said. Many times their very lives and worldly interests were imperiled because of their testimony, and no man is going to go through this without being upheld by a higher power.

Over 3,808 times such expressions as “Thus saith the Lord,” “The Lord spake,” “The word of the Lord came unto me,” etc., are found. (See point 7, above, for proof they were good men.) These writers claimed what they wrote was from God Exodus 20:1Exodus 24:4Exodus 35:12 Samuel 23:2. They claimed that all the Bible was inspired 2 Timothy 3:162 Peter 1:21. The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God Hebrews 4:12. It claims life-giving qualities John 6:63John 8:31-321 Peter 1:232 Peter 1:4Matthew 4:4Romans 1:16. Many are its claims along every line, and not once have its enemies disproved one of them. On the other hand, millions of men throughout the ages have proven its claims when its conditions were met.

1. 1 ITS PERFECTION

   The perfection of the Bible proves its inspiration. There never was and never will be another perfect book that meets so perfectly all the needs of the human race, not only in this life, but also in that which is to come. It claims perfection James 1:25. Not one flaw has ever been found in the original writings of the authors of the Bible. In fact, the many thousands of copies of the originals are so perfect that they prove the perfection of the originals. Not one important omission can be found in comparing all these copies and versions of the Bible. There are over 800,000 different renderings of the Bible, and they all contain the same important truths.

1. 1 THE BIBLE IS SCIENTIFICALLY CORRECT

   Modern telescopes have disproved every theory on the astronomy of the past, but not one statement in the Bible on astronomy has been disproved. Astronomers admit that such telescopes tell the same story that the Bible does. This discovery has silenced critics of the Bible in this field. The story of creation is in perfect harmony with geology. Geologists of Yale, Princeton, Harvard, and other universities agree to this fact. One says, “Creation as given in Genesis is faultless.” Another says, “The more the leaves of the book of the earth are turned, the more they show the Old Book, the Bible, is true.”

Over 250 plants are mentioned in the Old Testament alone. Botanists claim the Bible flawless botanically. Many facts stated about animals, birds, insects, music, law, art, architecture, and many other known subjects of study have all been proven true as man scientifically studies these things. Mysteries of the human body, the soul, the spirit, the things in the natural world, such as rain, water, currents, winds, evaporation, clouds, thunder, lightning, and many other natural phenomena have been recorded in the Bible for thousands of years. Man is just now learning the true facts about these phenomena. In other words, it has taken man many centuries to discover what the Bible has stated for millenniums. Where did the writers of the Bible get this information? Why did they know these things centuries before modern man, since modern man claims to be so far ahead of the men in Bible times? The answer is revelation and inspiration.

1. 1 THE BIBLE IS HISTORICALLY CORRECT

   Man-made histories more than a generation old are full of mistakes and misstatements. Not so with the Bible—despite its records dating back thousands of years. Hundreds of places spoken of in the Bible have been definitely located by geographers and explorers. Hundreds of statements in the Bible, which in times past have been held untrue by enemies of the Bible, have recently been proven true by archeologists. The deeper the archeological spade goes, the higher the biblical statements go up.

1. 1 ITS UNIVERSAL ADAPTABILITY FOR ALL AGES AND PEOPLES

   Books on all the above subjects are constantly being discarded because they are out of date. Not so with the Bible. It is always up to date on any of these subjects. It is the book for all ages and peoples and it is ever new and fresh in its lessons and values to man. Wherever it goes it lifts men up to a higher plane of life. Its doctrines, precepts, promises, and its moral and spiritual tone are the world’s greatest inspiration.

1. 1 THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF THE BIBLE

   The soul of man longs for the truths of God as recorded in the Bible, which meet and satisfy all his spiritual needs. The Book is just what one should expect of a Heavenly Father, to point the way of salvation and provide help in every life struggle. No one question of importance can be asked about man’s life here or hereafter, but what is fully satisfactorily answered by the Bible. It is the chart of the sea of life. It is the great inspirer and guide in prayer and points the way to direct relations with God. Man’s soul thus finds what it craves—fellowship with God. It answers the longing for immortality and assures eternal life to all who submit to God. It holds out a future as big as the universe. It must be divine.

1. 1 TWENTY CENTURIES HAVE NOT IMPROVED IT

   Enemies of the Bible have made many claims that the Bible can be improved upon, but none of them have ever tried to prove such claims except in talk, and talk is very cheap. If man had written the Bible in the first place he certainly could make a better one today, since he claims to be far superior to the original writers of the Bible. Is it too much to expect of the modern superiors of the Bible authors? Until man makes a better book or one a billionth as good as the Bible, common sense requires him to lay aside all criticism of something better than he can produce. All books written and rewritten by man without inspiration can and are constantly being improved. Even men who are not authors of these books can improve upon them. Why can’t they do this with the Bible? Why do not other books stand the criticism of the Bible? All this proves that the Bible must be of divine origin.

1. 1 THE DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE ARE CONTRARY TO ALL HUMAN TEACHINGS

   It is the strangest Book and has the strangest teachings. Its ideal and the method of approach to that ideal are wholly unlike those of any human book. The teaching of the Bible of receiving life through death, self-exaltation through self-abasement, salvation through grace and not of works, and many other teachings are supernatural and unlike human teachings. The way of the Bible to become great is by being a servant of all, not through lording it over all and making all servants to self as is the human way. When one is nothing from the standpoint of the Bible he is somebody, and when he is somebody he is nothing. When one loses his life he finds it, and finds his life he loses it. The way up is down. So it continues with practically all principles and ways of life according to the Bible. This is why a complete change must be made in every man who consecrates himself to obey the Bible.

God’s way of worship was not man’s way, as proven by Cain and Abel. Man’s way of improvement in life is not God’s way. Man goes at it by self-effort and human culture, while God demands a new creation and complete abandonment of self-effort and works. He requires entire dependence upon God and His working in the life. For this reason many natural men cannot understand the ways of God. For this reason many of them refuse God’s way, as did Cain. Paul said, “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” 1 Corinthians 2:14. No man could have written such things contrary to his natural self, and no man can attain to the principles of the Bible apart from God; so the Bible must be of God.

1. 1 THE GENUINENESS AND AUTHENTICITY OF THE BIBLE PROVES IT TO BE AN INSPIRED REVELATION FROM GOD

   By “genuineness” we mean that the books were actually written in the age to which they are assigned and by the men to whom they are ascribed. By “authenticity” we mean that the Bible relates truthfully the matters of which it treats, and its contents are the same today as written originally. From man’s standpoint, the genuineness and authenticity of the Bible rest upon the claims of the Bible itself, the original manuscripts, lectionaries, patristic quotations, ancient and modern versions, archaeology, and secular history.

(1) THE CLAIMS OF THE BIBLE ITSELF. As we have seen in points 13-16, fulfilled prophecy, Bible miracles, and the claims of the Bible, all go to prove its revelations and inspiration. If the Scriptures are inspired they are also genuine. If they are genuine they are authentic, for genuineness is based upon authenticity.

(2) SECULAR HISTORY. The events described in the New Testament were well-known as facts throughout the Roman Empire and have been quoted and referred to as actual events by 50 other authors of the first four centuries of the Christian Era. The whole fragments of their writings still remain. Jerome (A.D. 392) mentions about 50 others whose writings have perished. These writers belonged to all parts of the world and represent both pagans and Christians. They agree in quoting Scripture as genuine and authentic. They refer to the Bible as a distinct volume, universally received as God’s Word. Early versions attest the truth of the scriptures. Heretics who separated from the main body of believers still held to the fact that the Bible was God’s Word and was genuine and true. They differed only in doctrines, which they supposed the Bible to teach. Even ancient infidels who fought the Bible based their reasonings upon the very facts our present Bible contains, so it must have been in existence then as it is today.

Heathen and Jewish writers confirm the facts of Christ and His followers and the existence of both the Old and the New Testaments. Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, Juvenal, Pliny and others (A.D. 93-117) all confirm statements of sacred history. There is no event in ancient history that can produce more than a fraction of evidence by which the Bible in its entirety is sustained as genuine and authentic. The Christian has more proof and more right to believe that all the versions of Scripture had one original than for Americans to believe that all the copies of the Declaration of Independence had one original.

We do not receive the canon of Scripture upon the authority of the Fathers and Church Councils. We receive them only on the same grounds that they received them—because we have evidence that they were written by a group of credible and inspired men. The scriptures are here, and as seen in all the points above, there is only one way to account for such a book and that is by revelation and inspiration of God. They have power because God is in them.

In San Francisco in 1921 we heard Robert Dick Wilson, Ph.D., D.D., professor of Semitic Philology at Princeton University, say, “As a young man I began to hear criticism of the Bible. I made up my mind that I would consecrate my whole life to finding out if the Bible was genuine and authentic. For fifteen years I studied and mastered the ancient languages and dialects so that I could examine all the ancient versions and manuscripts of the Bible. I spent another fifteen years in biblical textual study of these ancient documents. I spent another fifteen years in writing out what I had learned so that the whole Church might share them. After forty-five years I am fully convinced that the Bible, as we now have it, is genuine and authentic. No man knows enough to assail the truthfulness of the Old Testament upon which the New Testament is based. Once, in order to answer a single sentence of a critic of the Bible, I read all the extant literature of that period in numerous languages, and collected together no less than 100,000 citations from that literature in order to get at the facts and disprove the argument of the critic of the Bible.”

Just before Thomas Newberry (author of the Newberry Bible ) departed this life, he was asked if he had ever been tormented with doubts as to the inspiration of the Bible. He replied, “I have spent sixty years in the study of the Scriptures in the original languages, marking carefully every tense and preposition, and the impression left on my mind is not the difficulty of believing but the impossibility of doubting the inspiration of the Scriptures.”

Ferrar Fenton , the author of a complete Bible in English translated direct from the original languages, says, “I never ceased to read Philology, Scientific Writers, and Scientific Research, History, Sociology, Statesmanship, and every field which the Scriptures touch upon, to enable me to attain my object [to see if the Bible was true]. The laws and writers upon Criticism, whether Orthodox, Heterodox, ‘Higher,’ ‘Broad,’ ‘Lower,’ ‘Assyriologic,’ or ‘Sanskrit,’ have all been open to me, and my conclusion is that in the Hebro-Christian Scriptures we have the only key that unlocks the Mystery of the Universe . . . In this conviction I present the last section of the Bible to my race, not as a ‘parson paid to preach it up’ . . . but as a man who began the investigation of the possibility of a Divine Revelation, as an absolute disbeliever in any such thing, and who, after fifty years of honest and independent research, have become a profound believer in such a revelation as the only solution to the mystery of existence, not only of man but of all things.”

(3) MANUSCRIPTS. No original Manuscript of the Bible can be produced because of the fact that they were written thousands of years ago on perishable material, but they do not need to be found in order to prove the genuineness and authenticity of the Bible. After 170 years the original Declaration of Independence shows old age and should it be lost, we could still believe its original contents by the many copies we have of it today. Scholars today are willing to admit as genuine and authentic any writing of the same period if ten or more copies can be found. There are many thousands of copies of the original writings of the sacred writers. These writings are in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan, Arabic, Armenian Egyptian, Ethiopic, Gothic, Persian, Coptic, and many other languages.

Many of these ancient Manuscripts date back to the third and fourth centuries and a few even before that. Additional discoveries of new and older Manuscripts are being found continually. Many thousands of ancient writings (even running into the millions) have recently been found in Egypt in a good state of preservation because of the dry climate where papyri (paper) could be best preserved. These are throwing much new light upon the New Testament, but always the light confirms the fact that it was in the beginning as it is today. (See The New Archeological Discoveries by Camden M. Cobern.)

Many used to argue that the early bibles were not like ours, but since many new ones have been found that date even from a time long before Constantine, it is certain that the first ones were like ours of today. Not even one discovery has been made that is opposed to the overwhelming testimony regarding the antiquity of the Bible. About ninety years ago we had only 550 Manuscripts collated by scholars. Thirty years ago there were 1,700. Today there are 4,200 and they all confirm the integrity and purity of the Bible.

(4) LECTIONARIES. These make another link in the chain of evidence proving the genuineness and authenticity of the Bible. The lectionaries were lessons or portions of Scriptures from the Gospels and Epistles that were read in churches. There are 1,000 of the Gospels and 300 of the Acts and Epistles known to exist.

(5) THE PATRISTIC QUOTATIONS. These are quotations from the early Christian writers. They form a gap between the oldest whole Manuscripts of the third and fourth century back to the time of the apostles. If the New Testament were destroyed, all but eleven verses of it could be collected again through the writings of the early Church Fathers of the first three centuries. These writings may be bought today in ten large volumes called The Ante-Nicene Fathers . These early writers all quote from both Testaments and agree that they are genuine and authentic. They refer to both Testaments as a distinct volume, universally received as divine, so both of them were in existence in their day. Some of these writers quote the Bible as many as 17,922 times.

(6) ANCIENT AND MODERN VERSIONS COMPLETE THE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE, THAT THE BIBLE IS GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC. These versions are in many languages, some dating back to the first and second centuries. They are valuable in determining the exact text of the Bible.

Besides these, we are finding today many hundreds of fragments of Scripture and whole sermons dating back to the first three centuries, in which are quoted many portions of the Old and New Testaments. Harmonies of the Gospels, ancient prayers and amulets, Christian hymns and letters, commentaries of certain Scriptures, catalogs of Bible books, and many other forms of evidence of ancient times are now in our hands. So we can say with a definite assurance that our Bible today is the same as it always has been when holy men of God wrote “as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” 2 Peter 1:21.

1. 1 THE BIBLE MUST BE FROM GOD BECAUSE OF THE INEXHAUSTIBLE PROOFS OF ITS INSPIRATION

   It would take a lifetime to search out and record all the proofs of all ages and lands that the Bible is a revelation from God inspired by the Holy Spirit. A book like this must be divine.