The Bible: A Road Map for Life 2 Timothy 3:16 - 17
The Bible:A Road Map for Life
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“A Road Map for Life”
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (ESV)
2 Timothy 3:16-17
M.A.P.S.Manuscripts
How good are the
modern copies we have?
Other Works of Ancient Literature
•Ten or more–Homer (643)
• 2nd most copied
–Tacitus (20)• Greatest of all Roman
historians
–Caesar (10)
•Less than 10–Plato –Pliny (the Younger) –Herodotus –Sophocles–Demosthenes –Aristotle –Thucydides
Total = Less than 700
“A Road Map for Life”
• Ancient Greek manuscripts 5,686• Ancient Latin manuscripts 10,000• Coptic, Ethiopic, Syriac 9,000
Total = 24,686
Biblical Evidence
And growing!
“A Road Map for Life”
Variations
• Various manuscripts are 99.5% identical.
• The majority of variations include spelling, punctuation, and division of text.
• No major doctrinal issue can be brought into question.
Codex Sinaiticus
One of the earliest complete manuscripts of the whole
Bible which dates to the early 4th century (A.D. 330-340)
“A Road Map for Life”
• Manuscript evidence
• Eyewitness accounts
– Luke: “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning.” (Lk 1:3)
– Peter: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths … but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.” (2 Pet 1:16)
The Reliability of Scripture
“A Road Map for Life”
The Reliability of Scripture
• Manuscript evidence• Eyewitness accounts• Early Church leaders
– Irenaeus, Tertullian, Polycarp, Julius Africanus, Origen, Clement of Rome
“A Road Map for Life”
The Reliability of Scripture
• Manuscript evidence• Eyewitness accounts• Early Church leaders• Secular historians
– Josephus (A.D. 100), Suetonius (A.D. 110), Pliny the Younger (A.D. 110), Tacitus (A.D. 120)
M.A.P.S.Archaeology
Is there real evidence
that uncovers the
validity of the Bible?
Examples
Abraham & David, City Gates at Dan
Examples
• Luke/Acts
The inscription of
Pontius Pilate at
the theater in
Caesarea
Examples• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The empty tomb at Gordon’s Calvary
“A Road Map for Life”
• “It is the most well-attested fact of ancient history.” —Dr. Simon Greenleaf
The Resurrection
“A Road Map for Life”
• “With the Bible … you have impeccable history, which has been proven right in hundreds of details and never proven wrong, and it is written within one generation while eye-witnesses were still alive and could have disputed it if it were exaggerated or false.”—Colin J. Hemer
The Accuracy of the Bible
“A Road Map for Life”
The Accuracy of the Bible
• “The confirmation of its history [the
Bible] is overwhelming, and any attempt to reject its basic historicity must now appear absurd.” —A.N. Sherwin-White
“A Road Map for Life”
The Accuracy of the Bible
• “Critics of the New Testament are ‘pre-archaeological’ and their views are ‘quite antiquated.’” —William F. Albright
M.A.P.S.Prophecy
“How should we
understand the predictive
nature of the Bible?”
“A Road Map for Life”
Qumran & The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Isaiah Scroll
“A Road Map for Life”
Septuagint (LXX)
“A Road Map for Life”
Bible Prophecy about Jesus• Genesis—a descendant of Abraham, born of
a virgin
• Micah—born in Bethlehem
• Isaiah—crucified between criminals, buried with the rich
• Psalms—hands and feet would be pierced, soldiers would gamble for clothes
• Zechariah—bones would not be broken
“A Road Map for Life”
Bible Prophecy
• Predictive prophecy is a principle of Bible reliability and is so convincing that it is capable of reaching and convincing even the hard-boiled skeptic, if they will only do the research and the investigation.
M.A.P.S.Statistics
“Is it statistically possible
to explain this by
human effort?”
“A Road Map for Life”
The Writing of the Bible
• Written over a span of 1,600 years, by some forty authors, most who had never met, using three languages, on separate continents, covering hundreds of subjects—and yet there is one consistent, non-contradictory theme.
“A Road Map for Life”
The Death of the Disciples
• All of the disciples (with the exception of John)
died as martyrs for their faith—each having the opportunity to deny their faith.
“A Road Map for Life”
M.A.P.S.
• Manuscripts, archaeology, prophecy and statistics not only chart a secure course through the turnpikes of skepticism, but demonstrate that the Bible is divine in origin.
“A Road Map for Life”
1 Peter 3:15
“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (ESV)
The Bible:A Road Map for Life
“Will you let it determine
the course of your life?”
Next Steps: