Why should you read the Bible in search for the truth? “If you are an intelligent person, you will read the one book that has drawn more attention than any other.”[1] It is unique in nature and the one book that is relevant to everyday life, although it was written centuries ago.
Webster defines being unique as “being the only one” or “being without a like or equal.”[2] The Bible stands alone in its accuracy of translation. “Not only does the New Testament text have far superior evidence for reliability than the classics, but it also is in better textual shape than the thirty-seven plays of William Shakespeare written in the seventeenth century, after the invention of the printing.”[3] As well as the fact that it was written on three continents and in three different languages.
The Bible is also unique in the fact that it has survived attacks that have tried to burn it, ban it and outlaw it throughout history. Of course, this is no surprise to God since it is consistent with His Word. “The sum of your Word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm 119:160). Cleland B. McAfee penned it this way, “if every Bible in any considerable city were destroyed, the Book could be restored in all its essential parts from the quotations on the shelves of the city public library.”[4]
Relevance is another unique factor of the Bible. Although it was written centuries ago, it speaks to daily practical application. For example, it speaks to finances, sickness, child rearing as well as, who am I, why do I exist and what will happen after this life?
You may have the question, how can I find the truth in the midst of the Bible that lacks chronological order. Of course, it may appear this way if you are opening the Bible for the first time, but think of this thought. “If God wants the Bible to be a book that interests and challenges people around the globe for their whole lives, that guides us into life’s deep mysteries, that trains us to see the world from diverse points of view and in so doing, stretches us to not be so limited by our own inherited point of view then of course it can’t be like the phone book or a high school biology textbook. If God wants the book to be an authentic medium of spiritual enlightenment and instruction, then how can it be a book that we feel we can fully grasp, have control over, take pride in our knowledge of, feel competent in regards to.”[5] Instead, it is brought about by a wonderful creator whose ways are higher than our ways.
In conclusion, in your search for truth you can find that the Bible is unique and one of a kind that bleeds truths through every page for the meaning of life and the practical living of life. Are you one opposing the truth before ever reading it?
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heeds the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
The Apostle John from the book of Revelation
Deanna
[1] McDowell, Josh and Wilson, Bill, The Best of Josh McDowell “A Ready Defense”Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville TN. 1993.
[2] Webster’s Dictionary
[3] McDowell, Josh and Wilson, Bill, The Best of Josh McDowell “A Ready Defense”Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville TN. 1993.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Newman, Randy. Questioning Evangelism. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids MI. 2004.
I think I agree with this. Rather than just tell people some such thing like “Well it’s the word of God,” it’s good to point out the various unique aspects of the Bible that at least make it interesting and stand out. That way, someone can read it more naturally, as well as let the Bible speak for itself (or let God speak for it).
I am always somewhat surprised when people make lengthy objections to Christian (or Jewish) theism without dealing with its textual tradition.
Joshua,
Thanks for the comment. Hopefully it will challenge Christians to become more equipped at knowing what we believe. I like the point you made about the Bible speaking for itself, Martin Luther stated it this way “If people criticize it, you don’t defend it-you let it out of its cage.”
Deanna
>You may have the question, how can I find the truth in the midst of the Bible that lacks chronological order.< This is the only part of your post I have a problem with….the rest is right except for the typo: “…brought about by a wonderful creator who(se) ways…” As far as my problem…..I’m not so sure people have a problem with the Bible on the grounds that it is not in Chronological order. Are there studies to suggest this? Do you have a personal testimony of yourself or others of this assertion? I believe people don’t read the Bible simply because no one has taken the time to show them the way or encourage them to do so. Why do people read in the first place? Mostly entertainment (I’m guessing :), but there are those few who read it for study… Other than that, great post and great ref’s! Roger – the wannabe apologist
Roger,
If you read carefully, then you will notice that I stated some may question, how they can find truth in the lack of chronological order. This means that some may begin to read the Bible and give up because they feel overwhelmed by trying to figure it out. You are correct when you say that people need others to come along side and disciple them. This is exactly what Christians are called to do “make disciples”. The statement regarding the lack of order is to point out the uniqueness of God and that it can not be like a math text book. Lastly, Randy Newman works with Campus Crusade for Life. He points out in his book “Questioning Evangelism” that people are often making reference to the fact that the Bible is not in chronological order. I believe his words state well the magnificent workings of God concerning the chronological order. For further study you should pick up the book. Thanks for your comments.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
Thanks for the typo tip.
D
This is a critical question, and it can be pursued at many levels of sophistication. Finding the right level for a particular person is a delicate job. Too superficial an answer will leave the inquirer dissatisfied (or worse); too much material may discourage someone from even taking a look.
Most of the conversations I have with people on these issues are on the “high end” where the inquirer has perhaps encountered Crossan, Borg, Ehrman or Mack and thinks that the New Testament as we now have it is a confection of elaborate legends that have grown up around a very limited and innocuous core of facts. Alternatively, the questioner may have read Hume’s “Of Miracles” (Enquiry, sec. 10) and concluded that even granting the antiquity and authenticity of the resurrection claims, the probability of fraud or mass hallucination is greater than the probability of a miracle.
Without intending to denigrate Josh McDowell’s work, I think it’s only fair to say that what he has to offer does not address questions at this level. So I would suggest that would-be apologists be prepared to go a level or two deeper.
One level deeper might be some of the best debates, such as the Habermas-Flew debate and the Craig-Crossan debate. In this context one gets to see established, credentialed experts on both sides lay out their cases, which is almost always enlightening. A nice feature of these two debates is that they’re collected into book form with assessments and reflections from other experts on both sides of the issue. (I’m less excited about internet debates and radio debates, which are often less scholarly and more likely to be decided in terms of who is more prolix (internet) or more articulate (radio).
At a still deeper level, apologists should dig into the professional literature. Regarding the text of Scripture, the work of Bruce Metzger may be the best place to start, and it is a good antidote to Bart Ehrman’s works such as The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture and Misquoting Jesus. (Metzger directed Ehrman’s dissertation. When I spoke to him some years ago about Ehrman’s work, he was gently but firmly opposed to Ehrman’s emphasis on the Western Text family.) Ben Witherington’s new book is also useful here, as is Craig Blomberg’s The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. N. T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God is indispensable and makes a good counterweight to John. P. Meier’s A Marginal Jew (on which Alvin Plantinga depends for his critical assessment of the historical argument). And despite some idiosyncrasies, Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses looks tremendously rich and powerful and should (but probably won’t) stand the field of synoptic studies on its head. And one should not neglect the older literature. Lardner’s 12 volume Credibility of the Gospel History is still a rich mine of information.
Not everyone can be an expert on every topic. For that reason, it’s important that people with a strong and serious interest in apologetics know where they can go for serious, balanced discussion of technical topics. Here’s hoping that your site will direct interested apologists to works by people with the relevant expertise!
Tim,
Thank you for your time in visiting our website. We have just started our site in hopes to encourage others in the faith as well as challenge people to think about what they believe, regardless of their apologetic level. I do agree with your ideas in the area of resources and will think on those thoughts in the future. I am a theology major, learning to write in order to provoke women and students to pursue a deeper study of the Scriptures and defense for their faith. Thank you for your encouragement in the faith.
Deanna
Deanna,
You’re most welcome. I’m always glad to see people get excited about apologetics.