Why Do Christians Believe the Bible is God's Word

[nChrist]

Messianic Prophecy Fulfilled By Jesus Christ - Part 2 of 4

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* Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

* Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

** Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

** Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

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* Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

** Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

** Luke 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

** Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

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* 2 Samuel 7:12-16 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

** Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

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* Psalms 22:7-8 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

** Matthew 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

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* Psalms 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

** Matthew 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

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* Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

** Luke 22:3-4 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. 4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

** John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

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* Psalms 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

** Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

** Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

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* Psalms 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

** John 19:23-24 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

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* Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

** John 19:32-36 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

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* Psalms 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

** Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

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* Psalms 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

** Matthew 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

** Luke 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

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* Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

** Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

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* Psalms 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

** 1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

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* Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

** Matthew 1:21-23 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

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* Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

** Matthew 4:12-16 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

[nChrist]

Messianic Prophecy Fulfilled By Jesus Christ - Part 3 of 4

* Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

** Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

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* Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

** Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

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* Isaiah 40:3-5 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

* Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

** Matthew 3:1-3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

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* Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

** Matthew 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

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* Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

** Matthew 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

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* Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

** John 1:10-11 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

** John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

** John 7:48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

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* Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

** Matthew 27:12-14 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

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* Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

** Matthew 27:57-60 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

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* Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

** Matthew 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

** Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

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* Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

** Luke 4:14-21 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

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* Jeremiah 31:15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

** Matthew 2:16-18 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

[nChrist]

Messianic Prophecy Fulfilled By Jesus Christ - Part 4 of 4

* Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

** Matthew 21:4-11 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

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* Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

** Matthew 2:14-15 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

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* Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

** Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

** Luke 2:4-7 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

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* Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

** Matthew 21:4-9 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

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* Zechariah 11:12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

** Matthew 26:14-15 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

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* Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

** John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

* Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

** Matthew 21:12-13 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

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Now read a special portion of Scripture that can be viewed as a summary of the teaching Jesus gave His followers between His resurrection from the dead and His ascension back to heaven:

** Luke 24:44-49 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The power spoken of in Verse 49 above is the Holy Spirit of God. The coming of the Holy Spirit of God was also foretold - to list a few references: Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 36:27, Joel 2:28.

I compiled this material because I find it fascinating, and I want to use it in sharing the Gospel of the Grace of God. I'm sure that you'll be able to find much more that I didn't list here, but I hope this helps you also. I think that it's safe to say that trying to quantify the probability of all of these things happening would involve outrageously large numbers. So, let's just say that they did happen - and they had to happen at the supernatural direction of God Himself. Remember - there's MUCH MORE.

Love In Christ,

a laborer for the Lord

[Guest shiloh357]

Why Do Christians Believe the Bible is Gods Word?

As promised, I have started this thread to discuss the evidentiary merits of Scripture with those who have agreed to engage the issue in this thread.

• At the outset, I wish to frame this debate and ask that all participants remain within subject matter. First of all, let me explain what this debate is not.
  
  
• This is not a debate on the doctrine of inspiration. That is another discussion altogether and deserves its own thread.
  
  
• Secondly, this is not a debate about the Bible. vs. other religious documents. Again, that is a worthy subject, but deserves its own thread.
  
  
• Thirdly, this is not about whether there are contradictions in the Bible. That is another worthy topic of discussion in which I am willing to engage in a different thread but would be an endless quagmlievable. ire for this particular thread.
  
  
• This is also not a debate about Christianity vs. other religions. The topic at hand pertains to the evidentiary nature of the Christian faith particularly as it relates to believing the Bible is the word of God.

That is an admirable endeavor. But if you leave out all these points, you might be left with the few parts that might be

(by chance?) correct or believable. It looks like cherry picking. And since this book can, theoretically, have been written

by men only, it can be assumed that some historical accounts are valid. I do not how you can provide evidence of

Its divinity. Les' see...

I am not cherry picking. None of those topics are really material to the issue of the divine origin of the Bible (with the exception of inspiration). Inspiration only deals with the claim to be of divine origin. It does not on its own serve as evidence. They are good topics and as I said, I am more than willing to debate them, but not in this topice, as they are basically off topic.

I did not say I had evidence of its divinity. I said I believe I can provide evidence that it is of divine origin. The book is not divine in origin; rather, it gives evidence of a divine author.

[Guest shiloh357]

The Claim In Question

The issue under consideration is that assertion that the Bible is Gods Word. It must first be established that the Bible does indeed claim to be of Divine origin. Someone might argue that to rely on the Bibles own claims would be circular reasoning. But that assertion is unfounded as Norman Geisler points out:

It is sometimes objected that it is a "circular argument" to refer to biblical passages in support of biblical claims. But that objection is unfounded for several reasons. (1) Practically, there is no better place to begin than with what is self-claimed. (2) Legally, a man can testify in his own behalf in a court of law. Why should not the Bible be permitted to witness in its own behalf? (3) Logically, the claim is not being used to support itself, but as a point of departure to study itself. (Geisler, Norman. General Introduction to the Bible, p. 13)

• That the Bible claims to be of divine origin is based on the following points:
  
  
• The classic text on this issue is 2 Tim 3:16 makes clear that all Scripture finds its origin with God.
  
• Paul emphatically testifies that he spoke in words taught by the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:13)
  
• Jesus claimed that His words were not His own, but from His Father (John 7:16, 8:28, 8:40, 12:49 and 17:8)
  
• The Old Testament use the phrase, the Lord said 258 times and thus says the Lord 414 times.
  
• The New Testament constantly equates the Word of God with the Old Testament (cf. Matt. 21:42; Rom. 15:4; 2 Pet. 3:16).
  
• Pauls writings are referred to as Scripture (2 Pet. 3:16).
  
• The biblical writers and Jesus Himself claim that the written word is the final arbitrator in matters of faith and practice. Jesus quoted the Old Testament Scriptures with finality when resisting the tempter (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
  
• In 1 Tim 5:18, Paul quotes from Luke 10:7 and refers to it as Scripture. It follows that even before the end of the apostolic age, many (more than half) of the writings of the New Testament had already been considered Scripture

It would be too laborious for us to delve into the specific claims for inspiration in every book of the Bible. But I will state that every book of Scripture contains claims that it is of divine origin. That will be left up to the reader to investigate. Time simply does not allow me the liberty to undertake that task at this time.

As Geisler previously indicated, we are not setting forth the Bibles claim to divine origin is evidence in and of it's self. We are simply demonstrating that our assertion of the Bibles divine origin is derived from the Bible and is not an assertion made up by Christians hundreds of years of after the fact.

It should also be pointed out for the sake of clarity that I am not asserting that any single piece of evidence stands on its own to prove anything. Rather, it is the entire body of evidences provided as a whole that I believe supports the Bibles claims. There is no "silver bullet" that can be presented. My assertion is that the evidence taken as a whole will demonstrate that the Christian view of the divine origin of the Bible is not without intellectual merit.

[Guest shiloh357]

Exhibit A: Human Nature

One piece of evidence that argues against the Bible being solely of human origin is the witness of human nature. Human nature is generally offended at the claims of the Bible, partcularly pertaining to what the Bible says about mankind corporately and every person individually. No other religious book is the subject of so many conspiracy theories and atheists the world over spend far and way more time trying to discredit the Bible than they do any other religious writing. The assertions the Bible makes about the depravity of man, the utter bankrupt morality and corrupt nature of man strikes at the heart of human pride. It not only teaches that mankind is corrupt and perverted by nature, it also teaches that without God, man is hopeless to do anything about it. While the humanistic notion states that man is basically good, the Bible stands in opposition to that claim. The Bible soundly condemns mankind and teaches that man without God is doomed to an eternal existence in Hell. Human nature would not have created the Bible in its present form.

The Bible teaches that man

[Guest shiloh357]

Exhibit B: Fulfilled Prophecy

The Bible contains a wealth of fulfilled prophecies. Fulfilled prophecy is important because the Bible it

[Guest shiloh357]

God

[Guest shiloh357]

God Promises the Jewish People

[Guest shiloh357]

The Lord Promises Both a Physical and Spiritual Restoration Between Israel. (Jer 31:31-34 Isa 40:1-2; Ezek. 36:24-28 Zechariah 12:10)

God promises to restore Israel both physically and spiritually. Here we see that the spiritual restoration of Israel is what the prophets have in view. My favorite of the above passages is Zechariah 12:10. The 12th chapter of Zechariah describes an Israel that has never existed, post Zechariah, until today. It is a picture of Israel strong, victorious and defeating all of her enemies. This is in line with the prophecy of Amos 9:14-15, which states that Israel will never be uprooted again. Zechariah shows why this is true. It is a clear picture of modern Israel firmly planted in her land, strong and unmovable and also finally recognizing her Messiah in the Land.

Following are passages, which speak of God