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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final in a series of articles on the Authorship of the Bible. This material was presented at the Annual Western Oklahoma Summer Lectures, conducted by the Northeast church of Christ in Elk City, Okla. in June, 2004. When the Bible is compared to other "religious" books, the superiority of the Bible is readily apparent. Doubters and unbelievers claim that Christianity and its Bible is but a variation on the same basic themes running throughout all religions, that the God of the Bible and Christianity is the same "god" the Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists worship. They have their "sacred" books, but in contrast the Bible shows itself to be superior and of divine production. Interestingly, Buddha never claimed to be deity, and, in fact, was an agnostic when it came to believing in God. Hindus believe in an advanced form of pantheism, believing that God and the universe are identical. According to the Koran, the Muslim view of God can be seen as another case where a god of man's own imagination has been formed. Revelation of God is given only through the Bible (1 Cor. 2) and the Bible's God is superior to the god of any other book. The Bible's view of God just could not have been conceived by unaided human intelligence. Religion, as taught in the Bible, is sensible, logical, and reasonable. In ethics, morality, family life and social behaviour — as well as in other areas — the Bible's teachings are superior. In fact, Peter stated, we have been given "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3). If all men would live strictly by what the Bible teaches in all areas of life, we would enjoy a perfect society. No such claim can be made for any other book. Someone has rightly concluded, "Since unaided human beings outside the Bible have not produced such great doctrines as set forth in the Scriptures concerning God, concerning man's nature, and concerning man's duty, strong indication exists that unaided human beings could not originate those great doctrines. Those great doctrines therefore are internal attestations to the superhuman origin of the Bible." F. F. Bruce declared, "The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar." Otto Betz boldly affirmed, "No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus." What does this mean? Jesus Christ's existence upon the earth is an historical fact that cannot successfully be denied! Historical testimony of Christ's having been on earth is bountiful. Quotations from Tacitus (A. D. 52), Pliny the Younger (A. D. 112), Seutonius (A. D. 120), and myriads of others could be produced. But our space will be reserved for Flavius Josephus (born A. D. 37). Josephus was a Jewish historian and a sympathizer with the Roman government, but an antagonist to Christianity. Being a "hostile witness," his testimony to the veracity of the Christ's existence makes Josephus an important and reliable source. Hear his testimony: "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross...he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named for him are not extinct at this day" (Antiquities XVIII, 33). This was written by an unbelieving Jewish witness who lived in the age about which he writes. Jesus lived! This serves as proof of Biblical inspiration because the Old Testament prophesied of Jesus' arrival and accomplishments on the historical scene. Moses recorded, "And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? when a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken" (Deut. 18:21-22). One can know assuredly that the Bible is the word of God because what He has said in it has come to pass most gloriously in Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44-47). Throughout His life, Jesus constantly affirmed the Scriptures were inspired of God. Even the words He spoke were the words of God (John 12:48-49), and He gave God's word to His apostles and disciples (John 17:14, 20) The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is inspired by God. No other conclusion can be reached after considering all the evidence. "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). |