Information on the book we call the Bible, the Word of God.
The subject of human salvation and the afterlife logically ought to be man’s most compelling issue. Why? Because life itself and its preservation is foremost to us all. The status and continuation of life beyond this life is of paramount importance, again assuming one is thinking logically. Nothing man faces, whoever he is, wherever he is, or whenever he is can compete with that issue in importance. Continue reading “Christ Drew All Men to Him (Part 1)”
With a subject matter like the purpose and function of the human spirit, we have no place to go for information apart from the Bible. But, as always, it’s adequate. Not that the Bible’s answers satisfy all our curious questions, but God, the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Bible, has seen to it that the record reveals adequate information for our purposes. It’s part of the sufficiency of Scripture. So, precisely, what is it that our human spirit does? Continue reading “The Purpose and Function of the Human Spirit (Part 1)”
No matter how you describe it, the origin of the first human being sounds to our modern minds very extraordinary, perhaps improbable to many, and, to some, even impossible. There is, however, nothing impossible or improbable about it if one is willing to embrace divine revelation and the account given in Genesis 1. But, if not, little recourse is left except the Darwinian hypothesis of biological evolution. Continue reading “The Origin of It All… Creation Week “
In 1st Corinthians 15, the inspired apostle relates the very essence of the Gospel in a very succinct way. One might call it the “Gospel in a nutshell.” Even though it is barebones minimum, it still contains the essential ingredients of truth one must know in order to be saved. “Here it is,” said Paul, “For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” Continue reading “The Holy Spirit and the Gospel “
We have noted the first of two objections those opposing the Bible have offered in response to the Christian’s claim about the fulfillment of prophecy requiring a supernatural source. Objection number one declares the supernatural to be foreign to the closed system of the universe. Since our claim for the divine supernatural Source being the only explanation for the fulfillment of prophecy, they merely say the closed system of the universe prohibits that, so it cannot have occurred. Continue reading “Intro to Fulfilled Prophecy (Part 3)”
No consideration or the Bible, or the question of its authority and divine inspiration, would be complete without reference to what many consider its most convincing evidence of all. This is a phenomenon in the Bible that defies any and all naturalistic explanations for it. Detractors of the Bible have denied it, dismissed it, or just pretended it isn’t there. But it is there, or, they are there because they are multiple in their existence and they just won’t go away. We speak, of course, of the compelling and multiple occasions of fulfilled prophecies. Prophecy has accurately described as history written in advance. It is precisely that. Keep Reading…
We continue our consideration of what is arguably the most compelling evidence that our Bible truly is inspired of God Himself, and it is to be trusted. This evidence is offered from two specific areas of fulfilled prophecy. The first has to do with those of general biblical names, places and events that transpired concerning them. Keep Reading…
Once the issue of the Bible’s authority is validated, there is likely no greater controversy among believers than how the Bible is to be interpreted. Whole denominations of churches, sects, splits and splinters, mainline and cults have come into being and are known by their particular interpretation of a certain passage in the Bible. And, they all, diverse as they may be, have but one thing in common. Keep Reading…
Have you ever heard it said, “The Bible can be made to say just about anything one wants it to say? It’s all in how you interpret it.” Well, that’s true enough. And the Bible has suffered some of the most bazaar interpretations over the years that one could possibly imagine, everything from snake handling to proxy-water baptism for dead people claims authority from the Bible. But are these things actually found in the Bible? Yes, they are. Well, then, shouldn’t we be doing them, some would ask? And, if not, why not? Keep Reading…
On previous sessions of Christianity Clarified, consideration has been given to the inspiration of Scripture. We have discovered that it means “God-breathed”, as Paul wrote to Timothy. We noted that this inspiration was verbal; that is, the very words of Scripture were inspired of God, and, added to that is the concept that inspiration was “plenary”, meaning “full, or complete” throughout the Word of God in both its Testaments. Today we focus on the “illumination” of Scripture. Keep Reading…
Nearly 2000 years ago, the New Testament, or New Covenant, came into being. Its principle language is Greek, the most common tongue of the first few centuries after Christ. The New Testament begins with the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first three very similar, yet each has a different emphasis concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ, the obvious and principle character of all four of the gospels. Keep Reading…
Simply knowing and understanding the basic structure and composition of the Bible will go a long way toward gaining a real working knowledge and appreciation of it. To be sure, the Bible is not simply a formidable book. It is “The Formidable Book” in every way one views it: its content, scope, purpose, authorship, etc. And, by virtue of its very size, it can appear intimidating, even overwhelming. So, if you ever despair of mastering the Bible, welcome aboard. Keep Reading…
On previous sessions of Christianity Clarified, we have repeatedly described the issue of authority as critical to biblical Christianity. This means absolutely everything pertaining to the Christian faith rises or falls on the Bible’s authority. Keep Reading…
Why is it that Christians insist on verbal inspiration being so essential? It’s because words mean things. Specific words express preciseness, a preciseness essential for conveying meaning without ambiguity. Original words, conveyed by the Spirit of God in the Hebrew Old and Greek New Testament, utilize the human vocabulary of each writer. Keep Reading…
The subject of the inerrancy of Scripture has been hotly debated in Christian circles, particularly during the past century. Christians have been all over the map on this issue. As the word “inerrancy” implies, it has to do with whether the Bible is without error and is merely another way of asking whether the Bible is inspired of God. Because, if it is indeed so inspired, then it is axiomatic that it must be inerrant lest we charge God with being an error-prone deity. Viewing God as being subject to error is a contradiction in terms. Keep Reading…
The breadth, or scope, of the Bible’s content could more easily be defined by what it excludes than what it includes. And what can be said about what it includes? How about beginning with “In the beginning…” and concluding with, not an ending, but an ongoing into eternity? And what’s in-between? Absolutely everything! That’s a very broad, inclusive scope, is it not? Keep Reading
For those who have spent even a minimal amount of time examining the Scriptures, the continuity of the Bible, and its diversity, are simply staggering. It is as amazing in its diversity as it is in its continuity. In fact, one could hardly conceive of a more diverse makeup than that true of the biblical writers.
Author Josh MacDowell, in his book, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict”, recounts the multifaceted background of those God inspired to be the Bible’s penmen. Keep Reading…
The charge has often been made that the Bible was written by mere men, not God, as Christians have long insisted. And clarification is surely in order here. It is true that men did write the Bible. What is not true is the charge that men authored the Bible, and the difference is enormous. The Scriptures themselves make it quite clear throughout both Old and New Testaments that the Author of the Old Book is none other than God Himself. The human instruments, which numbered about 40, were the vehicles, or penmen, God used in the physical composition of its several separate books. Keep Reading
The worldwide and multi-millennial influence of the Bible is simply indisputable. Even its detractors are forced to acknowledge this Book has impacted humanity as no other book. No document has ever surfaced among humans that has promoted so much goodness, warned against evil, illumined the intellect, comforted the grieving, and buoyed up the spirit of man and woman, like the Bible. In fact, one is even hard-pressed to name a document worthy of second place since the Scriptures outstrip all others by such a large margin. The truths found in this Book have prompted multiplied millions to put their trust in its integrity, and like-millions to devote their time and treasure to the propagating of those truths worldwide. Keep Reading
