Bulletin Articles

BIBLE INSPIRATION

  CLAIMS OF INSPIRATION Over 2,700 times, the Bible writers claimed that their writings were inspired by God. Exodus 11:1; 12:1; 13:1; 2 Samuel 23:2; Jeremiah 31:2,7; Acts 1:16; Ephesians 3:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:10-­14; 14:37; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17;1 Peter 1:10-11;2Peter 1:20-21.

  FACTUAL ACCURACY The Code of Hammurabi, found in 1901, confirms that writing was known before the time of Moses (d. Exodus 17:14, John 5:46); Hittite Code, found in 1906, verifies that Hittites were an actual historical people (cf. Exodus 23:28; 2 Samuel 11:3,6); the Taylor prism, discovered in 1830, supports Sennacherib's attack on cities in Judah (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:1); the Moabite Stone, found in 1868, confirms that Omri was the king of Israel (cf. 1 Kings 16:21-28); the Cyrus Cylinder, uncovered in 1879, verifies King Cyrus' foreign policy as recorded in Ezra 1; Sargon's palace, located in 1843, supports the biblical record of his kingship of Assyria (cf. Isaiah 20:1); Hezekiah's tunnel has been found under the city of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:30).

  PREDICTIVE PRCPHECY Definition of true prophecy (Jeremiah 28:9; see also Deuteronomy 18:22 and Isaiah 41:22); fall of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:9,35-40; 51:36-39); punishment of Assyria (Isaiah 10:5-6,12,24-25); coming of Cyrus as king of Persia (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-7); fall of Tyre (Ezekiel 26).

  Concerning Jesus: birth (Isaiah 7:14); born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9); price of betrayal (Zechariah 11:12); hands and feet pierced, and clothes divided by lots (Psalm 22:1,16-18; Matthew 27:35,46); bones would not be broken (Psalm 34:20); suffering and burial (Isaiah 53); resurrection (Psalm 16:8-11,Acts2:25-28).

  SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY Genesis 1 :11,12,21,24-the Law of Biogenesis; Genesis 6:15-perfect ratio for a cargo ship; Genesis 17:12-perfect day to perform surgery; Leviticus 11:7-pigs often carry parasites that can harm humans if pork is not cooked properly; Leviticus 17:11-14-life of the flesh is in the blood; Numbers 19:11-18-danger associated with dead bodies; Deuteronomy 23:12-14-proper disposal of human waste products; Isaiah 40:22-the Earth is round; Ecclesiastes 1:7,11:3, Amos 9:6 -explanation of water cycle; Job 38: 16-knowl­edge of springs in the oceans and of deep-sea trenches.

DEITY OF CHRIST

  Jesus claimed to be God: Mark 14:62; John 5:18; John 8:58; John 9:35-39; John 10:30. Followers of Jesus claimed He was God: Matthew 16:16 (see also Acts 2:36); John 1:1-5,14,29,34,41,49; John 20:28; Acts 9:20-22. The centurion present at Jesus' crucifixion also acknowledged that Christ was "the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54).                                                

  His resurrection proves He was God: Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-9; Acts 1:1-3; 17:31,­32; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-20.

DINOSAURS AND THE BIBLE

  Dinosaurs were created, with the first humans, on day six of Creation (Genesis 1:24-27; Exodus 20:11). Dinosaur-like creatures are mentioned by God in Job 40 and 41. [NOTE: The behemoth is said to have swung its tail like a cedar (40:17) -discrediting the notion that it was an elephant or a hippopotamus-] Flying reptiles are mentioned by Isaiah (14:29), as well as the ancient historians, Herodotus and Josephus.

EARTH'S AGE

  Contrary to what many people have been told about the alleged antiquity of this globe, over 100 different scientific methods exist to date the Earth, and most of them yield a relatively young age for our planet. Humans have been on the Earth from the be­ginning of time. They did not evolve millions of years after Creation (Genesis 1:26-27; Exodus 20:11; Mark 10:6; Romans 1:20). By calculating how long humans have been on the Earth, it is possible to arrive at an approximate age for the planet. Secular history and the Bible indicate that from the present back to the time of Abraham is about 4,000 years. Genesis 5 and 11 provide genealogies that give the ages of the fathers at the time of their sons' birth. When these ages are added, they yield about 2,000, thus giving an age of the Earth of less than 10,000 years.

EXISTENCE OF GOD

  Law of Cause and Effect: Every material effect must have an adequate antecedent cause (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 3:4). God is just such an adequate cause (cf. Genesis 17:1; Job 42:2; Revelation 1:8), Who existed before the Universe (Psalm 90:2). God is a spiritual (as opposed to material) Being (John 4:24); thus, He is outside of the Law of Cause and Effect.

  Law of Biogenesis: All life comes from previous life of its own  kind Genesis 1:11-12,21, 24; Acts 14:17).

  Moral Law: Every person acknowledges that some things are right, while other things are wrong. Since naturalistic evolutionary forces can­not account for morality, then its origin must lie with God (Psalm 89:14; Mark 10:18; Romans 2:15). Design in Nature: Design demands a designer (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20-21).

IS GENESIS 1-11 MYTH?

  Within Genesis 1-11, there is no evidence that it should be understood as "myth." Jesus referred to the content in these chapters as historical (Matthew 19:4; 23:35; Mark 10:6). The New Testament writers referred to events in Genesis 1-11 as literal, historical truth. Adam, Eve, and their children are viewed as real people (Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 11:8-12; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:13; Jude 11,14). Plus, the creation of the world by the word of God is accepted as an actual event (Psalm 33:6,9; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 11 :3; 2 Peter 3:5). The global flood of Noah also is viewed as historical (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:5). If Adam is not historical, then Christ is not historical (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49).

LITERAL, 24-HOUR DAYS OF CREATION

Æ        Days defined as having an evening and a morning (Genesis 1 :5,8,13).

Æ        Hebrew word yom (day) used with numbers in non-prophetic language always indicates a 24-hour period (Genesis 1:5,8,13, 19,23,31).

Æ        If days are viewed as long periods of time, what are the "months" and "years" discussed in Genesis1:14?

Æ        Hebrew word yamim (days), appears over 700 times in Old Testament, and always means 24-hour days in non-prophetic language (cf. Exodus 20:11; 31:17).

Æ        If the days were long periods of time, and if each day had a long "evening" of darkness, many plants that were created on day three could not have survived (Genesis 1:11-13).

SALVATION

God's Grace - Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:24. Salvation is God's gift to all humanity, but each individual must accept this gift, which comes through...

Hearing the Word- Romans 10:14-17.

Believing in Jesus as God's Son - John 8: 24; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6.

Repenting of Past Sins - Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30.

Confessing Faith in Christ - Matthew 10:32,­33; Romans 10:9-10; cf. John 12:42.

Being Baptized - Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21.

Living Faithfully - Colossians 1:23; Revelation 2:10; cf. Galatians 5:4; 2 Peter 2:20-22.

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