1.6% of the American population says that the Bible can’t be trusted in what it says. Example: Atheists used to say that Sennacherib was one of the Bible’s many non historic kings.
Why would they do this? Well, according to atheists, if any historical document has been included into the Bible it should automatically be considered a lie or legend or myth.
The Biblical account goes, "So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.". [2 Kings 19. 36,37]
Traditionally, atheists have said that none of these individuals existed and certainly this event never took place.
Then clay tablets were uncovered that describe the same event. The clay tablet of the record is now in the British Museum. It reads in part, 'On the twentieth day of the month Tebet Sennacherib king of Assyria his son slew him in rebellion... Esarhaddon his son sat on the throne of Assyria.'
Once again atheists were proven wrong and the Bible was proven correct.
Will this and similar examples put an end to these people’s claim that the Bible can’t be trusted? Of course not. This 1.6% of the population still maintains their implausible position, not because of the evidence but in spite of the evidence. They must do this or their world-view will collapse.
This is what these people are like. It’s how they think.
Showing posts with label athesists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label athesists. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
You Can’t Know - Unless
Some atheist has asked how a person can possibly know what parts of the Bible are literal and what parts metaphorical. Let me answer this with a story.
Jesus repeatedly told His followers that He was going to go up to Jerusalem to be tortured to death and that on the third day He would rise from the dead.
Do you think they understood what He was saying as literal? Metaphorical?
Peter immediately got into trouble for telling Jesus He was sliding into negative thinking. After all, how can you carry off a successful rebellion against Rome while saying you’re going to die? “You’re the Leader!” Peter implored. “ Lead!”
Peter then got into trouble for overstating his devotion to his Leader. “Even if everyone else falls away from you, I’m ready to die for you.”
Then ALL of them got into trouble for arguing over who would take top position in the new government.
In reality, none of them got it. They didn’t have a clue what Jesus meant. Was that because Jesus was speaking metaphorically or literally?
Even on the morning of the resurrection they didn’t get it. The crucifixion of Jesus had forced His disciples to accept, “Oh, so He really DID mean that He was going to die.” They got that part but since no body naturally rises from the dead, the resurrection scenario went right over their heads. All they could think about was that they’d just about been a part of a revolution to overthrow Rome and now their leader was dead - and buried.
On Sunday morning the women were going to the tomb to anoint a corpse.
On Sunday morning the disciples were hiding behind locked doors.
Nobody understood the literal announcement of Jesus’ resurrection until the truth of it was REVEALED to them.
And there’s your answer to how you could know. It’s the same with the Bible. An atheist understanding the Bible in ANY sense is ludicrous. Atheists are on the outside looking in. They stand no hope whatsoever of understanding even the most clearly stated propositions in the Bible. This is true even of those present day atheists, like Loftus and Ehrman, who pretended to be Christians at an earlier point in their lives. As the saying goes, “Understanding the Bible without the Holy Spirit is like reading a Sun Dial by the light of a quarter moon.”
Jesus saying to His disciples, “I’m going to die but don’t worry, I’m going to come back to life,” made as much sense to them at the time that it was said as it does to atheists today.
Unless Jesus, through grace chooses to reveal Himself to any given atheist, the whole Bible is a puzzle to them. The only thing that atheists know to do with things they don’t understand is mock and ridicule.
The thing with God is, you can’t know Him unless He invites you to come to know Him.
That invitation is based on His foreknowledge of what your choice will be.
You don’t know what the future holds.
Every person who came to Christ as an adult, thought s/he would be a functional atheist forever.
And then Jesus intervened. You simply can’t know until it happens to you.
Jesus repeatedly told His followers that He was going to go up to Jerusalem to be tortured to death and that on the third day He would rise from the dead.
Do you think they understood what He was saying as literal? Metaphorical?
Peter immediately got into trouble for telling Jesus He was sliding into negative thinking. After all, how can you carry off a successful rebellion against Rome while saying you’re going to die? “You’re the Leader!” Peter implored. “ Lead!”
Peter then got into trouble for overstating his devotion to his Leader. “Even if everyone else falls away from you, I’m ready to die for you.”
Then ALL of them got into trouble for arguing over who would take top position in the new government.
In reality, none of them got it. They didn’t have a clue what Jesus meant. Was that because Jesus was speaking metaphorically or literally?
Even on the morning of the resurrection they didn’t get it. The crucifixion of Jesus had forced His disciples to accept, “Oh, so He really DID mean that He was going to die.” They got that part but since no body naturally rises from the dead, the resurrection scenario went right over their heads. All they could think about was that they’d just about been a part of a revolution to overthrow Rome and now their leader was dead - and buried.
On Sunday morning the women were going to the tomb to anoint a corpse.
On Sunday morning the disciples were hiding behind locked doors.
Nobody understood the literal announcement of Jesus’ resurrection until the truth of it was REVEALED to them.
And there’s your answer to how you could know. It’s the same with the Bible. An atheist understanding the Bible in ANY sense is ludicrous. Atheists are on the outside looking in. They stand no hope whatsoever of understanding even the most clearly stated propositions in the Bible. This is true even of those present day atheists, like Loftus and Ehrman, who pretended to be Christians at an earlier point in their lives. As the saying goes, “Understanding the Bible without the Holy Spirit is like reading a Sun Dial by the light of a quarter moon.”
Jesus saying to His disciples, “I’m going to die but don’t worry, I’m going to come back to life,” made as much sense to them at the time that it was said as it does to atheists today.
Unless Jesus, through grace chooses to reveal Himself to any given atheist, the whole Bible is a puzzle to them. The only thing that atheists know to do with things they don’t understand is mock and ridicule.
The thing with God is, you can’t know Him unless He invites you to come to know Him.
That invitation is based on His foreknowledge of what your choice will be.
You don’t know what the future holds.
Every person who came to Christ as an adult, thought s/he would be a functional atheist forever.
And then Jesus intervened. You simply can’t know until it happens to you.
Monday, March 15, 2010
What A Book!
This is another post that was originally created on blog Makarios but I’ve expanded it here.
In this edition I want to highlight three things about the Bible. While the Bible is not a science manual, the Bible contains facts about the universe and life on earth that:
. Aren’t mentioned in any other literature of the time, including the “holy” scriptures of other cultures.
. Wasn’t known to be true at the time of the writing, and often contradicted what was thought to be true at the time of the writing.
. Has since been confirmed as true by science
The Bible tells us -
That the universe had a beginning. (Gen. 1:1,2:3-4; Ps. 148:5; Isa. 40:26, 42:5, 45:18; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3). Matter is not and cannot be eternal. It’s a scientific and philosophical fact. The space / time continuum along with matter, energy and the law of physics had a definitive start. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
That time itself had a beginning. (1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9)No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
. Unlike atheists who say, “Everything came from nothing by nothing,” Reality is, “Everything came from nothing because of Something.”
. Unlike atheists who say,
“The universe was this tiny little invisible speck of really hot matter surrounded by a tiny little invisible ring of space,” Reality is, “Everything - time, space, matter and energy came from nothing because of Something.” No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“What is visible is made from what is not visible”
This, 1,500 years before the microscope was invented. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity. We are so time-bound, that the concept of “before” time or outside of time is something that we cannot describe. While philosophically understandable, the Old and New Testaments are unique among early literature to state the existence of a Being of First Cause “before time.” (Prov. 8:22-23; John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:7; 2nd Tim. 1:9). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science will most certainly prove it to be true.
The Bible tells us -
That the universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning. (Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13; Jer. 10:12, 51:15; Zech. 12:1). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics are fixed. (Jer.33:25). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Decay (Rom. 8: 20-22) . No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
About the dynamic stretching property of dark matter. Ps. 104:2 and Isa. 40:22 speak of the “stretching out” of the heavens like a tent. Not until the 20th century was the expansion of the universe detected. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The concept of the earth being a Primordial Soup; the early earth was covered by water. This is entirely and uniquely a Biblical concept. Nothing in science, geography etc. until very recently has shown any evidence for this yet it is what is predicted by science to explain the arrival of life itself. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science is proving it true.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/03/15/tech-geology-ancient-ocean.html
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was devoid of life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity. (Gen. 1-3; Eccles. 1:4-11, 3:15; Rom. 8:18-23; Rev. 20:7-22:5). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was unfit for life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
People are fundamentally different than other animals. We are created in God’s image. We exhibit an intelligence and curiosity far beyond anything needed for basic survival, reproduction or entertainment. Unlike other animals, humans spend considerable time debating and attempting to understand questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What happens when I die?” “Why is the universe the way it is?” “Is there is a God?” Humans are profoundly spiritual beings and spend considerable time in worship and the longing to know and be a part of something greater than ourselves. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
In hundreds of verses that a Personal Being created all things. Forces and principles do not create. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“God sits enthroned above the CIRCLE of the earth . . .”
This thousands of years before people found out that earth wasn’t flat. Now, atheists will tell you that the flat earth concept came from what the Bible taught. This is not the case. It’s yet another example of atheists being incapable of interpreting Scripture. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The earth will wear out like and old garment, There will be famines in many lands, earthquakes and war without ceasing,”
This 2,000 years before anyone dreamed that the earth could run short of anything. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The Lord suspends the earth over nothing.”
This, 5,000 years before modern man discovered it’s truth. Until then ancients speculated that the earth sat on a strong foundation or was supported by a mythological god. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”
This, thousands and thousands of years before the telescope. Without the telescope only ~ 5,000 stars are visible to the naked eye. Closer to the equator it’s a little bit more, at the North Pole it’s a little bit less but it’s ~ 5,000. To say they were uncountable at the time that it was written would have seemed preposterous. Yet it’s the truth. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Predicted the Israelites would be scattered throughout the world, that Israel as a nation would disappear only to return as a nation “in one day” This 3,000 years before the return of Israel as a nation took place. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Gave us details of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, from the town He would be born in, to the race into which He would be born, to the manner in which He would die, thousands of years before He was even born. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical science has proven it true.
While the Bible is not a science book, it contains claims about the origin, structure and history of the universe that have proven remarkably accurate AND the Bible is unique in that no other literature of the time made similar claims.
Atheists claim that the Bible is a book that is written or created by man, but how can mankind make claims about things that he doesn’t know (“what is seen is made from what is unseen”) or that current knowledge tells him is incorrect (“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”)unless this information is given to him by an outside source?
The examples above are just a few of the reason for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
In this edition I want to highlight three things about the Bible. While the Bible is not a science manual, the Bible contains facts about the universe and life on earth that:
. Aren’t mentioned in any other literature of the time, including the “holy” scriptures of other cultures.
. Wasn’t known to be true at the time of the writing, and often contradicted what was thought to be true at the time of the writing.
. Has since been confirmed as true by science
The Bible tells us -
That the universe had a beginning. (Gen. 1:1,2:3-4; Ps. 148:5; Isa. 40:26, 42:5, 45:18; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3). Matter is not and cannot be eternal. It’s a scientific and philosophical fact. The space / time continuum along with matter, energy and the law of physics had a definitive start. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
That time itself had a beginning. (1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9)No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
. Unlike atheists who say, “Everything came from nothing by nothing,” Reality is, “Everything came from nothing because of Something.”
. Unlike atheists who say,
“The universe was this tiny little invisible speck of really hot matter surrounded by a tiny little invisible ring of space,” Reality is, “Everything - time, space, matter and energy came from nothing because of Something.” No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“What is visible is made from what is not visible”
This, 1,500 years before the microscope was invented. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity. We are so time-bound, that the concept of “before” time or outside of time is something that we cannot describe. While philosophically understandable, the Old and New Testaments are unique among early literature to state the existence of a Being of First Cause “before time.” (Prov. 8:22-23; John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:7; 2nd Tim. 1:9). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science will most certainly prove it to be true.
The Bible tells us -
That the universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning. (Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13; Jer. 10:12, 51:15; Zech. 12:1). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics are fixed. (Jer.33:25). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Decay (Rom. 8: 20-22) . No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
About the dynamic stretching property of dark matter. Ps. 104:2 and Isa. 40:22 speak of the “stretching out” of the heavens like a tent. Not until the 20th century was the expansion of the universe detected. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The concept of the earth being a Primordial Soup; the early earth was covered by water. This is entirely and uniquely a Biblical concept. Nothing in science, geography etc. until very recently has shown any evidence for this yet it is what is predicted by science to explain the arrival of life itself. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science is proving it true.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/03/15/tech-geology-ancient-ocean.html
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was devoid of life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity. (Gen. 1-3; Eccles. 1:4-11, 3:15; Rom. 8:18-23; Rev. 20:7-22:5). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was unfit for life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
People are fundamentally different than other animals. We are created in God’s image. We exhibit an intelligence and curiosity far beyond anything needed for basic survival, reproduction or entertainment. Unlike other animals, humans spend considerable time debating and attempting to understand questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What happens when I die?” “Why is the universe the way it is?” “Is there is a God?” Humans are profoundly spiritual beings and spend considerable time in worship and the longing to know and be a part of something greater than ourselves. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
In hundreds of verses that a Personal Being created all things. Forces and principles do not create. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“God sits enthroned above the CIRCLE of the earth . . .”
This thousands of years before people found out that earth wasn’t flat. Now, atheists will tell you that the flat earth concept came from what the Bible taught. This is not the case. It’s yet another example of atheists being incapable of interpreting Scripture. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The earth will wear out like and old garment, There will be famines in many lands, earthquakes and war without ceasing,”
This 2,000 years before anyone dreamed that the earth could run short of anything. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The Lord suspends the earth over nothing.”
This, 5,000 years before modern man discovered it’s truth. Until then ancients speculated that the earth sat on a strong foundation or was supported by a mythological god. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”
This, thousands and thousands of years before the telescope. Without the telescope only ~ 5,000 stars are visible to the naked eye. Closer to the equator it’s a little bit more, at the North Pole it’s a little bit less but it’s ~ 5,000. To say they were uncountable at the time that it was written would have seemed preposterous. Yet it’s the truth. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Predicted the Israelites would be scattered throughout the world, that Israel as a nation would disappear only to return as a nation “in one day” This 3,000 years before the return of Israel as a nation took place. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Gave us details of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, from the town He would be born in, to the race into which He would be born, to the manner in which He would die, thousands of years before He was even born. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical science has proven it true.
While the Bible is not a science book, it contains claims about the origin, structure and history of the universe that have proven remarkably accurate AND the Bible is unique in that no other literature of the time made similar claims.
Atheists claim that the Bible is a book that is written or created by man, but how can mankind make claims about things that he doesn’t know (“what is seen is made from what is unseen”) or that current knowledge tells him is incorrect (“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”)unless this information is given to him by an outside source?
The examples above are just a few of the reason for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
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