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Jesus Christ! Your Word’s a Myth?
24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Matthew 24:35 RSV
Each synoptic gospel contains this exact statement by Jesus Christ, despite the surrounding parable being of different wording (Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). Jesus clearly meant what he preached, and the authors took this to heart. But such is not the only mention of Jesus’ support of scripture.
7:26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;
Matthew 7:26 RSV
Thus to hear and not act on Jesus’ words, all of his words, the man should be branded as a fool. But in truth, how is it to be known that this man speaks the words of Christ? The point may be made, “Those things stated above rely on the New Testament as truth of Jesus’ sayings.” It is written:
14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:26 RSV
So the Holy Spirit will guide such writers, clearly that is not in dispute, but how is it still to be said that this one man has the Holy Spirit, yet another lacks the same? By many methods: comparison to what is known as inspired, proclaimed as inspired by what is known to be the word of God, and on a lesser note by testing the historical accuracy.
To embellish upon the third point, as the argument may surface of how historical accuracy points towards the Holy Spirit’s influence: in pointing to the accuracy of the New Testament books, it must follow to say that the recording of Jesus’ sayings was also accurate. (This does not deal with scripture’s inerrancy directly, but the first two determining factors have not been covered yet.) But first the inquiry must be dealt with: From what sources is the image of Jesus drawn from? There are ten non-Christian sources for Jesus: Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Celsus, the Jewish Talmud, Phelgon, Thallus, Suetonius, Lucian, and Mara Bar-Serapion. It is important to mention that there are only nine non-Christian sources that mention the emperor Tiberius, but no one would doubt his existence. Including Christian sources: Jesus Christ - 43, Tiberius - 10. Only considering the non-Christian sources, Norman Giesler and Frank Turek have condensed all the references into twelve points:
1. Jesus lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar.
2. He lived a virtuous life.
3. He was a wonder-worker.
4. He had a brother named James. [Wait, but the Pope says that . . .]
5. He was acclaimed to be the Messiah.
6. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
7. He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover.
8. Darkness and an earthquake occurred when he died.
9. His disciples believed he rose from the dead.
10. His disciples were willing to die for their belief.
11. Christianity spread rapidly as far as Rome.
12. His disciples denied the Roman gods and worshipped Jesus as God.
Strangely these points confirm what the New Testaments authors had written. So the basis of scripture is already confirmed by these extra-biblical accounts. But what of the details?
If part of a work was discovered to contain several imprecise accounts of the past, should not the rest of it be held in doubt? But if such a work resisted the test of time, the onslaughts of skeptics, of non-believers and still remains to be contested on any historical detail, should not the rest of it be held in esteem? Verily, such a work exists, and it is easily proven to be the most precise in all of its attributes. For example, Colin Hemer has examined the last 16 chapters of Luke’s Acts of the Apostles and found they hold 84 proven historical facts:
1. the natural crossing between correctly named ports (Acts 13:4-5)
2. the proper port (Perga) along the direct destination of a ship crossing from Cyprus (13:13)
3. the proper location of Lycaonia (14:6)
4. the unusual but correct declension of the name Lystra (14:6)
5. the correct language spoken in Lystra—Lycaonian (Acts 14:11)
6. two pagan gods know to be associated with one another—Zeus and Hermes (Acts 14:25)
7. the proper port Attalia, which returning travelers would use (Acts 14:25)
8. the correct order of approach to Derbe and then to Lystra from the Cilician Gates (Acts 16:1; cf. 15:41)
9. the proper form of the name Troas (Acts 16:8)
10. the place of a conspicuous sailors’ landmark, Samothrace (Acts 16:11)
11. the proper description of Philippi as a Roman Colony (Acts 16:12)
12. the right location of the river (Gangites) near Philippi (Acts 16:13)
13. the proper association of Thyatira as a center of dyeing (Acts 16:14)
14. the correct designations for the magistrates of the colony (Acts 16:22)
15. the proper locations (Amphipolis and Apollonia) where travelers would spend successive nights on this journey (Acts 17:1)
16. the presence of a synagogue in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1)
17. the proper term (“politarchs”) used of the magistrates there (Acts 17:6)
18. the correct implication that sea travel is the most convenient way of reaching Athens, with the favoring east winds of summer sailing (Acts 17:14-15)
19. the abundant presence of images in Athens (Acts 17:16)
20. the reference of a synagogue in Athens (Acts 17:17)
21. the depiction of Athenian life of philosophical debate in the Agora (17:17)
22. the use of the correct Athenian slang word for Paul (spermologos, Acts 17:18) as well as for the court (Areios pagos, Acts 17:19)
23. the proper characterization of the Athenian character (Acts 17:21)
24. an altar to an unknown god (Acts 17:23)
25. the proper reaction of Greek philosophers, who denied the bodily resurrection (Acts 17:32)
26. Areopagites as the correct title for the member of the court (Acts 17:34)
27. a Corinthian synagogue (Acts 18:4)
28. the correct designation of Gallio as proconsul, resident in Corinth (Acts 18:12)
29. the bema (judgment seat) which overlooks Corinth’s forum (Acts 18:16ff)
30. the name Tyrannus as attested from Ephesus in the first-century inscriptions (Acts 19:19)
31. well known shrines and images of Artemis (Acts 19:24)
32. the well attested “great goddess Artemis” (Acts 19:27)
33. that the Ephesian theater was the meeting place of the city (Acts 19:29)
34. the correct title grammateus for the chief executive magistrate in Ephesus (Acts 19:35)
35. the proper title of honor “neokoros” authorized by the Romans (Acts 19:35)
36. the correct name to designate the goddess (Acts 19:37)
37. the proper name for those holding court (Acts 19:38)
38. the use of the plural anthupatoi perhaps a remarkable reference to the fact that two men were cojointly exercising the functions of proconsul at the time (Acts 19:38)
39. the “regular” assembly as the precise phrase is attested elsewhere (Acts 19:39)
40. use of the precise ethnic designation, beroiaios (Acts 20:4)
41. employment of the ethnic term Asianos (Acts 20:4)
42. the implied recognition of the strategic importance assigned to the city of Troas (Acts 20:7ff)
43. the danger of the coastal trip in this location (Acts 20:13)
44. the correct sequence of places (Acts 20:14-15)
45. the correct name of the city as a neuter plural (Patara) (Acts 21:1)
46. the appropriate route passing across the open sea south of Cyprus favored by persistent northwest winds (Acts 21:3)
47. a suitable distance between these cities (Acts 21:8)
48. a characteristically Jewish act of piety (Acts 21:24)
49. the Jewish law regarding Gentile use of the temple area (Acts 21:28) (Archaeological discoveries and quotations from Josephus confirm that Gentiles could be executed for entering the temple area. One inscription reads: “Let no Gentile enter within the balustrade, and enclosure surrounding the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will be personally responsible for his consequent death.”)
50. the pertinent stationing of a Roman cohort (chiliarch) at Antonia to suppress any disturbance at festival times (Acts 21:31)
51. the flight of steps used by the guards (Acts 21:31, 35)
52. the common way to obtain Roman citizenship at this time (Acts 22:29)
53. the tribune being impressed with Roman rather than Tarsian citizenship (Acts 22:29)
54. Anaias being high priest at this time (Acts 23:2)
55. Felix being governor at this time (Acts 23:34)
56. the natural stopping point on the way to Caesarea (Acts 23:31)
57. whose jurisdiction Cilicia was at the time (Acts 23:34)
58. the provincial penal procedure at the time (Acts 24:1-9)
59. the name Porcius Festus, which agrees precisely with that given by Josephus (Acts 24:27)
60. the right to appeal for Roman citizens (Acts 25:11)
61. the correct legal formula (Acts 25:18)
62. the characteristic form of reference to the emperor at the time (Acts 25:26)
63. the best shipping lanes at the time (Acts 27:5)
64. the common bonding of Cilicia and Pamphylia (Acts 27:4)
65. the principal port to find a ship sailing to Italy (27:5-6)
66. the slow passage to Cnidus in the face of the typical northwest wind (Acts 27:7)
67. the right route to sail in view of the winds (Acts 27:7)
68. the locations of Fair Havens and the neighboring site of Lasea (Acts 27:8)
69. Fair Havens as a poorly sheltered roadstead (Acts 27:12)
70. a noted tendency of a south wind in these climes to back suddenly to a violent northeaster, the well-known gregale (Acts 27:13)
71. the nature of a square rigged ancient ship, having no option but to be driven before a gale (Acts 27:15)
72. the precise place and name of the island (Acts 27:16)
73. the appropriate maneuvers for the safety of the ship in its particular plight (Acts 27:16)
74. the fourteenth night—a remarkable calculation based inevitably on a compounding of estimates and probabilities confirmed in the judgment of experienced Mediterranean navigators (Acts 27:27)
75. the proper term of the time for the Adriatic (Acts 27:27)
76. the precise term Bolisantes for taking soundings and the correct depth of the water near Malta (Acts 27:28)
77. a position that suits the probable line of approach of a ship released to run before an easterly wind (Acts 27:39)
78. the severe liability on guards who permitted a prisoner to escape (Acts 27:42)
79. the local people and superstitions of the day (Acts 28:4-6)
80. the proper title protos tes nesou (Acts 28:7)
81. Rhegium as a refuge to await a southerly wind to carry them through the strait (Acts 28:13)
82. Appi Forum and Tres Tabernae as correctly placed stopping places on the Appian Way (Acts 28:15)
83. appropriate means of custody with Roman soldiers (Acts 28:16)
84. the conditions of imprisonment living at his own expense (Acts 28:30-31)
Clearly Luke could have only known these things by truthfully traveling and reporting as he says he has in Acts. By implication Mark and Matthew have also been proven reliable sources. Yet the synoptic gospels are not alone in their erudite methods. As Colin Hemer before, Craig Blomberg has uncovered the historical truths behind John’s gospel—59 to be exact:
1. Archaeology confirms the use of stone water jars in New Testament times (John 2:6).
2. Given the early Christian tendency towards asceticism, the wine miracle is an unlikely invention (2:8).
3. Archaeology confirms the proper place of Jacob’s Well (4:6).
4. Josephus (Wars of the Jews 2.232) confirms there was significant hostility between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus’ time (4:9).
5. “Come down” accurately describes the topography of western Galilee. (There’s a significant elevation drop from Cana to Capernaum.) (4:46, 49, 51).
6. “Went up” accurately describes the ascent to Jerusalem (5:1).
7. Archaeology confirms the proper location and description of the five colonnades at the pool of Bethesda (5:2). (Excavations between 1914 and 1938 uncovered that pool and found it to be just as John described it. Since that structure did not exist after the Romans destroyed the city in A.D. 70, it’s unlikely any later non-eyewitness could have described it in such vivid detail. Moreover, John says that this structure “is in Jerusalem,” implying that he’s writing before 70.)
8. Jesus’ own testimony being invalid without the Father is an unlikely Christian invention (5:31); a later redactor would be eager to highlight Jesus’ divinity and would probably make his witness self-authenticating.
9. The crowds wanting to make Jesus king reflects the well-known nationalist fervor of early first-century Israel (6:15).
10. Sudden and severe squalls are common on the Sea of Galilee (6:18).
11. Christ’s command to eat his flesh and drink his blood would not be made up (6:53).
12. The rejection of Jesus by many of his disciples is also an unlikely invention (6:66).
13. The two predominant opinions of Jesus, one that Jesus was a “good man” and the other that he “deceives people,” would not be the two choices John would have made up (7:12); a later Christian writer would have probably inserted the opinion that Jesus was God.
14. The charge of Jesus being demon-possessed is an unlikely invention (7:20).
15. The use of “Samaritan” to slander Jesus befits the hostility between Jews and Samaritans (8:48).
16. Jewish believers wanting to stone Jesus is an unlikely invention (8:31, 59).
17. Archaeology confirms the existence and location of the Pool of Siloam (9:7).
18. Expulsion from the synagogue by the Pharisees was a legitimate fear of the Jews; notice that the healed man professes his faith in Jesus only after he is expelled from the synagogue by the Pharisees (9:13-39), at which point he has nothing to lose. This rings of authenticity.
19. The healed man calling Jesus a “prophet” rather than anything more lofty suggests the incident is unembellished history (9:17).
20. During a winter feast, Jesus walked in Solomon’s Colonnade, which was the only side of the temple area shielded from the cold winter east wind (10:22-23); this area is mentioned several times by Josephus.
21. Fifteen stadia (less than two miles) is precisely the distance from Bethany to Jerusalem (11:18).
22. Given the later animosity between Christians and Jews, the positive depiction of Jews comforting Martha and Mary is an unlikely invention (11:19).
23. The burial wrappings of Lazarus were common for first-century Jewish burials (11:44); it is unlikely that a fiction writer would have included this theologically irrelevant detail.
24. The precise description of the composition of the Sanhedrin (11:47): it was composed primarily of chief priests (largely Sadducees) and Pharisees during Jesus’ ministry.
25. Caiaphas was indeed the high priest that year (11:49); we learn from Josephus that Caiaphas held the office from A.D. 18-37.
26. The obscure and tiny village of Ephraim (11:54) near Jerusalem is mentioned by Josephus.
27. Ceremonial cleansing was common in preparation for the Passover (11:55).
28. Anointing of a guest’s feet with perfume or oil was sometimes performed for special guests in the Jewish culture (12:3); Mary’s wiping of Jesus’ feet with her hair is an unlikely invention (it easily could have been perceived as a sexual advance).
29. Waving of palm branches was a common Jewish practice for celebrating military victories and welcoming national rulers (12:13).
30. Foot washing in first-century Palestine was necessary because of dust and open footwear; Jesus performing this menial task is an unlikely invention (it was a task not even Jewish slaves were required to do) (13:4); Peter’s insistence that he get a complete bath also fits with his impulsive personality (there’s certainly no purpose for inventing this request).
31. Peter asks John to ask Jesus a question (13:24); there’s no reason to insert this detail if this is fiction; Peter could have asked Jesus himself.
32. “The Father is greater than I” is an unlikely invention (14:28), especially if John wanted to make up the deity of Christ (as the critics claim he did).
33. Use of the vine as a metaphor makes good sense in Jerusalem (15:1); vineyards were in the vicinity of the temple, and, according to Josephus, the temple gates had a golden vine carved on them.
34. Use of the childbirth metaphor (16:21) is thoroughly Jewish; it has been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QH 11:9-10).
35. The standard Jewish posture for prayers was looking “toward heaven” (17:1).
36. Jesus’ admission that he has gotten his words from the Father (17:7-8) would not be included if John were inventing the idea that Christ was God.
37. No specific reference to fulfilled Scripture is given regarding the predicted betrayal by Judas; a fiction writer or later Christian redactor probably would have identified the Old Testament Scripture to which Jesus was referring (17:12).
38. The name of the high priest’s servant (Malchus), who had his ear cut off, is an unlikely invention (18:10).
39. Proper identification of Caiaphas’s father-in-law, Annas, who was the high priest from A.D. 6-15 (18:13)—the appearance before Annas is believable because of the family connection and the fact that former high priests maintained great influence.
40. John’s claim that the high priest knew him (18:15) seems historical; invention of this claim serves no purpose and would expose John to being discredited by the Jewish authorities.
41. Annas’ questions regarding Jesus’ teachings and disciples make good historical sense; Annas would be concerned about potential civil unrest and the undermining of Jewish religious authority (18:19).
42. Identification of a relative of Malchus (the high priest’s servant who had his ear cut off) is a detail that John would not have made up (18:26); it has no theological significance and could only hurt John’s credibility if he were trying to pass off fiction as the truth.
43. There are good historical reasons to believe Pilate’s reluctance to deal with Jesus (18:28): Pilate had to walk a fine line between keeping the Jews happy and keeping Rome happy; any civil unrest could mean his job (the Jews knew of his competing concerns when they taunted him with, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar,” 19:12); the Jewish philosopher Philo records the Jews successfully pressuring Pilate in a similar way to get their demands met (To Gaius 38.301-302).
44. A surface similar to the Stone Pavement has been identified near the Antonia Fortress (19:13) with markings that may indicate soldiers played games there (as in the gambling for his clothes in 19:24).
45. The Jews exclaiming “We have no king but Caesar!” (19:15) would not be invented given the Jewish hatred for the Romans, especially if John had been written after A.D. 70. (This would be like New Yorkers today proclaiming “We have no king but Osama Bin Laden!”)
46. The crucifixion of Jesus (19:17-30) is attested to by non-Christian sources such as Josephus, Tacitus, Lucian, and the Jewish Talmud.
47. Crucifixion victims normally carried their own crossbeams (19:17).
48. Josephus confirms that crucifixion was an execution technique employed by the Romans (Wars of the Jews 1.97; 2.305; 7.203); moreover, a nail-spiked anklebone of a crucified man was found in Jerusalem in 1968.
49. The execution site was likely outside ancient Jerusalem, as John says (19:17); this would ensure that the sacred Jewish city would not be profaned by the presence of a dead body (Deut. 21:23).
50. After the spear was thrust into Jesus’ side, out came what appeared to be blood and water (19:34). Today we know that a crucified person might have a watery fluid gather in the sac around the heart called the pericardium. John would not have known of this medical condition, and could not have recorded this phenomenon unless he was an eyewitness or had access to eyewitness testimony.
51. Joseph of Arimathea (19:38), a member of the Sanhedrin who buries Jesus, is an unlikely invention (more on this in the next chapter).
52. Josephus (Antiquities 17.199) confirms that spices (19:39) were used for royal burials; this detail shows that Nicodemus was not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead, and it also demonstrates that John was not inserting later Christian faith into the text.
53. Mary Magdalene (20:1), a formerly demon-possessed woman (Luke 8:2), would not be invented as the empty tomb’s first witness; in fact, women in general would not be presented as witnesses in a made-up story.
54. Mary mistaking Jesus for the gardener (20:15) is not a detail that a later writer would have made up (especially a writer seeking to exalt Jesus).
55. “Rabboni” (20:16), the Aramaic for “teacher,” seems an authentic detail because it’s another unlikely invention for a writer trying to exalt the risen Jesus.
56. Jesus stating that he is returning to “my God and your God” (20:17) does not fit with a later writer bent on creating the idea that Jesus was God.
57. One hundred fifty-three fish (21:11) is a theologically irrelevant detail, but perfectly consistent with the tendency of fisherman to want to record and then brag about large catches.
58. The fear of the disciples to ask Jesus who he was (21:12) is an unlikely concoction; it demonstrates natural human amazement at the risen Jesus and perhaps the fact that there was something different about the resurrection body.
59. The cryptic statement from Jesus about the fate of Peter is not clear enough to draw certain theological conclusions (21:18); so why would John make it up? It’s another unlikely invention.
So far it has been shown that the gospels were written with resolute techniques which ensured the spreading of truth. However, this merely touches upon the many details which point convincingly to the scripture’s authority even when examined merely by the methods of man.
To further elucidate the validity of Luke’s writings historically, an analogy may be made. Suppose a book was written (as many have) on the World Trade Centers. The ending of this particular book, however, left the Twin Towers still standing in their majesty. Now, would it be wrong to assume that this book was written before, perhaps, September 11, 2001? Of course not, it is to be expected that such a catastrophe would be included. So then when it is noted that the Temple, the main focus of Jewish law, religion, politics, society, et cetera, was destroyed in 70 AD, but such not mentioned in Acts despite these 84 points (most of which are meaningless details), is not the logical conclusion that Acts was written before 70 AD? Indeed!—only forty years after Jesus’ death. And the fact that a main focus of Acts was the lives of James and Paul, who died (according to Josephus) around 62 and after 68 (during the reign of Tiberius) respectively, yet no mention of this was made, shows that the Acts can easily be considered written prior to 62 AD. If Acts was written that early, then Luke’s Gospel must have been written before such as stated in Acts 1:1. In truth, then Mark must have been written sometime in the 50s.
1:1In the first book, O The-oph’ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 1:3 To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. 1:4 And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me,
Acts 1:1-4 RSV
Most scholars believe that Luke was alluding to Mark’s Gospel. And because Paul wrote even before that, can it not be said that the earliest accounts exist a mere 15-25 years after Jesus’ death? In fact, a once-liberal scholar, Dr. William Albright, after seeing similar historical evidence to what was presented here, remarked, “We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today”.
Hopefully everyone is familiar with the man about to be discussed. This individual is probably considered the most influential philosopher, his works still considered a major part of the classics. The Greek who called life an illusion, whose theory of forms convinced many followers—the great Plato himself! It may be thought that Plato is no big secret, considering his history, but then clearly a lesson on ancient documents is in order. Now, Plato is thought to have lived in between the times of 424 and 347 B.C. In fact, according to the University of Oxford, the Clarke Plato (MS. E. D. Clarke 39) is the oldest surviving manuscript for about half of Plato’s dialogues; written in Constantinople in 895 A.D. “What’s the math on that? Someone calculate 895 plus 347 for me.” Forget it; I’ll just use a calculator. That’s absolutely right, even providing that Plato was writing these on his deathbed (clearly not), the smallest gap between his life and the date of these manuscripts is 1242 years! Well, wait a minute, if there is thatlarge of a gap between the originals and manuscripts of Plato’s writings, what about for the New Testament? It has to be at least double that, right? Actually, it is probably almost 100 times less. Taking the dates provided above for the writing of the New Testament and the earliest manuscripts in circulation, this time the math is up to you. The earliest undisputed manuscript is the John Rylands fragment of John 18:31-33, 37-38, dated from 100-125 A.D. From there the Pauline Codex is thought to be from 85 A.D; the Dead Sea Scroll MSS 7Q4 (1 Timothy 3:16-4:3) and Dead Sea Scroll MSS 7Q5 (Mark 6:52-53): before 68 A.D.; and the Barcelona Papyrus and Magdalen Papyrus: before 66 A.D. At the most the gap is 25 years.
Well then surely Plato has such an inordinate amount of manuscript copies that the New Testament pales in its historical comparison. For it is already known that the New Testament has something like 5,700 manuscript copies in Greek alone, and another 9,000 in languages such as Syrian, Latin, Arabic, Coptic, et cetera, so Plato’s works must have millions. Actually he has 7. You mean 7 million, right??? No, just 7. Wow, what a short paragraph.
A single point exists in the test of historical accuracy. Were the New Testament writers lying? Now, there is plenty of evidence that proves they were not (including: embarrassing details about themselves and Jesus, the “hard sayings” of Jesus, they careful distinguished between Jesus’ words and their own, details of the resurrection that were embarrassing, unembellished miracle accounts, the challenge issued to their readers to check the facts themselves, et cetera) but I will only focus on one. It can be known that the New Testament writers were telling the truth for the simple fact that not only did they “abandon their long-held, sacred beliefs and practices” but did not deny their new testimony even under torture and death. Remember, Peter already denied Christ three times post-Resurrection, but for some reason none of the disciples (and many more) denied the truth upon the third day after his death. ATTENTION: This is extremely important. Undergoing torture for a belief does not prove it true, but merely shows that the person being persecution thought it was true. Remember also, in comparison to Muslim extremists, the disciples were eyewitnesses to Christ; they saw his miracles, talked, and ate with him on several occasions. There is an enormous difference between propaganda against America and refusing to give up one’s beliefs. How many of you could undergo crucifixion for a lie? How many of you could undergo crucifixion for the truth? If a single sentence could save you from daily torture, would you give in? They didn’t.
In light of all that has been presented, it cannot be said that the words of Jesus are not historically accurate. Indeed, it is only after the 150s that other accounts of Jesus’ life began to emerge. William Craig points out:
In fact, adding a time gap of two generations to Jesus’ death lands you in the second century, just when the apocryphal gospels begin to appear. These do contain all sorts of fabulous stories about Jesus, trying to fill in the years between his boyhood and his starting his ministry, for example. These are the obvious legends sought by the critics, not the biblical gospels.
The canonization of these books is just as expeditious. In fact, the New Testament was quoted so much by the early church fathers that only 11 verses of the current canon (exactly the same) were not included in their writings. Verily, the acknowledgement of each book as inspired began as quickly as they were written. Undoubtedly the Catholic Church regards the writings of Peter, the first Pope, as truth. Thus when he presents Paul’s letters as equal to Scripture, it must be true:
3:15 And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 3:16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
2 Peter 3:15-16 RSV
So with the knowledge gained through those verses, Paul is clearly a writer under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. So then can there be any denying that when Paul states:
5:18 for the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
1 Timothy 5:18 RSV
he is appealing to other Scriptures. Namely, Luke:
10:7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
Luke 10:7 RSV
and Matthew:
10:10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food.
Matthew 10:10 RSV
and by Luke: Mark, as stated above.
So it is shown that all of Scripture supports other aspects, no matter the culture, time, or situation the author was in. Clearly then, if another writing has material contradictory to that already shown as inspired Scripture, it is not the word of God.
1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:9 RSV
Likewise, when looking upon other works that agree with inspired Scripture (though not to say that it may not add to our knowledge), it can be said that such a work is on equal stance with the rest of Scripture. So James can also be seen as God’s word as Luke supported his ministry (seen in Acts). Also the Gospel of John the Apostle as we know in the other already shown as inspired gospels that Jesus commanded the Twelve:
6:11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.”
Mark 6:11 RSV
It is then to be said with the greatest authority, of the Lord Jesus Christ, that
3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 RSV
And that:
30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
Proverbs 30:5-6 RSV
God sincerely means that. Mankind is not to add to His word unless by the authority of the Holy Spirit. Anything added to the original Old or New Testaments under the guise of inspiration invokes God’s awesome wrath:
22:18 I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 22:19 and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19 RSV
He didn’t say, “Well, if you really feel like it, then go ahead and change truth” or “Anyone who thinks they have something interesting, go ahead and help out.” No, God said, “If you add to what I have given, I will add to your torment; and if you take from what I have given, I am going to take everything from you.”
Before continuing, there exists an ideology, which contradicts the above verses, that needs to be addressed; specifically, the issues of “binding” and “loosing” as described by Jesus.
18:18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:18 RSV
The wrong understanding of this is that collective groups of Christians, interpreting scripture, can come up with objective right versus wrong based entirely by their own measures. Jesus was not saying that anyone, the Church included, can decide truth. Bear in mind, “truth” that contradicts anything in the Bible is not truth. This verse is quoted out of context so that the object that is being bound can mean anything. Indeed, when the rest of the text is examined it becomes quite clear:
18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 18:16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18:18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Matthew 18:15-20 RSV
Jesus speaks of binding and loosing people, their souls to his words. If this isn’t entirely obvious, the actual word for “binding” needs to be understood. “Deo” is the Greek verb that means “to bind; to put under obligation, used of the law, duty, to be bound to one, a wife, a husband. The word deoin the above clearly means the binding to a person, in this case to Christ. Harold Camping, in defending the Christian marriage, explains the use of deo:
God says in I Corinthians 7:27, “Art thou bound unto a wife?” but this word “bound” is entirely different from “doulos” or “douloo.” It is the Greek word “deo.” It is a word that gives the sense of two things being bound or tied together. The prisoner is bound (Mark 6:17). The donkey was tied (Mark 11:2). The husband and wife are bound to each other (I Corinthians 7:27, 39; Romans 7:2), but the idea of being a servant or a slave is not found in the word “deo.”
Proper exegesis is the key. Exegesis means to draw out the meaning of the text, which the Holy Spirit may aid, whereas eisegesis is the reading of a personal meaning into the text. Think of it as reading out of as opposed to reading into.
And now that it has been shown that scriptures are reliable as historical sources and as the inspired word of God and that apposite exegesis is also required, whatever is contained inside them that is attributed to Jesus is indeed a command to live by. So finally the heart of the matter is reached. What exactly did Christ teach pertaining to the Bible? He taught seven ways in which the Old Testament is the word of God.
5:17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 5:18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 5:19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20 RSV
The first quote signifies that scripture is imperishable. Here Jesus supports all of the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament, and the Prophets, which are the rest. Before the end of the world arrives, Christ makes clear that no part of the Old Testament shall fall from truth. I am pretty sure the world is still around, so the message still stands. Jesus continues to state that anyone who does not believe in the Old Testament will be least in heaven (although they may believe in him and thus be granted entrance to heaven).
Jesus constantly uses scripture to prove his points. In the many arguments he engages the religious leaders of his day, scripture always holds the answer.
22:23The same day Sad’ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, 22:24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.’ 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 22:26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 22:27 After them all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her.” 22:29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 22:31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
Matthew 22:23-32 RSV
Geisler and Turek almost humorously explain Matthew 22:29: “The implication, of course, is that the scriptures are inerrant. It wouldn’t make any sense for Jesus to say, “You are in error because you don’t know the Scriptures, which also err!” [emphasis added] In the telling of Lazarus and the rich man he also says:
16:31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’”
Luke 16:31 RSV
Again, the Old Testament is defined the same by Jesus, who speaks as if it were truth,
24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 RSV
Is it not obvious that what Jesus (also through Abraham) says is: “Unless they hold the Old Testament (Moses and the prophets) as complete truth, they cannot say that ‘I am a follower of Christ’ (the one who rose from the dead)”? Why would he say such things if the Bible was simply a collection of myths by prejudiced authors?
Indeed, against the utmost stresses of temptation, does not Jesus find strength through the Old Testament?
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. 4:3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 4:6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 4:9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 4:11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4:1-11 RSV
Satan quoting the Old Testament is not only extremely ironic, but also shows how much faith Christ put in it. He uses it to dispel the sinful thoughts whispered to him by Satan. In fact, Jesus and his disciples use the phrase “it is written” (or something similar) on 92 different occasions. Jesus confidently relies on scripture to defend himself from these attacks, thus it can be said that the Bible is divinely authoritative.
But Satan is not the only one who Christ needed to defend himself against. More often the devil manifests himself in the works of men against godliness.
10:24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 10:25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; 10:26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 10:28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 10:30 I and the Father are one.” 10:31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?” 10:33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 10:35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), 10:36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 10:38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
John 10:24-38 RSV
Jesus makes the argument here (again based entirely on scripture) that since it had already been said “You are Gods” by one who was visited by the word of God, then should they not trust the Son of God even more? He says this on the principle that the Old Testament is infallible. Remember how he also prayed for his disciples:
17:13 But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17:15I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.
John 17:13-17 RSV
Clearly Jesus upholds the truth of God’s word, for he gave it to his disciples so that they may “have My joy made full in themselves.” He foreshadows the evangelism his disciples will be called into, and prayed that God would protect them with His truth.
As if Jesus had not gone far enough to prove the validity of the books written before his coming, he lists a great number of historical events and people who had existed and were noted in the Old Testament. Thus (and although Luke has already shown the New Testament to be so) Jesus proves the historical reliability of the Old Testament.
Creation of the universe – Genesis 1
1:3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
John 1:3 RSV
1:16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities–all things were created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16 RSV
Creation of Adam and Eve – Genesis 1-2
2:13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
1 Timothy 2:13 RSV
Marriage of Adam and Eve – Genesis 1-2
19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
Matthew 19:4-5 RSV
Temptation of the woman – Genesis 3
2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
1 Timothy 2:14 RSV
Disobedience and sin of Adam – Genesis 3
5:12 Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned–
Romans 5:12 RSV
12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 12:22 On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable,
1 Corinthians 12:21-22 RSV
Sacrifices of Abel and Cain – Genesis 4
11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
Hebrews 11:4 RSV
Murder of Abel by Cain – Genesis 4
3:12 and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
1 John 3:12 RSV
Birth of Seth – Genesis 4
3:38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Luke 3:38 RSV
Translation of Enoch – Genesis 5
11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5 RSV
Marriage before Flood – Genesis 6
17:27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:27 RSV
The Flood and destruction of man – Genesis 7
24:37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 24:38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 24:39 and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
Matthew 24:37-39 RSV
Preservation of Noah and his family – Genesis 8-9
11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:7 RSV
2:5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven other persons, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2 Peter 2:5 RSV
Genealogy of Shem – Genesis 10
3:35the son of Serug, the son of Re’u, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 3:36the son of Ca-i’nan, the son of Arphax’ad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
Luke 3:35-36 RSV
Birth of Abraham – Genesis 11
3:34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
Luke 3:34 RSV
Call of Abraham – Genesis 12-13
11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 11:10 For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11:11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
Hebrews 11:8-11 RSV
Tithes to Melchizedek – Genesis 14
7:1 For this Melchiz’edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; 7:2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 7:3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.
Hebrews 7:1-3 RSV
Justification of Abraham – Genesis 15
4:3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 RSV
Ishmael – Genesis 16
4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not hear the law? 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. 4:23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. 4:24 Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
Galatians 4:21-24 RSV
Promise of Isaac – Genesis 17
11:18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.”
Hebrews 11:18 RSV
Lot and Sodom – Genesis 18-19
10:14 And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 10:15 Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomor’rah than for that town.
Matthew 10:14-15 RSV
17:28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot–they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 17:29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all–
Luke 17:28-29 RSV
2:6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomor’rah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example to those who were to be ungodly; 2:7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the wicked
2 Peter 2:6-7 RSV
Birth of Isaac – Genesis 21
7:8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
Acts 7:8 RSV
Offering of Isaac – Genesis 22
11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,
Hebrews 11:17 RSV
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Genesis 50:24
8:11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 8:12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”
Matthew 8:11-12 RSV
The burning bush – Exodus 3:6
20:37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
Luke 20:37 RSV
Exodus through the Red Sea – Exodus 14:22
10:1 I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 10:2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 RSV
Provision of water and manna – Exodus 16:4; 17:6
6:30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 6:31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 6:32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
John 6:30-32 RSV
10:3 and did all eat the same spiritual food; 10:4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ. 10:5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:3-5 ASV
Lifting up serpent in the wilderness – Numbers 21:19
3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
John 3:14 RSV
Fall of Jericho – Joshua 6:22-25
11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
Hebrews 11:30 RSV
Miracles of Elijah – 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1
5:17 Eli’jah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
James 5:17 RSV
Jonah and the great fish – Johan 2
12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:40 RSV
Three Hebrew youths in furnace – Daniel 3
11:34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Hebrews 11:34 RSV
Daniel in lion’s den – Daniel 6
11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:33 RSV
Slaying of Zechariah – 2 Chronicles 24:20-22
23:35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari’ah the son of Barachi’ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Matthew 23:35 RSV
In light of all these things viewed collectively, it can be said that scripture has ultimate supremacy. Jesus makes this very clear in another refutation of the Pharisees.
15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 15:2 “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 15:3 He answered them, “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 15:4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.’ 15:5 But you say, ‘If any one tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.’ 15:6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. 15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 15:9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”
Matthew 15:1-9 RSV
God’s word takes clear precedence over those of men. Jesus left no doubt that tradition is never to be substituted for the Law. Thus, it is extremely important to know scripture, and to use it as the foundation for all of life. It is a great discerner of truth, as that which contradicts it can automatically be deemed false.
After all these things, there can be no one who believes that Jesus did not utilize the history of the Old Testament to prove his words. Notice how much Christ’s words depend on scripture to be true at all. When he then says: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31), the meaning becomes instantly clear; you cannot truly believe in the salvation granted by Jesus, unless you believe in the Old Testament. And make sure it is understood that no one needs to be taught scripture in order to understand it.
2:26 I write this to you about those who would deceive you; 2:27 but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.
1 John 2:26-27 RSV
However, Satan wants the world to believe the exact opposite. Knowing that:
10:17 . . . faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.
Romans 10:17 RSV
he seeks to pull believers as far away as possible from seeking scriptural guidance. J. I. Packer, in the foreword of Knowing Scripture, explains:
If I were the devil (please, no comment), one of my first aims would be to stop folks form digging into the Bible. Knowing that it is the Word of God, teaching men to know and love and serve the God of the Word, I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorn hedges, and man traps, to frighten people off.
And indeed he does, as most people do not believe scripture to be inerrant, nor do most even consider it worthy of being read. They claim it is too esoteric a work to be understood. But it is known to all that the understanding needed was sent by Christ.
14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:26 RSV
The Holy Spirit was sent to “teach all things” to the believers. Nothing else but the guidance of God is required. Jesus embellishes on this point:
16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
John 16:13-14 RSV
In fact, the Christian is commanded to use this wisdom in study of scripture in order to discern truth:
2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 RSV
Even Peter says:
1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 1:20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 1:21 because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
2 Peter 1:19-21 RSV
See that God’s truth revealed to us is unchanging. It shall remain that way until the end of the world. Remember all that Jesus taught about scripture; it is imperishable, inerrant, divinely authoritative, infallible, historically reliable, and has ultimate supremacy.
Perhaps some of you noticed that I have only listed six ways we know the Bible to be God’s true word. The last is particularly important.
There exists a very old and dangerous belief very prominent in today’s culture; its roots reach back to Galilean philosophy. He began the argument that the Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go. This is a ridiculous claim and defeated by a single conversation proving that Jesus holds scripture as scientifically accurate.
3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode’mus, a ruler of the Jews. 3:2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 3:4 Nicode’mus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 3:8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 3:9 Nicode’mus said to him, “How can this be?” 3:10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? 3:11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. 3:12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 3:17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 3:18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 3:19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 3:21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.
John 3:1-21 RSV
God’s word is truth. Period. Not part of it. Not half of it. Not 99% of it. Everything contained in scripture is directly inspired by God for the benefit of mankind. Its power is undeniable, there is no greater source of truth that mankind has access to, and such, there is no way I couldn’t have ended with Hebrews 4:12.
4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 RSV