Preface
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of
Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9 (written 64 A.D.).
…sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to
make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is
in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15 (written 64
A.D.).
How could I be ready to make a defense to
everyone who asked, to give an account for the hope that is in me, if I had no
idea 1) what I hoped for or 2) how to defend it? But I was afraid to ask questions. I was afraid to compare the two: the Bible
and science. I was afraid I would find
information that would squash my child-like faith. I attended public schools and was taught
things that were in direct opposition to Scriptures. I was torn.
Then came Apologetics. I am so
grateful for the answers to all the questions in my heart, so much so that I am
eagerly awaiting questions from others now!
Also, when my Christian friends are “on the fence” about something, I
can quickly lead them to the answers that satisfy their concerns and
questions. My heart is completely full
of the joy that comes with His peace and understanding.
Mathew 5:6 Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Science means knowledge, and true science always
agrees with the observable evidence.
Scientific research continues to unfold the wonders and mysteries of our
universe. Interestingly, there is one
book that has anticipated many of these scientific facts. That book is the Bible.
With knowledge, comes power and responsibility. Armed with knowledge, you then hold the power
to change lives and the responsibility to share the Truth with those who do not
know. Join me on this journey. Your faith will be stronger than ever and
your heart will be renewed.
Be careful stepping into the world of
Apologetics. Sometimes Truth shakes what
you've been taught in error or by those who do not know, it can shake
assumptions you've made and things you've held to be true for a long time. The key is: 1 Peter 3:15 (written 64 A.D.)
and 1 Peter 2:9 (written 64 A.D.) and Matthew 5:6 (written 40-45A.D.). Taking a
study in Apologetics is opening your heart and mind to understand and accept
Truth when presented. According to 1
Peter 3:15 (written 64 A.D.), We must “sanctify Christ as Lord in
[our] hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks and
give an account for the hope that is in [us], yet with gentleness and
reverence;”
*Before turning another page, I want you
to understand that this book is an ever-changing document. Each time that new evidence comes to light,
or if anything contained herein is proven false, the book will be updated. You are holding the First Edition!
This project would not
have been possible without the encouragement of the Father, who has provided me
with promised blessing in Philippians 4:7 (written 61-62 A.D.) “and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
His guidance and comfort have led me to reach further than I ever
thought possible. Many dedicated
Biblical scholars have done extensive work in several fields to provide us with
the information that leads us to the discovery of more truth. Without their work, this book would not have
been possible.
Acknowledgements
Thanks be to God, above
all else!
Well, there's a part of
me that wants to say "It is finished!”
(and maybe take a nap...or a bubble bath) ...but this book is much like
the work that Christ is doing in us. As
He hones us into a beautiful masterpiece, He chips away the things that are not
of Him and adds to us a little something here and a little something there...
The same idea applies
when it comes to Lampstand: Pointing the
Way to Christ. As relieved as I am
to have inserted most of my notes, scribbles, research, pictures, citations,
and references, I am sure that there will be much, much more going into this
compilation of my last several years’ research.
I pray you will continue to extend your wonderful grace and patience as
I work toward a more presentable work for the Lord.
This will be a living,
breathing, document that is forever changing based on recent research and
findings. THAT'S where YOU come in! I pray that we all have an open mind and an open
heart to receive every Truth He has for us.
If you come across reliable evidence that something should be added,
removed, or changed in Lampstand:
Pointing the Way to Christ, I trust that you will contact me and let me
know. I promise to receive you with open
arms and an open mind. This project
cannot work without you, His church and His people and we only want to share Truth. So I'm counting on you! Thank you so much to the many, many people
who have made this project FUN!
I've had so many
contributors; I pray I don't neglect anyone here:
Randy Goldenberg, Senior
(and Founding) Pastor at Frederick Christian Fellowship Church in Frederick, Maryland. If anyone were a greater inspiration for a
Christian to train and grow in Apologetics, I have yet to meet them. Randy continues to deliver a convicting
message and regularly submits himself to the torture of adult learners with thousands
of questions that he patiently answers.
We are truly blessed to know him! Randy has given my household a courageous thirst for knowledge of Him and our conversations are constantly leading to research and triumphs in Jesus. Randy is an incredible, humble man of God with a heart for Jesus like I have never seen. We praise God for him.
My precious and mighty
man of God: Karl (who is also my husband!)
I could not have taken this journey without you. You are so patient and always willing to
pitch in! Thank you for the laughs, the
learning, the research, the proofreading, and listening to me whine about the
tedious tasks. You are a saint!
My two angel girls:
Chelsea and Grace. You have been more
helpful than you may ever know and even though you'll probably deny it, you
were instrumental in the completion of this project. Thank you for the proofreading, the research,
the typing, and the hugs and smiles when I needed it!
My precious class and
pilot study for Lampstand: Pointing the
Way to Christ:
At the beginning of the pilot study, I told
the participants that I wanted them to challenge any and everything they found
in the text. They were not afraid to
step up!
Mary Lee Schumeyer, my
precious co-facilitator, who read and proofread every page I handed you...You
are so diligent and have such a passion for Apologetics, you truly inspire me!
Crystal Denlinger, our
wonderful and very knowledgeable archaeologist in disguise, I am so thankful
for you and the way the Lord puts us right where He wants us! He knew that I needed you and I pray you
don't run the other direction when I tell you that I have MUCH to learn from
you!
Maggie Sayre, Joanne
Phebus, Marie Reese, Jean Gonzalez, Darcy To and again, Chelsea Lovell: thank
you for challenging me and keeping me on my toes! This project has parts of you all over it!
I am so blessed to have
been encouraged by numerous people and I do not take that lightly. I am surrounded by those who cheer me on,
laugh with me, cry with me, and encourage me when I'm wallowing in the
mire. Thank you for keeping me focused,
Connie Barker, Rachel Ketterlinus, Mary Lee Heller, Tracey Egbert, and all my
precious Sisters and Brothers in Christ who have seriously stood in the gap for
me when I needed it! I love you guys!
Wisdom’s Invitation
Proverbs 9:1-12
Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food; she has
mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the
city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in
here!”
To him who lacks understanding she
says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 “Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 He who corrects a scoffer gets
dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets
insults for himself.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will
hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love
you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man
and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will
increase his learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is
understanding.
11 For by me your days will be
multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for
yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear
it.
Stepping
Out of the Boat
I’m a
Christian, a retiree’s wife, a mother, a Servant Leader and a researcher. In November of 2016, I will mark 13 years as
a student, having completed my Bachelor’s, my Master’s, and finally, my
Doctorate. Mama calls me her “lifelong
student” and although I laugh, I now agree with her. I never want to stop learning, especially
about this subject!
I was
baptized in the Baptist church when I was just a kid in Bartlett, Texas, mainly
because I wanted to go “full immersion” just like all the other kids (and
because my big sister, Christy, was doing it and of course I had to keep up
with her!)
So I got
baptized and asked Jesus into my heart, but I didn’t mean it because I had no
idea what “it” meant! I didn’t know that
I was acting like those who actually become Christians, but never knew what
that entailed. Some of the negative
aspects of my childhood made it easy to avoid fully comprehending what
forgiveness really was, what it felt like to receive it and in turn, give it.
All at
once, I had to make a decision. I needed
to either concede to the “proof” for the theory of evolution or I needed to
find answers that would help me to sleep at night. As I considered the many reasons that others
point to when discrediting the Bible, I could feel a sense of panic and my
heart began to weaken at the thought.
How could I know Him, yet doubt Him, at the same time? I was not a Christian. I was a believer, but I had doubts because of
the weight of the “proof.” While working
on my Doctorate in a secular university, I remember other Doctoral students
making the comment (in various forms): “As a person advances in education, they
soon come to realize there is no God.” I
knew the first residency was going to be uncomfortable.
I
walked in and lo and behold, both professors held multiple Doctorates in
Divinity, Theology, Religious Studies, etc.
I was immediately put at ease! I
felt so comfortable around the two of them, that during a break I worked up the
nerve to tell them what the self-proclaimed atheists were saying to me over the
last few years while I was studying with other Doctoral students. Their reply made my heart soar like an
eagle! (One stated it, the other
immediately agreed): “I have found precisely the opposite to be true.”
I’m
pretty sure my feet never touched the ground, during the entire residency. But I also realized that I didn’t have to
wait on “experts” to tell me anything about prophecy (that which has already
come to pass and that which has not yet been fulfilled). I knew from that day forward that I needed to
be the “expert.” I have a very long way
to go to even be considered an amateur, but I’ve spent the last 4+ years
focusing 100% of my time in the Bible, doing research, reading secular and
historical sources, taking notes, taking classes, writing notes on everything,
and teaching others to become seekers of Truth.
In
this study, I provide you with data I have compiled that I have rewritten a
multitude of scribblings from my notebooks, my tablet, (even napkins!) and
virtually anything that would hold still long enough for me to scribble down
Truth. Here, in this book, I have
attempted to share with you many of the beautiful “aha!” moments that I’ve
experienced over the last several years.
I ask this of you: Please don’t “assume” that what you were taught in
science class was truth, but keep an open mind because this study is different.
We’re going to tackle the questions that you’re afraid to ask, perhaps for
fear other “Christians” will judge you.
Those answers will come for you.
He wrote those answers and wants you to have them. In this study, not only will you gain some
powerful insight and become prepared to give a defense for the hope that is
within you, but together, we are going to shake your faith to the core, until
the Truth sets you free!
Have you read what four things Paul prays for
us? Ephesians 1:14-19 (written 60-62 A.D.) “For this reason, I bow my
knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in Heaven and on earth
derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, (1) to be
strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; 17so (2) that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith; and (3) that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able
to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and
depth, 19and (4) to
know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to
all the fullness of God.”
Also, 1 Peter 3:15 (written 64 A.D.) reminds us to…
“sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make
a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in
you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
I have been asked by
several people, nonbelievers, believers, and even followers of Christ, what apologetics is and what we are ‘apologizing’
for. You may be wondering the same
thing. Apologetics comes “from the Greek
word apologia, originally used” as “a
speech of” (Inya, 2012) defense and is typically
defined as the defense of the Christian faith.
The word apologia appears 17 times in noun or verb form in the New
Testament (NT), and can be translated "defense" or
"vindication" in every case (Boa, 2007). The Bible makes reference to the idea of
defending the faith in Philippians 1:7 &16 (written 61-62A.D.); and
especially in 1 Peter 3:15 (written 64 A.D.), but no specific theory of
apologetics is outlined in the NT” (Boa, 2007).
An apologist is a person who defends a specific theological discipline. Christian apologists develop their defense of
the Christian faith in matters relating to science, history, philosophy, ethics,
religion, theology, or cultural issues.
Science has proven the Bible to be accurate and historical repeatedly.
According to leading apologists and authors, apologetics serves four functions
including: vindication or proof, defense, refutation of opposing beliefs, and
persuasion.
What is Apologetics?
by Kenneth D. Boa
Apologetics
may be simply defined as the defense of the Christian faith. The simplicity of this definition, however,
masks the complexity of the problem of defining apologetics. It turns out that a diversity of approaches
has been taken in defining the meaning, scope, and purpose of apologetics.
The
word "apologetics" derives from the Greek word apologia, which was originally used as a speech of defense. In ancient Athens it referred to a defense
made in the courtroom as part of the normal judicial procedure. After the accusation, the defendant was
allowed to refute the charges with a defense (apologia). The classic example of an apologia was Socrates's
defense against the charge of preaching strange gods, a defense retold by his
most famous pupil, Plato, in a dialogue called The Apology.
The
word apologia appears 17 times in noun or verb form in the New Testament (NT),
and can be translated "defense" or "vindication" in every
case. The idea of offering a reasoned
defense of the faith is evident in Philippians 1:7, 16; and especially 1 Peter
3:15, but no specific theory of apologetics is outlined in the NT.
In
the second century this general word for "defense" began taking on a
narrower sense to refer to a group of writers who defended the beliefs and
practices of Christianity against various attacks. These men were known as the apologists because of the titles of some
of their treatises, but apparently not until 1794 was apologetics used to
designate a specific theological discipline.
It
has become customary to use the term apology to refer to a specific effort or
work in defense of the faith. An apology
might be a written document, a speech, or even a film. Apologists develop their defenses of the
Christian faith in relation to scientific, historical, philosophical, ethical,
religious, theological, or cultural issues.
We
may distinguish four functions of apologetics, though not everyone agrees that
apologetics involves all four. Such
opinions notwithstanding, all four functions have historically been important
in apologetics, and each has been championed by great Christian apologists
throughout church history.
The
first function may be called vindication or proof, and involves
marshaling philosophical arguments as well as scientific and historical
evidences for the Christian faith. The
goal of this function is to develop a positive case for Christianity as a
belief system that should be accepted.
Philosophically, this means drawing out the logical implications of the
Christian worldview so that they can be clearly seen and contrasted with
alternate worldviews.
The
second function is defense. This
function is closest to the NT and early Christian use of the word apologia,
defending Christianity against the plethora of attacks made against it in every
generation by critics of varying belief systems. This function involves clarifying the
Christian position in light of misunderstandings and misrepresentations;
answering objections, criticisms, or questions from non-Christians; and in
general clearing away any intellectual difficulties that nonbelievers claim
stand in the way of their coming to faith.
The
third function is refutation of opposing beliefs. This function focuses on answering the
arguments non-Christians give in support of their own beliefs. Most apologists agree that refutation cannot
stand alone, since proving a non-Christian religion or philosophy to be false
does not prove that Christianity is true.
Nevertheless, it is an essential function of apologetics.
The
fourth function is persuasion. By
this we do not mean merely convincing people that Christianity is true, but
persuading them to apply its truth to their life. This function focuses on bringing non-Christians
to the point of commitment. The apologist's
intent is not merely to win an intellectual argument, but to persuade people to
commit their lives and eternal futures into the trust of the Son of God who
died for them.
How
Apologetics Changed my Life
by Lee Strobel
Skepticism is part of my DNA. That’s probably why I ended up combining the
study of law and journalism to become the legal editor of The Chicago Tribune-a
career in which I relentlessly pursued hard facts in my investigations. And that’s undoubtedly why I was later attracted
to a thorough examination of the Christian faith.
A
spiritual cynic, I became an atheist in high school. To me the mere concept of an all-loving,
all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe was so absurd on the surface
that it didn’t even warrant serious consideration. I believed that God didn’t create people, but
that people created God out of their fear of death and their desire to live
forever in a utopia they called heaven.
I
married an agnostic named Leslie.
Several years later she came to me with the worst news I thought I could
ever get: She had decided to become a follower of Jesus. My initial thought was that she was going to
turn into an irrational holy roller who would waste all of her time serving the
poor in a soup kitchen somewhere.
Divorce, I figured, was inevitable.
Then
something amazing occurred. During the
ensuing months, I began to see positive changes in her character, her values,
and the way she related to me and to the children. The transformation was winsome and
attractive. So one day when she invited
me to go to church with her, I decided to comply.
The
pastor gave a talk called “Basic Christianity” in which he clearly spelled out
the essentials of the faith. Did he
shake me out of my atheism that day? No,
not by a long shot. Still, I concluded
that if what he was saying was true, it would have huge implications in my
life.
That’s
when I decided to apply my experience as a journalist to investigating whether
there is any credibility to Christianity or any other faith system. I resolved to keep an open mind and follow
the wherever it pointed-even if it took me to some uncomfortable
conclusions. In a sense, I was checking
out the story of my career.
At
first, I thought my investigation would be short-lived. In my opinion, having “the faith” meant you
believe something even though you knew in your heart that it couldn’t be
true. I anticipated that I would very
quickly uncover facts that would devastate Christianity. Yet as I devoured books by atheists and
Christians, interviewed scientists and theologians, and studied archaeology,
ancient history, and world religions, I was stunned to find that Christianity’s
factual foundation was a lot firmer than I had once believed.
Much of
my investigation focused on science, where most recent discoveries have only
further cemented the conclusions that I drew in those studies. For instance, cosmologists now agree that the
universe and time itself came into existence at some point in the finite
past. The logic is inexorable: Whatever
begins to exist as a cause, the universe began to exist, and therefore the
universe has a cause. It makes sense
that this cause must be immaterial, timeless, powerful, and intelligent. What’s more, physicists have discovered over
the last 50 years that many of the laws and constants of the universe-such is
the force of gravity and the cosmological constant-are finely tuned to an
incomprehensible precision in order for life to exist. This exactitude is so incredible that defies
the explanation of mere chance.
The
existence of biological information in DNA also points toward a Creator. Each of our cells contain the precise
assembly instructions for every protein out of which our bodies are made, all
spelled out in a four letter chemical alphabet.
Nature can produce patterns, but whenever we see information – whether
it’s in a book or a computer program – we know there’s intelligence behind
it. Furthermore, scientists are finding
complex biological machines on the cellular level that defy a Darwinian
explanation and instead are better explained as the work of an Intelligent
Designer.
To my
great astonishment, I became convinced by
the evidence that science supports the belief in a Creator who looks
suspiciously like the God of the Bible.
Spurred on by my discoveries, I then turned my attention to history.
I found
that Jesus, and Jesus alone, fulfilled ancient messianic prophecies against all
mathematical odds. I concluded that the
New Testament is rooted in eyewitness testimony and that it passes the tests
that historians routinely used to determine reliability. I learned that the Bible has been passed down
through the ages with remarkable fidelity.
However,
the pivotal issue for me was the resurrection of Jesus. Anyone can claim to be the son of God, and
Jesus clearly did. The question was
whether Jesus could back up that assertion by miraculously returning from the
dead.
And one
by one, the facts built a convincing and compelling case. Jesus’ death by crucifixion is as certain as
anything in the ancient world. The
accounts of His resurrection are too early to be the product of legendary
development. Even the enemies of Jesus
conceded that His tomb was empty on Easter morning. And the eyewitness encounters with the risen
Jesus cannot be explained away as mere hallucinations or wishful thinking.
All of
this just scratches the surface of what I uncovered in my nearly two-year
investigation. Frankly, I was completely
surprised by the depth and breadth of the case for Christianity. And as someone trained in journalism and law,
I felt I had no choice but to respond to the facts.
So, on
November 8, 1981, I took a step of faith in the same direction that the
evidence was pointing- which is utterly rational to do-and became a follower of
Jesus. And just like the experience of
my wife, over time my character, values, and priorities began to change-for the
good.
For me,
apologetics proved to be the turning point of my life and eternity. I’m thankful for the scholars who so
passionately and effectively defend the truth of Christianity-and today my
life’s goal is to do my part in helping others get answers to the questions
that are blocking them in their spiritual journey toward Christ.
Why Study?
I have heard this common
argument: “I go to church, Bible study, Sunday school, fellowship groups, and
live uprightly…Why would I need to investigate the Truth any further? I’m fortunate, I can trust my pastor!” I can give you two very compelling reasons
(among many). First, God preserved the
Holy Bible for us, as an instruction manual for living our lives. It is a love letter that speaks to our souls,
comforts us when we are in pain, and it is a tangible representation of the
blessed hope of what is to come. Why
wouldn’t we study the instructions for our purpose, so that we may fulfill that
purpose? Second, I believe that each
Scripture in the Bible can mean something different to you each time you read
it, depending on the “season” of life you are in. Also, I believe the very personal way that
God speaks to us in Scripture is indeed VERY personal [and intimate] so when
another person reads the Scriptures, it can instruct them in one way and it may
instruct you in another. When you are
out of that “season,” that same Scripture may mean something entirely different
to you.
Because of these
reasons, I believe it’s important that we read, reflect, research, and apply
every word He’s given us. It’s very easy
to fall into the trap of trusting someone’s perception of the Scriptures simply
because they’re charismatic; they “tickle your ears” (2 Timothy 4:3 (written 63 A.D.)) with the things you’d want to
hear; or they promise fortunes that may never come while you are still on this
side of Glory! Be wary of those who
would have you believe that becoming a Christian leads to riches! We yearn for beautiful things and surround
ourselves with luxurious things because He has instilled in us a desire for the
kind of Home that only He offers. You
may notice that once you’ve acquired “stuff,” you simply want more stuff…a
bigger house, an expensive car, more jewels, more clothes, etc. That is because our desire for those things
will only be quenched when we are Home.
Prosperity preachers may encourage you to “use” God, but we know the truth
of biblical Christianity is just the opposite—God uses the follower of Christ.
Paul warned Timothy in 1
Timothy 6:5 (written 62-66 A.D.) about these depraved minds… “and constant friction
between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that
godliness is a means of gain.”
And again in 1 Timothy
9-11 (written 62-66A.D.) “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare
and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and
destruction. 10 For the love of money is
a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from
the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of
God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and
gentleness.”
The pursuit of wealth is
a dangerous path for followers of Christ and one which God warns about (see verse
10 above). If riches were a reasonable
goal for the godly, Jesus would have pursued it. But He did not, preferring instead to have “no place to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20, (written
40-45A.D.)) and teaching His disciples to do the same. It should also be remembered that the only
disciple concerned with wealth was Judas.
A “prosperity preacher”
is one who claims to be a follower of Christ, but his or her teaching is focused
on happiness and prosperity while still living in this realm. Perhaps subtle for a while, but later you may
notice there is much talk about money, living an easy life, and complete
happiness. Prosperity preachers
typically make a fortune saying the things that people want to hear. But remember when Jesus became angry at the
men who were using the house of the Lord to make money? Check out Luke 19:45-46 (written 58-65 A.D.). There is no difference today! Prosperity preachers often use the church’s
money to buy large homes, expensive cars and clothes all at the expense of the
millions of people who are not living lavishly, but have been promised fortunes
and have far less money than the preacher (HePrayed.com, 1999).
Any time you are
wondering what the right way is to follow Him, go straight back to His word and
strive to follow His example. Consider
that Jesus did not even carry a penny on Him based on what we read in Matthew 22:19
(written 40-45A.D.) when He said “Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a
denarius. He had no place to live. “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’” (Luke 9:58 (written 58-65A.D.)). Expensive clothing? Nope. According
to Isaiah 53:2 (written 740-680 B.C.), Jesus’ physical appearance was not such
that people were attracted to Him.
Now consider this
contrasting practice: Some preachers are so focused on money and increasing the
number of people attending the church service, they completely lose focus on
developing the spiritual maturity of the congregation. They want to include everyone. They want everyone to feel welcome in their
church, so they will say just about anything and everything to make people feel
good, meaning they might return. Not
even Jesus did this. C.S. Lewis reminds
us that according to Scriptures, “He produced mainly three results: Hatred,
Terror, and Adoration.” “Jesus’ word is
a sword. It cut people into two groups -
those for Him, and those against Him.
Those who love Him and those who do not.
The sons of God, the children of the devil” (HePrayed.com,
1999).
Prosperity preachers
fail to recognize that even an atheist can listen to the prosperity gospel and
feel good. They may even wish to unite
the world no matter who believes what.
Their focus is peace and happiness instead of God's honor. They will sometimes promise blessing if you
give to their ministry (emphasizing the word “their”). Try to find one instance in scripture where
our Lord asked for money. You cannot do
it! Jesus never asked for money… not
even one time (HePrayed.com, 1999). He taught us contentment, in every
situation. Also, Jesus was doing as the Scripture
commands: “And of some have
compassion, making a difference. And
others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment
spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23 (written 70-80A.D.)). Prosperity preachers only follow the
"compassion" part of that passage, for they are too fearful or
careless to rebuke. They believe in the
love of God, but not the fear of God. If you care to read further, there is quite
a bit of information on the characteristics of prosperity preachers.
by Bayard Taylor
A worldview is how you look at the world. Different worldviews view the world in
different ways. You can think of a
worldview as a mental map that shapes how we understand and experience the
world. Another definition might be
“shared assumptions about what is real, true, and good.” Worldviews seek to answer the big questions
in life, such as “Who am I?” or “Where did I come from?” Worldviews also set what is acceptable and
unacceptable thinking and behavior.
Worldviews cover
a lot of the same ground as religions.
However, the term worldview is useful because everybody has a worldview,
whether or not he or she claims to be religious. His or her worldview serves like a religion
for him/her. This is a key insight, for
it shows that all humans filter the world through their particular perspective. Everyone is biased, so to speak. No human sees the entire big picture of the
world exactly as it is. Only God can do
that.
Here are some other things all worldviews have in common:
Even though people may not have a well-thought-out worldview, and
even though they may not be able to speak clearly about it, they still live by
one.
All worldviews are based upon bottom-line assumptions that are not
supposed to be challenged.
All worldviews compete for allegiance; they claim that their way
of looking at the world is best or the only true path.
All worldviews, therefore, are at least somewhat narrow-minded,
even those that claim to be the most open-minded.
All worldviews have very strict rules that must never be broken.
Understanding how worldviews work levels the playing fields for
Christian in a culture that often seems biased against them. It also helps you see how some assumptions
that people make are false, such as Christians are narrow-minded (response: All
worldviews force some narrowing of the mind); or, everything is relative (responses:
Is even this statement relative? Or,
should we never break the rule of relativism, even when confronted by
atrocities such as state-sponsored genocide in Darfur?)
By learning how worldviews work, you are equipped to understand
the assumptions and rules that others play by.
You have more empathy for them, but you also have greater appreciation
for the solid truths of the biblical worldview.
And what is so great about the biblical worldview? Paganism holds that many gods and spirits
exist, all competing with one another and typically harming humans. Naturalism says the physical, material world
is all that exists. Pantheism holds that
the world itself is divine. Syncretism
blends together many different worldviews and ignores their fundamental
contradictions. The biblical worldview,
on the other hand, teaches (1) that we humans are not left to figure this stuff
out on our own, for God reveals Himself to us, expressly through Jesus; (2)
that we have innate value and dignity because no matter our race, gender, or
ethnic background, we’re created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27; 9:6);
and (3) God loves us and proved it by sending His Son to die for us.
Never again will you
have to wonder (or ask) “Which translation is best?” The question is unanswerable. However, several translations can be valuable
when doing a precept study or to gain consensus from a range of Biblical
scholars on the meaning of a particular verse.
Below is a continuum that is commonly used to determine which
translation to buy, based on your preferences between “word-for-word” and
“thought-for-thought” (or meaning-for-meaning).
That being said, keep in mind a few key points: popularity does not
dictate accuracy, mistranslations have become quite common, and you should do
your research before selecting the translations you will use.
Figure 1 Bible Translation Continuum
The Interlinear Bible is
a valuable resource, although it can sometimes be difficult to arrange the
thoughts in each verse (See below); for this reason, the NASB may be easiest to
read for the sake of comprehension.
Figure 2 An excerpt from the Interlinear Bible, the above
contains Hebrew, Greek, and English text.
NOTE: Although this is Genesis 1:1-2, the
John 1:1-5 hyperlink was included for reference.
by Chris Sherrod
There
are two main views among Christians. Old
earth creationists (OEC), also known as progressive creationists, believe God
created the universe and all life forms in stages separated by long periods of
time. They believe the geologic record
accurately portrays a very long earth history.
Young earth creationists (YEC) believe the universe and all life forms
were created in six successive 24-hour days, meaning earth is only thousands of
years old. Major arguments for each view
include the following:
OEC
·
Speed of light measurements and the distance
of stars indicate an ancient universe.
·
The Hebrew word yom (day) does not always
mean a literal day (e.g, Genesis 2:4).
·
Genesis 1:12 says the land produced
vegetation on Day Three, indicating growth from seed to maturity. That takes longer than 24 hours.
·
There is too much activity on day 6 to fit 24
hours. (See Genesis 1:24-31; 2:15-25).
·
Many animals are specifically designed to
prey upon other animals. This indicates
that by God’s design, animal death preceded the fall of Adam and Eve.
·
The sun was created on day 4; thus Days 1-3
could not have been 24-hour solar days.
·
The testimony of nature powerfully indicates
an ancient creation.
YEC
·
The usual meaning of yom is a literal,
24-hour day. (See Genesis 1:5 and 1:8)
·
“Evening came, and then morning, “seems to
indicate a literal day (Genesis 1:5; 1:8, etc.).
·
Sabbath rest (Exodus 20:11) seems to imply
six literal days of work during Creation week.
·
The sun was not created until Day 4, but
there was life on Day 3 (Genesis 1:11-13).
Life cannot exist for long periods without sunlight, and so the days
were not long ages.
·
Plants were created on Day 3 and animals on
Day 5. The interdependence between
plants and animals implies that their creation was not separated by long ages.
·
If death is an enemy (1Corinthians 15:54),
was God’s original paradise free from killing, or was it filled with violence,
decay, and death? Man was not permitted
to eat animals until after the flood (Genesis 9:2-3).
·
If decay and death were originally part of
creation, why is creation looking forward to liberation from bondage to decay
(Romans 8:20-22)?
Despite
these differences, Christians in both groups are committed to God’s
supernatural creation of all things.
Similarly, both are committed to the inspiration and authority of the
Bible. Also, it is important to note
that even if earth is millions of years old, this still is not enough time for
life to arise naturally and then evolve into the complex species we have today.
Though Christians sometimes passionately
disagree about the age of earth, we should not break fellowship about issues of
peripheral importance (Romans 14:1).
Both parties can work together, support common ground (such as
Intelligent Design), and work “side by side for the faith of the gospel”
(Philippians 1:27). We can have friendly
“in-house” debates, graciously discussing our viewpoints in a spirit of love
while standing united against the world’s deceitful philosophies (Colossians
2:8).
Reliability of the
Manuscripts
Hold
it Right There! We simply cannot go one
step further until we have a basic understanding of the reliability of the
manuscripts. You see, a large majority
of apologetics is the discussion of the extensive prophecy that is in Scripture. But how can we be in awe of the overwhelming
evidence in prophecy if we do not understand how well preserved the original
text is?
Skeptics
may argue “The Bible has been copied over and over and over again” or “There
are so many errors in the copies, how can we trust the Bible now?” or “The
Bible contradicts itself repeatedly. Is
that what God inspired?” or “The Bible is outdated and has no impact on our
world today.” Perhaps you have asked
these same questions or you were unable to respond to these challenges in the
past. Well, no more!
*Throughout
the rest of this text, you will find research information. But most of all, there are various topics,
followed by prophetic Scripture and then a brief explanation of the “discovery”
by science and other information. While
I did not include a discussion for each piece of prophecy, the information
largely speaks for itself.
Masoretic Text Manuscripts
(McDowell)
Of course after all
these years, the original writings have crumbled, but they were carefully
copied by hand, and then the copies were copied. Our modern day Bible is based on those
copies. It is quite difficult to compare
the Masoretic Text Manuscripts with each other and with the manuscripts that
serve as the basis for Bible translations today, they are virtually identical! Although
the printing press didn’t come along until the mid-15th Century,
Jewish scribal tradition was utterly meticulous in copying the Scriptures. Let’s attempt to gain a sense of the
techniques employed by Masoretic scribes as they carefully copied Holy Writ.
Ever Heard of the Masoretes?
The goal of the Masoretes was to guard and preserve the text of the
Bible, which had been handed down from generation to generation. To achieve
this goal, the Masoretes worked in several parallel directions, and in the end
they were highly successful. The Masoretes worked to determine the text of the
Bible. They stated the proper way of writing and reading the Bible, and in
passages where they found differences between texts and ways of reading, they
issued a decision and ruled as to which opinion was correct. These decisions related
not only to verses and words, but to every single letter (The Masoretes, 1999).
They knew it would be
easy to make a mistake in copying a new transcript, so they developed elaborate
and meticulous rules for transcribing:
·
When a person was making
a new text, he had to copy the original page with such exactness that the number of words on a page could not be
changed.
·
If the original page had
314 words, then the page being copied had to have the same 314 words.
·
Each line on a new page
had to be the exact same as the line on the old page. If the first line on the original page had
nine words, the first line on the copy page had to have nine words.
·
After the page was
copied, the number of letters on
that page was counted and compared with the original.
·
After a page was copied,
someone would check to see what the middle letter was on the copy and the
original.
·
A synagogue roll must be
written on the skins of clean animals, the length of each column must not
extend less than 48 or more than 80 lines, the breadth must consist of 30
letters.
·
No word or letter, not
even a yod (the tenth and smallest
letter of the Hebrew alphabet) must be written from memory; between every
consonant the space of a hair or thread must intervene, between every book,
three lines.
·
The scribes were not
allowed to copy sentence for sentence or even word for word. They had to copy letter for letter.
·
After a page was copied
and checked by another, still a third person would check to see what the middle
word was on the page.
·
Then, when the entire
book was finished, another would count
the phrases. This process was so
accurate they could pinpoint the exact middle of a book simply by letter count
and would check the verse at that point as one of the methods for
confirmation. If a single error was found, the entire manuscript was destroyed to
ensure that it could never be used as a master copy in the future.
One reverent Rabbi warned a scribe, “Take heed how you do your
work, for your work is the work of Heaven, lest you drop or add a letter of the
manuscript, and so become a destroyer of the world.
These are just a few
examples of the great detail that went into ensuring the accuracy of the
Scriptures. To illustrate just how
accurate the scribes were, they counted and knew, for example, that there were
exactly 78,064 letters within Genesis! When comparing Yemenite copies of the Torah
with Masoretic copies from Eastern Europe, a discrepancy of only 9 letters was
found. Keep in mind that was not just in Genesis, but the entire
Torah, (also known as the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old
Testament).
Cleanliness is next to G-dliness!
Devout
Jews refuse to even write the word, “God” thinking it is too casual for someone
so sacred and significant. Instead, they
will cite him as “G-d”. In Biblical
days, Scribes, who made copies of Scriptures prior to the printing press, were
required to use a fresh quill each time that they began writing the name of
God. They also took a ceremonial bath
prior to the first stroke. At the
conclusion of each stroke of the quill that was required to write the name of
God, they would repeat the bathing and take a new quill. It served as a constant reminder of the
majesty and authority of the One whose words they were copying (Burrell,
2009).
Below you’ll
find a table comparing various historical texts to the New Testament, in regard
to the original writing, the date the first copy was made, the number of copies
that are available to verify the accuracy of the copy and the percentage at
which they are accurate. In many cases,
there are not enough copies to determine how accurate the text was copied.
But why Discuss the Reliability of
the Bible?
We discuss the reliability of the
Bible because it is the foundation of our belief. We believe the stories in the Bible because
we believe the Bible to be historically accurate. If you’ve ever been asked a question about
the Bible and replied, “Because the Bible says so”, then that is a logical fallacy called
circular reasoning. You are using the
Bible to prove the Bible.
It
is better to say, “I believe in the archaeological and historical evidence for
the reliability of the Bible. Because I
find the Bible to be reliable, then I believe it to be true.” What are some of the archaeological
evidences? To name a few in the New
Testament, we have the Pilate Stone and Gallio or
Delphi inscription, Caiaphas Ossuary -a box used to bury the bones of Caiaphas,
the Pool of Siloam, Pool of Bethesda, and inscriptions documenting Lysanius as
the tetrarch of Abilene at the time John the Baptist began his ministry-all of
these were thought to be fictional at first, which is the reason why I think
that the majority of scholars believe in a historical Jesus. There is just too much that corroborates the stories
in the Bible. To name a few pieces of
evidence for the Old Testament (OT), we have:
The
Taylor Prism
Cyrus
Cylinder
Black
Obelisk of Shalmaneser
Epic
of Gilgamesh
Moabite
Stone
Tel
Dan Stele
Ancient
city of Ur
Also, we
have historical evidence such as the New Testament manuscripts and
extra-Biblical writings that are from Roman or Roman Empire Sources:
Suetonius, Claudias 25.4. De Vita Caesarum
Life of Nero 16.2
Tacitus, Annals xv.44.
Pliny the Younger, Epistles x.96-97.
Julius Africanus on Thallus
Lucian of Samasota, The Passing of Peregrinus.
Source from a Syrian Philosopher:
Mara bar Sarapion.
Josephus, Antiquities 18.116-19
Josephus, Antiquities 20.200
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 1.1.7-8
Eusebius, Demonstration of the Gospel 3.5.105-06
Origen, Against Celsus 1.47
Origen, Commentary on Matthew 10.17.
Rabbinic Sources and Evidence of Debate with the Church Fathers
b Sanh 43a and 107b
b ‘Abodah Zerah 27b, 16b-17a
Tosefta, Shehitat Hullin
‘Abodah Zerah 16b-17a
‘Abodah Zerah 27b
Justin, Dialogue 69:7
Justin, First Apology 30
Justin, Dialogue 108
Origen, Contra Celsum 1:68.
Justin’s Dialogue 69:7
Life of Nero 16.2
Tacitus, Annals xv.44.
Pliny the Younger, Epistles x.96-97.
Julius Africanus on Thallus
Lucian of Samasota, The Passing of Peregrinus.
Source from a Syrian Philosopher:
Mara bar Sarapion.
Josephus, Antiquities 18.116-19
Josephus, Antiquities 20.200
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 1.1.7-8
Eusebius, Demonstration of the Gospel 3.5.105-06
Origen, Against Celsus 1.47
Origen, Commentary on Matthew 10.17.
Rabbinic Sources and Evidence of Debate with the Church Fathers
b Sanh 43a and 107b
b ‘Abodah Zerah 27b, 16b-17a
Tosefta, Shehitat Hullin
‘Abodah Zerah 16b-17a
‘Abodah Zerah 27b
Justin, Dialogue 69:7
Justin, First Apology 30
Justin, Dialogue 108
Origen, Contra Celsum 1:68.
Justin’s Dialogue 69:7
"Christianity
is a historical religion. It claims that
God has taken the risk of involving Himself in human history, and the facts are
there for you to examine with the utmost rigor.
They will stand any amount of critical investigation...” (Green, 1968).
When
we establish that the Gospels are reliable, what is contained in them, such as
the references to the OT lead us to believe that the people in the NT also
believed the OT to be true.
So, what does it mean for a text to be reliable? I think people confuse this issue with
inerrancy, which is the belief that the original manuscripts are without error. We infer that the original autographs are
inerrant based upon our belief that Jesus is God. Are we talking about 100%
accuracy? Robert Stewart, Associate
Professor of Philosophy and Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary and editor of many theological books, says “Not unless we are prepared to
consider virtually every extant Greco-Roman document unreliable and cease
talking about what notable ancient authors, religious and secular, taught...I
suggest that we think of textual reliability in terms of probability, or failing that, plausibility. We simply cannot have certainty about
historical texts whose originals are not available. But we can have confidence that the wording
of contemporary critical NT texts reflects what the autograph most likely said,
given the available evidence...we can be confident beyond a reasonable
doubt that this reading is most likely the original".
From
the same book mentioned earlier, two arguments can be given over the
reliability of the gospels:
John W. Burgon argues:
1. If God inspired the NT autographs, then he would also prevent them from being seriously corrupted.
2. God inspired the NT autographs.
3. Therefore, God has also providentially prevented the NT manuscripts from being seriously corrupted.
Agnostic Bart Ehrman argues:
1. If God inspired the NT autographs, then he would also prevent them from being seriously corrupted.
2. NT manuscripts show numerous signs of corruption.
3. Therefore, God did not inspire the NT autographs.
1. If God inspired the NT autographs, then he would also prevent them from being seriously corrupted.
2. God inspired the NT autographs.
3. Therefore, God has also providentially prevented the NT manuscripts from being seriously corrupted.
Agnostic Bart Ehrman argues:
1. If God inspired the NT autographs, then he would also prevent them from being seriously corrupted.
2. NT manuscripts show numerous signs of corruption.
3. Therefore, God did not inspire the NT autographs.
Christians
believe that if God inspired the NT autographs, then he would have also
prevented them from being ‘seriously
corrupted’. There are a couple of
definitions of the word ‘corrupt’:
1 a: to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions; also: bribe b: to degrade with unsound principles or moral values
2 : rot, spoil
3 : to subject (a person) to corruption of blood
4 : to alter from the original or correct form or version <e.g. the file was corrupted>
In
Bart Ehrman’s first premise he uses the words ‘seriously corrupted’, but in the
second premise he only uses the word ‘corrupted’, so his premise 2 does not
follow from premise 1. (This is a common
fallacy that you will learn to identify in this study.) Scholars agree that there
was some alteration from the original NT autographs, whether intentional or
non-intended, so, definition #4 can be used on the NT manuscripts. There were some changes, but skeptics believe
that any sign of change, whether intentional or non-intentional, makes the
whole unreliable. But is this
reasonable? As we saw in the opening
statement, it is not reasonable or we would have to discount almost every
extant Greco-Roman document. Another
reason to refuse to accept that their argument is that if God (who is perfect),
used man (who is imperfect) to transcribe and copy the Bible, then we would
expect to see some errors in the transcription, and so Christians can claim
that the scriptures are not ‘seriously corrupted’.
What are these errors? Before we go on, we shouldn’t call them
‘errors’ since some changes could be made when translating from one language to
another, and those aren’t errors, so we should instead call them ‘variants’. A popular claim made by skeptics is that there
are more textual variants in the New Testament manuscripts (about
300,000-400,000) than there are words in the whole New Testament, which is
fewer than 140,000. The reason why there
are so many variants is because we have so many manuscript copies – around
6,000.
So, add up and average all the
variants across all of those manuscripts and you will get fewer than 100
variants per manuscript. The reason that
we know there are variants is because we have so many texts to compare them to,
so we most likely know what the original
manuscripts say.
How
about Legendary Material Being Added to it?
There are some skeptics who protest
and say that Jesus was neither Lord, Liar, or Lunatic, but a Legend. I had one atheist who deconverted from
Christianity tell me that the Gospels were not trustworthy because they were
written 60 years after Jesus’ death, and to him, the magic number of 50 is
acceptable for copies to be trustworthy.
Now, we have good reason to believe that the Gospels were written within
7 years after Jesus died, but even if they were written 60 years after Christ’s
death 1) The time-frame is within the lifespan of the eyewitnesses
2) When compared to other texts such as the biographies of Alexander the Great
written more than 400 years after his death and that legendary material only
surfaced 500 years afterwards, and still considered trustworthy,
there is a double standard when it comes to the Bible.
The
Bible as a History Book
No
historic fact in the Bible ever has been shown to be in error. The Bible text has been used time and again
by archaeologists to locate long-lost sites of cities and towns mentioned in
the Bible by geographical references made to them. One archaeological discovery, the Ebla site,
contained rich archives of clay tablets, an ancient "library" if you
will. In these tablets were references
to ancient Biblical characters (i.e., Abraham) and sites (i.e., Sodom and
Gomorrah).
The
ancient city of Babylon of the famous king Nebuchadnezzar yielded 2500-year-old
cuneiform tablets (now located in the British Museum) that contained the name
of Jehoichin King of Judah who, along with the inhabitants of Judah, was
deported to Babylon as a prisoner after the conquest of Judah by
Nebuchadnezzar. The tablets dated and
described the conquest itself. This
discovery substantiates the story recorded in the Bible in 2 Kings, chapter
24. Any historical statement made in the
Bible that has archeological, geographical, or scientific references that have
come to surface has been verified by the physical evidences provided by
discoveries in these different areas.
Of the hundreds of thousands of
textual variants in NT manuscripts, the great majority are spelling differences
that have no bearing on the meaning of the text. Several of the spelling differences are
nonsense readings (Kostenberger & Kruger, 2010) (e.g. some
manuscripts say "We were gentle among you" and others say "We
were little children among you.")
After spelling differences, the next
largest category of variants are those that involve synonyms or do not affect
translation (e.g. "The Mary" is sometimes just
"Mary"). Another common
variant is when words in Greek are transposed (e.g. a three-word sentence can
be expressed by hundreds of Greek constructions).
The third largest category (of
variants) involves wording that is meaningful but not viable ("The Gospel
of Christ" vs "The Gospel of God").
The final, and by far the smallest,
category of textual variants involves those that are both meaningful and
viable. **Less than 1% of all textual
variants belong to this group...It may not be terribly significant, but
if the reading impacts our understanding of the passage, then it is meaningful.
Conclusion:
1) The variants found in the
manuscripts are hardly meaningful.
2). The variants do not change any
doctrines in the Bible.
3). The reason why we can catch
variants is because we have so many manuscripts in the first place.
4) Legendary material did not have
enough time to form.
The Gospel according to Mark is the
second book of the New Testament, written around 65A.D. Most scholars regard Mark as the earliest of
the gospels and is the work of an unknown author. The Gospel of Mark tells of Jesus' ministry -
from his baptism to his death and burial and the discovery of the empty
tomb. However, there is no birth
narrative, nor any post-resurrection appearances. It portrays Jesus as a hero, an exorcist, healer
and miracle worker. Jesus keeps his identity as messiah secret,
concealing it in parables so that even the disciples failed to understand. All this is in keeping with prophecy, which
foretold the fate of the messiah as 'Suffering Servant'.
The only one of the four gospels
that is known not to be written by eyewitness is Luke (written around 70A.D.),
who is also believed to have written Acts (written approximately 64 A.D.). Luke specifically states that he has
investigated Jesus' life himself and travelled around to interview eye
witnesses. Mark is believed to have been
written around 65A.D., within 30 to 35 years of Jesus' death, so there would
have been living witnesses to his life.
Matthew and Luke were written about 5 years later. Mark seems to be an eye witness account,
whereas the other two draw on some of Mark's gospel, meaning that it was widely
circulated within the early Church.
Matthew and Luke also have a shared second source for their books
unknown to Mark, plus each had their own independent sources unknown to each
other.
When and to whom 2nd Peter was
written is not as clear as we’d prefer, but there are a few things we can
deduce:
-2nd Peter was written between 64-68
A.D. (closer to 68A.D. it appears, as his death appeared to be imminent.) Here’s why:
-Since this is the second letter by
Peter then it has to be written after 1 Peter.
-1 Peter was written after 64
A.D. It is in 64 A.D. that Peter is in
Rome (the reference to Babylon in 1 Peter seems to be a cryptic way of
referring to Rome). Thus 2 Peter has to
be written after 64 A.D.
-It also has to be written within
the lifespan of Peter. Peter was
crucified under the reign of Nero in 68 A.D.
Thus the book has to be written before 68 A.D.
-The death of Peter appears in the
book to be imminent, for instance Peter states he will soon be “deceased” (2
Peter 1:14), seems to put the writing of 2 Peter closer to 68 A.D. just before Peter is killed by Nero.
As to physical description of the
recipients, the only indication we have is found in 2 Peter 3:1 “This is now, beloved, the
second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind
by way of reminder,”
It is my contention that this refers to 1 Peter. Thus the audience in 1 Peter is the same as
the audience in 2 Peter. 1 Peter gives
the location of the audience in 1:1, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen.” (Thus
Christians in the Northern Galatia area.)
The section we will focus on,
however, is 2 Peter 3:10-18 (written 64-68 A.D.):
A New Heaven and Earth
“10 But the day of the Lord
will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the
elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will
be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what
sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for
and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will
be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are
looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved,
since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace,
spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation;
just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote
to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in
which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own
destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved,
knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by
the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day
of eternity. Amen.”
Daniel
11: The Most Detailed Prophecy in the Bible
(Treybig, 2015)
The prophecy of Daniel 11 (written
605-536 B.C.) includes amazing details about great empires, political
developments and end-time powers that would affect the Jewish people. The introduction to the prophecy of Daniel 11
is given in the preceding chapter. This
introduction is quite extensive-all of chapter 10. It begins: “In the third year of Cyrus
king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar;
and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the
message and had an understanding of the vision.”
(Daniel 10:1 (written 605-536 B.C.)).
According
to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, the third year of Cyrus was “535/534, in
all probability just a few years before Daniel’s death” (comment on Daniel
10:1). Through Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams
(Daniel 2:1) and through Daniel’s vision of four beasts, (Daniel 7), God had
already revealed that there would be four world-ruling empires followed by the
Kingdom of God.
Now God was going to reveal to
Daniel some amazing details about major world powers, beginning with the
Medo-Persian Empire and continuing through the time of the end just prior to
Christ’s second coming. The angel that
came to help Daniel understand the vision told him that its focus was on “what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision
pertains to the days yet future.” (Daniel 10:14(written 605-536 B.C.)).
What would happen to the people of
God in both Daniel’s time and in the future was of great interest to him, as by
then 42,360 Jews had returned to Jerusalem following a decree by Cyrus allowing
them to go back to their homeland (Ezra 2:64 (written 538-520 B.C.)): “The whole assembly numbered 42,360.”
Because
of the many intricate components of the prophecy in Daniel 11, some scholars
have suggested that the book of Daniel was written several hundred years later,
during the 160s B.C., after these events had already transpired. But foretelling the future is not difficult
for God. As God stated, “Remember
the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and
there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from
ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be
established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;”
(Isaiah 46:9-10 (written 740-680 B.C.)).
Since
other prophecies found in the book of Daniel, such as the 70-year prophecy of
Jeremiah, and the 70-week prophecy, (indicating the year of the appearance of
the Messiah), were fulfilled exactly as predicted, we can have confidence that
God also provided the details found in this prophecy in Daniel long before they
took place.
The
initial aspects of the prophecy of Daniel 11 have taken place precisely as God
predicted. A comparison of secular
history with the biblical record will reveal the fascinating details. Other parts, including the identity of the
end-time king of the North and the end-time king of the South are yet to be
fulfilled. These unknown portions of the
prophecy have been sealed “until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4(written 605-536 B.C.)).
An interesting point regarding this
prophecy is that it appears to have been delivered orally. Unlike the preceding dreams and visions in
the book of Daniel, which contained images that needed to be interpreted, this
vision simply gave Daniel the “words” regarding what would happen to the Jewish
people from this time forward (Daniel 10:7, 9(written 605-536 B.C.)): “7Now
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the
vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide
themselves. 9 But I heard the sound of
his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep
sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.”
The
Medo-Persian Empire to be conquered by Greece
The
prophecy of Daniel 11 begins with the prediction that “three more kings will
arise in Persia” followed by a fourth who would “arouse the whole empire against the
realm of Greece” (verse 2). Biblical resources, such as The Expositor’s Bible Commentary,
provide the historical explanations for this prophecy. Regarding this verse, Expositor’s states, “The Persian king who invaded Greece was, of
course, Xerxes, who reigned 485-464 B.C.”
Daniel
11:3-4 speaks of the appearance of “a mighty king,” whose kingdom would “be
broken up and divided toward the four winds of Heaven.” Expositor’s
explains, “Verse 3 introduces us to the next phase in world empires: the rise
of Alexander the Great. Although this
verse does not make it altogether clear that this “mighty king” would
inaugurate a new empire in place of the Persian one, verse 4 leaves us in no
doubt that he was the ruler predicted here…
Daniel 11:3-4(written 605-536 B.C.) “And a mighty king will arise, and he
will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom
will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass,
though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he
wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them.”
In
seven or eight years he accomplished the most dazzling military conquest in
human history. But he lived only four
years more; and after one of his drunken bouts, he died of a fever in 323 in
the imperial capital of Babylon. Verse 4
foretells the division of Alexander’s domains among four smaller and weaker
empires.
Following Alexander’s death, his
empire was divided among four of his generals.
These four kingdoms and their rulers were Macedonia-Greece under
Antipater and his son, Thrace-Asia Minor under Lysimachus, the rest of Asia
except lower Syria and Palestine under Seleucus Nicator, and Egypt and
Palestine under Ptolemy.
The remainder of Daniel 11:5-39 then
documents the actions of the last two of these kingdoms-Egypt to the south of
Jerusalem (the location of Daniel’s people, the Jews, Daniel 10:14) and Syria
to the north of Jerusalem. In this
section of Scripture, the rulers and their successors are referred to as the
“king of the North” and the “king of the South.”
The
king of the North versus the king of the South
Located
geographically between ambitious kingdoms to the north and south, the Jewish
people during postexilic times were often caught in the rivalries for power
between Egypt and Syria. While space
does not permit a detailed exposition of every verse in Daniel 11:5-39 (written
605-536 B.C.) and its historical
fulfillment, here are a few highlights:
Verse 5: “Then
the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will
gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great
dominion indeed.”
Expositor’s explains, “The king of the South
(verse 5) was to be Ptolemy I (Soter), son of Lagus, whose ambitions extended
far beyond the borders of Egypt (over which Alexander had placed him in charge)
to Palestine and the rest of Asia.” The
prince under Ptolemy I who would become stronger than Ptolemy I was “Seleucus
Nicator of the Selucid Empire” (ibid.).
Verse 6: “After
some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the
South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful
arrangement. But she will not retain her
position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up,
along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who
supported her in those times.”
The “agreement” was a proposed peace
treaty that called for Antiochus II to marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy
II. But “Antiochus already had a wife, a
powerful and influential woman named Laodice.
She did not take kindly to being divorced. …She therefore organized a successful
conspiracy. …She managed to have both
Berenice and her infant son whom she had borne to Antiochus assassinated.
Not long afterward the king himself
was poisoned to death (247 B.C.) and the pro-Laodice party engineered a Coup
d-etat that put her in power as queen regent during the minority of her son,
Seleucus II (Callinicus). In this
manner, then the prophecy was fulfilled concerning Berenice, that she would be
‘handed over,” [‘given up’ in the New King James Version] along with the nobles
who supported her in Antioch” (ibid.).
Verse 7: “But one of the descendants of her line
will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the
fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great
strength.”
“Ptolemy III (Euergetes) organized a
great expeditionary force against Syria, in order to avenge his sister’s
death. This war raged from 246 to
241. …Finally he returned to Egypt laden
with spoil. …He succeeded on other
fronts as well, for he reunited Cyrenaica (at the western end of Libya) with
the Ptolemaic domains, after it had enjoyed twelve years of independence. He also recovered all his father’s conquests
on the coasts of Asia Minor and temporarily gained control of some portions of
Thrace” (ibid.).
Verse 8: “Also their gods with their metal
images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into
captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of
the North for some years.”
Ptolemy III recovered the idols of
Egypt taken by Cambyses in 524 B.C.
Verse 9: “Then the latter will enter the realm
of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.”
Although he did not enter Egypt
itself, Seleucus II regained control of northern Syria and Phoenicia.
Verse 10-12: “His
sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them
will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again wage war
up to his very fortress. 11 The king of
the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the
North. Then the latter will raise a
great multitude, but that multitude will be given into the hand of the
former. 12 When the multitude is carried
away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall;
yet he will not prevail.”
This passage “foretells an important
new development in the struggle between the two great powers, with the advent
of Antiochus the Great [Antiochus III] and his conquest of the Holy Land. …Antiochus III next launched an expedition
against Phoenicia and Palestine (219-218 B.C.) that ended in a serious setback
at the Battle of Raphia, where he was soundly beaten by the smaller army of
Ptolemy IV. …But finally in 203,
Antiochus saw his opportunity to strike at Egypt again, since Ptolemy IV had
just died and had been succeeded by Ptolemy V (Epiphanes), who was a mere boy
of four” (ibid.).
Verses 13-16: “For the king of the North will again
raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years
he will press on with a great army and much equipment. 14 “Now in those times many will rise up
against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also
lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. 15
Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp and capture a
well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground,
not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand.
16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able
to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with
destruction in his hand.”
These verses document the eventual wrestling of the Holy Land
from Egyptian control by Antiochus the Great.
Versus 17-19: “He will set his face to come with the
power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will
put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But
she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. 18 Then he will turn his
face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his
scorn against him; moreover, he will repay him for his scorn. 19 So he will
turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and
fall and be found no more.”
Hoping to gain advantage over Egypt, Antiochus the Great gave
his daughter, Cleopatra, in marriage to Ptolemy V in 195 B.C. But Antiochus’ daughter sided with her
husband and no advantage was gained.
Antiochus then lost a battle against Roman forces.
After
his defeat, “he had to surrender his entire elephant brigade, all his navy, and
twenty selected hostages. Finally he was
obliged to pay an indemnity of fifteen thousand or twenty thousand talents over
a period of several years. Antiochus’s
second son, who was named after him, was among the twenty hostages taken to
Rome, where he spent the formative years of his life. He later became the dreaded persecutor of the
Jews, Antiochus Epiphanes” (ibid.).
Being unable to make his indemnity payments, Antiochus the great was
killed while trying to pillage a temple in Elymais.
Verse 20: “Then in his place one will arise who will
send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he
will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle.”
The brief 12-year reign of Antiochus III’s eldest son,
Seleucus IV, was marked by heavy taxes thoughout Palestine. Seleucus was soon poisoned to death by his
minister, Heliodorus.
Verses 21-34: “In his place a despicable person will
arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come
in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 The overflowing
forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of
the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception,
and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 In a time of
tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will
accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute
plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes
against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 He will stir up his strength and
courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the
South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not
stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice
food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down
slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will
speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the
end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land
with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he
will take action and then return to his own land. 29 “At the appointed time he will return and
come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did
before. 30 For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be
disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take
action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy
covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and
do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of
desolation. 32 By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act
wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display
strength and take action. 33 Those who have insight among the people will give
understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by
captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be
granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.”
These verses document the tyrannical oppression of the Jewish
people by Antiochus Epiphanes, who by force tried to make the Jewish people
forgo their religion in favor of all things Greek. This was the time of the Maccabees, who
resisted this Hellenistic influence. (A
brief explanation of Antiochus’ actions against the Jewish people and how they
fulfilled prophecy is in the final chapter.)
Dual Fulfillments:
Verses 35-39: “Some of those who have insight will fall,
in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is
still to come at the appointed time. 36 “Then the king will do as he pleases,
and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous
things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is
finished, for that which is decreed will be done. 37 He will show no regard for
the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for
any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. 38 But instead he
will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will
honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. 39 He will take
action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he
will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule
over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.”
The reference to “the time of the end” in verse 35 offers a
challenge in interpreation. Some
understand this as referring to the time just before Christ’s return and others
see it as the end of the Maccabean struggles.
Some of the actions can be attributed to Antiochus Epiphanes and some
seem to be prophecies of the beast power that will exist at the end of this
present age. These verses apparently
have dual fulfillment, spanning from the time of the Maccabees until the return
of Christ.
The preceding verses in Daniel 11 represent extremely
detailed prophecies that have been fulfilled exactly as they were revealed to
Daniel. It is important to note that the
Roman Empire defeated Seleucid Syria in 65 B.C. and that it defeated Egype in
30 B.C. Thus the first identities of the
king of the North and the king of the South came to an end.
The Time of the
End:
Verses 40-45: “At the end time the king of the South
will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with
chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries,
overflow them and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and
many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab
and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand
against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not esc ape. 43 But he will
gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the
precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.
44 But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go
forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch the
tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain;
yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”
We read of actions of a king of the North and a king of South
“at
the end time” (verse 40). The end-time identities of these nations are
yet to be determined. The establishment of the modern nation of Israel in 1948
seems to be a key development that allows for the fulfillment of these end-time
verses. From the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70
until 1948, there was no Jewish nation.
Now, with a Jewish nation once again existing in the Middle
East, there is relevance to identifying major world governments as a king of
the North and a king of the South in reference to Jewish people living in
Jerusalem.
Significance for
Us
When we consider the many prophetic details of Daniel 11 that
were fulfilled as predicted, we can have confidence that the remaining
prophecies of this chapter and others in the Bible that are yet to be fulfilled
will likewise occur as God has
ordained.
Through a dream, God revealed to ancient King Nebuchadnezzar
and us today that eventually the kingdoms of this world will be replaced by the
Kingdom of God. As Daniel explained to the king: “In the days of those kings the God of Heaven will set up a
kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for
another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will
itself endure forever.” (Daniel 2:44 (written 605-536 B.C.)).
Extensive Prophetic Accuracy
Only the Lord can predict the future.
Isaiah 41:22-23 (written 740-680 B.C.) “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; as
for the former events, declare what they were, that we may consider them and
know their outcome. Or announce to us
what is coming; 23 declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we
may know that you are gods; indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look
about us and fear together.”
Isaiah 42:8-9 (written 740-680 B.C.) “I am the Lord, that is
My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven
images. 9 “Behold, the former things
have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I
proclaim them to you.”
Concerning Israel:
Their future scattering predicted nearly 900 years in
advance.
Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (written 1405 B.C.): “then the Lord your
God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will
gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered
you. 4 If your outcasts are at the ends
of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He
will bring you back. 5 The Lord your God
will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall
possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.”
Many Days without a King or Sacrifices
Hosea 3:4
(written 710 B.C.) “For the sons of
Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or
sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols.”
Fulfilled 70 A.D. to the present:
Re-gathering as a Nation in the Last Days
Ezekiel
37:21-22 and 27-28 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among
the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and
bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land,
on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they
will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them;
and I will be their God, and they will be My people. 28 And the nations will know that I am the
Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”
Partly
fulfilled in 1948, Rebirth as a Nation
The return of Israel is unique in world history. Never before has an ancient people after
2,000 years of exile, on nonexistence, of being dispersed and intermingled
among all the nations of the earth, returned to their ancient homeland and
reestablished their nation with their ancient language and currency.
Forecasts of Prophecy
(Prophetic Truth, 2016)
William F. Albright,
former director of the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, now
Professor of Semitic languages at Johns Hopkins University, has admitted his
changed views on Biblical prophecy in a most heartwarming manner. In an address at the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America a year ago, Dr. Albright said: “I suppose we have no other
phenomenon in history which is quite so extraordinary as the unique event
represented by the restoration of Israel in the sixth and fifth centuries
B.C. At no other time in world history
... has a people been destroyed and then come back after a lapse of time and re
-established itself. Most certainly
there is no parallel for the double reestablishment, for the recurrence of
Israel's restoration after 2,500 years of further history.
...And so Restoration
came. It came with the great founders of
Zionism ... It came with men who are dreamers and scholars and doers ... So
these men have continued to dream; they have -- often without knowing it
because some of them were not religious and did not believe in prophecy
--carried on the old prophetic tradition of Israel, and they have incorporated
it into a reality which has made nonsense of the predictions of every non
-prophetic soul, including myself. I
never dreamed that there would be an actual Jewish State of Israel. I am sure that I often asserted "its
impossibility". Yet Israel exists
and the vision has been fulfilled. 'What
is going to happen next? Are the words
of the Prophets merely archaic survivals of a naive age? Not at all.
The words of the Prophets are just as true today as they were 25
centuries ago. God will keep His
Covenant with His people if that people obey the Divine commands. God is fulfilling the predictions made
through His servants, the Prophets ...’ These predictions -- be it
remembered! -- relate to a return of
Hebrew people to the Land, largely in unbelief, previous to God's final
dealings with them in the ancient homeland in preparation for the glorious
Messianic kingdom and the complete regathering which God himself shall
accomplish.”
Prophecy in Zechariah
1/3 of the Jews will turn to Christ
Zechariah
13:8 (written 520-518 B.C.) “It will come about in
all the land,” Declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be cut off and
perish; But the third will be left in it.
9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as
silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer
them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Do We Have An Accurate Copy?
(Geisler & Turek, 2004)
Remember
the child’s game of “telephone?” That’s
where one child is given a verbal message to pass to the next child, who passes
what he’s heard to the next child, and so on.
By the time the message gets to the last child in the chain it barely
resembles what the first kid was told.
To the casual observer, it seems like that same type of distortion could
infect documents that have been transmitted from generation to generation over
2,000 years. Fortunately, the New
Testament was not transmitted that way.
Since it was not told to one person who told it to another and so on,
the problem from the telephone game does not apply. Numerous people independently witnessed New
Testament events, many of them committed it to memory, and nine of those
eyewitnesses/contemporaries put their observations in writing. At this point, we need to clear up a common
misunderstanding about the New Testament.
When we speak of the New Testament documents, we are not talking about
one writing, but about 27 writings. The
New Testament documents are 27 different documents that were written on 27
different scrolls by nine different writers over a 20 to 50-year period. These individual writings have since been
collected into one book we now call the Bible.
So the New Testament is not just one source, but a collection of
sources.
There’s
only one problem: so far, none of the original written documents of the New
Testament have been discovered. We have
only copies of the original writings, called manuscripts. Will this prevent us from knowing what the
originals said? Not at all. In fact, all significant literature from the
ancient world is reconstructed into its original form by comparing the
manuscripts that survive. To reconstruct
the original, it helps to have a large number of manuscripts that are written
not long after the original. More
manuscripts and earlier manuscripts usually provide more trustworthy testimony
and enable a more accurate reconstruction.
How
do the New Testament documents fare in this regard? Extremely well, and far better than anything
else from the ancient world. In fact,
the New Testament documents have more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts, and
more abundantly supported manuscripts than the best ten pieces of classical
literature combined. Here’s what we
mean: More Manuscripts—At last count, there are nearly 5,700 handwritten Greek
manuscripts of the New Testament. In
addition, there are more than 9,000 manuscripts in other languages (e.g.,
Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Arabic). Some of
these nearly 15,000 manuscripts are complete Bibles, others are books or pages,
and a few are just fragments. As we saw
in table of ancient texts, there is nothing from the ancient world that even
comes close in terms of manuscript support.
The next closest work is the Iliad by Homer, with 643 manuscripts. Most other ancient works survive on fewer
than a dozen manuscripts,8 yet few historians question the historicity of the
events those works describe. Earlier
Manuscripts—not only does the New Testament enjoy abundant manuscript support,
but it also has manuscripts that were written soon after the originals.
The
earliest undisputed manuscript is a segment of John 18:31-33, 37-38 (written
58-65A.D.) known as the John Rylands
fragment (because it’s housed in the John Rylands Library in Manchester,
England). Scholars date it between A.D.
117–138, but some say it is even earlier.
It was found in Egypt—across the Mediterranean from its probable place of
composition in Asia Minor—demonstrating that John’s Gospel was copied and had
spread quite some distance by the early second century. Even earlier than the John Rylands fragment
are nine disputed fragments that date from A.D. 50 to 70, found with the Dead
Sea Scrolls.9 Some scholars believe these fragments are parts of six New Testament
books including Mark, Acts, Romans, 1 Timothy, 2 Peter, and James. While other scholars resist this conclusion
(perhaps because its admission would undermine their liberal leanings that the
New Testament was written later), they have not found any other non–New
Testament texts that these fragments could be.
The fragments were found in a cave that had previously been identified
as containing material from 50 B.C. to A.D. 50.
The scholar who first identified these early fragments as New Testament books
was Jose O’Callahan, a noted Spanish paleographer. The New York Times recognized the
implications of O’Callahan’s theory by admitting that if it is true “it would
prove at least one of the Gospels—that of St. Mark—was written only a few years
after the death of Jesus.” But even if
they are not true New Testament fragments and the John Rylands fragment really
is the earliest, the time gap between the original and the first surviving copy
is still vastly shorter than anything else from the ancient world.
The
Iliad has the next shortest gap at about 500 years; most other ancient works
are 1,000 years or more from the original.
The New Testament gap is about 25 years and maybe less. (This does not mean there were no other
manuscripts between the original and the first copy; there most certainly
were. It simply means that those
manuscripts have decayed, have been destroyed, or are still undiscovered.)
How
old are the oldest surviving manuscripts of complete New Testament books? Manuscripts that are complete New Testament
books survive from about A.D. 200. How
about the oldest manuscripts of the entire New Testament? Most of the New Testament, including all of
the Gospels, survives from 250, and a manuscript of the entire New Testament
(including a Greek Old Testament) called Codex Vaticanus survives from about
325. Several other complete manuscripts
survive from that century. And those
manuscripts have spelling and punctuation characteristics that suggest that
they are in a family of manuscripts that can be traced back to A.D.
100–150. If these numerous and early
manuscripts were all scholars had, they could reconstruct the original New
Testament with great accuracy. But they
also have abundant supporting evidence from the ancient world that makes New
Testament reconstruction even more certain.
Let’s look at that next.
More
Abundantly Supported Manuscripts—Beginning in February of A.D. 303, the Roman
emperor Diocletian ordered three edicts of persecution upon Christians because
he believed that the existence of Christianity was breaking the covenant
between Rome and her gods. The edicts
called for the destruction of churches, manuscripts, and books and the killing
of Christians.13 Hundreds if not thousands of manuscripts were destroyed across
the Roman Empire during this persecution, which lasted until A.D. 311. But even if Diocletian had succeeded in
wiping every biblical manuscript off the face of the earth, he could not have
destroyed our ability to reconstruct the New Testament. Why?
Because the early church fathers—men of the second and third centuries
such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and
others—quoted the New Testament so much (36,289 times, to be exact) that all
but eleven verses of the New Testament can be reconstructed just from their
quotations.
In
other words, you could go down to your local public library, check out the
works of the early church fathers, and read nearly the entire New Testament
just from their quotations of it! So we
not only have thousands of manuscripts but thousands of quotations from those
manuscripts. This makes reconstruction
of the original text virtually certain.
But how certain? How are the
originals reconstructed, and how accurate is this reconstructed New Testament? How Is the Original Reconstructed? These three facts—many, early, and supported
manuscripts—help scholars reconstruct the original New Testament manuscripts
rather easily. The process of comparing
the many copies and quotations allows an extremely accurate reconstruction of
the original even if errors were made during copying. How does this work? Consider the following example. Suppose we have four different manuscripts
that have four different errors in the same verse, such as Philippians 4:13
(written 61-62A.D.) (“I can do all
things through Christ who gives me strength.”).
Here are
the hypothetical copies:
1.
I can do all t#ings through Christ who gives me strength.
2.
I can do all th#ngs through Christ who gives me strength.
3.
I can do all thi#gs through Christ who gives me strength.
4.
I can do all thin#s through Christ who gives me strength.
Is
there any mystery what the original said?
None whatsoever. By the process
of comparing and cross-checking, the original New Testament can be
reconstructed with great accuracy. And
the reconstruction of the New Testament is easier than this, because there are
far fewer errors in the actual New Testament manuscripts than are represented
by this example. Let’s assume for a
minute that the New Testament really is the Word of God. Skeptics may ask, “Well, if the New Testament
really is the Word of God, then why didn’t God preserve the original?” We can only speculate here, but one
possibility is because his Word might be better protected through copies than
through original documents. How so? Because if the original were in someone’s
possession, that person could change it.
But if there are copies spread all over the ancient world, there’s no
way one scribe or priest could alter the Word of God. As we have seen, the process of
reconstruction allows variants and changes from copies to be identified and
corrected rather easily. So, ironically,
not having the originals may preserve God’s Word better than having them.
How Accurate Is the Reconstruction?
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