RELIABILITY
The Reliability of the Scripture...The Authority of Scripture
I. It claims to be God’s Word.
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2nd Timothy 3:16 - NIV)
The meaning of inerrancy is that it does not affirm anything that is not true or contrary to fact.
Problems if we deny inerrancy...
A serious moral problem confronts us: May we imitate God and intentionally lie in small matters also? We begin to wonder if we can really trust God in anything He says. We essentially make our own human minds the higher standard of truth than God’s Word itself. We must also say that the Bible is wrong not only in minor details but in some of its doctrines as well. A denial of inerrancy means that we say that the Bible’s teaching about the nature of Scripture and about the truthfulness and reliability of God’s words is also false. These are not minor details but are major doctrinal concerns in Scripture.
II. We are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be the God’s Words as we read it. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts as we read God’s word and convinces us of its power and authority.
III. The Bible has the power to change lives.
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2nd Timothy 3:16 - NIV)
The meaning of inerrancy is that it does not affirm anything that is not true or contrary to fact.
Problems if we deny inerrancy...
A serious moral problem confronts us: May we imitate God and intentionally lie in small matters also? We begin to wonder if we can really trust God in anything He says. We essentially make our own human minds the higher standard of truth than God’s Word itself. We must also say that the Bible is wrong not only in minor details but in some of its doctrines as well. A denial of inerrancy means that we say that the Bible’s teaching about the nature of Scripture and about the truthfulness and reliability of God’s words is also false. These are not minor details but are major doctrinal concerns in Scripture.
II. We are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be the God’s Words as we read it. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts as we read God’s word and convinces us of its power and authority.
III. The Bible has the power to change lives.
The Reliability of The New Testament
The Resurrection of Christ...The truth of the resurrection of Christ is a foundation for the authority of the New Testament. It would not have been necessary to make such an unbelievable claim, which could have so easily discredited the entire New Testament Canon. Jesus could have said he would raise from the dead “spiritually” and no one could have disproved it, yet he did not. He said that he would raise from the dead bodily – easy to disprove.