Didn't Men Write the Bible? Why Trust it.

     One of the most commonly made comments made recently in discussing Jesus has been from people who have said, "I can't trust everything in the Bible because it was written by humans."   Others say, "I heard that the Bible has been changed over the years."  I want to give some thoughts in the shortest way possible in this blog so I will try not to elaborate too much, but that is not the correct understanding of the Bible.

The Bible was written down by humans.  God the Holy Spirit guided the writers so that they wrote exactly what was to be written down.

In my scripture reading today, Peter, who was an eyewitness and follower of Jesus for 3 years, was present at the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus wrote this about scripture in 2 Peter 1 about how the scriptures came to be given to us.

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Hasn't the Bible changed over the years?  Amazingly very little.  The transmitting of scriptures has been miraculously preserved in accuracy.  There are more examples of scriptures preserved from the Bible than any other book by far.  These go back to within 100 years of the original writings nearly 2000 years ago. Early Greek historians and philosophers have less than 100 examples of their writings preserved and most are copies from over 1000 years after the original writings.  Therefore it is difficult to compare to the originals.  Scripture that are less than 300 years after their original writings are number over 25,000 examples and more are being found all the time.  The earliest example comes around 75-100 years after the original writings.  Therefore it is easier to compare modern Bibles to original texts and they have been found to be over 99.5 percent accurate.  The Bible has not been changed over the years.  Other historical writings that are still read today have a much less accuracy due to careless copying.  the earliest remaining manuscripts from Aristotle comes from 1400 years after it's writing and the number of ancient manuscripts is less than 50.  Numerous changes due to copying have been found in Aristotle's writing compared to the originals.


Here is a more in depth discussion
https://s3.amazonaws.com/jmm.us/Bibliographical+Test+Update+-+08.13.14.pdf

Josh McDowell is an authority on this and related topics.  www.josh.org

Here is a 30 minute video you may enjoy by Josh McDowell that answers a lot of questions.
http://www.josh.org/video-2/can-i-trust-the-bible/

The New Testament contains eyewitness testimonies that were undisputed by those who heard them.  

Archaeology continues to support much of the old and new testament scripture.

Since this is not a place for long explanations I just want to encourage you, that if you have any of these questions about the uniqueness of the Bible, don't believe someone who has never looked into the topic.  Explore some of these links.

God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Let's Give a Great Big Hand

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded that it is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and that the second greatest is to Love your Neighbor as Yourself."   

He said that all of the other commandments hang on these two commands.

If you love your neighbor as yourself, that means you don't put yourself above anyone else.  We all take care of ourselves.  It is natural to eat when we are hungry.  It is natural to put on a coat when we are cold.  It is natural to rest when we are tired.  That is the way we take care of ourselves.   When our neighbor is hungry, what should we do?   When our neighbor is cold, what should we do?  When our neighbor is tired, what should we do?  

Love is not always a word the describes emotion, it is also an action word in many cases.  This is one of them.

If someone has a need, it is important to pray for them.  It is even important to tell them that you are praying for them.  By praying we are agreeing with God in the plan that He has to take care of their needs.   The next step, however, is to try to determine what God's plan is for you in this situation and whether it involves us being the giver of that care.  We pray to ask God to change our understanding and lead us to be a part of His plan.  Sometimes that means that we Love our Neighbor by following God's leading to practically help.    
     When I was baptized, I remember that the first thing the Pastor asked me was, "Doesn't it feel wonderful to follow God's commands for our lives?"  It does.  When God leads you into a situation to know someone's needs, it is our time to ask God, "Are you leading me to help by giving?"  I am sure that we cannot help every situation we become aware of.   As Christians we must become accustomed to asking and listening for the Holy Spirit to tell us what to do and then do it.  If we are following the plan of God, He will provide the necessary means to fulfill the plan.  We will be blessed as we learn to fulfill God's plan for our own lives.  Doesn't it always feel great to help someone?  That in itself is part of the blessing.  I do not subscribe to the teaching that we should give so that we will be given material things in return from God.   I do believe that seeking and acting upon God's plan in our lives creates a deeper relationship with Him and that is always a blessing. 
     When we see our neighbor is hungry, we love them by giving them food.  When we see our neighbor is cold, we love them be giving them a coat.  When we see that our neighbor is tired, we love them by helping and giving them rest.  When we see that our neighbor is lonely, we love them by spending time with them.  

This is such a simple lesson to understand and such a difficult one to put into practice.  
Do we ask the question "What if I don't have enough food to share?"  If it is in His plan, He can feed the 5,000 with loaves and a few fish. (Mark 6:30-44)   "What if I don't have clothes to spare?"  Didn't the Israelites spend years in the desert with clothes that never wore out? (Deut 8:4)   What if I am too tired to help them?  We are reminded that those who wait upon the Lord, (follow His Leading) will renew their strength, will run and not grow weary, will walk and not grow faint. Psalm 40:31

Take Action when you see a need. Pray and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Gal. 6:9-10