Word of God

Part 4 of the series “Why the Scriptures Are Trustworthy.” Just a few years after Jesus appeared and spoke words of life here on earth, Peter had to defend the integrity of the Word of God. He said, "We have not followed cleverly devised myths...but were eyewitnesses to his majesty...We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place." (2 Peter 1:16, 19). If Peter had to make such a defense of God's Word so close to the time of Christ, what about the believers of today some 2,000 years after the events of the Bible? How can we be certain that the Bible of today isn't some "cleverly devised myth" as so many in our world believe? This message seeks to examine the physical evidence for the integrity of the actual written text of the Old and New Testaments. From the standpoint of evidence, can we be certain that the words we read in our bibles today are the words inspired by God so long ago? And should there be evidence in favor of this, is that all we need to fully trust in the written Word? Put on your investigative hats as we explore these and other important questions about our faith and practice in light of the Bible of today, yesterday, and forever.
Part 5 of the series “Why the Scriptures Are Trustworthy.” How did the individual books in the Old and New Testament come to be included in the Bible we have today? Were the books the selection of men as some believe, or was it the determination of God? This sermon takes another look at the evidence: in biblical scholarship, history, and documentary analysis, to help us investigate whether the books in the Bible we have today can be trusted to be the books God intended us to read and guide our lives by. This journey of evidence isn't enough to bring us to complete intellectual certitude in this area, but there is enough evidence to further strengthen our faith and trust in the integrity of God's written Word.