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I N T H I S I S S U E :
Quick Summary
• Why Words?
• Thumbs Up
• The Fist
CLEAR THINKING CHRISTIANITY It’s not unusual for people to dismiss the Bible because it was “only
There Are written by men.” How do you respond when you hear this What
Apps for That! evidence would you give that the Bible is not just a human invention,
LEARN AT but rather a supernatural revelation?
www.str.org
This month’s article,“Ancient Words, Ever True?” gives that Here’s
STR WEEKLY BROADCAST what I’d like you to do with it. Read it carefully. Then reread it.
Tuesdays 4–7p.m. PST Rehearse the specific “fingerprints” of God that verify the Bible’s
Listen and call with your questions or supernatural origin. Make those six points your own.
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Clear-thinking Christianity
Dear Friend,
This month’s article, “Ancient Words, Ever True?” gives that evidence. Here’s what I’d like you to
do with it. Read it carefully. Then reread it. Rehearse the specific “fingerprints” of God that verify
the Bible’s supernatural origin. Make those six points your own.
But there’s one more thing I’d like you to do with this article—pass it on to others. Any issue of
Solid Ground can be copied and distributed at will and, in its digital form, emailed anywhere in the
world. This is by design.
Solid Ground is not a soundbite pamphlet, but a carefully engineered ministry tool with content
summaries, footnotes and—in the digital version—hyperlinks to primary source documentation and
other reference material. In every issue you receive a thoughtful, well-organized, carefully reasoned
treatment of an important topic that will equip you as Christ’s ambassador. Every issue becomes a
piece of your spiritual armor as you “gird your loins with truth” (Eph. 6:14).
But it’s not just for you. It’s for your family members, your Christian friends, your ministry or
missionary partners, your skeptical acquaintances—a multitude of people I could never reach
directly, but I can connect with through you.
In a sense, you’re my ministry partner, helping me get “Christianity worth thinking about” into the
hands of so many others. All it takes is an email and a mouse-click.
And when you choose to support the work of STR through a financial contribution, you deepen
your partnership with STR. You help provide the means for every speaking engagement, every
written resource, every broadcast, and every mouse-click made on our website.
So what are you waiting for? Pass this issue on...and as you do, won’t you consider a gift to
STR today? It will help ensure that Solid Ground—and all the other resources STR provides—will
continue to be there for you and the family and friends you introduce STR to.
Greg Koukl
S T R’ S L I VE WE E KLY BROADCAST
Greg takes your questions and comments on ethics, values, and religion
Tuesdays 4-7 p.m. P.T. Tune in online or on your STR app.
"What kind of book is the Bible? There are only two plausible answers. The Bible is
merely a book by man about God, or it is a book given by God through man, to man."
By Greg Koukl
Whenever I hear the opening lines of Michael W. Jesus and the Apostles constantly affirm the
Smith’s song,“Ancient Words,” I am always moved: authority of the Old Testament with the simple
“Holy words long preserved /for our walk in this statement,“It is written....”The words of a text are
world. / They resound with God’s own heart. / Oh, attributed equally to the writers (“Moses said…”)
let the ancient words impart.” and to God (God said…”). Paul reminds us that
Being aware of God while gazing on the ocean is all Scripture is profitable precisely because it is
all well and good, C.S. Lewis noted,1 but if you want “inspired” (theopneustos,“God-breathed”), the very
to go anywhere on that sparkling sea, you must have counsel of God.
a map. Going somewhere with God is no different. Of course, just claiming it’s so doesn’t make it so.
In His case, though, the map is not made of symbols, How do we know? Do we have any evidence God
but of words—ancient words. has spoken in the Bible?
The challenge can be reduced to a simple question:
Why Words? “What kind of book is the Bible?” I submit there are
Why any words at all, though? Isn’t experience only two plausible answers. The Bible is merely a
with God enough? As the songwriter says,“You ask book by man about God, or it is a book given by
me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.” God through man, to man.
Experience has its place (Paul used his own If the first, then the Bible is a record of human
dramatic Damascus Road encounter as evidence wisdom marked by human limitations. That’s all.2 If
for skeptical Jews), but it also has its liabilities. the second, then God is the ultimate author and His
Lots of people have spiritual experiences. Any word is the last word. Further, being essentially a
Mormon can tell you of his experience with Jesus, supernatural book, it would likely bear supernatural
the created spirit brother of Lucifer. Jehovah’s marks, God’s fingerprints in a sense.
Witnesses experience the incarnation of Michael
Do we have any good reasons to think God has
the Archangel. New Ager’s experience Jesus the
spoken supernaturally in the Bible? Or have men
Ascended Hindu Master.
merely opined? The way to answer this question is
Each has an experience, but each can’t be right. to look at the book itself. I want to offer six reasons
Which is the true Jesus? What objective authority I think the Bible is God’s book, six evidences of
separates wheat from chaff? Classically, Christians supernatural authorship conveniently paired with
have turned to details recorded in Scripture as parts of the hand so you won’t forget. 3
authoritative, objective grounds for truth. God has
spoken in the ancient words of the Bible. The “Pinky”
For the first evidence, think “pinky—
The Fingerprints of God prophecy.” The Bible has fulfilled
Hundreds of places in the Old Testament we find prophecy—detailed, precise, predictions
the phrase,“Thus saith the Lord,” or its equivalent. relating to individuals and entire empires
The writer of Hebrews affirms,“God…spoke long given with hairsplitting accuracy.
ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions Daniel gives prophecy so exact it reads like
and in many ways” (Heb. 1:1) history written after the fact. For one, the threshold
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Does truth exist?
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Valuable information for today’s student
Second, we are all intuitively aware of certain The New Testament documents are the best
unavoidable facts. The universe is filled with order, historical documents of the ancient world when
meaning, and moral significance. Man is a unique approached using the standard canons of historical
creature, distinct from all other living things in his research untainted by naturalistic (anti-supernatural)
transcendent nobility, but is deeply damaged and presuppositions. There are five reasons historians
morally broken, plagued by guilt he desperately tries take the New Testament material seriously.11
to suppress. First, the accounts are early. As ancient records go,
The biblical worldview takes each of these things the narratives were written very close to the events
seriously. The universe is filled with order, meaning, they report.
and morality by a holy Creator who made us for Second, multiple, independent, primary source
friendship with Him. Yet we rebelled against our
documents verify each other. In addition to the
Sovereign, severing that relationship, damaging our
works of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the writings
own souls, and crippling the created order.
of Peter and Paul, 17 secular references12 along
Evil is the wreckage left behind by our rebellion. with prodigious archaeological evidence further
Man is noble because he bears God’s image. Man is corroborate the canonical accounts.
cruel because he is fallen. He feels guilty because
he is guilty. Though our hearts long for restoration,
reconciliation, and forgiveness, our wills remain 5 Reasons Historians take the
defiant. Only God can rescue us.
New Testament Seriously
Deep inside we already know most of these things.
The Bible simply connects the dots, then offers the
sole solution to the central problem. The problem 1.The accounts are early. As ancient records go, the
is personal guilt that comes with rebellion. The narratives were written very close to the events
solution is forgiveness that comes with surrender, they report.
what the Bible calls “repentance.”
2. Multiple, independent, primary source
The Bible has supernatural insight. Its assessment documents verify each other. In addition to the
of the problem and its antidote for the cure both works of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the
resonate with our deepest longings, and also fit writings of Peter and Paul, 17 secular references12
our common-sense intuitions about the world and along with prodigious archaeological evidence
ourselves. Chalk up three for the supernatural side. further corroborate the canonical accounts.
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never have accomplished by ourselves (we’ve tried). Does this prove the
The Bible has a supernatural impact in human lives. Bible is God’s book? That
Chalk up five for the supernatural side. depends upon what you consider
proof. It’s always possible to be mistaken,
The Fist but I have built a cumulative case here. Our claim
The clenched fist reminds me that the Bible is reasonable. Christians do have compelling
is a fighter. It has demonstrated remarkable evidence for the divine authorship of the Bible.
survival through time and persecution.
But now I’m going
Jesus said,“Heaven and earth shall pass to confess something A Piece of My Mind
away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. surprising: These
13:31). Isaiah wrote,“The grass withers, the flower Listen to Greg talk
persuasive evidences about this edition
fades, but the Word of our God stands forever” (Is. have almost nothing to of Solid Ground.
40:8). In prison himself for the Bible’s testimony, do with why so many or subscribe for later
Paul promised,“The Word of God cannot be people around the world
imprisoned” (2 Tim. 2:9). are convinced that the
No other book in history has seen such concerted words of the Bible are also God’s own words. It
attempts to obliterate it—both externally (through certainly isn’t why I believe.
destruction) and internally (through criticism)—to I came to believe that the Bible was inspired the
no avail. No other book has been printed as much, same way most Christians do. I encountered the
translated as much, read as much, or quoted as much truth firsthand and was changed. Without really
as the Bible. No other name has been written about being able to explain why, I knew I was hearing the
as much, pondered as much, sung about as much, or words of God and not just the words of man.
recognized as much all over the globe as the name
of Jesus. Consider this question: When Jesus addressed the
multitudes, did He routinely give six compelling
The Bible’s obituary has been written many reasons to believe His words before actually
times, but it refuses to stay in the grave. It
speaking them? No. He simply began to talk and
remains today the bestselling book of all
people marveled, even His detractors.
time. If this book had not been the book
of God, men would have destroyed it Soldiers sent to arrest Jesus returned empty-
long ago. This defies a naturalistic handed. Why had they disobeyed orders? They had
explanation. Chalk up six for the listened.“Never has a man spoken the way this
supernatural side. man speaks,” they said (Jn. 7:46). Jesus didn’t start
with reasons why people should believe His words.
A Verdict and a Instead, He let the words do the work themselves.
Confession And His words worked because they were the very
The Bible has the stamp words of God.
of the supernatural: If you really want to know if the Bible is God’s
supernatural Word, read it. Let Jesus speak for Himself.There
predictions, is a powerful role the Spirit plays that is hard to
supernatural unity, describe, and is therefore difficult to explain to
supernatural insight, others.
a reliable record of
supernatural events, For one, it is personal, subjective. Two, it’s non-
supernatural rational. In a sense, we are not persuaded, as
impact, and such. We are wooed and won over, and that’s very
supernatural different from weighing reasons and coming to
survival. conclusions. Note, I didn’t say it was ir-rational, but
Endnotes:
1 Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity
2 Of course, even if the Bible were entirely man-made, that wouldn’t by itself
Where Should I Start?
undermine the Bible’s message.There are millions of books not penned by inerrant
hands that overflow with truth—even spiritual truth (Christian bookstores are
filled with them). Though I believe in inerrancy, I don’t need inerrant Scripture
to substantiate Christianity. Christianity stands or falls not on inerrancy, but on
facts of history pertaining to Jesus of Nazareth. If the salient events recorded in
Stand to Reason trains Christians
the Gospels actually happened, then the claims of Christ are fully justified and to think clearly about their Christian
Christianity is on solid ground.
3 Some might object that proving the Bible with the Bible is circular. But this
convictions and make a credible defense
is not so in our case. If our method subtly presumed the thing we were trying to when they evangelize. As a new visitor
prove—the divine inspiration of the Bible—that would be circular. But it does not.
Instead, we’re merely looking to the text for evidence of Divine authorship. This to the Stand to Reason website, these
is not circular.
resources are a great starting point to
4 http://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html
5 See, for example, Messianic Christology—A Study of Old Testament Prophecy begin your journey to becoming a more
Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchetenbaum (http:// effective Ambassador.
arielc.org/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AMC&Product_
Code=baf-mc&Category_Code=baf).
6 See “The Bible: Fast Forward” CDs at str.org.
7 For more detail, see “Archeology, the Bible, and the Leap of Faith” at str.org.
8 Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1995, 29.
9 Ibid., 32.
10 This connection can be overstated. Piecing together hard data from
thousands of years ago is difficult, and archaeological evidence is especially
vulnerable to bias in its interpretation. Old Testament scholars of the “minimalist”
Greg Koukl is available
school, for example, characteristically refuse to accept any biblical account to schedule to teach for
without independent corroboration, a virtual impossibility when dealing with
your church service, youth
texts this ancient and not a demand made on other texts. Even so, a very
strong case can be made for the correlation of biblical historical claims and group, or conference.
archaeological evidence. An even-handed approach using the standard criteria Contact STR today for
of historiography minus naturalistic bias yields high marks for the Bible as an
historical source. McDowell’s New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Nashville: information about Greg
Thomas Nelson, 1999) covers this ground thoroughly. and STR’s other speakers.
11 See STR’s “Jesus: Man or Myth” at str.org for more detail. See also Habermas
and Licona’s The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004),
chapter 2.
12 Gary Habermas, The Verdict of History (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 1988), 108.
13 See also Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2006).
14 Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization (New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1972), 557.
15 By the way, these are accounts, not “Bible stories.” They really happened.
16 See Habermas and Licona’s The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, chapters
3 and 4, and William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith, third edition (Wheaton:
Crossway, 2008), 349, 361-389.
17 See “Christianity’s Real Record” at str.org. See also Alvin Schmidt, Under
the Influence—How Christianity Transformed Civilization (Grand Rapids: Get Strategic!
Zondervan, 2001) and Carroll and Shiflett, Christianity on Trial (San Francisco: Would you like to play a strategic role in STR’s work?
Encounter Books, 2002).
When you become a Strategic Partner and support
STR with a monthly pledge, you join a special group of
people who help to equip Christians to graciously defend
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