The Bible and History
Many countries have recorded their nation's history. The Bible gives us a historical record of the world from the beginning of time to the end. But is it reliable? How does the Bible stack up with other records of history?
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You’re used to things breaking. Everything wears out eventually. There’s only one thing in the world that won’t die with time—the Bible.
Somehow, the words it contains have never been completely lost, destroyed, or forgotten. They’ve endured and even expanded through the rise and fall of many nations.
What began as words on stone became collections of scrolls, to which letters and memoirs were added. More than forty men wrote the Bible over a span of 1600 years, and their writings were united at last in a single book—one that weathered all the storms of history and still sails today. The Bible continues to be the best-selling book ever, every year.
Coincidence? Hardly.
The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God. God says he authored it. And, he recorded promise after promise within the Bible’s pages that his Word would never pass away.
God speaks of his book’s invincibility like this: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8 ESV). The binding may wear out, and many physical Bibles have been burned before, but God promises to preserve its contents. The Bible’s abundant existence testifies to God’s trustworthiness.
And Jesus, the hero of the Bible, says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33 NIV).
Layers of kingdoms lie buried in the dust, better technologies have left lesser inventions behind, and fires of war and persecution have extinguished many cultures. But, the Author of the Bible eternally preserves and protects his Word. Time itself testifies to the reliability of the Bible.
The Bible remains—unscathed. How? Because God keeps his promises.
by Bibles.net
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
ACTS 17:26-27 NIV
The most important
claims of Christianity
are historical claims,
and on the facts
of history the
Christian religion
must stand or fall.
Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him."
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he [God] is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
The Lord has
established
His throne
in heaven,
And His kingdom rules
over all.
“Who would you say is the most significant person that has ever lived?” Venture with Dave Stotts through 50 sites in Israel to discover the story of Jesus of Nazareth.
When it comes to the past,
how could anyone
possibly imagine
a more authoritative
history than
the Word of the one who
determined that history
and then
brought it to pass?