WEBVTT

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 Well, good evening and welcome to the first of six weeks that we're going to do in our

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 evening studies on the topic of questioning Christianity. So welcome to you if you're

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 a regular with us and we're back after the summer. It's good to be able to share together

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 again. Welcome if you're friends, if someone's invited you along to come and listen along with

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 us and to think together. We're really glad to be able to welcome folks to join with us.

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 I'm on location today. Our next door neighbour is getting some work done so we've moved to the

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 sitting room which I have, I hope, tidied up having a wee look there.

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 Our first session tonight is on the question, how can I trust the Bible? So many questions

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 that people have about Christianity, sometimes objections, sometimes the questions that come up

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 in investigation. But one of the foundational ones, because the Bible is so foundational to our faith,

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 is can the Bible be trusted? Is it reliable? So I want us to begin hearing the words of Jesus

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 and these passages we'll then briefly return to at the end and then we'll explore together some

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 different avenues for thinking about that question, how can I trust the Bible? So our first passage

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 comes from Matthew chapter 5. In Matthew chapter 5 we have the Sermon on the Mount, one part of Jesus

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 teaching that people really appreciate whether they're Christians or not, but there are some

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 surprising elements in there for those who only know maybe some select parts. Here's what Jesus says,

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 Matthew chapter 5,

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 Do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets. I have not come to abolish them,

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 but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter,

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 not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the law until everything is

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 accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others

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 accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these

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 commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness

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 surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom

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 of heaven. And then later on as he is discussing with some of the opponents that Jesus encountered in

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 his day, some of the religious leaders, in Matthew chapter 12 we read this at verse 38,

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 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Jesus, Teacher, we want to see a sign from

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 you. He answered, A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the

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 sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,

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 so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will

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 stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of

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 Jonah. And now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the Scythe will rise at the judgment

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 with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's

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 wisdom. And now something greater than Solomon is here. And then into John's gospel and chapter five,

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 and again, confrontation that religious leaders have with Jesus. And at this point in verse 39 of chapter five,

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 he says this to them,

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 You study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.

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 These are the very scriptures, speaking about the Old Testament, that testify about me.

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 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

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 I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of

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 God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name and you do not accept me. But if someone else

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 comes in his own name, you'll accept him. How can you believe that you accept glory from one another,

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 but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you

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 before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. Now Moses wrote the first five

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 books of the Bible. If you believe Moses, you would believe me for he wrote about me. But since you do

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 not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?

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 So to our question, how can I trust the Bible? So maybe even at this stage, you're surprised you

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 you've tuned in to a service, the 21st century in Edinburgh, and you discover, and if you've tuned

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 in before or if you've come to church physically, you'll discover that we take the Bible seriously.

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 And we read it, we teach from it. It's the centrepiece of our gatherings together. We trust in

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 the Bible. Christian faith is built on the conviction that the word of God is revelation.

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 It is inspired by God so that it's not speculation or simply human invention. But you might very well

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 have the question, or you might have friends with the question, well how can an ancient book

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 be reliable for modern people? How can we trust that it's not been so corrupted over time that it's

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 now irrelevant today? Maybe you're coming from a position of spiritually seeking, and maybe you're

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 asking, well if I want to know God, if I want to know truth, can I have confidence when I read the

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 Bible that truth can be found? Well I have four brief ways initially to think about that, to approach

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 our question, can I trust the Bible? The first is to do with timing or dating, because you'll find

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 the idea perhaps going around that the Gospels are late inventions created by the church much later

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 than the time of Jesus. Maybe you read the Da Vinci Code or watched it. Well Dan Brown, the author,

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 he popularised a view that is still present in the academy and popular writing, that the Bible

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 was actually a late creation by the fourth century church as a tool for power. It served the interests

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 of the church to create the myth of Jesus so that the Gospels that we have are untrustworthy.

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 So the argument goes in various lines. How do we respond to that? Well we respond I think initially

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 by looking at what scholars say, and scholars agree whether they're Christian or whether they're

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 sceptical to the Christian faith, that the Gospels date to within 40 to 60 years of the life of Jesus,

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 and that's a cautious dating. The letters of Paul that take up a good chunk of the New Testament date to

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 within 15 to 25 years of the life of Jesus, and significantly in those letters you will find

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 facts that agree with what's then written in the Gospels about the life, the death, the resurrection,

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 the teaching, the miracles of Jesus. Scholars recognise if you have something within 40 to 60 years of

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 the life of someone. That's too early for a myth to develop. You can't embellish and add facts at that

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 stage. You go to a letter that Paul wrote like 1 Corinthians chapter 15, and he can write,

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 I passed on to you what I received. So there's already teaching within the church that's being

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 passed on, and this is between maybe 10-15 years after the death of Jesus. And those facts that have

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 been passed on around different local churches are about the death, the burial, the resurrection,

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 and the appearances of Jesus to various eyewitnesses. So rather than being late dates,

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 the scholars agree that the dating is actually early. That teaching about the life, death,

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 and resurrection of Jesus is being circulated around the church very early. That Jesus is being

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 worshipped as God from a very early stage in the life of the Christian church. And it's not just

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 Christian sources that point that way. Also non-Christian and hostile sources point in the

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 same way. And there was a really interesting discovery, some Roman graffiti on a hillside

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 outside of Rome. And on this graffiti, there was a crucifixion scene. And at the centre of this

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 crucifixion scene was Jesus. But Jesus didn't have a human head. He was presented as having a donkey's

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 head. And below the crucified donkey-headed Jesus, there is somebody bowing in worship. And the

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 inscription went, Alexa Menos worships his God. Now that graffiti has been dated to within between 85 AD

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 and the third century AD. So early on. And what it says is, well, first of all, it's clear that there are

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 people within the Roman Empire who are very sceptical and mock the idea that Jesus is God. But it's clearly

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 understood that people are worshipping Jesus as God from that early stage. This isn't a late

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 invention of the church. This isn't some kind of power play. This is historical facts that have led

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 to the worship of Jesus from the beginning. Gary Habermas, who is a professor and scholar of the early

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 church period, the early stage. And the early stage of the early stage of the early stage of the early stage.

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 The point is this. No serious scholar dates the New Testament documents outside of the time of living

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 eyewitnesses. No serious scholar suggests that there is time for a myth to develop. Rather, at the time,

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 there was opportunity to cross-examine a variety of different witnesses to get to the truth. So in terms

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 of timing and dating, absolutely yes, we can trust the Bible. Sort of building on that, it's important,

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 I think, to briefly think about manuscript evidence. Because another argument runs that will surely,

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 over time, and through a translation process perhaps, the Bible must have been corrupted,

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 embellished or added to over time. Is there any defence against that? When we look at the manuscripts

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 that we have, is there defence against that? Well, for those experts that look at the original

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 manuscripts that have been discovered, what they find is an incredibly high percentage of accuracy

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 in manuscript copies. So remember, this is the day before word processing, day before mass publishing.

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 So scribes had to hand copy. You get your copy of the gospel, you want to make another one,

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 you have to copy it by hand. Well, the New Testament has 20,000 lines of text.

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 And as they compare copies of what's available, there are only variations to be found in 40 of those 20,000

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 lines. And those 40 variations are totally insignificant as to meaning,

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 and no major doctrine hangs on any of those variations. So an astonishingly high percentage

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 of accuracy in terms of transmission.

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 But then maybe the question is, yeah, but do you have a lot of manuscripts to compare with in order

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 to assess accuracy? And this is where, again, the New Testament does astonishingly well.

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 Just to think about how many copies of Greek New Testaments have been found to be in existence.

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 Now, from, you know, the first days of transmission, there are 5,800 Greek copies, Greek manuscripts.

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 There are 10,000 Latin ones.

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 Now, you compare that with one of the most important histories of the time, the Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar.

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 How many copies from the same period are available?

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 Only 12.

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 New Testament manuscripts would be a pile a mile high.

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 Manuscripts of Julius Caesar, a mere four feet.

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 So, again, it's just to say that we can have strong confidence that the original Greek that we have,

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 we can have confidence that it hasn't been corrupted, that it is an accurate New Testament that we have.

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 Moving on from there, we need to think about the importance of eyewitnesses.

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 Now, when we think about trusting the reliability of the Bible,

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 it's important for us to think about, well, who was writing it?

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 Who was transmitting it?

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 And for this, we owe a lot to a scholar by the name of Richard Boecombe,

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 who wrote a book called Jesus and the Eyewitnesses,

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 which has been very influential in sort of academia and scholarship.

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 And he makes a variety of points, you know, at a basic level,

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 making plain that the Gospels were written at a time when there were many living eyewitnesses,

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 making the point that actually names were being dropped into the Gospels

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 so that you would hear in it, oh, Rufus and Alexander, I know them.

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 They told me the stories of Jesus.

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 And the Gospel writers are saying they're reliable guides to the teaching about Jesus.

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 You find Paul, as he records resurrection appearances,

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 he'll say Jesus appeared to the disciples and to Peter and to Paul and to James,

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 and he appeared to 500 at one time.

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 Here are people that you can find to make sure that what you have heard is true and accurate.

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 And of course, the enemies of Jesus would be at great pains to point out any falsehood

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 so that they could be rejected out of hand.

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 Boecombe is also helpful in thinking about collective memory,

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 research on collective memory and research on eyewitness memory.

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 So eyewitnesses typically have selective accounts.

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 Nobody remembers everything.

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 Eyewitnesses typically retain details that might be considered irrelevant.

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 And you can find those in the Gospels.

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 Jesus provided a miraculous catch of fish

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 and it was so striking to someone that they remembered there was 103 fish.

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 Jesus was asleep in the boat in a storm

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 and it was so striking that someone remembered he was asleep on a pillow.

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 It's also understood that an eyewitness comes from a limited vantage point.

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 They're not speaking for a whole community.

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 They're speaking for themselves.

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 And so eyewitness testimony has that form.

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 If we think for a moment about a law court,

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 eyewitness testimony is usually very valuable in criminal cases,

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 but you'd be slightly suspicious if a wide range of eyewitnesses

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 all had exactly the same report

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 because each one is coming from their own position,

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 their own point of view,

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 able to remember selective things,

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 not recalling absolutely everything.

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 And Bowencombe says that's what you find in the four Gospels.

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 Professor Daniel Wallace

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 tells of the time when a Muslim student came to him.

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 He's a New Testament scholar.

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 A Muslim student came to him with six pages

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 of what she considered to be contradictions within the Gospels.

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 And she said to him,

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 until these contradictions are resolved,

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 I could never trust in the Bible.

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 I could never have faith in Jesus.

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 And what Wallace did was interesting

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 because he simply handed the page back to her,

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 the pages back,

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 and said,

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 look, these supposed contradictions

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 actually stand as proof

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 that the church didn't conspire

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 and they didn't all get together

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 in a cosy huddle to make sure

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 that all the details from all the various perspectives

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 were identical.

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 Rather, you have true account

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 from people's unique vantage point.

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 And that student who received it

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 continued to explore

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 and eventually came to faith in the Lord Jesus.

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 But what we have in the Gospels

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 is not late creation and myth.

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 We have eyewitness accounts,

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 eyewitness history being presented.

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 And I think one important way

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 that we know that,

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 the fourth way to approach the question,

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 can I trust the Bible,

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 is to begin to think about the internal evidence

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 and especially to think about embarrassing details

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 that you find within the Gospels

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 which actually serve to point towards

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 them being authentic.

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 Throughout the Gospels,

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 there are facts included

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 that you would only include

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 because they were true.

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 They are too counter-cultural

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 to be an invention.

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 They don't serve to strengthen,

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 initially at least,

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 they don't serve to strengthen

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 the case for Christianity.

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 Rather, they would appear

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 to weaken it.

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 So those embarrassing details

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 must then point towards them being true.

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 Top three among those

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 would be the way the disciples

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 are presented and the way

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 they present themselves.

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 Why, if you're trying to establish

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 a new movement,

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 why would you write about

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 your top leaders

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 failing to understand

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 teachings so consistently?

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 Why would you record them

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 fighting with one another

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 about greatness?

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 Why record the great failures,

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 for example,

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 abandoning Jesus

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 at his point of need

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 and sleeping

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 while he asks for prayer

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 and running away

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 while he is arrested?

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 There is nothing to gain

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 from presenting failing

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 and flawed leaders

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 except to show

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 that this is true.

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 Another embarrassing detail

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 is the fact that

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 women are included

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 as the first eyewitnesses

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 of the resurrection.

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 Now, it's been widely recognised

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 that Jesus

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 and the early Christian church

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 actually had a much higher view

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 of women

00:20:57.319 --> 00:20:59.099
 than prevailing society.

00:20:59.659 --> 00:21:00.940
 But when the evidence

00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:01.599
 of a woman

00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:03.039
 was not accepted

00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:04.579
 in a law court,

00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:07.059
 why would you include

00:21:07.059 --> 00:21:08.599
 as your first eyewitnesses

00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:09.599
 a group of women?

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:11.700
 Unless, it's true,

00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:12.440
 surely you would want

00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:13.579
 a key leader,

00:21:13.919 --> 00:21:15.000
 someone with prominence

00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:16.059
 to be the first eyewitness

00:21:16.059 --> 00:21:18.879
 to give it greater gravitas,

00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:19.599
 you might think.

00:21:20.679 --> 00:21:21.559
 And then we think

00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:22.740
 about the crucifixion.

00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:25.500
 If the gospels

00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:26.420
 are an invention,

00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:30.359
 why have the leader

00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:31.519
 of that movement

00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.539
 die the most shameful death

00:21:34.539 --> 00:21:36.140
 imaginable?

00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:41.420
 Why have him cry out

00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:42.420
 on the cross,

00:21:43.059 --> 00:21:44.819
 my God, my God,

00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:47.220
 why have you forsaken me?

00:21:47.220 --> 00:21:50.380
 Why present a leader

00:21:50.380 --> 00:21:53.140
 who appears in weakness,

00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:55.539
 who is humiliated,

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:58.279
 who seems to have failed?

00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:00.900
 And especially

00:22:00.900 --> 00:22:02.100
 when we understand

00:22:02.100 --> 00:22:04.319
 that there was no expectation

00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:06.420
 within Judaism

00:22:06.420 --> 00:22:07.819
 or within any other

00:22:07.819 --> 00:22:09.100
 religious movement

00:22:09.100 --> 00:22:09.900
 or community

00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:10.940
 for a dying

00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:12.200
 and rising Messiah,

00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:14.600
 why the crucifixion?

00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:15.759
 Unless,

00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:17.079
 it's true.

00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:19.919
 So those embarrassing

00:22:19.919 --> 00:22:21.179
 details help to point

00:22:21.179 --> 00:22:22.179
 towards authenticity.

00:22:23.980 --> 00:22:24.519
 So hopefully,

00:22:24.699 --> 00:22:25.659
 it's clear

00:22:25.659 --> 00:22:27.179
 that there is evidence

00:22:27.179 --> 00:22:29.079
 for trusting

00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:30.139
 the Bible.

00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:31.319
 There are various ways

00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:32.379
 to build up that case,

00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:33.039
 ways that we

00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:33.899
 haven't begun

00:22:33.899 --> 00:22:34.419
 to explore

00:22:34.419 --> 00:22:35.379
 with the limited time

00:22:35.379 --> 00:22:36.240
 that we have.

00:22:37.159 --> 00:22:37.879
 But one thing

00:22:37.879 --> 00:22:38.639
 it's important to see

00:22:38.639 --> 00:22:39.859
 about Christian scriptures,

00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:41.399
 the Bible,

00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:43.180
 they are unique

00:22:43.180 --> 00:22:44.860
 in that they are rooted

00:22:44.860 --> 00:22:46.340
 in history,

00:22:46.780 --> 00:22:47.460
 people,

00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.420
 places,

00:22:49.100 --> 00:22:49.600
 times.

00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:52.660
 The Bible encourages

00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:54.880
 historical investigation

00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:57.759
 and it rests on

00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.240
 historical facts,

00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:03.640
 principally about the birth,

00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:04.680
 life,

00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:05.780
 and especially

00:23:05.780 --> 00:23:07.340
 the sacrificial death

00:23:07.340 --> 00:23:08.280
 and resurrection

00:23:08.280 --> 00:23:09.180
 of Jesus.

00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:11.460
 Paul again

00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:11.880
 could say

00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:12.299
 if Jesus

00:23:12.299 --> 00:23:13.360
 is not raised

00:23:13.360 --> 00:23:14.279
 from the dead

00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:15.220
 of all people

00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:16.019
 in the whole world,

00:23:16.320 --> 00:23:17.100
 Christians are most

00:23:17.100 --> 00:23:17.720
 to be pitied

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:18.279
 because we built

00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:18.920
 our faith

00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:20.279
 on a fiction

00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:22.400
 when the Gospels

00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:22.860
 are saying

00:23:22.860 --> 00:23:24.259
 it's historical truth.

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.140
 What we have

00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:26.960
 in the Gospels

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:29.120
 is eyewitness

00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:30.080
 history.

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:31.060
 Even a really

00:23:31.060 --> 00:23:32.259
 sceptical professor

00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:34.720
 like Bart Ehrman

00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.880
 who really is

00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:36.560
 no friend

00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:37.560
 to the Christian church,

00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:38.440
 he concludes

00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:40.360
 that the four Gospels

00:23:40.360 --> 00:23:41.640
 are the best,

00:23:42.259 --> 00:23:42.860
 oldest,

00:23:43.360 --> 00:23:44.580
 and most reliable

00:23:44.580 --> 00:23:45.240
 guide

00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.740
 to the authentic

00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:47.259
 Jesus.

00:23:48.840 --> 00:23:49.680
 But you know,

00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:50.360
 there's still one

00:23:50.360 --> 00:23:52.059
 crucial argument

00:23:52.059 --> 00:23:52.640
 to consider,

00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:54.480
 perhaps in some ways

00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.779
 the key argument

00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:56.640
 to consider

00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.240
 and it's this.

00:23:59.320 --> 00:24:00.539
 How did Jesus

00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:01.500
 read the Bible?

00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:02.200
 Did Jesus

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:03.340
 trust the Bible?

00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:04.519
 What did Jesus

00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:05.759
 have to say?

00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:06.960
 And so we began

00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:08.039
 with those three

00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:08.920
 different texts.

00:24:09.059 --> 00:24:09.680
 So we began

00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:11.279
 with Matthew chapter 5,

00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:13.019
 the Sermon on the Mount

00:24:13.019 --> 00:24:13.859
 and Jesus saying

00:24:13.859 --> 00:24:15.339
 not one iota,

00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:16.379
 not one dot

00:24:16.379 --> 00:24:17.039
 will pass

00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:18.019
 from the law,

00:24:18.099 --> 00:24:19.339
 will pass from God's word

00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:21.119
 until it is accomplished.

00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:22.460
 So Jesus there

00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:23.839
 has the written word

00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:24.500
 of God

00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:25.180
 in view

00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:26.160
 and what he says

00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:27.960
 is all of it

00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:29.220
 is trustworthy,

00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:30.759
 all of it

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:32.279
 is authoritative.

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:34.420
 Jesus had total

00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:35.399
 confidence

00:24:35.399 --> 00:24:36.740
 in the Bible

00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:37.339
 that he had

00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:37.740
 which was

00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:39.119
 the Old Testament.

00:24:39.779 --> 00:24:40.619
 So he would then

00:24:40.619 --> 00:24:41.139
 go on to say

00:24:41.139 --> 00:24:41.940
 in the Sermon on the Mount

00:24:41.940 --> 00:24:43.119
 that the Old Testament

00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:44.779
 sets the ethics

00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:45.819
 for the people of God

00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:46.720
 and that can be trusted.

00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:48.740
 And then we read

00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:49.700
 that interesting passage

00:24:49.700 --> 00:24:51.180
 in Matthew chapter 12

00:24:51.180 --> 00:24:52.639
 where among other things

00:24:52.639 --> 00:24:53.200
 Jesus said

00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:54.220
 just as Jonah

00:24:54.220 --> 00:24:56.039
 was three days and nights

00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:56.500
 in the belly

00:24:56.500 --> 00:24:57.379
 of a great fish

00:24:57.379 --> 00:24:58.839
 so will the Son of Man

00:24:58.839 --> 00:24:59.639
 be three days

00:24:59.639 --> 00:25:00.220
 and three nights

00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:01.200
 in the heart of the earth.

00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:03.660
 So here's Jesus

00:25:03.660 --> 00:25:04.620
 going to one of the

00:25:04.620 --> 00:25:05.720
 hardest stories

00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:06.380
 in the Old Testament

00:25:06.380 --> 00:25:06.940
 to swallow.

00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.519
 Pardon the obvious pun.

00:25:09.840 --> 00:25:10.940
 The story of Jonah

00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:11.960
 regarded by many

00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:12.759
 as myth and fable.

00:25:12.840 --> 00:25:13.720
 How did Jesus read it?

00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:14.700
 He read it as history

00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:15.360
 and we know that

00:25:15.360 --> 00:25:15.880
 because he says

00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:18.440
 just as the historical Jonah

00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:19.600
 was swallowed

00:25:19.600 --> 00:25:20.819
 for three days

00:25:20.819 --> 00:25:21.400
 and three nights

00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:22.779
 so I

00:25:22.779 --> 00:25:23.779
 in history

00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:25.319
 will be

00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:25.880
 buried

00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:27.039
 for three days

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:27.740
 before

00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:28.700
 rising

00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:29.580
 again.

00:25:29.579 --> 00:25:31.220
 Jesus draws

00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:31.879
 a straight line

00:25:31.879 --> 00:25:32.539
 connection

00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:34.099
 with the historical

00:25:34.099 --> 00:25:35.119
 facts of Jonah

00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:36.519
 to the historical

00:25:36.519 --> 00:25:37.419
 facts of his own

00:25:37.419 --> 00:25:38.799
 death and resurrection.

00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:39.879
 Jesus read

00:25:39.879 --> 00:25:41.099
 the history of the Bible

00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:42.139
 as history

00:25:42.139 --> 00:25:43.359
 and he trusted it

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:44.480
 and so therefore

00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:45.919
 can we.

00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:47.919
 And then that

00:25:47.919 --> 00:25:48.839
 section

00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:50.240
 in John's gospel

00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:51.139
 where Jesus

00:25:51.139 --> 00:25:51.679
 is speaking

00:25:51.679 --> 00:25:52.939
 to his opponents

00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:54.340
 and he said

00:25:54.340 --> 00:25:54.720
 to them

00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:55.180
 those who

00:25:55.180 --> 00:25:55.820
 had grown up

00:25:55.820 --> 00:25:56.779
 studying the scriptures

00:25:56.779 --> 00:25:57.600
 and teaching the scriptures

00:25:57.600 --> 00:25:59.320
 you search the scriptures

00:25:59.320 --> 00:26:00.759
 because you think

00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:01.299
 that in them

00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:02.539
 you have eternal life

00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:03.680
 and it is they

00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:05.180
 that bear witness

00:26:05.180 --> 00:26:05.820
 about me.

00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:07.100
 So Jesus

00:26:07.100 --> 00:26:07.620
 says something

00:26:07.620 --> 00:26:08.380
 radical there

00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:08.660
 he says

00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:09.880
 the whole Bible

00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:11.320
 is about me.

00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:13.279
 That he is the hero

00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:14.420
 in the story

00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:15.039
 of salvation

00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:15.680
 whether we read

00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:16.360
 the Old Testament

00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.480
 that's pointing forward

00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:18.019
 to Jesus

00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:18.680
 or we read

00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:19.279
 the New Testament

00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.299
 and it's explaining

00:26:20.299 --> 00:26:21.360
 giving the facts

00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:22.199
 about the life, death

00:26:22.199 --> 00:26:22.679
 and resurrection

00:26:22.679 --> 00:26:23.179
 of Jesus

00:26:23.179 --> 00:26:24.039
 and explaining

00:26:24.039 --> 00:26:24.799
 the significance

00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:26.039
 all of it

00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:27.599
 points to him

00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:29.699
 and that's significant

00:26:29.699 --> 00:26:32.439
 because it's in Jesus

00:26:32.439 --> 00:26:33.299
 and understanding

00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:34.259
 the message about him

00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:35.439
 that we can receive

00:26:35.439 --> 00:26:36.259
 eternal life

00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:37.000
 he is the giver

00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:38.240
 of life.

00:26:38.899 --> 00:26:39.240
 The problem

00:26:39.240 --> 00:26:40.099
 in Jesus' day

00:26:40.099 --> 00:26:41.059
 with his opponents

00:26:41.059 --> 00:26:42.859
 wasn't the question

00:26:42.859 --> 00:26:44.199
 of historical reliability

00:26:44.199 --> 00:26:44.799
 they had Jesus

00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:45.779
 right there in front of them

00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:46.799
 the problem was

00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:48.839
 his exclusive truth claims

00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:49.919
 his claim

00:26:49.919 --> 00:26:50.559
 to be Lord

00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:51.059
 and King

00:26:51.059 --> 00:26:51.639
 his claim

00:26:51.639 --> 00:26:52.159
 to be able

00:26:52.159 --> 00:26:53.259
 to forgive sins

00:26:53.259 --> 00:26:53.519
 and we're going

00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:54.319
 to think about

00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:55.220
 next week

00:26:55.220 --> 00:26:56.799
 that question

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.200
 of exclusive

00:26:58.200 --> 00:26:59.179
 truth claims

00:26:59.179 --> 00:27:01.059
 in our own day.

00:27:02.039 --> 00:27:02.899
 Peter Williams

00:27:02.899 --> 00:27:03.500
 who wrote a book

00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:03.759
 called

00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:05.019
 Can We Trust the Gospels

00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:05.359
 he says

00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:06.639
 the Gospels

00:27:06.639 --> 00:27:07.759
 would pass

00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:08.940
 historical tests

00:27:08.940 --> 00:27:10.059
 without question

00:27:10.059 --> 00:27:10.919
 but

00:27:10.919 --> 00:27:12.679
 it's the claims

00:27:12.679 --> 00:27:13.839
 of Jesus' teaching

00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:15.379
 that lead people

00:27:15.379 --> 00:27:16.639
 to want to reject them.

00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:19.079
 So the challenge

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:19.980
 is always there

00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:21.640
 we can trust

00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:22.200
 the Bible

00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:23.180
 that we open

00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:25.900
 but will we be open

00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:27.579
 to what we find?

00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:31.559
 To trust the Bible

00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:33.720
 is to share

00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:35.000
 the same viewpoint

00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:36.360
 as Jesus

00:27:36.360 --> 00:27:38.839
 and this is something

00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:39.839
 that matters

00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:41.299
 because to read

00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:42.099
 the Bible then

00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:42.599
 is to hear

00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:43.500
 God's revelation

00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:44.099
 of truth.

00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:44.779
 Again,

00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:45.839
 it's not human speculation

00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:46.939
 it's not myth.

00:27:48.059 --> 00:27:49.059
 Nothing matters

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:49.919
 more for us

00:27:49.919 --> 00:27:50.500
 than to hear

00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:51.220
 from our God

00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:52.039
 and our Creator

00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:53.119
 and Jesus says

00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:53.599
 in the Bible

00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:54.500
 that's what you find.

00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:57.779
 And to hear

00:27:57.779 --> 00:27:58.220
 the Bible

00:27:58.220 --> 00:27:59.139
 to read the Bible

00:27:59.139 --> 00:27:59.699
 is to hear

00:27:59.699 --> 00:28:00.339
 God's truth

00:28:00.339 --> 00:28:01.279
 about salvation

00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.500
 which centres

00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:03.220
 on Jesus

00:28:03.220 --> 00:28:03.759
 the Son

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.720
 coming into

00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:05.500
 history

00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:06.639
 bringing good news

00:28:06.639 --> 00:28:07.419
 and offering

00:28:07.419 --> 00:28:09.039
 eternal life

00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:10.420
 because

00:28:10.420 --> 00:28:11.579
 Jesus

00:28:11.579 --> 00:28:12.339
 literally

00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:13.279
 died

00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:14.039
 and rose

00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:15.119
 to pay

00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:15.759
 for sin

00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:17.259
 to satisfy

00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:18.240
 God's justice

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:19.099
 against his

00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:19.819
 broken law

00:28:19.819 --> 00:28:21.039
 and to demonstrate

00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:21.940
 the love of God

00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:22.599
 and the desire

00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:23.700
 to save people

00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:25.420
 so that you

00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:26.019
 and I today

00:28:26.019 --> 00:28:26.920
 we literally

00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:28.779
 have a life

00:28:28.779 --> 00:28:29.399
 and death

00:28:29.399 --> 00:28:30.000
 decision

00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:30.980
 to make.

00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:33.099
 Do we trust

00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:33.740
 the Bible

00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:35.019
 really

00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:36.200
 matters?

00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:38.299
 Now I'm going

00:28:38.299 --> 00:28:38.720
 to pray

00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:39.859
 briefly

00:28:39.859 --> 00:28:40.980
 and then

00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:42.460
 we will sing

00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:43.920
 a couple of

00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:45.019
 songs to close

00:28:45.019 --> 00:28:45.559
 so let me

00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:46.240
 pray.

00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:49.000
 Dear God

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:49.539
 thank you

00:28:49.539 --> 00:28:50.240
 for a chance

00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:51.740
 to explore

00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:53.579
 your word

00:28:53.579 --> 00:28:54.880
 and thank you

00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:55.259
 that the Bible

00:28:55.259 --> 00:28:55.779
 says

00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:57.039
 the word

00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:57.539
 of God

00:28:57.539 --> 00:28:58.940
 is powerful

00:28:58.940 --> 00:28:59.839
 it's living

00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:01.000
 and active

00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:02.740
 that it is

00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:03.180
 true

00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:03.500
 that it's

00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:03.920
 a guide

00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:04.500
 for life

00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:04.799
 that it's

00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:05.519
 a treasure

00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.799
 thank you

00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:08.480
 that the Bible

00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.180
 we're told

00:29:09.180 --> 00:29:10.460
 centres on

00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:10.880
 Jesus

00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:12.140
 your son

00:29:12.140 --> 00:29:12.860
 who you sent

00:29:12.860 --> 00:29:13.580
 into the world

00:29:13.580 --> 00:29:14.640
 to be saviour

00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:16.920
 thank you

00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:18.360
 for all the work

00:29:18.360 --> 00:29:18.799
 that people

00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:19.320
 have done

00:29:19.320 --> 00:29:19.960
 to show

00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:21.100
 that the Bible

00:29:21.100 --> 00:29:22.259
 can be trusted

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:23.400
 that there is

00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:24.039
 evidence

00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:24.759
 for its

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:25.440
 reliability

00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:27.580
 that matters

00:29:27.580 --> 00:29:28.080
 for us

00:29:28.080 --> 00:29:28.840
 as a church

00:29:28.840 --> 00:29:29.880
 because we

00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:30.560
 want our

00:29:30.560 --> 00:29:31.539
 life together

00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:32.680
 to be centred

00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:33.140
 on

00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:34.519
 what we

00:29:34.519 --> 00:29:35.100
 read

00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:36.460
 and hear

00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:37.820
 in the Bible

00:29:37.820 --> 00:29:38.920
 we don't

00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:39.360
 want it

00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:39.840
 to go in

00:29:39.840 --> 00:29:40.240
 one ear

00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:40.620
 and out

00:29:40.620 --> 00:29:41.240
 the other

00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:42.200
 we don't

00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:42.480
 want to

00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:42.860
 just be

00:29:42.860 --> 00:29:43.320
 hearers

00:29:43.320 --> 00:29:43.700
 we want

00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:43.980
 to be

00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:44.400
 doers

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:45.480
 and so

00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:45.880
 it's good

00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:46.180
 for us

00:29:46.180 --> 00:29:46.420
 to know

00:29:46.420 --> 00:29:46.680
 that we

00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:47.320
 can rely

00:29:47.320 --> 00:29:47.860
 on

00:29:47.860 --> 00:29:48.380
 its

00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:49.060
 teaching

00:29:49.060 --> 00:29:50.080
 and its

00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:50.440
 truth

00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:51.539
 we pray

00:29:51.539 --> 00:29:51.940
 that you'd

00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:52.340
 make us

00:29:52.340 --> 00:29:52.640
 people

00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:53.799
 that love

00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:54.220
 to read

00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:54.600
 the Bible

00:29:54.600 --> 00:29:55.039
 love to

00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:55.400
 study

00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:55.820
 the Bible

00:29:55.820 --> 00:29:56.140
 that we

00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:56.539
 want to

00:29:56.539 --> 00:29:57.000
 share it

00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:57.380
 together

00:29:57.380 --> 00:29:58.019
 with family

00:29:58.019 --> 00:29:58.340
 and with

00:29:58.340 --> 00:29:58.680
 friends

00:29:58.680 --> 00:29:58.980
 and as

00:29:58.980 --> 00:29:59.480
 a church

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.340
 with our

00:30:00.340 --> 00:30:00.779
 neighbours

00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:02.759
 but it

00:30:02.759 --> 00:30:03.440
 also matters

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:03.840
 for those

00:30:03.840 --> 00:30:04.100
 of us

00:30:04.100 --> 00:30:04.299
 who are

00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:04.840
 exploring

00:30:04.840 --> 00:30:05.620
 Christianity

00:30:05.620 --> 00:30:06.580
 to know

00:30:06.580 --> 00:30:07.380
 that what

00:30:07.380 --> 00:30:08.000
 we read

00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:08.460
 can be

00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:08.940
 trusted

00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:10.440
 that when

00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:10.940
 we read

00:30:10.940 --> 00:30:11.340
 it's not

00:30:11.340 --> 00:30:11.759
 words

00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:12.240
 invented

00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:12.880
 by people

00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:13.660
 but it's

00:30:13.660 --> 00:30:14.820
 inspired

00:30:14.820 --> 00:30:15.980
 by you

00:30:15.980 --> 00:30:16.380
 the living

00:30:16.380 --> 00:30:16.799
 God

00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:18.259
 and so we

00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:18.720
 pray for each

00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:19.140
 one of us

00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:19.360
 that you'd

00:30:19.360 --> 00:30:19.680
 help us

00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:20.680
 to think

00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:21.019
 through

00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:21.660
 our own

00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:22.420
 attitude

00:30:22.420 --> 00:30:22.900
 to the

00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:23.160
 Bible

00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:24.460
 that we

00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:24.700
 would

00:30:24.700 --> 00:30:25.420
 open

00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:26.680
 the Bible

00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:27.440
 and that

00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:27.759
 we would

00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:28.340
 be open

00:30:28.340 --> 00:30:29.220
 to it

00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:30.340
 and we

00:30:30.340 --> 00:30:30.980
 pray this

00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:31.960
 in Jesus

00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:32.360
 name

00:30:32.360 --> 00:30:33.340
 Amen