If you believe the Bible is the Word of God, why?

Question

I don't, or at least I have my doubts.

I posted a response to a similar Yahoo question a short time ago--see

http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuAixsr74X4AmUgjLyjrr1ytcRV.?qid=20070614213518AAju88X&r=w&cp=2&tp=2&tnu=53#all-answers

In that response, I pointed out how there were several "Jesuses before Jesus Christ".

I also pointed out some facts about the authorship of the Bible, and some links. What are your feelings after reading these links?:

Information about the first Council of Nicea, in which the Bible was rehashed:
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=98&contentid=4440&page=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

Information about actual authorship of the Bible:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew

Information about Jesuses before Jesus:
http://p081.ezboard.com/fmomministryofmasonsfrm7.showMessageRange?topicID=33.topic&start=1&stop=20

Answer 1

bible is the word of god & there were not several jesuses b4 juses they were all prophets like jesus & they had different names they all were god's messengers & the holy boodk that god gave them just completet more & more by the next prophet i mean by the more words that god told the prophets its like school from the first grade u r learning science & liturature & even then theyr all correct but not complete so u continue & it gets more & more complete .

Answer 2

I haven't read the articles yet you proposed, but I'll tell you this:

The Old Testament is the same as the Tenach from the Jews.
This Tenach is still the same as the ancient manuscripts.
These ancient manuscripts have not been changed. The Jews are too respectful to their scripture and God fiering to do that (look at muslims and the Quran to get the picture)
Even if the Jewish religion had been man-made (which it was not, let me explain) the scriptures have not been changed since about 400 BC.
At that time, science was not yet very devellopped.
Yet, nothing in the Bible has been contradicted by any science, wether it is Biology or Archeology. It is only being confirmed daily.

The Gospels in the New Testament are based on the profecies of the Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. There might have been some people who were born in Bethlehem and who could have fulfilled sopme of the proficies, but they have ALL (more than 300) been fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
Look at Psalm 22 (from the Tenach) and at Christs death (which nobody denies): Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Peter Stoner (you can look him up on Internet) did a lot of research. He said:

In order for one man to fulfill just 8 of the prophecies it would be equivalent to taking silver dollars and laying them side by side across the entire state of Texas so they covered the ground to a depth of 2 feet (not leaving an inch of open ground in the whole state.) Now, mark one of the silver dollars with a red 'x' and place it somewhere within that pile, anywhere in the state. Next, take a blind man and take him anywhere he wants to go in Texas and then have him reach down and pick up a silver dollar, just one. The odds of him being able to pick up the one with the red 'x' is equivalent to one man being able to fulfill just 8 of the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

However, proving the veracity of the Bible has no use, because it remains a question of faith and belief.

The veracity of the Bible is NOT the reason why I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
My life is just so awesome because I chose Him as my Lord.
My belief is not theoretical but very practical.
I don't like religion but RELATION.
I have a relationship with God.
He lives.
I am so often encouraged on ways that can't be coincidence.

There is a spiritual world. Look at the miracles that happen (and on the other hand the demonic works ==> I have lived in Africa, and I know)
Luckily, I'm on the good side. I hope you'll be too.

For more questions, mail me. I can say a lot more.

Answer 3

asd d is wrong, I will give you a straight and accurate answer. Many years ago I was an evangelical bible-believing christian until I attended bible college and my marriage went to hell in a handbasket. If that was the best God could do then I wanted out. During my 8 years in the church I had two encounters with the paraklete. I was clueless what those encounters were trying to tell me until this past year. I have discovered how to tell the difference between the mental voices of the unholy and Holy spirits. Until I learned this it was not possible to separate truth from lies and it was confusing to say the least. No, the bible is not the word of God, but there is just enough truth in there if we really pay attention, to lead us to the source of truth. Jesus told us that The Holy Spirit would reveal all truth to us and He wasn't kidding. The real truth changes everything. Are you prepared for that?

Answer 4

Because I have tested what is inside and it is all true, therefore if it is all true, it must be as well. Also there is archaeological proof which backs up the events which it describes. I don't understand what you are trying to get to, through your authorship of the Bible link, God did not physically write the bible, all Christians should know that. He inspired people to write events which can be taken by us as lessons, Moses wrote some as well, but only what God inspired him to write.
I also don't see how you can say that the Bible rehashed and not belief a book which has archaeological proof, yet believe some dodgy article which does not state any proof to back-up its claims.
Also the Jesus-es before Jesus has no proof to back-up any claims of Buddha made so early, there is no book which dates back 2000+ years...

Answer 5

I don't consider Wikipedia to be the final authority, though it is interesting. I've gone to other sources as well, and what I've found is that the Bible IS the word of God.

As for the claim that other people similar to Jesus existed, most of those stories were not written until AFTER Jesus had lived and died. Jesus Himself said that many would come after Him, and He was right.

The site that you posted about that is misleading. If one reads the mythology of Horus, there are virtually NO similarities. He was not born of Meri, but Isis and Osiris.

The writings of the life of Buddha were NOT written until AFTER Jesus lived; instead, they were passed down by oral tradition for hundreds of years. And Buddha's mother was not a virgin.

The story of Mithra may be similar, I'll give it that. But there are also MANY more differences, and besides, it wasn't written by people who said, "If you don't believe us, ask those guys over there. They saw it, too." The myth of Mithra is a "once upon a time" type of story.

With Krishna, there is at least one HUGE difference: Krishna is considered to have been born at several different times in history. He comes when mankind is in serious trouble. Not only that, but again, much of the mythology that was added in was NOT written at the time, but much later. And again, it was NOT written by people who said, "If you don't believe us, ask those guys over there. They saw it, too!"

With Osiris-Dionysus, it is NOT written as historical fact, but mythical allegory.

The Bible makes some pretty outrageous claims, and it NEVER says that it is mythology. Throughout the Bible, the people writing of these "miracles" claim to have witnessed them. Is there any such claim in any of the other "similar" characters? No.

My information was gathered from several apologetics' books, as well as right here on the internet from MANY different sources. I went to www.askjeeves.com, and asked exactly when these stories were written. While I couldn't find an exact date (maybe no one knows), I did find other things, including similarities between Horus and Hitler.

The fact of the matter is, those similarities are rather vague. The story of Jesus is specific.

As for the Council of Nicea, I've already read about it (MANY different books, church history is important to me), and I found nothing suspicious. It was actually very understandable that they would have something like that.

Constantine did NOT have the Gospels rewritten. That is an outright LIE. If I'm not mistaken, Constantine was LONG DEAD in 1947, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The oldest copies available of the New Testament date back to the late 1st century. From those, they found that there was only about a .05% difference between them, and the ones we have now.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=What+year+do+the+oldest+fragments+of+the+New+Testament+date+to%3F&search=&qsrc=0&o=312&l=dir

Answer 6

The Council of Nicea did not "rehash" the bible. They were ensuring that any false gospels did not continue to creep into the church.

Your thoughts on the authorship of the bible are a little off. You have stated that no apostles wrote about Jesus. Yet we have the book of Matthew, John, 1Peter, 2Peter, 1John, 2John, 3John, and James (Jesus' brother, who did not believe in Him before His resurrection). Luke and Mark were disciples of Paul and Peter and wrote these things down so close to the events that people who were there could refute any of their claims.

"Jesuses" before Jesus. This is just ridiculous. No one compared to Him. Jesus had eyewitnesses acount for His actions and sayings very close to His lifetime. You cannot compare Him to legends that have been confirmed to be legends or to figures like Buddha whose biography was not documented until well after Jesus Himself, over 600 yrs later.

Sorry, I must strongly disagree with you. I understand that your research has led you here. Mine has also. There are tons of legitimate evidence to support the Christian faith. However, like Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you see me. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet they believe."

Answer 7

If the internet is your source of wisdom then you can find an equal amount of valid links that support the bible being the word of God, so it's not for a lack of information that you have doubt. The danger of a forum such as this one is that if you have a little faith then you are prey for those who are against God and you are subjected to the lack of faith of others. But this can also be a place where your faith can be tested and grow.

Answer 8

*Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Okay...we've established that God cannot lie. Now we will look at what God says about the scriptures.
*Psalm 12:86 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
God tells us His words are pure...purified seven times.
It is all about faith...Faith is believing without seeing...I have faith in the oxygen in the air that keeps this body alive even though I don't see it...I have faith my car will start in the morning when I go to work...
*John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
*Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
As far as Jesus goes...that was a common name when Jesus Christ walked this earth...how many of those "other" Jesus' performed miracles? How many of those "other" Jesus' rose again? We are warned of "another Jesus". Posers, wannabes...
*2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
It is by faith that I believe the bible is the word of God...not to mention that the book of Isaiah was found with the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.

Answer 9

John you hit the nail on the head with this one. The fact that I believe for myself, is all the proof I need for myself. The reason why I believe has several answers. Here is just a couple. I have seen God's word proven in my own life. I feel his presence, in my soul, my mind and all around me. I have not only seen God's miracles with my own eyes, but have had them happen to me personally. Everything that I have read in the Bible, proves itself to me daily. Hope that answers your question to your own satisfaction. After all, we are asking about my beliefs and not yours, or are we? Keep searching, you will find the answer you need, for your own life. Just promise me one thing, don't disbelieve until you have read it completely through from cover to cover.

Answer 10

There is a universe of difference between the pure teachings and meanings of a universal educator and the encrustations that humans add on to those teachings. By add on, I mean twist and pervert the intended original meaning either out of sincere ignorance or to promote their own self-serving agenda, not necessarily to literally change the words. These examples, you have so meticulously ferreted are the results of those inherited, unexamined, unquestioned encrustations, and it's still piling up today right in the homes and churches.

Answer 11

Ok i know that I have written this before but go read a book called the case for christ You might even look up some of his reference materials look them over then see if you have exactly the same answers or questions.