The Sureness of the Word: A God-breathed Book

1. Back to Basics

2. IF God wrote a book, What would it be like?

3. The Sureness of the Word • The Bible Claims Inspiration For Itself • Every Word of Scripture is like the Voice of God Speaking to us • 2 Timothy 3:16,17 • “inspiration of God” = “God-breathed” • The literal WORDS of God • 2 Peter 2:20,21

4. The Sureness of the Word • The Bible Claims Inspiration For Itself • It is the “Word of God” • 1 Corinthians 2:13; 14:37 • Matthew 5:18,19 • John 8:57-59 • εἰμί eimi – “Jesus claims eternity.. Equal to the Father… what is ascribed to the Father is attributed to Him (Isaiah 43:10 LXX).”

5. O.T. Claims to be Word of God • Hosea 1:1 “Word of the Lord” • Amos 1:3 “Thus says the Lord” • Malachi 1:1 “the word of the Lord to Israel” • Inspired men in the O.T. declared what they said was From God- • 2 Samuel 23:2 “Spirit of the Lord spoke by me” • Jeremiah 1:9 “Lord put forth His hand & touched my mouth”

6. New Testament Writers Claimed Same Inspiration from God in Their Writings • 1 Corinthians 14:37 “things I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” • John 16;13 “the Spirit of truth… He will guide you into all truth..”

7. Prophetic Fulfillment Compelling Testimony to Inspiration of the Bible • Deuteronomy 18:18-22 “…when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken…” • IF predictions of future events are not fulfilled, cannot be from God!

8. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Destruction of Tyre – • Ezekiel prophesied that: • Nebuchadnezzar would destroy it • Many nations rise against it • Would be made a bare rock • Fishermen would spread nets over the site • Would never be rebuilt & never found again (Ezekiel 26:3-21)

9. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Destruction of Tyre – • Possible Ezekiel could have guessed about Nebuchadnezzar Defeating Tyre • BUT – it is out of the realm of possibility for Ezekiel to have “guessed” successfully about the complete destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great! • Every Prophecy about Tyre came True!

10. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Cities of Nineveh & Babylon – • Nahum 1:8,10; 2:6; 3:10-13; Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 14:23 • Nineveh predicted to fall quickly & Babylon completely destroyed • Not One Thing Failed that was Prophesied! • Today, the once proud cities of Nineveh and Babylon stand desolate, all according to the word of God

11. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Dating for Beginning of the Gospel Age – • Daniel Chapter 2 • Four World Empires – Babylon, Persia, Greek & Roman • God to set up everlasting kingdom during FOURTH Empire (Daniel 2:44) • Kingdom would begin at Jerusalem & would include Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 2:1ff)

12. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Prophesies concerning Ministry of Christ– • Jesus born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1 - HE WAS! • Herod would kill the children – Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16 – HE DID! • To be preceded by a Messenger – Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1,2 - John the Baptist!

13. Few Examples of fulfilled Prophecies- • Prophesies concerning Ministry of Christ– • Isaiah Chapter 53 – details suffering, vicarious death of the Messiah. • Some 60 Prophecies in the O.T. fulfilled in Jesus! • Considering only EIGHT (8) of them, the chances of accidental fulfillment of ALL OF THEM would be: • 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (15 Zeros!)

14. Greatest Proof of Inspiration the Resurrection of Jesus Christ • Universal agreement among believers & critics concerning some facts about Jesus: • There was a man named Jesus • He was a great teacher to whom miracles were attributed • Was taken in Jerusalem, tried & executed • On Sunday following, body gone!

15. Greatest Proof of Inspiration the Resurrection of Jesus Christ • Bible predicted the Resurrection of the Messiah- • Psalm 16:10 “not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” • Isaiah 53:10 “make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days”

16. What Possible Reason for the Empty Tomb? • Disciples stolen body? • Cannot be true! • Tomb securely guarded • How could men who all scattered into hiding in fear so quickly summon the courage to face Roman soldiers? • Why DIE, some horribly, for what they knew to be a LIE?

17. What Possible Reason for the Empty Tomb? • Enemies taken the body? • WHY? • In their interest to keep Jesus in the tomb – that is why they asked for a guard on the tomb. • Why Didn’t they produce the body of Jesus on Pentecost to show that it was all just a lie?

18. What Possible Reason for the Empty Tomb? • Faking death or be revived after placed in tomb? • How could a man who suffered the horrible things before the cross, nailed hands & feet do this? • Was declared dead after having His side & heart pierced, how could He have enough energy to revive & move a huge burial stone out of the way & escape?

19. What Possible Reason for the Empty Tomb? • Could it be that the disciples came to the wrong tomb & Jesus was still in the grave? • Roman soldiers were at the genuine tomb of Jesus since he had been placed there. They verified the real one was empty! • WHY didn’t the enemies of Jesus declare this fact later?

20. What Possible Reason for the Empty Tomb? • Only One Possible Explanation! • Jesus was Raised From The Dead! • He came forth to ascend back to the Father • He validated message of the Bible from beginning to end • It was all about a coming Messiah Who was going to die for the sins of mankind! • “Up from the grave He arose!”

21. God’s Word Stands Sure & Certain! It IS the Word of God!

22. What Will You Do With That Word? • John 12:48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”