1. The Uniqueness of the Holy Scriptures. - In 1947 a nomadic tribesman stumbled across a cave in the area of the dead sea, and inside were found copies of manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures, further caves were found from it came many more manuscripts authenticating the scriptures and in particular the Old Testament
Processor William F Albright declared that the manuscripts were the most important discovery ever made in Old Testament Manuscripts. Concerning the New Testament, there are no less than 20,000 manuscripts each containing all or part of the New testament. When we look at other ancient documents. For example, we have only nine or ten copies of Caesar’s (some what biased) Gallic War 58-50 BC) and just 20 copies Livy’s Roman History (59 BC- AD 17). The material we have from the great works of Tactitus depends entirely on two manuscripts written by Pliny the Younger . No other ancient document approaches the New testament’s weight of evidence.
When we think of the variety of material contained in the Bible, which were written by some 40 different authors at intervals stretching over 1500 years. The writers wrote in various lands, from Italy in the west to Mesopotamia and possibly Persia in the east. The writers themselves were not only separated by hundreds of years and hundreds of miles, but belonging to the most diverse walks of life. In their ranks we have kings, herdsmen, soldiers, legislators, fishermen, statesmen, courtiers, priests and prophets, a tent making rabbi and a Gentile physician, and then there are others of whom we know nothing apart from the writings they have left us.
When we add all this together, and when we examine the pages of scripture, it is amazing that so much fits together the Old testament complimenting the new testament and vice versa. The contents can be read and understood by high ranking academics and children alike. Its contents are old and yet are relevant to today’s problems.
2. The Inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures - If the inerrancy of Scripture is given up for some position of errancy, what will be the basis for deciding what is error and what is not? What statements are to be judged as non-revelatory? By what authority do we judge Scripture if not by Scripture itself? Do we establish some other authority to be above Scripture?
Jesus referred to the Old Testament as "the Word of God" (Mark 7:10, 13) and asserted its indestructibility (Matt. 5:17, 18; cf. John 10:34-36). He used Scripture authoritatively when He resisted Satan's temptations by citing Deuteronomy three times (Matt. 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). He also quoted Gen. 2:24 (when talking to the Pharisees about marriage and divorce in Matt. 19:4, 5) and attributed the words to God Himself, although the Old Testament passage contains no such reference. According to our Lord, what Scripture says is what God says.
Those who place some human authority over the Scripture's own teaching about itself may find themselves in some vexing dilemmas. How does one avoid contradicting Jesus' word about Scripture, thus questioning His authority? If Christ's view of the Old Testament as God speaking (thus inerrant) is questioned, what does this say about the doctrine of Christ? If we question Christ's authority and judgment, what happens to our view of His person? Is He still the God-man, the truth, making errors? And how does one avoid challenging the veracity of the Holy Spirit or deliver God from the charge of propagating error?
3. The Authority of the Bible - On the question of Bible authority Martyn Lloyd Jones says these words (from the Authority of Scripture)
We all therefore have to face this ultimate and final question: Do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do we not? Is the whole of my thinking governed by Scripture, or do I come with my reason and pick and choose out of Scripture and sit in judgment on it, putting myself and modern knowledge forward as the ultimate standard and authority? The issue is crystal clear.
Do I accept Scripture as a revelation from God, or do I trust to speculation, human knowledge, human learning, human understanding and human reasons Or, putting it still more simply, Do I pin my faith to, and subject all my thinking to, what I read in the Bible? Or do I defer to modern knowledge, to modern learning, to what people think today, to what we know at this present time which was not known in the past? It is inevitable that we occupy one or the other of those two positions.
Why Study The Scriptures
