oneChurch.tv
Undrink the Kool-Aid, Part 2
How the Bible stacks up:
Homer’s Iliad = 643 Copies (500 years)
Plato’s Republic = 7 Copies (1,300 years)
Aristotle 5 Copies = 1,400 years
Julius Caesar = 10 Copies (1,000 years)
The Bible (Greek, Latin, and other manuscripts) = 24,792 copies (90 years)
“Scholars are satisfied that they possess substantially the true text of the principal Greek and Roman writers whose works have come down to us, of Sophocles, of Thucydides, of Cicero, of Virgil; yet our knowledge of their writings depends on a mere handful of manuscripts, whereas the manuscripts of the New Testament are counted by hundreds and even thousands.” - Sir Frederic Kenyon
How should we approach the Bible?
1. God exists.
2. Miracles can happen.
3. The Gospels are reliable.
How did we get the NT?
Apostolic Authority (Was it written by eyewitnesses?)
Congruency (Was it consistent with what early Christians believed?)
Acceptance (Was the letter widely used and accepted by the early church?)
Luke 1:1-4 NLT
John 1:1 NLT
Matthew 1:1 NLT
Mark 1:1-7 NLT
How should I read the Bible?
Start with prayer.
Stick with Jesus.
Stay consistent.
