A Case for the Old Testament: The books of the Old Testament are historically reliable! Now what?

As we near the close of our “Case for the Old Testament” series it is important to walk away with the understanding that the 39 books of the Christian Old Testament are not only historically reliable with verifiable facts but these books are inspired by God. The connection between the books themselves is undeniable (which eliminates the other so-called extra or apocryphal books not in our Bible) and they tell the story of our Judeo-Christian history that flows from the beginning of time, but that’s not all. There are layers upon layers of things to discover as you spend time reading, re-reading, and studying the content and context of these books.

Here are some things we know about these 39 books of the Christian Old Testament, based on our “Case for the Old Testament” series these past few months, that can give us confidence that what we are reading is really the Word of God:

• The 39 separate books have a common theme and storyline, and connect back to each other in references, even though they are written by different authors hundreds of years apart.
• The 39 books correspond to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), with the exception of book placement and groupings, the literature is the same.
• These books have been transmitted accurately over time based on both written and oral tradition through the Jewish Authors, Prophets, and Scribes evidenced in the abundance of scholarship in textual criticism supporting this fact.
• These books contain a common focus in the storylines of a Savior or Messiah to come, and this is evidenced by the unfolding of a Covenant Promise from God that began at the Fall (Genesis 3:15) and continued throughout the history of the Jewish people, and we call this common focus “The Scarlet Thread of Jesus.”
• The Scarlet Thread is seen in the foreshadowing of  who Jesus would be and what He would do as pictured in the people and events of the Old Testament.
• The Scarlet Thread is also seen in the hundreds of prophecies spoken in the Old Testament concerning “Messiah” that were uniquely fulfilled in Jesus, and the mathematically probability of this happening in one person is astronomical and essentially impossible, but Jesus did it.
• The Old Testament, as a historical document, has been proven to be authentic and reliable based on thousands of archeological finds, multiple historical records from cultures outside the Biblical account that corroborate people and events in the Bible, and thousands of early manuscripts (including the Dead Sea Scrolls) that validate the authenticity of the Bible as a whole.
• As we studied in last week’s post even the numbers in the Bible have specific meaning and connect throughout both the Old and New Testament.
• Against all odds this ancient document has stood the test of time, even in the face of annihilation in times of religious wars and oppression.

So if all of that is true, then isn’t it important for us to consider the spiritual aspect of this ancient document we call the Bible. We can make list after list as we research the reliability of Scripture and the evidence will always weigh on the side of its truthfulness, but until we get on our knees and ask God to forgive our sins and doubts, give Him the lordship over our lives, and to help us grow as His child, we will never be fully satisfied with life. Even more important is the confidence we can have that this life is not all that there is and we can look forward to the next life eternally spent with Him in complete perfection of body, mind, and soul.

As I was looking for a sermon that would cover the presentation of the whole Bible (it was hard to find one you could do in an hour sitting) I came across this one, check it out: “An Overview of the Entire Bible” by Pastor Anderson of the Word of Truth Baptist Church:

So what do we do now, once we’ve come to the conclusion that God’s Word in the Bible is reliable and true?

We can focus on some goals like the ones below – give it a try:

1. Improve on our prayer time: Find [more] time to be alone with God. Write out your prayers if your mind tends to wander like mine does, and then review them each time. Remember to thank God and worship Him first then requests become easier to aline with His Will and not just our own.
2. Improve on our Bible study time: Find [more] time to be alone with God’s Word. Read through a whole book (or at least a complete story or passage) in one sitting, then go back and spend some time studying it – take notes, do outlines, check cross-references and read commentaries where difficulties arise (but remember those are human studies so vet them carefully). Make Bible reading and study a [daily] lifetime habit.
3. Improve on our apologetics’ skills: Keep researching answers to the tough questions asked of Christians in our culture today, including the ones you still have.  Use this website and others to help, and never stop asking questions. The truth is always out there for those who seek with their whole heart!
4. Improve on our discipleship skills: Spend time with other Christians in Bible study and just doing life. And, share with others (non-believers) what you are learning. Ask God to put someone in your path that you can mentor with the truths of God’s Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you – you will be surprised who God might bring alongside you!

Join us next week as we segue to a new study series: A Case for Christ and the New Testament!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15