EXPLORING THE EVIDENCE: WEEK TWO
Is the Bible from God?
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REVIEW OF LAST WEEK’S LESSON: Is There a God and What Kind of
God is He?
1. Virtually all humanity has recognized the existence of a Supreme Being.
2. Something outside the universe had to start the universe’s creation. It could not have
started itself.
3. The unique and specific design of the universe implies a very intelligent Designer with some
purpose for the universe and humanity.
4. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, spiritual, eternal, moral, just and has personhood.
5. We still need further revelation from God to know more about the purpose of life and God’s
characteristics.
Review of memory verse #1
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- His
eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse.
Romans 1:20
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TODAY'S TOPIC: Is the Bible from God?
Last week, we looked at the many ways God has revealed Himself to mankind apart from the Bible.
However, the primary way God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind is through the Bible. The
Bible describes God’s character, His purposes, His relationship to mankind and His promises to
believers. Can we trust the Bible? If the Bible is really from God, then we can trust everything
written in it. Today we will do our best to answer the question, Is the Bible from God?
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THE BIBLE CLAIMS TO BE FROM GOD AND INERRANT
The Bible claims to be God-breathed, perfect, trustworthy and right.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord
are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are
right, giving joy to the heart.
Psalm 19:7-8
God-breathed simply means inspired by God. God ensured that every word in the Bible was the
exact word He wanted. Man physically wrote the Bible, but God gave man every single word to write
down.
Exactly how this process occurred is uncertain. An author of the Bible may have heard an audible
voice from God or God may have put the exact words in an author’s mind and heart or maybe He
used some other method. How God communicated the words to the authors to write down is
irrelevant. The question should not be “How did God create the Bible?” Instead, the question
should be “Did God create the Bible?”
If God created the Bible, then it is trustworthy and without error. We can trust what the Bible says
about God and His promises. The remainder of this class will explore the following topics to show
the Bible is indeed from God.
1. The Bible fulfills Old Testament prophecy
2. Jesus confirmed Scripture
3. Statistical probability
1. THE BIBLE FULFILLS OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Definition of a prophet
You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not
been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of
the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord
has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be
afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18:21-22
Importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
 The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 in Qumran (in caves near the northwest corner
of the Dead Sea) and contained copies of every book of the Old Testament except Esther.
 The Dead Sea Scrolls were written between 100 and 200 BC.
 The Dead Sea Scrolls are identical to the modern Old Testament and prove:
1. The Old Testament has not changed between 100 BC and the present day.
2. The Old Testament prophecies that Jesus Christ fulfilled in every detail were truly written
before Jesus lived proving that God revealed the future to the Old Testament authors.
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Examples of Fulfilled Prophecy
Prophecy
Old Testament
Christ’s virgin birth
Isaiah 7:14
Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2
Christ’s Crucifixion
Psalm 22:16-17, 34:20
Christ’s Crucifixion date
Daniel 9:24-26
Palm Sunday
Zech 9:9
30 silver coins
Zech 11:12-13
Lots cast for clothes
Psalm 22:18
Resurrection
Psalm 16:8-11
Of seed of Abraham
Genesis 12:3
Of tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10
Of lineage of David
2 Samuel 7:12, 13, 16
Israel restored
Jeremiah 32:37-41
Date Written
700 BC
700 BC
1000 BC
550 BC
500 BC
500 BC
1000 BC
1000 BC
1445 BC
1445 BC
1000 BC
600 BC
New Testament
Matt 1:18-25, Luke 1:35
Matt 2:1, Luke 2:1-7
John 19:31-37
April 6th, 32 AD
Matt 21:1-7
Matt 26:14-15; 27:3-10
John 19:23-24
Acts 2:22-32
Matt:1:1-16
Hebrews 7:14
Romans 1:3
1948 Israel became a
nation again
CHRIST’S VIRGIN BIRTH
Date Prophecy Was Written: 700 BC
Old Testament:
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
New Testament:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was
pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she
was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her
husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public
disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had
considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your
wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He
will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will
give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” – which means,
“God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord
had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no
union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name
Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
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The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be
called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35
BORN IN BETHLEHEM
Date Prophecy Was Written: 700 BC
Old Testament:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans
of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2
New Testament:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
Matthew 2:1
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took
place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his
own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth
in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with
Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she
gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed
Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION
Date Prophecy Was Written: 1000 BC
Old Testament:
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they
have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people
stare and gloat over me.
Psalm 22:16-17
He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
Psalm 34:10
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New Testament:
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special
Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses
during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the
bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of
the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the
other. But when they came to Jesus and found that He was already
dead, they did NOT break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced
Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The
man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He
knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may
believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled:
“Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture [viz.
Zechariah 12:10] says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
John 19:31-37
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the
disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have
seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe it.” A week later his disciples were in the house
again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach
out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him,
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:24-29
CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION DATE
Date Prophecy Was Written: 550 BC
Old Testament:
Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish
transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint
the most holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the
decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the
ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It
will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the
sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.
The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the
sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the
end, and desolations have been decreed.”
Daniel 9:24-26
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Prophecy Timeline:1
 7 ‘sevens’ + 62 ‘sevens’ = 69 ‘sevens’
 69 ‘sevens’ = 69 periods of 7 years = 483 lunar years
 483 lunar years = 173,880 days (360 days per lunar year)
DECREE
Rebuild
Jerusalem
7 ‘sevens’ + 62 ‘sevens’
March 14, 445 BC
173880 days
April 6, 32 AD
“20th year of Artaxerxes”
“month of Nisan” – First day
Nehemiah 2:1-8
“7 ‘sevens’ + 62 ‘sevens’”
Daniel 9:24-26
Christ’s Crucifixion
John 19:17-30
Proof
445 BC to 32 AD
476 years x 365 days
Add for leap years
Add March 14 to April 6
= 476 years (1 BC to 1 AD = 1 year because there is no year zero)
= 173,740 days
=
116 days (119 – 3 in 400 years)
=
24 days (inclusive)
173,880 days
The probability of one man fulfilling just 48 out of the 300 OT prophecies about the first
coming of the Messiah/Christ is 1 out of 10 157 (a one followed by 157 zeros)2. Only God could
make this happen! Only God could have written the Bible.
2. JESUS CONFIRMED SCRIPTURE
Jesus confirmed the authority of the Old Testament in the following passages:

Jonah and the huge fish
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,
so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth.”
Matthew 12:40

Sodom and Gomorrah
“I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on
the day of judgment than for that town.”
Matthew 10:15
“But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and
destroyed them all.”
Luke 17:29
1
2
Alva J. McClain, Daniel’s Prophecy of the 70 Weeks, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 68
Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, pp. 210
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
Adam and Eve
“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made
them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his
father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one
flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has
joined together, let man not separate.”
Matthew 19:4-5

Noah and the flood
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the
Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in
marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and
destroyed them all.”
Luke 17:26-27

The Entire Old Testament
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told the disciples that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms concerning Himself. These are the three main divisions of the
Hebrew Bible. The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (or
Writings) was a common term used to refer to all of the books of the
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you.
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Luke 24:44
By stating “From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah”, Jesus
confirms His witness to the extent of the Old Testament canon. Abel
was the first martyr (Genesis 4:8). Zechariah is the last martyr to be
named (2 Chronicles 24:21) in the Hebrew Bible book order. Genesis is
the first book in the Hebrew Bible and Chronicles is the last book. 3
“Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the
prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the
blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar
and the sanctuary.”
Luke 11:50-51
If Jesus Christ believed Jonah and the great fish, Sodom and Gomorrah, Adam and Eve, and
Noah and the flood actually occurred, so should we!
3
Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, pp. 36
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3. STATISTICAL PROBABILITY4
Examining statistics about the Bible provides compelling evidence of God’s involvement in the
Bible’s creation.
 66 books of the Bible
 Written over a 1500 year span
 Written over 40 generations
 Written by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life – including kings, peasants,
philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.
o Moses – a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt
o Peter – a fisherman
o Amos – a herdsman
o Joshua – a military general
o Nehemiah – a cupbearer
o Daniel – a prime minister
o Luke – a doctor
o Solomon – a king
o Matthew – a tax collector
o Paul – a rabbi
 Written in different places
o Moses – in the wilderness
o Jeremiah – in a dungeon
o Daniel – on a hillside and in a palace
o Paul – inside prison walls
o Luke – while traveling
o John – on the isle of Patmos
 Written at different times
o David – in times of war
o Solomon – in times of peace
 Written during different moods: some writing from the heights of joy and others from the depths
of sorrow and despair
 Written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe
 Written in three languages
o Hebrew – the language of the Old Testament
o Aramaic – the common language of the Near East until the time of Alexander the Great (6 th
century B.C. to 4th century B.C.)
o Greek – the language of the New Testament. The international language at the time of
Christ
 Includes hundreds of controversial topics. Yet, the biblical authors spoke with harmony and
continuity from Genesis to Revelation.
 No inconsistencies
 One plan of salvation
Illustration: Is it possible for 10 people, all from one walk of life, one generation, one place,
one time, one mood, one continent, one language, and just one controversial subject, all be
in agreement?
Statistically, it is impossible for 40 different authors over a 1500-year time span to write
consistently without divine intervention.
4
Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, pp. 27-28
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APPLICATION
People must live their lives differently if they believe the following statements are true:
1.
2.
3.
4.
God is holy and just.
God is trustworthy.
The Bible is from God.
God will hold us accountable to the truth of the Scripture.
If God is holy, just and trustworthy and if the Bible is from God, then everything in the Bible is
trustworthy and true. In other words, the Bible is absolute truth. When a person trusts and applies
the Bible, his or her relationship with God and view of the world change.
Relationship With God
If God is trustworthy and the Bible is from God, then, we can also trust God’s promises that are
written in the Bible. Here are a few of God’s amazing promises:
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn
from it.
Proverbs 22:6
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to
all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
God has given some incredible promises in the Bible to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord
and Savior. God’s promises about eternal life, forgiveness of sins, unconditional love, and fullyequipping us to live life abundantly, coupled with the fact that God is all-powerful, is securing,
liberating and assuring. Knowing God’s promises is truly life changing!
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View Of The World
Believing the Bible is absolute truth and having a true relationship with God leads to a changed view
of the world! So when the Bible speaks on a topic, such as salvation, heaven and hell, premarital
sex, adultery, divorce, homosexuality and stealing, it is correct. It is God’s opinion on the topic. God
created the universe and He knows the laws that He put into place to govern it.
If we trust God and believe the Bible is from God, then we should hear and obey God’s warnings
and counsel in the Bible.
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OBJECTIONS
1. Objection: The Bible doesn’t mention important topics like dinosaurs, evolution, or
extraterrestrial life, so the Bible can’t be 100 percent correct.
Answer: Something not discussed in the Bible doesn’t make the Bible wrong. God simply
chose not to reveal to us information about that topic. The Bible doesn’t claim to be a science
book or a history book or a philosophy book. But when Scripture talks about science, history
and philosophy, it is correct. God put into Scripture exactly what He wanted us to know!
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness
through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written
down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the
books that would be written.
John 21:25
2. Objection: I believe most of the Bible is true – God created the universe, Jesus died on the
cross and rose from the dead – but I just can’t believe everything. Jonah and the huge fish and
an actual Adam and Eve just don’t seem believable.
Answer: It is interesting that out of the handful of Old Testament stories that Christ confirms,
God chose to include the most controversial stories in the Bible (e.g., Jonah, Adam and Eve,
Sodom and Gomorrah, and Noah). Most people believe the most difficult miracles for God to
perform – creating the universe and raising Christ from the dead – actually occurred, but deny
less difficult ones like Jonah in the belly of a huge fish. Dwight L. Moody once said, “If one word
in the Bible is false, then the whole book falls apart.” What Moody was saying is that if one part
of the Bible is false, then how do you know which part? Is Jonah and the huge fish the part that
is false or is it the road to eternal life through trusting in Jesus Christ? There is no middle
ground. Either the Bible is 100 percent accurate and from God or it is conceived by man and
flawed with errors.
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Wrap-up: Some Key Points
1. The Bible claims to be God-breathed, perfect, trustworthy, and right.
2. The Bible demonstrates it is from God through fulfilled prophecy, Jesus’ confirmation of Scripture
and statistical probability.
3. God is trustworthy and the Bible is from God, therefore the Bible is absolute truth.
4. I should embrace and obey God’s teaching and truth in the Bible.
5. Knowing and trusting God’s promises is truly life-changing!
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ACTION POINTS
1. Review today's class notes. Look up all Scripture references.
2. Read chapter 5 – Is the Bible God’s Word? from Know Why You Believe by Paul Little.
3. Learn memory verse #2,
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord
are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are
right, giving joy to the heart.
Psalm 19:7-8
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NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC
How Accurate is the Bible Today?
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