Lesson-1

"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries

Lesson 1

WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE?

Introduction: The Bible is the oldest book we have on record. A divine hand has preserved it down through the ages. No other book in the world has been fought against and pulled apart by critics as the Bible has, yet the book lives on and towers above its enemies. It is still the world’s best seller. It is the most beloved of all literature. The claim of the Bible is that it is the Word of the living God, written by men for mankind. How can we know that this claim for the Bible is true?

1. What is the first thing we need to become convinced that the Bible is the Word of God? Heb. 11:3,6. Note: Our lives are based on faith. We learn by faith, beginning at birth. We accept what others tell us as fact because they have a reason for making that statement and they have faith in what they say, so we do, too. Some people do not believe in the Bible because they believe what they have been taught about evolution. But evolution, too, is based on faith in someone’s interpretation of what they have seen.

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2. How does the Bible define faith? Heb. 11:1. Note: God has given man a mind which He wants him to use. He wants him to reason. Isa. 1:18. We see what the wind does, but we cannot see the wind. We see what electricity does, but we cannot see the electricity, yet we have so much faith that it is there, that we take it for granted.

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3. How do we obtain faith? Rom. 10:17; 12:3 last part.

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4. Does God give evidence for our belief in Him and His Word? Isa. 45:18-21; 2 Peter 1:19,21; Heb. 1:1,2; Amos 3:7.

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5. What is one ability that God has that man does not? Isa. 46:9,10. Note: In the lessons that follow, we will learn of prophecies that accurately foretold events thousands of years in the future. We will learn of prophecies of Greece and Rome and other places, sometimes even giving specific dates. Some prophecies will bring us right down to our time. See also John 14:29.

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6. How has archeology vindicated the Bible? Ex. 1:11,14; 5:6-19; Dan. 5:16,29. Note: When the city of Pithom was unearthed by archeologists, it was discovered that the city built by the Israelites, during their Egyptian bondage, had houses built of bricks baked in the sun, some with straw and some without. This goes along with the account in Exodus.

King Belshazzar promised Daniel that he would be “the third ruler in the kingdom.” Critics scoffed at these texts. But tablets were found in 1876, by Sir Henry Rawlinson, showing that Belshazzar was acting as regent for his father, Nabonidus, who had been taken as a prisoner of war. So Nabonidus was first ruler, Belshazzar was second, and Daniel was offered the third place as ruler.

We have an array of other witnesses, such as geologists, biologists, and astronomers, that give their testimony as to the veracity of the Bible. The book of nature and the Word are in perfect accord, one illuminating the other.

There are no contradictions in the Bible, although the compilation covers a period of between fifteen hundred and sixteen hundred years. There is perfect harmony throughout the entire volume. The writers were taken from various walks of life, differing greatly intellectually, educationally, and socially. Yet when these varied scribes meet in the field of inspiration, there is a natural coherency that is remarkable. The Bible is a complete book. It begins with Creation and the Fall, and ends with Redemption and Re-creation. A divine mind guided the pens that wrote.

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7. What is the purpose of the Bible? 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Thess. 4:18.

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For further reading: Hebrews 11, the whole chapter, and Exodus chapter 5.


	"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries home \| Bible Studies Lesson 1 WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE? Introduction: The Bible is the oldest book we have on record. A divine hand has preserved it down through the ages. No other book in the world has been fought against and pulled apart by critics as the Bible has, yet the book lives on and towers above its enemies. It is still the world’s best seller. It is the most beloved of all literature. The claim of the Bible is that it is the Word of the living God, written by men for mankind. How can we know that this claim for the Bible is true? 1. What is the first thing we need to become convinced that the Bible is the Word of God? Heb. 11:3,6. Note: Our lives are based on faith. We learn by faith, beginning at birth. We accept what others tell us as fact because they have a reason for making that statement and they have faith in what they say, so we do, too. Some people do not believe in the Bible because they believe what they have been taught about evolution. But evolution, too, is based on faith in someone’s interpretation of what they have seen. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does the Bible define faith? Heb. 11:1. Note: God has given man a mind which He wants him to use. He wants him to reason. Isa. 1:18. We see what the wind does, but we cannot see the wind. We see what electricity does, but we cannot see the electricity, yet we have so much faith that it is there, that we take it for granted. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. How do we obtain faith? Rom. 10:17; 12:3 last part. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Does God give evidence for our belief in Him and His Word? Isa. 45:18-21; 2 Peter 1:19,21; Heb. 1:1,2; Amos 3:7. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. What is one ability that God has that man does not? Isa. 46:9,10. Note: In the lessons that follow, we will learn of prophecies that accurately foretold events thousands of years in the future. We will learn of prophecies of Greece and Rome and other places, sometimes even giving specific dates. Some prophecies will bring us right down to our time. See also John 14:29. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 6. How has archeology vindicated the Bible? Ex. 1:11,14; 5:6-19; Dan. 5:16,29. Note: When the city of Pithom was unearthed by archeologists, it was discovered that the city built by the Israelites, during their Egyptian bondage, had houses built of bricks baked in the sun, some with straw and some without. This goes along with the account in Exodus. King Belshazzar promised Daniel that he would be “the third ruler in the kingdom.” Critics scoffed at these texts. But tablets were found in 1876, by Sir Henry Rawlinson, showing that Belshazzar was acting as regent for his father, Nabonidus, who had been taken as a prisoner of war. So Nabonidus was first ruler, Belshazzar was second, and Daniel was offered the third place as ruler. We have an array of other witnesses, such as geologists, biologists, and astronomers, that give their testimony as to the veracity of the Bible. The book of nature and the Word are in perfect accord, one illuminating the other. There are no contradictions in the Bible, although the compilation covers a period of between fifteen hundred and sixteen hundred years. There is perfect harmony throughout the entire volume. The writers were taken from various walks of life, differing greatly intellectually, educationally, and socially. Yet when these varied scribes meet in the field of inspiration, there is a natural coherency that is remarkable. The Bible is a complete book. It begins with Creation and the Fall, and ends with Redemption and Re-creation. A divine mind guided the pens that wrote. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. What is the purpose of the Bible? 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Thess. 4:18. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ For further reading: Hebrews 11, the whole chapter, and Exodus chapter 5.