Is the Bible Trustworthy: External Evidence

MAP- What does each letter in MAP stand for?

  1. Manuscripts
  2. Archaeology
  3. Prophesy

Manuscripts- What is a manuscript?

  1. Textual Criticism
  2. Textual Criticism is the science of studying ancient manuscripts to determine the authenticity of an ancient document. It is necessary because we no longer possess the original manuscripts of the original authors.

Author / Date
Written / Earliest Copy / Approximate Time Span between original & copy / Number of Copies / Accuracy of Copies
Aristophanes / 450-385 B.C. / A.D. 900. / 1200 yrs. / 10 / ----
Caesar / 100-44 B.C. / A.D. 900. / 1000 yrs. / 10 / ----
Aristotle / 384-322 B.C. / A.D. 1100. / 1400 yrs. / 49 / ----
Sophocles / 496-406 B.C. / A.D. 1000. / 1400 yrs. / 193 / ----
Homer (Iliad) / 900 B.C. / 400 B.C. / 500 yrs. / 643 / 95%
New
Testament / 1st Cent. A.D. (A.D. 50-100) / 2nd Cent. A.D.
(c. A.D. 130 f.) / less than 100 years / 5600 / 99.5%

Manuscript #1: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the whole world.
Manuscript #2: Christ Jesus is the Savior of the whole world.
Manuscript #3: Jesus Christ s the Savior of the whole world.
Manuscript #4: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the whole world.
Manuscript #5: Jesus Christ is the Savor of the whole world.

How can we know that the autobiographies in the Bible are trustworthy?

- Matthew 8:23-26 (Disciples on the boat in the storm) 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

- John 18:10 (Peter cutting off ear) 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath;

Dead Sea Scrolls – Why are they important?

Archaeology- what is archaeology?

  1. Sodom and Gomorrah
  2. Genesis 19:24 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.

  1. King David

  1. Pontius Pilate
  3. Joshua and Jericho

Prophesy- what does prophecy mean?

  1. Destruction of Tyre

  1. Destruction of Jerusalem
  1. Jesus
  2. 1 x 10^17 probability of Christ fulfilling just 8 of those
  3. Many were out of his control
  4. Ancestry, place of birth, time of death

Personal Application:

Sir Lionel Luckhoo

“I say unequivocally the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

How does the external evidence from this lesson help you believe the Bible is true?

What doubts do you still have about the reliability of the Bible?

What friends do you have who need to hear the information from this lesson and how can you share it with them?