Bible 805 Yvon Prehn

Why does it matter how historians determine what is true?

(QUICK NOTE: this is a lesson that is especially good to look at the PowerPoint video of it, here is the link:
https://youtu.be/gvTRyfFtujU
The Bible805 site https://www.Bible805.com, has links to all the videos of the podcasts)

In the previous lesson, we talked about the importance of truth and how truth is that which corresponds to reality.

We then talked about how history is a useful way to determine what corresponds to reality and how this is foundational to determining if a religion is true. But how do historians go about figuring out what corresponds to reality?

Obviously, we don’t have time machines; we can’t go back to the events themselves.

What historians do have as they evaluate the truth of scripture is tangible evidence.

Like a CSI, (a crime scene investigator) a good historian carefully examines the evidence before making conclusions. He or she should not have a pre-determined bias before examining evidence.

For example, when evaluating prophecy, you shouldn’t date events after the prophecy was given simply because you believe predictive prophecy isn’t possible. If you do that you aren’t objective; you have an anti-supernatural bias.

You should look at the evidence and THEN draw conclusions.

The categories for historical evidence that testify to the truth that is in the Bible are geography, archeology, artifacts, and documents. In this lesson, we’ll look briefly at each one.

The evidence isn’t difficult to understand, but the results are fascinating as they confirm the tangible reality of our faith.

Following is a PDF of the NOTES, Questions, and Infographic and links to the PODCAST and VIDEOS on the lesson.

Before we begin, this lesson is part of a 4-part foundational series: How Truth & History confirm that we can trust the Christian Bible

Though each lesson is useful on its own, all four lessons in this series go together for a complete understanding of the topic The 4 lessons in this series are:

•       #1 What is Truth?. . . and how historical truth relates to religious truth

•       #2 How do historians determine Truth?. . . why geography, archeology, artifacts, and documents matter

•       #3 How is the historical truth of the Christian Bible unique? part one. . . a comparison with the Hindu and Buddhist scriptures

•       #4 How is the historical truth of the Christian Bible unique? part two. . . a comparison with Muslim and Mormon scriptures

This series was created to give you a solid foundation for trusting the Bible. It doesn’t do much good to study the Bible if you look at it as merely a humanly created book. If, as this series will demonstrate, it is the creation of our God, who exists outside of time, yet entered into time into our world to redeem His creation, it changes everything.

The Bible and the many historical facts that are clearly available to anyone who looks at them, and that this series will share, will give you confidence in the Bible and the God who gave it to us. You will develop a firm foundation for your spiritual life and factual knowledge to share with others.

Link to notes, questions, handouts:
https://wp.me/pazrJD-11e

Go to Bible805.com for more resources to help you know, trust, apply, and teach the Bible.

As you have read through the Bible from first to last, it’s all been about Jesus.

He created a perfect world for humanity to enjoy and to walk
with Him. When they disobeyed, He promised a Redeemer.

The entire Old Testament talks about this future Redeemer,
the importance of salvation by faith, and how the sacrificial system was a picture of what was coming. The prophets continually reminded the people that the Redeemer, the Messiah was coming.



And the New Testament records the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus and the creation of the church He left to
represent Him.



Jesus, reminding ourselves that the book of Revelation is not a puzzle to be solved but as the first words in the book remind us, it is a REVELATION of Jesus Christ.



In this lesson, after introductory comments on Revelation,
we’ll look more closely at a revelation of Jesus, we’ll take an in-depth look at the “I Ams” of Jesus in the book of John.



We’ll end with a reminder that though this is the end of our
reading in the Bible, it is only the beginning of “the great story, which has no end and in which every chapter is better than the one before (C.S. Lewis).”



Link to blog, notes, and videos: https://wp.me/pazrJD-10M

Our study of the New Testament is about so much more than an
overview of books, or a historical tour. It is the culmination of God’s rescue plan for the people He created.

The development of God’s changed, redeemed people is what we’ve been learning about.

All else will fade (churches, buildings, denominations); God’s people will not. And it is those people (you) who will reach the world with God’s message of salvation.

How we become that, the spiritual formation of God’s people
is what these “Pastoral Epistles” are about.

Earlier New Testament writings clarified the theology of
salvation--that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone—in other words, Jesus’s death on the cross accomplished all the WORK of salvation.

By faith, we accept it—without any work or merit of our own.
That is the foundation of our faith.

But once we are saved—God expects us to live as HIS saved,
redeemed people.

Though previous books taught this; how we are supposed to
live is the emphasis (instead of theological issues) in these books. We will look at various passages in the books that explain and clarify this, and we only have time for a few—please study more to understand and apply fully!

Here is the link to the blog, notes, and transcript of the
lesson: https://wp.me/pazrJD-114

How do we act when bad things happen to us?

We always have a choice—we can retaliate; we can throw a pity
party; we can blame others. 

Or we can trust God no matter what and try to respond in a way
He wants us to.

In what are called the “Prison Epistles” Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon we’ll look at how the Apostle Paul responded in a very difficult situation. This lesson about them is much more than a history lesson about Paul because what we do, how we respond to challenging situations is the clearest evidence possible of what we truly believe and WHO we truly believe in.

We can voice all sorts of positive things, affirm things that
sound good— but how do we react in the realities of life?

NOTHING outside us causes/forces us to act in a certain way; we respond based on what is already there.

 From bad language to bad actions, difficult times give us a chance to see what is in our hearts and work on changes if necessary. In these letters Paul helps us respond in ways that please God and make life much better for us.


Link to the Blog, PDF of Notes, video and teaching resources is at: https://wp.me/pazrJD-10W

The content here may seem an overly intense way to encourage you to read through the Bible in Chronological Order, which Bible805 (https://wp.me/pazrJD-OO) has a variety of ways for you to do, but we are living in a time when truth seems to have lost its connection with objective reality in the minds of many
and a simple encouragement to read through your Bible in the coming year didn't seem like enough.

Times are tragic when now truth for many is defined by whatever social media we follow or whatever we tell ourselves is
true.

Jesus succinctly summed up our situation when he said, "You are in error, because you don't know the Scriptures." Truth, goodness, and beauty, the truly good life, and salvation are all found in the Scriptures, in God's Word. Truth is not humanly
generated and when we forget that, when we listen to an authority other than
God's Word to guide our lives, life does not go well. The following example inspired by the movie, Zone of Interest, though extreme I pray will be instructive and motiving for you to consider.

For the transcript and links to
all resources go here: https://wp.me/pazrJD-OO

Link to the
video: https://youtu.be/4w_frPQrPco?si=RC9PK7hATX6i4mVS