Bible Study | Can the Bible Be Trusted? The Story of the Bible - Part 1

Springcreek Church - Garland, TX Podcast

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CAN THE BIBLE BE TRUSTED?
The Story of the Bible - Part 1
Pastor Keith Stewart
July 2, 2023
SERIES: THE STORY OF THE BIBLE
Throughout history, the Bible has been burned, banned, ridiculed, distorted, outlawed, and abused - but it can’t be ignored. In spite of tremendous opposition, it remains the best-selling book in the history of the world. It’s a book that demands to be taken seriously. If we listen to its message, it has the power to change not just our lives and our cities but even the entire world. After all these years of trials and testing, I still run back to the Bible for comfort, correction, and instruction. Join us online or in person as we ask and answer the question.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In the message, Pastor Keith called attention to the fact that 1/10th of everything Jesus ever said were quotations from the Old Testament. Jesus believed in the Old Testament scriptures, quoted them, and treated them as authoritative. Why do you think people want to throw away the Old Testament? Have you ever struggled with it? How might reading it expecting to find Jesus (which is what Jesus told us – that those Scriptures speak of Him) how might that perspective change the way you see and read the Old Testament? Take some time to discuss Dr. Timothy Keller’s quote, “We cannot, in the end, follow Jesus without adopting His loyalty to the Bible.”

2. Pastor Keith spent some time in the sermon explaining how scholars of all stripes evaluate the integrity, transmission, and fidelity to the original composition in ancient literature of all types. Two of the most important criteria are a.) the number of manuscripts and b.) the time elapsed between the original and its oldest copy. What were your takeaways from this discussion? Why are we so confident that the Bible has come down to us largely as it was in origin? The finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls beginning in 1947 and cuing for several years finally put to rest this idea that the Bible had been constantly changed by each new generation that handled it. How did the Dead Sea Scrolls definitively address this issue? Why did people who copied the Bible not feel free to change or delete what they didn’t like?

3. Archeology is an important scientific discipline that has verified and continues to verify the historicity of both the Old and New Testaments. Pastor Keith mentioned some old and some of the newer finds that undergird the reliability of the historical message in the Scriptures. Were there any that stood out to you? Are there others you’re aware of that Pastor Keith didn’t mention? If you wanted to learn more about archeology and the Bible, where would you begin?

4. If someone were to say to you, “I don’t really trust the message of the Bible. I don’t think it’s anything other than a bunch of made-up stories.” What would you say to that? How would approach someone like that? The Bible talks 1 Peter 3.15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” If someone asked you why you believe in the Bible. Why you believe in Jesus? What would your answer be?

5. Besides being a historical work, verified by outsiders, attested to by a myriad of archeological finds, and being the leading book in ancient history in terms of both the number of copies we have and the nearness to the original writings, many of us also know that the message of this book changed our life. It introduced us to Jesus and through its pages we get to know Him even better. What do you treasure most about the Bible? How has it contributed to your walk with God? If someone wanted to know Who God is and asked where to begin reading in the Bible to better know God, where would you direct them and why there?

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