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The Harvester Podcast is brought to you by the Florida School of Preaching. Listen weekly to take a dive into biblical topics and thoughtful studies on things that matter to our eternal souls.
We welcome you to the Harvester podcast.
This is season three, episode nine, and we're in a great discussion about Christian
evidences, particularly in this episode, we are going to look at proving that the Bible is
the word of God, part one.
I am Brian Kenyon and with me is, and we are both from the South Florida Avenue Church
Christ in Lakeland, Florida.
Usually Steven Ford is with us and
Forest Antemesaris, but they were unable to be here today.
It's been a busy time of year for all of us, and we're just fortunate and blessed that we
can be here to discuss these things today.
But we're in the midst of talking about Christian evidences, apologetics, and our study so
far has been really informative and really good so that we can be ready to give an answer
to those who ask about the hope that is in us.
And so, George...
has done a lot of study on this and we're thankful that he is with us and that he is
sharing some of his knowledge on this topic.
So then, Brian and listeners, we're looking at argument for the Bible as being the Word of
God.
This will be a two-part series.
We'll give some preliminary information in this part, and then in the following session
we'll actually give the argument.
So up to this point, we've been developing the overall argument for biblical Christianity,
and that can be worded along these lines.
Since God exists and the Bible is his word and the Bible teaches a particular doctrine,
then that doctrine must be true.
So having demonstrated the first step there, that is, that God exists in the previous
lessons, the next logical step is the overall argument, in the overall argument, is to
demonstrate that the Bible is God's word.
And we'll follow this outline, uh I should say, uh point number one, more revelation
beyond the natural world.
Secondly, an illustration that helps.
Thirdly, expected properties of a divine book, and those three will constitute today's
lesson.
And then, fourthly, the argument, and that'll be in the next lesson.
So, more revelation beyond the natural world.
Of course, the Bible itself claims to be revelation from God beyond nature.
Notice Psalm 19, for example, verses 1 to 6.
Natural revelation is the discussion there, also known by Bible students as general
revelation.
And then verses 7 to 10 of Psalm 19,
focuses upon written revelation, also known as special revelation.
Let me go ahead and read those verses just in case our readers are in a car and they don't
have a Bible in front of them.
Psalm 19 verses 1 through 6 reads as follows, and this is the New King James, The heavens
declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork Day unto day utter speech
and night unto night reveals knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice
is not heard their line has gone out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set the tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of
His chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end, and there is
nothing hidden from its head." And that, of course, as George has mentioned, is natural
revelation we see in creation.
And then the psalmist shifts gears here in verse 7.
The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
The judgment of the Lord, the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether,
more to be desired are they than gold.
yea, then much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb." Through verse 10.
we have uh synonyms in verses seven through ten of the Word of God.
A couple of them might take a second.
thought to think that the law the fear of the Lord that would be a One of the results of
the Lord would be that it puts fear that is respect of God and so forth and his will so
but all of these one could argue with it in those contexts are synonyms of the Special
revelation of God.
Yeah versus one through six referring then to the natural revelation and discussing it in
different ways
So the Bible itself here then in this passage is affirming that there is revelation from
God that is both nature and in a special revelation beyond nature, namely in the written
word.
So notice also what Paul said to the philosophers in Athens recorded in Acts 17 verses 23
to 28.
And this reads,
Him I proclaim to you, God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of
heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he worshipped with
men's hands as though he needed anything, since he gives to all life, breath, and all
things.
And he has made from one blood under every nation of men to dwell
on all the face of the earth and has determined their pre-appointed times and the
boundaries of their dwellings so that, and notice that in verse 27 of Acts 17, so that
they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him and find him though he
is not far from each one of us for in him we live and move and have our being.
So looking at verse 26 in particular, that expression, has determined their pre-appointed
times and boundaries of their dwellings.
What applies to nations must include individuals and our days are numbered.
You might compare that with Psalm 119 verse 16.
Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed and in your book they all were written.
the days fashioned for me.
And also compare this with verse 30.
God commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day in which he will
judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.
He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead.
And then further compare this with
principle in 2 Peter 3 verse 9.
Lord is not long suffering toward us nor willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance and then verse 10 of 2 Peter 3 but the day of the Lord will come
as a thief in the night.
All of that good commentary and expansion I believe upon the passage over in Acts 17
26 and 27 in particular which reads again and has determined the their pre-appointed times
and the boundaries of their dwellings
Yeah, and that's a good point with that.
The pre-appointed times.
In other words, this world was not created to be eternal.
This world was meant to be temporary as a habitation for humankind.
And that verses, among others, tell us that.
And then also it has certain limits.
This created world has certain limits and the boundaries of their dwelling.
And this world then has a purpose, not only eternal, not to be forever, uh it provides us
the opportunity to look inward, look outward, look upward, and make our decisions to
follow God.
Of course, He does give us will.
We can reject the evidence that He provides, but He lovingly has provided all of this
information Forest, this evidence, this wonderful world.
I'm gonna say the text itself actually gives you a so that so go ahead with that George
So looking at that in verse 27, that expression, so that, begins the whole verse there
which continues, should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him and find
him though he is not far from each one of us.
In the Greek, course the New Testament scriptures were originally written in the Greek
language, and in the Greek the verb seek here is what is termed a present tense
infinitive, if I may be a bit technical.
The word is zaytayn.
This means continuous action.
And so the meaning is continually seek the Lord.
So in context, God put us in this natural world, which we can see so that we will
continuously seek him and find him.
Notice also two more biblical principles or claims along these lines.
One is Proverbs 8 verse 17.
which reads, love those who love me and those who seek me diligently will find me.
This implies that God will help the seeker to find him.
That passage in Proverbs 8 is uh a personification of God's wisdom.
It's God's wisdom speaking and being treated as if it were a person who says, I love those
who love me and those who seek me diligently will.
find me.
So if you love God, you seek him, somehow or another God will make it possible for you to
have the opportunity to understand his will for you so that you can put it into practice
in this finite world.
And then also Matthew chapter 5 verse 6, this reads, Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled, it says.
Does this apply to Christians and non-Christians?
Well, would say to non-Christians as well.
Compare, for example, Acts 10, the case of Cornelius.
And then there is the Great Commission in Matthew 28, verses 19 to 20, and Mark 16, 15 to
16.
Go into all the world and preach the gospel.
He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.
He that disbelieves shall be condemned.
And then further on this
point about more revelation beyond the natural world.
call our attention to 2 Corinthians 4 verses 5 to 7.
This is worth reading.
Notice this.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your born
servants, for Jesus' sake.
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our
hearts to give the light.
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but we have this
treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencies of the power may be of God and not of
us.
So here we have in 2 Corinthians 4 verses 5 to 7 a reference to Christians who have
already found the Lord and they are as it were like an earthen vessel.
An earthen vessel here would be
a container that contains something of value and Christians, those who follow the Bible
plan of salvation, have the role to play as earthen vessels in carrying this precious
content to the world.
Those who already have found fuller knowledge, that is Christ as Lord, have a role to play
in helping others to find Him.
An interesting question here is, is there anything in the arguments that led him, led a
person to God exists that also leads one to look for or at least be open to more
revelation from God?
Well, Paul in Acts 17, in that passage, recognizes that evidence in the natural world led
Athenians to worship God and he begins at that point,
and says, the one whom you worship without knowing him, I proclaim to you.
So Paul then adds more evidence that is preserved in verses 24 through 37 Forest to use
today.
And this includes the resurrection of Jesus.
So how about this?
Sometimes immoral behavior escapes justice in this life, doesn't it?
This seems unfinished.
Some point
to this as an indication that there is more than just this life so that the matter is
finished.
That is, justice delayed points to more coming and afterlife.
In fact, the great philosopher Immanuel Kant uh is famously known as postulating a moral
argument along these lines based on that fact that things are unfinished, that justice is
uh delayed in this life.
And if so, then we can expect that God would reveal more information, more direction on
how to prepare for an afterlife.
Furthermore, as we think about it, does the conscience argument for God lead us at least
to suspect that he has given us more details?
Namely, the so-called voice of conscience urging us to do right,
and avoid evil.
is like a moral governor.
So I might wonder from my conscience, the prodding of my conscience, I might wonder is
there additional revelation from God that gives me more specifics about God and His will
than I can determine just from natural law alone.
And this leads us then to the next point of the outline.
today and that is an illustration that helps.
Yes, I was thinking as you were mentioning...
the voice of conscience and such.
I mean, because we have shown in earlier episodes that natural law, you know, is enough to
condemn us, but that it doesn't contain enough to actually save us.
And so if a person is really seeking God and he discovers through natural law that, or he
knows through natural law that, something's not right.
I'm not right with my conscience.
I'm not right with
Well, how do I get right?
And I think that kind of bridges that gap between God exists and the Bible is the Word of
God.
I mean, how can we know what the right thing is?
And we talked about conscience being it's not the reservoir of knowledge, but it's how we
react to that and doing good or bad.
Yeah, the promptings.
what we believe is right, but it does not.
So where is that ultimate standard source of knowledge?
It seems like we want more.
We would be expecting more.
uh
that's what I'm saying because we're left with just condemnation and as I talked about
that I think about the guy in Romans chapter 7 when Paul talks about that but that's
another study.
But anyway that's a good point because it's sometimes difficult to bridge the gap between
God exists, okay he exists, but then why would he write the Bible?
And Forest to realize it.
Now we know God's answer to that.
when we read the Bible.
But for people who are skeptic, people who are atheists, you know, to bridge that gap.
And this is one good point to use for that.
Right, I think in the arguments for the existence of God there is this, at least a
question that arises, shouldn't there be more coming and is there more coming?
And one would hope would prod one to start looking for more information as to the will of
God.
And I believe that passage over in Romans 8-17 and also over in Acts 17 where it says,
that uh...
god will see to it he doesn't leave us alone he built us in with these uh...
these proddings and so forth and uh...
i believe that uh...
he arranges for the truth seeker to have the opportunity to learn the truth and put it
into practice so an illustration that helps uh...
along these lines as we are working toward the argument for the existence of the bible's
being the the word of god rather
How would such additional revelation be detected?
Well, consider first then this analogy and illustration.
Let us say that you are a ranch hand and the boss gives you an assignment.
He says, please go out to the North 40, find and bring back this one horse.
And he says that there is one horse out there that it has certain properties.
It's a white horse.
It has a black crescent on its forehead.
It has a black mane with white mixed in and a black band around its front left ankle.
So to know that you have found the right horse, what would be necessary and what would be
sufficient would be a good place to start maybe for a discussion of that.
Given that it has these properties,
and you're out there trying to find it, what would be necessary for you to find and what
would be sufficient for you to find?
Any thoughts on that?
Well, just looking at that example.
what the black band exactly is but I would say you would need all because there's there's
more than one white horse there's more than one black crescent or more than one horse with
a black crescent on the forehead there's more than one horse with a black mane with white
mixed in and I don't know what the band may refer to but all those would definitely be the
one
Yeah, so you'd have to, you could not omit any of
Yeah, and if you said the black band that says George Beale's on it, then that might be
sufficient by itself.
That in itself might be evidence of the existence of God.
Yes.
Going back to the previous arguments, but the each one of these properties is necessary.
uh Not one of them could be omitted in order to have the right horse.
And when you put all of them together, then of course, then and only then do you have the
sufficiency.
to conclude this is the right horse.
So that line of reasoning is important.
So you go out there and you find a horse that, let's say, uh is not a white horse.
Well, he's excluded immediately.
And then you do find a horse who's white and has a black crescent uh on his forehead
maybe, but does not have the mane which was mixed in with the white.
and so forth and so on.
So the point is that you would be looking by process of elimination at these properties
and uh you'd exclude in some cases and say, okay, this gets me to a point, but it's not
sufficient.
I still need to keep looking.
And it's that line of reasoning that uh is important Forest as we lead our way to the uh
conclusion that the Bible is the Word of God.
And that's what I'd like Forest to spend a little more time on.
And it gives rise to the question right now then, the next point in this outline that
we're trying to develop.
And that is, what would be the expected properties then of a divine book?
And that is, similarly, what would be necessary and sufficient properties that would show
that a document is indeed a revelation from God?
And this we could talk about and come up with a list.
As a matter of fact, I do have a list if one wanted to.
I expand on this.
If you were to look at, uh go on Google and look up uh George F.
Beale's dissertation.
And you'll see it will come up.
It'll say the apologetic method of Thomas B.
Warren, a presentation of his case, and a biblical assessment.
And click that and you'll have a download.
you can be able to download rather that entire dissertation.
And if you were to look at pages 173 to 75, you'll see an expansion upon this where we
list a lot of the properties and much of this I give credit to Brother Thomas B.
Warren.
I thought he just did a wonderful job here on this.
But we might want to summarize some of these here in this brief discussion.
What properties would you expect a document to have?
if it is from a perfect being that is the Omni-God before even opening the Bible.
And maybe brainstorm on this, Brian.
What do you think?
Well, yeah, would have to claim to be from God.
I would think it would be one, claim to be from God, but not all books that claim to be
from God are God.
So God is not necessary, not sufficient.
But not sufficient.
It would have to, within itself, kind of prove that it's from God more than just claiming.
And I'm thinking along the lines of maybe predictive prophecy, things of that nature,
which I would argue could be sufficient.
when you look at that evidence.
But it would have to have something within it to show, to back up its claim.
There would be half there would have to be at least one property at least one that would
demonstrate that it is from God So we have a bunch of necessary properties.
It could not be conflicting with one another one passage when God is presenting his case
Could not conflict with another for example, we're
talking about the Omni God here.
So when God said one thing at a particular location in a document, let us say, and then
over 273 pages later, he forgot what he said over there and he conflicts with himself.
That kind of a thing would would exclude the book from being the
Right, it would have to be consistent with
It would have to be without error also, whether historical error or biological error.
Right?
Any subject that it touched upon, even if the subject is not part of the main theme being
developed in the Bible, if it does touch upon some other topic, we would expect that it
would always be accurate.
It could not, for example, incorporate some error in a particular culture, allowing that
to slip in.
That would be a fatal objection to this object as being from God.
So here we have then uh several properties that we've already identified.
uh furthermore, I would add this, that um the nature of the God that we're talking about,
that is the living and true God, the Omni God, perfect in all attributes, including love
and justice.
uh
and caring Forest and so forth, all powerful, all knowledgeable, would never lie.
uh The word of a being like that, a revelation beyond nature, that it contains more
details than nature does, I would expect it to be dealing with uh matters that really
matter.
In other words, not uh trivial things, but uh it would be, as we might say, uh majoring in
majors.
and uh...
not minding in major things someone said one time i thought this is quite good if there is
no god nothing really matters when you come right down to it this life is just temporary
and afterwards we die go back into the dust and it's all over on the other hand if there
is a god nothing matters more and and the nature of that being and as we look inward
and see our own needs, we would expect a caring, a loving, and then given that there's an
afterlife, we'd expect some direction on how to prepare ourselves in this life so that we
could have a successful afterlife.
So all of that, all of those kinds of properties.
would be involved, what I would expect, even before opening up the Bible.
And then, of course, the next lesson then is going to be, well, let's go ahead and open
the Bible and see what properties it does have.
And from that, we're going to see some wonderful properties from which we can make the
argument that therefore it is the
Yes, and I think with the study, and of course many of our listeners already know this,
but some may not, but I mean the Bible is just second to none.
I mean, it's so confirmed historically, so confirmed just in so many different ways that
there's no doubt, and this will be shown after next episode to those who haven't been
aware of this, but there's no doubt that the Bible had to come from God, had to come from
a supernatural
supreme all-knowing being, it's impossible for it not to have.
As we get into the characteristics of it, we see the individual properties that it
contains.
So, and that awaits us, God willing, for our next episode.
And we appreciate your listening, and if you have any questions or comments, please
contact us through the email fsop at fsop.net, and we'd be happy to answer your questions
and send you further information.
Again, we thank you for joining us, and we look forward to seeing you next time as we
continue this argument on the Bible being the Word of God.