Bible Text: 1 Peter 1:10-12 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: 1 Peter, Curious Prophets & Angels

1.  Resources for the reliability of the Bible:

-Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict

-David DeWitt, Answering the Tough Ones

-Paul E. Little, Know Why You Believe, Know What You Believe

-Charles E. Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine

-Christian Research Institute, www.equip.org, Hank Hannegraf “M.A.P.S.”

2.  Six lines of evidence for the reliability of the Bible (UFACTS)

-Unity & Consistency.  The Bible consists of 66 books, written by some 40 authors, over 1500 years, in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), on three continents yet has the same things to say about difficult life issues.

-Fulfilled Prophecy.  The Bible accurately predicts the fulfillment of hundreds of specific events, people, nations years before their actual occurrence.

-Archaeology.  Archaeology finds consistently confirm the Biblical record. “Over and over again, comprehensive field work (archaeology) and careful biblical interpretation affirms the reliability of the Bible.  It is telling when a secular scholar must revise his biblical criticiam in light of solid archaeological evidence.” (Hank Hannegraf)

-Canonicity (the process by which the Bible came to be comprised of the 66 books we have today).  Jesus affirmed just the 39 Old Testament books we have today (Luke 11:51).  The New Testament books passed tests of authorship, spiritual dynamic, acceptance and circulation by the early church.

-Textual Criticism (or Transmission).  The present Greek, Hebrew, & Aramaic (the 3 languages in which the Bible was originally written) texts which underlie our English translation are backed up by thousands of manuscripts and fragments (over 14,000 Old Testament, and right at 25,000 New Testament), more than any other book of antiquity.

-Self-testimony.  the Bible claims to be the Word of God and completely reliable. 2 Peter 1:20.21; 2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 5:18; 15:4; Acts 1:16; 4:24,25; Mark 12:36.