The Bible is the Word of God

This blog post is Part 4 of a series entitled, "Orthodoxy" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN. 

Message Date: January 29, 2023

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In case you didn’t know... I love good, iced tea!   

People often ask us: What’s the secret to our delicious, iced tea @ Donelson First?  

The key to really good, iced tea involves several steps:  

1. Filtered water is critical. Never distilled. Actually, if you really want to enjoy the optimal glass of iced tea, filtered ice is even better!  

2. Temperature also makes a discernible difference. It’s ideal to use water that is just under boiling, around 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Most people making tea at home usually fail in one or both of these areas. The result is a glass of tea that is cloudy, or in the case of most home-brewed teas, bitter.  

Now, a fun fact: If your iced tea is either cloudy or bitter, you can add baking soda to the brew, and this usually eliminates such problems.  

Another key to a great glass of tea:  

3. Quality tea.  

Of course, the best way to get the tea right, which is what we do here @ DF, is to have an iced tea brewer installed.  

If you are new to DF and you are a fan of iced tea, then hang around another month or so. Once it gets warmer, we will be bringing back iced tea on the front lawn after Sunday services!  

Yes, I love iced tea!  

I could also talk for days about fescue grass, boat time on Percy Priest, Apple computers, my dogs, 30A, GMC trucks, and of course, my three ladies!  

Why? These things are all important to me.  

What is important to you? Whatever “it” is, you can probably do the same.  

I am sure you will agree with this statement:  

The things I deem important are given priority in my life.  

Agreed?  

Consider your schedule from this past week. As you think back over your week, I am sure there were events and responsibilities that took up time in your week out of necessity – driving to work, paying bills, preparing meals, getting kids up, dressed, fed, and out the door to daycare, school or work, cleaning your house, working in your yard, and on and on.   The time to which I want you to place focus here briefly is those “in-between moments” – those places in your calendar where you get to choose, if only briefly, how you spend your time.  

How do you fill those slots in the day? To what do you consistently turn? Exercise? Checking your socials? Time with friends? Binge-watching? What about this, consider: Does time in God’s Word consistently occupy space in my week? I believe this is true:

The amount of time I spend in the Bible is evidence of what I believe about the power of the Bible... and its impact on my life personally, socially, mentally, and spiritually.    

Today we continue our series, Orthodoxy, as we begin the process of examining the foundational truths that define the Christian faith.  

And the first on the list: the authority of God’s Word! 

 You may have heard this week that a court in Pakistan has recently sentenced an American woman to death for blasphemy of the Muslim religion. Now of course I do not agree with the sentencing. And we pray for this young woman who professes to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  

But in reference to the Muslim religion, have you ever wondered why you hear very little about this religion, or really, any other worldly religion? Think about it...  

When was the last time you saw a lead story or read an article from a major news source discussing the authenticity of such religions or highlighting a legal matter involving someone suing the state or the government in connection with a foundational belief, statement, or document in support of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, or Islam?  

Or, what about ancient practices or beliefs in the Greek or Roman gods? Such religions and religious leaders rarely make news on the national stage. Why is this?  

Or, when religion is attacked by mainstream media, or when a popular recording artist sings about the spiritual aspects of his or her life, it is rare the “gods” of these religions are ever mentioned.  

And then... consider curse words - - God’s name, sadly, has made its way into many a “saying!” But... I’ve never heard anyone say “Buddha damnit!”  

Many other religions believe that heaven + hell are fictitious locations only associated with the Christian religion. They instead emphatically insist that when one dies, he or she reincarnates to either planet earth or is assigned or granted one very own star or planet. Interesting, right?  

Well, it’s almost impossible to watch any movie these days without hearing someone say “Hell,” or “Go to hell!” Yet, these “stars” or “planets” associated with the afterlife in otherworldly religions never get mentioned as curse words... like, “Go to Pluto!” Or, “Jupiter no!”  

Why is this?  

And why is it that Christianity seems to be the target of constant attacks, and the name of our God, the one true Jehovah God, is sadly often paired with the words, “Oh my...” as people say, “Oh my God!”  

Interestingly, I have never heard anyone say, “Oh my Hare Krishna,” have you?  

There are little to no conversations, debates, or associated curse words over these worldly religions because there is no Orthodoxy in such pagan religions. There is almost no dialogue, positive or negative because there is no truth to these religions.  

Christianity, Jesus, God, heaven and yes, even hell, is often the source of relentless attacks, jokes, jeers, and even curse words because of Orthodoxy.  

Think about it – These other religions are mostly never a part of the conversation because they are not dangerous to Satan!   

Orthodoxy, the foundational truths that define the Christian faith, will always be on the attack because... the enemy will always align his fight squarely against the truth.  

Orthodoxy = The foundational truths that define the Christian faith.  

So, what are these truths that are constantly the source of attacks, jeers, smears, and jokes?

The Foundational Principles of the Christian faith:

The Bible is the Word of God and is the ultimate authority for everything.

God is the one Holy God.

God is the Creator of all things.

All of humanity is created in the image of God for the purpose of bringing God glory.

The family is defined and ordained by God as the foundational institution of humanity.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

The penalty for humanity’s sins is eternal death.

Jesus Christ paid the price for humanity’s sins by dying on the cross.

Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried for three days.

Jesus Christ rose from the grave and offers salvation by grace to everyone who believes in Him and surrenders life to Him.

The Church is the body of Jesus Christ.

Heaven is real and where every Christian will spend eternity with God.  

So, let’s begin the journey of dissecting each. Now, teaching through some of these Orthodoxy truths I will combine as we move forward. But not today. I want to spend the rest of our time on Foundational Principle #1:

The Bible is the Word of God and is the ultimate authority for everything.   

My belief in Foundational Principle #1 will dictate how I live.  

My belief in Foundational Principle #1 will determine how I spend eternity.  

I know this about Amy... - She loves cheese. - She loves a good Hallmark movie. - She is super loyal. - She is the smartest person I know. - She loves coffee, her girls, and her career. - She is feisty and determined and focused and sexy. - She loves college football, and loves the beach, and she loves a great salad!  

I know these things because either, she has told me, I have watched her life, or I have learned these things by spending time with her.  

With God, it’s obviously a little different. But it too is the same. I can’t see God with skin or touch Him or share a cup of coffee together. But...  

Everything there is to learn about God I can learn as I spend time in His Word.  

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12  

I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you, yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore, I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. Psalm 119:101-107  

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Psalm 107:20

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16  

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11  

God’s Word should...

astound me. amaze me. empower me. convict me. guide me. correct me. ignite a passion within me.  

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

As we read God’s Word, we read about His will. Isaiah 55 reveals to us the true will of God for His people - - to accomplish what He desires through us.  

God has given us His Word as the final authority on all things about Him. And the more time I spend in the Word, the more of Himself He reveals to me.  

Heresy statements about God’s Word: (There are many. Here are a few.)

The Bible is not real.

The Bible is only partially true.

The Bible is rampant with contradictions.  

If any of these heresies is true, then absolutely none of the Bible is true.  

You can’t have it both ways!  

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. Psalm 119:160    

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17   

If the Bible is true, then it must be the ultimate authority for everything. If the Bible is true, then to deny its truth is to deny God Himself.  

If we were not given the Bible, we would not know mostly anything about who God is and what great lengths He took to prove His love for humanity. God has told us everything He wants us to know about Him in His Word.  

We may not know all we want to know. But we do, and can, know everything He wants us to know.  

Now, some would say, “You can’t use Scripture to prove the authenticity of Scripture!” But the evidence tells us otherwise!  

I want to show clear evidence that proves the authenticity of Scripture.  

Now... what we are about to walk through is unique to any content we have previously studied. As we are going to see moving forward in the Orthodoxy series, some of what we will study will be more so on the side of a history lesson than in other series.  

Read what Paul, a true historical and biblical theologian, has to say about the authority of God’s Word:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17    

There are 2 critical forms of evidence that give credibility to the authenticity of Scripture:

1. Internal evidence.

2. External evidence.

Let me first explain: Internal evidence. I have shared the answer to each of these statements with you previously: 

I was born in what city in Arkansas? Stuttgart.

Stuttgart is considered to be both the ______ and the ______ capitol of the world? Rice & duck hunting.   

In which commercial did I appear that paid for part of my tuition at Belmont University? Pepsi Challenge 10K

Before getting married, I lived in the upstairs apartment of a man whose name was _____? Mr. Apple

How long did I ask Amy out on a date before she finally said yes? Almost 4 years. 

How many albums have I recorded? 3

What one gift did I hope for but did not receive this Christmas? A boat.  

Again, each of these personal facts I have shared with you previously from the stage. Some of you knew all of them. Some of you knew some of them. Some of you did not know any of them. Nonetheless, this evidence speaks to the credibility of the story of my life. The longer you spend time with me, the more you know this evidence, and others, to be true.  

The same principle applies to the internal evidence offered to us both within the Bible and throughout the timeline of history as the Bible was assembled and continues to be shared from generation to generation.      

The Bible is: 

Written in 66 books.

Written across three continents.

Written in three different languages.

Written over a span of approximately 1,500 years.

Written by more than 40 authors from a variety of walks of life.  

Though written over the span of 150 decades, and penned by 40+ authors, these historical facts never once contradict one another. And the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. There too is the evidence of “fulfilled prophecy,” which has been proven in numerous historical writings.  

The Holy Scriptures detail hundreds of prophecies relating to the future of various nations, specific cities, the coming of the Messiah, those who would believe in Him and deny Him, and much more.  

Many prophecies outside of the Bible have been written about many worldly events throughout the history of time. However, most of these prophecies have been extremely vague and cloudy in nature.  

Do you know this: There are over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Prophecies including His family, His birthplace, how He would die, the inhuman way in which He would be tried and convicted, what words He would speak, how His body would be bruised and bloodied, and that He would conquer death and come back to life.  

Just three chapters into the Bible, we read the prophecy of the virgin birth:  

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3:15

This prophecy in Genesis 3:15 is fulfilled in Matthew 1:18:

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15  

This prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15 is fulfilled in John 6:14:

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." John 6:14

These are just two of more than 300 fulfilled prophecies in the Bible!  

Mathematically speaking, the probability of one person fulfilling just 48 of the 300 prophecies would be the equivalent of 1 chance out of 13 trillion. Several such probability calculations have been performed through a variety of mathematical studies. Each of these studies concludes that it is mathematically impossible that one person could fulfill merely a handful of these prophecies, much less, all of these prophecies by chance. Supernaturally, Jesus fulfilled all 300+ of these prophecies... every single one of them! There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than citing a divine hand guiding the supernatural while solidifying the authenticity of the Bible.    

I have mentioned the first-century Roman Publius Tacitus (Tas-i-tus) who is considered to be one of the greatest and more accurate Roman historians of the ancient world. Tacitus was born in 56 AD, and he committed his life from his early teenage years forward to the research and documentation of history. Specifically Roman history. 

 Tacitus wrote (The Anlz) The Annals and the Histories which were originally published separately. These were two writings that were meant to form a collection of thirty books. Although Tacitus wrote the Histories before The Annals, the events in The Annals precede the Histories. Though most has been lost, what remains is an invaluable record of Roman history from the first century.  

We will talk more about the historical documentation of Tacitus later in this series when we specifically examine the foundational truth of the person of Jesus Christ. What I will say is that Tacitus details a great amount of information about Jesus and about the followers, or disciples, of Jesus after the death and resurrection of the Christ. Look at what Tacitus wrote:

Christus died by the death penalty during Emperor Tiberius’ reign (AD 14-37). Pontius Pilatus, procurator (AD 26-36), sentenced Christus to death. Publius Tacitus, The Annals, Century 1  

Christus (Latin) = Jesus  

Look at how Scripture aligns with the writings of the historian Tacitus:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea (I-tir-ray-a) and Traconitis (track-o-night-us), and Lysanias (lie-scene-e-us) tetrarch of Abilene… Luke 3:1a

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead, an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. Matthew 27:24-26  

Tacitus would go on to write much about Christian persecution and how: “...followers of Christus were spreading the message of their Messiah everywhere.” Publius Tacitus, The Annals, Century 1  

Did you know this:  

There isn’t a single secular historian who has ever gone on record discrediting the authenticity of Scripture.  

When it comes to historical evidence, writings less than 200 years after an event takes place are considered to be overwhelmingly reliable.  

Well…the entire New Testament was written within 100 years of the death of Jesus Christ.  

Actually, most Christian and non-Christian scholars believe that Paul wrote his contributions to the New Testament less than 40 years after the death and resurrection of our Savior. Paul wrote: Galatians, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus.  

In AD 70, the Romans invaded Israel and destroyed Jerusalem. Cities throughout Israel were burned, and Christians were persecuted. For 2 centuries Christian persecution reigned and there was an extreme campaign to rid the planet of anyone who professed allegiance to the Messiah.  

But here is what is amazing: 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament survived either in part or whole this attempted massacre of God’s people and His Word. Despite this destruction… There are more historical copies of the New Testament than any other ancient document ever printed.  

Did you hear this? - - More than any other document ever printed!  

As a matter of fact: There are 5,800 complete or fragmented original Greek manuscripts of the Bible cataloged, 10,000 Latin manuscripts, and 9,300 manuscripts in various ancient languages including Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptic, and Armenian.   Historians both of faith and of no faith attest to this truth. The 2nd most common ancient document is not even close: Homer’s Iliad.

There are 25,000 original manuscripts in part or whole of the New Testament. - Guess how many original copies there are of the Iliad: Less than 2000. There has never been, and never will be, any other religious book with this amount of detailed internal evidence.

The second critical evidence that gives credibility to the authenticity of Scripture: External evidence.  

Artifacts play an extremely important role in the process of verification and identification as it relates to the authenticity of Scripture. Once an artifact is found, its existence is put through a variety of tests to verify it is in fact what it appears to be.   Many secular archaeologists for years and years stated that the King David of the Bible was merely a legendary figure rather than a historical King. This was until the discovery of the Tel Dan Stela, an artifact of basalt stone dating from the 9th century BC. The stone was discovered on an archeological dig in Northern Israel in June of 1994. The Tel Dan Stela is a fragmentary stone containing a Canaanite inscription that dates to the 9th century BC. It is notable for possibly being the most significant and perhaps the only extra-biblical archeological reference to the house of David.   

Once verified, the Tel Dan Stela proved:

King David was a real person. He reigned as King of Israel. He was the founder of the kingdom of Judah.  

Then there is The Pool of Siloam which was discovered on an archeological dig in 2004. Geographical locations are equally important to the verification of the Bible. This pool is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments.  

There is a story in John 9 of Jesus healing a man and then having the man wash in the Pool: John 9:1-7  

The discovery of this pool is an archeological lottery because its location not only coincides with the time of this story recorded in John 9. It too speaks to its origin, which dates back at least 7 centuries before the time of Jesus on earth.  

During the late 8th Century BC, Judah’s King Hezekiah correctly anticipated a future siege against Jerusalem by the Assyrian monarch Sennacherib. To protect the city’s water supply during the siege, Hezekiah undertook a strategic engineering project that would be an impressive feat in any age: He ordered the digging of a 1,750-foot tunnel under the City of David to bring water from the Gihon Spring, which lay outside the city wall, inside the city to a pool on the opposite side of the ridge.  

When the Pool was discovered in June of 2004, it was also discovered that a trench or “water tunnel” leading from this exact spring was in fact the source of water leading to the Pool of Siloam. What an amazing discovery that gives credibility to historical moments recorded in both the Old and New Testaments.  

And, of course, one of the greatest discoveries offering external evidence to the authenticity of the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls. 

The first of the Dead Sea Scroll discoveries occurred in 1947 in Qumran, a village situated about twenty miles east of Jerusalem on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. While searching for a lost goat, a shepherd tossed a rock into one of the caves along the sea cliffs and heard a cracking sound.  

The rock had hit a ceramic pot containing leather and papyrus scrolls that were later determined to be nearly 20 centuries old. The search then widened over 10 years throughout the 11 caves around the Dead Sea. In this search, tens of thousands of scroll fragments dating from the third century B.C. to A.D. 68 were found! The Dead Sea Scrolls comprise a vast collection of Jewish documents written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. They include manuscripts or fragments of EVERY BOOK in the Hebrew Bible except the Book of Esther, all of them created nearly one thousand years earlier than any previously known biblical manuscripts.  

Included in this find, were historical records dating back more than 2,000 years that offered a historical timeline that ran parallel with the stories of the Old Testament. Many more archaeological discoveries have substantiated the events and the people in the Bible.  

Here are some of the latest findings documented offering overwhelming proof of the validity of Scripture:

Egypt’s invasion of Israel, which is recorded in 1 Kings 14.

The Assyrian siege found in 2 Kings 18-19.

The trade relations between Israel and Sheba detailed in 1 Kings 10.

The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

And, the reigns of Kings Omri, Ahab, Uzziah, Hezekiah, Ahaz, and Jeroboam II.

Guys... these are just some of the many external historical documents that have been discovered offering clear proof of Foundational Principle #1:

The Bible is the Word of God and is the ultimate authority for everything.  

Wow! So much content. So much proof as to the validity of the Holy Scriptures.  

This is how I spent my week, and I learned so much about the authenticity of Scripture:  

Imagine if we committed our life to such a pursuit!