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Tereo:A Best Seller For Seven Good Reasons
by Mike Frandson (Mike's bio)
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In 303 AD, the Roman emperor Diocletian mandated that Christianity was to be banned, the churches to be razed, and that the Holy Scriptures burned. Would he be surprised to learn that some 1,800 years later, those same texts are on the verge of being translated into every known spoken language? Diocletian couldn't abolish God's word. Yet even today critics are still speaking out against the Holy teachings.
As we consider defending our Bible, let's absolve that as Christians we believe in one God. He is unique or 'one of a kind'. Moreover, we believe that He loves us and has been participating with us since the creation. Yet since He is spirit, He has no 'voice' as we think of it. He has communicated to us through His prophets, and the Holy Bible is the recording of His messages and teachings. Thus, our Bible, if it IS the word of God, should be as unique as our God.
So just how unique is The Holy Bible?
First, it is unique in its continuity. It was written over a period of 1,500 years. Included among its authors are kings, prime ministers, physicians, herdsmen, a tax collector, musicians, and a secretary.
Throughout the Bible, the way to redemption is stressed. From the 15th verse of Genesis 3, God's promise of salvation is revealed.
Second, the Bible is distinctive in its circulation. The Bible was first written on perishable materials. It had to be copied and copied for many hundreds of years. This has lead to some skeptics saying that 'errors' have crept into the 'copies,' which we will refute later. For example, the Bible has more manuscript evidence from its earliest writings than any ten pieces of classical literature combined. (Refer to Chapter 1 of 'New Evidence That Demands A Verdict', Josh McDowell, mentioned in previous articles). Furthermore, there were special classes of men whose sole duty was to preserve the writings in perfect fidelity-Scribes!
Since the invention of the movable type printing press, offset, gravure, and laser lithography, the Bible circulation has increased. Large publishers around the world would be ecstatic if they had a title that sold a million copies. Most sell much less than that. In 1998 alone United Bible Societies members counted 40,900,000 Bibles and testaments sold! Scripture within tracts, periodicals, etc. conservatively accounted for 585,000,000 copies of this book that Diocletian wanted burned!
In addition, our Bible is unparalleled with its many interpretations. The Summer Institute of Linguistics predicts that sometime between 2007 and 2022, the Bible will be translated into every spoken language on the face of the earth. We are within a generation of witnessing the first universally translated text. The fulfillment of the great commission and prophecy is about to become true!
Our Bible is extraordinary in its survival. God's written message could have died three deaths. One, the materials could have disintegrated. But scribes diligently worked towards preserving the absolute accuracy of God's word. Two, the Bible could have died due to criticism. Let's just say that every attempt to deny the accuracy of the Bible has been met with more than enough evidence to support its truth. Three, our Bible could have died from persecution. Diocletion, Hitler, Marx, Voltaire, and others have attempted to diminish or eliminate God's word. They are dead. Yet, God's word is alive.
Our Bible is unique in its teachings. First, it is based upon prophecy. From Gen 3:15 onward, the Bible points to the coming of Christ. No founder of any religion or 'belief', Mohammed, Buddha, or Charles Manson can claim any such body of evidence proclaiming their 'coming'.
The Bible is unique in that it teaches the history of the Israelites. The Bible considers history as well as prophecy. Hence there is equal emphasis on the past and importance of future. For example, Moses often reminded his people not to forget their past and how God delivered them from slavery into luxury. To God, the future and the past are all the same.
Also, the Bible's teachings are unique in characterization. The Bible talks frankly about sin, and no names are hidden! The Patriarchs, Moses, Solomon, and the beloved David, are mentioned among the 'fallen'. In this sacred text, all bases are covered. Sex, lust, incest, homosexuality are addressed in the Bible with the same frankness as it teaches about the beauty of the love between man and wife, the beauty of children being allowed to come to God, the beauty of a shepherd going to get one sheep who has gone astray. Thus, the Bible treats all aspects of humankind with honesty and equality.
Our Bible is unique in its influence on literature. Historian Philip Schaff writes in part ' . . . Jesus of Nazareth . . .set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs . . . than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times'.
In closing, our Bible has profoundly influenced civilization. Kenneth Woodward points out in Newsweek that even 'after two thousand years . . .the centuries themselves are measured from the birth of Jesus of Nazareth'. What a wonderful way to think of His birth. They may disagree with His teachings, they may criticize His followers, and they may deny His deity but they all recognize His birth as the beginning of time in the new age!
Next time we will look into the perhaps the greatest 'silencer' of Bible's critics: The Dead Sea Scrolls.
Copyright 2002, Mike Frandson. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Mike Frandson:
By day he mulls over engineering drawings, molding presses, and automobile parts as a Quality Control Technician! But by night, he spends his time tickling the literary muse, writing hit songs, raising his children, and Praising his Lord. A layman who was nearly turned away from Christianity by false arguments, Mike now has set out to study the truth about Christianity, and to share these truths with all who are curious about seeking the kingdom of God. Visit Mike's web site |
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