1 PETER+—An Illustrated Summary of Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible by G. Campbell Morgan

"On every page of the God-breathed writings are many thoughts that stretch out like long, clear arms of light across the darkness, discovering things otherwise hidden and illuminating wider areas than those of the immediate context. They are searchlights. I have selected one in each chapter of Scripture, for at least one central thought in every chapter should arrest the mind and affect the life," wrote G. Campbell Morgan, a skilled, wise, warm-hearted Bible teacher who conducted a classic 3-year study called Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible. Here is the fruit of that research—summarized, illustrated, and amplified with useful details—on all 66 books of the Bible.

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, 

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 

1 SAMUEL, 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS,  2 KINGS, 

1 CHRONICLES, 2 CHRONICLES, EZRA, 

NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB, PSALMS, 

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, 

SONG OF SOLOMON,  ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

 LAMENTATIONS, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, 

HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, 

MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,  

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI,

 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN, 

ACTS, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS,

2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, 

PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 THESSALONIANS,

2 THESSALONIANS, 1 TIMOTHY,  2 TIMOTHY, TITUS,

PHILEMON, HEBREWS, JAMES, 1 PETER, 2 PETER,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATION

1 Peter 1:12 "Things into which angels long to look." First Peter is the first of two letters the apostle Peter wrote to the church at large in many locations. It opens with praise to God and proceeds exuberantly to deal with the wonders of Christian experience and privilege. Because of God's mercy, Peter tells all Christians, we have been "born again to a living hope," to an inheritance kept in heaven for us. That, of course, brings joy, which brings encouragement as we face necessary trials in this life while we wait for the next, which all have the good effect of refining and testing or proving the genuineness of our faith. "Concerning this salvation," Peter writes, "the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, wondering what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories." These are things into which angels long to look. This helps us realize the depths and glories of our salvation. The angels are the unfallen beings who serve God in holiness and dwell with Him in the light. So great is human salvation that they desire to understand it better. This longing is of the simplest and strongest kind, showing us they realize its amazing wonder and earnestly wish to apprehend it. The Greek word translated "look" is also a strong one, suggesting the closest attention and inspection of ones bent over in careful examination. While prophets sought and searched diligently, and angels still long to look at, those of us who are the objects of this mercy so full of wonder should be satisfied  with nothing less than our utmost diligence to grasp the deep things of our "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading."

1 Peter 2:7 "The honor or preciousness is for you who believe." This is speaking about the preciousness of Christ, the stone the builders rejected who in fact became the cornerstone of God's building. The declaration is not that believers know the preciousness of Christ, but rather that they share it. Preciousness speaks of honor and the qualities worthy of honor. Twice in this passage Christ is described as precious in God's estimate. We know the things in Christ that made Him precious and honorable in the sight of God: His purity, His love, and His conformity to the perfect will of God. All these things are communicated to those who believe in Christ! His very life and nature are given to the believer, and by the might of their working, make that believer precious with His preciousness. He is the living Stone, and those who come to Him in saving faith receive that very quality of life that is His, thereby becoming living stones in God's building. It is in the power of that preciousness that they become "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession," and so enabled "to show forth the excellencies" of God.

1 Peter 3:15 "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." At the center of the Christian life is but one Lord, and that is Christ. Christians faithfully honoring that fact maintain unity of being, consistency of conduct, and accomplishment of purpose. To do otherwise is to be divided in our own life, inconsistent in our conduct, and ineffective in our service. Divided loyalties, such as our own selfish desires, worldly wisdom, and the pressure of circumstances, bring disaster. Therefore the urgency of this command. To hallow the heart by excluding all other lords except Christ Himself is to be strong, true, and effective. His knowledge is perfect, not only of the heart, but also of our circumstances and the true way of life. To be governed by many lords is to be in bondage to them all and desolated by their conflicting ways. To be in bondage to Christ is to be released from all other captivity. Living like that will lead to good and sincere spiritual questions from people seeking hope. Our answer is to be a defense. The Greek word translated "defense" is apologia so Christian apologetics are not apologies but defenses based on evidence. The Christian faith is reasonable, but it is also humble, which is why Peter says the evidence we present for Christian hope is to be explained with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 4:16 "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." This is one of the few places in the New Testament where that description of believers is used. There are only three. In the first we are told where it originated: "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). It was not necessarily a term of reproach, but one used to mark the fact that they were followers of Christ. The second is a cynical remark made by King Herod Agrippa II to the apostle Paul: "In such a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28). The third and last time is here, where Peter makes it obvious that sometimes suffering comes with being known as a Christian. The apostle says two things in view of that fact. The first is that no shame is attached to such suffering. Perhaps he is remembering when he and his fellow apostles had been beaten before the Jewish council in Jerusalem and ordered not to speak about Christ. Although in actual physical agony from the stripes laid on them, they nevertheless "left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name" (Acts 5:41).  The second word is a command: "Let him glorify God in that name." That is more than glorying in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord; it is also living worthily to the glory of God. If a person is known as a Christian but does not live as one, he or she dishonors God. To bear the Name is to take a responsibility both great and solemn.

1 Peter 5:9 "Knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brethren throughout the world." Peter ends the meat of his first letter to the church at large like this: "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under  the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brethren throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (verses 5-10). This is comfort amid conflict. No brother or sister in Christ is fighting alone. Each one is at once supporting and supported by all the rest. Therefore to stop standing firm is to weaken the line of spiritual battle and create an advantage for the enemy of our souls, but to continue to withstand is to strengthen that line and make it difficult for the foe to break through. The resources of our enemy are not limitless. The greater the number of loyal soldiers opposed to him, the greater the difficulty he has advancing upon one soul. The resources of our Lord, the great Captain of our salvation, are limitless. In proportion as we avail ourselves of them, we are invincible. Remember that when temptation comes. If we yield, we weaken the whole battleline. If we stand firm in our faith, the strength of our victory adds power to all the ranks. We need never yield, not only because our Lord is on our side—that is enough—but also because all our brethren who resist are helping us. We never fight alone.

Read All the Applications for Yourself!

COLOSSIANS+—An Illustrated Summary of Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible by G. Campbell Morgan

"On every page of the God-breathed writings are many thoughts that stretch out like long, clear arms of light across the darkness, discovering things otherwise hidden and illuminating wider areas than those of the immediate context. They are searchlights. I have selected one in each chapter of Scripture, for at least one central thought in every chapter should arrest the mind and affect the life," wrote G. Campbell Morgan, a skilled, wise, warm-hearted Bible teacher who conducted a classic 3-year study called Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible. Here is the fruit of that research—summarized, illustrated, and amplified with useful details—on all 66 books of the Bible.

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, 

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 

1 SAMUEL, 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS,  2 KINGS, 

1 CHRONICLES, 2 CHRONICLES, EZRA, 

NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB, PSALMS, 

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, 

SONG OF SOLOMON,  ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

 LAMENTATIONS, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, 

HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, 

MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,  

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI,

 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN, 

ACTS, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS,

2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, 

PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 THESSALONIANS,

2 THESSALONIANS, 1 TIMOTHY,  2 TIMOTHY, TITUS,

PHILEMON, HEBREWS, JAMES, 1 PETER, 2 PETER,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATION

Colossians 1:11 "Strengthened with ... the might of His glory." Colossians is an exceptionally Christ-centered letter. All the New Testament letters are, but this one stands out because of the false teaching about Christ Paul so powerfully addresses here, especially that He is God in human flesh, not a created being: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation [not the first created, but the Preeminent One, the Creator]. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible ... all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the Body, the Church ... the firstborn from the dead.... It was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness [of Deity] to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross." His resurrection power figures into one Paul's most moving prayers, which is in this chapter: "We have not stopped praying for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, for all endurance and patience with joy." Human glory fades, but God's glory never does. His power is immeasurably great "toward us who believe," as Paul prays in Ephesians 1, for it is the same power "He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead!" Colossians 1 appropriately ends like this: "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.  For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me."

Colossians 2:2-3 "To reach ... the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The last word has never yet been spoken about Christ. There is no greater subject, but the subject is never exhausted and never becomes out of date. Nevertheless, through all the intellectual processes, the Lord Jesus finds the heart of man and gives Himself to it so that in Him both heart and mind find rest, joy, and satisfaction. Those who know and love Christ live in daily friendship with Him. They are closer to Him than with their dearest earthly friends, for they tell Him all their griefs and joys, their doubts and hopes, their successes and failures. Christ is indeed the mystery of God, profound in the wonder of His being, yet so real that a young child can speak of Him with familiarity. Paul says next, "I say this that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.... See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition ... and not according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete."

Colossians 3:5 Consider yourselves dead to "immorality ... evil desire, and greed or covetousness, which is idolatry." Paul warns fellow believers against a dark list of evil things that culminates with a strong phrase in the Greek text literally translated as the greed or the covetousness. which he stops to define as idolatry. That surprises many modern readers, who assume sexual sins are so much worse, but the apostle Paul is telling us it is a most deadly form of sin. That should not surprise us since "You shall not covet" is the Tenth Commandment. Paul uses it as an example in Romans 7: "I would not have come to know what sin is except through God's Law, for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, taking opportunity through the Commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind." To avoid confusion, Paul clarifies that the Law itself "is holy, and the Commandment is holy, righteous, and good." The Law fulfilled its first function in Paul's life by making him painfully aware of the evil lurking within him and his need for cleansing from the Lawgiver, whose Law reflects His holy nature. That is why Paul says in this chapter, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.... Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.... Put on then—as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and ... forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

Colossians 4:18 "Remember my chains." Paul wrote this entire letter while in prison. Surely during the writing it must have seemed as if the dungeon flamed with light from the inspired contents that set one's mind on things above! Paul's practice was to dictate to a secretary who did the actual writing. In this chapter Paul mentions several people who were with him so they, along with Paul's Roman guards, probably heard the contents of this letter before the Colossian church received and read it themselves. He includes this note just for them: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. I bear him witness that he has worked hard." Perhaps he was Paul's secretary. When it was time at the end of the letter for Paul to add his customary signature, "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand," he added, "Remember my chains." Maybe he felt the weight of the chains tugging on him and craved sympathetic prayers. How close that human touch brings him and his powerful teaching to us all! Paul's final instructions are as vital today as when first written: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Read All the Applications for Yourself!

Illustrated Summary of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Christianity is all about Christ. That was the message C.S. Lewis gave to a nation that was facing death daily, but had lost touch with or didn't know what the Bible teaches and why they should believe it. What began as World War 2 radio addresses became Mere Christianity, one classic book (comprised of 4 small books) that still stands the test of time. It was the first Christian book I purchased and read (not counting the Bible) so as a tribute, it was the first book I summarized (with lively illustrations, direct quotations, and simplified spelling and punctuation), mostly by 1 post per chapter. In this post I give you the big picture by listing Mere Christianity's contents on the left with links to my individual posts on the right. My titles, whenever they differ from Lewis's titles, are attempts to add clarity so you can read about what most interests you.

Mere Christianity

Preface. Serving Where the Line Is Thinnest,  At Her Center Where Her Truest Children Dwell,  Keeping the Term "Christian" Truly Useful, Where There Are Fires and Chairs and Meals! (Not until Book 2 did I develop my usual style of selecting a relevant, edifying image to illuminate not only each blog post, but also each paragraph of text.)

Book 1. Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe

1.  The Law of Human Nature - Right and Wrong as Clues  
2.  Some Objections - Is "Decent Behavior" Basically Instinct? 
3.  The Reality of the Law - The Reality of the Law 
4.  What Lies Behind the Law - What Lies Behind the Law 
5.  We Have Cause to Be Uneasy - We Have Cause to Be Uneasy

Book 2. What Christians Believe

1. The Rival Conceptions of God - The Rival Conceptions of God 
2. The Invasion - What's Behind a Universe at War? 
3. The Shocking Alternative - Some People Say the Silliest Things About Jesus
4. The Perfect Penitent - Why on Earth Did Christ HAVE to Die? 
5. The Practical Conclusion - What to Do Before the King Returns?

Book 3. Christian Behavior

1. The Three Parts of Morality - A Positive Way of Looking at Morality 
2. The Cardinal Virtues - The Four Pivotal Virtues 
3. Social Morality - Social Morality 
4. Morality and Psychoanalysis - Morality and Psychoanalysis
5. Sexual Morality - Sexual Morality
6. Christian Marriage - Marriage  
7. Forgiveness - Forgiveness
8. The Great Sin - Pride: The Great Sin
9. Charity - Love 
10. Hope - Hope  
11. Faith - Faith as Belief 
12. Faith - Faith as Trust 

Book 4. Beyond Personality: Or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity

1. Making and Begetting - First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity
2. The Three-Personal God - The Three-Personal God 
3. Time and Beyond Time - Time and Beyond Time 
4. Good Infection - Good Infection
5. The Obstinate Toy Soldiers - The Obstinate Toy Soldiers 
6. Two Notes - Neither Individualism Nor Totalitarianism
7. Let's Pretend - Let's Pretend 
8. Is Christianity Hard or Easy? - Is Christianity Hard or Easy? 
9. Counting the Cost - Counting the Cost
10. Nice People or New Men - Nice People or New Men?
11. The New Men - The New Men 

Enjoy Reading the Whole Book for Yourself!

 

Trusting the Bible: Illustrated Summary of Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell and Dr. Sean McDowell

The Latest Version

Josh McDowell and his son, Dr. Sean McDowell, in Evidence That Demands a Verdict—like C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity—explain and defend the Christian faith without assuming their readers automatically trust the Bible. C.S. Lewis starts by examining the universal concept of right and wrong as a clue to the meaning of the universe, and demonstrates step by step that what the Bible says is both true and compelling (each chapter summarized and illustrated here).  The McDowells' Evidence That Demands a Verdict provides solid historical and philosophical evidences for the Christian faith, as I have discovered through years of experience, starting with my college years. It is a masterful collection of quotes in their context and in primary sources from experts in relevant fields.

"We are arguing that faith is ... a form of conviction, and is, therefore, necessarily grounded in evidence," says Benjamin Warfield, a renowned theologian from Princeton University (one of a plethora of the scholars cited in Evidence). Warfield was a specialist in apologetics, a branch of Christian theology that can be summarized by a single verse from the New Testament: "Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). The Greek word translated "defense" is apologia so Christian apologetics are not apologies but defenses based on evidence.

What is the evidence for believing the Bible is true? This post  summarizes that evidence in what I hope is one useful chunk, but also I encourage you to read carefully for yourself any book or quote I highlight that makes a powerful impression on you. 

History vs. Myth 

People today find it easy to assume that believing the Bible is not appropriate in a modern, scientific age, figuring that its contents must be mythical. I grew up assuming that. So did the author of Evidence but years later, speaking in a world literature class, he responded this way when the professor correlated Greek mythology with the virgin birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: "There is an obvious difference between the events recorded about Christ in the Bible and the stories conveyed in Greek mythology that bear a vague similarity. The similar stories ... were not applied to real flesh-and-blood individuals, but instead to non-historical, fictional, mythological characters. However, when it comes to Christianity, these events are attached to the historic Jesus of Nazareth, whom the New Testament writers knew personally." The professor replied, "You are right. I never realized that before."

Here is a sampling of sober eyewitness reporting in the New Testament:

• "We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).
• "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes ... and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life ... that ... we declare to you" (1 John 1:1-3).
• "Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had a careful understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account" (Luke 1:1-3). Dr. Luke, the meticulous historian who wrote that, tells us this in his second volume: Jesus "presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs" (Acts 1:3).
• The risen Christ was seen by over 500 eyewitnesses at the same time, most of whom were still alive when this manuscript was written (1 Corinthians 15:6).
• The apostle Paul, making his defense in chains before a Roman governor and a Jewish king, said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:25-26).

C.S. Lewis remarked that if someone "tells me that something in a Gospel is legend or romance, I want to know how many legends and romances he has read, how well his palate is trained in detecting them by the flavor.... I have been reading poems, romances, vision-literature, legends, myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know that not one of them is like this." The Gospels and the others portions of the Bible are not myth, but are they reliable?

Testing the Reliability of Ancient Literature

Introduction to Research in English Literary History by Chauncey Sanders, a military historian, lists three basic principles of historiography:

1. The Bibliographic Test
2. The Internal Evidence Test
3. The External Evidence Test

The Bibliographic Test is an examination of the way documents reach us. Since we do not have the original documents, how reliable are the copies we have in regard to the number of manuscripts and the time interval between the original and currently existing copies? Here are basic statistics from greatest to less:

• The New Testament: 24,970+ copies with a time gap from 50-225 years
• The Old Testament: 223 from the Dead Sea Scrolls (copied between 300-100 B.C.) and over 1,000 copied later (virtually identical to the DSS)
• The Iliad by Homer: 643 copies, 400-year gap
• Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar: 10 copies, 1,000-year gap
• Histories by Herodotus: 8 copies, 1,350-year gap

Sir Frederic Kenyon, who was the director and principal librarian of the British Museum, explains the statistics: "Besides number, the manuscripts of the New Testament differ from those of the classical authors.... In no other case is the interval of time between the composition of the book and the date of the earliest extant manuscripts so short as that of the New Testament.... Any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed."

The Internal and External Evidence Tests consider whether what was written is accurate. One legal expert describes the Internal Evidence of a text this way: "One must listen to the claims of the document under analysis, and not assume fraud or error unless the author disqualified himself by contradictions or known factual inaccuracies." Another legal expert and biblical scholar, Dr. Gleason Archer, applied both Internal and External tests in his Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties and observed, "As I have dealt with one apparent discrepancy after another and have studied the alleged contradictions between the biblical record and the evidence of linguistics, archaeology, or science, my confidence in the trustworthiness of Scripture has been repeatedly verified and strengthened by the discovery that almost every problem in Scripture that has ever been discovered by man, from ancient times until now, has been dealt with in a completely satisfactory manner by the biblical text itself—or by objective archaeological information." Here is a summary of legal and literary principles for understanding apparent discrepancies in the Bible:

1. The unexplained is not necessarily unexplainable.
2. Fallible interpretations do not mean fallible revelation.
3. Understand the context of the passage.
4. Interpret difficult passages in the light of clear ones.
5. Don't base teaching on obscure passages.
6. The Bible is a human book with human characteristics.
7. Just because a report is incomplete does not mean it is false.
8. New Testament citations of the Old Testament need not always be exact.
9. The Bible does not necessarily approve of all it records.
10. The Bible uses non-technical, everyday language.
11. The Bible may use round numbers as well as exact numbers.
12. Note when the Bible uses different literary devices.
13. An error in a copy does not equate to an error in the original.
14. General statements don't necessarily mean universal promises.
15. Later revelation supersedes previous revelation.

External Evidence, as opposed to Internal, concerns sources apart from the literature in question that substantiate its accuracy, reliability, and authenticity. For example, several Roman and Jewish historians (including Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus) wrote about the death of Jesus Christ under Pontius Pilate and the persecution of Christians by Emperor Nero. Renowned archaeologists continue unearthing external confirmations of the Bible to this day, making statements such as these:

• "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference" (Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert: History of the Negev).
• "Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history" (William Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine).
• "Archaeology work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine" (Millar Burrows, What Mean These Stones?).

Jesus' Affirmation of Scripture 

A chapter asking "Is the Bible from God?" in the McDowells' New Evidence That Demands a Verdict summarizes and expands on what we have covered so far: "The Bible is a reliable and trustworthy document. This is established by treating it as any other historical record, as, for instance, the works of Josephus or the accounts of war by Julius Caesar. On the basis of the history recorded by the Bible, we have sufficient grounds for believing that the central character of the Bible, Jesus Christ, did what He is claimed to have done and therefore is who He claimed to be. He claimed to be the unique Son of God—in fact, God in human flesh. As the unique Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ is an infallible authority." (If you are having problems with the McDowells' reasoning here, I understand: I felt that way myself for many years. But since this post is on the Bible, not on Jesus, here is a link to pursue this point further: What C.S. Lewis Said about Christ to a Nation at War.)

 

Many religious books, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and Hindu Vedas, claim divine inspiration, but none of those books contain predictive prophecy. One of the greatest ways Jesus affirmed the Bible was by fulfilling dozens of specific prophecies. Here are some of the most dramatic examples of what are called Messianic prophecies in chronological order:

• Savior/Messiah Born of the Seed of Woman: This is the first prophecy in the Bible, uttered by God Himself in the Garden of Eden, foretelling  doom upon the Serpent/Satan after he brought death into the world: "I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your  seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15). The New Testament explains, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law" (Galatians 4:4). The Christian Gospel is the good news of the victory of Jesus the Christ or Messiah over Satan, sin, and death on behalf of His people. Only God could achieve that kind of victory, only man could die; Jesus is the God-Man who died and rose again on behalf of man so that death itself will ultimately die.
•  Born of a Virgin: The Seed of the woman prophecy was a great mystery since people from ancient times knew human seed comes from the man. This Old Testament text points to the solution: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and the Lord shall call His name Immanuel, which means 'God with us'" (Isaiah 7:14). The New Testament informs us, "The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit....Then Joseph kept her a virgin until she brought forth her firstborn Son" (Matthew 1:18-25). When Mary asked how she could give birth since she was a virgin, the angel Gabriel told her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
•  Son of God/God the Son: The Child born of the virgin was called both the Son of God and Immanuel ("God with us"). In mathematical terms, Son of God = God the Son (but still one God: the Holy Trinity is NOT 1+1+1 but 1x1x1 = 1; see this post for more information: The Three-Personal God). Isaiah 9:6 prophesies, "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Psalm 2:7 states, "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You.'" After Jesus was baptized to identify with His people, "Suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:17).
  
•  Seed of Abraham ... David—a Precise Bloodline: Just as a precise address will get a letter to one person out of all the people on the globe, so God supplied prophecy after prophecy to identify the promised Seed/Savior/Messiah of the world. To Abraham God promised, "In your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). Notice the first sentence of the New Testament: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. God did not say, 'In the seeds,' as of many, but one, 'In your Seed,' who is Christ," explains the apostle Paul (Galatians 3:16). Even the grammar is precise—singular, not plural.
•  Born in Bethlehem: A few of the Messianic prophecies a person could possibly contrive to fulfill, but certainly not one's birthplace. Micah 5:2 states, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrahtah [there was another Bethlehem north in Galilee], though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." In the New Testament we learn that "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea."  When King Herod, prompted by the Wise Men, asked the religious leaders where the Messiah was prophesied to be born, they cited the Micah 5:2 text (Matthew 2:1-6). Jesus's mother and adoptive father were living over 100 miles away in Galilee, but a Roman census ordered by Caesar Augustus brought them to Bethlehem when it was time for Jesus to be born (Luke 2:1-7). Only God could have orchestrated that.
•  Heralded by a Messenger: Isaiah 40:3 predicts "the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'" The New Testament tells us that "John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah" (Matthew 3:1-3).
•  Ministry of Miracles: Isaiah also prophesied that when the Messiah comes on the scene, "The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy" (Isaiah 35:5-6). The New Testament commonly reports things like this: "Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every kind of sickness and disease" (Matthew 9:35). Jesus Himself cited that Isaiah prophecy to establish His Messianic credentials when John the Baptist was languishing in prison and needed encouragement that all was going as God intended (Matthew 11:2-15).
•  Entered Jerusalem on a Donkey, not a War Horse: If Jesus' goal was to fulfill the expectations and early assumptions of John the Baptist, the 12 apostles, and just about everyone else who knew about Messianic prophecy by driving out the Roman Empire and establishing a new kingdom with His followers in high places, He would have entered Jerusalem on a war horse, not a donkey. Jesus was aiming for something much bigger that affects all people at all times. He understood and fulfilled Zechariah 9:9-10: "Rejoice ... O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and riding on a donkey's colt.... He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea." The precise timing of the Messiah's triumphal entry into Jerusalem and His sacrificial death is predicted in Daniel 9:24-26 (written about 530 B.C.) to occur before the destruction of Jerusalem (which was in A.D. 70).
•  Rejected by the Religious Leaders: The religious leaders preferred their kingdom to God's so they rejected the Lord Jesus, especially at His triumphal entry. "Although He had done so many signs before them," explains John's Gospel, "they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?... He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him'" (John 12:37-38; Isaiah 53:1-3). Jesus confronted the religious leaders with their prophesied unbelief, citing Psalm 118:22: "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder'" (Luke 20:17-18).
•  Betrayed by a Friend: Jesus said to His disciples at their Last Supper together, "Most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray Me," a fulfillment of Psalm 41:9: "'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.' Now I tell you beforehand so when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He" (John 13:18, 21). At the end of every list of the 12 disciples in the Gospels is this ignominious name: "Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him."
•  Sold for 30 Pieces of Silver: Judas, once he realized Jesus wasn't setting up the kind of power base he wanted, "went to the chief priests and said, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver" (Matthew 26:14-15). That fulfilled Zechariah 11:12, "They weighed out for My wages thirty pieces of silver," the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32).
•  Silent, Smitten, and Spit Upon:  Perhaps the most striking Messianic prophecy in the Bible is  Isaiah 53.  "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth" (Isaiah 53:5-7).  The Messiah Himself says, "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out My beard. I did not hide My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6). Once Jesus was betrayed and brought before the religious leaders, "they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands" (Matthew 26:67). When He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered not a word to them or to Pontius Pilate, a fact that caused this Roman governor to wonder greatly (Matthew 27:12-14). Nevertheless, to achieve a temporary political peace, Pilate allowed Jesus to be scourged and crucified (Matthew 27:26).
  
•  Hands and Feet Pierced: Psalm 22 was written 1,000 years before Jesus was born and 800 years before crucifixion as a form of execution was known to exist, yet notice how it reflects what we know Jesus experienced: "I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like broken pottery, and My tongue clings to my jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me" (Psalm 22:14-17).
•  Crucified with Thieves: Isaiah 53:12 says that "He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors." The Gospels confirm that two robbers and insurrectionists were crucified with Christ, one on His right and another on His left.
•  Prayed for His Persecutors: Isaiah 53:12 also tells us that "He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." One of the recorded sayings of Christ on the cross is this: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
•  Garments Parted and Lots Cast: Psalm 22 continues the scene of the crucifixion from Jesus' perspective: "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:18). Indeed, "the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said ... 'Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to determine whose it shall be'" (John 19:23-24).
•  Side Pierced: The Lord tells the prophet Zechariah, "They will look on Me whom they pierced," thus affirming the incarnation of deity (Zechariah 12:10). John 19:34 informs us that one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to confirm that death took place.
•  Buried in a Rich Man's Tomb: Crucifixion victims were usually burned with the city's trash, but that didn't happen to Jesus. Isaiah 53 explains why from God's perspective: "He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days.... He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong" (Isaiah 53:9-12). Matthew 27 tells us, "There came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph ... and [he] asked for the body of Jesus.... When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his new tomb" (Matthew 27:57-60).
•  Resurrection from the Dead: "You will not leave My soul in Hell, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption," predicts Psalm 16:10. One of the many eyewitnesses of the risen Christ testified indeed that "His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:31). Here is more evidence: "I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present" (1 Corinthians 15:3-6, written about A.D. 55).
•  Ascension into Heaven: Psalm 68:18 predicts the Messiah ascending to the heavens in triumph: "You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive." The Book of Acts records eyewitness testimony: "He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by [the apostles] during forty days and speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.... They asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.' Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, two men stood by them in white apparel and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come back the same way you saw Him go up'" (Acts 1:3-11).
•  Seated at the Right Hand of God Until His Triumphant Return: The New Testament tells us what happened next to the Lord Jesus Christ: "When He had by Himself purged our sins, [He] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). This fulfills Psalm 110:1: "The Lord said to My Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" Because God the Son did not regard equality with God the Father a thing to be grasped, He willingly "made Himself of no reputation,... coming in the likeness of men.... He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:6-11). The Book of Revelation confirms that the Lord Jesus Christ will return soon on a war horse to bring a complete victory over Satan, sin, and death on behalf of His people. If you are one of them, you will believe His Word with confidence, enthusiasm, and gratitude.
• On a concluding note, a mathematician computed the odds of just 8 of the above prophecies being fulfilled at 10 to the 17th power, or 1 with 17 zeroes after it. To help us comprehend that staggering probability, he illustrated it like this: "If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir then, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10 to the 17th power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.... They all came true in Christ" (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks).

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