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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How do we preach the Gospel? | 1 John 2:2 | Jehonadab | 100506 | ||
One must first show convincing evidence that the Bible is indeed God's word, whether it be from a historical, scientific or factual viewpoint.Here are some examples: For instance, according to the book of Daniel, the last ruler in Babylon before it fell to the Persians was named Belshazzar. (Daniel 5:1-30) Since there appeared to be no mention of Belshazzar outside the Bible, the charge was made that the Bible was wrong and that this man never existed. But during the 19th century, several small cylinders inscribed in cuneiform were discovered in some ruins in southern Iraq. They were found to include a prayer for the health of the eldest son of Nabonidus, king of Babylon. The name of this son? Belshazzar. So there was a Belshazzar! Was he a king, though, when Babylon fell? Most documents subsequently found referred to him as the son of the king, the crown prince. But a cuneiform document described as the "Verse Account of Nabonidus" shed more light on Belshazzar's true position. It reported: "He [Nabonidus] entrusted the 'Camp' to his oldest (son), the firstborn, the troops everywhere in the country he ordered under his (command). He let (everything) go, he entrusted the kingship to him." So Belshazzar was entrusted with the kingship. Surely, to all intents and purposes that made him a king! This relationship between Belshazzar and his father, Nabonidus, explains why Belshazzar, during that final banquet in Babylon, offered to make Daniel the third ruler in the kingdom. (Daniel 5:16) Since Nabonidus was the first ruler, Belshazzar himself was only the second ruler of Babylon. Indeed, many archaeological discoveries have demonstrated the historical accuracy of the Bible. When Israel and Judah became two nations,later Israel conquered the neighboring land of Moab. At one time Moab, under King Mesha, revolted, and Israel formed an alliance with Judah and the neighboring kingdom of Edom to war against Moab. (2 Kings 3:4-27) Remarkably, in 1868 in Jordan, a stela (a carved stone slab) was discovered that was inscribed in the Moabite language with Mesha's own account of this conflict. Furthermore, another example, in the year 740 B.C.E., God allowed the rebellious northern kingdom of Israel to be destroyed by the Assyrians. (2 Kings 17:6-18) Speaking of the Bible account of this event, archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon comments: "One might have a suspicion that some of this is hyperbole." But is it? She adds: "The archaeological evidence of the fall of the kingdom of Israel is almost more vivid than that of the Biblical record. . . . The complete obliteration of the Israelite towns of Samaria and Hazor and the accompanying destruction of Megiddo is the factual archaeological evidence that the [Bible] writer was not exaggerating."11 Later still, the Bible tells us that Jerusalem under King Jehoiachin was besieged by the Babylonians and was defeated. This event is recorded on the Babylonian Chronicle, a cuneiform tablet discovered by archaeologists. On this, we read: "The king of Akkad [Babylon] . . . laid siege to the city of Judah (iahudu) and the king took the city on the second day of the month of Addaru." Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon and imprisoned. But later, according to the Bible, he was released from prison and given an allowance of food. (2 Kings 24:8-15; 25:27-30) This is supported by administrative documents found in Babylon, which list the rations given to "Yaukîn, king of Judah." These few archaeological examples give evidence that the Bible is indeed accurate and inspired of God. Then,going forward to the first century C.E.,the Jewish historian Josephus also mentions James, the half brother of Jesus, who, the Bible tells us, did not initially follow Jesus but later became a prominent elder in Jerusalem. (John 7:3-5; Galatians 1:18, 19) He documents James' arrest in these words: "[The high priest Ananus] convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, and certain others." In writing these words, Josephus additionally confirms that "Jesus, who was called the Christ" was a real, historical person. In Luke's Gospel, we read that John the Baptizer began his ministry "when . . . Lysanias was district ruler of Abilene." (Luke 3:1) Some doubted that statement because the Jewish historian Josephus mentioned a Lysanias who ruled Abilene and who died in 34 B.C.E., long before the birth of John. However, archaeologists have uncovered an inscription in Abilene mentioning another Lysanias who was tetrarch (district ruler) during the reign of Tiberius, who was ruling as Caesar in Rome when John began his ministry. This could easily have been the Lysanias to whom Luke was referring. Again,these are but a few of the numerous examples that give convincing evidence of the Bible as being a book we can put our trust into, yes to clearly recognize it as being Jehovah God's Word. |
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2 | How do we preach the Gospel? | 1 John 2:2 | GeorJoy | 100684 | ||
What is "convincing evidence?" Why Must "One first show convincing evidence?" Did our Savior not show convincing evidence? How much more than walking on water, feeding multitudes, healing the lepers, raising the dead and then rising from the dead, does it take to be considered "convincing evidence?" It is a because of a lack of knowledge that one DEMANDS "convincing evidence." They have knowledge. They have learning, you may say. The word says they are "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." The evidence of the Word is in the Word itself. Exhorting in Christ George |
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3 | How do we preach the Gospel? | 1 John 2:2 | Jehonadab | 100722 | ||
George, Truly the Bible is God's Word. However, if a person has no belief in it or believes that we were a product of evolution, then using the Bible would perhaps produce little or no results. Therefore, one has to use 'tools' that this person will accept, thus laying a 'foundation' that hopefully will lead to them looking into the Bible. For example, if a person is an atheist, would using the Bible convince him that there is indeed a Creator ? However, if one reasons with him or her on the construction of the Universe, giving evidence that there has to a Creator, then this can possibly have an impact on their 'looking' into the Bible. Please allow me to use an example, a person believes that we evolved. Those who accept this theory feel no accountability to a Creator, for in their mind no such person exists. Several questions can be asked that might lead one to start seriously thinking that life could not have arisen by itself, that is "evolved". ( 1 ) If "man" evolved, then where did the woman come from? ( 2 ) If man and woman evolved, how did they manage to get together? ( 3 ) If man and woman evolved, then how did "evolution" know to to make it where these two could produce a child? ( 4 ) When one looks at a car, and you ask them where did this vehicle come, they will tell you that it was manufactured; in other words, it had a maker, a mind being used to design and arrange all the pieces to form a car. Then ask, If a car had a maker, then how could you say that we evolved, we being far, far more complex than any car will ever be? Let's consider for a moment about the basic building blocks of life-amino acids. This is a stubborn problem that confronts evolutionary theory. Remember, there are over 100 amino acids, but only 20 are needed for life’s proteins. Moreover, they come in two shapes: Some of the molecules are "right-handed" and others are "left-handed." Should they be formed at random, as in a theoretical organic soup, it is most likely that half would be right-handed and half left-handed. And there is no known reason why either shape should be preferred in living things. Yet, of the 20 amino acids used in producing life’s proteins, all are left-handed! Also,what chance is there that the correct amino acids would come together to form a protein molecule? It could be likened to having a big, thoroughly mixed pile containing equal numbers of red beans and white beans. There are also over 100 different varieties of beans. Now, if you plunged a scoop into this pile, what do you think you would get? To get the beans that represent the basic components of a protein, you would have to scoop up only red ones-no white ones at all! Also, your scoop must contain only 20 varieties of the red beans, and each one must be in a specific, preassigned place in the scoop. In the world of protein, a single mistake in any one of these requirements would cause the protein that is produced to fail to function properly. Would any amount of stirring and scooping in our hypothetical bean pile have given the right combination? No. Then how would it have been possible in the hypothetical organic soup? The proteins needed for life have very complex molecules. What is the chance of even a simple protein molecule forming at random in an organic soup? Evolutionists acknowledge it to be only one in 10(113) (1 followed by 113 zeros). But any event that has one chance in just 10(50) is dismissed by mathematicians as never happening. An idea of the odds, or probability, involved is seen in the fact that the number 10(113) is larger than the estimated total number of all the atoms in the universe! Some proteins serve as structural materials and others as enzymes. The latter speed up needed chemical reactions in the cell. Without such help, the cell would die. Not just a few, but 2,000 proteins serving as enzymes are needed for the cell’s activity. What are the chances of obtaining all of these at random? One chance in 10(40,000)! More difficult to obtain than these are nucleotides, the structural units of DNA, which bears the genetic code. Five histones are involved in DNA (histones are thought to be involved in governing the activity of genes). The chance of forming even the simplest of these histones is said to be one in 20100-another huge number "larger than the total of all the atoms in all the stars and galaxies visible in the largest astronomical telescopes." Hence,it is necessary to reason with people, just as Jesus did, for he used illustrations and examples that the Jews were personally familiar with and accepted. |
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4 | How do we preach the Gospel? | 1 John 2:2 | flinkywood | 100744 | ||
Jehonadab, Do you believe in the risen Christ, the uncreated, co-equal, co-eternal Son of God? Colin |
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