The Historical Accuracy Of The Bible Is One Proof Of Many That It Is The Word Of God
Even with all of the archaeological finds that have been discovered since the formation and completion of the Bible, it amazingly remains historically accurate. Where the Bible gives names, places and events, history confirms them. Even to this day, the nation of Israel provides proof.
“I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regard to its trustworthiness… you may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.” - Sir William Ramsey, who attempted to disprove the historical aspects of the New Testament later became a solid defender of the Word of God.
“The reader may rest assured: nothing has been found to disturb a reasonable faith, and nothing has been discovered which can disprove a single theological doctrine…the Bible can stand for itself.” - William Albright, one of the greatest and most respected oriental scholars
Is the Bible accurate when compared with the writings of Non-Christian writers?
The Talmud (Compilation of the oral rabbinic tradition, about 200 A.D.) - speaks of Christ and His disciples by name, Jesus’ crucifixion, and confirms that Jesus did many great miracles. However, the writers of the Talmud believed that Jesus received His power from the magic arts in Egypt.
Flavius Josephus (Jewish historian, A.D. 37 - 100) - lived during the times of much of the New Testament events and confirms all that is said in the New Testament, whenever his writings touch upon the subject. Josephus and his works were so well received by the Romans that they made a statue of him and granted Roman citizenship to him. Consider the following two passages that Josephus wrote concerning Christ:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ.
And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.
And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”
“Ananus [Ananias] assembled the Jewish Sanhedrin, and brought before it James the brother of Jesus who is called Christ, with some others, whom he delivered over to be stoned as infractors of the law.” (Translated by William Whiston from “The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus”)
Cornelius Tacitus (Roman historian, A.D. 55 - 117, also governed Asia as proconsul) tells us that Christ was put to death by Pontius Pilate…under Tiberias, as a malefactor [an evil doer or criminal], that the people called Christians derived their name from him; that this superstition arose in Judea, and spread to Rome, where…only about thirty years after the death of Christ, the Christians were very numerous but greatly persecuted.
These facts and more were all confirmed by…Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Martial, Juvenal, Celsus, Lucian, Epicretus, the Emperor Marcus Antoninus, and Porphyry.
The Bible is still considered one of the most reliable writings of antiquity, having much more authentic evidence than most historical works that are read, studied and accepted.
Believing the Bible is the Word of God is the first step in truly studying the Bible. Please visit http://www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com to learn more about how to study the Bible using forty Bible study methods. Pastor Andy Deane’s new book “Learn to Study the Bible” (ISBN 9781607915768) teaches more Bible study methods than any other book out there.