The Reliability of the Bible

by Zeke Flores There are several ways to establish the reliability of the Bible. One is by manuscript evidence. There are thousands of manuscripts, both whole and partial, of Old and New Testament books that provide harmonized agreement on the teaching of the Bible. Though the original documents are long lost, many of the copies…

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The Bible Presents Testimonial Evidence

by Terry Wane Benton The Bible is actually a divinely legal set of 66 pieces of testimony, making the case for Jesus of Nazareth in a most remarkable and amazing way. The first 39 pieces of written testimony lay out the plan for the first arrival of Jesus and what He would accomplish when He…

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Is Not Having the Original Writings a Serious Problem?

by Terry Wane Benton Torah Scribe by Ephraim Moshe Lilien It is not a problem at all. Unless all the copies and quotes are so contradictory and diverse that we need the original documents to settle the matter, the numerous quotes and copies of the Bible provide enough certainty that we do not require the…

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Is the Bible Incomprehensible?

by Gardner Hall A growing number of articles in the last few years emphasize difficulties in translating the Scriptures. Perhaps they are slightly helpful in giving pause to some “hyper rationalists” who declare that all the Bible is easy if you’ll just let them interpret it for you! However, such essays need to be read…

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Just an Ancient Book We Blindly Follow?

by Terry Wane Benton The “ancient book” is tested and tried testimony. It shows inherent proof of not being written to deceive, but to state a case to be examined carefully. It points out the serious flaws of the Jews, foretells them rejecting their coming Messiah (Isaiah 53:1ff; Acts 4:10-11; Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 28:16), His…

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My People Are Foolish

by Terry Wane Benton I find it remarkable that the Old Testament Bible was written by Jews for Jews, but does not compliment these people. It calls them stiffnecked and displays a long history of disobedience to God, and yet people today want us to think that they just “made it up.” What? If I…

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The Teaching of Grace

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/The-Teaching-of-Grace.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2   I.         When you talk to people in the denominations, much is made about the Grace of God             A.        Emphasis is place on God’s grace – Ephesians 2:8-9             B.        To the point that if any mention is made of men needing to accept the offered gift, then strong objections are…

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The Earliest Manuscripts

by Ferrell Jenkins “In the original Greek, it says…” How many times have you heard that in a Bible class or sermon? The fact is, we have no originals (autograph copies) of any New Testament or Old Testament book. Textual critics, those scholars who work with the available materials to produce Hebrew and Greek texts,…

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Why is the Bible ordered as it is?

Question: I want to and I am trying to understand the Bible completely. After reading your answers to my former questions, I realized I have to read the books you mentioned as references so that I will have the context of the verses and why they are written the way they are written. So, do…

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Is It Circular Reasoning to Use the Bible to Prove God Gave It?

 by Terry Wane Benton No! It might be circular if it was all written at one time. But we can demonstrate that the Old Testament was completed long before Jesus came. Therefore we get to consider the prophecies and how Jesus fulfilled them. The New Testament is eyewitness testimony of Jesus written when unbelievers should…

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I Have Found the Book of the Law

by Terry Wane Benton “Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it'” (II Kings 22:8) How did the book become lost? The whole service should have centered around honoring…

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Once for All Delivered

by Terry Wane Benton “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). This last phrase means the faith, the teaching we are…

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Biblical Infallibility

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Biblical Infallibility: Can We Trust the Bible? Biblical Infallibility: The Bible’s Claims for Itself Biblical Infallibility: Arguments Against the Bible

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Is the Bible Relevant?

by Dennis Abernathy How relevant is the Bible in today’s world? Some think it isn’t relevant at all. But I submit to you, that if the Bible is not relevant, then God is not relevant, because God cannot be separated from His Word! Thankfully, many millions of people, however, are still finding the Bible relevant…

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Love of God Poured Out in the Heart

by Terry Wane Benton You know the Holy Spirit has poured the love of God in your heart (Romans 5:5) when you have listened to what the Holy Spirit has revealed about it. When you read what the Spirit revealed to Paul (Ephesians 3:3-5), it spills over from Paul’s heart into your heart, and when…

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You should get your facts straight

Question: You mentioned (in Is “Christian” supposed to be “natsarim”?) that the New Testament wasn’t written in Hebrew. That’s partially true, as Epiphanius and others have documented there was a Hebrew Matthew. Then you mentioned that Christian was a valid term based on the assumption that the New Testament wasn’t written in Hebrew.  Uhm, the…

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Can We All See the Bible Alike?

by Jefferson David Tant Religious division exists on every hand. In every city and village, buildings are erected as monuments to religion. Some say this is good, but the bottom line is that this represents confusion and division. There are multiplied thousands of sects or denominations within what is called “Christianity.” This division is confusing…

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Where There Is No Vision

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 29:18   I.         The vision or revelation under consideration is not imagination or foresight             A.        Of course, we do need to have prudence – the ability to see what comes next, but this isn’t the passage to use             B.        This passage is talking about divine revelation, a vision in the night, a…

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The Unusual Style of the Bible

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/The-Unusual-Style-of-the-Bible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 1:16-21   I.         When we talk about the Bible, a major point made in its defense is to point out the unusual unity it displays despite being written by about 40 writers over a 1,500 year period.             A.        The authors lived in different regions, had different occupations.             B.        The writings…

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The Bible

by Matthew W. Bassford I will begin with Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. In verse 32 he commends them to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Today, we’re going to use…

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The Bible Is Understandable

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Bible-Is-Understandable.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-112   I.         When it comes to religion, people seem to prefer having a mystery             A.        Those in leadership of many denominations prefer it because people depend on them for answers.             B.        Those in the ranks of denominations are satisfied having others tell them what they need to know.             C.        The problem…

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Why Believe in the Bible?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Why-Believe-in-the-Bible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 1:18-31   I.         Could the Bible be a product of man?             A.        We know that the Bible was written by about 40 different people                         1.         Each from different walks of life, from shepherds to kings, councilors to fishermen.                         2.         It was written over a 1,500 year time span             B.        If men could…

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Things to Remember

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Things-to-Remember.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 1:3-11   I.         There are so many things to remember!             A.        Need to tie a string around my finger, but then I wouldn’t be able to bend it – there would be so many strings tied there.             B.        Then there are organizers: paper and electronic, for the technically inclined, which work…

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The Bible Is Right

by Terry Wane Benton It is right because it not only claims to be the word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17) but because it proves to be the word of God. How? It is the only book that was written over a 1500-year period by 40 different writers of various backgrounds, but who wrote about…

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Trembling at God’s Word

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Trembling-at-Gods-Word.mp3 by Doy Moyer Seeking God

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Seeking God

A series of lessons presented by Doy Moyer of Temple Terrace, Florida. May 22-25, 2022 Develop Your Mind for God Resurrection and the Christian Submission in Jesus (Ladies Class taught by Laurie Moyer) Truth about Truth Knowing the Will of God Trembling at God’s Word As Though He Needed Anything

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God Revealed

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/God-Revealed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 15:1-6   I.         In the beginning, Adam and Eve had fellowship with God             A.        God directly interacted with His creation – Genesis 2:15-22             B.        He walked in the garden – Genesis 3:8             C.        But they had sinned and that sin – separated them from God – Genesis 3:22-24             D.        That has remained true…

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Read It for Yourself

by Doy Moyer If I judge Christianity by what people tell me I should think, I would come away with a very different perception from what I can read in Scripture. If I judge Christianity by the people alone — people who, like me, are so flawed and sometimes hypocritical — then I would, again,…

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The Bible – God’s Revelation

by Fanning Yater Tant “But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” These are the words of Solomon as found in Ecclesiastes 12:12. In his day the books were made and written only by hand. Hundreds of scribes would…

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Spiritual Thoughts, Spiritual Words

by Matthew W. Bassford The fundamental question of our faith is whether the Bible is the inspired word of God. If it is, we can rely on its contents. If it isn’t, everything we believe in, from the creation to the resurrection, is built on a foundation of sand instead of rock. Not surprisingly, then,…

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Why are references to the same speech worded differently?

Question: Hi, I had a question regarding the Gospels and in particular certain parts of them. I was comparing the words written in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and I believe Luke 21. I noticed these all talk about the same situation but the wonder I am having is why the words are different. Some parts…

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Evidence of the Divine Authority of the Bible

by Benjamin Franklin The Gospel Preacher, Vol. 1, Sermon 1, 1870 Text: “To whom he showed himself alive, after his sufferings, by many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:4). The Evangelist Luke, author of the book styled Acts of Apostles, made the statement just read, and now selected as a text for a discourse on the Divine…

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How We Got the Bible

by Terry Wane Benton The Bible is one united book composed of 66 books. Where did it come from? Why was it written? Who caused these books to be written? The Bible gives the answers to these questions. “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:20-21). All…

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What are the books opened in Revelation 20:12?

Question: Good day. I have an argument with a Catholic defender on social media about Sola Scriptura. I used Revelation 20:12 that the written word will judge us in the last days. But he said that the books opened are not the Bible but the record of men’s deeds. What are the books opened in…

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Is it sinful to make marks and notes in your Bible?

Question: Hello brother, We’ve never met, but I’ve always appreciated the Q&A section on the LaVista church website and thought I’d bounce this off you since it’s a somewhat unique question. What do you say to someone who takes a very literal view of Revelation 22:18-19, and thinks it’s sinful to mark in their Bible?…

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Can The Bible Prove Itself?

by Terry Wane Benton Atheists laugh when a Christian uses the Bible to “prove” it is the word of God by appeal to the fact that the Bible claims to be the word of God. Of course, it is not just the fact that the Bible claims to be the word of God, but the…

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How Do We KNOW the Bible Is True?

by Jefferson David Tant Introduction For thousands of years, a book has influenced the world. Eastern and Western civilizations have had their laws, customs, and culture molded by the teachings of this ancient document. Kingdoms have risen and fallen in keeping with prophetical statements contained within its pages. In the 550 years since Johannes Gutenberg…

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