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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Genealogy as Evidence

by Terry Wane Benton One thing about all the lists of names in the Bible (forget about the difficulty of pronunciation) is that they were kept meticulously to keep the record accurate and verifiable. When Genesis gave a genealogy, it was to show that the writer was being historical and factual. Families could keep their…

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If Jesus Was Not Raised from the Dead

by Terry Wane Benton Text: I Corinthians 15 Paul argues that there are logical consequences that follow if Jesus was not really raised from the dead: We are still in our sins. Animal sacrifices should have continued until we got the One who was coming to take away our sins. We are not dealing with…

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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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God’s Existence Doesn’t Depend on Me

by Perry Hall In Megan Rappinoe’s last game, she injured herself by tearing her Achilles tendon. She is the women’s soccer team captain and outspoken advocate for LGBTQT+. She immediately said afterward, “I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a god, like, this is proof that there isn’t”. Let’s examine her…

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Examining Christianity

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Examining-Christianity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 13:1-8   I.         Most religions in the world surround themselves in mysteries             A.        Followers are asked to accept things without full knowledge             B.        Only a select few are granted special insight             C.        But God’s teachings are not like these religions                         1.         God challenges us to reason about the evidence available – Isaiah…

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Why Doesn’t God Prove Himself?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Why-Doesnt-God-Prove-Himself.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 43:8-13   I.         “If God is real, why doesn’t He just give concrete evidence?”             A.        It is a question that preachers frequently run into.             B.        If I don’t personally see the evidence, then I don’t think adequate proof exists – John 20:25 II.        God has given evidence             A.        The Creation speaks of God’s…

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Evidence of the Resurrection

by Wayne Wells The Greatest Hoax or the Greatest Event? The resurrection of Jesus was either the greatest hoax of history or the greatest event ever.  How can we, living nearly two thousand years later, ever really know whether such an event took place?  The importance of finding the answer can be found in 1…

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The Witness

by Jefferson David Tant We are all familiar with the role witnesses fill in our lives. If we have a document that needs some verification, we go to a Notary Public and sign it, and then the notary places a seal on it as proof that the notary has been a witness to my signature.…

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Names Names Names (Ezra 2)

by Jarrod M. Jacobs Interspersed in the Bible are lists of names. Sometimes, these are genealogies of certain families (Genesis 5, 10, etc.). Often, these genealogies focus on Judah’s descendants leading to Christ (Ruth 4; Matthew 1; Luke 3). At other times, these names teach us about faith (Hebrews 11; Romans 16). There are also…

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A Pattern of Peace

by Doy Moyer John 20:18-21 shows an important pattern. Jesus was raised up from the grave and first appeared to Mary Magdalene then to the disciples (sans Thomas). Notice the pattern: Mary to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). The disciples to Thomas: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). Jesus offers…

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The Confirmation of Jesus Christ

by Jefferson David Tant The following is a presentation of the absolute evidence that confirms the true identity of Jesus Christ. There are those who admit that he was a great teacher, but that he was only one among others, such as Buddha, Mohammad, Vishnu, etc. But the evidence is overwhelming that he is who…

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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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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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Against All the Gods of Egypt

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Against-All-the-Gods-of-Egypt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 12:1-13   I.         The descendants of Jacob moved to Egypt because of a severe famine and within a short time became slaves in that land – Genesis 15:13             A.        Yet, God promised to rescue them and returned them to land promised to Abraham.             B.        When the time came, God raised up…

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Unlike You and I

Unlike You and I (Part 1)Unlike You and I (Part 2) by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:12-18   I.         What would you be like if you had absolute power?             A.        Oh, it is fun to imagine all the things you could do if you had the power to do it, but what kind of person would…

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Propaganda Wars

by Terry Wane Benton There was the truth that Jesus was in fact raised from the dead, and then there were the opposition forces who needed to keep the nation from converting to Jesus. They wanted to stay in control of the crowds and keep their wealthy pockets padded. To lose control to Jesus would mean…

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Evidence of God: Information

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton When you look at some object, how do you know it is natural or man-made? What if you were walking through the woods and you saw a mark on a tree? It is dark from moss, like the other patches on the trunk, but you immediately say that it is man-made.…

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Foreshadowing

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Foreshadowing.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 22:1-14   I.         A mark of a good writer is his use of foreshadows to give the reader a hint of what is to come later in the story             A.        It gives a sense of unity to a book, but it is difficult to do well. Small details must be…

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They Wrote What They Saw

by Matthew W. Bassford During our week and a half of vacation, we drove for more than 3000 miles. About 400 of those miles were through the state of Nebraska. I am sure that Nebraska is a great state for growing corn in, but when it comes to scenery, I’ve seen better. There’s not much…

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Present Your Case

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Present-Your-Case.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:21-22   I.         The Apostle Paul challenges Christians everywhere to prove all things – I Thessalonians 5:21-22             A.        Jude 3 tells us to contend earnestly for the faith             B.        I Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to give an answer to every question                         1.         The Greek word is the one…

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The Bible and Medical Science

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/The-Bible-and-Medical-Science.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 45:20-25   I.         We know that the Bible is God’s directions for mankind             A.        It is not a history book per se; that is, it doesn’t document all of world history. Just a small, but relevant portion.             B.        It is not a science book, but it does mention scientific facts once…

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Why did Jesus stay around for forty days after his resurrection?

Question: Good day, Brother Jeffrey, I am asking for your help regarding this question: Why did Jesus stay around for 40 days, after He came back from the grave, instead of going immediately into Heaven? I know you are busy answering hundreds of emails every day so I am sorry for adding another burden on…

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He Showed Himself Alive by Many Proofs

I.         The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity             A.        If it is not true, then our religion is a hoax             B.        I Cor. 15:12-19             C.        Our faith stands or falls on whether not the resurrection actually occurred. II.        Objections to a resurrection             A.        “It’s unscientific”                         1.         The Soviet Encyclopedia The concept of a resurrection “is found to be the…

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Demanding a Sign

by Matthew W. Bassford Matthew 16:1-4 is one of the more off-putting passages in the gospels. Some Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus asking for a sign. A reasonable request, right? Don’t you have the right to ask a self-proclaimed prophet to show that he’s really from God before you believe in Him? However, Jesus…

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The Wonder of Smell

by Whit Sasser God’s design of the sense of smell is a wonder to experience and ponder. Who hasn’t experienced the sheer joy of smelling honeysuckle, freshly cut grass, brewing coffee, and hundreds of others similar? Some folks like the smell of gasoline, a new car interior, cigarettes (if a smoker), and such like. And…

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The Wonder of Hearing

by Whit Sasser God’s design of hearing is such a wonder of the human body and our ears in particular. “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both” (Proverbs 20:12). Our world is full of sound—sirens, traffic, thunder…songbirds, music, voices, etc. Thank God, we can hear! I have read that…

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Do historical facts make the Bible true?

Question: Brother, How would I handle the difference between the inspired text that makes claims and a comic book that someone can use to make claims? I was told this: “For instance, I can claim the existence of Spider-Man because he is from Queens, NY, and that is a real place with real historical figures…

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The Kurkh Monoliths – The Stele of Shalmaneser III (Part 2)

by David Wheeler Black Kurkh Monolith Previously, I reported on one of a set of Stele’s known collectively as the Kurkh Monoliths. The one which was our subject was the stele of Shalmaneser III. Shalmaneser III was the ruler of the Assyrian Empire from 859-824 BC. The Kurkh Monolith recorded his advancement to the Syrian…

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The Kurkh Monoliths – Stele of Shalmaneser III

by David Wheeler Via Evidence in Archaeology To see a Biblical figure referenced in a stone inscription is a beautiful thing. It testifies that the book which we revere and study from is a trustworthy historical document and based in reality. Sometimes the secular inscriptions can reveal details of the Biblical figure’s life that aren’t…

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The Need for Foundations

by Jefferson David Tant In news reports from Atlanta, Georgia, there have been pictures of a service station/convenience store that is collapsing. What is the problem? There is a large water conduit running under the property, and evidently, a huge leak has formed, perhaps even a collapse of some sort. This has caused the collapse…

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“Mite” God Be Our Creator?

by Larry Hafley Leucania Moth (False Wainscot Moth) Tiny mites infect and inhabit the ear of the Leucania moth. Yes, I said, “the ear,” singular. In whichever ear the mites first locate, the other is left free. Hence, if the left ear of the moth is infested by mites, the right ear will remain clear…

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Verdict on the Resurrection

by Ray Madrigal via Guardian of Truth – April 4, 1991 Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? In these closing statements, I will briefly summarize the evidence that you are asked to weigh. Since this case is one of history, I shall appeal t Verdict on the Resurrection o the…

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Archaeology and the New Testament

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ArchaeologyAndTheNewTestament.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 1:1-4   I.         The Bible is a historical book that contains many historical references, but it is not a book of mankind’s history.             A.        But where it mentions historical facts, it has always been proven to be true.                         1.         Arguments against the Bible are based on the lack of supporting evidence…

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Confirmation

by Jefferson David Tant “Confirmation” is an important factor in life. We want, and need, things to be confirmed, validated, or guaranteed. We want things “signed, sealed, and delivered,” as a popular song suggests. Statements in court are to be confirmed with an oath “to tell the truth…” Certain documents may be required to be…

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What does I John 5:7-8 mean?

Question: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” (I John 5:7-8 KJV). What does verse eight mean?…

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Faith is the Evidence

by Doy Moyer “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). Some translations say that faith is the “evidence” of things not seen (KJV, NKJV). What does this mean? We often point out that faith is not blind. Because of the use of the term “evidence”…

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