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The
Bible - the Word of God |
The Revelation of God
How else could man hope to know the God "that dwellest in the heavens"
(Psalm 123:1) except by revelation? If as the Bible asserts, God's ways
are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9),
then surely man could never understand the divine plan simply by means
of human ability. As Paul told the Corinthians, God has chosen to disclose
Himself through His Spirit. "But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love him: But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God" (I Corinthians 2:9-10).
What human reason alone has failed to provide, God in His mercy, has
supplied through revelation. This special revelation goes beyond the
fact that God exists - nature tells us that - and speaks to us of the
redemptive plan. Its central theme is Christ, the one who saves sinful
mankind from an eternal death. This revelation is an unveiling or self
disclosing of the thoughts and intents of God to men.
The Proven Word
The
Bible is the best preserved book in the world with over 13,000 manuscripts
of the New Testament (in whole or part) of which 5,000 manuscripts are
in Greek. Of no other ancient writing do we possess so many manuscripts.
The best attested work besides the Bible is Homer's Iliad of which 643
manuscripts exist (far short of the 13,000 of the New Testament), and
5 percent of the Iliad are variant readings.
Most great works of old came to us by only a few, sometimes only one
manuscript. For instance, Aristotle is known by only five manuscripts,
the oldest of which dates 1400 years after he lived. Plato's works exist
in only seven manuscripts, the oldest dating 1200 years after his death.
Herodotus is known by eight manuscripts, 1300 years removed. Caesar's
Gallic Wars exists in only ten copies made 900 years after his death.
Yet no classical scholar would dare argue the authenticity of any of
these classics.
Sir Frederic Kenyon in The Story of the Bible stated, "It cannot
be too strongly asserted that...the text of the Bible is certain. The
number of manuscripts (and other evidences) is so large that it is...certain
that the true reading of every doubtful passage is preserved. ...This
can be said of no other ancient book in the world." (excerpt from
"THE BIBLE: Its Origin and Use, Word Aflame Elective Series")