Why I Believe The Bible Is True: Miracles

Do you believe in miracles? Have you ever experienced a miracle?

Asking this questions opens up so many possible answers, for many will define miracles differently. For instance, one might say that I guessed on all the answers on my Spanish 2 exam and miraculously received an “A”. Another might say it was a miracle when someone donated money anonymously to your missions trip. And finally, someone calls it a miracle when the tumor no longer shows up on the MRI and the doctors don’t know why.

The Oxford Dictionary defines miracles as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”

The idea of miracles can either be either exciting or terrifying depending on your understanding of the natural world. Do you hear miraculous stories with skepticism or with wonder? Maybe a little bit of both. There are some “miracle” stories that seem farfetched and unreliable, and others that are verifiable, i.e., comparing two MRIs.

Whatever the case, miracles force us to think outside the box. Which is why I believe that Peter used miracles as one of the pillars of defense of the Scriptures.

Read 2 Peter 1:16-21.

Voddie Baucham’s summary of this passage goes like this. “I choose to believe The Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, reporting supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed their writings are Divine and not of human origin.”

Last week we looked at the importance of the eyewitness accounts and the manuscript evidence of the Bible as the first pillar of the trustworthiness of the Bible. But what were they eyewitnesses of?

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:17-18

Peter speaks of the event that James, John and he witnessed on the top of a mountain called the “transfiguration” (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36). The three of them had the privilege of seeing the glory of Jesus Christ manifested on the earth before his death, burial and resurrection. Jesus face and clothes became a radiant white, then Moses and Elijah showed up with him. At that point, a voice from heaven declared, “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Afterward, Jesus told them not to speak of it until after he rose again from the dead. Now Peter is talking about it.

Peter is saying, we didn’t make this stuff up. We saw it. We were there. It happened and it changed our lives.

When it comes to believing the Bible, we have to recognize that accounts like this make it impossible for us to relegate it to one religious book amongst many. It’s either unique and true or it is a fraud and unreliable.

That’s what the appeal to the miraculous does, it forces you to decide what you are going to believe about it. The Bible is a book full of miracles, events that cannot be explained by nature and therefore considered to be the work of the divine, i.e., God.

From the opening words of Genesis 1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” the Bible uses the argument of the miracles to demonstrate the existence of God and His involvement with His creation. If you deny miracles, you have to deny the Christian God.

In the past couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to watch two movies about Moses, the Exodus and the Red Sea crossing, full of archeology and history lessons. I watched a YouTube video of a man’s deconversion from Christianity into atheism/agnosticism (denial of the Christian God and uncertainty about what to believe). And I watched Professor John Lennox speak at Harvard University on “Is Belief in the Supernatural Irrational”? This was the order I watched them in.

In the deconversions story, this man deconstructed his belief in the miraculous and began to deny the major miracles of the Bible. He began by denying the Creation account in Genesis in favor of popular evolutionary claims. From there he denied that Adam and Eve were real people, which led to him questioning the stories of the Old Testament. Next he denied the Flood, the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea. And finally he denied his belief in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

As I was watching the deconversion story, I was amazed at his claim that “there is no evidence that the Israelites were ever in Egypt, that the Exodus happened or that they crossed the Red Sea.” He talked about his rigorous studies and pursuits, but what became evident is that he settled for the popular skeptics answers. However, I just watched a movie that showed archeological evidence that the Israelites were in Egypt and that an Exodus did happen.

He moved from accepting the miraculous and explaining events as God doing supernatural things in our natural world, to believing that to be irrational. Yet John Lennox is a mathematician and professor at Oxford, and he argues that believing that God works miracles is not irrational but grounded in substantial evidence.

It caused me to wonder about this journey of deconversion, miracles and how we approach the Word of God. In a past series on Doubt, I challenged the students to doubt, but to doubt fairly. We will always question our beliefs on some level at different times in life. When life doesn’t go the way we planned, we tend to question God. When we question our belief system, we should have the intellectual integrity to give equal scrutiny to the new idea as to our traditionally held belief.

What I mean by that is we can think that the new argument is better because it is new, and the old has to be inferior because that was what we are taught. We become suspicious and skeptical of our own beliefs and welcome the fresh new ideas without truly examining them.

This is what I think happened as I listened to the deconversion story. He accepted the criticism of his previously held belief with open arms. He didn’t challenge it. He didn’t apply equal scrutiny. He allowed the new arguments to come in and deconstruct his previous views. And that happens when we rationalize away the possibility of miracles.

Peter puts this very test before you when he says, “we were eyewitnesses of supernatural events.” The Bible is historically accurate accounts of supernatural events, of God divinely working amongst His creation. I believe it has to begin with creation. If you believe in a Creator who established our world, our scientific laws, space, time, etc. then you will find it easier to believe that He is free to do supernatural acts within creation.

If God spoke the earth into existence out of nothing, as Genesis says, then parting the Red Sea seems plausible. He is the author and giver of life, so raising Jesus from the dead is a possibility. Yes, the normal experience of human history is that humans die, are buried and that is it. Jesus resurrection is a divine interruption to the normal experience, that is what makes it so unique.

Dr. Gary Habermas writes extensively about the historical account of Jesus life and evidence for His resurrection. I would encourage you to read his work on 12 evidences for the resurrection, for further research into this important event.

The fact that Peter was writing about his eyewitness account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, was radically transformed by his belief, and was willing to die for his belief demonstrate his sincere belief. It wasn’t just his story and account, but as we saw last week, the apostles wrote and taught and carried their message far and wide.

The result of their transformation, belief and passing on the message caused a big enough impact on the first century that non-believing historians wrote about Jesus and his claims. Today there is no doubt that Jesus really lived, that Jesus died on a Roman cross and that he was buried. The life of the apostles, the conversion of Paul, the birth of the church and it’s continued presence in the world are evidence of the miraculous resurrection.

Each person who comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can attest to the miracle of forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Throughout the world, even today, God is at work in miraculous ways.

The appeal to the miraculous forces a decision. Do you dismiss the supernatural and look for scientific explanations, or are you open to a God who continues to interact with His creation? The Bible tells God’s story and invites you into His redemptive story, will you take God at His Word?

Why I Believe The Bible Is True: Eyewitness Accounts

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

 – 2 Peter 1:16  

Did you ever play make believe as a kid? What kind of stories did you create?

I did and the basement in my parent’s house was the source for many of my imaginative games. The house was very old and the basement was unfinished, more of a cellar. I would take my G.I. Joe guys and Matchbox cars down and explore. There was a musty, earthen smell that would cling to you when you went down, which only added to the mystique.

There was one stone, what I now know as a foundation stone, that looked like a door. There was an inviting crack around it that caused me to imagine it was a portal into another world, my world of make believe, adventure and mystery. I was definitely influenced by C.S. Lewis’ Wardrobe door into Narnia.

It was a lot of fun to pretend, and sometimes I would even bring my friends into my make believe stories. But that’s all they were. We didn’t go to some foreign land, or find some valuable treasure, we just went down into the basement, got dirty and smelled musty. There was always that call back to reality, chores that had to be done, dinner to eat and a bed time.

In my imaginative world, I was a hero and everything happened to benefit me. I always won. I always found the treasure. Everyone who joined in had to go along with my plan. I was never embarrassed. I was never afraid. Only my strengths were highlighted, none of my weaknesses. It was Brad’s World.

As great as it was to play make believe, my cleverly devised story was not big enough to capture others imagination and provoke a following. Everyone else wanted a turn to tell their version of the story.

All throughout history, people have used their imaginations and storytelling skills to motivate others. Some used the device for good, and others used it for evil. Where does the Bible fit into all of this? The Bible is full of stories, is it just a story book? Did someone sit around a invent it? Is the Bible even true? If you say yes, why do you believe the Bible is true?

Peter was well aware of many myths that had been told for generations that were man-made stories. And he wanted to make it clear that the Gospel he preached was not consider one of many myths, but was the very truth of God. In his second letter (2 Peter 1:16-21), Peter gives four reasons you can believe that Bible is true, and we are going to unpack them over the next four weeks: Eyewitness accounts, supernatural events, fulfilled prophecies and Divine Origin.

Years ago, I heard a sermon by Voddie Baucham on 2 Peter1:16-21 and these four points have stuck with me ever since and will influence this series. If you have an hour, check out his sermon.

Inadequate Answers

I just had a conversation with a young man who has been raised in a Christian home, regularly attends church, has been in Good News Clubs (Bible clubs for children), gone to Christian camps, and is regular at his youth group. I know he has a solid background in Christianity. But I asked him this question, “why do you think the Bible is true?” And his response was, “because that is the way I was raised.”

This is a typical response from people who were raised in Christian homes, and it is such a blessing to have parents who encourage their children to believe the Bible is true. However, it is an inadequate answer. It might be enough for you right now in your life, but what happens when something in life causes you to question your beliefs? What happens when your parents disappoint you? Does that challenge your belief in the things they taught you?

What about people who don’t grow up in Christian homes? Is there hope for them to know that the Bible is true?

If this is your number one answer, I want you to imagine something. I want you to see yourself standing on a piece of plywood that is balanced on a broom stick. It might be strong enough to hold you up, but flinch a little and the whole thing will tumble down.

When we have inadequate answers we are setting ourselves up for a fall. Peter doesn’t want you to be wavering, but wants you to be confident in the truthfulness of God’s Word.

Eyewitness Accounts

I’m a fan of crime solving TV shows. What is one thing they are always looking for to bust the bad guy? Eyewitnesses! Why? Because they saw what happened.

Now there have been studies that show the eyewitness accounts aren’t always accurate. But that doesn’t stop them from looking for eyewitness accounts. Instead they look for as many eyewitnesses as possible. The more eyewitness accounts they get the more of the actual events they can put together. The call it corroborating eyewitness accounts, which means when one person’s testimony verifies and supports another person’s testimony they are telling the truth.

When Peter claims, “we were eyewitnesses,” he is saying that you can check his account with the other apostles who saw it. He is inviting you to check out his story.

Look at how Luke introduces his first book: Luke 1:1–4

[1] Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, [2] just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, [3] it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [4] that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke is saying that he was not an eyewitness, but that he went around and compiled the accounts of eyewitnesses that were around Jesus from the beginning. Essentially, he was a journalist gathering eyewitness accounts and reporting on his findings. He wrote his findings during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, which means they could verify what he said was true or challenge him. When you read the book of Luke or the book of Acts and see a person’s name, many of them were alive at the time Luke wrote. He included the names for those in the first century to go and ask them about it.

Look at 1 John 1:1-4

[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—[2] the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—[3] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. [4] And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

The apostle John is claiming to be an eyewitness to the events he writes about. Like Luke, he includes the names of other eyewitness for verification.

Paul continues this line of argument in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8

[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Here, Paul points to many eyewitnesses who are still alive who can verify the claims of the apostles. Each of these claims demonstrates how there were people who could verify their writings at the time they were written. Do you think the writings would have gained traction if the first readers new they were lies?

Spreading the Story

Not only were the apostles eyewitnesses who wrote during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They were eager to share what they saw with as many people as possible. And those who heard the Gospel, spread it to others.

As they wrote the letters, and copies were made, they spread out all over the known world. This produced copies after copies, called manuscripts. The Bible has more historical manuscripts available today than any other ancient writing. There are over 66,000 manuscripts or portions of manuscripts of the Bible today.

The accounts were translated into different languages: Syriac, Coptic and Latin. And the early church father’s loved to quote from the Bible, and from their writings we can compile all but 11 verses of the New Testament.

All this tells us is that there is more proof that the Bible we read today is the same Bible given to us by God through the eyewitnesses who wrote them.

These facts make it impossible to believe the critique that overzealous monks changed and embellished the writings, so that what we have today is different. Check out how Voddie responds to that:

Building a Foundation

Our first leg to a solid foundation is the overwhelming evidence that the Bible is eyewitness account that were written during the life time of other eyewitnesses, the very definition of corroborating evidence. As we continue on through 2 Peter 1:16-21, we will continue to establish a firm foundation and grow in our confidence in the reliability and veracity of God’s Word.

There are real questions and real answers. Sometimes the questions can seem daunting, but with patience and study we will see that God's Word will overcome even the toughest of doubts. 

When I was a kid, I played with a stone in the foundation and created my own little world. I didn't realize that the stone that I imagined was doorway, was actually an integral part of the house. Remove that stone and the house would fall apart. I am so thankful that God's Word knows how important it is to have a solid foundation, and provides us with the answers we need to stand firm.

Voddie Baucham's Full Sermon can be watched HERE.

L.C.C. - A Night In the Lions' Den - Daniel 6

Read Daniel 6

Chapter 6 of Daniel is one of the most famous stories in the Bible: Daniel in the Lion’s Den. The shocking drama of spending a night in a cave full of hungry lions captures our attention, but what are we focusing on. Daniel’s love for God empowered him to live a faithful life committed to His God. For close to 80 years, Daniel has lived out his faith daily in a pagan culture and influenced 3 or 4 pagan kings for the glory of God. The story of Daniel reminds us that our God is a Mighty God, an Unstoppable God and a God who rescues the faithful.

Darius the Mede, upon taking control of Babylon from Belshazzar (Daniel 5), is now setting up the new government. The Bible tells us that because of an excellent spirit in Daniel, he won the favor of Darius, and has been placed in a high official capacity over the kingdom.

Corrupt Politics

Nothing new in our current headlines that hasn’t been happening throughout the centuries. Lord Acton said, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We see a group of politicians, those whom Darius has entrusted with power, are angry that Daniel has been given more power than them. Here we see they used their position of authority and their access to the king to try to leverage a power play to promote themselves and destroy Daniel.

What did Daniel do to deserve this? Nothing. He remained faithful to the one true God and faithfully served the king with an excellent spirit. But envy compelled the jealous to seek his destruction. Peter warns us that this could happen to any faithful believer:

1 Peter 3:13–16

[13] Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? [14] But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, [15] but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, [16] having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

As they sought to attack Daniel, they could find nothing wrong with him. So they devised a plan to use his religion against him. They convinced king Darius to decree that all prayers and worship should come to him for the next 30 days or else the offender will be thrown into a lion’s den.

Now Darius thought these men were seeking to praise him and he gladly made the decree, not realizing he had been played the fool.

Sanctified Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience is when a citizen disobeys the governing authority placed over him. God’s word is very clear that his followers should honor and obey the civil government (Romans 13:1-2) as they are placed over us by God. However, the apostles pointed out that it is better for us to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). There are times, when the law of man will be in opposition to the law of God, and it is our duty as Christians to obey God first.

Just because something is legal (civil law) does not make I moral (God’s Law), and just because something is illegal does not mean it is immoral.

Daniel heard the new law and knew that it was against God’s law. He refused to let the law of the land keep him from his daily practice of praying to His God, to give thanks and praise to YHWH.

How often do we face compromising ideas in our culture? How many laws are on the books that go against God’s word? How many times are we willing to do what is necessary to keep God’s law, in opposition to man’s law?

How often are we looking for excuses not to read our Bible, not to pray, or to skip church/youth group? Daniel’s focus was on glorifying God with his decisions and keep his prayer meeting. Let’s learn from Daniel to stay to true to godly habits.

The Charade Revealed

When they came to Darius pointing fingers at Daniel, Darius knew he had been played the fool. They didn’t want to bring Darius praise, they wanted to destroy Daniel. There was no way to save Daniel and he had to throw him into the lion’s den.

We, like Darius, can get caught up in the praise of man. Once we succumb to their praises, we can be manipulated to do whatever they want. We need to be wise and keep our focus on praising God, not on ourselves.

Darius was distressed and he cared for Daniel. When putting Daniel in the den, he shouted out, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

One Night In the Den

I’ve always loved big cats! I think lions and tigers are amazing. I’m fascinated with the videos of the guy playing with lions. Of course, Aslan, the Lion king of Narnia has been a favorite since childhood. Seeing a lion at the zoo instills a sense of awe and respect.

As much as I love lions, I would be terrified to sleep in a room with a lion. Daniel was thrown into a den made for the purpose of keeping lions hungry and throwing criminals in to be devoured. I’m sure Daniel was apprehensive, if not outright afraid, but his conviction and love for God was greater than his fear.

Instead of being devoured, God stopped the mouths of the lions and sent an angel to visit with him.

Deliverance and Justice

The king couldn’t sleep all night, and rushed to the lion’s den first thing in the morning and shouted, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Daniel’s responds with an answer to Darius’ prayer. “O king, live forever, my God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

God delivering Daniel gave him an opportunity to communicate the truth and power of the one true God to another king. Daniel also shows, in his response, that honoring God above man does not harm the king. Why? Because honoring God above all will make you a better citizen. Daniel prayed faithfully to God and prayed for the king. God gave Daniel an excellent spirit that blessed the king.

Darius response was to demand justice by throwing the conspirators, who made a fool of him, and their families into the lions’ den. They were all devoured before they hit the ground. Reminding us of the truth, “be sure your sins will find you out.”

Be careful when seeking to imitate Daniel. You have to start at the right place or else everything could be disastrous. Daniel began by loving God above self and pleasure. He refused to defile himself before his God by eating and drinking the kings food. He wanted to honor God above king. His determination to place God first in his life led him to a lifetime of faithfulness. Along the way he had friends who supported him and kings who listened to him.

Examine your heart, do you love God above all? Do you have a group of godly friends who will encourage you to keep loving and serving God? Are you willing to take a stand to communicate God’s word to a lost world?

The same God who called Daniel and proved to be unstoppable in his story is calling you too. God sent an angel to stop the mouths of the lions to rescue Daniel, which is awesome, but He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save you from the power of sin and darkness. Look to Jesus, learn to love Jesus and watch how He works miracles in your life too.