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Series: "The Truth Is On Your Side"
Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Part 3
Who Is Jesus?
Is He The Messiah?
Is He God?
Matthew 16:13-16
Claims of Dan Brown
The Da Vinci Code confronts the divinity of Jesus Christ. According to Brown, Jesus was simply a man. Brown emphatically states Jesus was not the Messiah and he definitely was not God. Instead, according to Brown, Constantine gave Jesus his divine status at the Council of Nicea. In addition, the early church used Jesus' divine status to maintain their power base and authority over the people.
"In Constantine's day, Rome's official religion was sun worship and Constantine was its head priest. Unfortunately, for him, a growing religious turmoil was gripping Rome. Three centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christ's followers had multiplied exponentially. Christians and pagans began warring, and the conflict grew to such proportions that it threatened to rend Rome in two. Constantine decided something had to be done. In 325 A.D., he decided to unify Rome under a single religion. Christianity….Constantine was a very good business man. He could see that Christianity was on the rise, and he simply backed the winning horse. Historians still marvel at the brilliance with which Constantine converted the sun-worshipping pagans to Christianity. By fusing pagan symbols, dates, and rituals into the growing Christian tradition, he created a kind of hybrid religion that was acceptable to both parties." 232-33
"….during this fusion of religions, Constantine needed to strengthen the new Christian tradition, and held a famous ecumenical gathering known as the Council of Nicea….At this gathering….many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon….[including] the divinity of Jesus….until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal…not the Son of God."
"….establishing Christ's divinity was critical to the further unification of the Roman empire and to the new Vatican power base. By officially endorsing Jesus as the Son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity who existed beyond the scope of the human world, and entity whose power was unchallengeable. This not only precluded further pagan challenges to Christianity, but now the followers of Christ were able to redeem themselves only via the established sacred channel—the Roman Catholic Church."
"….it was all about power….Christ as The Messiah was critical to the functioning of Church and state. Many scholars claim that the early church literally stole Jesus from His original followers, hijacking His human message, shrouding it in an impenetrable cloak of divinity, and using it to expand their own power."
At the Council of Nicea, "…many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon—the date of Easter, the role of the bishops, the administration of sacraments, and, of course the divinity of Jesus….until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal….because Constantine upgraded Jesus’ status almost four centuries after Jesus’ death; thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. 233 & 234.
"….almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." 235
The Claims of the apostle Peter!
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'" Matthew 16:13-16
Tension: Who is right? Is Peter or Dan Brown? How did he know Jesus was the prophesied The Messiah? Why did Peter say Jesus was the Son of the living God? Peter knew the Old Testament and believed the prophetic Scriptures. Peter trusted the promises of God.
P #1: The Messiah would be a
human and a sacrifice.Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16
God speaking to Satan after the fall of Adam and Eve.
"And I [God] will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [seed] and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15
The word "enmity" means "hostility or hatred"…it is a very volatile word…it is Greek equivalent likens it to "violent movements of air or water." We would use the words, tornado, hurricane, or tidal wave to describe it.
The word "offspring" is an unfortunate translation in the NIV. The actual Hebrew word is "zera’" which means "seed."
"The seed image often denotes human lineage or heritage….One central figurative use of the seed image involves the ‘seed’ of David and of Abraham. Paul refers to Jesus as the ‘seed of David’, a well-established designation in Judaism for the awaited The Messiah (Rom. 1:3)."
The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, 771.
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ." Galatians 3:16
P #2: The Messiah would be
Jewish.Genesis 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 7:6-8;
"Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3
The line of Abraham!
"Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." Genesis 18:18
"…and through your [Abraham] offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Genesis 22:18
The line of Isaac!
"I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Genesis 28:13-14
The line of Jacob!
"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Numbers 24:17
P #3: The Messiah would come from the tribe of
Judah.The 12 Tribes of Israel are: Asher, Naphtali, Zebulun, Issachar, Manassah, Ephraim, Gad, Benjamin, Dan, Judah, Reuben, Simeon.
"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Genesis 49:10
P #4: The Messiah would come from the family of
king David.Isaiah 9:6-7; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:3-4, Jeremiah 33:14-15
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7
"When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever….Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:12-13 & 16
"The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: ‘One of your own descendants I will place on your throne….’" Psalm 132:11
"’The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’" Jeremiah 33:14-15
Jesus, a descendant of David is included in the genealogies of both
Joseph (book of Matthew) and Mary (book of Luke)
"Matthew’s genealogy presents a descending line, from Abraham through David, through Joseph, to Jesus, who is called Christ. Luke’s genealogy presents an ascending line, starting from Jesus and going back through David, Abraham, and even to ‘Adam, the son of God’ (Luke 3:23-38).
Luke’s record is apparently traced from Mary’s side, the Eli of Luke 3:23 probably being Joseph’s father-in-law (often referred to as a father) and therefore Mary’s natural father. Matthew’s intent is to validate Jesus’ royal claim by showing His legal descent from David through Joseph, who was Jesus’ legal, though not natural, father.
Luke’s intent is to trace Jesus’ actual royal blood ancestry through his mother, thereby establishing His racial lineage from David. Matthew follows the royal line through David and Solomon, David’s son and successor to the throne. Luke follows the royal line through Nathan, another son of David.
Jesus was therefore the blood descendant of David through Mary and the legal descendant of David through Joseph. Genealogically, Jesus was perfectly qualified to take the throne of David."
P #5: The Messiah would be
virgin born.Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
"…Mary (Jesus’ mother) was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit." Matthew 1:18
"’Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’" Luke 1:30-35.
Two reasons Jesus had to be born of a virgin.
R #1 Jesus had to be born of a virgin to fulfill biblical prophecy.
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
R #2 Jesus had to be virgin born because Joseph’s lineage includes the sin of Jeconiah.
"This is what the LORD says: ‘Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.’" Jeremiah 22:30
"Had Christ been a physical descendant of Joseph and not virgin-born, He would have been disqualified as Israel’s King. Luke presented the physical line of Christ through Mary, who was descended from David through the line of his son Nathan."
The Bible Knowledge Commentary, John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, 1158.
"That curse (of Jeconiah) would have precluded Jesus’ right to kingship had He been the natural son of Joseph, who was in Jeconiah’s line. Jesus’ legal descent from David, which was always traced through the father, came through Jeconiah to Joseph. But His blood descent, and His human right to rule, came through Mary, who was not in Jeconiah’s lineage. Thus the curse on Jeconiah’s offspring was circumvented, while still maintaining the royal privilege."
John MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7
P #6: The Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem of Judah."But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2
"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:4-7
P #7 The Messiah would be
recognized and pursued by God’s servants.Luke 2:11-12; 25-32; 36-40
The Testimony of Angels! Luke 2:11-12
"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
The Testimony of Simeon!
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
The Testimony of Anna!
"There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
The Testimony of the Magi! Matthew 2:1-12
"When he [Herod] had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born."
The Testimony of John the Baptist! Luke 3:15-18
"The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them."The Testimony of Andrew! John 1:35-42
"The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the The Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
The Testimony of Demons! Luke 4:40-41
"When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ."
The Testimony of Peter! Matthew 16:13-16
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"
The Testimony of Jesus! Matthew 26:63-64
The high priest said to him [Jesus], "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
"Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:22-33
The Testimony of the Resurrected Christ! Luke 24:25-27
"He [Jesus] said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
The Testimony of Paul! Acts 17:1-4
"When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women."
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." Colossians 2:9-10
The Testimony of John! 1 John 5:20
"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."
The Testimony of the Early Church! P. 94 Garlow’s list
The Testimony of the Council of Nicea
Insert the Apostle’s Creed
Is Jesus the promised The Messiah?
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Jesus was born of a women’s seed to die a sacrificial death. |
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Jesus was born a Jew. |
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Jesus was born in the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. |
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Jesus was born from the tribe of Judah. |
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Jesus was born through the family of David. |
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Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. |
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Jesus was born of a virgin. |
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Jesus was born miraculously. |
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Jesus was born affirmed by God’s people. |
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Jesus was born believing and testifying that He was the Messiah. |
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The early church declared Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. |
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How about you? Who do you say Jesus is? Is He your Messiah? |
Liar, Lord or Lunatic
Series: "The Truth Is On Your Side"
"Can The Bible Be Trusted?"
Part 2 - The New Testament
Claims of Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code
"The Bible is a product of man…not of God….Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book." 231.
"Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ’s human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him godlike. The earlier gospels (which Brown believes were the Gnostic Gospels), were outlawed, gathered up, and burned….some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate managed to survive. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950’s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert. And, of course, the Coptic Scrolls in 1945 at Nag Hammadi. In addition to telling the true Grail story, these documents speak of Christ’s ministry in very human terms. Of course, the Vatican, in keeping with their tradition of misinformation, tried very hard to suppress the release of these scrolls. And why wouldn’t they? The scrolls highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications, clearly confirming that the modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda— to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base." 234
"The fundamental irony of Christianity!" [That a pagan Emperor decided on which books would be canonized] 231.
"More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them." 231.
"According to these unaltered gospels [referring to the Gnostic cultic literature dated from the 2nd century to 5th century A.D.], it was not Peter to whom Christ gave directions with which to establish the Christian Church. It was Mary Magdalene." 248.
"…almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." 235.
This morning I am going to build upon last week and address the question "can we trust the Bible and more specifically can we trust the New Testament?"
QUESTION #1: How do we know that the 27 books of the New Testament, were not just written by men who said their words were God’s words?
Answer #1 M
essianic ProphecyLast week I explained that one of the strongest evidences to prove the Bible, and more specifically the Old Testament, is the inspired Word of God is its predictive prophecies. It is impossible for human beings to see into the future and predict the rise and fall of world leaders, the outcome of wars, exact dates of events, and specific details of a Messiah to come, without divine intervention.
Now, I want to apply a similar method of verifying that the NT we have in our Bible today by examining Old Testament Messianic Prophecies that are fulfilled in the New Testament.
Truth: There is a fundamental expectation throughout the Old Testament of a coming Messiah.
Grant Jeffery says: "While the term Messiah was not a proper noun used in the Old Testament, the concept of ‘the anointed one’ was prophesied by each of Israel’s prophets. Eventually, the name ‘Messiah’ (Moshiach: Hebrew) became the accepted term for the coming King who would sit on the throne of David."
Grant R. Jeffery: Jesus: The Great Debate, 191.
Norman Geisler reminds us that "If an omniscient God exists who knows the future, then predictive prophecy is possible. And if the Bible contains such predictions, then they are a sign of the Bible’s divine origin."
Norman L. Geisler: Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, 609.
Dr. Alfred Edersheim was a great Messianic scholar wrote a classic book in 1863 entitled, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. In Appendix 9 on page 980, Dr. Edersheim notes that there are 456 total Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible (The OT). "75 from the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy), 243 from the Prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, et al) and 138 from the balance of the Old Testament."
Dr. Alfred Edersheim: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 980.
The Messianic Prophecies of the last 24 hours of Jesus' life.
Of the many Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament, 29 are recorded in the New Testament as being fulfilled in a 24 hour period of time. All of these prophecies point to one who was betrayed, tried, crucified, and buried. All 29 of these prophecies were written by various prophets including David, Zachariah, Isaiah, and Amos over a period of nearly five hundred years.
1. Betrayed by a Friend:
Prophecy: Psalm 41:9 Fulfillment: Matthew 10:4
2. Sold for 30 pieces of silver:
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:12 Fulfillment: Matthew 26:15
3. Betrayal money to be thrown into God's House:
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:13 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:5 & 27:3
4. Price Given for Potter's field:
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:13 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:5
5. Forsaken by His Disciples
Prophecy: Zechariah 13:7 Fulfillment: Mark 14:50
6. Accused by false witnesses
Prophecy: Psalm 35:11 Fulfillment: Matthew 26:59, 60
7. Silent before his accusers
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:7 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:12
8. Wounded and Bruised
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:5 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:26
9. Smitten and spit upon
Prophecy: Isaiah 50:6 Fulfillment: Matt. 26:67
10. Mocked
Prophecy: Psalm 22:7, 8 Fulfillment: Matt. 27:29
11. Fell under the burden of the Cross He was carrying
12. His hands and feet were pierced
Prophecy: Psalm 22:16 Fulfillment: Luke 23:33
(See also: Zech. 12:10) (See also John 20:25)
13. Crucified with thieves
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:38
14. Made intercession for His persecutors
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12 Fulfillment: Luke 23:34
15. Rejected by His own people
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:3 Fulfillment: John 7:5; 48
(See also Psalm 69:8; 118:22) (See also Matt. 21:42, 43; John 1:11)
16. Hated without a cause
Prophecy: Psalm 69:4 Fulfillment: John 15:25
(See also Isaiah 49:7)
17. Friends stood afar off
Prophecy: Psalm 38:11 Fulfillment: Luke 23:49
18. People shook their heads
Prophecy: Psalm 109:25 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:39
(See also Psalm 22:7)
19. Stared upon
Prophecy: Psalm 22:17 Fulfillment: Luke 23:35
20. Garments parted and lots cast
Prophecy: Psalm 22:18 Fulfillment: John 19:23-24
21. To suffer thirst
Prophecy: Psalm 69:21 Fulfillment: John 19:28
22. Gall and vinegar offered to Him
Prophecy: Psalm 69:21 Fulfillment: Matthew 17:34
(See also John 19:28-29)
23. His forsaken cry
Prophecy: Psalm 22:1 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:46
24. Committed Himself to God
Prophecy: Psalm 31:5 Fulfillment: Luke 23:46
25. Bones not broken
Prophecy: Psalm 34:20 Fulfillment: John 19:33
26. Heartbroken
Prophecy: Psalm 22:14 Fulfillment: John 19:34
27. His side pierced
Prophecy: Zechariah 12:10 Fulfillment: John 19:34
"The blood and water that came forth from His pierced side are evidence that the heart had literally burst." McDowell, 191
28. Darkness over the land
Prophecy: Amos 8:9 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:45
29. Buried in a rich man's tomb
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:9 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:57-60
These prophecies are so convincing that the only way liberal Rabbi's and scholars can deal with them is to try and discredit them in some way
Years ago a man named H.J. Schonfield a liberal New Testament scholar said that all these types of prophecies were a farce, that Jesus was pretended or manipulated situations so as to appear to be the Messiah. His book was called, The Passover Plot.
However, there is no way that Jesus could arrange all the details of these prophecies, there is no way that He could manipulate people to respond to him like they did. It takes more faith to believe the liberal view than it does to believe that Jesus was the Messiah to come.
Once Jews figured out that the Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah based on numerous Old Testament prophecies such as Isaiah 53, they changed their interpretation of
Isaiah 53. For centuries, Isaiah 53 was accepted as a Messianic Prophecy for by the Jews, but they changed it saying that Isaiah 53 was actually speaking about the coming Nation of Israel.
However, the Old Testament provides more than one chapter forecasting the Messiah’s coming. All throughout the Old Testament, on 456 different occasions, the coming Messiah is forecasted and the New Testament reveals the Messiah’s identity in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, these Messianic prophecies demonstrate that the Bible was not written by men with some political agenda as The Da Vinci Code would have us believe. The Bible is authored by God, in concert with man, as demonstrated by fulfilled Messianic prophecy.
QUESTION #2: How did we get the 27 books in the New Testament?
Answer: Through the
apostles, eyewitnesses and investigative accounts of believers.2 Peter 1:16; John 1:14; 1 John 1:3; Ephesians 2:20; Luke 1:1-4
The apostle Peter says: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
2 Peter 1:16
The apostle John says: "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you…" 1 John 1:3
Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, stands up before a mixed crowd including many Jews said: "'Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know." Acts 2:22
Luke writes; "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Luke 1:1-4
How did they know? Because these apostles and believes saw, experienced, heard and personally investigated (See Luke) the life of Jesus Christ.
Truth: The majority of the New Testament was written within 30 years of the events of Jesus by eyewitnesses, most who knew him personally. This is powerful proof of their veracity.
F.F. Bruce who was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester, notes:
"The earliest preachers of the gospel knew the value of…first-hand testimony, and appealed to it time and again. 'We are witnesses of these things,' was their constant and confident assertion. And it can have been by no means so easy as some writers seem to think to invent words and deeds of Jesus in those early years, when so many of His disciples were about, who could remember what had and had not happened. And it was not only friendly eyewitnesses that the early preachers had to reckon with; there were others less well disposed who were also conversant with the main facts of the ministry and death of Jesus. The disciples could not afford to risk inaccuracies (not to speak of willful manipulation of the facts), which would at once be exposed by those who would be only too glad to do so. On the contrary, one of the strong points in the original apostolic preaching is the confident appeal to the knowledge of the hearers; they not only said, 'We are witnesses of these things,' but also, 'As you yourselves also know Acts 2:22). Had there been any tendency to depart from the facts in any material respect, the possible presence of hostile witnesses in the audience would have served as a further corrective."
F.F. Bruce: New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? 33, 44-46.
Dr. John Warwick Montgomery wrote over 140 books and articles. He is a renowned theologian and historian. To his credit he possesses multiple Masters and Doctorates from schools such as: Cornell University, University of California at Berkeley, Wittenburg University, University of Sussex, England, and the University of Chicago. Montgomery spent much of his teaching career as professor of law and humanities at the University of Luton, England. In his book, History of Christianity, he said:
"The books of the New Testament were not written down a century or more after the events they described, but during the lifetimes of those involved in the accounts themselves. Therefore, the New Testament must be regarded by scholars today as a competent primary source document of the first century." Dr. John Warwick Montgomery: History of Christianity, 34, 35.
The 27 books we have in our New Testament were written during the lifetime of its authors inspired by God using eyewitness testimony as a primary source.
QUESTIONS #3 Is it true that history has never had a definitive version of the New Testament?
To say that history has never had a definitive version of the New Testament is ludicrous and totally inaccurate.
Chauncey Sanders in his book: Introduction to Research in English Literary History, lists three criteria that scholars use to determine whether or not an ancient document is genuine:
Test #1: Bibliographical Test – what manuscript evidence exists to validate the document?
Test #2: Internal Evidence Test – what the Bible says about itself - covered week 1.
Test #3: External Evidence Test – fulfilled prophecy and archeology - covered week 1.
The Bibliographical Test:
This bibliographic test is the process whereby a scholar evaluates all the current copies of a document to scrutinize them for consistency. For instance, until 1947 the oldest manuscript of the Old Testament was the Masoretic text dating to 1100 A.D. However, as we discussed in the first week of this series, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls included 38 of the 39 Old Testament books dating back to 200 B.C. A gap of approximately 1300 years was filled and now these documents could be compared for consistency and veracity. The older document becomes the standard for the newer document. Comparisons are made to determine changes over time. Normally, historians consider the oldest copy as the most reliable source because it was written or copied closest to the original texts.
The other part of the Bibliographical test has to do with the number of copies made. This aspect is absolutely where the NT is unique to all other ancient literature.
Consider some ancient writings that scholars regard as accurate historical documents.
The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar.
These writings record Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul (Modern-day France) during the first century. You will find this documented in every history book of Ancient Rome…nobody refutes the validity of these writings. However, we only have 10 copies of these writings and they are over 1,000 years after Caesar wrote them.
The History of Rome by Livy
Another commonly accepted work of early Rome is The History of Rome by Livy. Currently there is only a portion of a copy made 400 years after the original. The earliest complete copy was found dated at 1,000 years after Livy wrote his history. However, even with such limited documentation historians accept these ancient documents as valid and historical.
Annals by Tacitus
Tacitus wrote his Annals of Roman history around 100 A.D. We have 20 copies dating 1,000 years after his death.
Illiad by Homer
Homers Iliad scholars have discovered 643 manuscripts but the oldest dates from the 13th century.
The same approach to validating ancient documents must be granted to the Bible. The bibliographic test is vital to proving a definitive version o f the New Testament? Because Historians give credibility to these other ancient documents even though most were written a 1,000 years after the actual events and the number of copies found to compare with are very limited. And yet, nobody dispute these as factual.
The New Testament. The New Testament boasts more manuscript evidence than any other historical document there are close to 25,000.
5,684 Greek Manuscripts
19,284 Other language translations
24,970 Total
This amount of manuscripts is unprecedented in all of ancient literature. There are no other pieces of ancient literature that comes close to the amount of documentation we have for the New Testament.
"The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning….And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt."
F.F. Bruce: The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? 15.
John Warwick Montgomery says that "…to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament."
W.F. Albright notes with great confidence that "No other work from Graeco-Roman antiquity is so well attested by manuscript tradition as the New Testament. There are many more early manuscripts of the New Testament than there are of any classical author, and the oldest extensive remains of it date only about two centuries after their original composition."
W.F. Albright: The Archaeology of Palestine and the Bible.
Furthermore, these near 25,000 copies and portions of New Testament manuscripts are all consistent with the actual New Testament we hold in our hands today.
QUESTION #4: Has the New Testament gone through countless translations, additions and revisions?
It is true that the New Testament has been translated into a number of other languages, that part Dan brown got right, however, these translations do not challenge the genuineness of the New Testament at all, which is what Brown implies.
When Jesus commissioned the disciples he told them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. So from the very beginning, the Christian faith was a missionary faith…to take the truths of Jesus Christ to all the world. As such, from the first century on, the New Testament was translated into many major languages of the world's population namely Syriac, Latin, and Coptic (Egyptian versions).
Josh McDowell notes: "Syriac and Latin versions (translations) of the New Testament were made around A.D. 150. These versions bring us back very near to the time of the originals. There are more than 15,000 existing copies of various versions."
Josh McDowell: New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, 41.
However, these translations have been checked against the Greek manuscripts and found consistent.
Now…what about additions and revisions. How do we know that the New Testament we have has not been changed as The Da Vinci Code would have us believe.
Current copies of the New Testament match up with the oldest copies, therefore, proving that there were no additions and revisions of any significant nature.
Sir Frederic G. Kenyon, former director of the British Museum was most likely the most respected New Testament scholar our century says:
"The interval, then, between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established."
Frederic G. Kenyon, The Bible and Archaeology
Dr. John A.T. Robinson, a scholar at Trinity College in Cambridge originally believed that the Gospels were written at least 100 years after the death of Jesus. However, in Time Magazine, 1977, Robinson decided to re-examine the evidence. As he did, he was shocked to discover that "…much of the past scholarship on the New Testament was academically untenable because it was based on a ‘tyranny of unexamined assumptions’ and what he felt must have been an ‘almost willful blindness.’ Robinson concluded that the apostles were the genuine writers of the New Testament books and that they wrote their accounts in the years between A.D. 32 and A.D. 64."
Quoted in Jeffery Grant, Jesus The Great Debate, 50-51.
QUESTION #5: Was Emperor Constantine a lifelong pagan or did he convert to Christianity? Did Constantine "commission and finance a new Bible and responsible for canonizing the New Testament books?
Answer #1: Constantine (about 274 or 280 to 337 A.D.) was not a lifelong pagan. According to Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884-1975), Yale Professor of Oriental history, Constantine converted to Christianity. This conclusion is accepted by many non-Christian hiostorians and scholars, including those opening critical of Christianity (for example, Elaine Pagels, Princeton University professor of religion, and Keith Hopkins, ancient history professor at King’s College)."
Yes, Constantine did call the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. However, his goal was to resolve the dispute over the deity of Christ. Because Arian taught Jesus was not fully God, the issue had to be addressed for clarification. The result of the Council was the Nicean Creed.
Constantine did not decide on what books should be included in the New Testament. Why? The New Testament had already been firmly established by then as noted by church Fathers. Dr. Erwin Lutzer states that "all but 40 verses from the gospels…"
Conservative Scholars date the books of the NT as the following:
Paul’s Letters A.D. 50-66
Matthew A.D. 70-80
Mark A.D. 50-65
Luke early 60’s
John A.D. 80-100
Constantine had nothing to do with determining which books became part of the NT. Ralph Muncaster notes:"In the early 200's, Origen (an early church leader) listed all the accepted books of the new Testament—a list that matches today's canon."
Ralph Muncaster: A Skeptic's Search For God, 235.
It wasn't until the Council of Carthage in 397 A.D. that the Catholic Church formally recognized (not decided) the entire NT Cannon that we have today in our Bibles.
Question #6 What about the Gnostic Bible? Are these books valid as Dan Brown suggests? Are they really the "unaltered gospels?"
"More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them." 231.
"According to these unaltered gospels [referring to the Gnostic cultic literature dated from the 2nd century to 5th century A.D.], it was not Peter to whom Christ gave directions with which to establish the Christian Church. It was Mary Magdalene." 248.
The Truth Regarding the Gnostic Literature!
Strike 1
False teaching.The early church recognized the Gnostics as a heretical cult because Gnostic doctrine was contrary to Scripture. 1 John was written to combat Gnosticism in the apostolic age. One of the most respected early church fathers, Irenaus of Lyon combated and opposed Gnosticism as a heretical cult.
"Second-century church father Irenaues wrote Against Heresies, in which he defended and explained the faith rooted in the tradition that had been passed on. In Book 3.11.7 he clarified the core of the faith and the groups against whom he was writing in his works." Bock, Darrell Breaking The Da Vinci Code 112.
Strike 2 No
Cross.The historical Jesus is meaningless and the cross has no value for salvation. Jesus is not God and he did not die for the sins of humankind. The Gnostics believed matter is evil; therefore, God could not come in the flesh for flesh is matter and evil. The historical cross and crucifixion is never mentioned in these books, for Gnostics taught Jesus never died for the sins of humanity.
Strike 3 Non-
historical.The Gnostic literature is non-historical, even anti-historical. These books never reference literal places, towns, rivers, lakes and seas as the 66 books of the Bible do. There remains no way to check the historical validity of any of the writings.
Strike 4 No
eyewitnesses to the life of Christ.The Gnostic literature contains no eyewitness accounts of the life of Christ. None of the Gnostic gospels were written from eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life like the authors of the New Testament. The names given to these books include Mary, Thomas and Philip to give them credibility. However, you cannot have a book attributed to somebody if these individuals did not write these books.
Strike 5 Writings dated much later than the NT, from the 2nd to 6th century A.D.
The books are dated much later than the New Testament. The Gnostic cult began writing over 100 years after the New Testament events and continued writing their concepts through the 5th century A.D.
Strike 6 Bizarre and contradictory
teachings.Gnostic teaching is bizarre, confusing, and contradictory to the Bible. In the Gospel of Thomas 114 it states; Simon Peter said to them, "Mary should leave us, for females are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "Look, I shall guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter heaven’s kingdom." Meyer, Marvin The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus p. 25.
Strike 7 Salvation through secret, hidden
knowledge.Gnosticism teaches salvation through secret knowledge. Salvation, eternal life is the result of discovering the "secret, hidden knowledge", the sofia or wisdom of life. Gnosticism combines the philosophy of Platonism and a variety of philosophical and religious traditions.
"As a consequence of our ignorance concerning Christian history, we find believers vulnerable to the appeals of cultists. Some distortion of Christianity is often taken for the real thing."
"Religion, if it is worth believing, must be based on facts. Yes, there is room for faith, but unless it is faith in facts, faith is not only useless but destructive….The Bible cannot afford to have historical errors. We are encouraged to believe its doctrines because of the reliability of its history….In fact, the reliability of the earthly matters gives us confidence in the reliability of the heavenly matters that are beyond the realm of human investigation….The bottom line is that the Bible has to be reliable about the things of this earth if we are to believe it about the things of heaven. We cannot let the biblical writers off the hook, making excuses for their failures. In their case, even a few minor errors would be fatal to the whole document."
Erwin Lutzer: Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust The Bible, 65-66.