How do you explain to someone about books that contradict the Bible, like "The Jesus Letters" and "The Book of Yahweh"?  I don’t know how to prove that they are false doctrine when they are claiming to be "historically accurate".  Help please.

Sincerely,
Fighting Fables

Dear Fighting Fables,

The question of what books to include in the Bible and what books to exclude as false is a major issue – and it is an issue that the early christians had to face.  Twenty-seven books are included in the New Testament canon (the word ‘canon’, when applied to Scriptures, means ‘the officially accepted list of books’), and each one of these books is documented by early christians as being a divinely-inspired piece of literature.  In other words, the early christians believed that God wrote it.

The key to understanding why some books are included in the Bible and other books (even books from the same time period) are excluded is to remember that the Bible claims to be God’s Book (2 Pet 1:19-21).  The early christians lived during the time when these books were being written, and they were fully aware of who was doing the writing.  Today, we can’t tell which religious documents were written by apostles and which documents were written by heretics… but the early christians certainly could!  If someone claimed that a letter was written by the apostle Paul, all they had to do to verify the authenticity of the letter was to ask Paul for themselves.  The early christians were in the best position to differentiate between authentic apostolic writings and other manmade documents.  This is exactly why the early church quickly adopted the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, and they have been almost universally accepted as the only New Testament books ever since.  Numerous historical documents verify that the New Testament canon that we use today was accepted, read, collected, distributed, and used by the early christians from very early on.  People who seek to say that they have “found” some new Bible books that have been missing from the canon have to prove that their books were accepted by christians from the beginning – no one has been able to do that.

What makes you so sure that Jesus is god, and that God is god? Krishna was born a thousand years prior from a virgin, and was the savior of his people.  What makes you disbelieve Thor, Zeus, Mithra and all the other gods that were invented prior to Yahweh?  I honestly want to know what you're answers are to these.  I'm not being sarcastic.

Sincerely,
Many Messiahs

Dear Many Messiahs,

The best way to show that Jesus is God is to show the uniqueness of the Bible because the Bible is what testifies to Jesus’ deity. The writers of the Bible admit that it is their hands that wrote it (Gal 6:11), but they also explain that God’s Spirit guided those hands (Eph 3:3-4). If that is true (and it is!), then the Bible would show signs that it was written by God and not man. Here are some simple reasons that the Bible is unique from every other book:

1. It is 100% scientifically accurate. Isa 40:22 mentions the earth being round. Job 36:27-28 explains the water-vapor cycle. These and other verses mention scientific principles that were not understood until centuries later.
2. It never contradicts itself. Over 40 different writers penned the pages of the Bible. They came from different walks of life and different eras, yet no one has ever found a contradiction from Genesis to Revelation.
3. It has been perfectly preserved throughout history. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint are copies of the Bible written 1,000 years apart, and yet, there is no difference in the text.
4. No book is as widely distributed as the Bible. Written in over 2,500 languages and sold by the billions, the Bible is the most published book on the planet. No other book comes even close.
5. The Bible is accurate in prophecies. The prophecies of Tyre (Eze 26:3-21) and Babylon (Isa 13:19-22, Isa 14:23) give specific, detailed accounts of the fall of those cities. Those prophecies were written many years before the events took place, and yet they came to pass exactly as the Bible foretold.

These are only short answers to the question ‘Why is the Bible unique?’, but they are a good start when discussing the issue. If you want a more detailed answer, I recommend Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell and Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel as great reference material on this topic.

As for Thor, Zeus, etc., there simply isn’t any evidence to testify to their validity.  We believe in Jesus because of the proof, not because He is the most appealing myth.

I'm worried.  I don't go to church.  I don't pray.  I do good deeds, and I try to live right, but my friends keep saying I am gonna go to hell because I believe in evolution and the Big Bang.  Will I end up in hell?

Sincerely,
Good Enough?

Dear Good Enough,

Though evolution and the Big Bang are worthwhile issues, they aren’t the core values that impact our eternity – Jesus is.  Jesus made a radical claim when He walked this earth; He claimed that sin had created a giant rift between mankind and God (Rom 6:23) and that He had come to heal that rift (Jhn 3:16).  Either Jesus is telling the truth, and He is the only way to receive reconciliation with God in order that we may go to heaven (Jhn 14:6), or Jesus was a liar and should be disregarded like all other crazy people.

The validity of Jesus’ claims stand or fall on the authenticity of Bible.  If God wrote the Bible, then Jesus is the only way to heaven, and all His teachings must become our roadmap to life.  We here at AYP believe that the evidence very clearly points toward the Bible being divinely inspired and unique among literature.  Read the article “Who Wrote The Bible?” for our favorite evidence that the Bible is God’s Word.

It is a sign of your character that you are anxious and worried about this issue.  Where we will spend eternity is the most important question we have to answer in this life.  We believe Jesus is God’s Son and that He is the redeemer of our souls when we put our faith in Him (1 Pet 1:9).  If after seeing the evidence we present on this site (and if you have more questions, please continue to ask them), you agree that the Bible is God’s Word – then praying, attending a faithful church (we can help you find one – not all churches follow the Bible), and all the other details of behavior fall into line.  We aren’t saved by doing good deeds; we are saved by faith in Jesus… good deeds are just part of a living and obedient faith (Jas 2:17-18).

If you have further questions about what it takes to be saved, the Bible, Jesus, or any other spiritual concerns, do not hesitate to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

(This is a follow-up to the post “In The Beginning…”)

So the earth isn’t 6.5 million years old?  It’s a fraction of that???  So people were alive at the same time as dinosaurs?  And, in this case, a meteor wasn’t the cause of death... it was the Great Flood?  If this is in point a fact, then science to a degree is completely wrong.  Or I just may not understand.  I await to have the chance to ask God... maybe we just were not intended to know the full story on dinosaurs.

Sincerely,
Dino Doubts

Dear Dino Doubts,

There isn’t anything wrong with science, but many scientists are interpreting the scientific data using the wrong preconceived notions.  Not all scientists believe that the data points toward atheism; a growing community of scientists is realizing that the Bible is accurate and the data backs it up.  Websites like www.answersingenesis.org highlight this fact.  You are absolutely right; the full story of the dinosaurs may never be understood this side of heaven… but we can know their story will never contradict the biblical account of Creation.

I have a problem.  I am in a christian school, and almost every teacher there uses terms, that if you pay attention, are questioning if the students really have faith in God.  They will ask if I am a christian, and if so, to prove it.  So I'm using an opportunity, a project assigned to me in Bible class (we are making a devotional), that gives Biblical reasons for why this is wrong, so maybe I could use the Bible to show them. I can’t find any verses on the subject!  Could you help me out?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
No More Questions

Dear No More Questions,

There is nothing wrong with someone asking you to prove why you are a christian.  The Scriptures teach that we should always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Pet 3:15).  There may be an issue of decorum and diplomacy when a teacher is constantly peppering their students with questions like this, but it isn’t inherently wrong.  Christianity is based off of the evidence that God gives us (Heb 11:1).  Even though we don’t see God, proof of His existence is abundantly provided in both the Scriptures and the world around us (Rom 1:20).  Reasoning and deliberating over the evidence is something that God finds pleasing (Isa 1:18).  All of Christianity is based off of truth (Jhn 14:6).  It is important that every christian be able to solidly defend their beliefs (Php 1:16) against the trickery and wiles of the devil (Eph 6:11).  Know the truth, and the truth will set you free (Jhn 8:32).