The Word of God in History

The Word of God as History; The Word of God in History; The Word of God and History May 4, 2008

Romans 15:4; 1Corinthians 10:1-12;

1Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 22:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:2

We have seen that the Word of God has been spoken and preached since the beginning creation. God was the first to write His Word. He wrote His Commands on tablets of stone for Moses to deliver to the people who were to bear his name (character) and the message of hope that was promised in the Messiah who would take away the sin of man (his rebellion against God), and its penalty (death and separation from God).

We saw that God’s Word was inspired specifically to communicate who Jesus is, the way to follow Him as personal Savior, and the way that the church of Jesus Christ is to carry out the work and works that He began to do. All that speaks of the authority of God’s Word. Today I want us to consider the reliability of God’s Word, the resilience of God’s Word, and the result of God’s Word in history. Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19 God made it clear that we are to believe the Bible and respect the Bible, but there has been many a battle over the Bible, and those continue today. It is denied. It is dissected. It is distorted, And, it is disregarded. But there are still some who believe it, who know that it is the God-breathed, inerrant, infallible, authentic Word of God that is trustworthy for daily inspiration, for salvation (1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever) and for sanctification (John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy Word is truth).

THE RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD

Ø Science – mainly written to teach us about a relationship with God, but the God of salvation is also the God of creation.

To judge, need to know Bible and science.

o French academy of science pamphlet 1861 – 51 undeniable truths that prove the Bible in error. Today none of those irrefutable contradiction to science are still seen as contradictions.

o Earth suspended in space – Job 26:7

o "God sits upon the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). The word translated here as "circle" was more commonly translated "sphere."

o Ptolemy counted 1026 stars versus Jeremiah 33:22

o Black plague – Leviticus 13:46 The Old Testament command to quarantine people with a plague was put into action to stem the tide of the plaque.

Ø History - not primarily a history book, but records history

Secular historians contested the account of the Bible saying there were inaccuracies. However, archeology has proven the Bible Word of God true rather than men.

o Historians said that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch because there was not written language at the time it was supposed to have been written – then archeologists discovered the Tel Elarmona tablets.

o Historians said there was no evidence of a king named Belshazzar who is told of in the book of Daniel – then archeologists discovered an ancient inscription the described Belshazzar as co-regent with King Nabinitus.

RESILIANCE (DURABILITY) OF THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD

Ø 1,400 BC – Ten Commandments

Ø 500 BC – all Hebrew manuscripts of 39 books of Old Testament

Ø 200 BC – Septuagint, Greek Old Testaments, 39 books + 14 apocryphal books complete

Ø 100 AD- Greek manuscripts of 27 books of New Testament complete

Ø 382 AD – Jerome’s Latin Vulgate

Ø 500 AD – Scripture in over 500 languages

Ø 600 AD – Scripture only allowed in Latin The Roman Catholic church sought to destroy any copies or copiers of scripture in the languages of common people.

Ø 1384 Wycliffe – whole in English Bible from Vulgate (40 years after death, bones crushed, burned, and thrown in river).

Ø 1415 John Hus – burned using Wycliffe’s manuscripts for kindling

Ø 1450 – Gutenberg printing press – first book – Latin Bible

Ø 1496 – John Colet – began to read English NT (translated from Greek) in St Paul’s Cathedral in London to 20,000 hearers

Ø 1516 – Erasmus – published Greek-Latin parallel; versus Vulgate

Ø 1522 – Martin Luther – German New Testament (from Erasmus)

Ø 1526 – Tyndale – English New Testament – printed – strangled and burned at stake 1536 by Henry VIII

Ø 1539 – Great Bible at bequest of Henry VIII

Ø 1560 – The Geneva Bible – Bible of the reformers and Puritans

Ø 1589 – Rheims NT and Douay OT by Roman Church from Vulgate

Ø 1611 (1769) – King James English Bible

This was a very saddening study as I found out many of those who sought the freedom of common man to have access to God’s Word -- those who were severely persecuted -- once they had the scripture in the language of common man, became persecutor of any who disagreed with their doctrines (which were often unbiblical, such as infant baptism, transubstanciation, and the “ever virgin” status of Mary).

RESULT OF GOD WORD IN HISTORY

Ø A people with a promise - Jews

Ø A Savior on whom time pivots - Jesus

Ø Nations conquered and ruled according to their trust in God’s Word.

Ø A “New World” with freedom to read and believe

Ø A Nation founded on free access to God’s Word

Ø Missions and Benevolence around the world

66 Books, 40 Authors, 1600 years, 13 countries, with a unique unity.

Men have preached its funeral. But the corpse has outlived its pallbearers. The Bible has survived. Despite all the attempts to bury the Bible, it has continued to endure.

Finally, the Bible is not a book of the month, but the Book of the ages. (Adrian Rogers)

1 Peter 1:25 “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”