4th October 2009

The Bible: Can we trust the authority and relevance of it in our lives?

Can we know and prove that the Bible is the word of God?

• What evidence can you find within the Bible itself?
• What evidence can you find outside the Bible?

What would you say to someone who claims that the differences in the following passages make the Bible untrustworthy?

• Matthew 1:1-16 versus Luke 3:23-38 (genealogies of Jesus)
• Matthew 27:5 versus Acts 1:18 (stories of Judas’ death)
• Acts 9:7 versus Acts 22:9 (Paul’s conversion)

How would you contend with the suggestion that the cruelties that the Bible says God ordered, approved, or committed make the book totally unacceptable to persons applying modern standards of justice and humaneness?

• For example: Moses telling his soldiers to kill women and children (Numbers 31:15-18), God sending two bears that killed 42 children because they were making fun of a prophet's bald head (2 Kings 2:23-24), and the promise that non-Christians will be sent to the eternal fires of hell (e.g., Matthew 25:41; Revelation. 21:8).

To what extent should the Bible have authority in a Christian’s life?

To what extent do we personally and habitually submit to the authority of the Bible?

If you believe that the Bible speaks with the authority of God, how does this affect the way you respond to the:

• Statements
• Promises
• Commands