The Bible is the Only Holy Book (10 Evidences, H)

Read Luke 2:1-7; 3:1-2

VIII.       The Bible is historically accurate.  Sometimes people like to say, the Bible isn’t a history book so don’t expect it to be historically accurate.  But this is an incorrect understanding.  True, it is not merely a book of history, but the Bible is especially based in history.  After all, the primary story of the Bible is that the infinite Creator entered history through the Incarnation, the earthly life of Jesus.  Jesus is a real person in a real place at a real time in history.  

Before we illustrate this accuracy, let us note the other holy books. 

·        Archaeology is the death-knell for the Book of Mormon.  It tells the story of a second incarnation, if you will, the appearance of Jesus in the Western Hemisphere, a story involving Indians who migrated from South to North America.  There is absolutely zero evidence that this ever happened.  You would think given the historical verification of the Bible and God’s visit to earth in Israel that there would be similar verification.  But there is none!

·        The Koran is safe in its historical record because it limits itself either to known-history in Mohammed’s time, to paradise which is a place in the after-life that cannot be verified, or to the reinterpretation of historical events that are presented in the Bible.  In Islam Ishmael replaces Isaac as the promised son, Jesus was not born of a virgin nor did he die on a cross.  There is no evidence that Islam is historically right; it is just history based in the doctrines of Islam.

The Bible, on the other hand, is open, willing to be associated with historical events, and it does so with amazing accuracy.

·        Graves have been found of prominent individuals mentioned in the Bible: Caiaphas (John 11:50), Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-7), Cyrus the Great (Isaiah 45:1-3), Darius the Great (Ezra 6:1-12).

·        Discoveries have confirmed some of the more minute history of the Bible. 

o   A stone pavement with the words “Erastus, supervisor of public works” (Romans 16:23) was found. 

o   The story of Herod Agrippa’s untimely death (Acts 12) was described also by Josephus. 

o   The Pool of Siloam (John 9:7) was discovered in 1880. 

o   Quirinius and the census (Luke 2:1), though disputed for years because evidence seemed to show someone else was governor of Judah at the time of Jesus’ birth, has not been affirmed by additional discoveries. 

o   To this day, in Jerusalem’s City of David discoveries are confirming the Biblical history of Israel’s Capital.

This is a list that could go on for a long time, and next time there is a little more we need to point out.  But for now consider the confirmed truth of the Bible.  God has spoken to us in the Bible.