The Bible Challenge

In order to understand Christianity, the coming of Jesus Christ to the world to save us from our sins, you must believe that the Bible is the word of God.

Let's not argue details right now.

Can you believe simply four words of the Bible?

Here's a challenge for you.

For one week, only one, as life beats you up and you struggle with your day to day existence, ponder these four (first) words from the Bible:

“In the beginning, God...”

Truly, fully believe for one week that there is a sovereign, everlasting, infinite and all-powerful God that existed since the beginning.

That could change your life.

Try it.

If you want more...

Detractors will pick a Bible story and point out how it cannot be accurate.

At one time they espoused the belief that Pontius Pilate existed in the Bible as a composite form of conquering Romans. In 1961, Dr. Antonio Frova excavated a limestone block in Caesarea Maritima with Pilate's name on it.

Okay, so that was real.

The Bible certainly created King David as the composite Israelite. Yet in 1993 Israeli archaeologist Avraham Biran discovered a stone referring to the “House of David.”

Yeah, but that Samson guy couldn't exist, except as an archetype, like the Greek Heracles. (I would argue that Heracles also existed.)

“Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.” (Judges 16)

The Bible story of Samson contains no moral imperatives, yet is the story of a man who used his God-given strength for his own amusement, finally turning back to God at the end of his life. Why would Bible authors include it in Judges - unless the story refers to a real person?

Archaeology supports the story, finding Philistine temples with two main load-bearing pillars.

So historicity has credence in Biblical stories.

There's the story of Jonah in the fish. The sad story of Job. The heartbreaking tale of Hosea, a minor prophet.

Yeah, those are tough.

I won't argue with people who tell me God couldn't create the world and universe in seven days. Geology tells us the world is millions of years old, they say.

Okay, God could create everything in seven days, seven minutes, seven seconds or a blink. If He couldn't then He wouldn't be God.

That's not the message.

I'll tell you what.

Choose the New Testament, the Gospel, the Good News.

Read it before you criticize the Bible or those who actually read it.

Not the people who pick and choose Bible verses to beat you up, cheer you up, promise you riches...

Look for the people who read the Bible and pray to God for guidance, not riches. They pray for God's grace on you without asking for money.

Those are the ones who truly read the Bible.

Read the New Testament.

That's the second challenge.