We all have to know the Bible and some of the historical facts so that when we meet a thoughtful and educated person, we will be able to present an answer to his question that convinces, persuades, and subdues him.
In preaching the gospel, you may meet a very educated and thoughtful person. He may say that he is not a bad person, that he has a good marriage, and that he tries to live a good life. Everything may be going very well for him. While you are presenting the gospel to him, he may ask how anyone can really know that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Because this question involves a very great matter, your conversation with him must be a little longer, slower, and more thorough.
When we preach the gospel concerning the resurrection of Christ to a thoughtful person, we can use the migration of people from northern Europe to the United States three or four hundred years ago as an illustration to show how we believe that something happened long ago, even when we were not there to witness the event. The reason we believe that many northern Europeans migrated to this country is because of three things: the historical record, the actual descendants of these immigrants, and the physical evidence in the surrounding environment. When we use such an illustration, we should stress these points repeatedly in order to convince and subdue our listener. First, the historical record, the written history, tells us that such a migration took place three or four hundred years ago. Second, the descendants of those who migrated are now present among us, and they can trace their genealogies back to these immigrants. Their being in this country today is strong evidence that such a migration took place. Third, the physical surroundings, such as the different types of buildings, point to a migration because the original inhabitants did not have such dwellings.
The proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ likewise has three key elements: the historical record, the Christian descendants, and the effect of Christ and His resurrection on human society.
The Bible contains the historical record concerning not only the resurrection of Christ but also the entire history of Christ. The first page of the New Testament presents His genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17). The Bible, having come through many generations, has been recognized by the entire world as a great book.
Some may argue that the Bible says things that are not true. The way to determine whether a book is true or not is to examine its contents. If a book has a low standard of morality and ethics, such as the book of Mormon, we are justified in not believing it. But if a book has a high standard of morality and ethics, we must believe it. The Bible has been universally recognized as a book with the highest standard of ethics and morality. Therefore, we have to admit that whatever it says is true.
The contents of the Bible include many different items. The prophecies concerning the nation of Israel are just one important section. Because of Israel’s degradation, God became unhappy with them, punishing them by dispersing them among the nations. This prophecy concerning the dispersion (Deut. 28:62-64; Luke 21:24) was fulfilled six hundred years before Christ when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered Judah (2 Chron. 36:6-21). The loss of their country was a sign of God’s punishment of the children of Israel.
The Bible also predicted that one day the land would return to the Jews (Matt. 24:32; Luke 21:24) and that they would be formed into a country. The nation of Israel was formed in 1948, and in 1967 Jerusalem was returned to the Jews. This prediction is strong proof that the Bible is a trustworthy book. It was written by God Himself through the prophets in the Old Testament and through the apostles in the New Testament.
The Bible also contains the words spoken by the Lord Jesus. His words are deeper, of a higher standard, and more full of meaning than those of any philosopher including Plato and Confucius. For instance, the Lord Jesus said that He is the light of the world (John 8:12), the life (14:6), and the resurrection (11:25). He called us to come to Him and drink (7:37), and He offered Himself to us as the bread of life (6:35). The words spoken by the Lord Jesus are unique and profound; no other person could speak such words. The words of the Lord Jesus are so profound that one philosopher remarked that if the Christ portrayed in the Gospels is false, then whoever wrote such a portrait is qualified to be Christ.
No one but the Lord Jesus could say, “Come to Me...and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), or “I am the living bread which came down out of heaven....he who eats Me shall also live because of Me” (John 6:51, 57), or “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink” (7:37). Confucius and Plato could not say such things because they were not such a person as the Lord Jesus. Chapters five through seven of the Gospel of Matthew show the high standard of the Lord’s teaching. No one but the Lord Jesus ever uttered such a word about loving our enemies (Matt. 5:43-44). In human history there has been only one person who could speak and did speak such things, and His words were written down in the Bible. The Bible as a record of history is very high in its morality and ethics; therefore, it is very believable and trustworthy.
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