Is the Bible reliable?

Here are my notes with some (not all) of the info.

1. What the Bible claims of itself
2 Timothy 3:16 “Inspired by God”
Matt 24:35 God’s truth will live forever
2 Peter 1:21 Men moved by God
Ways God communicated His Word. Audible, dreams, visions and recording experiences

2. How we got the Bible we read today. The Cannon
In 397 The Council of Carthage recognized the books of the Bible we have today.

3. Manuscript evidence
There are over 24,000 manuscripts
Old Testament dated from 200BC-70AD Burned Copies
New Testament dated from 125AD- 250 AD
There are no original manuscripts found but the manuscripts found compared to one another validate the message. They were found in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Italy. There are variants in some manuscripts but none have an effect on any Christian doctrine. They are spelling errors, duplicate words or numerical errors.

No other ancient writing has anything close to the amount of manuscripts the Bible has. Next in line is Homers Iliad with 600

Why is it so important to have this many manuscripts?
Biblical manuscripts are 99.5% accurate

4. Historical (non Christian) writings that confirm Biblical accounts of things
Tacitus 1st century
Josephus 38-97
Thallus
Pliny the Yonger 112
Emperor Trajan
Talmud

5. Predictive Prophecy
100% Accurate not a guess based on experience
Non-messianic

Daniel 2:37-42 The succession of the Great Kingdoms of the world Babylon, Medeo Persia, Greece and Rome. So accurate that critics constantly attack it.

Isaiah 44:28-45:1 Predicts Cyrus King of Persia 150 years before he was born.

Ez 37:7 Return of Israel to the land

Daniel 12:4 Increased travel and knowledge


Messianic prophecy
Isaiah 53:2-12
(Forgot to mention this one) Daniel 9 actually predicts the year that Christ would be crucified.
Zecheriah 12:10
Psalm 22:16


6. Personal Experience Hebrews 4:12 Living and active
God’s Word has the power to transform lives.

Books I used for this message and the links where you can buy them.

Who Made God? by, Zacherias/Geisler

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=47103&netp_id=305603&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW

The Case For Christ by,Lee Strobel

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=26465&netp_id=120237&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW#curr


Baker Encyclopedia of Christin Apologetics by, Norman Geisler

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=1021510&netp_id=127912&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW

Enjoy!! See you next week at "The Five"