None Like It

Luke 1:2-4

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

The Bible has faced countless persecution and scrutiny. Namely, the edict issued by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who called for the destruction of Christians and the Bible. Diocletian built a monument on a burned Bible with the words "Extincto nomene Christianorum," which is Latin for "the name Christian is extinguished." A bold proclamation that held no weight. This was 303 AD, and today, in 2024, the Bible is still the world's most-read and distributed book.

25 years after Diocletian's edict, the new Emperor, Constantine, stopped the persecution of Christians and wanted the New Testament to be made available in all the churches of his Empire. Constantine also wanted 50 copies of the New Testament to be made so that he could spread it to the churches in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). This comes from a man who was surrounded by stories and beliefs of Greek gods, but ended up spreading the Word of the only true God.

In 1776, French philosopher Voltaire declared that the Bible would be extinct in 100 years. 50 years after his death, Christians bought his house and used it as a printing press to manufacture Bibles.

It does not matter what people do or say to God’s Word; it will persist. It is infallible, tried and tested, and there is simply none like it.

What makes the Bible different?

The Bible’s uniqueness makes it unlike any other religious text. It was assembled over generations, from the first book to the last book, spanning 1300-1500 years. It was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Bible was written by multiple authors and prophets chosen by God. It is rich in geographical and ethnic diversity, ranging from Israel, Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia (today, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey). It is filled with diverse genres, ranging from narratives to historical accounts to apocalyptic warnings, prayers, and poetic texts. Interestingly, 27% of the Bible contains prophetic messages, with at least half of these prophecies already being fulfilled.

The Bible uses the statement “So says the Lord” countless times. This was a controversial statement, and most of the time, people were met with violence and persecution. This did not deter them. They continued to spread God’s Word. They were so convicted that it was the Word of God that they were willing to be persecuted for their beliefs. These authors came from different backgrounds, e.g., there were kings, fishermen, women, an exiled prince, a tax collector, and a zealot. Despite the various backgrounds, they all agree that there is one God, and He came to free us from our sins through Jesus.

The Bible is unique in its teachings. No other religious text teaches the trinity, and incarnation and that the only way we can be forgiven for our sins is through faith. Not our works; it does not depend on us. The genius of God knew that we should not be responsible for our salvation because of our prideful hearts and boastful nature. No amount of good deeds will ever be able to cleanse you of your sin. Only the blood of Jesus can wash you clean.

Can we trust the Old and New Testaments?

The most famous argument against the Bible is that it has been “translated numerous times and lost its true meaning”. The Old Testament (comprised of The Pentateuch, The Prophets and The Writings) started with only The Pentateuch (or The Law), and over time, more books and writing were added. This makes sense, seeing as the Bible was still being written. Around 300 BC, 70 Jewish scholars finished the Septuagint, translating the Old Testament books from Hebrew to Greek. This was because Israel had been under Greek authority for centuries, and the Greek language became increasingly common. The Septuagint made it possible for the Jews to read the Old Testament books in a language they could understand.

The New Testament (comprised of The Gospels, Church History and The Apostolic Writings) authors were eyewitnesses; they wrote down what they saw, and then copies were made. Then, more and more copies were made. It is important to remember that these copies were made by scribes; they were well-educated in writing and languages. It was not some random teenager with limited education who made the copies. Of course, there are minor differences (because which one of us can create a perfect translation), e.g. one copy will read “Christ Jesus” another “Jesus Christ”, some spellings can differ, some words are left out, but the central message of the Bible is still there. It has stayed the same since its beginning and is still so now.

No other book has as many manuscript (handwritten documents) copies as the Bible. The New Testament has 5300 Greek, 10000 Latin, and 9000 miscellaneous copies (and more are being discovered through archaeology). The number of manuscripts found and the early dating of these copies support the authenticity of the Bible. With more copies and earlier dates, it becomes easy to reconstruct the original text.

Most of the New Testament authors were martyred for their words, all proclaiming the Good News. Sceptics still believe the Bible is filled with lies and Jesus was not who he claimed to be. You should ask yourself: “Why would you give up your life for lies?” They knew it was the truth; they were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, saw Him crucified, saw the empty grave and saw the nail-scarred wrists. There comes a point in your life where you have to decide who Jesus is. He is either who He claims He is (God), or a liar or a lunatic, but you cannot say He was only a good moral teacher (paraphrased from C.S. Lewis).

Some of the archaeological evidence for the Bible

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the Qumran caves in 1948. Cave four contained more than 950 documents, 220 of which were Biblical scrolls, some dating back to 250 BC. It is amazing how long these scrolls lasted. Truly, God protected His Word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show us that the Old Testament is true and did not change. Comparing the old documents to the scriptures we have today, the changes are so small that they are negligible. God's word is stable, never changing. Below is the Qumran caves and part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Shroud of Turin is the most investigated archaeological artefact of all time. It is speculated to be the cloth that Jesus was buried in. A shroud is a burial cloth, and Turin is the city in Italy where the fabric is kept. However, it is a controversial finding as some claim it's a forgery. Looking at the dating of carbon-14 (a scientific method to determine the date of organic material), shows it cannot be the cloth Jesus was buried in because this cloth is newer. However, kings and priests would cut off pieces of the fabric, and later, they were woven back; this could be the reason for the more recent dating of the carbon-14. It is important to note that we can't duplicate the shroud. If it was a forgery, then we could easily duplicate it, but no one has been able to do it.

What makes the shroud so unique? It contains a picture of a crucified man that has been "blasted" onto the cloth, like a negative in photography. Scientists cannot explain how this happened. The body wrapped in the fabric had to have a bolt of light; approximately 6.4 gigawatts (600 million LED lights) to create this imprint on the cloth. Interestingly, when Paul first met Jesus (after His resurrection), he explained that Jesus was "brighter than the noonday sun". Could the imprint be the moment Jesus was resurrected? We can't speak with certainty but should acknowledge the remarkable findings.

Can it be someone else's burial cloth? Looking at the image of the crucified man, we can see the lacerations on his body, nail-scarred wrists, and wounds on his scalp and forehead (which point to the crown of thorns Jesus wore). Of course, we do not need the shroud to prove Jesus was resurrected; we have the Word of God for that, but its findings are impressive.

The Shroud of Turin

Ending with the words of David (Psalm 34:8)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

David challenges us to experience God’s goodness for ourselves. We can only do this through personal experience as we do when we taste and see.

Disclaimer: This was only a brief overview of some of the evidence for the Bible. Many other findings support the Bible (which will be discussed in the future), and I want to encourage you to look at the evidence as well, wrestle with God, taste and see. If you do this, you won’t be left empty-handed; you will meet your Maker.