The Bible - Fact or Fiction?

Before we proceed any further in examining the differences between Satan’s counterfeit religion and the true faith of God it is worthwhile to examine the source of truth.  In other words – is the Bible fact or fiction?  The Bible is by no means the only text that is considered sacred in today’s world, nor was it the only text considered sacred in ancient times.  Therefore how does a rational, thinking person decide which sacred text really is sacred and which is a counterfeit?  I will point out at this time also that I am dealing only with the three monotheistic religions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.  All three faiths have their own texts and all three faiths appear, on the surface, to be completely divergent from one another.

It is firstly important to look at what the Bible is and what it is not.  The Bible is not a book in the sense that you or I may understand it; rather it is a collection of books compiled to form what Christians call the Holy Bible.  These are writings from many different authors relating to many different aspects of life and our relationship with God.  Parts of the Bible are history books, for example Genesis, Exodus, 1 and 2 Kings etc.  These books relate the history of a group of people the Bible calls the Hebrews or later the Israelites.  These history books are not devoid of God’s teaching or instruction but they are primarily a written account of the history of a group of people.  There are also books of laws, for example much of Leviticus that explain God’s way of life and the principals involved and the many and varied ways those laws and principals should be applied to our daily lives.

Other parts of the Bible are often referred to as the Wisdom Literature.  These are books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, and the Song of Solomon etc.  These books are accounts of the way the God wants humans to interact with Him and with each other.  It is true that some of those instructions can seem extremely contradictory with much of Christian teaching.  The Song of Solomon for example is one of the most erotic pieces of poetry ever written.  In fact it is such a potently and highly sexual text that many wonder what it’s even doing in the Bible.  The answer is simple – God invented sex, God wants human beings to enjoy sex as part of a loving, monogamous relationship.  Many of you will no doubt have been taught that The Song of Solomon is a metaphor.  That is an absolute falsehood, Solomon's poem is the Godly inspired words to instruct human beings to thoroughly enjoy their sexual lives within the confines of a Godly centred marriage.

Then there are the books of prophecy such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and many more.  These books were written both for the immediate times of the prophets involved but also as a long-range forecast for the whole of humanity.  When reading these works it is easy to say that the prophecies foretold have largely already come true – that’s an historical fact.  Yet the Bible speaks in a manner of duality, meaning that certain events will happen immediately or very soon and others will not come to pass till the very end.  Thus those prophecies are every bit as important today as they were then and we can be certain that they will come to pass again in a future time.  For now the most important aspect of the prophets is that they reinforce the fact that God’s word is sure and certain.  If He says that something will come to pass it does come to pass.

So the first question many would ask is can we be sure that the words we read in our Bibles today are the same words that God intended to be written?  Like the existence of God Himself this is largely a matter of faith.  I can no more prove to you scientifically or beyond any shadow of a doubt that God exists than I can prove He does not.  Knowing God is largely an experiential thing, when you've been touched by God, in whatever way, you know it and it becomes a truth lodged deep in your heart.

Likewise we take on faith that the words we read today are the same words God intended us to read when they were written.  Certain archaeological discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls can demonstrate that the words have been preserved for many centuries but even so it still remains a matter of faith.  I personally refer to this as an if-then proposition.  If we believe that God is real then we must automatically believe that His words have miraculously been preserved.  Following from that proposition comes the next step.  If we love God and if we want that close and personal relationship with Him then we must follow the words He left behind for us.

So what about the sacred texts of Islam and Judaism?  It will likely come as a surprise to many to find that the Koran and the Torah are virtually identical in many ways to what Christians term the Old Testament.  There are small differences but the bulk of those sacred texts mirrors that of Christianity’s sacred text.  They have the same stories, the same histories, the same laws, the same wisdom literature and many of the same prophecies.  Where the three monotheistic religions truly diverge is in the person of Jesus Christ.  Islam accepts Jesus as a great prophet but not the Son of God and Judaism rejects Him outright.

The New Testament of the Bible, something unique to Christianity, consists primarily of the biographies of Jesus’ life, teachings and miracles followed by letters to the new, emerging churches to instruct and clarify those teachings with the Book of Revelation as the final, all-encompassing book of prophecy.  It is in this area that Satan has had his greatest reign at confusing religion and faith over the past two millennia.  Satan knows exactly who Jesus is and was and the point of His earthly ministry and because of this the devil has done everything in his considerable power to confuse that issue.  

Until then God’s blessing be upon you all.

Tracey