Is The Bible Enough?

Is the Bible all we need when we share our faith with the intellectual Atheist and intellectual Agnostics or do we need to first go outside the Bible to prove the Bible? Can we use the Bible to prove that the Bible is The Word of God?

The following is an exchange that I had with a believer about the above question.

As I've listen, or read, the rhetoric and blind backwash I am move to spew a few thoughts of my own.

The origin of thought/life is a knowledge lost in the turmoil of skewed facts and gross misinterpretation. Every culture has its version and thus we are left with no definitive answer. One persons "Thus sayeth the Lord" is another's "Hum Du'Allah", being so, no one produces anything concrete.

For the Christians, you can not use the Bible to prove the Bible. Especially when approaching someone who has no belief in the Bible in the first place. As Jesus teaches in Matt. 10:16 "See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves." Jesus knew that the apostle, most of whom had non-scholastic jobs and upbringings, were going into a world where philosophy and intellectualism was the norm. They were in Greece at a time when the Greeks were the "purveyors of truth and wisdom" God has proven himself to men before scriptures. Abraham had no new testament or prophet books or Talmud or Pentateuch/Torah (as these were written after the flood and thus after Abraham) yet he knew God enough to be willing to sacrifice a son God himself promised. The existence of God, who He is and what he's done is proven through creation, without the Bible. These are the tools used to speak with the non-believers.

For the Non-Christians, you must understand that all thought/belief/religion and practices thereof are conveyed though some man, somewhere at sometime. Nothing is original and no argument new. So when attacking the scriptures, be sure that your own rationale falls within the realm of your own logic less you succumb to the very argument you're trying to make and thus you yourself prove that you don't know.

I look forward to this discourse as these are the stones to which our Faith (Christian) are founded as Paul said in Acts 17:10-12 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men." (No blind Faith)

My Reponse Below

Well put C,

I guess it depends on how you view the Bible. I view the Bible as the Word of God, living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. A famous preacher once said that the way you defend the Bible is the way you defend a lion, you just let it out of the cage. Power to change the heart does not rest with me or how well I can articulate my position, the power to change the heart rest with the word of God and the God of the word.

Paul dealt with heavy weight Greek philosophers in Corinth and Paul’s approach was this: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:1-2. Further he says in verse 4 "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power" the reason Paul used this approach is stated in verse 5 "so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power".

Furthermore I can confirm the transforming power of the Bible, being that I was once assassinating its authenticity and authority. My life has now been transformed because of the Bible.

The Bible was written during a period spanning over 1500 years by over 40 different writers and yet has one underlining theme “Jesus is Lord”. No other historical literature has withstood the scrutiny that the bible has. No other ancient historical writings have more verified manuscripts as the Bible. Yet, that is not what’s going to defend the Bible, the Bible will defend the Bible.

Temptation

This is a guest post from my 14 yr old son DeAntwan Fitts Jr. His blog address is http://www.deantwanfittsjr.blogspot.com/

Have you ever had a message that just was a slap in the face. That's how i felt today at church from the message preached by my own father. Me, as a teen, I go through quite a bit with temptation. Kids making dumb decisions and expecting you to follow right along with them because it is the thing to do. Or being in a time of distress and cheating which also my father touched on in his message. I am guilty of a case of temptation, in which I cheated on my lab, something not worth cheating on, but I did it. Well I dont want to give away too much, because i wanted to show the notes I took for the sermon.

This message is taken from James 1:13-15
I. Temptation doesn't come from God
* My father's definition of temptation- A solictation to do evil
* Temptation shouldn't be blamed on God because God does not like evil and he would not condone it
* God cannot be tempted by evil
* Every trial that comes our way opens the door for Temptation

II. Temptation comes from our own evil desires
* Temptation is the product of our own evil desires; Its as if we our fish going for bait. All we're worrying about is the bait, not knowing the bait is attatched to a hook, that is attatched to a string ready to trap us and drag us away
* Do not play the blame game; When someone does wrong towards you and you retalliate also means you're wrong( You are just as evil as the person who did the wrong first)
* Be responsible for your own actions
* John Piper quotes: " Sin gets its power by persuading me to believe that it will be pleasing to me if I follow it"
* Our evil desires entice us

III. Temptation is Progressively Dangerous when we yield to it
* Certain desires we will never get used to
* Don't let what others do to you drag you away
* Do not blame God for the outcome of a situation when we don't respond the way He has told us to respond
* Temptation seems innocent
and harmless but it isn't

Almost finished.. Just a few more tips to not yield Temptation
1) Never trust the flesh; Galations 5:19-21
2) Memorize scripture; Matthew 4
3) Walk in the spirit; Galations 5:16 (submit to the Spirits control)

Now, its alot but meditate on it because it can help you in life, because it is God's word.