Is the Bible Man Made Stories of Fairytales and Myths?

NO! The Bible is Divinely Inspired by God, Historical and True

What is the evidence that the New Testament is inspired, trustworthy, and reliable? The evidence is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! If Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead 3 days later the whole New Testament would be false and a lie! The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14-17 that if Jesus has not been raised from the dead that we are still in our sins, that we would be false witnesses, and of all people we would be the most to be pitied. Historically the evidence demonstrates that Jesus existed, died upon the cross for the sins of the world, and Jesus rose again 3 days later according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Therefore the testimonies of the first hand eyewitnesses who wrote the New Testament books and testified to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead speaks volumes of truth, inspiration, and reliability.

What is the Bible and why is that important? The Bible is composed of the Old and New Testament, contains 66 books, written by over 40 authors, over a time frame of 1500 years, on 3 different continents, inspired by God written by men.[1] The Old Testament is the first testament of the Bible, which contains the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.[2] The New Testament is a composite of books that give the story, life, teachings, death, and resurrection of a man named Jesus the Christ some 2,000 years ago. Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah to come, and through His death and resurrection He established the New Covenant, of which ‘New Covenant’ refers to the New Testament. Merrill F. Unger states: “The NT or New Covenant is a term describing a portion of the Bible revealed in fulfillment of the OT and dealing with the nativity, ministry, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the predicted Messiah…”[3]

The New Testament is important for a few reasons. One thing is that it is the message of what Jesus taught, how He treated people, how He healed people of their diseases, and also that Jesus truly was a true historical person, and is not just a myth or legend as some claim. The New Testament message is important, for it teaches mankind that they are not just here by chance, but that there is a God, the Creator all, and He loves us, and Jesus Christ came and revealed this more clearly. The New Testament teaches that Jesus came to save sinners, and that all of mankind has fallen short of being perfect, and only God is without sin, and we need a Savior. The New Testament gives the message of hope, love, direction, and purpose in life. The New Testament is centered on the person of Jesus Christ, fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures, written by His witnesses whom were moved by the Holy Spirit to write their letters.

The Testimony and Evidence of the Old Testament Scriptures

The New Testament authors were living during the time Jesus lived, and majority of the authors were first hand witnesses of Jesus. Edwin A. Blum states: “Jesus Christ is the central theme of the New Testament and the foundation of its existence as writings. The men who write did so because of their connection with Jesus Christ. Without Him, they would not have written what they did nor would they have written in the manner they did.”[4] The New Testament writers believed the Old Testament Scriptures were the inspired Word of God, and this is demonstrated by their numerous allusions to it in their writings with 1600 citations of the Old Testament, 295 quotations and 10 percent of the New Testament is Old Testament content.[5] The apostles of Jesus Christ relied upon the Old Testament as their supreme authority, their source for absolute truth, and that the Old Testament Scriptures revealed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ.[6]

The New Testament has more manuscript evidence than any other book on reliability, and it is factual and historically accurate. Josh McDowell stated: “the New Testament has currently 24,970 manuscript copies, completely towering over all the other works of antiquity. In addition, we have one fragment of the New Testament (NT) with only a 50-year gap from the original, whole books with only a 100-year gap, and the whole NT with only a 225-250-year gap.”[7] According to F. F. Bruce: “The evidence for the our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning…And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.”[8] Scholars believe that the number of NT quotes from the church fathers is strong evidence for the authority and credibility of the New Testament. There are 36,289 quotations from the early church fathers in reference to the New Testament writings, which is amazing of itself, demonstrating its authority and reliability.[9]

Eyewitness Accounts of Jesus Christ in the First Century

Many things in life people want proof of what someone says is true or not, and some say, “really, were you there?” When it comes to the message of the New Testament the evidence is abundantly clear that there were many first hand witnesses who experienced the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.[10] Eyewitnesses are those who give first hand information and are reliable to give the facts of what took place. How important is the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Bible scholar and apologist Ron Rhodes states: “If the Resurrection did not really happen, the apostles were false witnesses, our faith is futile, we’re still lost in our sins, the dead in Christ have perished, and we’re the most pitiful people on the face of the earth – to say nothing of the fact that there’s no hope for any of us beyond the grave. Clearly, this is a transcendentally importance.”[11] Bible scholar and apologist Don Stewart states: “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central truth of the Christian faith. Without it there is no such thing as the Christian faith…Without His resurrection everything that Jesus said would be subject to doubt.”[12] In other words the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity, and the validation of the New Testament writings. For almost 2,000 years the tomb in which Jesus was laid has been empty, and if there was any evidence that Jesus was not truly resurrected from the dead there is no doubt that the Jewish and Roman opposition during His time would have provided it. There have been many theories over the years, but no one has every provided anything that would demonstrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ did not happen. Therefore the testimony of the eyewitnesses is conclusion, historical, true, and they testify that Jesus died and rose again according to the Scriptures.

“38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them. 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 “You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:38-48)

This is the account of Jesus appearing to His disciples, and proving to them that He was truly alive, resurrected. The disciples did not truly understand that Jesus was going to die and be raised again, even though Jesus repeatedly taught them this, they did not understand this clearly. When Jesus was resurrected even at first the disciples did not get it exactly and doubted, but Jesus opened their minds and explained to them what took place, and proved to them that He was truly alive. He did this by showing them His body, the body of which He died with, but now glorified. William MacDonald states: “He explained that His resurrection was the fulfillment of His own words to them. Had He not told them that all the OT prophecies concerning Him had to be fulfilled? The Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms were the three main divisions of the OT. Taken together, they signify the entire OT.”[13] Jesus told them that they were witnesses of these things, and that they were to proclaim this to all nations, and the message was that He died and rose again, and to teach them repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name. And that is what they did; they preached the Gospel to all.

“1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

This is the Apostle Paul who records that the resurrection of Christ was no mere secret, but there were many who testified to His resurrection. Paul records here that the Gospel is that Christ died according to the Scriptures, and was resurrected according to the Scriptures. Paul records that Jesus appeared to the Apostle Peter (Cephas), and the 12 (Apostles), to over 500 different brethren at one time, and also James (the Lord’s brother James 1:1), and also Paul. The testimony is that Jesus was not raised in secret, but that He showed Himself alive publicly.

“1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” (1 John 1-4)

This is from the Apostle John, a first hand disciple of Jesus Christ. John writes concerning the Apostles message that Jesus truly lived, and that they have seen, heard, and touched with their own hands. Jesus was truly the Word of Life, the Eternal Life that they preached to others. They were first hand witnesses concerning Jesus, and John says “these things we write” giving the indication that not only was this first hand information and experienced, but that it was also for others to know and to learn about, and know personally.

“32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: `THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”‘ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”” (Acts 2:32-36)

Peter spoke to the multitudes concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Peter says that “we are all witnesses” in reference to the Apostles and the brethren (Acts 1:15). This was no secret for everyone in that area knew what has taken place with the death and resurrection of Christ, and Peter was preaching the message that Christ is resurrected and that this was a divine truth.

The Purpose of the New Testament and Why It Matters

The writings of the New Testament are the heart of the message concerning Jesus the Christ, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and were written by men inspired of the Holy Spirit. They are the accounts of where Jesus lived, what He taught, how He died, and His resurrection, and the hope for mankind in His name. The various New Testament books are not just historical, but are relational. What they contain are for us (mankind) to know the love of God, and to experience true fellowship, and purpose, and most importantly true salvation. We have salvation from the curse of sickness, hate, anger, addictions, and most importantly salvation from death and the judgment of sin. Christ came to set us free from our sins, and in Him we have the forgiveness of sins. That is what Christ came to set us free from, and He did that by establishing the New Covenant in His death and resurrection, and all who come to Him and receive His as Lord and Savior will have eternal life, and be set free from sin and death (Romans 3:19-31; 8:1; 10:9-13).

What motivated and inspired the Apostle’s in what they wrote? The New Testament was written by the Apostle’s of Jesus the Christ, and all of them died for their faith in Christ and for what they preached to others. They gave their very lives to share with us the good news of Christ Jesus, and they were witnesses of these things. What they wrote comes from the testimony of being there, knowing what Jesus taught, and what He did. Their message is for the Church, and for all those who want to know the truth of Jesus. The New Testament writers had a purpose for what they shared, and it was to share Jesus the Christ crucified, and risen, and that in Him there is completeness, and forgiveness, and purpose. The Apostle Paul wrote Epistles (Letters) to various Churches exhorting them on pressing on in Jesus, and on things to work on in maturity, on false doctrines, and things that were essential to the Christian faith. Peter, James, Jude, and John all wrote different things (Letters) to various Churches for specific reasons, to encourage the Church, to correct, and to inform them. The Apostle’s are the ones of whom God called to preach, and they were witnesses of what took place, and in turn wrote Epistles that pertained to doctrine, godly living, and things that avoided. The four Gospels are different accounts of what took place during the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ. Giving the record of His teachings, healings, His love towards people, and His mission, and who Jesus truly is, God come in the flesh, the Messiah of whom the prophets in the Old Testament has spoken about. The book of Acts deals with the beginning of the Christian Church, and how they preached, persevered, and how they made mistakes and learned from them. The book of Hebrews focuses on the Old Covenant and the New Covenant established through Jesus the Christ, and the doctrine of Atonement, and other issues. Revelation is a book that was written by the Apostle John that deals with the Church then, and the wrath to come, and that Jesus is coming again one day, all those who are in Christ will be delivered, and those who do not know Jesus truly will be destroyed and will be cast away from Him.

The Authority of the New Testament Writings

The Apostles knew the Lord personally, therefore they are qualified to teach and write what Jesus taught, did, and how to apply those things to our lives. The Apostles wrote on various topics, and what they wrote are for our good, and are authoritative. Some say why should I read what Paul taught, or what Peter taught? The answer is real simple, for they were witnesses of these things, and that they were divinely called by God to teach people His truth. All of the Apostles were sent with the authority to teach, and there is the key, for it is God who sent them and gave them the authority to teach.[14] The New Testament books are written for our good, and instruction. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said: “19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” Jesus gave them the instruction to teach all that He has commanded, and that is what the Apostles did. And in that they also wrote letters to various Churches, and Christians teaching them, exhorting them in the doctrines of the Scriptures and giving them direction.

“14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.” (Colossians 4:14-18)

Paul was an Apostle called by Jesus Christ to serve Him, and Paul taught people the truths of Jesus. Paul wrote letters for people to read, and to share with other people. In his letters, Paul instructed people on how to live godly lives and on the true doctrine of the Word of God. Luke the beloved physician was with Paul on his missionary journeys, and was a true witness of the Gospel. (Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts)

“21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-28)

Paul taught in his letters for the Church to test all things, and to abstain from every form of evil. Paul prayed for people in his letters, and exhorted people to pray for them, and to greet people in love. Paul declares his letters are not just mere letters, but to be read to all the brethren, and in that Paul’s letters contain instructions for the Church on doctrine, godly living, prayer, love, the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Paul’s letters were for the Church and are to be read, and studied, and Peter acknowledged that what Paul taught in his letters was for people to use.

“14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:14-18)

Peter acknowledges that Paul’s letters were authoritative and for teaching. Peter put Paul’s letters with reference to the Holy Scriptures, giving them divine instruction for the Church. Peter in his comments here instructs them to be diligent in the Lord Jesus, and to be on guard against those who teach things that are false, and to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. The Scriptures are what God has revealed to use to learn from, and to grow from.

“16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”– 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:16-21)

Peter says that they did not follow cleverly devised tales, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty, namely Jesus. Peter was an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was His disciple for three years and he heard what Jesus taught and witnessed His death and resurrection. Peter is an authoritative source to learn from, and even states that they were there hearing the voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” giving the accounts of the Gospels validity to what took place (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9). Edwin A. Blum makes the following observation: “The apostolic message about the glory of Jesus is not mythical; it is based on eyewitness testimony of the apostles themselves (1:16-18). The heavenly testimony that God gave to His Son at the Transfiguration confirmed the message of prophecy (1:17-19). In view of the Christological fulfillment and the Father’s confirmation of the Old Testament Scriptures, Christians are to study and pay careful attention to the Word of God.”[15]

The Apostle John records that they (the Apostles) have witnessed first hand what took place, and that they were witnesses to this Jesus. John says his letter was written for a purpose, and that was to proclaim Jesus the Christ, and that those who believe in Him may know they have eternal life. John wrote to them concerning the identity of who Jesus is, what He did, and how they can know they can have eternal life. John’s letters were not mere letters, but divinely given for the edification of the body of Christ, the Church. In Revelation 1:1-4 it states: “1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” The book of Revelation is given for the Church concerning the things that John saw, and what will take place, and is for the Church to know about for edification, and the Church is to share this with the world.

The Inspired Scriptures Reveal Jesus Christ

The New Testament letters all serve the purpose for the Church in learning. Each of the books is for the edification of the body to learn from, to study, and to apply to their lives. The New Testament is the divine message that Jesus Christ came, the Messiah, and that He has set us free from sin and death. Jesus Christ came to give us life, and hope, and that we would come to know Him personally. The revelation of the New Testament is love, true direction, and consequences of sin, and that Jesus has come to set us free from the wrath to come. Not everything in the New Testament will be completely understood, but the message of Jesus Chris is clearly understood. The Apostle Paul writes: “14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Paul’s instruction is that the Old Testament Scriptures inspired, God breathed, not of human origin, and that they are for learning, teaching, reproof, correction, and to be trained in righteousness. The Greek word for inspired is ‘theopneustos,’ which means to be inspired God, to breath, and Paul is stating that these writings (Old Testament) are distinct from non-inspired writings.[16] This Greek word only appears once in the New Testament (2 Timothy 3:16).[17]Unger states: “The correct rendering of this pivotal passage is: “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable…” This teaches that 1) the entire Bible is fully inspired by God. The inspiration of the Old Testament is indicated by the direct assertion and the rest of the canonical Scripture by clear implication. 2) All Scripture is a direct product of God – it is “God-breathed” (theopneustos). Not only was it breathed into the human agents, but through them it was breathed out by God.”[18] Another important thing to understand is the words ‘sacred writings’ in 2 Timothy 3:15. The word ‘sacred’ in Greek is ‘hieros’ which means holy, consecrated, which points to the inspiration of the Old Testament, that gives us wisdom leading to salvation in Jesus Christ.[19]

The Scriptures are for us to learn from, to study, to grow in, for our maturity in Christ, and they are more than mere words, for they were written by men who were called by God, moved by the Holy Spirit, and they are inspired by God to share with the Church the truth of who Jesus is, the true and false doctrines, and to live godly lives. As Christians we are to study the Word of God, the Bible and apply it to our lives, and in that we draw closer to the Lord Jesus, and have fellowship with Him. And in studying the Scriptures we are to make sure that we study it accurately, and share it with others.

Common Objections

There are people who claim that the New Testament is made up, fabrications, has no historical evidence, and even claim that Jesus never existed. If Jesus never existed then the whole New Testament is simply a waste, fictional reading, and this is what many atheists believe. The reality is that the evidence is clear that Jesus existed, Jesus lived, Jesus died, and Jesus rose again. Why is this important? If atheists are accurate that Jesus never existed then Christianity as a whole is false, the New Testament writings are false, and the Messiah has not come.

The New Testament is founded upon eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ, who knew Him personally, and wrote first hand about teachings, life, death and resurrection. Not only do we find testimonies from the apostles that Jesus lived and died, but there are also outside of the Bible sources that confirm His existence. There are the writings of Josephus Flavius, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, the Babylonian Talmud, Lucian, and many other sources that not only confirm Jesus’ existence but His crucifixion as well.[20] What these historians demonstrate is that the claim by atheists that Jesus never existed is false. What is also demonstrated in these writings is that Jesus died upon the cross, was crucified, and there were thousands of Christians who died testifying that Jesus rose again. The fact that there are so many historians who documented that Christians were proclaiming that Jesus died and rose again according to the Scriptures and in doing so they died for their beliefs is proof historically and biblically that the New Testament writings are in fact reliable and true. The claim by atheists that the Bible is made up and has no historical evidence for what it claims is not true. The Bible is a collection of books that provide real places, real persons, real events, which has been shown to be accurate historically.[21]

Conclusion

The New Testament is the inspired testimony of first hand eyewitnesses who knew Jesus personally, who heard Him teach, saw Him do miracles, witnesses His death and resurrection, and were moved by the Holy Spirit to write these things that people would know. The Scriptures, the Old and New Testament are sacred, holy, God-breathed writings, and they are the revelation of God to mankind that testify we are not alone, that God loves them, that there is hope and that hope is found in knowing Jesus Christ personally. Josh McDowell, a former atheist and who opposed Christianity, became a believer through much investigation stated: “The evidence for the reliability of the Old and New Testaments is not only convincing and compelling, it is also clear and praiseworthy indication of how God lovingly supervised its transmission so that he might preserve for us – and our children – all the blessings that come from knowing him and obeying his Word.”[22]

The Bible teaches that those who believe in Jesus and have not seen Him are blessed. That is because they received the message joyfully through the testimony of the prophets and apostles (Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Peter 1:6-12; 2 Peter 1:16-21; 1 John 1:1-4). In John 20:31 Jesus said: “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” In conclusion the inspired testimony of the Scriptures have been written for the world, for people to know God, to know eternal life, and the message is: “but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have eternal life.”

[1]David S. Dockery, Holman Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 1238.

[2]Hulitt Gloer, Holman Bible Dictionary, 1045.

[3]Merril F. Unger, The New Ungers Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 920.

[4]Norman Geisler, Inerrancy, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980), 39.

[5]Geisler, Inerrancy, 40-41.

[6]Geisler, Inerrancy, 41.

[7]Josh McDowell, “Josh McDowell Answers Questions about the New Testament,” leaderu.com, 2006, http://www.leaderu.com/theology/mcdowell_davinci.html(accessed April 29, 2019).

[8]Josh McDowell, F. F. Bruce, The Resurrection Factor, (San Bernardino, California: Here’s Life Publishers, 1981), 26.

[9]Paul Dooley, “Reliability of the Bible,” evidencetobelieve.net, https://evidencetobelieve.net/reliability-of-the-bible/(accessed April 29, 2019).

[10]J. Warner, “The Apostles Wrote The Gospels As Eyewitness Accounts,”coldcasechristianity.com, August 19, 2016, https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/the-apostles-wrote-the-gospels-as-eyewitness-accounts(accessed April 29, 2019).

[11]Ron Rhodes, The Complete Book of Bible Answers, (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1997), 113.

[12]Don Stewart, “How Important is the Resurrection to Christianity,” blueletterbible.org, https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_811.cfm(accessed April 29, 2019).

[13]William MacDonald, Believers Bible Commentary, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), 1458.

[14]Geisler, Inerrancy, 50.

[15]Geisler, Inerrancy, 48.

[16]W. E. Vines, New Testament Word Pictures, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2015), 756.

[17]BibleHub, “theopneustos,” biblehub.com,https://biblehub.com/greek/2315.htm(accessed April 29, 2019).

[18]Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Guide To The Bible, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1974), 329-330.

[19]Vines, New Testament Word Pictures, 755.

[20]Lawrence Mykytiuk, “Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible,” biblicalarchaeology.org, January February 2015, www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/did-jesus-exist/, (accessed April 29, 2019).

[21]Answers in Genesis, “Bible History,” answersingenesis.org, https://answersingenesis.org/bible-history, (accessed April 29, 2019).

[22]Josh McDowell, The Unshakable Truth, (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2010), 104.

Is the Bible Man Made Stories of Fairytales and Myths?

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