Is Christianity True?
There are many who believe that a person who is a follower of Christianity (or any other belief system) does so simply because that was how they were raised or what they were told to believe. Or like one of my former college professors, they may think that it is a “crutch” for the weak or a system to force people to live basically moral lives. Many Christians, including religious teachers, find themselves at a loss when they are asked to defend their faith. Today, Christianity has been put on trial like never before, so let’s go to the courtroom and take a look at the evidence.
Presented here is a summary of each item, plus links to more in-depth articles on each topic.
Internal Consistency
The Bible is the primary record of Christianity. It was written over approximately 1500 years by 40 writers (from many different walks of life) in 3 different languages. It was copied by hand by scribes and has since been translated multiple times. Despite that, the Bible has an internal consistency of 99.5%. (In comparison, Homer’s Iliad, written by one person at one time, only has an internal consistency rating of 95%.). This would suggest that the Bible actually has only one author who exists outside of time – God.
Is the Bible True? Proof 5: Consistency of the Bible’s Internal Evidence
Physical Evidence Found at the Scene
Archeological digs consistently find support for the accuracy of the Bible. Even some of the most detailed accounts in the Bible have been shown to be accurate through these studies. Names of Jewish and pagan kings, specific cities, buildings, and landmarks are just a few of the finds that are exactly as the Bible records. If we contrast that with the writings of other faiths — the Book of Mormon for example — this is simply not the case. This suggests that the Bible is a reliable source of history and has a high degree of accuracy.
Archeology Helps to Confirm the Historicity of the Bible.
8 Archeological Discoveries the Support the Bible
9 Archeology finds that confirm the New Testament
Mathematical Probability
The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies about the first coming of Jesus Christ. The man Jesus literally fulfilled all of them. The mathematical probability of any one man fulfilling just 48 of these is 1 times 10 to the 157th power. In other words, it is statistically impossible that Jesus was not the prophesied Messiah. This is not only evidence for Jesus being the Messiah, but it is also evidence that God knows the future and that nothing takes him by surprise. This same accuracy is found in every other fulfilled prophecy in the Bible.
The Prophecies of Jesus Christ’s 1st Coming
Personal Testimony
Jesus said that he was God and Peter confirmed it. Jesus also said that he was the ONLY way to Heaven, not that he was one of many options. If this is not true, then Jesus was either a lunatic or a liar. Peter confirmed this as well, and he and the other disciples believed it so completely that they were willing to die horrific deaths for their faith.
“‘Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’
John 8:56-58 (NIV)
‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ they said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’
‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I AM!’”
“I AM” is the name that God used to identify himself when talking with Moses. By using this particular phrase, Jesus identified himself as God. He also confirmed that he existed before his human birth.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16-17 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 NIV)
“‘Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’”
Peter in Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)
Jesus Rose from the Dead
Jesus is the ONLY Savior that ever rose from the dead. No other religion can claim this. The death and resurrection of Jesus was not only prophesied but also verified by multiple eyewitnesses. His death and resurrection for the salvation of all was recorded in Isaiah 53 and was fulfilled to the letter.
Jesus predicted all of this as well.
“Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”
Mark 10:33-34 (NIV)
The Romans at that time were masters of torture and death. They knew just how long they could torture someone before they would die and they knew how to affirm that Jesus died. After Jesus cried out “it is finished”, there was a massive earthquake, and the veil that separated the “Holy of Holies” in the temple was torn. (Matthew 27:45-54) This was symbolic of the fact that Jesus was the final priest needed to commune with God. To ensure he was dead, the guard pierced his side. (John 19:31-37) The water and blood that came forth was evidence of death.
Upon his resurrection, he not only appeared to the women and the disciples, but to 500 witnesses. Paul records this in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
Biblical prophecies of the 2nd Coming of Christ are being literally fulfilled today.
The Bible contains over 1000 prophecies of the 2nd coming of Christ, and we see them clearly happening today. This is further evidence that the Bible was written by God, who lives outside of time and knows the beginning from the end.
Here are just a few:
- Wars, racial tensions, famines & earthquakes becoming more frequent (Matthew 24:7).
The primary focus of war in this passage (kingdom against kingdom) is war in the Middle East, where tensions have been high for decades. The Greek that is translated “nation” is “ethnos” which is better translated as ethnic or racial tensions. These have dramatically escalated world-wide over the last few years and anti-semitism (hatred of Jews) is at an all time high. Famine continues to be an issue throughout the world, and we are seeing a great deal of seismic activity as well. - Godlessness (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
The Pew Research Center notes that church attendance continues to decline at a rapid pace, but we only need to look around us to see increased levels of godlessness. - Perversion of the Gospel and apathy in the Church (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
More and more churches today are embracing things that the Bible prohibits, and some are even denying Jesus as the only way of salvation. - Existence of an army of 200 Million in the East (Revelation 9:16).
The Peoples Liberation Army has over 200 million active members with over 1 million additional reservists (Wikipedia) - Physical return of Jews to Israel (Ezekiel 20:34)
Because of their lack of repentance and rejection of the Messiah, God scattered the Jews, and they ceased to be a nation in 70 AD. But God promised that he would gather them back together one day. Israel became a nation once again on May 14,1948 when it was given to them by the United Nations in recompense for the holocaust. Jews began returning to Israel at that time and are now going back in larger numbers, in part due to persecution and anti-semitism. This is extremely significant. - Return of usage of the formerly dead language of Hebrew to Israel (Zephaniah 3:9)
For centuries, the Hebrew language was lost and considered a “dead language”. Now, it is considered the primary language in Israel. - Great increase in knowledge and travel (Daniel 12:4).
In 1982, Buckminster Fuller noted that until 1900, knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the mid-20th century, it was every 25 years, and by 2013 it was doubling, on average, every 13 months. Now it is almost doubling on a daily basis. (“Why Knowing HOW to Learn is Necessary for 21st Century Learning” by Susan Fitzell) - Rebuilding of the Jewish temple (Revelation 11:1-2 and Daniel 9:26-27)
In 1987, the “Temple Institute” was founded to gather everything that would be necessary in order to rebuild the temple once they are able. At this point in time, they would be able to build the temple very quickly. It is speculated that the coming Antichrist will sign a peace agreement in the Middle East that will allow the temple to be rebuilt. This peace treaty is prophesied in Daniel 9:27. “‘This king will make a seven-year treaty with the people, but after half that time, he will break his pledge and stop the Jews from all their sacrifices and their offerings; then, as a climax to all his terrible deeds, the Enemy shall utterly defile the sanctuary of God. But in God’s time and plan, his judgment will be poured out upon this Evil One.’” (NLT). This allows for plenty of time to reconstruct the third temple. - Interesting Math!
Some very interesting math from Ezekiel that brings us to two significant dates: May 14, 1948 (the day Israel became a nation) and June 7, 1967 (Israel captured Jerusalem in the Six Day War.) (To see the full math, please see our article “How” along with the accompanying sermon by Pastor Brett Meador.)
To me, the evidence is overwhelming that Christianity is in fact truth and that it is the only true faith. But, there is one more thing to mention that distinguishes it from any other religion. Christianity is the ONLY faith where God came to us and did the work for us so that we could achieve salvation. In every other faith, it is up to humans to somehow earn their way to Heaven and hope they did a good enough job. God knows that we are flawed and can never do enough to achieve perfection, so he did the work for us. Jesus left paradise to come to earth as a human being living in abject poverty. He lived a sinless life – something that none of us could do. On the cross, Jesus took on every sin that has ever been committed by anyone at any time, and he paid the penalty for that sin on our behalf. Then, he defeated sin and death when he was raised to life. No other religion can claim this.
Our Attitude Toward Non-Believers
For those who have read the article “Are There Other Paths to Heaven“, this section is repeated there. I feel that this topic is so important that it bears repeating.
What should our attitude be toward those who hold other faith beliefs? What about those who choose to hold no faith beliefs? Should we disassociate with them entirely? In Matthew 12:30, Jesus says that anyone not with him is against him. Should we hate the non-believer? The short answer is that we need to love, pray and witness. Here is what the Bible tells us about our relationships with non-believers.
- Remember that God desperately wants the unbeliever to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:9) It breaks his heart when someone chooses hell over the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Our hearts should also break as we watch friends, co-workers, and even family members go down the dark path of unbelief, not only because of their eternity, but because of the pain they inevitably face in this life.
- We should pray for God to open doors to allow us to witness. (Colossians 4:2-6). When giving the “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus was speaking to all believers, not just to pastors and those in full time ministry. Each of us has a “mission field” at home, in our neighborhood, at work, or wherever we spend our time. The goal here is not to shove the gospel down someone’s throat, but to show Jesus in how we live and how we speak. It is to pray for them and ask God to give an opportunity to share the gospel to them, speaking the truth in love. It is to love them and care for them, demonstrating to them the love God has for them, and his desire that they turn to him in faith.
- We should not be unequally “yoked” with non-believers. (2 Corinthians 6:14) In pre-technology days, two oxen would be yoked together to plow the field. As long as the oxen were similar, they would help each other out, but if one was stronger, both suffered. The same is true in relationships. This doesn’t mean we should not associate with non-believers; but we need to consider this in our serious relationships. Marriage is the obvious example. For those not yet married, it is not advisable to date an unbeliever. “Missionary dating” does not produce lasting results, because someone may pretend to convert simply in order to win the person over. The same holds true for a business relationship. Regardless of how “morally good” someone seems, it is faith and devotion to Jesus that governs the hard decisions. I can personally attest to the pain of being blatantly deceived by a non-believer in the business world.
- We should not act like non-believers. As Christians, the world is watching us, and if they see no difference, we will be seen as hypocrites. Romans 12:2 and James 4:4-5 tell us that we shouldn’t be influenced by the world, but we should be changed by our relationship with Jesus. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, but he didn’t act like them. Every time he was with them, they were the ones affected. Likewise, we should be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) and always strive to be the influencers.
- Above all, love. I doubt that anyone was ever hated, coerced, or beaten into the Kingdom of God. Loving people, regardless of their beliefs, is the best way to open doors. (Matthew 22:36-40, Micah 6:8)
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NLT)
Resources
“Why You Can Believe the Bible” from Everystudent.com
“Does God Exist?” sermon by Pastor Brett Meador.
Songs of Victory
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV®Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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