Is there a difference?
In the year 2005, why should we believe the claim of Jesus to be the only way to God (John 14:6)? Is this just an arrogant claim by his followers or is there a difference between the Bible and other religious writings? Let us briefly examine the religions of the world and then examine the Bible.

World religions can be categorized as Semitic -those that originated among the Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, and include Judaism, Christianity, Baha'i and Islam. Non-Semitic/Aryan; the Aryans were a group of Indo-European speaking people that arrived in modern day Iran and Northern India between 2000-1500 BC. The Aryans split into either Vedic (Hinduism) or Non-Vedic (Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism) religions. The other Non-Semitic religions are the Non-Aryan, which include Confucianism, Taoism (of Chinese origin) and Shinto (of Japanese origin). The final Non-Semitic religion is of Celtic origin and is known as Paganism or Wicca today.

Christianity has the largest number of people worldwide followed by Islam, then Hinduism and all other religions making up the rest of the population.

Starting with Islam, let us take a brief look at the history and basic theology of these religions. Muhammad who was born in Makkah a city located in present day Saudi Arabia started Islam. Muslims believe he is the last messenger sent by God. Over a period of 23 years, they believe he was given divine revelations from God. These revelations are revealed in the Quran (Koran) and the Surrah (Hadith). Muslim scholars agree the Quran is authentic while not every Hadith is. They believe the Quran is a perfect copy of a text that exists eternally in heaven. The basic beliefs taken from the Quran are: Allah is the one and only God who has always existed. He was not created, has no equal, and can only be approached by praying and reciting the Quran. Muslims believe in the Prophets: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, with Muhammad being the final prophet. Muslims worship only Allah and express their faith through the five pillars of Islam: Shahadah or the declaration of faith, Salat or ritual prayer 5 times a day, Zakat or giving a fixed portion of your income to charity, Sawm or fasting, and Hajj or a one time pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims are divided into two groups, the Sunni's, which represent 90% of Muslims, and the Shiites. This split occurred after the death of Muhammad and continues today with the main difference being the Shiites tend to represent the lower income people. There is also a theological difference that doctrine can continually be reinterpreted. Shiites also place a great emphasis on visitation of shrines dedicated to Imans (Holy Men). Sunni's believe in a direct relationship with God and would be called traditionalists. They follow both the Quran and the Hadith as they are written.

The Bahai faith began in Iran in 1844 and grew out of the Shiite branch of Islam. In 1844, a young man know as The Bab (the Gate), whose real name was Siyyid AuMuhammad, announced that the messenger of God would soon await all people. The Muslim ruling clergy in 1850 executed him. More than 20,000 of his followers were eventually killed. The Bab had made many statements about whom the Promised One would be. One of his followers, Husayn Ali, assumed the title of Baha (Glory) and became known as Baha'u'llah. After the execution of the Bab, he became an exile for over 40 years where he wrote over 100 volumes. The central message for all people was of unity and justice. One of the oddities of the start of Baha'i is in 1844 some Christian writers were predicting the return of Jesus. The Baha'i faith believes in only one God, the Creator that throughout history has revealed himself through Messengers, which include Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, The Bab and finally Baha'u'llah. While these were different individuals the same God as a Spirit dwelled in each one. They consider Baha'u'llah comparable to the return of Jesus, the same Spirit dwelling in two separate physical beings. No man can become a Messenger. There are only three distinct entities in the universe, God, his Messengers and humans. Humans can be inspired by God but can never have a revelation from God. They can only be made perfect by a life of servitude to God. A person must develop a relationship with God through prayer, knowledge of scriptures by the Messengers, a love for God, moral and self-discipline and service to humanity. There is no literal heaven or hell, only progress toward God. Man is considered good by nature and when he does something bad it is simply an imperfection that must be removed. Salvation comes by removing imperfection. This is described in the Holy books of Baha'i which are the writings of the Bab and Baha'u'llah (considered divine revelation). Writings of the successor Baha'u'llah, Abdul Baha are sacred teachings while the writings of the other Messengers are divine revelation from the one God who may be called different names by different religions but is the same God.

Judaism is over 4000 years old and started when God spoke to Abraham and continued when Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt. Under the inspiration of God, Moses wrote the first five books of the bible. The Jews brought forth the idea of one God who can't be subdivided into different persons. This one God is the creator of all things; He has always existed as a Spirit and every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship with Him. Jews believe they are the chosen people of God. The Jewish Holy Book is the Tanakh, especially the first five books, which are called the Torah. The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for all God has done and continues to do; they keep God's laws and seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives. In this way, their life becomes an act of worship to God. Jews believe it is not the intellectual content of a religion that counts but how a person lives that matters. Absolute obedience to the covenant is necessary to achieve the relationship between God and man. Disobedience can bring about both physical and spiritual separation from God.

After the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD, the old religious system was replaced by an emphasis on using the Torah as the only guide for living. Every action was to be done as a celebration towards God. You must know the Torah to really know God. To know the will of God one must know the remaining books of Judaism- Midrach, Mishnah, Talmud, Nevtim(the prophets in the Old testament) and Kethuvim(the remaining writings in the Old testament).

Hinduism dates back 3000 years. The Aryans are believed to have brought it to India. There is no single founder or teacher in Hinduism but was developed from religious practices that originated near the Indus River in modern day Pakistan. Hindus recognize many gods but there are three principal ones. Brahma is seen as the creator of the universe, Vishnu preserves the universe and Shiva is the destroyer of the universe. Hindus are sometimes grouped by which form of Brahman (not Brahma) they worship, those who worship Vishnu and the incarnations (human expressions) of Vishnu (Rama, Krishna, Narasinh). Next are those who worship Shiva and, finally, those who worship the Mother Goddess, Shakti. Those who worship Vishnu consider him the greatest among the gods. Vishnu preserves and protects the universe and appears on earth through incarnations(Avatars). The best known of these are Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. Vishnu is usually represented in human form and painted blue. Along with Vishnu is the Goddess Lakshmi, who is the companion of Vishnu and has appeared in human form as the wife of the Avatars. She is the goddess of wealth and is given special worship during the Divali festival.

Those who worship Shiva (who along with Vishnu and Brahma make up the Hindu Holy Trinity) consider him to be the total god, both creator, preserver and destroyer. His worshippers believe the city of Varanasi is his city and any Hindu that dies there goes to heaven. Shiva is represented as The Lord of The Dance who controls the universe. Shiva's companions include Cali (the wild and violent one) Parvali (the gentle one) and Durga (the angry one).

The Mother Goddess, Shakti, is the companion to all principal male gods who would be powerless without female energy. She has been manifested in many local goddesses including Lakshmi, Kali, etc. Three other main gods of note are of storms and leader of warriors who battle both humans and demons. Agni, god of fire, who presents offerings to the spirit world. Varuna, god of knowledge and orderliness, who knows all truth and secrets.

One unique characteristic of the Hindu religion is the caste system. This is a way of separating society into different layers. A person can then work his or her way up the layers during a continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The historic separations in society are called Varnas and consist of: The Brahmins or priests, the Kshatriyas or ruling class also called warriors, the Vaishyas or merchants, the Shundras or unskilled workers and servants and the Untouchables or those too low to be in the other four. The modern divisions are called Jatis and are determined by ones birth, marriage and occupation.

The religious texts of Hinduism are known as Vedas, which are made up of four books. The Samhitas which are the oldest portion of the Vedas and consist of hymns of praise; the Brahmanas which guide the priests through prayers and rituals; the Aranyakas guide people in their worship and meditation, the Upanishads are the mystical and philosophical teachings of Hinduism. These teachings include the philosophy that the soul passes through a cycle of lives and the next life is dependent on how one behaved in this life. Hindus believe in many paths to improve ones self such as Jnana the path of knowledge, Karma the path of work and religious commitment, Baakti the path of devotion. To end the cycle, one must obtain perfection through one of the paths.

Jainism originated in India sometime around 850bc. Jainism evolved through teachers called Tirthankaras, the first being Adinath and the last Mahavira who was a contemporary of Buddha. Jainism teaches a way of life of non-violence and the renouncement of material things because they are obstacles to the liberation of the soul. Jains believe that all living things have a soul and upon physical death that soul is transferred to another physical thing. The three guiding principles of Jainism are known as the three Jewels. They are right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct should be the goal of everyone. Liberation of the soul is achieved by removing all karma both good and bad from the soul. To accomplish this, a person must have both a right mental and physical life. Right knowledge (Samyakjnana) means having accurate and sufficient knowledge of both the universe and Jain scripture. Right faith (Samyakdarshana) means attaining the right perception or feeling of life. Right conduct (Samyakcharita) means to live your life according to Jain ethical rules. Jains believe it is possible to free oneself of harmful karma but still have good karma. Such a person is still human but is enlightened and called an Arihant. Liberated souls have escaped both bad and good karmas and the cycle of reincarnation. They have no human form and are perfect beings. Karma is best described as floating dust that sticks to the soul. The soul attacks karma by the actions of the physical body it inhabits. Karma is removed by following the three jewels of Jainism. Karma is divided into four bad types, Mohaniya or false beliefs, jnara-avaraniya which causes a block of knowledge, dars-an-avarniya or a lack of perception and antaraya or those that block any good a soul would do. There are also four good karma, vedariya or feeling producing, Mana which controls the type of physical rebirth that will occur, Ayu which determines life span and Gotra which determines the status of ones life.

According to the Jains, the universe is divided into five regions, the supreme abode where liberated beings live forever, upper world where heavenly beings live but not forever, the middle world where humans live and the only place to reach enlightenment, lower world which consists of seven hells where beings are tortured by demons and each other but not forever and the base where the lowest forms of life live.

Jains do not believe in a Creator God who is a ruler or judge. There is no God who helps people or that should be worshipped. There is no perfect God above all things. Every soul has the potential to be perfect.

Jain scripture consists of the teachings of Mahavira and are called the Agamas. A large portion has been lost as Jains were forbidden to write or own books for some time. Jainism has two main sects, the Dijambara who believe the Aganas were lost and the Svatamabara who believe the majority of texts have survived.

Siddharta Gautana (The Buddha) was the founder of Buddhism. Gautana was born in 580 BC in Lunbrini, Nepal, India to a royal and wealthy family. Isolated from people his entire childhood he saw for the first time as an adult, death, disease and old age. He began his search for a way to overcome those three things. After trying a life of study and extreme self-denial, he eventually found enlightenment by what he called the "middle ground". Buddha believed that Brahma was king of the gods and gave him the enlightenment that rather than worshiping gods he should center around teaching for this would lead others to the same path. Buddhism became a religion that focuses on personal spiritual development and learning the deep meaning of life. It is not a religion that involves a relationship with a god or gods. In fact Buddhists do not believe in a Creator God or Savior. Dharma is the teachings of Buddha and is believed to be the way to Nirvana or spiritual freedom. The main points of Buddha's teaching are that all actions will have a reaction. Good actions will beget good and bad actions will beget bad consequences. This is the concept of Karma. Until the spirit of a person finds enlightenment, it will continue to be reborn. By following Buddha's path one can escape the cycle of rebirth. In order to achieve this, one must believe the Four Nobel Truths of; Dukha, all existence is unsatisfactory and filled with suffering, Trsna, suffering is caused by a want or craving of wrong things, Nirvana, the goal of all people and the way to eliminate suffering. The last Noble truth is that one must follow the Eightfold path to reach Nirvana. This is divided into three groups: Moral conduct, which includes right speech, action and livelihood. Next is mental discipline, which includes right effort, mind and concentration. Finally is intuitive wisdom, which includes right views and intentions. Saying one must control all physical actions by controlling your mind through mental and physical discipline can summarize this.

Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the 15th century in the Punjab area of India and Pakistan. There were 9 Guru's that followed him. The last Guru decreed the Holy Book of the Sikh religion would be the Granth Sahib. Sikhs believe there is only one God to which everyone has access. God is a God of grace who wants everyone to be free; however, an individual must do their part or they will be stuck in a cycle of birth, life and rebirth. The law of Karma will determine ones next life based on how one lived his past life. This continues until you achieve total knowledge and union with God. Sikhs do not believe anyone can fully understand God but only experience him through love and worship. They believe God is inside every person and it is up to the individual to find God. They would say, "Truth is the highest of all virtues but higher still is truthful living". A Sikh serves God by serving others in their community. A Sikh has three duties in life, Pray (Nam jopna) or keep God in ones thoughts and actions at all times; Work (Kirt Karna) live and earn a honest living including avoiding working in jobs that violate their scriptures (ex. Alcohol or Tobacco); Give (Vand Chhaka) giving to others that are in need.

They must try to avoid the five vices that build bad Karma between them and God. These are lust, covetousness or greed, attachment to the world, anger and pride. If one can overcome these vices they can escape the cycle of rebirth and be liberated. Sikh men are identified by their beards and turbans and the Sikh women by modest apparel and headscarfs.

Tao is a development and expansion of an ancient tradition of nature worship and divination. It was formulated by Laozi (5th century BC), Chuang Tzu (4th century BC), and Zhuangzi (3rd century BC). Tao priests do not believe in one God but in many spirits that are manifestations of one Tao. Taoism is a way of spiritual life that is reflected in physical life. The head of heaven was the jade Emperor who ruled over good spirits. They were worshipped, as were earthly Emperors. While good spirits are worshipped, demons of hell are to be kept away by rituals to ensure blessings in life.

Tao is a force that flows through every living object. When Tao is in balance, it is possible to find perfect happiness. This is represented by the Yin and Yang figure. This represents a balance between two opposing forces. To practice Tao a person must focus on the world around them and through meditation and knowledge come into balance. In Tao a person should reflect on ones actions and attempt to do good to all. While violence is not desired Taoist are not pacifists if they need to defend themselves. Along with meditation and knowledge, Taoist has developed advanced herbal medicine and healthy diets as well as systems of exercise and massage to keep the body healthy. The goal is to return to the original purity and harmony of the Tao.

In Tao, I Ching, and The Book of Changes is the original source of knowledge. It gives the techniques for immortality, which include meditation and breath control, sexual discipline, the use of herbs and medicines, magical talismans and the search for the Isle of Bliss.

Confucianism is not so much a religion as it is a system of honor codes and moral assumptions. The system was formed by Kong Zi (in Latin his name is Confucius), Mencius and Xunzi (Hsun Tzu) around 500 BC. Confucius and his followers stressed the virtues of truthfulness, loyalty, learning and moderation. Confucius believed one should treat others, as they would like to be treated. He believed that one must study history in order to understand how to relate to himself and to understand heaven. A man that lives a virtuous life is a man who is in harmony with heaven. Mencius, who followed Confucius, believed that man was basically good and it was their duty to develop that goodness. Xunzi who also helped found the religion disagreed stating man was basically evil but agreed that through knowledge and righteous living a man could find harmony. Those who followed Confucius would call this humanism. They believe the three most important things in life are the individual, family and the state.

The traditional canon in Confucianism is the 13 classics. These are the writings of the three founders and teach codes for living, history and ceremonial instructions. The four main books are Mencius, The Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, and Hsun Tzu.

Worship in Confucianism is unique in that sacrifices are made to show respect and grief for the dead. It is to provide maintenance of life for ancestral spirits. It is also essential for the perfection of man's moral nature.

Shinto is over 2000 years old and has no specific founder. It is almost exclusively a Japanese religion. Shinto is more a way of life to the Japanese people than a religion. Many Japanese practice both Shinto, as well as another religion. Shinto is based on worship of invisible spirit beings called "Kami", shrines and the practice of various rituals. In Shinto there is no eternal, Creator God. Instead there are ethical principles to live by. Shinto is a religion of the physical world. It seeks to promote harmony between "Kami and spirits", and the human and natural world. Shinto believes that human beings are basically good and through rituals, festivals and worship of shrines one can bring harmony with the world around them. Shinto believes the physical and supernatural world is a single creation. Spirit beings exist in the physical world and thus the reason for the worship of Kami. Anything that is not physical and can influence natural and human events is considered Kami. Kami can be good or bad but even good Kami can make mistakes. The three most important Kami types are, Ujigani or ones ancestors, those of natural objects or forces of nature and the souls of the dead who have led a life of example.

At the heart of Shinto's view of good and evil is purity. Sin can separate us from the Kami and from "Musubi" or power to bring about harmony. Tsumi (sin) can be physical, moral or spiritual, anything that occurs in ones life must be purified. Purification (Harae) is accomplished through specific rituals and personal actions. Other examples of purification are Hiraigushi or the use of a purification wand waved by a priest, Misogi uses water to free the mind and body, Oharae is a large group ritual, Shubatsu is a ritual using salt. Death is considered the ultimate impurity.

The Holy Books of Shinto are the Kojiki or the "Record of Ancient Matters" and Nihon-gi or "Chronicles of Japan. These books not only teach one how to live morally but also are a foundation of Japanese life. The Shinto view of creation comes from the story of a number of Kami who appeared and created a brother and sister (Izanagi and Izanami). These two thrust a jeweled spear into the ocean and land was formed, the first being Japan. This is why Japan and its people are special to the Kami. Death is viewed as the ultimate form of impurity in Shinto. All things die, even Kami. Those spirits in the land of the dead will try to drag others with them. To avoid being pulled to the land of the dead, one must follow the purification rituals to assure peace in this life and the next.

Wicca is a belief system based on traditions that started in what are now Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Witchcraft or Wicca (Wicca means to bend or alter) seeks to be in harmony with the forces of nature. As Christianity grew in Europe, there was a move to leave behind pagan practices. Eventually, the practitioners went underground until Gerald B. Gardener founded the modern Wicca movement in 1951. After Gardner's death, one of his students, Alexander Sanders, started another form of Wicca. In the U. S., a High Priestess, Mary Nesnick, created Algard Wicca, which focused on the similarities between Gardner and Alexander. The last group of Wicca is the Dianic branch, which focuses on the worship of the Greek goddess Diana.

Wiccans have various views of gods. According to Wicca tradition, the Goddess is the immanent force and creator of all things. The Goddess has three faces, the maiden, the mother and the crone. These faces represent the cycles of nature, the phases of the moon and the cycle of life. The God part of Wicca is better known as the Horned God and is worshipped as the male side of nature. He controls the gates of life and death. He also represents fertility and allows the Goddess to create life. Wiccans believe the spirit of the Goddess and God is in all living things. Especially revered are the spirits of earth, air, fire and water.

There is no sacred text for all Wicca. Each coven will have a Book of Shadows, which contain rituals, invocations and charms. They will also have The Greater Key of Solomon the King and the Book of Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage. The three main beliefs central for all Wicca are the following. First is the Wicca Rede which states "An ye harm none do what ye will". The simple meaning is one can choose to do whatever they want as long as it harms no one. Second is the Threefold Law, which states that person's deeds return 3 times over. This applies to both good and bad deeds. Thirdly is the belief in Reincarnation. Wicca does not believe in heaven or hell. A soul is either reborn (their position in the next life depends on their deeds in the present) or if a soul has learned all of life, it will rest in a place called Summerland.

Wiccans conduct rituals in a circle invoking the names of the Goddess and God and the forces of nature. This, to them, represents a "Cone of Power" or a place between the physical and supernatural world. There are three types of Wiccan gatherings, Sabbats, Esbats and special purpose. Esbats correspond to the phases of the moon. Sabbats celebrate four major agricultural festivals and the four solstices. Regarding what they believe, a Wicca follower would say, "We acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases, and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship our gods".

Now that we have explored the various religions around the world, we must ask ourselves two questions; Does God exist and does it matter what path we take to God?

Is there a way to be 100% sure that God exists and who that God is? If one sets a standard high enough, absolutely nothing can be proven. Since God is a Spirit and infinite, 100% strict physical proof is not possible, however there are things we can observe that should convince a perceptive person a God must exist. When an archeologist finds a pot from an ancient civilization, he views this as conclusive proof of the existence of an intelligent designer even though he has never seen them. To have an intelligent design there must be an intelligent designer. Look around at the earth, the sun, and the stars and consider how complex the world is; no two snowflakes are the same, of all the billions of people in the world no two have the same DNA or fingerprints. Sir Fredrick Hoyle showed how amino acid randomly coming together in a human cell is mathematically absurd. Sir Hoyle stated "What are the chances of a tornado blowing threw a junkyard with all the parts of a 747 and accidentally assembling them into a plane and leaving it ready for takeoff?" Water is one of the most complex substances on earth yet no living thing can survive without it. The most powerful and complex computer in the world is the human brain. Would it not take an even more complex being to create all this? In every culture in the world both now and in history, there is a universal feeling of right and wrong. Where would human beings arrive at this social conscience except a Holy Creator God? We could fill volumes with more examples but if one is not convinced by now, they have already made up their mind to dismiss all evidence.

Now that we have examined if there is a God, who is He? The Bible says (John 14:6) Jesus is the way the truth and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Phil. 2:10) says that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and (Acts 4:12) says Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. If these statements are true, one must conclude it does matter what path we follow. How do we know if it is true? If we can prove the validity of the Bible, then we must also conclude all it says is true. In order to test the Bible, we will judge it on the basis of authenticity and unity, history, archeology, science and fulfilled prophecy.

The Bible consists of 66 books written over a period of 1600 years by more than 40 different writers. The Old Testament has 39 books originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament has 27 books originally written in Greek. More than 1600 years separated Moses and John, yet from Genesis to Revelation, there is unity and continuity of thought.

The Old Testament was originally arranged in three parts, The Pentateuch (The Law of Moses), The Prophets, and The Psalms and other writings. These were arranged in 24 books. When these scriptures were translated into Greek in the third century B.C. (this translation was called the Septuagint), some of the books were divided resulting in 39 books. The scripture was not changed, books were simply divided and the Old Testament now has five divisions, The Pentateuch, Historical Books, Wisdom and Poetical Books, Major and Minor Prophets.

The New Testament has five divisions also, The Gospels, History, Epistles of Paul, General Epistles and Prophecy. While none of the original manuscripts exist of either the Old or New Testament, thousands of copies still exist. The earliest being the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are 95% the same as the current Bible. No other book is as well documented as the Bible. Our modern English versions began with John Wycliffe in 1384. Later William Tyndale translated the first printed Bible in 1535, which was followed by multiple versions until in 1611 the best known translation was made the (King James Version).

The writers of the Bible gave God the credit for what they wrote. Paul said, (2TIM. 3:16) "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God". Peter wrote (2Peter 1:21) Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost". Moses said in Exodus 20:1 "And God spoke all these words", Samuel said, "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me and His word was in my tongue". If these men are telling the truth, then we would be prudent to follow what they wrote. Let us judge what they wrote on the basis of human events.

2Kings 20:20 and 2Chronicles 32:20 states that King Hezekiah built an underground tunnel for water. This was considered false for years until in 1880 two boys located the tunnel while swimming. Also disputed as fact was the existence of the City of Nineveh. In 1830, British Colonel R. Taylor discovered the ruins as well as a clay artifact known as the Taylor Prism. The prism contains over 500 lines of writing, part of which details King Sennacherib's attack on Judah and King Hezekiah confirming what the Bible states on both accounts. The Moabite stone discovered in 1868 dates to 850 B.C. and confirms the Biblical accounts of both King Omri (1Kings 16:21-28) and his son King Ahab (2Kings 3:4-6). In 1879, Hornoz Rosan found a small clay cylinder in Babylon, which describes King Cyrus's victory over Babylon as Isaiah had predicted 150 years before Cyrus was born (Isa. 44:28, 45:1-5) and recorded as history in the book of Daniel. The Bible declares that Moses wrote the Pentateuch (First five Books in the Bible) but historical skeptics claimed writing was not developed until well after Moses died. W.M.F. Petrie excavated the city of Lachish and discovered writing on pottery, which dated to 1600 B.C. In 1949 C.F.A. Schaffer found a tablet dating back over 3500 years. The Code of Hammurabi was written during the period 2000-1700 B.C., long before Moses was born. This proves man was wrong and the Bible correct. Sir William Ramsay disputed the accuracy of the Book of Acts but after years of study and archeological digs stated that Luke was an exemplary historian. Human history books and thought have always required correction and updating, the Bible remains unchanged.

Not only is the Bible historically correct but prophecies given 100-1000's of years before they occur can also be proven. During the time period 748-680, Isaiah 34 predicted Edom's fall. Again in 626-580 Jeremiah warns Edom, Ezekial in chapters 25,35 in 593-570 stated it again. In the 5th century, Edom was defeated and as time went by it became a desolate place for only wild animals as God had told the prophets. Ezekial also prophesied about the city of Tyre (Chapter 26). Once again it was destroyed and abandoned as predicted. Josh McDowell discussed in his book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, eleven other prophecies that were fulfilled exactly as the Bible predicted. The mathematical probability of this occurring randomly is off the scale. Only God could speak through man to accomplish this.

What about science? Surely man has enough intellect to make the Bible irrelevant. Thousands of years before man understood germs, God had given cleanliness laws and food laws that had an obvious understanding of germs. The Bible spoke of the "Circle of the earth" long before man discovered it was not flat. God said the earth floated on nothing; it took man 3000 years to figure it out. Matthew Maury the father of oceanography used the Biblical expression "paths of the sea" to discover the warm and cold continental currents. The Bible describes the water cycle in Amos 9:6, yet it was not until the 17th century that man understood it. In 1616, William Harvey discovered that blood circulation was the key to life but in the book of Leviticus, God had already stated this. As we see, had man listened and followed the Bible, we may have progressed much faster.

If the Bible is true in all these areas, we now come to the most important prophecy of all, the prophecy of a Messiah. The Old Testament contains over thirty prophecies about the Messiah (examples include his virgin birth, resurrection and birth place). These were confirmed in the New Testament during the life of Jesus. No human could control all the events necessary to fulfill these prophecies. This brings us to two important questions, in Acts 5:29, Peter asks if we will obey God or man. Who will you obey today? Second in this world of tolerance is it love to allow someone to believe something that will not lead to eternal life? God said, HE would be found by those who diligently seek Him. Will you have an open heart and mind and seek Him? Feel free to contact us.

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Bibliography:

Manual of Bible History, Blaikie
How We Got The Bible, Lightfoot
The Bible It's Origin and Use, Bernard & others
Bible Histories and Truths, S.F. Paul
Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell
The Stones and the Scriptures, Edwin Yamauchi
The Bible and Archeology, J.A. Thompson
Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, Abingdon
Great Religions of the World, National Geographic
Understanding Secular Religions, McDowell, Stewart
So What's The Difference, Ridenour
Bible Survey, Hantola, Bank
The Bible and Modern Science, Henry M Morris