Musings

  How do I know the Bible is true? My Bible.  Photo by author The Bible has been my go-to book for over thirty years and I never tire of reading it. Which other book would I read over and over again? This phenomenon in itself proves to me that it is no ordinary book! Not only do I read it for spiritual teaching and encouragement, but also because evidence exists for the reliability of its claims. Quick Facts The Bible is still the world’s bestseller, having sold over 5 billion copies. The full Bible has been translated into 724 languages (NT 1617 languages).¹ It was written and compiled over 1500 years by 40 authors. There are two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament (the  Tanakh ) is the Jewish Bible, containing 39 books (the Torah, historical, poetical, prophetic and wisdom writings). The New Testament has 27 books: the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and Revelation. Historical Accuracy The Old Testament The Old Testament was...

C.S. Lewis wrote that joy is the 'serious business of heaven'. Could there be anything more joyous for us than Christ's coming into the world to procure redemption for mankind? The promise of His coming is found right at the outset of the Old Testament (Genesis 3:15). He would come to crush the head of Satan  and that is precisely what He did on the cross:   ...having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.   Colossians 2:14-15 (NIV) No wonder the angel proclaimed this message to the shepherds in Bethlehem that night: Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord! Luke 2:10-11 (NKJV) The people were to rejo...

He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,   but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.   2 Timothy 1:9-10 Sometimes the inspired letters of Paul the apostle contain sentences which just blow my mind. I read this excerpt several times this morning to try to comprehend the profundity and extent of the truth contained in these few lines.  I could fill pages by merely considering the first word He . Who is this He ? Paul does not need to convince the recipient of his letter that Christ actually lived, died and rose again, because Timothy well knows it. Timothy's mother, Eunice, was Jewish and his father Greek (Acts 16:1), but yet his grandmother, Lois and his mother have both accepted the...