Is the Bible from God? Is it Divinely inspired? That’s quite a claim. Is it possible to really know? Can it be tested?
🍃 Watch the six-part series by Mescalero Apache, Soapy Dollar, here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm4Y5qad3GcTF3swbs_1mvaD-E-ty_UdV
This series on the Bible for Native American, First Nation, and Indigenous people is taught by Mescalero Apache, Soapy Dollar. Soapy is passionate about what he calls, the Book of books, the Bible. He’s been teaching from it for over 50 years. The purpose of this video, is to inform particularly and especially native people and native communities about this book called The Bible.
Part 3: Is this Book from God? The Bible clearly states that it is Divinely inspired. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read these words: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” Another way it might be said is that all Scripture is God-breathed. Is this true? Is there credible evidence to support the faith that many have that the Bible is indeed from God to us?
Key Points in Part 3:
– The Bible, it claims that over and over again that it is has a supernatural source, that it is from the Creator God. One of the most obvious ways is the number of times we read the words, “Thus says the Lord.” God claims very clearly even in the context of when it was being spoken that this message is coming from God Himself. There are five evidences to test this claim.
– It’s amazing continuity, this consistency of the Bible from beginning to end, written over centuries, all the different situations, different contexts in which the Bible was written, in which those words, “Thus says the Lord” were proclaimed. In times of plenty, times of scarcity, times of richness and wealth, and times of poverty, all kinds of different situations we see this content in the context, the content that is being delivered to us doesn’t change. And the message, the consistency of the message became sharper, more specific, more clear, but it was always the same.
– The Bible has the ring of truth to it. Yes, there are things that are supernatural and yet they’re never spoken of in a mystical or fairy tale way. They’re in a specific context with a specific meaning and purpose. The Bible also explains human nature. It speaks into our human condition. No matter what race, what tribe, what culture, what language we speak, the Bible is universal. It speaks to what we feel and what we think and to our reactions. It describes our human experience in clear terms perfectly – strong evidence of its supernatural sourcing.
– Predictions. Over and over again, well over a thousand times even in the Hebrew scriptures, events are predicted and foretold, prophesied in the future. Things are said that are going to happen. Sometimes a year or two or five or 10 years, sometimes hundreds of years later, but the events are announced that are going to take place. These predictions and prophecies are tremendous evidence for the supernatural sourcing of the Bible. And it’s not just five out of 10 or six or 10 or seven out of 10, it’s every prediction, every prophecy that is put out there actually literally comes true 100% of the time.
– The testimony of Jesus and He Himself as a perfect man of faith, the one who came to live a perfect life of faith and trust and submission, obedience to God the Father. He Himself with the authority in His role and His place as the Messiah, He Himself had tremendous respect from the Scriptures and He was a man of the Scriptures.
– The fact that it changes lives. Through the centuries lives have changed. People have believed the message and by faith come into that relationship with God and their lives have been transformed.
Here is the outline for following along in the series.
Soapy Dollar – A Native American Introduction to The Bible
Part 1 – Introduction and The Bible is Unique
It is Unique
– In it’s consistency
– In it’s circulation
– In it’s translation
– In it’s survival
– In it’s teaching
– In it’s message
Part 2 – The Bible is True and Accurate
Tests and Evidence
– The Bibliographical test
– The Internal test
– The External test
– Archeology
Part 3 – Is the Bible from God our Creator?
Why do we think this?
– It’s amazing consistency
– It has a “ring of truth”
– Fulfilled predictions and prophecies
– The life of Jesus
– Transformed lives
Part 4 – The Message of the Bible
The Central Message of the Bible
– God loves and cares for us
– We are sinful, selfish, guilty, and condemned
– God sends a Savior
– We must respond in faith
Part 5 – The Central Character – Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the central character of the Bible
– His person and redemptive work is foretold in the Old Testament
– His person and redemptive work is fulfilled in the New Testament
Part 6 – Final Thoughts and a Challenge
A Brief Summary
– God has gone to great lengths to communicate with us
– Pick up the Bible and read it for yourself