Rev. David Holwick ZA
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 28, 1991
Jeremiah 36
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I. The traditional Christian View of the Bible is under attack.
A. U.S. News & World Report, special 8 page article on the Bible.
1) "While some of the writings [of the New Testament] bear the
names of those who walked with Jesus on the dusty roads
of Judea, centuries of scholarship have turned up little
convincing evidence that his 12 closest disciples did much
writing, either.
2) Are [these writings] close to their original form?
Or were they revised by early church leaders
to reflect changing views of who Jesus was,
to address the problems of a growing church
or even to advance political agendas?"
3) "Liberal scholars have concluded:
that the Bible is the product of a purely human endeavor,
that the identity of the authors is forever lost
and that their work has been largely obliterated by
centuries of translation and editing."
#1427
B. Tactics of liberal Biblical scholarship:
1) Denying traditional authors of Bible books.
a) King Solomon did not write Ecclesiastes.
b) Paul did not write Ephesians.
1> Or Timothy or Titus.
c) Peter did not write 2 Peter.
2) Fragmenting the material in the Biblical books.
a) Graf-Wellhausen theory of Pentateuchal authorship.
1> They took evolutionary theories by philosopher Hegel
(who influenced Karl Marx) & applied them to Bible.
2> Pentateuch (first five books, Genesis to Deuteronomy).
A> Traditional: essentially by Moses, 1440 BC.
B> Graf-Well: J, E, D, P.
1: J = Jehovistic source, 800's BC.
2: E = Elohistic source, 700's BC.
3: D = Deuteronomy, during King Josiah (600 BC).
4: P = Priestly source, 400's BC.
b) Gospels of Jesus also fragmented.
3) Denying historical origin of the writings.
a) Daniel written after the fact because so accurate.
b) Isaiah fragmented at chapter 40, then 60.
4) Denying supernatural element.
a) Even Christians have been uncomfortable with miracles.
A father asked his son what he had learned in Sunday
School.
The boy replied, "We learned about how Moses went behind
enemy lines to rescue the Jews from the Egyptians.
Moses ordered the engineers to build a pontoon bridge.
After the people had crossed, he sent bombers back to
blow up the bridge and the Egyptian tanks that were
following them.
And then..."
"Did your teacher really tell it like that?" the father
inquired.
The son answered, "No, Dad, but if I told you what he
said, you would never believe it!" #1464
b) Virgin birth, Jesus walking on water, etc. is denied.
II. Effects of destructive scholarship.
A. Bible becomes one human document among many.
1) Only agreeable doctrines are accepted.
2) Disagreeable parts effectively cut out.
B. Jehoiakim and pen-knife.
1) Dr. Harry Mac Arthur shares the following story:
For two years a faithful member of a liberal church had taken
note of the various passages the pastor had pronounced
fictitious or unscientific.
He then cut them from his Bible.
A short time later he became seriously sick.
The minister called on him.
"Shall I read and pray with you?" he asked.
The sick man motioned to his wife to bring his Bible.
It was in shreds and only fit for the waste basket.
"Don't you have a better Bible?" asked the liberal pastor.
The dying man replied:
"No, this is all I have left after cutting out the parts
you said were not inspired.
If I should live another year, I'm sure I'd have nothing
left but the covers." #187
C. Biblical teaching loses all power, churches drift.
1) Denominations turn to politics instead of spiritual growth.
2) Main reason for on-going war among Southern Baptists.
III. Answers of conservative Biblical scholarship.
A. Bible claims unity and inspiration of God.
1) Old Testament prophets, especially Jeremiah.
a) "Thus says the Lord."
2) New Testament. 2 Peter 1:20-21
a) Prophecies not made up by writers, but inspired by Spirit.
B. Inner consistency.
1) Great themes run throughout Scripture, tying it together.
a) Fulfilled prophecy.
2) Scientific word analysis shows unity for almost all books.
a) Exhaustive computer study at Jerusalem University.
C. Historically reliable and contemporary.
1) William Ramsey was not convinced of the historicity of Luke's
writings in the Book of Acts - especially as they pertained
to the missionary journeys of Paul.
So Ramsey spent years of investigation into the matter.
His work was so scholarly and commendable that the Queen of
England knighted him for his work.
But Sr. William Ramsey, instead of finding Luke in error,
discovered that he was completely accurate.
Ramsey described Acts as the most perfect historical document
of all time. #1220
2) Archeology verifies minute accuracy of Bible accounts.
a) Traditional fall of Jericho confirmed.
The British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon dug up Jericho
and found that the city fell during a short attack.
Vast amounts of grain were found, which shows there was
not a long siege.
And the walls had fallen outward, as if in a sudden
collapse.
But Kenyon also concluded Jericho fell 150 years before
Joshua and the Jews arrived.
Time Magazine (March,1990) in its "Science" section, now
says Kenyon may have been wrong and the Bible correct.
It quotes archaeologist Bryant Wood, who says the city's
walls came tumbling down at just the right time, based
on pottery evidence.
#1228
b) Jeremiah 36:10 -
"From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary,
which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the
New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people
at the LORD'S temple the words of Jeremiah from the
scroll." 36:29 - (destruction by Babylonians).
Newsweek magazine, December 18, 1989:
An official clay seal, or bullae, with Gemariah's name
has been found in the rubble of Jerusalem.
Its soft clay was hardened by the burning of the city
by the Babylonians.
The seal was discovered in what appears to have been an
office of David's city hall.
It and others were scattered amid numerous arrowheads,
testifying to the battle won by the Babylonians.
A layer of ash, one yard thick in some spots, is mute
testimony to the destruction of the First Temple
by the invaders in 586 B.C.
#1070
D. Faithfully transmitted.
1) German scholar Harnack and third century date for John.
2) Refuted by scrap of John from A.D. 125. found in Egypt.
E. Rejection of supernatural is a philosophical position, not a
scientific one.
1) More and more are believing in a spirit realm, but turning
to the New Age movement for their inspiration.
IV. The Bible can stand on its own.
A. What Bible claims.
1) It is a record of actual events.
2) It can be trusted.
3) It is through humans but from God.
4) It gives the plan of salvation for all.
B. Many Christians do exactly what Jehoiachin did.
1) They stick to warm-fuzzy Scriptures.
a) And don't even turn to them that often!
2) Hard Scriptures are ignored, or rejected outright.
C. Jesus taught that Scripture is God's final authority.
1) Scripture cannot be broken. John 10:35
2) Scripture is final authority in all matters.
3) Heaven and earth will pass away before Bible does.
4) His foes ignorant of power of God & Scripture. Matt 22:29
V. What is your experience with Bible?
A. Moody on faith and Bible.
I prayed for faith and thought it would strike me like lightning.
But faith did not come.
One day I read, 'Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God.'
I had closed my Bible and prayed for faith.
I now began to study my Bible and faith has been growing ever
since."
#41
B. Scriptures point to Jesus. John 5:39
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by
them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about me."
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