Apologetics - Internal Consistency
Quotes on Bible Attacks
Bernard Ramm, Baptist theologian and apologist within the broad Evangelical tradition.
“Jews preserved it as no other manuscript has ever been preserved. With their massora they kept tabs on every letter, syllable, word and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity–scribes, lawyers, massorettes.”
“In regard to the New Testament, there are about 13,000 manuscripts, complete and incomplete, in Greek and other languages, that have survived from antiquity.”
“A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”
“No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? With such thoroughness and erudition? Upon every chapter, line and tenet?”
“The Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions, and studied by millions.”
Werner Keller
“In view of the overwhelming mass of authentic and well-attested evidence now available, as I thought of the skeptical criticism which from the eighteenth century onward would fain have demolished the Bible altogether, there kept hammering in my brain this one sentence: The Bible is right after all.”
Citations
There are 32,000 citations of the N.T. in the writings of the Church fathers written prior to the Council of Nice (A.D. 325).
John Lea
“It seems strange that the text of Shakespeare which has been in existence less than 208 years should be far more uncertain and corrupt than that of the N.T., now over 18 centuries old, during nearly fifteen of which it existed only in manuscript…with perhaps a dozen or twenty exceptions, the text of every verse in the N.T., may be said to be so far settled by general consent of scholars, that any dispute to its readings must relate rather to interpretation of the words than to any doubts respecting the words themselves. But in every one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays there are probably a 100 headings still in dispute, a portion of which materially affect the meaning of the passages in which they occur.” - From the Greatest Book in the World:
Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director and principal librarian of the British museum, foremost expert on ancient manuscripts:
“The interval between the dates of original composition (of the N.T.) and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible and the foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed; both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the N.T. may be regarded as firmly established.”
Jim McCotter
“All Scripture is God-breathed and He doesn’t waste His breath.”
Voltaire, French infidel, died 1778
Volaire said that within 100 years of his time, Christianity would be swept away from existence and pass into the obscurity of history. Yet 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his house and printing press to produce stacks of Bibles.
“Jews preserved it as no other manuscript has ever been preserved. With their massora they kept tabs on every letter, syllable, word and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity–scribes, lawyers, massorettes.”
“In regard to the New Testament, there are about 13,000 manuscripts, complete and incomplete, in Greek and other languages, that have survived from antiquity.”
“A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”
“No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? With such thoroughness and erudition? Upon every chapter, line and tenet?”
“The Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions, and studied by millions.”
Werner Keller
“In view of the overwhelming mass of authentic and well-attested evidence now available, as I thought of the skeptical criticism which from the eighteenth century onward would fain have demolished the Bible altogether, there kept hammering in my brain this one sentence: The Bible is right after all.”
Citations
There are 32,000 citations of the N.T. in the writings of the Church fathers written prior to the Council of Nice (A.D. 325).
John Lea
“It seems strange that the text of Shakespeare which has been in existence less than 208 years should be far more uncertain and corrupt than that of the N.T., now over 18 centuries old, during nearly fifteen of which it existed only in manuscript…with perhaps a dozen or twenty exceptions, the text of every verse in the N.T., may be said to be so far settled by general consent of scholars, that any dispute to its readings must relate rather to interpretation of the words than to any doubts respecting the words themselves. But in every one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays there are probably a 100 headings still in dispute, a portion of which materially affect the meaning of the passages in which they occur.” - From the Greatest Book in the World:
Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director and principal librarian of the British museum, foremost expert on ancient manuscripts:
“The interval between the dates of original composition (of the N.T.) and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible and the foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed; both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the N.T. may be regarded as firmly established.”
Jim McCotter
“All Scripture is God-breathed and He doesn’t waste His breath.”
Voltaire, French infidel, died 1778
Volaire said that within 100 years of his time, Christianity would be swept away from existence and pass into the obscurity of history. Yet 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his house and printing press to produce stacks of Bibles.
Special Revelation
"We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the
sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain" (2 Peter 1:18-19).
General and special revelation are terms referring to how God communicates with man. General revelation is God revealing Himself through creation; special revelation is direct, supernatural revelation.
The incarnation was a special revelation: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
The Scriptures are a special revelation. The writers were led by the Holy Spirit to
communicate precisely what God intended: "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Holy Spirit provides special revelation to those who have received certain spiritual
gifts; for example, the gift of prophecy. Some believe these "sign" gifts ended with the closing of the canon; others believe the gifts are still in use today.
All cults are founded upon the belief that they have received special revelation. This
generally takes the form of a teacher or "prophet" who is supposed to have received special revelation. Many times these groups claim to believe the Bible "so long as it is translated correctly." By saying this they indicate that they have reinterpreted the Bible to fit their own heretical belief-system. The Holy Spirit warned us that this would happen: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Any "new" revelation must always be tested by the word of God. Solid grounding in the
Scriptures, along with a knowledge of the tools and methods of sound Scriptural interpretation, should be a priority of every Christian. Failure to equip oneself will result in an ineffective witness, and will increase the possibility of being led astray by false teachers.
sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain" (2 Peter 1:18-19).
General and special revelation are terms referring to how God communicates with man. General revelation is God revealing Himself through creation; special revelation is direct, supernatural revelation.
The incarnation was a special revelation: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
The Scriptures are a special revelation. The writers were led by the Holy Spirit to
communicate precisely what God intended: "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Holy Spirit provides special revelation to those who have received certain spiritual
gifts; for example, the gift of prophecy. Some believe these "sign" gifts ended with the closing of the canon; others believe the gifts are still in use today.
All cults are founded upon the belief that they have received special revelation. This
generally takes the form of a teacher or "prophet" who is supposed to have received special revelation. Many times these groups claim to believe the Bible "so long as it is translated correctly." By saying this they indicate that they have reinterpreted the Bible to fit their own heretical belief-system. The Holy Spirit warned us that this would happen: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Any "new" revelation must always be tested by the word of God. Solid grounding in the
Scriptures, along with a knowledge of the tools and methods of sound Scriptural interpretation, should be a priority of every Christian. Failure to equip oneself will result in an ineffective witness, and will increase the possibility of being led astray by false teachers.
Who Were Esau's Wives?
Who were Esau’s wives? Genesis 26:34 states that Esau had 2 Hittite wives: Judith (daughter of Beeri) and Basemath (daughter of Elon). In Genesis 28:9, it seems Esau tried to gain favor with his father by marrying Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter, who was also Nebaioth's sister. Yet, if you keep reading in chapter 36, it lists three wives of Esau and in great detail explains which one had which son, etc. We know from Gen. 26 that Esau had three wives, but these are not the same wives listed. It says that his wives were Adah, Oholibamah, and Basemath (only one name is the same). To make it more confusing, chapter 26 says that Basemath was the daughter of Elon the Hittite, but chapter 36 says that Adah was the daughter of Elon the Hittite. Chapter 28 says that Mahalath was Ishmael's daughter, and sister of Nebaioth, but chapter 36 says that Basemath was Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister (in direct contradiction of 26:34). Also in chapter 36:2, Oholibamah is said to be the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hittite but later in the same chapter (vv. 20-25), it says that Zibeon was a Horite (see also vv. 29-30). It sure seems that a scribe was a little tipsy copying all this stuff down and got it all mixed up.
Meforshim:
The ancients were not immune to using nicknames. We are familiar with the nicknames of the disciples but there are records that indicate that nicknames were used as far back as the Patriarchial era.
Basemath is a nickname that means “fragrant woman.” I think that it is likely that Esau had two different wives with this nickname. Notice that the passage in Genesis 26 is careful to note that Esau was forty when he took those two wives and that an undefined passage of time occurred between his marrying them and his marriage to Mahalel.
It may be that Esau lost Adah to death or through divorce and later remarried. In any case, I believe that Basemath (26:34) is Adah (36:2) and that Mahalel (28:9) was also nicknamed Basemath (36:3).
Of course another possibility is that Elon the Hitite had two daughters named Basemath and Adah and that Ishmael had two daughters named Basemath and Mahalel. If that is the case then Esau married two sets of sisters, something not completely unheard of in that era.
As to Zibeon the Hivite (36:2) and Zibeon the Horite (36:29) I believe they are two separate and unrelated individuals.
The author was very careful to be specific as to each lady’s origin (i.e daughter of, grandaughter of, sister of), leaving us sufficient information to be clear on their identity in spite of the use of nicknames. It would be foolish of him to develop a sudden carelessness about a man, especially in view of the less than gallant view these tribes often had of women!
Meforshim:
The ancients were not immune to using nicknames. We are familiar with the nicknames of the disciples but there are records that indicate that nicknames were used as far back as the Patriarchial era.
Basemath is a nickname that means “fragrant woman.” I think that it is likely that Esau had two different wives with this nickname. Notice that the passage in Genesis 26 is careful to note that Esau was forty when he took those two wives and that an undefined passage of time occurred between his marrying them and his marriage to Mahalel.
It may be that Esau lost Adah to death or through divorce and later remarried. In any case, I believe that Basemath (26:34) is Adah (36:2) and that Mahalel (28:9) was also nicknamed Basemath (36:3).
Of course another possibility is that Elon the Hitite had two daughters named Basemath and Adah and that Ishmael had two daughters named Basemath and Mahalel. If that is the case then Esau married two sets of sisters, something not completely unheard of in that era.
As to Zibeon the Hivite (36:2) and Zibeon the Horite (36:29) I believe they are two separate and unrelated individuals.
The author was very careful to be specific as to each lady’s origin (i.e daughter of, grandaughter of, sister of), leaving us sufficient information to be clear on their identity in spite of the use of nicknames. It would be foolish of him to develop a sudden carelessness about a man, especially in view of the less than gallant view these tribes often had of women!
Why Does the Bible List the Twelve Apostles Differently?
Why does the Bible list the twelve apostles differently? Is this a contradiction? No, the Bible is actually very consistent in its identification of the Twelve. There are essentially four basic lists of the Twelve and all four name the same people. Though the order is different, Simon Peter always comes first and Judas Iscariot comes last.
The only marked difference is the listing of Thaddaeus in Matthew 10 and Mark 3 with “Judas ben James” being listed in Luke 6 and Acts 1. Since several of the other disciples were also known by a couple of different names (i.e. Simon called Peter and Thomas called “Twin”[1]), it is reasonable to assume that Judas ben (which means “son of”) James was Thaddaeus’ birth name.
Matthew 10 Mark 3 Luke 6 Acts 1
Simon called Peter Simon Peter Simon Peter Peter
Andrew brother of Simon Peter Andrew Andrew brother of Peter Andrew
James ben Zebedee James ben Zebedee James James
John brother of James John brother of James John John
Philip Philip Philip Philip
Bartholomew Bartholomew Bartholomew Bartholomew
Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas
Matthew the tax collector Matthew Matthew Matthew
James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus
Thaddaeus Thaddaeus Judas ben James Judas ben James
Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot *Matthias
Obviously the list in Acts was modified by Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and death. Another man by the name of Matthias was chosen to replace him at that point.[2]
[1] John 20:21; 21:2
[2] Acts 1:26
The only marked difference is the listing of Thaddaeus in Matthew 10 and Mark 3 with “Judas ben James” being listed in Luke 6 and Acts 1. Since several of the other disciples were also known by a couple of different names (i.e. Simon called Peter and Thomas called “Twin”[1]), it is reasonable to assume that Judas ben (which means “son of”) James was Thaddaeus’ birth name.
Matthew 10 Mark 3 Luke 6 Acts 1
Simon called Peter Simon Peter Simon Peter Peter
Andrew brother of Simon Peter Andrew Andrew brother of Peter Andrew
James ben Zebedee James ben Zebedee James James
John brother of James John brother of James John John
Philip Philip Philip Philip
Bartholomew Bartholomew Bartholomew Bartholomew
Thomas Thomas Thomas Thomas
Matthew the tax collector Matthew Matthew Matthew
James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus James ben Alphaeus
Thaddaeus Thaddaeus Judas ben James Judas ben James
Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot *Matthias
Obviously the list in Acts was modified by Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and death. Another man by the name of Matthias was chosen to replace him at that point.[2]
[1] John 20:21; 21:2
[2] Acts 1:26
