Prepared To Give An Answer

"How Can We Know The Bible Is True?" Part 2 by Pastor Adam Barton

 
Ossuary of the High Priest Joseph Caiaphas
Jerusalem, Israel: Herodian period, 1st century CE

The well known archaeologist and Jewish rabbi, Nelson Glueck once stated, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”₁

Over the centuries, archaeological research has only confirmed (rather than disprove) the Bible's truthfulness.  Archaeology alone does not prove that the Bible is divine in origin, but what it does is lend credibility to the truthfulness, or veracity of the Bible.  It would be troublesome for instance if the what the Bible had to say about certain kings, nations, geographical locations, wars, dates, etc. differed from what archaeological research has produced.  Fortunately, the Bible is not only considered truthful in what it affirms about such details, it is often used as a corroboratory source for historians and archaeologists alike.  Religion aside, the Bible is an extremely important book in regards to what we know and believe about the ancient world.

Artifacts have been found that confirm the lives of notable figures in the Bible such as King David, King Cyrus, Caiaphas the High Priest and Pontius Pilate.  Ancient cities like Ur, Jericho and Dan have been unearthed (many of which were erroneously thought to have never existed despite being mentioned in scripture).  Artifacts have confirmed the existence of Levitical priests named in the Bible and the temple itself.  Highly specific locations within cities like the Pools of Bethesda and Siloam (where Jesus performed healing miracles) have been discovered.  Inscriptions dating back to the 200's have been found which prove that people worshiped Jesus as God.  The careful transmission of the Bible itself has been confirmed mightily by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

All this to say, the Bible and "Bible times" are not a myth.  Even the flood in Genesis, one of the oldest and miraculous events presented to us in scripture, has been fortified by the discovery of other flood accounts in ancient cultures.  When it comes to the Bible, we are talking about real people, real cities, real events in history--history that is accurately recorded and continually confirmed by archaeology today. 

Pastor Adam Barton

Akron, Ohio

 

The ancient city of Dan, the Canaanite city overtaken by the tribe of Dan mentioned in Judges 18 and also the high place where Jeroboam built a golden calf (1Kings 12). 

 
A stone fragment with inscription confirming the existence of the "House of David".  Outside the Bible, it is the oldest reference to a Biblical character to date.

 
Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent a blind man to be washed and healed. 

 
Stone inscription bearing the name and governance of Pontius Pilate.

In 2005, on the floor of a prayer hall in Megiddo, an inscription which dates back to the 200s was discovered which confirms the consecration of a church to "God, Jesus Christ".
 

_{1. Dr. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136.}

"Was Jesus Crucified?" CNN article explained by Pastor Adam Barton

Yesterday, the front page of CNN included a news blurb that simply read, "Was Jesus Really Crucified?"  As alarming as this sounds, that was all that it was meant to do...alarm people.

I thought I would help explain a little further for those that heard about this and/or haven't read the article.  It was about an evangelical Swedish scholar, Gunnar Samuelsson that simply states that in the original Greek, the texts reveal only that Jesus carried "some kind of torture or execution device" to a hill where "he was suspended" and then later died.  He argues the Greek word stauroun does not necessarily mean to be nailed to a cross.  In his studies, he found that the word included a variety of deaths that involved hanging and impaling.

That is all.

Samuelsson believes however, that the most likely reason early Christians thought Jesus was crucified on a cross in the traditional way we think, is that, in fact, he was.  And their is compelling evidence that the Romans at the time utilized the type of crucifixion that involved nailing individuals to a wooden beam.

(heel bone of first century crucifixion victim)
 

We can take some things from this recent news article:

1. Anything about Jesus makes news...especially when it calls into question the truthfulness of what Christians believe and/or what has been traditionally taught.

2. Christians should not fear research.  Archaeological research has only confirmed the Bible's veracity.  Manuscript studies have only fortified the careful transmission of the biblical texts down over the centuries. 

3. We should also be humble regarding the presuppositions we bring to the faith that aren't necessarily rooted directly in scripture--that aren't clear as night and day.  Did Jesus have a white robe, blue sash...probably not.  Was Jesus immersed or sprinkled at his baptism?  The evidence leans towards immersion but we just don't know for sure.  You get the point.

4. Nothing about his article is disputing the fact that Jesus was real man that he sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity. 

It appears that Samuelsson is an evangelical pastor and doesn't seem to want to debunk the faith in any way. 

As for the media, I do respectfully believe there are other motives behind publishing this article.

Pastor Adam Barton