Robert Jeffress - How Can I Know The Bible Is True? (Part 2A)

January 14, 2025 | S25:E23

Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - How Can I Know The Bible Is True? (Part 2A) | January 14, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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  • Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome,
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  • Again, to "pathway to victory."
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  • In 2 timothy, we read that "all scripture is god breathed," but
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  • The bible isn't the only religious text that claims to be
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  • Divinely inspired.
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  • What makes the bible different?
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  • Well, last time we cited three things that pointed to the
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  • Bible's uniqueness.
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  • First, the claims the bible makes about itself; second,
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  • Fulfilled prophecy; and third, unity of theme.
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  • Today, we're going to add a fourth and fifth reason.
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  • We're answering the question: how can i know the bible
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  • Is true, on today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: it's okay to have questions about your faith,
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  • But you need answers you can trust.
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  • In his book "how can i know," dr. robert jeffress addresses
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  • Seven of life's most important questions.
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  • If you've ever wondered how you can know the bible is true or
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  • How you can know if you're going to heaven, this book makes a
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  • Compelling case for answers you can embrace with confidence.
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  • Request your copy of "how can i know," when you give a generous
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  • Gift to support the ministry of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: your eternal destiny depends upon what we're going to
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  • Talk about for the next 35 minutes.
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  • Whether you spend eternity enjoying the pleasures of heaven
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  • Or you spend eternity in hell separated from god, depends on
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  • Whether or not the bible can be trusted.
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  • Is it telling the truth?
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  • But if you think that's an overly dramatic statement, just
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  • Think about this: if the bible is wrong, then it means we're on
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  • The wrong path to heaven.
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  • The bible teaches, jesus is the way to heaven.
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  • If the bible is wrong, then we're on the wrong road, and if
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  • That weren't bad enough, the bible gives us no clue whatever
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  • Road to take.
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  • There are thousands of different ways to heaven, or so we're
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  • Told, thousands of religions that claim to offer
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  • Eternal life.
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  • If the bible doesn't tell us which one to take, other than
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  • Christianity, how are we to know the way?
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  • Well, i believe the bible can be trusted.
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  • And that's why we began, last week, talking about, "how can i
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  • Really know that the bible is true?"
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  • Last time, we talked about what it means, the bible is true.
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  • We use two words, "inerrant," that means it's without error.
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  • The bible tells the truth.
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  • It's talking about the product.
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  • It's truth without any mixture of error.
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  • And then, secondly, we looked at the word "inspired."
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  • 2 timothy 3 says that "the bible is god
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  • Breathed," "theopneustos."
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  • God originated the scripture, but he did so, he poured his
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  • Message into imperfect men who produced a perfect bible.
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  • What are the evidences that the bible is true?
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  • Well, first of all, we talked about the bible's claim
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  • Of itself.
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  • The bible claims to be god's word.
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  • Now, that's circular reasoning.
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  • I know the bible is true because the bible says it's true.
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  • But understand this: the bible tells us that jesus and the
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  • Apostles believed in the truthfulness of the bible.
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  • They believed it was inspired and inerrant.
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  • So when we say the bible is true, we're not claiming
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  • Anything for the bible that the bible doesn't claim for itself.
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  • Secondly, we looked at fulfilled prophecy, points to the
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  • Trustworthiness of the bible.
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  • No other religious book--the book of islam, the book of
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  • Mormon, none of those books, contains fulfilled prophecy.
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  • Prophecies that were written down, hundreds of years before
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  • The fact, and can be verifiably fulfilled.
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  • You don't have that in the quran, for islam.
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  • You don't have that in the book of mormon, or any other
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  • Religious book.
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  • A third evidence for the reliability of the bible is the
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  • Unity of theme in the bible.
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  • Other religious books were written by a single person, over
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  • A short period of time.
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  • And yet, there's not any unity in a lot of those books, but
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  • Look at the bible.
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  • Think about it, it was written by over 40 authors, from every
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  • Background imaginable, most of whom didn't know one another.
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  • It was written over a period of 1500 years.
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  • It was written in a location of 2,000 miles separated, and yet,
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  • In spite of all of that diversity, it has a unity
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  • Of theme.
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  • There is that scarlet thread of redemption through the bible,
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  • Through jesus christ.
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  • There's a unity of symbols that you find in genesis and daniel,
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  • All the way through the book of revelation, in the
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  • New testament.
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  • Now today, we're going to look at two more evidences for the
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  • Truthfulness of the bible.
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  • The first is: the early acceptance of the message.
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  • When you look at the rapidity with which the message,
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  • Especially the new testament, was embraced, it argues for the
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  • Trustworthiness of scripture.
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  • You see, one of the standard arguments, by liberals, is this:
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  • They'll say, "now, jesus really did exist, there's a kernel of
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  • Truth in that.
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  • He was a righteous rabbi.
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  • He was a good, moral leader.
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  • But after jesus died, there were hundreds of years that elapsed
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  • Before the gospels were written.
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  • And so to keep the flame alive, to keep people interested in
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  • Christianity, the writers of the gospel, created all of these
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  • Fictitious events, miracles that jesus performed, the
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  • Resurrection from the dead, to try to make a good
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  • Story better."
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  • Now, if that were true, if there had been a gap of hundreds of
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  • Years between the actual events of jesus's life and the recorded
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  • Events, it's possible that myth could have crept in and
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  • Corrupted the story.
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  • But here's the problem with that theory: there was no interval.
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  • It used to be, i was even taught this, early on, that the gospels
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  • And the new testament was written hundreds of years after
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  • The events of the new testament, and yet, liberal scholars, now,
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  • Like john at robinson, and others, they almost all concede
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  • That the new testament was written between 45 and 60 ad.
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  • That means you had the bible being written within, not
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  • Centuries, or even decades, but single-digit years after the
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  • Events they purport to record.
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  • Now here's the problem with that: if you've got no interval
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  • Of hundreds of years, you don't have a chance for a myth
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  • To erupt.
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  • Let me show you why that's true.
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  • Let's just say that, today, a book came out claiming that
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  • Three days after president ronald reagan's funeral--three
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  • Days after reagan's funeral, on june 11, 2004, three days later,
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  • Ronald reagan arose from the dead.
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  • He arose from his grave in simi valley.
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  • And not only did he arise from the dead, but he was seen in a
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  • New resurrection body by 500 witnesses, in
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  • Southern california.
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  • And then the book went on to name those eyewitnesses to
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  • His resurrection.
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  • That book wouldn't last through a single printing.
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  • It would be laughed off the shelves.
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  • Nobody would believe such a thing, why?
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  • Because it's too soon after that event, after a mythological
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  • Event, for it to gain credibility.
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  • I mean, there are people who are alive, who were at the funeral.
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  • There are people who could dispute that anybody saw him
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  • In person.
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  • You could track down those so-called "eyewitnesses" and
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  • Cross examine them, the theory would fall apart.
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  • And yet, think about how completely the new testament was
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  • Accepted with such speed.
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  • We're talking about, just within weeks of jesus reported
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  • Resurrection, thousands of mainly jews were converted
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  • To christianity.
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  • You had 3000 on one day, the day of pentecost, 50 days after
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  • The resurrection.
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  • Thousands of jews came to faith in christ, and not only that,
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  • They gave up their most cherished traditions to
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  • Embrace christianity.
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  • They, almost overnight, showed-- changed their day of worship
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  • From saturday to sunday.
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  • They discarded the sacrificial system that had been in effect
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  • For 1400 years.
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  • They changed the symbol of belief from circumcision
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  • To baptism.
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  • And they laid aside the mosaic law that they thought was the
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  • Way to heaven.
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  • In fact, paul would write in colossians 2:17, "these laws are
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  • Simply shadows of what is to come; but the substance belongs
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  • To christ."
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  • How do you explain that earth-shaking change in judaism
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  • That occurred over a short period of time?
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  • They embrace, not a myth, but the truth.
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  • Finally, the evidence for the trustworthiness of the bible is
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  • The archaeological evidence.
  • 00:09:46.242 --> 00:09:48.477
  • Now let's be real clear: archaeology can't prove the
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  • Bible is true.
  • 00:09:52.882 --> 00:09:55.051
  • There are two reasons for that.
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  • The archaeological evidence is limited in size.
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  • I mean, if you were gonna depend upon archaeology to prove the
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  • Bible is true, you would have to have archaeological confirmation
  • 00:10:04.727 --> 00:10:09.432
  • For every name, every location, every event in the old and new
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  • Testaments, and there's not that much archaeological evidence.
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  • There's a lot of it, but not enough to completely prove the
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  • Bible is without error.
  • 00:10:22.311 --> 00:10:24.113
  • It's limited in size, but the archaeological information is
  • 00:10:24.113 --> 00:10:27.717
  • Limited in scope.
  • 00:10:27.717 --> 00:10:29.485
  • There's some things archaeology will never be able to tell us.
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  • For example, even if there is archaeological evidence for the
  • 00:10:32.488 --> 00:10:35.925
  • Great flood that destroyed the world, and let's say they find
  • 00:10:35.925 --> 00:10:39.395
  • Noah's ark someplace, that doesn't tell us who caused the
  • 00:10:39.395 --> 00:10:43.666
  • Flood, and it doesn't tell us what the purpose of the
  • 00:10:43.666 --> 00:10:46.869
  • Flood is.
  • 00:10:46.869 --> 00:10:48.237
  • It's limited in what archaeology can do.
  • 00:10:48.237 --> 00:10:51.507
  • Nevertheless, and here's the important point, there's never
  • 00:10:51.507 --> 00:10:55.277
  • Been an archaeological discovery that has disproved any person,
  • 00:10:55.277 --> 00:10:59.315
  • Event, or location in the bible.
  • 00:10:59.315 --> 00:11:02.718
  • There is archaeological evidence for the trustworthiness
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  • Of scripture.
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  • Let me give you a few examples.
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  • First of all, from the old testament.
  • 00:11:08.724 --> 00:11:10.659
  • Take the cities of sodom and gomorrah that were destroyed by
  • 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:15.231
  • Fire and brimstone, in genesis 19.
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  • Clay tablets have now been discovered at ebla, that's
  • 00:11:18.567 --> 00:11:21.837
  • Northern syria, that have manuscripts that date back to
  • 00:11:21.837 --> 00:11:26.041
  • 2300 bc.
  • 00:11:26.041 --> 00:11:29.145
  • And in those ancient writings, you find the cities of sodom and
  • 00:11:29.145 --> 00:11:33.415
  • Gomorrah mentioned.
  • 00:11:33.415 --> 00:11:35.117
  • Not only that, there's evidence of bituminous pitch in the area,
  • 00:11:35.117 --> 00:11:39.221
  • And earthquake activity, that together, could explain the fire
  • 00:11:39.221 --> 00:11:43.125
  • And brimstone, a volcanic eruption.
  • 00:11:43.125 --> 00:11:46.362
  • You say, "well, that's a natural explanation."
  • 00:11:46.362 --> 00:11:48.864
  • The fact that it happened at precisely the right time is
  • 00:11:48.864 --> 00:11:52.001
  • What's supernatural.
  • 00:11:52.001 --> 00:11:53.435
  • That god would use a natural event at a supernatural time to
  • 00:11:53.435 --> 00:11:57.840
  • Destroy the cities he said would be destroyed.
  • 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:00.843
  • Or take, secondly, the city of jericho and the walls around
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  • Jericho in joshua 6.
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  • There have been excavations in jericho from
  • 00:12:06.982 --> 00:12:09.318
  • 1930 to 1936 that revealed, not only the wall that was around
  • 00:12:09.318 --> 00:12:14.657
  • That city, but that the wall suddenly collapsed outward, just
  • 00:12:14.657 --> 00:12:19.628
  • As the bible said.
  • 00:12:19.628 --> 00:12:21.664
  • Or take the case of ashpenaz, a man named ashpenaz.
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  • Now, he's found in the old testament book of daniel.
  • 00:12:26.902 --> 00:12:31.307
  • No book has been criticized more than liberals as being
  • 00:12:31.307 --> 00:12:34.677
  • Mythology, other than the book of genesis, more so than the
  • 00:12:34.677 --> 00:12:38.347
  • Book of daniel.
  • 00:12:38.347 --> 00:12:39.715
  • And the reason liberals want to try to debunk daniel as
  • 00:12:39.715 --> 00:12:43.319
  • Legitimate is all of the amazing prophecies you find in the book
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  • Of daniel, down to the day that jesus would be presented
  • 00:12:47.423 --> 00:12:50.893
  • As messiah.
  • 00:12:50.893 --> 00:12:52.695
  • The dates, the predictions that are made in daniel are
  • 00:12:52.695 --> 00:12:55.731
  • Truly supernatural.
  • 00:12:55.731 --> 00:12:57.733
  • And so the critics of the bible want to disprove the reliability
  • 00:12:57.733 --> 00:13:01.337
  • Of daniel, and they try to do it in the first three verses of
  • 00:13:01.337 --> 00:13:05.307
  • Daniel, because in daniel 1:3, there's a man named ashpenaz
  • 00:13:05.307 --> 00:13:09.778
  • Who's mentioned as the prince of the eunuchs.
  • 00:13:09.778 --> 00:13:14.216
  • Now, we have a lot of material from ancient babylon, and for
  • 00:13:14.216 --> 00:13:18.921
  • Hundreds of years, there was no evidence that there was any
  • 00:13:18.921 --> 00:13:22.691
  • Member of the royal household named ashpenaz.
  • 00:13:22.691 --> 00:13:26.095
  • There was no evidence, until there was.
  • 00:13:26.095 --> 00:13:30.232
  • And a few decades ago, a brick was discovered, in ancient
  • 00:13:30.232 --> 00:13:33.569
  • Babylon, with the name ashpenaz written on it, and that brick is
  • 00:13:33.569 --> 00:13:38.073
  • Now in the british museum.
  • 00:13:38.073 --> 00:13:40.476
  • Or think about king david, he is a central figure in the
  • 00:13:40.476 --> 00:13:44.113
  • Old testament.
  • 00:13:44.113 --> 00:13:45.481
  • The davidic dynasty, jesus would come from the line of david.
  • 00:13:45.481 --> 00:13:51.253
  • He was central, but the problem is for 26, 2700 years there was
  • 00:13:51.253 --> 00:13:56.659
  • No outside evidence that david even existed.
  • 00:13:56.659 --> 00:14:00.896
  • That is, until 1993, when a document was found in the city
  • 00:14:00.896 --> 00:14:06.402
  • Of david, near jerusalem, that mentioned david as being, not
  • 00:14:06.402 --> 00:14:11.540
  • Only king of israel, but he was the leader of a dynasty, the
  • 00:14:11.540 --> 00:14:16.278
  • Davidic dynasty.
  • 00:14:16.278 --> 00:14:17.813
  • All of that was proven through ancient documents.
  • 00:14:17.813 --> 00:14:20.683
  • Guess what else was proven through these discoveries?
  • 00:14:20.683 --> 00:14:23.886
  • Israel, the jewish people, were in the land, in 1000 bc.
  • 00:14:23.886 --> 00:14:29.124
  • That's when these documents were dated, 1000 bc.
  • 00:14:29.124 --> 00:14:32.828
  • And guess what the capital of israel was?
  • 00:14:32.828 --> 00:14:36.231
  • David changed it to jerusalem.
  • 00:14:36.231 --> 00:14:38.167
  • We now have archaeological evidence of that, meaning, this
  • 00:14:38.167 --> 00:14:42.972
  • Idea that the jews came and stole the land from the
  • 00:14:42.972 --> 00:14:46.308
  • Palestinians, that is complete hogwash.
  • 00:14:46.308 --> 00:14:49.645
  • I don't know if that's a biblical term, but it describes
  • 00:14:49.645 --> 00:14:52.648
  • What the bible says.
  • 00:14:52.648 --> 00:14:54.049
  • The bible records, and history records, that israel was in the
  • 00:14:54.049 --> 00:14:58.253
  • Land long before the so-called palestinians.
  • 00:14:58.253 --> 00:15:01.523
  • It's theirs, it's theirs forever because god gave it to them.
  • 00:15:01.523 --> 00:15:05.995
  • You find that through archaeology.
  • 00:15:05.995 --> 00:15:08.130
  • How about the new testament?
  • 00:15:08.130 --> 00:15:09.498
  • Is there any evidence for the veracity of the new testament?
  • 00:15:09.498 --> 00:15:13.268
  • One example is the gospel of luke.
  • 00:15:13.268 --> 00:15:16.271
  • Sir william ramsey was an archaeologist who was
  • 00:15:16.271 --> 00:15:20.275
  • An unbeliever.
  • 00:15:20.275 --> 00:15:21.810
  • He wanted to disprove the reliability of scripture, so he
  • 00:15:21.810 --> 00:15:25.781
  • Centered on the gospel of luke.
  • 00:15:25.781 --> 00:15:28.450
  • Why luke?
  • 00:15:28.450 --> 00:15:29.818
  • Because luke contains more names, dates, references to
  • 00:15:29.818 --> 00:15:35.391
  • World activities, than any of the other gospels and he said,
  • 00:15:35.391 --> 00:15:38.827
  • "if i could just disprove one of these dates, one of these
  • 00:15:38.827 --> 00:15:42.331
  • Events, it would destroy the credibility of luke."
  • 00:15:42.331 --> 00:15:45.401
  • He spent several years researching the gospel of luke,
  • 00:15:45.401 --> 00:15:48.637
  • And in the process, became a christian.
  • 00:15:48.637 --> 00:15:51.407
  • And he said, "luke's history," quote, "is unsurpassed in
  • 00:15:51.407 --> 00:15:56.145
  • Respect of its trustworthiness."
  • 00:15:56.145 --> 00:15:58.714
  • Secondly, think about caiaphas, the high priest, recorded in
  • 00:15:58.714 --> 00:16:02.451
  • Matthew 26:57.
  • 00:16:02.451 --> 00:16:04.653
  • He was the high priest who presided over the first of six
  • 00:16:04.653 --> 00:16:07.756
  • Trials of jesus, after he was arrested.
  • 00:16:07.756 --> 00:16:11.193
  • There was no confirmation of caiaphas as a high priest, until
  • 00:16:11.193 --> 00:16:15.164
  • His tomb was discovered in jerusalem, in 1990.
  • 00:16:15.164 --> 00:16:19.268
  • Many of us have been to that tomb before.
  • 00:16:19.268 --> 00:16:21.870
  • He was not only high priest, but the tomb indicates he was high
  • 00:16:21.870 --> 00:16:25.274
  • Priest during the time of jesus's arrest, and trial,
  • 00:16:25.274 --> 00:16:29.011
  • And crucifixion.
  • 00:16:29.011 --> 00:16:30.846
  • Another figure in the crucifixion was pontius pilate,
  • 00:16:30.846 --> 00:16:34.516
  • Mentioned in matthew 27:2.
  • 00:16:34.516 --> 00:16:37.319
  • In 1961, an italian archaeologist, named antonio
  • 00:16:37.319 --> 00:16:41.790
  • Frova, discovered an inscription on a stone slab at caesarea by
  • 00:16:41.790 --> 00:16:46.628
  • The sea that said pontius pilate was the roman procurator and
  • 00:16:46.628 --> 00:16:51.667
  • Gave the years which coincided with the trial of jesus.
  • 00:16:51.667 --> 00:16:56.071
  • Today, many of us have gone to caesarea by the sea and seen
  • 00:16:56.071 --> 00:16:59.775
  • That replica of what is called the "pilate stone" that mentions
  • 00:16:59.775 --> 00:17:04.580
  • Pontius pilate.
  • 00:17:04.580 --> 00:17:06.248
  • Or fourthly, think about the theater in ephesus.
  • 00:17:06.248 --> 00:17:09.451
  • You remember, that in acts 19 there was a great theater,
  • 00:17:09.451 --> 00:17:12.521
  • Described in luke chapter 19.
  • 00:17:12.521 --> 00:17:15.757
  • It was a place where the citizens came together, they
  • 00:17:15.757 --> 00:17:18.594
  • Were angry.
  • 00:17:18.594 --> 00:17:19.962
  • They wanted to kill paul and his associates because paul was
  • 00:17:19.962 --> 00:17:23.132
  • Killing their business of making idols.
  • 00:17:23.132 --> 00:17:26.268
  • Well, you can stand in that very theater where paul's associates
  • 00:17:26.268 --> 00:17:31.306
  • Were threatened.
  • 00:17:31.306 --> 00:17:32.674
  • Now again, the size and the scope mean the archaeological
  • 00:17:32.674 --> 00:17:37.179
  • Record can never prove that the bible is true, but there's never
  • 00:17:37.179 --> 00:17:42.117
  • Been an archaeological discovery that has disproved any event,
  • 00:17:42.117 --> 00:17:46.688
  • Location, or person in the bible.
  • 00:17:46.688 --> 00:17:49.291
  • Now we've talked about all the evidence, the internal claims of
  • 00:17:49.291 --> 00:17:52.694
  • The bible, fulfilled prophecy, unity of theme, early acceptance
  • 00:17:52.694 --> 00:17:57.299
  • Of the message, archaeology.
  • 00:17:57.299 --> 00:17:59.868
  • Why do people object to the idea that the bible is true?
  • 00:17:59.868 --> 00:18:05.073
  • Let me mention today three common objections to the
  • 00:18:05.073 --> 00:18:08.644
  • Trustworthiness of the bible, and remember, again, whether
  • 00:18:08.644 --> 00:18:13.248
  • What i'm saying is true or not determines your eternal destiny.
  • 00:18:13.248 --> 00:18:17.819
  • It determines whether we're trusting the right book to lead
  • 00:18:17.819 --> 00:18:21.623
  • Us to the right way to heaven.
  • 00:18:21.623 --> 00:18:23.892
  • So why do people have trouble with the bible?
  • 00:18:23.892 --> 00:18:26.662
  • Well, one excuse is, people say scribes must have made numerous
  • 00:18:26.662 --> 00:18:31.600
  • Errors in copying the text throughout the centuries.
  • 00:18:31.600 --> 00:18:36.371
  • Remember the old game of telephone you used to play as
  • 00:18:36.371 --> 00:18:38.974
  • A kid?
  • 00:18:38.974 --> 00:18:40.342
  • You'd get in a circle with your friends, and the first person
  • 00:18:40.342 --> 00:18:42.711
  • Would whisper a message to the second person, and on down the
  • 00:18:42.711 --> 00:18:46.882
  • Line it went to the last person, and the last person would get
  • 00:18:46.882 --> 00:18:50.319
  • The message, and it was completely distorted from what
  • 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:53.922
  • The first message was.
  • 00:18:53.922 --> 00:18:55.591
  • A lot of people think that's what happened with the bible.
  • 00:18:55.591 --> 00:18:58.427
  • They think, "okay, the originals, which we don't have,
  • 00:18:58.427 --> 00:19:00.762
  • By the way, the original manuscripts were without error,
  • 00:19:00.762 --> 00:19:04.533
  • But surely copyists made mistakes through the centuries."
  • 00:19:04.533 --> 00:19:09.204
  • Well, let's look at that possibility.
  • 00:19:09.204 --> 00:19:11.173
  • First of all, in the old testament.
  • 00:19:11.173 --> 00:19:13.575
  • There is a plethora of manuscript evidence for the
  • 00:19:13.575 --> 00:19:18.647
  • Reliability of the copyist.
  • 00:19:18.647 --> 00:19:21.183
  • For example, do you realize that most ancient literary works had
  • 00:19:21.183 --> 00:19:26.088
  • Very few manuscripts to support them?
  • 00:19:26.088 --> 00:19:28.557
  • There are only seven manuscripts for plato, eight for herodotus,
  • 00:19:28.557 --> 00:19:33.729
  • Ten for caesar's gallic wars, and 20 manuscripts for the
  • 00:19:33.729 --> 00:19:38.000
  • Historian tacitus.
  • 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:39.835
  • And yet, there are over 10,000 manuscripts for the
  • 00:19:39.835 --> 00:19:44.673
  • Old testament.
  • 00:19:44.673 --> 00:19:46.008
  • The most amazing of those manuscripts was discovered in
  • 00:19:46.008 --> 00:19:49.044
  • 1947, in qumran, the caves of qumran, near the dead sea.
  • 00:19:49.044 --> 00:19:54.750
  • It was the discovery of what we call the "dead sea scrolls."
  • 00:19:54.750 --> 00:19:58.587
  • A young bedouin accidentally discovered these clay pots that
  • 00:19:58.587 --> 00:20:02.824
  • Contained scrolls of most of the old testament, including a
  • 00:20:02.824 --> 00:20:08.664
  • Complete copy of the old testament book of isaiah.
  • 00:20:08.664 --> 00:20:13.135
  • Now what was amazing about the dead sea scrolls is, they were
  • 00:20:13.135 --> 00:20:16.471
  • Dated to be 100 bc, in age.
  • 00:20:16.471 --> 00:20:20.475
  • They were copied 100 years before christ.
  • 00:20:20.475 --> 00:20:24.112
  • What is interesting is, before the dead sea scrolls, the
  • 00:20:24.112 --> 00:20:27.949
  • Earliest manuscript we had of the old testament was 980,
  • 00:20:27.949 --> 00:20:34.289
  • Nearly 1000 years later.
  • 00:20:34.289 --> 00:20:38.160
  • 1000 years separated the massoretic text, the text we had
  • 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:43.198
  • Of the old testament, 900 ad, and the dead sea scrolls, 1000
  • 00:20:43.198 --> 00:20:47.636
  • Years earlier in 100 bc.
  • 00:20:47.636 --> 00:20:50.205
  • Why is that significant?
  • 00:20:50.205 --> 00:20:51.807
  • Because it gave us the ability to see how accurate the copyist
  • 00:20:51.807 --> 00:20:55.477
  • Had been, over 1000 years.
  • 00:20:55.477 --> 00:20:57.612
  • Was there a lot of variation in the message?
  • 00:20:57.612 --> 00:21:01.283
  • Not at all, it's amazing.
  • 00:21:01.283 --> 00:21:03.585
  • 95% of the text of the dead sea scrolls match what we had 1000
  • 00:21:03.585 --> 00:21:10.125
  • Years later.
  • 00:21:10.125 --> 00:21:11.493
  • 95%, take isaiah.
  • 00:21:11.493 --> 00:21:15.664
  • Isaiah chapter 53, a key chapter in the old testament.
  • 00:21:15.664 --> 00:21:19.668
  • It has 166 words.
  • 00:21:19.668 --> 00:21:22.404
  • The dead sea scrolls revealed that out of those 166 words,
  • 00:21:22.404 --> 00:21:27.843
  • There were only 17 letters in question.
  • 00:21:27.843 --> 00:21:32.214
  • Ten of those letters could be explained by difference in
  • 00:21:32.214 --> 00:21:35.784
  • Spelling, four letters related to minor things over which
  • 00:21:35.784 --> 00:21:40.055
  • Conjunction, and or but, i mean, minor things like that.
  • 00:21:40.055 --> 00:21:43.792
  • Only three letters out of 166 words were in dispute, and those
  • 00:21:43.792 --> 00:21:49.498
  • Letters spelled "light," and they have nothing to do with the
  • 00:21:49.498 --> 00:21:52.868
  • Meaning of isaiah chapter 53.
  • 00:21:52.868 --> 00:21:56.371
  • It's just amazing how god has protected the manuscript,
  • 00:21:56.371 --> 00:22:00.308
  • Through the years.
  • 00:22:00.308 --> 00:22:01.643
  • What about the new testament?
  • 00:22:01.643 --> 00:22:03.011
  • There's even more evidence for the veracity of the
  • 00:22:03.011 --> 00:22:05.747
  • New testament.
  • 00:22:05.747 --> 00:22:07.082
  • Without doubt, the books of the new testament were the most
  • 00:22:07.082 --> 00:22:10.652
  • Quoted books of antiquity.
  • 00:22:10.652 --> 00:22:13.588
  • Today, we have nearly 25,000 manuscripts.
  • 00:22:13.588 --> 00:22:18.093
  • Think about it, 25,000 manuscripts for the
  • 00:22:18.093 --> 00:22:21.663
  • New testament.
  • 00:22:21.663 --> 00:22:22.998
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:22:22.998 --> 00:22:28.103
  • Jeffress: my prayer is for anyone watching, right now, who
  • 00:22:28.103 --> 00:22:31.440
  • Has never come to grips with the authority and credibility of
  • 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.776
  • The bible.
  • 00:22:34.776 --> 00:22:36.144
  • Perhaps, for the first time, you're beginning to understand
  • 00:22:36.144 --> 00:22:39.481
  • That the bible is truly god's word to you.
  • 00:22:39.481 --> 00:22:42.584
  • It reminds me of someone who contacted "pathway to
  • 00:22:42.584 --> 00:22:45.787
  • Victory," recently.
  • 00:22:45.787 --> 00:22:47.456
  • Jim listens to us in texas, and he wrote, "pastor jeffress, i
  • 00:22:47.456 --> 00:22:52.160
  • Haven't been to church in about nine years.
  • 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:55.063
  • When you teach, i know the word of god is taught properly and
  • 00:22:55.063 --> 00:22:59.100
  • Not watered down.
  • 00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:00.669
  • I'll admit, my life isn't where it needs to be, and i am not
  • 00:23:00.669 --> 00:23:04.706
  • Walking right.
  • 00:23:04.706 --> 00:23:06.041
  • But god is working through your program to help bring me back
  • 00:23:06.041 --> 00:23:09.478
  • To him."
  • 00:23:09.478 --> 00:23:10.812
  • Jim, that's a wonderful encouragement, to me.
  • 00:23:10.812 --> 00:23:13.615
  • I love your honesty and your transparency.
  • 00:23:13.615 --> 00:23:16.685
  • You're headed, now, in the right direction.
  • 00:23:16.685 --> 00:23:19.855
  • And friends, if you've given a financial gift to "pathway to
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  • Victory," and especially if you're one of our "pathway
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  • Partners," you need to know that your generosity is touching men
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  • And women, just like jim, all across the country and around
  • 00:23:29.931 --> 00:23:33.702
  • The world.
  • 00:23:33.702 --> 00:23:35.070
  • Thank you so much for your continued generosity.
  • 00:23:35.070 --> 00:23:38.240
  • Now, stay right there, i'll be back with more "pathway to
  • 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.076
  • Victory," in just a moment.
  • 00:23:41.076 --> 00:23:44.346
  • Male announcer: if a friend, or one of your children came up to
  • 00:23:44.412 --> 00:23:46.915
  • You and asked, "how do you know christianity is the
  • 00:23:46.915 --> 00:23:49.618
  • Right religion?"
  • 00:23:49.618 --> 00:23:50.986
  • Could you give a clear and credible answer?
  • 00:23:50.986 --> 00:23:53.455
  • We'd like to send you a book from dr. robert jeffress
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  • Containing answers to life's seven most important questions.
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  • It's titled, "how can i know?"
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  • Jeffress: if we're honest, every one of us has questions about
  • 00:24:02.397 --> 00:24:05.300
  • Our faith.
  • 00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:06.668
  • Questions like, "how can i know the bible is true?"
  • 00:24:06.668 --> 00:24:09.337
  • Or, "how can i know god exists?"
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  • In my book "how can i know?"
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  • I tackle seven important questions and provide
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  • Male announcer: seven straightforward answers to seven
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  • Pressing questions.
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  • The book, "how can i know?"
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  • Is yours, today, when you give a generous gift to support the
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  • Jeffress: it's not a sin to have doubts.
  • 00:24:45.807 --> 00:24:49.077
  • Sometimes doubt is a prerequisite to genuine faith.
  • 00:24:49.077 --> 00:24:53.048
  • Male announcer: thank you for investing, financially, in
  • 00:24:53.048 --> 00:24:55.817
  • "pathway to victory."
  • 00:24:55.817 --> 00:24:57.152
  • Your partnership will help our ministry broadcast god's truth
  • 00:24:57.152 --> 00:25:00.689
  • On television, on radio, and online, addressing doubts,
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  • Clearing confusion, and transforming lives through the
  • 00:25:04.993 --> 00:25:08.196
  • Bold, biblical teaching of god's word.
  • 00:25:08.196 --> 00:25:11.232
  • Jeffress: today, i explained how the early acceptance of god's
  • 00:25:13.902 --> 00:25:17.172
  • Word, and the overwhelming archaeological evidence also
  • 00:25:17.172 --> 00:25:21.142
  • Point to the bible's credibility.
  • 00:25:21.142 --> 00:25:23.645
  • And next time, i'll address some common objections to the
  • 00:25:23.645 --> 00:25:27.015
  • Trustworthiness of scripture.
  • 00:25:27.015 --> 00:25:29.050
  • For example, "how do you explain the so-called contradictions in
  • 00:25:29.050 --> 00:25:32.520
  • The bible?
  • 00:25:32.520 --> 00:25:33.855
  • What about the gnostic gospels?
  • 00:25:33.855 --> 00:25:36.458
  • How do we know that the scribes and copyists didn't make
  • 00:25:36.458 --> 00:25:39.160
  • Any mistakes?
  • 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:40.495
  • And how can we know that we have the right books of the bible in
  • 00:25:40.495 --> 00:25:44.699
  • Our bibles?"
  • 00:25:44.699 --> 00:25:46.034
  • Well, stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
  • 00:25:46.034 --> 00:25:49.471
  • Series, "how can i know?"
  • 00:25:49.471 --> 00:25:52.874
  • Jeffress: just think about it, our heavenly father has gone to
  • 00:25:52.941 --> 00:25:56.778
  • The trouble to send a written communication to us, because
  • 00:25:56.778 --> 00:26:01.182
  • More than anything else, he loves us.
  • 00:26:01.182 --> 00:26:04.019
  • He wants us to know his message.
  • 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:05.887
  • "for god so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that
  • 00:26:05.887 --> 00:26:09.457
  • Whoever believes in him will never perish, but have
  • 00:26:09.457 --> 00:26:12.627
  • Eternal life."
  • 00:26:12.627 --> 00:26:14.262
  • Male announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for part two
  • 00:26:14.329 --> 00:26:17.098
  • Of the message, "how can i know the bible is true?"
  • 00:26:17.098 --> 00:26:20.602
  • Here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:20.602 --> 00:26:22.537
  • Male announcer: if you could go back in time and walk with the
  • 00:26:26.441 --> 00:26:28.810
  • Apostle paul on one of his journeys, would you do it?
  • 00:26:28.810 --> 00:26:32.380
  • Jeffress: this may, let's go together, on the life changing
  • 00:26:32.380 --> 00:26:35.083
  • "pathway to victory: journeys of paul, mediterranean cruise."
  • 00:26:35.083 --> 00:26:39.854
  • Male announcer: embark on a voyage of elegance and
  • 00:26:39.854 --> 00:26:41.856
  • Refinement, aboard the luxurious celebrity ascent.
  • 00:26:41.856 --> 00:26:45.527
  • Enjoy lavish state rooms, spacious balconies, and
  • 00:26:45.527 --> 00:26:48.596
  • World-class dining.
  • 00:26:48.596 --> 00:26:49.964
  • You'll experience breathtaking views, famous beaches, and
  • 00:26:49.964 --> 00:26:53.635
  • Crystal clear water, in beautiful island destinations
  • 00:26:53.635 --> 00:26:57.005
  • Like santorini, mykonos, and crete.
  • 00:26:57.005 --> 00:27:00.141
  • Jeffress: walk with me, and other believers, in the very
  • 00:27:00.141 --> 00:27:02.610
  • Places where god's word was written.
  • 00:27:02.610 --> 00:27:05.380
  • Join us as we study his word, together, surrounded by natural
  • 00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:09.517
  • Beauty, we will seek our creator in his creation.
  • 00:27:09.517 --> 00:27:14.222
  • Male announcer: reserve your spot on the "pathway to victory"
  • 00:27:14.222 --> 00:27:16.791
  • Journeys of paul mediterranean cruise.
  • 00:27:16.791 --> 00:27:19.360
  • Call... or visit ptv.org.
  • 00:27:19.360 --> 00:27:27.235