Are you asking questions about Christianity?  Or are there questions others ask you and you cannot find the right words?  Questions like “If God is so great, why does he allow bad things to happen?”  Or maybe it’s the hypocrisy you find in some Christian followers.  Or maybe you’re logical, like me and question the reality of what is written in the Bible and search for the evidence.  I mean, I’d personally like to see more water turned into wine!

I have had my own doubts.  When first attending Willowdale Chapel, I often listened to the sermons and attempted to take “God” out of it (in hindsight, not possible).  I was able to apply the overall lessons to my own life and that started the change in me.  I continued attending for over a year without truly believing in God.  The only explanation for continuing to go to church was because God had his hand on me; although I have no physical evidence, which makes it hard to describe to skeptics.  It has been all the loving people around me and really studying the Word which has helped me realize that God does exist and He IS right here, there, and everywhere.

The most fascinating thing I have found in my few years as a believer is the overwhelming evidence of God.  The answered prayers.  The changes in my own life.  The realization of God’s creation and beauty all around us.  But the most interesting to me is the historical and geographical evidence from the Bible we can still see today!    

Some small groups in our church recently read and studied “The Problem Of God” by Mark Clark. My short blog will not give it all justice, so I highly recommend buying or borrowing the book!

One of the chapters was “The Problem of The Bible.”  Another was “The Problem of The Christ Myth.”  I will pull from them both the historical facts that lay out the evidence and reality of the Bible.  

Historical Evidence of the Bible’s Accuracy

Many skeptics question the Word itself.  Is the Bible fiction?  Hasn’t it been changed?  Is it historically legitimate?  Having similar questions myself, I found Clark’s explanations very meaningful.  

First, let’s look at historical documents and how scholars deem them accurate.  Two factors for verifying accuracy of the ancient scriptures are the number of manuscripts (handwritten copies) and the number of years that have passed between the event and the writing.  Clark lists a number of the most trustworthy documents in the ancient world that historians call accurate.  The number of manuscripts for each of these range from 2 to 8.  The New Testament has 25,000!  These other documents about historical events were written 400 to 1,500 years after the events occurred.  The New Testament was found to be written 15 to 50 years after the life of Jesus.  This means that when others were reading the “story,” there were eyewitnesses who were still alive to be able to contradict anything that was incorrect.  I have to say that leaves little doubt.

Second, with so many copies and languages now, one may question the reliability of the scribes.  But historians agree that the Bible is one of the most reliable documents.  The reason is because of the care in transcribing each copy.  Bible passages found hundreds of years  and even more miles apart were virtually identical.  

Historical Case for Jesus

There are some skeptics who say Jesus never existed.  They say He is made up and modeled after mythological ancient gods.  The most interesting to me, contrary to this belief, are the ancient historians and writers who mention Jesus by name.  Some of these individuals are not Christians at all, in fact, are anti-Christian.  The writings from these non-fiction authors help show evidence that Jesus actually existed.  They often cited some of the same descriptions found in the New Testament, such as His leadership, how He died, disciples claiming His resurrection, and about His early followers.  His presence across other non-christian, historical documents is a strong indicator of His physical existence, in my opinion!

Geographic Accuracy

The last piece I will mention that came up in “The Problem Of God” is what I personally found the most meaningful.  That is the geographic evidence.  There are many locations that are mentioned in the Bible.  Jerusalem, Rome, and Beersheba, to name a few, continue to be thriving cities today.  With them and other areas, you will find kept buildings, monuments, and ruins that are described within the Bible.  Clark mentions Bethesda being a spot that archaeologists could not find.  As a result, many skeptics left Christianity, as it must be inaccurate.  In the mid-1900s archaeologists discovered Bethesda, along with the structures explained within Bible stories.  Clark quotes Nelson Gluck, a Jewish archaeologist, “It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference.”  It just may not have been found yet.

There are skeptics all around us -- I was one!  We all have questions.  I, like many, have trouble finding the right words to explain or answer others.  Most answers can be found in the Word.   Many answers  the Holy Spirit provides -- sometimes we just need to take more time to listen. And as a believer now, I’d encourage other believers to really listen to skeptics and their questions. God is big enough to handle them all, and He welcomes us when we don’t understand everything.

Are you looking for more answers?  Check out the book I referenced, “The Problem of God: Answering A Skeptic’s Challenges to Christianity,” by Mark Clark.  Or join one of Willowdale’s Bible Studies:  https://willowdalechapel.org/groups/

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER 

A former teacher, coach and personal trainer, Kristin Ryan now loves being a stay-at-home mom. As someone who has more recently found Christianity, she enjoys learning and growing in her faith and is excited to share her experience with others. Kristin and her husband, Casey, have three small children (one was born during the pandemic) and one big dog.

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JOIN US FOR TACO THURSDAY

You’re invited for a relaxing evening of delicious, authentic tacos and fixings, Latin music and Mexican Bingo (with prizes!). Come by yourself or bring a friend. It’s a great summer for building community at Willowdale!

What: Taco THURSDAY
When: Thursday, July 22, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Willowdale Kennett Campus
Who: Women of all ages, high school on up

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Carole Hoy
Women's and Groups' Pastor, Willowdale Chapel