“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.” – Daniel 3:1

There it stood: an imposing golden figure that towered about 90 feet toward the sky. At the sound of an array of instruments, all the people of Babylon were to fall down and worship this mammoth idol — or be executed. (Daniel 3:6) Undoubtedly, most people obeyed Nebuchadnezzar’s command to prostrate themselves before the “image of gold”. However, there were three young Judean noblemen who refused to obey the king’s command. They answered to a higher King, whose authority superseded that of any earthly ruler. As a result of their obedience, they were condemned to death — by fire. When Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he gave them a second chance to worship his idol. They refused:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

Nebuchadnezzar obviously didn’t like this response. In fact, he ordered the furnace used for execution to be heated seven times hotter than usual — so hot that it killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego inside. However, the fire didn’t even touch the three captives. Miraculously, God allowed them to walk out of the furnace entirely unscathed — they didn’t even smell like smoke! Nebuchadnezzar, absolutely shocked by this entirely unexpected turn of events, turned to worship not his image, but the God of the three young men who had defied his unholy command.

Several years after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s experience in the fiery furnace, the reigning powers had shifted from the Babylonians to the Persians. Darius the Mede was governor over the kingdom in the empire that included Babylon (Daniel 5:31). Highly impressed with Daniel’s service, Darius planned to set him over the entire kingdom. However, the other government leaders enviously conspired against Daniel, concocting a plan that ultimately had him thrown in a den of lions. His crime: faithfully praying to God, choosing to honor Him over the decrees of men. The morning after Daniel was seemingly cast to his death, Darius rushed to the den to see if God had saved Daniel. Indeed, He had, and Daniel was lifted out. In his place, the wicked conspirators were thrown in instead. (Daniel 6:1-24)

Although their stories are different, there is a consistent thread in the accounts of these four men. Instead of stooping to obey an earthly authority when it conflicted with the Word of God, the Faithful Four chose to honor their heavenly Lord. In numerous other occasions, they undoubtedly submitted to the leadership that was placed over them. However, when that same leadership challenged the King of Kings, they refused to budge. In choosing obedience to God rather than man, they didn’t know what the outcome would be. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego very well may have been burned to death, and Daniel very well could have been eaten alive. God would still have been sovereign. Even so, they decided to put their trust in Him, knowing full well that although He could most certainly save them, they would willingly die in obedience rather than renounce Him.

The Faithful Four all underwent a “Trial by Fire”. While they may have experienced persecution to some degree throughout their service in Babylon, it was these two specific tests that decisively proved their faithfulness to the Lord. Faced with obedience to man or death, they willingly chose to remain faithful to God. In our current day and age, we don’t necessarily face persecution of this sort. In some areas of the world, yes, but your average American Christian isn’t likely to be threatened for their faith. However, we do face trials of other sorts — physical ailments, painful relationships, spiritual disciplining, etc. Sometimes the Lord allows us to undergo tests that measure our maturity. Other times, He allows us to undergo more serious trials, many of which could be our personal equivalent of a “Trial by Fire”. It is during these trials that more than mere maturing takes place. In a “Trial by Fire”, a Christian’s faith is put under intense testing. However, the goal of these tests is not so much maturation as it is purification. When a Christian comes through a “Trial by Fire”, they emerge with a deeper understanding of who God is, as their relationship with Him has been refined of crucial blemishes that had stood in its way.

Many would shun the opportunity to have their faith tested. From first glance, understandably so! What needs to be understood, though, is that the rewards that come from “Trial by Fire” — a deeper relationship with the Lord, spiritual (or natural) promotion, increased contentment in God — are obtained only through such an intense refining process. Although it may not seem like it, a “Trial by Fire” is in fact a blessing from the Lord. That we would be selected to undergo such refinement for His glory is truly an honor! Just as He required of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God ultimately requires one thing from us: unwavering faithfulness to Him.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

       

          Imagine being taken captive into a foreign, hostile culture. You’re separated from your family, carried off by a people that has just handed your nation a stunning military defeat. When you arrive in your captor’s land, you are subjected to a three year “re-education” program, in which you are indoctrinated into this foreign culture. Welcome to the world of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. As members of the first of the Babylonian exiles, the “Faithful Four” were destined — by God — to accomplish great things in the nation they were capture by. However, before those opportunities came, they had to prove themselves faithful to the Lord.

Fast-forward a couple thousand years to the present day. In many ways, our situation is similar to that of the Faithful Four, albeit less traumatic. We live in a culture that is hostile to our faith. Much of our current educational system, journalism, entertainment, etc. seeks to indoctrinate us with a secular worldview that opposes Christianity. We may not be forced to worship the gods of the Babylonians, but we’re certainly given plenty of opportunities to exalt our own personal idols of popularity, wealth, success, media (TV, internet, etc.), or what have you. Despite the utter opposition they faced in Babylon, the Faithful Four stood toe-to-toe with the challenges that were made to their faith, choosing to trust in God rather than in man. (Psalm 118:8) Ultimately, it was this radical obedience that allowed God to use these four young men mightily in bringing Him glory. Although most of us may never enter such prestigious positions of authority, the attitude that the Faithful Four exhibited provides a wealth of lessons for our lives today.

One of the most excellent examples of the Faithful Four’s attitude was their decision to be in Babylon, but not of it. In Daniel 1:8, it says that “…Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.” After working things out with the steward who was over them, Daniel arranged things so that he and his three friends wouldn’t have to eat the king’s food, but were instead given vegetables and water. When they were inspected ten days later, they were found to be “better in appearance and fatter in flesh” (v. 15) than the other youths. Not only was their appearance better, but they had also gained weight! For the next three years of their training, the Four continued to prove themselves faithful to the Lord and put their trust in Him. As a result, verse 17 says that: “…God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” Later on, when king Nebuchadnezzar summoned the Judean youths for an examination, none were found equal to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In fact, verse 20 states that: “…in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.”

So how does the obedience of the Faithful Four apply to our lives? Let’s reconsider Daniel 1:8. Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food. How does our resolve look when it comes to being “in the world, but not of it”? This doesn’t just apply to abstaining from blatant sinful behavior. What about our character, our thoughts, the way we interact with other people? Is it apparent that we are different from the world around us, or do we blend in too easily? If we start to see the tenacity of Daniel’s resolve in light of our own lives, we can more humbly assess where we are in our walk with the Lord. Our circumstances may be different from his, but the standard of remaining pure before the Lord remains unchanged.

The obedience and faithfulness of Daniel and his three friends gained them favor before God and man, and set them in a strategic position for their lives. Later on, when the majority of the rest of the population of Judah was brought into exile in Babylon, the oppressed Judeans could find hope and encouragement in knowing that four of their own people were in government leadership. Specifically concerning Daniel, God would use him mightily in revealing and interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the “great image”. However, the Faithful Four’s initial obedience would not be their only test. In their upcoming years of service, all four would undergo a “Trial by Fire”.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Throughout the centuries, men have sought to undermine the Bible and disprove it as what it claims to be: the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).  Countless objections have been raised toward its accuracy and authenticity.  How can we be sure that we hold the actual Scriptures in our hands today?  Haven’t they been distorted and chopped up throughout the years?  Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself? Wasn’t the Bible written down years after the events described in it took place?

For every question, there is an answer.  Hopefully, in this post, many of those questions will indeed be answered.  In exploring the reliability and authenticity of the Scriptures, four main points are going to be covered: 1) the textual validity the Bible, 2) the archaeological evidence that supports it, 3) the internal consistency of the Bible, and 4) the veracity and magnitude of the prophecies fulfilled in the Scriptures.  We will cover the first two topics in this post and the remaining two in a post just a few days out.  Let’s get started.

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Textual Validity

 Before any evidence is given for the Bible’s authenticity, one very important point needs to be thoroughly clarified.  The Bible is a product of Divine inspiration.  The authors of the various books of the Bible were inspired by God, Who guided the writers in their work. (2 Peter 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:16)  It is only after this fundamental truth is grasped that the Bible’s content is fully understood for what it is: the Word of God.

Understanding the textual validity of the Bible is of paramount importance.  Many Biblical critics deny that the Bible was written over several hundred years by numerous authors, claiming instead that it was written up as some sort of a highly imaginative book sometime after the events described in it would have taken place.  Furthermore, even if the Bible was written over a long span of time by numerous authors, surely translation mistakes riddle it and totally destroy its original authenticity.  Such misunderstandings may be attributed to a lack of study on the dating of Biblical manuscripts, as well as the precision of Biblical scribes in copying Scripture.

One of the most excellent examples of the Bible’s textual authenticity can be found in the discovery of the “Dead Sea Scrolls” in 1947.  These scrolls — discovered by a young shepherd boy in caves near the valley of the Dead Sea — included numerous pieces of Biblical literature.  Among the books represented were a complete copy of the book of Isaiah and fragments of almost every book in the Old Testament.1  The materials in this phenomenal find are dated around 100 B.C.2  However, what makes this discovery so fascinating is the history behind the writing of the scrolls.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were copied down in the Massoretic tradition, a method of copying that was exceedingly precise.  Massorete scribes would copy manuscripts in all capital letters, with no punctuation or paragraphs.  When they were finished copying a particular book, they would total up the letters and find the middle letter of the book.  If it wasn’t the same, they made a new copy.  This meticulous attention to accuracy was highly evident in the Dead Sea Scrolls.  When the copy of the book of Isaiah was compared with a more recent Massoretic Hebrew text dating from the tenth century A.D., the manuscripts were found to be in remarkable harmony with only a few minor differences.3

 The evidence for the validity of the New Testament is extremely compelling.  At this time, there are over 4,000 different ancient Greek manuscripts that contain all or portions of the New Testament.  In addition, there are more than 1,000 copies and fragments of the New Testament in Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, and Ethiopic.  There are also 8,000 copies of the Latin Vulgate.4,5  Numerous quotations from the New Testament Scriptures can be found in the writings of the early Church fathers.  These quotations are so numerous that it would be possible to gather them and reconstruct the entire New Testament, minus only fifteen to twenty verses!6  Considering just how many manuscripts Bible translators have at their fingertips, it is stunning just how much evidence there is for the validity of the New Testament.  To further support this claim, there is astounding evidence for the specific timing of the New Testament writings.  Check out this chart (near the end of the article) from Probe Ministries for further information.

Archaeological Evidence

 When it comes to providing solid historical evidence for the Bible, archaeology has proved the Bible’s reliability time and again.  In fact, the current number of archaeological finds that relate to the Bible reach into the hundreds of thousands!7  Archaeology has uncovered several civilizations, cities, ancient sites, etc. that are mentioned in the Scriptures.  One excellent such example is the Hittite civilization.

For many years, critics had attacked the Bible’s references to the Hittites, whom It stated were a powerful people in the Middle East from 1750 to 1200 B.C. (Genesis 15:20, 1 Kings 10:29).  During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, archaeologists discovered evidence that permanently silenced critics of the Hittites’ existence.  A Hittite city — which was soon understood to be the empire’s capital — was discovered in Turkey.  This city also housed a library of thousands of tablets, providing additional insight to the Hittite language and culture.8

Check back soon for part II!

1. – Williams, James F., “Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?,” Probe Ministries, (1995), http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227393/k.3AE2/Are_the_Biblical_Documents_Reliable.htm (accessed February 4, 2010).
2. – Ibid.
3. – Ibid.
4. – Ibid.
5. – The Latin Vulgate is a Latin Translation of the Bible completed in A.D. 405 by Saint Jerome.
6. – Williams, op. cit.
7. – Zukeran, Patrick, “Authority of the Bible,” Probe Ministries, (2005), http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227389/k.6202/Authority_of_the_Bible.htm (accessed February 4, 2010).
8. – Ibid.

Romans 12:2 is a key verse that He opened my eyes to:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I had read this verse before and understood its meaning on a surface level, but I hadn’t really grasped the deeper meaning.  Same story with verses like 2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 Peter 3:15.  Eventually, I caught on to the message.  All Christians, regardless of their maturity in the faith, are called to think.  And I don’t mean whimsical daydreaming.  I’m talking about thinking deeply and critically about their faith and how it applies to the world around them.

You might be thinking, “Man, that sounds kind of hard. Do Christians really need to think about their faith?”  Yes, it is hard, and yes, Christians do need to think about their faith.  But we need to realize that we can’t quit on something just because it’s difficult.  When you really hone in on the thinking aspect of Christianity, all kinds of amazing insight into the faith and reality is stunningly revealed!  Christians aren’t just called to a spiritual focus in their faith, but to an intellectual one as well.  Please understand that when I say intellectual, I don’t mean that everyone has to go out and earn a Ph.D. from some prestigious seminary.  On the contrary, a thinking Christian is not measured by how much he knows, but rather by how much he thinks (with a Biblical perspective) about his faith and the world around him.  Knowledge naturally results from analytical thought and research.

So here’s the bottom line: Christians are called to think critically about their faith and the issues that the world constantly throws in their faces.  There is no easy way in when becoming a thinking Christian.  It is hard and it won’t always be fun.  But you’ll be stronger and better equipped by becoming one.  We can’t just ignore the issues and circumstances around us and hide in a safe spiritual bubble.  We need to be willing to roll our sleeves up, get a little dirty, and ring the truth out of all the agendas that challenge our faith.  I think the best way to sum this up is with a quote by Saint Augustine:

“Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this – you neglect to inquire into the things you are ignorant of.”

Let’s not be ignorant Christians.  Let’s become thinking ones.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.