Is the bible authoritive and truly inspired?

ringo writes,

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It's nice to know that the One True Denomination will have members from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. At least that doesn't sound very exclusive.

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But you're still ignoring the point and the topic: There are people who get different messages from the Bible. It doesn't matter if the members of the One True Denomination are all getting the same message. We're talking about the ones who are getting a different message. Unless you're claiming that everybody is going to heaven, you have to acknowledge that somebody is getting the "wrong" message from the Bible. That makes the Bible an unreliable source.

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Unbelievers totally reject God's message of the Bible for those who repent of their sins that Jesus purchased their salvation by His shed blood.Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ totally accept God's message of the Bible for those who repent of their sins that Jesus purchased their salvation by His shed blood.It seems to me that unbelievers who are blinded by the god of this world Satan are the ones who are getting a different message from the Bible, not Believers.Edited by John 10:10, : added "not Believers"

ringo writes,

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That doesn't say much for the Bible being truly inspired, does it, if it can't overcome the power of Satan?

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God gives to every man a "measure of faith" (Rom 12:3) to believe in who God is and in God's salvation in Christ Jesus, which then does lead to overcoming the evil one.When this faith is rejected, the god of this world Satan continues to rule the minds/beliefs of unbelievers.

ringo wrties,

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If God has to give a measure of faith to convince you to believe the Bible, then the Bible on its own must not be very convincing. If it was authoritative and truly inspired, you'd think people would have a "lightbulb moment" as soon as they read it.

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Consider getting a Christmas present sometime that you never open.The measure of faith lightbulb moment must be received and opened before one can have it. Then one grows in that faith until our Lord calls us home to be with Him in eternity.Edited by John 10:10, : No reason given.

ringo wrote,

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But people do open the Bible. The problem is that when they open it, they don't all agree on what the gift is. Some use it as a doorstop, some hang it on the wall as a decoration, some use it as a cookbook. It does a poor job of communicating what it is.

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If you and others want to use the Bible as a doorstop, wall decoration, or cookbook, that is your choice. Many actually eat the recipes of the Bible, receiving God's plan of salvation for man through our Lord Jesus Christ.O taste and see that the LORD is good ; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psa 34:8)

dwise1 wrote,

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I personally had one of those "light bulb" moments reading the Bible! I had been baptized a year before when I decided to read what I was supposed to believe. I quickly found that I couldn't believe any of what I was reading, so I realized that I couldn't be a Christian. That was about 45 years ago and I've been an atheist ever since. Best decision I could have made and I owe it all to reading the Bible!

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You got it backwards in the first place. Water baptism is an outward testimony of an inward "born again experience" (John 3:3-7) that has already taken place in your heart.

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1. Was it possible for these imperfect men to produce a record that is actually Gods message?

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2. How do we know they did not write of their own impulse, but were inspired by God as they claim?

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3. How do we know the writings we have today are the same as they were written by the original men who wrote it.

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(1) Yes!(2) Because 40 different writers wrote 66 books of the Bible over 1500+ years presenting God's love and salvation message to man that has been working for New Testament Believers for 2000 years. Show me one other example of any other book ever written by men that can compare with the Bible?(3) Because the same things written in the Acts 2 Bibles we have today have been happening to Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for the last 2000 years. The Bibles we have today can be verified to be accurate based on manuscripts that date back to the time of Christ.

Please show us how the Upanishads & the Suttas were wtitten by 40 different authors over 1500+ years that present present a consistent message from the start to the finish about God's salvation message to man?

purpledawn wrote,

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That doesn't show that the men were inspired by God and not writing of their own impulse. The writers saw a need and filled it. Remember the majority of Hebrews were illiterate, so the writers weren't writing for the masses to read. Manuscripts had to be read to the masses. Same for the NT.

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So you think the writers of the Bible simply "saw a need and filled it"! What evidence can you provide that this is true, and it was not God inspiring these writers to present His salvation message to man through both the OT and NT writings?I noticed you failed to provide my complete (3) quote,

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(3) Because the same things written in the Acts 2 Bibles we have today have been happening to Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for the last 2000 years. The Bibles we have today can be verified to be accurate based on manuscripts that date back to the time of Christ.

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I was referring mainly to the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 and following which date back to 1st century AD which verify the messages of the OT scriptures. Most of the NT writings can be dated back to the 4th century AD, and present God's same salvation message as is found in the Bibles we have today.Since God's salvation message that is written in the Acts 2 Bibles we have today, which can be verified by the 4th century manuscripts, have been happening to Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ until now, unbelievers may need more proof, but not Believers.

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That depends on what you consider God's message of salvation to be. (Specific verses please)

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These will do in a nutshell,John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old ? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins ; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

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It isn't about believers though. Believers don't need an authoritative and inspired book if they already have the Holy Spirit whispering directly in their ears. What's the book good for if it can't convince unbelievers?

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John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth ; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak ; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
15 "All things that the Father has are Mine ; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.You will notice, the Holy Spirit guides us into the truth of who Jesus is by taking the words that Jesus spoke while on earth and disclosing them to us. God does not ask His children to do anything contrary to the principles God gave in His Word. That's why Believers need the Word. The Spirit leads us into how to carry out the spiritual principles God has revealed in His Word. That's why Believers need the Spirit.

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But I asked you: If the Spirit is guiding you on how to interpret the Word, what do you need the Word for at all? Why can't the Spirit tell you directly how to carry out God's spiritual principles? It seems pretty clear that some people are getting the wrong principles from the Word, so why not eliminate the middleman entirely?

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Pure and simple: Because there are a lot of charlatans out there that would like to tell you things that violate the principles of God's Word.

The essence of God's salvation in Christ Jesus in "BOTH repentance AND being born again by God's Spirit."Do not ignore the entire message of John 3:3-7.

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Why not eliminate the Bible altogether and rely on the Holy Spirit to whisper The Truth in people's ears?

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Read my lips:Because there are a lot of charlatans out there that would like to tell you things (that they say the Holy Spirit told them) that violate the principles of God's Word.

Those that have repented of their sins and have been "born again" by the Spirit through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ know the authority and inspiration of the of the Bible.

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How do you tell that it was the Spirit and not just a New Mexico burrito?

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If you can't understand the answer I gave you the last time you asked this question, you won't understand it if I give it to you again.PeaceEdited by John 10:10, : added "you"