Christianity
Is it the Truth?
Q. Why do you think Christianity is the truth and not Islam or Buddhism or other religions? (J.M.)
Answer:
Good question!
A Provable Religion
Christianity is a “testable,” provable faith and others are not. While Islam claims to have its apologetics (evidences) for their faith, it does not compare to Christianity’s. Take the time to study it for yourself.
For example, students learn that the Koran contains some truths – mostly those plagiarized from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. But, the rest contains errors, contradictions, and claims that cannot be proved. Furthermore, Allah is a capricious god who offers no surety of one’s salvation. Jesus does.
Resurrection Key
Because of the volumes of books written proving Christianity’s truth such as those detailing its history, archaeology and science and the bible, we prefer that seekers begin with the historicity of Jesus Christ and the resurrection.
We know that Buddha is dead. Muhammad is dead. Zoroaster is dead. But, if Jesus Christ rose from the dead as His followers said, then He holds the key to the worst problem on the planet – death. He holds the key to your future life after you die.
Once you understand that Jesus Christ is real and holds the key to heaven and eternal life, then you can begin with what He himself said about the Bible. In a nutshell:
– He claimed that the Bible is without error (John 17:17 – “Your Word is truth”).
– He said that the Bible is divinely authoritative (Matthew 4:4-10 – Wilderness Temptation).
– He claimed the Scriptures are infallible (John 10:35 – “Scripture cannot be broken”).
– He said that the Bible is historically valid and truthful (stories like Jonah and the great fish – Matthew 12:40).
– He affirmed that the Bible is scientifically accurate including stories about man’s origins (“made them male and female” – Matthew 19:4-5).
(Campbell 2005, 59)
Jesus Fulfilled over 300 Prophecies
Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled over 300 prophecies contained in the Old Testament – written long before He was born! We know this is true because we have copies of the Old Testament dating to around 185 B.C. Read Isaiah 53, for example. You will see Jesus in those passages. And the Dead Sea Scrolls prove the Old Testament’s dating – those same passages are dated long before Christ was born.
Yeshua said “I am the Way”
Finally, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Skeptical Seekers Convert
Throughout history many scholarly skeptics who set out to disprove the Bible became ardent believers due to their careful studies. For example, this includes the famous professor of English Literature, C.S. Lewis, Simon Greenleaf – a Harvard law professor who wrote about admissible courtroom evidence, Josh McDowell who wrote, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and astrophysicist Hugh Ross who founded the scientific community’s “Reasons to Believe.”
Don’t check your Brains at the Door
Most Christians do not “check their brains at the door” when they become believers. To the contrary, they become smarter and wiser once they have become students of the Word and students of apologetics. Our Father says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘God does not exist'” (Psalm 14:1).
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References:
Bickel, Bruce & Stan Jantz. 2006. Bible answers to life’s big questions. Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
Campbell, Charlie H. 2005. One-minute answers to skeptics’ top forty questions. USA: Aquintas Publishing. www.AlwaysBeReady.com.
Missler, Chuck and Mark Eastman. 2001. The creator series. Coeur d’Alene, ID: Koinonia House.
Muncaster, Ralph. 2004. Examine the evidence. Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
Strobel, Lee. 1998. The case for Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.