57 REASONS WHY WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

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(Gen. 1:26), his fall, (Gen. 3:1-6), his present state of separation from God (Luke 19:10), his insignificance in the sight of the Almighty and yet his eternal importance (Psalm 8), .are teachings that COULD NOT HAVE COME FROM UNINSPIRED MAN.

34. THE TEACHING OF SCRIPTURE ON SIN AND SALVATION PROVE IT TO BE A REVELATION FROM GOD

Man's tendency is to make light of sin: he calls it a mistake, or a habit, or a fault; but God describes it as REBELLION against His righteous government, an insult to Him, a heinous, loathsome disease.

Man always seeks salvation and favor from God as a reward for his "goodness." His doctrine is "salvation by character." But this idea is entirely foreign to the Bible, God reveals, in the Bible, that salvation is by GRACE; that man is a hopelessly lost and condemned sinner and can do NOTHING to save himself, except trust Christ, let Christ save him. (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9; Rom. 4:5.)

Furthermore, the Bible teaches that .most unusual doctrine THAT GOD HIMSELF, IN THE PERSON OF HIS SON, SUFFERED THE JUST PUNISHMENT FOR SIN THAT .SHOULD HAVE FALLEN ON SINFUL MAN. (See 2 Corinthians 5:20,21; 1 Peter 3:18; 2:24.) Therefore, because Christ died for our sins, and made full atonement for us on the cross, God offers full pardon and everlasting life to all who will come to Christ, in repentance and faith. (John 3:16; Acts 16:31.)

Gentlemen of the jury, the doctrines of the exceeding sinfulness of sin (Rom. 7:13), the substitutionary work of Christ on the Cross, and salvation by grace, DID NOT ORIGINATE IN THE DARKENED MIND OF MAN.

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35. THE BIBLE TEACHING ON A HOST OF OTHER SUBJECTS PROVES IT TO BE FROM GOD

Who among men could or would invent the doctrine of the Holy Spirit? of the Unpardonable Sin (Matt. 12:31-32)? or the Separation of Church and State (Matt. 22: 21) ? or the judgments described in the book of Revelation (Rev. 16:1-10)?

The Bible teaches men NOT to seek after money and material gain (Matt. 6:25-34); NOT to seek revenge; NOT to take the highest place, but the lowest (Matt. ,20:26, 27).

Such teachings are SUPERNATURAL, as far above man's thoughts as the heavens are above the earth.

36. VIEWED MERELY AS LITERATURE, WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT IT IS INSPIRED BY GOD

Gladstone said in awe, "All the wonders of Greek civilization were not as wonderful as this single book of

Psalms." And ,Sir Walter Scott said, when dying, "Give me THE Book."

"It is the finest bit of literature ever written by the pen of man," was Thomas Carlyle's estimate of the Bible, and he should have been a good judge, for he was no mean .master of the quill himself. Though not a Christian, Mr. Proude, the eminent English historian, once said, "The Bible thoroughly known is a literature of itself— "the rarest and the richest in all departments of thought."

"All the great men I have met during the course of my thirty years' world wanderings," said Sir Harry Lauder, "have told me that they loved the Bible not simply for its moral precepts, not solely as the spiritual foundation on

57 REASONS 43

which they had tried to build their lives and guide their actions, but because it is the greatest book that exists, containing within its pages all the romance, all the poetry, all the literature, all the hopes and fears of mankind, now and hereafter."

Sir William Jones, "one of the most accomplished linguists and oriental scholars that England has ever produced" (Encyclopedia Britannica) expressed the following opinion which he records on the last leaf of his Bible: "I have regularly and attentively read these Holy Scriptures, and am of opinion that this volume . . . contains more sublimity and beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence than can be found in all other books, in whatever age or language that may have been written."

Though not a believer, the late Arthur Brisbane said, "Job and Isaiah could do more to correct the deplorable weakness and carelessness of newspaper English than all other teachers combined."

The Bible contains "supreme examples of every form of great literature: Lyric poetry—the Psalms; epic poetry—Genesis; dramatic poetry—Job; historical narrative—the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles; pastoral idyl— Ruth; patriotic appeal—Esther and Daniel; practical wisdom—Proverbs; philosophical reflections—Ecclesiastes; impassioned oratory—Isaiah; short stories—the Gospels; letters—the various epistles of the New Testament; mystical exaltation—the Apocalypse."

"How certain it is that 'God spake all these Words'!" "Forever, 0 Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven" (Ps, 119:89).

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37. THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE SUBJECTS ALL TO GOD AND HIS GLORY PROVES IT TO BE HIS BOOK

If man had written the Bible, it would have sprung from man, be centered in man, and ended in man; but the Bible is CHRIST-CENTERED. "The message of the Old Testament is CHRIST; the message of the New Testament is JESUS; the message of the entire Bible is JESUS CHRIST." He is presented in type, in symbol, in prophecy, in history, as Savior and Lord of all.

God, in Christ, is presented as the Source of every blessing man can ever have, the Source of Salvation from sin and every foe of man, the peace and happiness of His people and their one Object of hope, praise and worship. (See Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 2:8-9; Ps. 16: 8-11.) In Eternity God will be "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28), and Father and Son will be upon the throne—the Center and Source of all things (Rev. 21 and 22).

Man, self-centered, haughty, bigoted, would never write a book so honoring to the Creator.

38. THE RETICENCE OF THE BIBLE ON SOME SUBJECTS PROVES ITS DIVINE ORIGIN

"The secret, things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever" (Duet. 29:29).

Uninspired man attempts to write up the account of the early years of Christ, on which subject the Bible is silent; the result is a most fantastic and impossible narrative, describing odd "miracles" of His boyhood, etc. Many details about the future life are left unrevealed, points on which man's curiosity is very great (for ex-

57 REASONS 45

ample, the question "will babies grow up in heaven?"). Had man written the Book, he would have supplied all those details (from his imagination) and would have produced a most absurd volume.

39. THE INCLUSION IN THE BIBLE OF MANY PARTS THAT MAN CONSIDERS "UNNECESSARY" PROVE IT TO BE OF DIVINE ORIGIN

For example, man would have left out "those long, dry lists of genealogies" in the Old Testament. And yet, they are an invaluable part of the Bible, for without them the Messiahship of Jesus could never have been established. These lists of names also have proven invaluable in establishing the historical accuracy of the Bible, through the findings of archeologists.

Man, probably, would have left out the book of Leviticus, which many consider "dry and uninteresting." But rightly studied this book is one of the most interesting and instructive in the entire Bible, for it teaches spiritual' truth by TYPES. No doubt, man would have written only one life of Christ, instead of the four Gospels as we' now have them. But that would have been a calamity., for as it is we have Christ presented from four viewpoints by four independent witnesses, proving its genuineness and authenticity, as well as giving us a rounded-out view of the Son of God who became the Son of man.

The repetitions of the Bible might be likened to the duplications in the body of man: man has TWO feet^ TWO hands, TWO eyes, to make him more efficient as a man; the Bible is a living organism—its repetitions make it more efficient, and are all necessary.

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40. THE BIBLE SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY— (Matt. 7:29)

"Scribes" and "scientists" do NOT speak with authority, but rather with such expressions as, "We believe," "it might well be," "in all probability," "quite likely," etc. But the Bible comes out flat-footedly with a "Thus saith the Lord," and that is the end of all argument.

The Bible is conclusive and definite in its message. Christ did not say, "Come unto me . . . and I will do my best to give you rest;" far be it from such. He said, "I WILL give you rest." His promises are "yea and amen." He said He was "THE truth, THE way (not "a way"— one among many), THE life." (John 14:6.) Christ claimed ALL power and ALL authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18); and a little study of the words "all," "everywhere," "whosoever" and "eternal" will convince anyone of the finality and all-inclusiveness of the Bible. "The Bible is the eternal Book. It is the Voice; all others are merely echoes."

Truth is the most dogmatic, uncompromising thing in the universe; light can admit of no darkness, purified gold dare not be mixed with dross, truth cannot endure error. The Bible, absolute and eternal truth, never compromises, never changes, never apologizes. And its truths, "spoken with authority" HAVE NEVER BEEN GAINSAID.

41. IT FEARLESSLY EXPOSES THE SINS, AS WELL AS PRAISES THE VIRTUES, OF ITS WRITERS AND GREATEST HEROES

Hero-worship is an innate characteristic of man. The great men of every country are presented to posterity in

57 REASONS 47

nigh flawless perfection by their compatriot biographers. A magazine article reminds us that "George Washington's portrait-painters gave no hint that his face was deeply pitted by smallpox, and his biographers—Parson Weems and the rest—made him so flawless that he ceased to be human." An effectual antidote is to read his recently published diary, we are told.

Contrast the Word of God which faithfully presents all the pockmarks of sin, the evil as well as the good, in its greatest characters. The mighty David's sin of murder and adultery is laid bare (2 Sam. 11) Abraham's subtle lying is exposed, (Gen. 12), and Peter's cowardly denial is recorded, (Matt. 26:69-75). Did uninfluenced man write this? Psychologically impossible!

The sheer truthfulness, and ultra-human exactitude of Scripture proves that the Bible is God-given.

42. THE SINS, PUNISHMENT AND DEFEATS OF THE VERY NATION THAT GAVE US THE BIBLE ARE GIVEN WITH UNBIASED TRUTHFULNESS

The Bible presents the history of Israel as "an almost continual and humiliating record of ingratitude, pride, unbelief, rebellion, and willful departure from God."

Note the humiliating frankness of this, in Deuteronomy 9:6-8, "Thou art a stiff-necked people. Remember and forget not how thou provokest the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord."

Had the historical sections of Scripture that describe their experiences sprung from the heart of the Jewish nation, instead of from the heart of God, they never

48 57 REASONS

would have kept the uncensored record of absolute fact as it exists today.

43. IN MANY INSTANCES, THE WRITERS DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN MESSAGE, NEITHER DID THE PEOPLE OF THEIR AGE, BUT THE MEANING OF IT WAS REVEALED AT A FUTURE DATE, TO OTHER GENERATIONS

Gentlemen of the jury, this is a most amazing fact. Men were constrained to write things which they did not understand, but which were found, generations later, to "bear a necessary and perfectly coherent and intelligible message.

Here is a definite example of what we mean: "And I (Daniel) heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: FOR THE WORDS ARE CLOSED UP AND SEALED TILL THE TIME OF THE END" (Daniel 12:8-9). Habakkuk 2:3 states the same fact in these words, "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie." Peter presents the same fact in I Peter 1:10-11.

The prophets of the Old Testament were puzzled by the messages which the Holy Spirit moved them to give; now that those messages have been fulfilled, or partially fulfilled (for some await a complete fulfillment at the second coming of Christ) in Christ, we readily understand them. The 22nd Psalm and Isaiah 53 illustrate this. Neither chapter was clear till its fulfillment in the crucifixion of Christ clarified it.

This one fact, duly considered, will persuade any thinking man who wants to know and obey the truth, THAT

57 REASONS 49

THE BIBLE IS A DIVINELY GIVEN BOOK.

44. THE BIBLE IS WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IS INTELLIGIBLE TO ONE GROUP AND UNINTELLIGIBLE TO ANOTHER; that is to say, it reveals truth to willingness and humility, and conceals truth from pride and stubbornness

Two men were looking at the same picture—a picture of a horse running. One admired it, and the other laughed at it. The difference lay in the fact that one man looked at the picture right side up, and it was a masterpiece; the other looked at it upside down, and the horse seemed to be sprawling grotesquely. So all men are divided into two groups, relative to the Bible: some see it as God's masterpiece, and others laugh at it as a ridiculous hodge podge. And that unique characteristic lies inherent in the Bible: it was written largely in parabolic and symbolic form, so that to some (willing searchers for truth) "it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" and to others (unwilling ones) "it is not given."

And that explains why an uneducated, though sincere, person can believe and rejoice in God's Word, while a lettered University professor may fail entirely to see the beauty and inspiration of it.

That leads us to state this vitally important proposition: The primary difficulties which stand in the way of accepting the Bible as God's Word are MORAL, not intellectual. The battleground between faith and unbelief is the HEART and not the head. The Bible is never unreasonable, it is ABOVE reason; it is discerned by the spirit and not by the mind, though the mind is the gateway that allows convincing facts to reach the heart. "The

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natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED" (1 Cor. 2:14).

Pascal said, "There is light enough for those who "WISH to see." The evidence, in the final analysis has "been so ordained that only those who are "WILLING TO DO GOD'S WILL" see it as convincing proof. And the reason for this is plain: The Bible is not merely a collection of biographies and a history, IT IS GOD'S GUIDEBOOK TO ETERNAL LIFE FOR LOST MANKIND.

None but God could write a Book like that!

45. A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE PROVES IT TO BE INSPIRED

Bishop Wescott, than whom there has been no greater student of the Greek New Testament, said, "The whole force of the revelation of the Bible is contained in just two letters—the Greek preposition for 'in.' The little Greek word en is found in the New Testament 2,700 times, and without inspiration, it would have been impossible for the writers, most of whom were 'unlearned and ignorant men' (Acts 4:13) to use the word with the unanimous and accurate precision that they did." — (Brookes).

In Galatians 3:16 Paul propounds an important doctrine on a quotation from the Old Testament, noting* especially that the Old Testament used the SINGULAR and not the PLURAL, that is, "seed," not "seeds."

Dr. Robert Dick Wilson, one of the world's greatest Hebrew scholars, (and master and student of 44 other languages) after an exhaustive study of the words of the Old Testament (in one case he examined 100,000 cita-

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tions from extant literature of the period to determine1 the accurate meaning of one word) was a devout believer in the literal inspiration of the Bible. He said, "I have come to the conviction that no man knows enough to assail the truthfulness of the Old Testament."

46. THE SUPERNATURAL COMPACTNESS OF THE BIBLE PROVES IT TO BE GOD-GIVEN

As an illustration of this fact, consider the first verse-in the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." That verse goes back to the far reaches of" the dim past, to the very dawn of all physical creation,,. "In the beginning." It reaches up to the very Throne room of the universe, to the greatest Being of all, "God." It tells, simply, grandly, of the greatest display of physical power ever expended, "God created." It includes the billions of stars, "the heavens." And it settles down on our world, "the earth." With one stroke of the pen, the false ideas of pantheism, atheism, polytheism, evolution, and idolatry are swept aside, "God created." Without; difficulty we could fill the remaining pages of this booklet with further EXPOSITION OF THAT ONE VERSE.

Hundreds of ministers have preached as high as 25 different sermons from ONE TEXT, like John 3:16;. There is no other book in the world like that.

47. THE SIMPLICITY AND PROFUNDITY OF THE BIBLE PROVE IT TO BE OF DIVINE ORIGIN

God's works are characterized by being both simple and profound. With the simple, primary colors of the rainbow God can paint an exquisite sunset. God has provided the race with ten simple numbers, yet how profound

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are the mathematical problems that can be devised from them!

C. H. Spurgeon, "the prince of preachers," says in his preface to the fifth volume of his "Treasury of David," "We can but express our sense of the superficiality of the best and most laborious of comments, when compared with the bottomless depths of the Sacred Word."

Several years ago a man in Toronto was entertaining' Sir William Dawson, foremost Canadian scholar and scientist. One morning he was studying and enjoying the first chapters of Genesis; in another room, at the same time, the nurse was reading the story of Joseph from this same book of Genesis to one of the small children, and the child, excited, wanted her "to go on with it" when an interruption came. Here is a phenomenon: a child and a scientist BOTH enjoy a Book written 3,500 years ago.

Every book written by man can be fathomed by man; but no man yet has fathomed the Bible in all its parts and completely mastered it! GOD WROTE THE BOOK!

48. THE BIBLE IS A BOOK THAT FITS THE NEEDS OF EVERY AGE—IT IS PERPETUALLY UP TO DATE

Infinite Wisdom that dictated the Bible produced a Book that is adapted to every age of the world's history. Whether it be an age of war, or an age of peace; whether it be the "dark ages" or our modern industrial age, the people of God have fed. upon it, leaned upon it, been guided and comforted by it.

The advance of inventions, the accumulation of a vast scientific nomenclature, the widespread education of our times have not banished the Word of God from the stage of the world; contrariwise, it has become more precious,

57 REASONS 53

if anything, because more needed. It is still the daily food to those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness."

For world news, the Bible (though it is the oldest book-in the world) anticipates the newspapers. It is perpetually fresh and refreshing; each reading brings out new-thoughts and blessing'. Daniel Webster was asked, "What part of the Bible do you like the best?" and he answered, "The part that I read last."

49. THE BIBLE IS THE UNIVERSAL BOOK THAT FITS THE NEEDS OF ALL PEOPLES

It is the one true international Book as may be seen by the fact that during the World War the British government allowed the British and Foreign Bible Society to send $1,000 a month to Berlin to maintain the supplies of German Scriptures. It is a Book for the cultured Oxford' scholar as well as for the newly converted raw African cannibal. And it is TRANSLATABLE, for it has the universal appeal. Americans, Chinese, Eskimos, Indians— believers of all nationalities the world over—can claim the Book as their very own. Very, very few books overleap national boundaries and become international.

It presents the only solution to the problems of patriotism, caste, internationalism, and the dividing powers of wealth, sex, age, color, race, birth and environment. In. its full New Testament development it establishes the only real international brotherhood of man possible, "ali! one in Christ Jesus,"—so wiping out all differences in an eternal union of love, "in Christ."

"Hidden, treasured, ineradicable and forever secure, the Bible and its possession is ubiquitous. It has its place.' on the judge's bench, within the soldier's knapsack, the

54 57 REASONS

merchant's desk, the salesman's suitcase, the sailor's bunk, the schoolgirl's satchel. It is the one Book for all. Oh, when I see there is no spot, or condition, or circumstance, or individual for which the Bible is not adapted, I am convinced that only God could have written a Book so marvelous in its suitability."—(Evangeline Booth).

50. THE TYPES OF THE BIBLE PROVE IT TO BE A SUPERNATURAL BOOK

The persons, things and events of the Old Testament are all "types" (illustrations or foreshadowing-s) of Spiritual Truth. For example, the Passover Lamb, described in Exodus 12, is a "type" of Christ the "Lamb of God." (1 Cor. 5:7.) The lamb had to be "without blemish" (Ex. 12:5) representing the sinlessness of Christ; it had to be killed (v. 6)—so Christ was put to death on the cross for the sins of the people; the blood of the lamb had to be sprinkled (v. 7)—picturing the need of personal faith, the individual applying, by faith, the merit's of Calvary to his own need; those protected by the "sprinkled blood" were "passed over" on that night of judgment, while death of 'the first born passed upon every home where no blood was sprinkled—in like manner at the judgment day those who have trusted in Christ for salvation will be spared, and those who have not will be condemned (John 3:36).

Dr. A. J. Gordon said, "The types of the Old Testament are as accurate as mathematics." THIS IS A LITERARY MIRACLE THAT FINDS NO PARALLEL IN ALL THE LITERATURE OF THE WORLD. And the amazing fact is, the types are found inherent in the regular narrative of the Old Testament, and are not written especially as parables or types. EVERY step in Israel's history, whether

57 REASONS 55

good or bad, is a TYPE. The thousands of volumes that have been written on the subject of the typical meaning of Scripture have not begun to exhaust it. This ONE FACT, duly considered and carefully investigated is proof enough to any fair-minded inquirer that ONLY GOD COULD WRITE A BOOK LIKE THAT.

51. THE MIRACLES OF THE BIBLE PROVE ITS DIVINE INSPIRATION

He who makes a watch can press on the stem and turn the watch BACKWARDS—contrary to its normal law of going forward. This "miracle" is performed by the direct intervention of a "higher power" than the regular operation of the watch springs. So, the God who made nature can intervene and put in operation a HIGHER POWER and produce a result superior to natural law. But, it is self-evident that only One greater than nature can do that.

The miracles of the Bible prove two things: that the God who is superior to nature is the God of the Bible., and that the Bible is His "Voice"—His medium of expression—to give His message to the world.

The miracles of the Bible are well-attested, being witnessed by scores, and in some instances, by hundreds of individuals. The Miracles of the Bible are never absurd (as are the "miracles" of .mythology) nor are they for vain display, but always to ACCOMPLISH GOOD. And here is the marvelous fact: every miracle of the Bible is PARABOLIC—it teaches a lesson. As we expect the king to wear a crown, but ONLY the king; so we expect the Bible to contain the record of true miracles, and it is the only Book in the world that does.

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52. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST PROVES THE BIBLE TRUE AND CHRISTIANITY THE GOD-GIVEN RELIGION

Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby, the philosophical historian of England, writes of the Resurrection of Christ as follows: "Thousands and tens of thousands of persons have gone through it (the Bible) piece by piece •as carefully as ever judge summed up a most important case. I have myself done it many times over, not to per-.suade others, but to satisfy myself. I have been used for many years to study the history of other times, and to •examine and weight the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history •of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence •of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given-us, that Christ died and rose again from the dead."

Greenleaf, of Harvard, authority on "evidence," said that according to the legal evidence in the highest courts of Europe and America, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are genuine and authentic, that Christ's claims are true, and that He rose from the dead. He subjected the witnesses to the severest cross-examination, and then published a book in which he announced that THE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST CANNOT BE OVERTHROWN.

The fact that the world faces ONLY ONE EMPTY TOMB greatly simplifies the problem of search for religious truth. For the Resurrection of Christ is God's approval on, and seal to, His claims to be God the ,Son and Savior of the world; for, if His claims had been false the righteous God of Heaven would have allowed Him to stay in the grave, in common with all pretenders. But Christ

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was raised from the dead, "declaring Him to be the Son of God with power." (Rom. 1:4.)

A RESURRECTED CHRIST MEANS A VINDICATED BIBLE FOR THE BIBLE IS HIS MESSAGE.

53. THE TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE ABOUT WOMEN PROVE IT TO BE GOD'S WORD

Man's tendency is either to degrade woman to the level of a beast, or (in some few instances) glorify her into a useless ornament. The Bible does neither, but presents her as man's equal spiritually and morally, his inferior physically (1 Peter 3:7), his help meet socially (Gen. 2:18), the object (in married life) of his solicitous love and care and protection (Eph. 5:25-29). Man is placed as the head of the home and of the church, with woman acting under his direction as his lieutenant (1 Cor. 11:3; Gen. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:12), and when man is prompted by love, as the Bible says he should be, the results of her subjection to him are most happy. The husband is to "honor" his wife and "praise her in the gates."

In the Bible the rights of women are guarded with respect to inheritance, to marriage, to divorce. The Bible teaches monogamy, and so does away with the curse of polygamy and the harem. The Bible places the wife and mother as queen of the home (she is to "guide the house"), thus giving her one of the greatest responsibilities of life. "A virtuous woman?" Her price is "far above rubies." (Prov. 31.)

In many heathen nations woman is a soulless animal, to be bought and sold, used and abused, kicked and cuffed about. It is quite evident, men of the jury, that the God of both men and women wrote the Bible.

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54, WHAT THE BIBLE HAS DONE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND WEAK AND DESPISED

GROUPS, PROVES IT TO BE GOD'S WORD

"In the history of humanity," says Herbert Spencer, "the saddest part concerns the treatment of women, and had we before us its unwritten history we should find this part still sadder." The Hindu woman echoed the heart cry of millions of her sisters when she prayed, "Oh God, let no more women be born in India."

CHRIST IS THE GREATEST BENEFACTOR WOMANHOOD HAS EVER HAD; and the same might be said about children whom He took in His arms and blessed. The influence of the Bible has led to the building of innumerable hospitals, orphanages, charitable institutions and asylums. Only in Christian lands are women, and their rights, honored, respected and protected.

"By the study of no other book can children be so humanized." Surely, God gave the Book!

55. THE BIBLE IS UNIMPROVEABLE; THIS SHOWS THAT IT MUST BE GOD'S WORK

Man's work is never perfect. His automobiles of today will be improved on by the next generation. The scientific textbooks of the past generation are the joke books of the present.

The Bible has no statement in it that has ever required correction. There is as much difference between the Bible and other books as there is between a rose and an artificial rose. One is nature—the work of God—and the other is art—the work of man. To try to improve the Bible is "gilding the lily." There is something about the style of the Bible which makes it INIMITABLE. And

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who would be foolish enough to even attempt to improve on the 23rd Psalm? or the Sermon on the Mount? or the book of Eomans? (which some one has termed "the greatest piece of logic ever penned by man"). A book that has been in the world for a score of centuries—before, ages before, our modern era of learning—and is unimprovable in any way MUST BE "THE WORK OF GOD!

56. THE BIBLE IS A CHRIST-CENTERED BOOK

The types of the Old Testament point to CHRIST; the prophecies of both Testaments point to CHRIST; the Gospels tell of CHRIST in the flesh; the Acts tells of the ministry of the risen CHRIST; the epistles unfold the Person and work of CHRIST; the Revelation is the "unveiling" of CHRIST in His post-resurrection glory and majesty. Jesus is "the fullness, the center and the fascination of the Bible." Other religions have ethics but not a SAVIOR. The charm of the Bible lies in its tender, loving Redeemer, who suffered for us, who cares for us, who is our Mediator, our Shepherd, our Great High Priest, our Bread and Water of Life, our Bridegroom, our All and in All, the One Altogether Lovely, the irresistible Son of God! Oh how you'll love Him when you know Him!

A man gave a friend a woodland scene, telling him that in the picture he would find the profile of Napoleon. The recipient of the gift looked at the picture many, many times without finding the profile; but eventually it dawned on him—THERE IT WAS, just as plain as day! Why hadn't he seen it before! Ever after, when he looked at that picture, he saw the profile of Napoleon, and the woodland scene was secondary. SO IT IS WITH

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THE BIBLE: it contains the picture of CHRIST, and when once the devout student finds HIM there he can see but very little beside. Only a literary artist like God could write a Book like that.

57. THE "SELF-AUTHENTICATINGNESS" OF THE BIBLE PROVES ITS INSPIRATION

In a sense (as Bettex pointed out) the Bible is not in need of proof, because it does not treat of that which is relative, but establishes that which is absolute. The relative must be proved, the absolute not. This is illustrated in Spurgeon's story of the woman who was confronted by an agnostic who asked her what she was reading. She .replied, "The Word of God." "The Word of God. Who told you it was the Word of God?" "He told me so Him-,self." "He told you so; how can you prove that?" Looking skyward the trusting soul said, "Can you prove to me that there is a sun up in the sky?" "Why of course; the best proof is it warms me and I can see its light." "That's it," she said joyously, "The best proof that this Book is God's Word is that it warms and enlightens my soul." It .is the light" of the world, spiritually, just as much as the sun is the light of the world physically.

As mother love can be sensed, as beauty is engraved on the face of a lovely maiden, so the Bible has that very real but indefinable something that assures the heart it is God's Voice.

When a man steps up to us we know he is not a robot; there is an apparent, difference between a glass and a real diamond; a painted moon could never be hung up in the air and deceive the people of earth; truth always .has inherent characteristics that are unmistakable, though (Often they are difficult to describe and define; SO IT IS

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WITH THE BIBLE. IT POSSESSES THE LIFE AND NATURALNESS THAT PERSUADE THE HEART THAT IT IS GOD'S WORD, and not an imitation.

* * *

Let the reader not think that these "57 Reasons" have exhausted the subject. Many more reasons could be given, but we must stop somewhere. Let us now return, again, to our court room scene. We will line up the witnesses—57 of them—on the stand, and ALL OF THEM GIVE THEIR UNIMPEACHABLE TESTIMONY THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD. We conclude, with Dean Burgon (famous Oxford scholar), "The Bible none other but the WORD OF GOD, the utterance of Tim that sitteth upon the Throne, absolute, faultless, un-ring, supreme—'the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.' "

The tragedy of modern life is, people do not READ the Bible enough and give it a chance to speak for itself. While standing on the front steps of his residence, the thought suddenly flashed into the mind of Alexander Hamilton, "What, after all, if the Bible is true?" He had never examined the Book with the attention he would have given an ordinary civil case, in return for the most meager of retaining fees. The next morning he began the study of the Holy Scriptures with the result stated by himself: "I believe the religion of Christians to be the truth; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that He made an atonement for our sins by His death; and that He rose for our justification."

Read the Bible prayerfully, carefully, and with heart and mind open to know and follow the Truth, for God reveals truth only to those who are willing to know and do

62 57 REASONS

His will; "If any man willeth to do His will, HE SHALL KNOW OF THE TEACHING." (John 7:17.)

To those who have hitherto read the Bible but little, we urge them to start now by reading FIRST, carefully

and repeatedly, the Gospel of John in the New Testament, (see John 20:31); .SECOND, start at the beginning of the New Testament, and read it through repeatedly; THIRD, start at Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament and read the whole Bible through.

Because the Bible is the Word of God we know that man's eternal destiny depends on what he does with the Christ of whom the Bible testifies. Reader, if you haven't already done so, will you right here and now accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and depend on Him for the salvation of your eternal soul? Here is His promise, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John 3:16. "Christ died for our sins . . . and He rose again the third day." (1 Cor. 15:3-4.)

Because faith is the key to eternal blessing, we urge all Christians to cooperate to the fullest extent in the dissemination of the vitally important truths presented in "57 REASONS."

Let us take a renewed interest in the study and dissemination of God's Word; let there be much prayer for a revival of true and vital faith and godliness among men.

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"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."—1 Peter 1:23.

57 REASONS 63

THE ANVIL OF GOD'S WORD

I paused one day beside the blacksmith's door,

    And listened to the Anvil ring the evening's chime,

And looking in, I saw upon the floor,

    Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

How many Anvils have you had, said I,

    To wear and batter out these hammers so?

Just one, he answered, with a twinkling eye,

    The Anvil wears the hammers out, you know.

And so, I thought, the Anvil of God's Word,

    For ages skeptic blows, have beat upon,

Yet, though the noise of infidel was heard,

    The Anvil is unworn—the hammers, gone.

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THE BIBLE

"It is in truth, the Word of God; nay, more, the living Word of the living God; supernatural in origin, eternal in duration; inexpressible in value; infinite in scope; divine in authorship; human in penmanship; regenerative in power; infallible in authority; universal in interest; personal in application; and as St. Paul declares, inspired in totality."—Canon Hague.

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