Exploring the Bible

 The Bible - a  Collection of Historical Documents? The New Testament was written by eight different authors who recorded the events and their perceptions of Jesus from their own unique viewpoints. Because these documents were combined into a single collection which became the Bible, they are rejected by most secular historians. It is a mystery to me why that just because an account is contained in the Bible it is almost automatically rejected. If these accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus had remained separate and independent of one another they likely would have been considered on their own merit, not by the title of the book they were contained within.  While this post will concentrate mostly on non-biblical sources regarding Jesus, I will touch briefly on the accuracy of the Gospels contained in the Bible. Just one example of many available involves Sir William Ramsey, a scholar who was educated and raised to doubt the accuracy of the New Testament. He set out t...

 Jesus selected twelve men to be His close followers and nearly constant companions.  These men had the privilege of seeing Jesus perform His miracles and listening to His teachings. Some of these individuals are better known than others. In all Jesus had fourteen Apostles. This includes the original twelve selected by Jesus, as well as the Apostle Paul who Jesus selected to send to the gentiles. Also included in the list of Apostles is the man selected by the Apostles to take the place of Judas after his death.  The twelve Apostles are held in very high regard and are mentioned in the Book of Revelation. In the writing by the Apostle John we see that the names of the Apostles will be remembered in the foundation of the new city. "And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb." - Revelation 21:14 During His lifetime Jesus was obviously the focal point and the Apostles played very much a secondar...

How did Christianity Spread so Rapidly  [Excerpt from The Bible - Some Assembly Required ]  The early Christian church was no stranger to oppression and persecution. Jesus had been beaten and crucified, which the religious leaders of the time hoped would put a stop to this new cult. When Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, He destroyed those hopes and plans. Unfortunately, the opponents of Jesus were not so easily silenced. Their violence continued as is evident by the deaths' of Stephen, James and also with the persecution of Christians by such people as Saul, who in a short time would become one of the new church's greatest leaders. Throughout the early years and even centuries of the Christian church there were many who opposed it. Not only were they opposed it. Not only were they opposed and persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders, but also by the Roman government. Under rulers such as Nero and Diocletian, Christians were stripped of their property and legal rig...