Book by Adrian Rogers
My Church introduced me to a wonderful book by Adrian Rogers What Every Christian Ought to Know. It helps new and old believers to really get to know some fundamental and essential truths about Christianity and our walk with Christ. I encourage you to get it if you have any doubts about your faith or Christianity in general. This book isn't the end all be all to God, that's the bible, but it will help you to understand the word and what you should be doing and how you should be growing as a Christian. For those who may not believe but are curious about God I think this would be a great book to read and meditate over.
Here's a review of chapter 1. This by no means should deter you from getting the book and reading it yourself. I know I can't explain everything as well as he can and I'm definitely not going to hit all the points he does. In short, BUY THE BOOK!
Chapter 1 The Bible is the Word of God
The first chapter basically gives you some reasons to believe that the bible is the word of God. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17
This scripture illustrates the importance of knowing that when you read the bible you are reading words from God. The bible is our main manual on Earth. It is our ultimate guide to a life fulfilled. It shows us how to have a life filled with happiness, joy, peace, love and prosperity. Above all it tells us how we can be saved, by who's grace we were saved, how to please God, how to live like Jesus and how to receive the riches of heaven. It tells us a lot of good things but also the repercussions of bad actions, worldly attachments and of those who are trying to kill steal and destroy us. Therefore it is crucial when believers read it they can read it with confidence and assurance that it is correct, factual and the word of God.
Rogers gives some good evidence for why the Word is truly the Word including scientific and historical proof, its unity, its fulfillment of prophecy, its quality and transforming power.
Some of the evidence he uses is simple and effective. Rogers is by no means trying to trick anyone and you can tell by the way he writes. Everything is plain and simple and he repeats himself often to hammer home important points. You should never be too quick to believe what someone says, but with Roger's work, if you don't believe it you can research the stuff yourself. You can look at what the bible says, what historical and scientific books say and compare and contrast.
Here is one scientific proof he uses to establish the bible's accuracy. You remember back in the day when people thought the Earth was flat? Rogers recounts an old saying about Columbus: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." They warned "Columbus, you had better be careful; you might sail off the edge of the Earth." So in 1492 people still thought the Earth was round. Rogers then sites a scripture written by Isaiah in 750 BC that says " It is He [God] who sits above the circle of the earth." (Isa. 40:22) Roger then poses the question, how could a man in 750 BC know that the Earth was round and not flat, when after more than 700 years of developments in science and astronomy people still believed the earth was flat?
Another example he uses to prove the accuracy of the bible is its amazing unity. He notes that the bible was written over a period of sixteen hundred years, by forty different authors, in three different languages, by men from all different walks of life. Yet when you put all of their writings together you get one unified book. That's amazing. Each man wrote his own separate, unique, personal story and yet they fit together so well. You try assigning one chapter to 40 different people, of different walks of life, over 10 years and see how clear and unified that book will be. Lucky God knew what he was doing. If you read the new testament, you know how repetitive it can be at times. That's because you have several men recounting their own stories and guess what? They all coincide.
Like I said his reasoning is simple and plain. No tricks. Just sense. I can appreciate that.
