Considered to be among, if not the, most unchanged of ancient texts, are the two works by Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, but the time between the original telling/performing and the first written copies was hundreds of years, which is considered a relatively short time for ancient texts. This interval timing and the editor’s editorial restraint are considered critical factors in determining the accuracy of the current texts. From the time that JESUS CHRIST walked the earth, to the time of the appearance of letters about it, which at first were passed among the churches, entered into the historical record was only about 20 years, too short for HIM to be myth or legend. (The first of the letters appeared about 50 CE, and, well before 90 CE the main body of his correspondence was circulating as a corpus (body of writings). Paul’s letters were the earliest texts of the Christian Scriptures.). Regarding the aforementioned editorial restraint, the letters that became the Bible were copied under extremely strict rules, Christian scribes largely came from the Jewish community and the same principles were applied for those that didn’t as well. Jewish scribes considered scripture scrolls to be sacred and scribal methods were the same for all scrolls. “Comparative studies reveal word-for-word identity in 95 percent of the text. Minor variants consist mostly of slips of the pen or spelling. Only 13 small changes were discovered in the entire Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Isaiah, eight of which were known from other-ancient sources. After 1,000 years of copying, there were no changes in meaning and almost no changes in wording!” “The Bible is the most accurately transmitted book from the ancient world. No other ancient book has as many, as early, or more accurately copied manuscripts.” Dr. Norman Geisler None of the inaccuracies found change the message that GOD is GOD. In the writing of the letter that became The Acts of the Apostles. this would be, per Encyclopedia Britannica: “...written in Greek, presumably by St. Luke the Evangelist. The Gospel According to Luke concludes where Acts begins, namely, with Christ's Ascension into heaven. Acts was apparently written in Rome, perhaps between 70 and 90 CE, though some think a slightly earlier date is also possible” (Acts of the Apostles | Summary & Facts - Britannica). Paul wrote that “...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that HE appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. After that, HE appeared to more than five hundred [emphasis added] of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then HE appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, HE appeared to me also.” (1 Cor. 15: 3-8). per Encyclopedia Britannica: “1 Corinthians, The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, probably written about 53–54 CE at Ephesus, Asia Minor, deals with problems that arose in the early years after Paul's initial missionary visit (c. 50–51) to Corinth and his establishment there of a Christian community” (Letters of Paul to the Corinthians – Britannica). What CHRIST taught was that there is one infinitely powerful GOD, the FATHER and creator, in final control of everything, that we have all offended HIM and we all deserve destruction, that HE took on the form of flesh, like us, in all ways, but without violation, and lived, teaching and performing miracles, and astonishingly, proclaiming “I and the FATHER are one”, “If you have seen me, you have seen the FATHER”, “I am in the FATHER and the FATHER is in ME”, and “No one comes to the FATHER but through me”. HE fulfilled the requirement of punishment by death, HE was mocked, humiliated, spat on, HE was also tortured, nearly killed before the execution began. then stripped naked of course HE was suspended on the cross a few feet above ground for all to see HIS bloodied and disfigured, naked form. Finally subjected to death by what has been called the cruelest, most brutal death of all, death by crucifixion. In all this HE did not defend himself at all, as HE said “No one takes my life from Me. I give it by Myself. I have the right and the power to take it back again. My Father has given Me this right and power.” HE had complete control if the situation. Then, HE returned to offer forgiveness and the free gift of heaven to all that accept HIM as the LORD HE says HE is. HE appeared to HIS followers and performed more miracles, finally departing miraculously. Roman and Jewish histories both record the martyrdom of thousands of Christians in just the first hundred years after his lifetime. It is, shall we say “unlikely”, that tens of thousands, in addition to ten of the original twelve, plus Paul, followers would refuse to recant their faith in the resurrection faced with torture and death, unless they they had literally witnessed a genuine resurrection, confirmed by repeated miraculous appearances and actions by that same leader, now risen, especially when there were dozens, or hundreds, of people that could easily have stood up and proclaimed “I was there, and that is not what happened” and yet more especially if they knew that either the body had been taken and hidden or destroyed, or if they knew HE had not actually died, but only swooned and then walked among them as normal man. The offenses that we commit were given clearly in the list of the 10 commandments:
Some make no sense, unless GOD is who and what the Bible says HE is, Almighty, (infinitely powerful), Omniscient, all loving, and all righteous, The Creator of the universe. being such makes it only right that HE should require these things. But we really can’t expect to be able to follow these rules, especially when HE tells us, for example, that to call someone “empty headed” makes us effectively guilty of murder, in other words even when our thoughts commit character assassination, we deserve to be condemned for it. But HE made us knowing that we would all fail to follow these rules. that is why HE made it possible, through HIS death and resurrection, to receive HIS righteousness, in exchange for our failings. All you must do is pray to HIM that you accept HIS LORDSHIP over you, because “...if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Of course if you truly believe you have been saved, it will change you, out of loving gratitude you will want to do good, this is the fruit of salvation. So you can know you are rescued from destruction by praying that prayer. Please do not wait, HE loves you, and did this all for you! |
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