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By
Tomoko Matsuoka
One
day, while browsing in a bookshop, I came across an encyclopedia
with a section of Bible-related articles. I was curious to
see how a secular scholar might depict the great men and women
of the Bible, so I began to read some of the short biographies—the
prophets Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah; King David; Samson;
the apostles Matthew, Peter, and Paul…
One after another, things I
had accepted as fact were brought into question: Three people
may have written the book of Isaiah; the apostle Matthew may
not have written the book of Matthew; Paul may not have written
some of the epistles that have been attributed to him. On
and on it went. With phrases like “mythological symbolism,”
“legendary accreditations,” and “obscure visions,”
the author went on to explain in great detail how every book
in the Bible was flawed or shouldn’t be taken literally.
Adam and Eve should be thought of as “symbolic prototypes
of mankind.” The book of Genesis is merely “a way
for certain authors to express their theories on the origins
of human life and cultural identity.”
I had only skimmed a few pages
when a hollow feeling settled in my stomach. Part of me wanted
to close the book, but another part kept flipping the pages,
looking for some statement that reaffirmed my faith in the
Bible. Then my eyes fell on the closing sentence of the entry
on Jesus Christ. “In all the inevitable questioning over
the biblical account of the resurrection of Jesus, one fact
seems beyond dispute: Jesus’ disciples were prepared
to stake their lives on its veracity.” And so have countless
others down through the ages, I might add. The author, in
his scholarly attempt to debunk God’s Word, couldn’t
explain away its power.
I felt vindicated, then ashamed
at how little faith I had shown just moments earlier. That
closing sentence had driven out and slammed the door on the
diabolical doubts that had entered and tried to take hold
of my mind.
I realized then why so many
people still have faith in the Bible, even after reading books
like this encyclopedia, which are designed to undermine faith.—Because
through the Bible they have come to know its true Author,
God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
God is alive and well; Jesus
not only rose from the dead, but He now lives in every heart
that invites Him in; and the words found in the Bible are
alive and powerful. How do I know these three things to be
true?—Because I have experienced them for myself. I believe
the Bible because I have seen its effect in my life.
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The
Word of God
is the foundation of faith
By
David Brandt Berg
How
do you get faith?—It’s a gift of God and is
available to anyone who wants it. The problem is, most
people don’t want it until they need it, and then
they suddenly find they don’t have the faith they
need because they have no background of faith in God’s
Word, no foundation. After all, how can they have faith
in something they know little or nothing about?
As
no good building is without a good foundation, there
is no solid basis for faith without the Word; faith
in God is built on His Word. So if you feel like you’re
weak in faith, there’s a simple cure: God’s
Word will increase your faith.
Faith
comes, it grows, by hearing the Word of God (Romans
10:17). As you faithfully read and study the Word, as
you meditate on it and even memorize it, every word
will inspire, strengthen, and increase your faith. Fill
your mind and heart with positive, encouraging, strengthening,
faith-building thoughts from His Word and you’ll
soon be amazed at the faith you’ll have—true
faith, the kind that can stand any test, the kind that
works miracles, the kind that lasts, built on the solid
rock foundation of His truth!
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