The Christian faith is Historical and Factual

The Bible is a historical document. We will present later, in Lesson 5, the history of the Bible and the remarkable evidence that we have for its authenticity. For now, consider Luke 2:1-5; 3:1-2.

Luke 2:1-5 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

Luke 3:1,2 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

Notice the appeal to time, places, people and events that actually existed in history. We have many "anchor" points in time and place to give us a viable link to history. Christianity is not just a philosophy, or a religion based on myths and legends. How do we know rationally, though, that the Bible is real, and that we can rely on it as a source of truth? How do we judge which is history and which is fantasy about other works of ancient literature?

In Lesson 5 we will see what tests scientists use for ancient writings that lets us make statements about the dates, authorship and content with confidence. The Bible stands this test of truth better than any other single writing of its antiquity.

The events described in the Bible were real, historical events. The story told by the Bible has a realness, an intrinsic authenticity that makes it and the events it describes a living part of history.

C. S. Lewis, one of the greatest apologists of this century wrote:

Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed. That is one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It is a religion you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It has just that queer twist about it that real things have. So let us leave behind all these boys' philosophies – these over-simple answers. The problem is not simple and the answer is not going to be simple either.

The Christian faith is objective

Josh McDowell (Evidence that Demands a Verdict) says that in order for our faith to be a real faith, it must have an object - something or someone to have faith in. Do we have "faith in faith," or is our faith in something else? Some contemporary faith healers teach that faith is a force, and that words are the containers of the force, and that they can wield the power of the Holy Spirit by speaking these words. Such a teaching is decidedly unbiblical.

Even Simon the sorcerer of Acts 8 was amazed by the real works of the Holy Spirit, and was rebuked for thinking that he could obtain this power by any means other than a gift from a sovereign God.

The Christian faith is a faith in Christ. Our faith is in what He said, what He did, who He was and why He did what He did.

Consider the Biblical "definition of faith" in Heb 11:1 - does this mean that our faith cannot be objective?

Heb 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Scripture Memory - Philippians 2:1-2 - 1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.