Yep, I Gave A Public Talk

mavie

Outline number 124, read it and weep. I was such a rock star.

Song 46
November xx, 200x
xxxx xxxxx Congregation

Basis For Confidence In The Bible’s Divine Authorship

The Bible is the most widely distributed book in the world. One estimate has, in part or whole, the Bible translated in over 2300 languages, with a distribution of 4 billion copies. Yet, despite wide distribution of the Bible, there exists today differing viewpoints as to its authorship. Many today doubt – or deny outright – the Bible’s Divine Authorship.

One Atheist tract asked its readers: “Won’t you help get this book [the Bible] out of the hands of our children, out of decent homes, and out of hotel and motel rooms?”

Criticism of the Bible has even come from religious quarters:

“The Bible contains mistakes, inaccuracies and contradictions. It is therefore understandable why the major Christian churches do not view the Bible as infallible. So said the Bishop of Episcopal diocese of Michigan.”

One Catholic nun in Colorado said of the Bible, “It is embarrassingly human. The human authors show a woeful ignorance of science, history and even theology… God did not free the inspired author from the scientific ignorance shared with the people of that time.

Yes, many people today, even those who profess a faith in the Bible, doubt – or deny outright – the Bible’s divine authorship. Do these opinions have merit?

Today, we know that the Bible was written down by some 40 men, including Kings, shepards, fisherman, civil servants, priests, a physician, and at least one General. Yet, how can the words in the Bible be written by men and still be considered divinely authored?
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Well, how did the Bible writers themselves view these writings? Were they quick to attribute the words contained in the Bible to themselves?

King David for example, penned a number of Psalms, 73 superscriptions before the Psalm bear his name.

These lyrical poems display a beauty of style and rhythmic flow of thought. They paint vivid pictures. They have great breadth and depth, in both subject matter and the strong emotions expressed, this is due in part to David’s extraordinary life experiences, which provide background to many of the Psalms. David lived a varied life—as a shepherd boy, a lone warrior against Goliath, a court musician, an outlaw among loyal friends and among traitors, a king and conqueror, he also twice experienced the bitterness of serious sin, yet was an enthusiastic worshiper of Jehovah and loved His Law.

How was David able to record these writings down so vividly, in such a way that reaches hearts thousands of years later?

King David himself, whose last words are recorded for us in 2nd Samuel, answers this question. Let’s read what he said at 2nd Samuel 23:2. (read)

This ‘spirit of Jehovah’ spoke through David.

Another Bible writer, the prophet Daniel, who wrote the book bearing his name also mentions God in his writings. He also acknowledged something he lacked concerning the book of Daniel. It can be found at Daniel 12:8 (read).

Daniel openly acknowledged he did not fully understand the things he wrote. Despite this fact, there are many prophecies contained in the book of Daniel which have since been fulfilled…we might recall Daniels vision of the the 4 beasts who came up out of the sea which represented the march of world powers, or perhaps the prophetic 70 prophetic weeks of years, which pointed to the time when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would appear on the Earth. Or perhaps the prophecy concerning the fall of the great city of Babylon, written hundreds of years in advance. We will consider some of these in greater detail later in the discussion. The point being though, that there are many prophecies containing in Daniel which Biblical and secular history confirm and being fulfilled, prophecies which Daniel admitted to not fully understanding at the time of writing!

Daniel then, did not write these prophecies through his own interpretation. Rather, they were directed by someone who did understand and could accurately predict future events. 2nd Peter 1:20,21 helps us identify who this is, and how it is done. (read)

Yes, Daniel, just like David, ‘spoke through God’ by means of the holy spirit. Well, how is this possible, speaking through holy spirit? We might illustrate this by thinking of a secretary. A book may be credited to a certain author, yet, by means of dictation, the actual writing be done by a number of secretaries. This is how it was with the Bible. Its authorship is rightly credited to Jehovah God, who by means of his holy spirit inspired about forty human secretaries to write the information down.

This is true for more than just David and Daniels writings….let turn to 2 Tim 3:16, 17 (read)

“All Scripture is inspired of God,” and this includes the writings of the apostles along with “the rest of the Scriptures.” Paul in writing to Timothy here used the Greek word The•o´pneu•stos, literally meaning “God-breathed,” a term translated “inspired of God.” So when God’s spirit or invisible active force became operative upon the Bible writers so they could record what Jehovah dictated, it was as if God was breathing upon them to empower and bear them along in the task. Hence, as we read in 2nd Peter, “prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.

As we can see, early Christians such as Paul and Timothy had confidence in the Bible’s divine authorship. Should we not also? To help us acquire that basis for confidence we are going to examine three lines of reasoning. Lets consider how (1) Bible prophecies, (2) the practical guidance the Bible provides, and (3) the fruitage produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses give basis for confidence in the Bible’s diving authorship.
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First, prophecies are outstanding evidence of divine authorship. Reliable, dependable information concerning future events has proved beyond the reach of mankind. Yet, the Bible contains many prophecies which have been fulfilled. For example, we might consider the many prophecies which were fulfilled in Jesus.

Lets turn to the book of Psalms, and consider some verses in chapter 22. This inspired Psalm of David contains many prophecies concerning Jesus…for instance…let’s read verse 1 where it is foretold Jesus would be forsaken by God to his enemies, drop down to verses 7 and 8, also verse 18.

Not only would Jesus be forsaken, but 7 and 8 foretold he would be reviled and ridiculed while on the stake, and 16 foretold that lots would be cast over his garments.

The fulfillment is found in the book of Matthew Chapter 27. Consider verse 35, 39-43, verse 46.

These events in the Gospel account occurred nearly 1,000 years after they were recorded in the book of Psalms. In addition to the prophecies concerning Jesus in chapter 22, there are dozens of additional prophecies which Jesus fulfilled while on the Earth.

Now, one may reason, anyone living during Jesus time could have read these prophecies in Psalms and fulfilled them by simply carrying out the text. However, the fulfilling of many of these prophecies were completely beyond the control of Jesus. He could not, for instance, have arranged to be born of the tribe of Judah, or as a descendant of David. (Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1, 10; Matthew 1:2-16) Nor could he have maneuvered the events that led to his being born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-7) Nor would he have arranged to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15); that his enemies spit on him (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67); that he be reviled while hanging from the executional stake (Psalm 22:7, 8; Matthew 27:39-43); that he be pierced, but not a bone in his body be broken (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 34:20; John 19:33-37); and that soldiers cast lots for his garments (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35). These are merely a few of the many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ, prophecies which Jesus, or any other man for that matter, could have had any sort of control over. The book, Archaeology and Bible History states: “The chances of all of these prophecies being fulfilled in one man are so overwhelmingly remote that it is strikingly demonstrated that they could in no way be the shrewd guesses of mere men.” This points to the Bible as being divinely authored.

What about corroborative evidence? Evidence outside of the Bible which points to a prophetic fulfillment? Here too, secular historians bear witness to fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Lets consider the prophecy concerning the ancient city of Babylon. In the 6th Century BCE Babylon was the world power, and the city of Babylon was virtually impregnable. it had a massive system of double walls protecting it, in addition to the deep waters of the Euphrates River, which protected the city and provided it with fresh water in the case of a siege. The city was virtually impregnable, no army had breeched its walls. It was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed its temple in the year 607 BCE, at that time, the remaining Jews in the city were taken captive to the city of Babylon.

However, some 200 years prior to Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Jerusalem, before Babylon even became a world power, Isaiah was divinely inspired to record an account outlining the manner in which this great city would be captured, and how the imprisioned Jews would be released. Let’s read this account in Isaiah 44:26-28 and 45:1. As we are reading this account, notice the detail with which this prophecy is recorded.

Uninspired diviners are usually not very specific in their predictions for fear that time will prove them wrong. By contrast, through Isaiah, Jehovah here reveals the very name of the man he will use to free his people from captivity in Babylon. His name is Cyrus of Persia. Jehovah also gives details of the strategy that Cyrus will use to penetrate Babylon’s massive and elaborate defense system. The waters will dry up and the doors left open to the city! Further, Isaiah recorded this account well before the captivity even began!

What do secular historical sources say about this event?

The historian Herodotus describes the waters from the Euphrates river, which supplied the water for the deep wide moat that surrounded the city as being diverted. Cyrus went “drawing off the river by a canal into the lake which was till now a marsh, he made the stream to sink till its former channel could be forded…” The water level sinking to the level of a man’s thigh. Once the river was crossed…”There was a festival going on, and even while the city was falling they continued to dance and enjoy themselves, until hard facts brought them to their senses.” The cities inhabitants carelessly left open the doors to the city.

Daniel – Jehovah’s prophet in Babylon when Cyrus captured it, foretold the rise and fall of world powers. He had a vision involving the conquering Medes and Persians. Let’s consider Daniel chapter 8:5-8.

Verses 20-22 offer an explanation of this vision….

Again, great detail in this prophecy, naming the Kings and manner in which they would secede each other.

Did this vision Daniel have come to pass?

History reveals the first “King of Greece”, known as Alexander the Great, started “from the sunset” or the west, in the year 334 BCE. Alexander moved quickly, as if “not touching the earth”, he conquered territories and struck down “the ram”. Ending the Medo-Persian dominion of nearly 200 years, Greece became a world power. However, as was prophesied here in Daniel, this great horn, or Alexander the Great, was broken and 4 horns came up in its place. Again, secular history reveals that at the very height of his career, Alexander was “broken”, or died, at the early age of 32. And history reveals his great empire eventually came to be divided among four of his generals.

There are even Bible prophecies which are finding their fulfillment today. Prophecies concerning the last days of this system of things. We might consider what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write concerning the last days of this system of things. Lets turn to 2 Tim 3:1-5 (read)

Can we see the fulfillment of this today? If you read a newspaper this morning, did you see featured any of the things mentioned here? (examples from newspaper)

These are just a few of the prophecies recorded in the Bible which have seen their fulfillment. How is this possible? Is this something man has the power to do? Consider the following manmade predictions:

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”—Lord Kelvin, British mathematician, physicist, and President of the British Royal Society, c. 1895.
These quotations are from the book The Experts Speak, by Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky.
“If we are to begin to try and understand life as it will be in 1960, we must begin by realizing that food, clothing and shelter will cost as little as air.”—John Langdon-Davies, British journalist and Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 1936.
“This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. . . . The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.”—Admiral William Leahy, advising U.S. President Harry Truman on the U.S. atom-bomb project, 1945.

Mankind cannot accurately predict future events. How then, were these Bible writers able to foretell and foresee future events? Isa 46:10 helps us. (read)

Yes, Jehovah alone has the ability to foresee the future, with precise detail…due to this, the prophecies recorded in the Bible establish its divine authorship.
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Another evidence of divine authorship can be found in the practical guidance the Bible gives. If the Bible is not inspired of God, would we expect the counsel it gives regarding economic matters, mental outlook, and physical health still be applicable to modern life thousands of years later? Conversely, we would expect our creator to know exactly what is best for us, and the counsel given to be relevant even today.

Ps 119:105 likens the Bible to a ‘lamp’ which lights the ‘roadway’. This serves as light to our path in life by offering practical counsel in many areas of life.

For example, it can help to remedy economic problems. How so? Let’s examine a few scriptures…first at Proverbs 6:6-11…now lets turn over to Col 3:23…

Here we see counsel condemning laziness, and promoting industriousness. As an employer, which type of person would you rather have working for you? Someone who you know follows Bible counsel to work at our task with industriousness, like the ant? Or someone who expects to be fed, but does not want to work for it? Or course, the answer is obvious. As we apply this guidance in our lives, a reputation for honesty and industriousness opens work opportunities that would otherwise be closed.

For example, in Australia, Thursday Island has one of the highest unemployment figures in the country. People available for employment abound. Yet the manager of a bank there sought out a particular family to do the cleaning work. Why? They were known by all to be honest people. In Sweden, firms that have few openings are pleased to hire Jehovah’s Witnesses because of their good reputation as workers. The employment manager of a company with 1,400 employees even asked whether it would be possible to advertise for employees in the principal journal used by Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Watchtower. Even in northern Sweden, where jobs are scarce, unemployment is virtually unknown among Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Throughout the world, the honest, conscientious worker is definitely preferred. Many people are willing to pay for quality work. In some areas, dependable painters, electricians, mechanics and other tradesmen are at times so busy that they cannot accept certain jobs for lack of time.

A proper attitude toward material things is also stressed in the Bible. We can find practical counsel in regards to our attitude towards this at 1 Tim 6…let consider verses 6-12.

Paul writes, through Jehovah, here concerning cultivating a proper view towards material things…he mentions godly devotion along with self-sufficiency in verse. What does this mean? To be self-sufficient? That we should acquire as many things as we can in order to prepare for any possible future event without having to relay on others? No, rather, the Watchtower brought out that this self-sufficiency means being content with the basic things as verse 8 relates. Appling this counsel can help one avoid the snare talked about in verse 9, a striving after riches.

Bible counsel can also lead to an improved mental outlook and physical health. The Bible is not a medical textbook, and does not claim the power to reverse chronic mental, emotional, or physical illness…nevertheless, Bible principles promote emotional and physical health; how?

Proverbs 14:30 shows that mental attitude can affect one’s physical health. (read) Keeping this scripture in mind, lets turn to some passages which encourage us to develop qualities that are characteristic of a “calm heart”…Pr 16:32 (read), Eph 4:31, 32 (read).

Anger is listed in these scriptures as something to be avoided. Scientific studies have established the harmful effects of anger. Dr. Redford Williams, Director of Behavioral Research at Duke University Medical Center, and his wife, Virginia Williams:
“Most of the available evidence suggests that hostile people are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (as well as other illnesses) for a variety of reasons, including reduced social support, increased biologic reactivity when angered, and increased indulgence in risky health behaviors.” In addition, one cancer specialist praised the wisdom in Proverbs 14:30 by saying, “mental outlook is 90% of the cure in cancer patients.”

The Bible also condemns practices that can adversely affect a persons physical health.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (read)

Think of all the problems we can escape if we avoid defilement by tobacco, illegal drugs, and other things that pollute the body. And how much better off we are if we do not squander money, time, and thought on immoral literature and entertainment that can defile our spirit!

The U.S. government calls cigarette smoking “clearly the largest single preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States.” Cancer deaths are six times higher among men who smoke than among those who do not

Alcohol abuse and drunkenness cause not only cirrhosis of the liver but also fights, arguments, violence, and a modern plague of death-dealing automobile accidents. Would the Bible help here?

Sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea and AIDS, are an increasing threat to people who have multiple sex partners. What does the Bible say about this? It soundly condemns sexual immorality. It teaches marriage to one partner for life and being morally faithful to that person. It says: “Let marriage be honorable among all, and the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers

Yes, those who live by the practical guidance the Bible provides can experience what Isaiah wrote about in Isa 48:17,18. (read)
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Bible prophecy, and practical guidance are two areas we have examined with regard to building confidence in the Bible’s Divine authorship. Jehovah’s Witnesses today firmly believe that the Bible is inspired of God, as are known as people who endeavor to adhere closely to its moral laws and priciples. By doing this, living by Bible principles, certain attributes, or fruitage, is produced. Jesus spoke of this during his Sermon on the Mount, where he said “every good tree produces fine fruit, while every rotten tree produces worthless fruit.” Those who listen to the Bible’s message and live by its principles are able to make drastic changes in their life, producing fine fruit. 1 Cor 6:9-11 (read).

Bible principles helped these 1st Century Christians transform their lives. The Apostle Paul, who wrote these words to the Corinthians knew this first-hand. The Scriptures speak of Paul before he became a Christian as a ‘blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man’, in fact Paul approved of the murder of Christ’s followers before he became a Christian. In like manner, the same Bible which caused Paul to make changes in his life has caused many today to make major changes in their life. Consider this example from a Polish prison.

A man named Zdzislaw confessed: “I have never known my parents because they abandoned me when I was small, and I came to miss most painfully the feeling of being loved. Early in my life, I got involved in crime, eventually committing a murder. The feeling of guilt pushed me to consider committing suicide, and I was desperately looking for a real hope. Then, in 1987, I came across the Watchtower magazine. From it I learned of the hope of the resurrection and of everlasting life. Realizing that not everything had been lost, I put away the idea of suicide and began to study the Bible. Now I have learned the meaning of love from Jehovah and from the brothers.” Since 1993, this former murderer has been serving God as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Jehovah’s Witnesses today are living proof of the practicality of Bible standards. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known as a people who try live according to Bible standards, which were written thousands of years ago. being divinely inspired, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a united family, through living in over 230 lands. They include people of every race, language, and social standing imaginable. Yet they are a united, peaceful, international brotherhood. They are good citizens of whatever country they happen to live in, but first and foremost, they are subjects of God’s Kingdom, and they are all very active in telling others the good news of that Kingdom.

Jesus told his followers in Matthew 6:33 “seek first the Kingdom…and all these other things will be added to you.” Jehovah’s Witnesses today seek to apply this by not striving after material things, and instead seeking God’s Kingdom first. One aspect of which is through the field ministry which endeavors to teach ones the truth concerning the Bible. In 2004, over 6.5 million Jehovah’s Witnesses spent a total of over 1.2 billion hours in this ministry.

These 6.5 million Witnesses strive to lead clean lives by obeying Bible standards, which would involve avoiding abuse of drugs, including tobacco, in line with the scripture we read in 1 Corinthians 7.

Jehovah’s Witnesses use the Bible as their guidebook. Can we imagine finding a guidebook written by man for family life or perhaps economic problems written 2000 years ago still relavant today? What about 30 years ago? 20? The fact that Bible counsel works is strong basis for confidence in the Bible’s divine authorship. Matt 11:19 (read latter part). The works Jehovah’s Witnesses produce from the wisdom contained in the Bible is noticed by many worldwide.
The Herald of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This newspaper said: “Jehovah’s Witnesses have proven throughout the years to be hard-working, sober, thrifty and God-fearing citizens of the kind the nation manifestly needs.” A sociological study from Zambia published in the American Ethnologist said: “Jehovah’s Witnesses experience greater success than members of other denominations in maintaining stable marital unions.”
The newspaper La Stampa in Italy was also speaking of Jehovah’s Witnesses when it said: “They are the most loyal citizens anyone could wish for: they do not dodge taxes or seek to evade inconvenient laws for their own profit. The moral ideals of love for neighbor, refusal of power, non-violence and personal honesty (which for most Christians are ‘Sunday rules’ only good for being preached from the pulpit) enter into their ‘daily’ way of life.”
A South African university professor who experienced discrimination under that country’s racial laws calls Jehovah’s Witnesses a “people educated by the lofty standards of the Bible to be truly ‘color-blind.’” Explaining this, he added: “Here are people who see what others are inside, not just the color of their skin. Jehovah’s Witnesses today form the only true brotherhood of mankind.”

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses stand out in these ways? In many respects they are no different from other people. They have the same fleshly weaknesses, the same economic problems, and the same basic needs. But as a group, they love God, take the Bible seriously as divinely inspired, and let it exert power in their lives.

Prophecy, practical guidance, and evidence of a people for whom Bible counsel works, all providing a basis for confidence in the divine authorship of the Bible. In light of this, would we want to get this book (hold the Bible up) out of hotel and motel rooms as the Atheist tract at the outset mentioned? NO.

Rather, wouldn’t we agree that the Bible is deserving of a through examination on our part? We invite you read and apply Bible counsel in your life, through which the Creator of the Universe, Jehovah God, offers to guide us through times we live in to a safe and happy future.

BIG D

my favorite public talk was , god is love, among others, i gave that talk at least 50 times!

big d

OnTheWayOut

I had that outline. I gave that talk. Pardon me for skipping the reading.
I just can't handle that.

nvrgnbk

You just gave that talk, Mavie?

LMFAO!

mavie

AudeSapere

Maivie -

Did you know that someone's name is written at the top of the outline?

You might be identified by that somehow...

-Aude.

BIG D

otwo.........

i had kept those outlines for a long time, and one day threw them all away, you know now, the society wants them back, after your talk!

you were supposed to turn in all the old outlines, i spent soooo much time on those things,

big d

BIG D

i specifly remember my illustrations, and an old sister would always cry, she was very old, and from the time i was 12 i read the study articles to her, her name was eda marx, she was annointed, and i asked her to give me a sign when she got in heaven , and let me know she was there, we agreed she would. hahahahahah, she was a good old lady,

big d

nvrgnbk

and i asked her to give me a sign when she got in heaven , and let me know she was there, we agreed she would

Well?

Did she?

SnakesInTheTower

BIG D:

you know now, the society wants them back, after your talk!

not in my experience... has that changed? The only time I knew this to be true was after an assembly or convention talk..the manuscripts had to be handed back....(but you know the elders kept copies!....at least for a souvenir). I was talk coordinator for quite awhile up until a year ago....we would take the original copy and make one or more copies for whichever MS or elder needed the outline. I am surprised they dont ask for all of your outlines, notes, etc when they vote you off the island...but what are the chances they would get them?

I kept all my old outlines (including the aforementioned 124) with my notes for about 6 months after I was deleted, "just in case"...once I realized I was never going back..and by some remote chance I did... (hell no...) I would never be giving them again..I put them in the burn pile....

Now what the local BOE did not know? I had ordered a second complete set of outlines....for my personal files....I ordered it through the literature servant...since I was also secretary, I double checked the order...the PO signed off and never said anything...because he never really looked at it...when they outlines came in, I put them in my briefcase..... and I kept them after I was deleted... though I was missing a few, I sent most of them to a poster on JWD for converting to PDF and to put on a CD...for their research purposes....

so these outlines are (and already were) "out in the wild".. the newer outlines now have copyright notices at the bottom....so if someone posts it, it is a copyright violation....it will be interesting to see if the Borg redoes the 170 outlines to fit in the new 30 min time frame...making the old ones obsolete..

SnakesInTheTower (of the "glad he is not dealing with that shxt anymore" Sheep Class)

Yep, I Gave A Public Talk

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